Benjamin 7 months

Benjamin 7 months

This past month has been full of noises, lack of sleep and lots of changes. The biggest change being food.  The big boy that he is, Benjamin really needed to start getting into a good rhythm with solid food.  After not wanting to take a bottle last month and having a harder time with using a spoon, we were hoping that being in his home environment would help.  But not really, he still doesn't want to eat anything off of a spoon.  You can offer him a piece of food from your finger which he eats happily, and then right after offer him the same food from a spoon and he will turn is his head and close his lips tightly! It is so bazar and a bit frustrating as well.  HOWEVER, Benjamin has quickly learned how to chew small pieces of food and does an excellent job grabbing the food and getting it into his mouth.  So I guess he just wanted to skip over all the pureed foods and go right to the manly food!  It makes for a big mess on the floor, his face, hands and chair...but it is also easier as we can just put food on his plate and let him eat.  It doesn't seem like there are any foods he doesn't like, but he definitely likes variation.  If you only have 1 food item to offer him at a meal, then he will whine until you offer him something new and then he will chow down again.  Some of the daily foods include: rugbrød with liverpaste or cream cheese, rolls, potatoes, sweet potatoes, pasta spirals, cheese, cucumber, nectarines, plums, avocado, melon, oatmeal. It's quite fun to watch him master this skill of independent eating so early!

Due to the increase in solid food, Benjamin now nurses only about 4-5 times a day.  1 time during the night and then 3-4 times during the day.  Usually in the morning, before the long nap, later afternoon and always right before bed.

Benjamin takes about 3 naps a day. In a normal day he usually sleeps two 45 minutes naps and a longer nap of about 2½ to 3 hours.  The long nap is sometimes in the morning and sometimes in the afternoon. We never really know, but the 45 minute naps are often exactly 45 minutes! He is in bed between 7 and 7:30pm and wakes up to feed some time during the night.  On a good night it can be 4am when he eats, but sometimes at 1am and then he wants to be awake for two hours afterwards...yawn!

In general Benjamin is still a happy baby who seems quite content.  He can sit on his own now, and that has really expanded his world! He doesn't like to lay on his back really anymore, that is for babies! He likes to make laughing noises (which sound more like a cough) across the table at Silas and the two of them can go back and forth smiling the whole time.  It is quite sweet.  However, as much as Silas enjoys laughing with Benjamin, it has begun to be a bit annoying that his little brother can take his toys and play with them...aka have them in his mouth!

Other traits:
1) Can sit up in the stroller.  He loves to look around and take in all the new sights.
2) Fall asleep on his own.  We started a good night ritual. Reading a book, singing a song and then praying.  After that we might have to go in to give him his pacifier once or twice, but usually he is sleeping within 10 minutes.
3) Loves to swing.  Both on his round swing inside and the baby swing outside.
4) Wears size 74 shirts and 68 pants.  (9-12 month shirts and 6-9 months pants)
5) Loves taking baths.  Even if he is really tired, he will kick like crazy and have the hugest smile on his face the entire time!