Category: Ingrid

Bennett is Eleven Months

Ahh where did my baby go????? It doesn’t help that he looks like a toddler…

My little man is almost one! I seriously cannot believe it. It feels like I blinked and then here we are, at a year. Don’t get me wrong, there were many times I doubted I’d survive (those first three months are ROUGH), but being Bennett’s mama is amazing!

11 months

Weight: 25 lbs

Length: really tall (whoops)

Size: 18 months

Eyes: blue

Hair: dirty blonde

Sleeping:  he typically sleeps through the night (HALLELUJAH, THANK YOU LORD!!!) sometimes he wakes for a bottle about an hour after going to bed.

Eating: formula bottles: 6 oz each feeding; lots of solid fruits, proteins, whatever we’re eating

Milestones: He has five teeth! Of course he won’t let me see the three on the top. Snickerdoodle. He was sick for the first time. He had a slight fever and a really runny nose for 12 hours. After he sneezed into my mouth and onto Gigi’s face, I was sick for 2.5 weeks and Gigi had to go to urgent care. I’m SO thankful Bennett has his Dad’s immune system.

First Christmas

Memorable outings: Meeting Santa

Likes: ALL THE FOOD! His favorite foods: blueberries, carrots, pears. Smiling 🙂

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Chili Mac and cheese was a big hit tonight.

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Bath time. Jimmy discovered Bennett likes when you put his tub close to the faucet and leave the water running. Apparently it’s like a water park that way.

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Bath baby Bennett

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Dislikes: staying still, getting his diaper changed, changing clothes, anyone looking at his teeth

Words/sounds: “dada,” “ahhh” “ohhh,” “mama,” “mom”

Nicknames: “Little Man,” “Benny,” “B,” “Snickerdoodle,” “Mister Mister”

Funny moments: 

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Those giggles though. 😍 My favorite 💙

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Looking forward to: first birthday! I am planning and preparing like crazy!!!!

Photos This Month:

Bennett 11 Months

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Bennett is Ten Months

10 months

Weight: 24 lbs

Length: 30.5″

Size: 18 months

Eyes: blue

Hair: dirty blonde

Sleeping:  he typically sleeps from 7 pm to 5 am. Wakes to chug a bottle. Then back to sleep until 7 am.

Eating: formula bottles: 6 oz each feeding; lots of solid fruits, proteins, whatever we’re eating

Memorable outings: Two Thanksgivings! (Lunch with Daddy’s family, Dinner with Mommy’s family).

Likes: ALL THE FOOD! His favorite foods: blueberries, carrots, pears. Smiling 🙂

Dislikes: staying still, getting his diaper changed, changing clothes

Words/sounds: “dada,” “ahhh” “ohhh,” “mama,” “mom”

Nicknames: “Little Man,” “Benny,” “B,” “Snickerdoodle,” “Mister Mister”

Funny moments: Bennett loves chili! When he wants to get my attention or is frustrated at me (aka I take away the remote) he says “mom!”

Looking forward to: first birthday!

Photos This Month:

Bennett 10 Months
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Bennett is Nine Months

9 months

Weight: 22 lbs

Length: 30.5″

Size: 18 months

Eyes: blue

Hair: dirty blonde

Sleeping:  he typically sleeps from 7 pm to 5 am. Wakes to chug a bottle. Then back to sleep until 7 am.

Eating: formula bottles: 6 oz each feeding; lots of solid fruits, proteins, whatever we’re eating

Milestones: he did all the milestones last month

Memorable outings: Apple picking

Likes: ALL THE FOOD! Seriously this kid wants real food

Dislikes: staying still, getting his diaper changed, changing clothes

Words/sounds: “dada,” “ahhh” “ohhh,” “mama”

Nicknames: “Little Man,” “Benny,” “B,” “Snickerdoodle”

Interesting Facts: B had his first “play date” with baby C (my friend Laura’s newborn). He’s about 3 times her size. He loves to hold onto the “handles” on his walker and FLY!

Funny moments: Bennett has some good dance moves!

Looking forward to: first thanksgiving

Photos This Month:

Bennett Nine Months

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Bennett is Eight Months

Bennett is Eight Months!

Last month I said I liked this stage better. This month, it holds true. Every month is better than the last!

This month’s highlights include: First word = “dada.” He’s crawling!!!! Cutting two teeth, pulling himself up to standing (with help from furniture) — LOTS happened this month

We’re continuing to introduce a variety of fruits and vegetables. So far, he’s liked everything. I think he’ll take after his dad and be a good eater 🙂

Typical Day:

7 am wake up & bottle

9 am nap for Ingrid & Bennett in their own rooms

10 am – 5 pm bottles on demand, naps every 1.5 – two hours; in this time, errands/I try to squeeze in a workout/lots of playing

5:30 pm bath

7 pm put Bennett down

7 pm dinner & Ingrid & Jimmy hang out time

B wakes up once a night for a bottle – Ingrid gives him and then sleeps until 7 am

Monthly Questionnaire

Age: 8 months

Weight:  (didn’t weigh him, fails)

Length: ” he’s bigger than big duck!

Size: 12 months

Eyes: blue

Hair: dirty blonde

Sleeping:  he typically sleeps from 7 pm to 5 am. Wakes to chug a bottle. Then back to sleep until 7 am.

Eating: formula bottles: 6 oz each feeding; lots of pureed food; some solids

Milestones: 1) crawling, 2) pulling up to stand, 3) sitting independently, 4) has two teeth, 5) first word =”dada”

Memorable outings: first trip to Blacksburg

Likes: ALL THE FOOD! Seriously this kid wants real food

Dislikes: staying still, getting his diaper changed, changing clothes

Words/sounds: “dada,” “pagne” [champagne’s nickname], “ahhh” “ohhh”

Nicknames: “Little Man,” “Benny,” “B,” “Snickerdoodle”

Interesting Facts: Bennett said his first word in the car while I was driving him to the cottage for a weekend trip. He said “dada.” He then proceeded to say it all day and night the rest of the weekend.

Funny moments: While in Blacksburg, my dad, Kurt, and Lizzy got sprayed by a skunk (long story), but B slept through the whole thing. I smelled it, thought a skunk was in our room coming after my baby, and proceeded to crawl around looking for it, but not turning on the lights at around 2 am.

Looking forward to: first steps (kind of)

Photos This Month:

Bennett Seven Months
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Bennett is Six Months

Bennett is Six Months!

I am really loving this stage. Bennett is starting to get more of a personality every day. He’s so fun!

This month’s highlights include: Bennett getting baptized, me spending my first weekend away from him, and finally, he started solid foods.

Bennett’s baptism was beautiful and so special. Family and friends came out to St. James Catholic church and then to our house for a celebration. I didn’t take nearly enough pictures (especially of the decorations – I put gold cross confetti on every table). B wore a family heirloom gown and bonnet my Oma got in Ireland that three of my cousins wore for their baptisms. It was so special!

baby baptism
He looked like an angel ❤

We started solids! We started with rice cereal, then introduced a new food every three days: sweet potatoes, followed by applesauce, then pears, then oatmeal, then bananas, then carrots finally avocado. He loved (in order of preference): 1) carrots, 2) pears, 3) applesauce, 4) oatmeal. He did not like the bananas or avocado. I think it’s a texture thing – he’s just not ready for non-puree yet.

Finally, my weekend away. I went on my annual girls lake weekend with my best friends to Smith Mountain Lake. It was so much fun! But, you guessed it, I missed B a lot. Jimmy did a great job solo Dad-ing. He even worked on Benny holding his own bottle while I was gone.

Typical Day:

7 am wake up & bottle

9 am nap for Ingrid & Bennett in their own rooms

10 am – 5 pm bottles on demand, naps every 1.5 – two hours; in this time, errands/I try to squeeze in a workout/lots of playing

5:30 pm bath

7 pm put Bennett down

7 pm dinner & Ingrid & Jimmy hang out time

B wakes up once a night for a bottle – Ingrid gives him and then sleeps until 7 am

Monthly Questionnaire

Age: 6 months

Weight: 20 lbs

Length: 28.25″

Size: 12 months

Eyes: blue

Hair: light brown

Sleeping:  he typically sleeps from 7 pm to 5:30 am. Wakes to chug a bottle. Then back to sleep until 7 am.

Eating: formula bottles: 6 oz each feeding; some solid foods (see above)

Milestones: “discovered” his feet; started solids; spent his first solo weekend with Daddy; got baptized

Memorable outings: his first vineyard trip

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Bennett's first vineyard trip @chrysalisvineyards

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Likes: holding his feet, eating puréed carrots, rolling onto his tummy, getting his face cleaned, moving all the time

Dislikes: staying still, getting strapped in the car seat, not being able to crawl yet

Words/sounds: “a” “ahh” “ohhh” “mmhm”

Nicknames: “Little Man,” “Benny,” “B”

Interesting Facts: B loves him some vegetables

Funny moments: Every time he takes a bite of a food, he makes a face, then remembers he likes it and gobbles it down

Looking forward to: introducing more solid foods – it’s so fun!

Photos This Month:

Bennett Six Months
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Bennett is Five Months

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Bennett is Five Months!

This is our first month with a video baby monitor. I have NO idea what I was thinking when I thought I just wanted an audio one. Seriously, get a video monitor. It is the best thing ever!

On a more baby focused note, our little man is getting more personality every day. He’s working on sitting up (supported), he loves moving CONSTANTLY, he also loves to roll over onto his belly but then he gets stuck and starts crying.

I’m not quite sure why we’re still calling him “little man.” This baby is not that little. In fact, he outgrew his infant car seat for height this month. (Full disclosure, he had a tiny bit of room to go but I didn’t want him to outgrew it while we were at the beach).

Graco Milestone convertible car seat
Was not emotionally ready for him to outgrow the infant car seat. Slow down!

This month we took him to the beach for the first time! My parents met me off I-95 so my mom could drive my car and I could be in the back with B. I was so thankful for the help on the 9 hour (usually 8 hour) drive. B did great, although he did not sleep much. My parents also brought their folding crib so that made sleeping at the beach a much easier transition.

B loved the sand! He loved kicking it and playing. He was brave about the ocean, especially when Jimmy held him in the water. We only went down to the beach for about an hour in the evenings – the sun/crowds were intense and he naps so often. But, we did get plenty of balcony sitting. B sat in his new “Frog Chair” Gigi got. We called it his “throne.” We sat him on the table and he just looked out over the ocean and the beach. B, my parents, and I stayed a week. Jimmy flew in for four days so he didn’t have to miss as much work.

Bennett also got to meet more people. He got to meet my good friend Sherry and her twins. I found out that B loves watching kids, so I will definitely be taking him to the playground more. Finally, B was able to meet his great aunt Shelia and two of his first cousins once removed, Jackson & Jeremy. We’re slowly getting him to meet his whole family.

Typical Day:

6:30 am wake up & bottle

9 am nap for Ingrid & Bennett in their own rooms

10 am – 6 pm bottles on demand, naps every 1.5 – two hours

5:30 pm bath

7 pm put Bennett down

7 pm dinner & Ingrid & Jimmy hang out time

B wakes up once a night for a bottle – Ingrid gives him and then sleeps until 6:30 am

Monthly Questionnaire

Age: 5 months

Weight: 17.2 lbs

Length: 27″

Size: 9 months

Eyes: blue

Hair: light brown

Sleeping:  he slept the first half of the month in his crib in his “spacesuit” (Baby Merlin’s Magic Sleep Suit) in his room solo and then we “swaddle weaned” and he now sleeps in footie PJs

Eating: formula bottles: 6 oz each feeding

Milestones: first beach trip, rolled over for the first time, outgrew his infant car seat

Memorable outings: first beach trip

Likes: sand, eating, sleeping, MOVING

Dislikes: baths, staying still

Words/sounds: “a” “ahh” “ohhh” “mmhm”

Nicknames: “Little Man,” “Benny,” “B”

Interesting Facts: B moves constantly all the time, even when sleeping. He also likes talking all the time.

Funny moments: when B first saw the ocean, he made a face like “this is the biggest bath I’ve ever seen”

Looking forward to: next year’s beach trip when he can swim and play more

Photos from Bennett’s Fifth Month:

Bennett Five Months
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Bennett is Four Months

Bennett is Four Months!

 

This is the first month I’m a stay at home mom. So far, it’s amazing. I love being there for Bennett all the time. I love seeing him grow and learn every single day.

This month is also sadly, the first month I’m not breastfeeding. Honestly, it is so freeing. Not having the stress and feeling like a failure is great. I miss the bond. I miss providing the best nutrition for my baby (you can’t replicate those antibodies). I miss the feeling of success when I pumped a bottle. I miss B falling asleep nursing. I do not miss late night feedings.

Typical Day:

7 am wake up & bottle

9 am nap for Ingrid & Bennett in B’s room

10 am – 6 pm bottles on demand, naps every 1.5 – two hours

6:30 pm put Bennett down

7 pm dinner & Ingrid & Jimmy hang out time

9:30 pm bed – Jimmy in B’s room, Ingrid in the master

midnight-Jimmy gives Bennett a bottle

4 am (or whenever Bennett wakes up for his next feeding) – Jimmy gets Ingrid and they swap rooms; Ingrid gives B a bottle

4 am – 7 am Ingrid & B try to sleep in B’s room

 Monthly Questionnaire

Age: 4 months

Weight: 16.5 lbs

Length: 26.75″

Size: 6 months and some 9 months

Eyes: blue

Hair: light brown

Sleeping: slept through the night (11 hours straight!) he sleeps in his crib in his “spacesuit” (Baby Merlin’s Magic Sleep Suit)

Eating: formula bottles: 4 oz each feeding

Milestones: 1) slept through the night!

Memorable outings: First time at the cottage/first time on a boat

Likes: ceiling fans, his changing table, loves his room

Dislikes: baths, staying still, his monthly tie stickers

Words/sounds: “a” “ahh” “ohhh”

Nicknames: “Little Man,” “Benny,” “Mr. Ahgoo, “B”

Interesting Facts: first month of all day everyday Mommy & Bennett time

Funny moments: I had my friends over – B tried so hard to stay up and hang out, but he just couldn’t make it. He fell asleep sitting up on Sarah’s lap.

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Looking forward to: more sleep; his first beach trip (next month)

Photos from Bennett’s Fourth Month:

Bennett Four Months
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Bennett is Three Months

Bennett is Three Months!

 

People claimed it would get easier around three months. They were so right! We no longer feel like this baby will kill us (which would lead to an amazing Lifetime movie).

Sleeping wise, we finally figured some things out, first of all, we were keeping him up way too late! Benny needs to go to bed around 6-7 pm. Secondly, Bennett does better when Mommy is no where around him. This means, Jimmy starts the night in Bennett’s room (where we have a full sized adult bed) while B sleeps in his Rock ‘n Play.

Feeding wise, we’re stopping nursing at the end of this month. Cue all the tears. I literally gave it my all. Blood, sweat, and tears here. However, Bennett screams and hits me every time I try to nurse him now. His nursing sessions are getting shorter and shorter. The lactation specialists think it is because he knows a bottle is coming (we still have to supplement). I’m pumping for 20-30 minutes six times a day just to get half of what he needs. It is not sustainable. At least I made it to three months. That is a solid foundation.

Typical Day:

3 am nursing

Ingrid & B sleep in B’s room

6 am nursing

Ingrid & B try to sleep some more

7 am wake up & pump

9 am Gigi comes over, Ingrid naps, B gets bottles and naps with Gigi downstairs

noon – 6 pm: nurses every 3 hours, formula bottle after while Ingrid pumps, Ingrid naps whenever she can while Gigi watches B

6:30 pm put Bennett down

7 pm dinner while watching The Wheel of Fortune

8 pm last pumping followed by bed for Ingrid in master bedroom & Jimmy in B’s room

midnight – Jimmy gives B a bottle

midnight-3 am Jimmy & B sleep in B’s room, Ingrid in master

3 am (or whenever Bennett wakes up for his next feeding) – Jimmy gets Ingrid and they swap rooms

 

 Monthly Questionnaire

Age: 3 months

Weight: didn’t weigh him

Length: didn’t measure him

Size: 6 months and some 9 months – holy growth spurt

Eyes: blue

Hair: light brown

Sleeping: sleeps 5 hours straight on the regular *THANK YOU JESUS!

Eating: breastfeeding as much as he’ll let me, supplementing with breast milk or formula bottles 2-4 oz at a time

Milestones: first giggle when I brought him into City Hall and he thought Sandy was hilarious; first Easter

Memorable outings: went to City Hall; first road trip – went to Richmond so Ingrid could be in her friend Meredith’s wedding

Likes:  trying to talk, kicking, his mama, making faces, and trying to suck his thumb.

Dislikes: baths, being naked

Words/sounds: agu

Nicknames: “Little Man,” “Benny,” “Mr. Agu, “B”

Interesting Facts: he sneezes three times in a row once a day, every day

Funny moments: while organizing laundry, a burp cloth fell off the back of the couch right onto Bennett’s head – we all laughed

Looking forward to: his first recognize me smile; and sleep, sleep, sleep, sleep

Photos from Bennett’s Third Month:

Bennett Three Months
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Bennett is Two Months

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Bennett is Two Months!

Month two is a little easier than the first month. We’re still having nursing challenges, but he’s finally gaining weight, thank goodness for formula. Fed is best everyone.

Sleeping is still rough but that’s to be expected. He’s up every hour and a half. Eating every hour and a half round the clock. Team Baby is Mommy, Gigi & Grandpa during the weekdays, Mommy, Gigi & Daddy for week nights, and just Mommy & Daddy for weekends. Kai is contemplating running away. I wouldn’t blame him.

Bennett saw his first snow! I insisted Jimmy go into work late so we could take some photos outside. I love snow! Then, while watching the news all day (like I do every snow day), I submitted a photo of Bennett doing his “snow angel” and he got featured! Little celebrity 🙂

Monthly Questionnaire

Age: 2 months

Weight: 11 lbs 12 oz

Length: 22″

Size: some newborn, mostly 3 months

Eyes: blue

Hair: light brown

Sleeping: not well. Towards the end of the month, we got a Rock n’ Play he sleeps better in that

Eating: breastfeeding with supplementation via a bottle. Eats every hour and a half around the clock

Milestones: started babbling, can fully support head, first smile

Memorable outings: 1) first time out to eat (Dogfish Head Alehouse with Mommy, Gigi, and Grandpa) 2) first movie – La La Land at the Cry Baby Matinee with Mommy and Gigi

Likes: ceiling fans, kicking, stretching, smiling, and of course eating

Dislikes: sleeping & baths

Words/sounds: agu

Nicknames: “Little Man,” “Benny,” “Mr. Agu”

Interesting Facts: he sneezes three times in a row once a day, every day

Funny moments: while organizing laundry, a burp cloth fell off the back of the couch right onto Bennett’s head – we all laughed

Looking forward to: his first recognize me smile; and sleep, sleep, sleep, sleep

Photos from Bennett’s Second Month:

Bennett Two Months
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