Teeth

Welcome to tooth #2!

(Bottom left as you're looking at him...you know, just for my records...)

New Shoes

Jackson is so excited about his new Spiderman shoes from Aunt Holly.



He is all smiles!

Bad Hair Day

You're welcome.

Time Flies

It seems like I say the same thing every month. IT HAS GONE SO FAST!

I can't believe my baby is 8 months old!


Samuel is a sweet and happy baby. He is always smiling and is content to go with the flow.

Just lately Samuel has been getting up on his hands and knees and rocking. I think he'll be crawling before too long! Then...watch out world! Actually...watch out Jackson!

Just as Jackson did, Samuel enjoys spending his afternoon time in his Exersaucer watching Yo Gabba Gabba chewing on a teething biscuit.



Samuel still isn't the best sleeper, waking twice a night to eat. I believe he is honestly hungry. He doesn't nurse horribly well during the day because he is so distracted with everything around him. He nurses GREAT at night. He nurses 5 times during the day and 1 side each time at night...so 6 times total. In addition, he has cereal for breakfast and fruits and veggies for dinner. He is very picky...he'll only eat food that I make for him. And I still haven't figured out which foods cause him to get constipated. So far I have cut out rice and oatmeal. I am thinking I need to alter MY diet just a bit to include more fiber. But then again, Samuel has never been a frequent pooper. So maybe that is just his thing. Nap times are generally fine as long as he is at home in his bed. He doesn't sleep well on the go...too much to see!
Samuel also has been going to daycare a little bit during the week. I have been pumping like a madwoman, but Samuel REFUSES to take his milk out of anything except for the breast. Brandy has ended up taking the valve out of a sippy cup and pouring my expressed milk little by little into his mouth. I'm not too fussed about it, though. When Samuel starts daycare full time in a couple of weeks, he'll take his 10:00 nurse via sippy cup and I can drive over and nurse him on my lunch hour. That's the good thing about working only 6 minutes away!


When we don't feel like taking a full bath, Samuel takes a mini-bath in the sink. He loves playing in the running faucet water.


He also enjoys sitting in the big boy bath tub splashing about with Jackson.



He has the bluest eyes. Sometimes they catch in the light just so and take my breath away. Those eyes will cause major heartbreak someday!



Samuel doesn't much care for large groups of people. He would prefer to play with just a few. He doesn't like people all up in his face (who does), and loud noises frighten him. When someone waves at him, he smiles automatically.


I love seeing how much he learns and grows every day. He is becoming more interested in playing with toys. He is learning how to bang things together, shake things to make noise, and pull the rings off the pole...but not without a little concentration.

I love how he gets so proud of himself. And when he gets excited he flaps his arms like he is flying.

Most of all, I love how when I walk in a room, his face just lights up, his arms and legs start going, and he squeals in delight. He is such a Mama's Boy. And I cannot get enough of my sweet little guy!

Summertime

Happy Week 38! Tomorrow Jackson will have officially been out as long as he was in. I can't believe it has gone so fast!!!


This week Jackson has continued with his crawling... to the point where he is SO fast and goes about anywhere! He is exhausting! He is so proud of his new found mobility. He is so curious and isn't really interested in HIS toys anymore. He wants to play with all the things he isn't supposed to be into... power chords, Daddy's papers, Mommy's music...
My winning moment came on Thursday this week when I left Jackson happily playing with his toys in front of the TV to go outside and help Jon check my oil. Not but 3 minutes later when I came back to check on him, he was chewing on a cockroach bait. Nice. Luckily, it was old and inactive. But no Mother Of The Year awards for me. So I started the long and arduous task of picking up all dangerous items from the floor, vacuuming this smelly old carpet, and attaching safety devices to all the outlets. Here we go... life will never be the same!
My baby DOES have good taste though. One afternoon, he was playing in my happy room and I was working. We were listening to Jennie DeVoe and here goes Jackson crawling right in front of the stereo and that's where he sat for a good couple songs just dancing away!



This week Jackson started pulling up. On EVERYTHING! You've got to keep your eye on the little stinker!
"Hmmmmm... I wonder what's up here"


He knows he is not supposed to be in my music stuff. But I caught him. He looks caught.


Let's see.... this week we went to swimming lessons. It wasn't particularly worth mentioning as Jackson is cutting his third tooth and wasn't quite his normal happy fishy self.

We had another visit from sister Jessica and brother Jonathan.




Since we have made a decision to downsize, we have been selling a lot of our stuff. We have been able to put all of Jackson's stuff in his room and he loves crawling around in there.
In our Family Room we have a corner with all of his books. He loves to sit down and read them!


Not that anyone would be particularly interested in this next subject (more so intended "for the record"...), here is Jackson's typical day.
Wake up - 7:30ish
Breastfeed
Play
Breakfast - 9:30 (consists of rice cereal and millet plus applesauce... sometimes bananas, sometimes papayas, sometimes yogurt)
Morning Nap - 10:00 to 11:30 (I nurse him down)
Run errands/clean house/play
Lunch - 12:30 (consists of fruit, cracker, macaroni, or eggs)
Play
Afternoon Nap - 2:30 to 4:30 (I nurse him down)
Afternoon Snack (wheat puffs) while watching one episode of Yo Gabba Gabba
Play
Breastfeed - 6:00
Dinner - Between 7 - 7:30 (consists of vegetables, chicken, etc...)
Play
Bath - 8:30
Boob, Bed - 9:00

Here is our Afternoon Snack while watching Yo Gabba Gabba:


I might mention that Jackson has started dancing. It is incredibly cute. He has got this arm thing going on that I hope to get video of as well as bouncing his head (he looks like Myles when he does that...hmmm). He has also been singing with my students... well, the good ones :) Jackson still enjoys playing the piano.


There has been lots of new food this week: I made Jackson chicken, lentil and apples (it's REALLY tasty); zucchini; and mangos, pomegranate and bananas (see picture below).

We have ruled out the gluten sensitivity. He does well with the wheat in his wheat puffs and macaroni. So it must just be the oatmeal. I'll try to reintroduce it when he's one.

With exception to the sleeplessness that has occured a couple of nights due to cutting his third tooth, Jackson has been doing well sleeping in his crib by himself. I think he wakes up and plays then goes back to sleep. One morning, we snuck in to check on him and this is what he looked like:

He must've gotten tired playing and just fell over!

Every day is something new with Jackson now. He is getting so independent! I can't believe my baby will be 9 months old in 3 days! Hope everyone has a good week! I know we will!

Do The Puppet Master

Week 37 has been a HUGE week!


Jackson's second tooth popped through Monday morning. It was a top one right above his bottom tooth.

And the BIGGEST news is that on Tuesday, Jackson started to crawl! Forward! He'll make the journey for a wheat puff or a remote control.

And just lately he has figured out where we keep his toys (in his toy box, duh) and will make his way over to get some out. So now we have a mobile baby. He can roll over, sit up by himself, and crawl. Kind of sounds like a dog, huh? But much cuter :)

On Saturday, we headed to Muswellbrook to visit with David's dad and stepmom. We picked up Jessica on the way! It was a big day for Jackson - getting to meet his sister and his granddad and Marie! We had a fantastic visit. Granddad was absolutely charmed by Jackson - he didn't want to let him go!


Here are three generations of Bennett men. I like to call them 2 and a half men. Hehe!


And Jackson with Granddad and Marie.


Jackson LOVED his sister. They studied each other for a while...and then became fast friends playing and smiling and doing weird head motions that I can only assume is a weird sibling thing.


Lucky for us, Jon was also around this week (though he wasn't able to go to Muswellbrook with us). He stopped by on Tuesday for a visit (and to borrow my car). Sensing Jon is the alpha male, Jackson could only check him out... didn't quite know what to think of Jon. But I think it had something to do with similar hair-dos...


Jackson spent a lot of the week playing with his new toys from Christmas (and watching his new favorite video, Yo Gabba Gabba - we have dance parties... my favorite is Do The Puppet Master with Elijah Wood- good times). We even invited Julian and his mom and dad over to have a play. I managed to catch this sequence of events on camera...
This toy (courtesy of Aunt Holly) has balls in it. Jackson knows that if he presses down on the balls they go into the lower part of the toy. He has pressed and knows those balls are in there.


He tried to reach into the toy to get the balls out. Usually this isn't to much of an issue as they roll out, but Jackson has tilted the toy back to where the balls won't roll out.


He manages to get 2 of the 3 balls out, but isn't able to reach the 3rd. Certain it is still in there, he lifts up the toy peers into it... where is that ball??

Hysterical!!

We started swim lessons again with Miss Paula on Thursdays. He missed her so much! Smiles, kisses and hugs straight away. We may or may not continue with GymbaROO this term. I have been looking into an Early Childhood Music Program at the Conservatorium. Jackson loves to play the piano and sing along. What kind of mother (or musician) would I be if I didn't encourage that??

It has been quite hot and humid here this week. YUCK! To keep cool, we have been eating popsicles. And it was only fair for Jackson to have a lick, too!


New foods this week: I don't think I gave him anything new... he hasn't figured out how to use the sippy cup yet (only chewing on it) and he'll drink out of a cup, but I got tired of having to assist him. So I put water in a bottle with a fast flow nipple and a handle and he drinks 4oz of water a day now by himself! Think I'll start him on beans next week...

From our house to yours, have a wonderful week 38! 2 more weeks and he will have been out the same amount of time he was in! It goes FAAAAST! To those in Australia, stay cool. To those in the USA, stay warm. Hopefully one day we can meet in the middle, eh...

Auld Lang Syne

Week 35 went WAY too fast.
Before we knew it, Christmas Eve was here and excitement was in the air.
On Christmas Eve, we had the privilage of celebrating the Wrye Christmas Eve tradition at my parent's house. I got to see my aunts and uncle and most of my cousins, and Jackson got to meet everyone, too!


Then we drove to Mt Carmel to celebrate with my dad's side. There were so many babies there... A 3 week old, a 5 month old, Jackson, and a 2 year old! Jackson enjoyed playing with everyone and even snuck a taste of ice cream and cookie behind my back (thank you, Dad and Holly).

Here is my little man on Christmas Eve in his suit and tie:



The next morning, we woke up and santa had come, stockings were filled, and we spent the day with Nana, Bapa, Holly and Myles. It couldn't have been better! I love my family and was honored and elated to spend Jackson's first Christmas (and my first Christmas since 2003) with them! Jackson was spoiled!



And yes, I managed to fit it ALL in my luggage to take back to Australia!

Sadly, the day was over too soon and so was our trip. The next morning we said goodbye and packed up the car to go to the airport. We left Nana and Bapa in Louisville and made our way back overseas to see Daddy. Jackson, again, did wonderfully on the trip. He slept about 9 hours of the 14 hour flight from LA to Sydney giving me much needed rest, too. He was so good natured. When you get on a plane with a baby, most people roll their eyes and are not too impressed. But at the end of the flight, everyone talked to us and commented how well behaved he was. He even got his own seat!


When we got to Sydney, we managed to get through lines very quickly. When Jackson saw David, his eyes just lit up and he had the biggest smile. There were hugs and kisses all around!

The start of week 36 was fraught with jet lag. Poor baby...

We slept from 2:30 - 7:30 when we got home, and then went to bed around 11. Jackson woke up at 5:30 bright eyed and bushy tailed... so I tried to keep him up until 9 when we took a 2 hour nap, and then another 2 hour nap at 1. We hit the hay around 8 and Jackson woke around 1:00. I slept with him in his room until about 2:00 when he had a quick feed and then went down until 7:30. The next day was fairly normal, but we both went to bed around 7pm. Jackson slept through until 7:30 the next morning. Last night was a bit more sane. He still got really tired around 7, but we held off putting him to bed until 8 and he slept through till 7:30 this morning. I was in bed by 10:30 so everyone missed the midnight fireworks. Happy New Year from the old and lame one... He has had an hour nap this morning and is currently taking his afternoon nap.

We have tried some new finger foods: papaya, macaroni, and hard boiled egg yolk. He loves them all! He still loves his Baby Mum Mums and Animal Crackers. He is getting so good at eating solid foods. I can't believe how much he is developing.


Here is his new trick... Opening drawers... it was pretty funny the first time, but I suspect the novelty (for us parents) will wear off soon... welcome to the land of child proof safety latches.


There is so much to be grateful for in 2009. Jackson has completely changed my life and it is a year I will never forget. We look forward to seeing what 2010 has in store for the Bennett family. I suspect it will be a great one. Happy New Year!!

I'm Dreaming Of A White Christmas!

Hello week 34! Hello 8 Month Old Boy! Goodbye 7 Months! How fast is this all going? I have an 8 month old baby and am getting ready to leave my family in the USA and head back to my husband in Australia. I cannot believe how fast time flies!

This past week was pretty chill. We went to Myles baseball game, visited our friends Marvin, Kristi and their granddaughter Sophie, and had a sleepover with Cousin Myles and Aunt Holly.

I seemed to have solved the sleep problem. Jackson sleeps a lot better on his tummy then he does on his back.

This has worked all week except last night when I finally laid him on his back to sleep only to find he had flipped over to his tummy in the night. Glad he is able to roll himself and get comfortable!

This week also brought on Jackson's first cold. The poor baby has had a runny nose all week. It has just turned into a little cough. We have used a humidifier, Vicks Baby Rub, saline, and propping him up to sleep. It gives him comfort, but we are still waiting on the bug to disappear. I hope he feels better by the time we get on the airplane!


On Monday it was warm enough were we could play outside. Jackson loved playing on the Zebra!


On Saturday, Holly, Myles, Jackson and I went to Sears to get Christmas pictures taken. The boys looked so handsome! Poor Jackson was NOT feeling well and we had a hard time getting him to smile. I think this is a recurring Pictures Studio theme. We got some great pictures though! Here is a sampling:






On Sunday, I sang and played at my Aunt's church. Jackson was such a good little guy during the service.

Jackson has been eating more and more! He LOVES Baby Mum Mum crackers. He has started 3 meals a day.

This week is Christmas! I don't think we'll have a white one, but it is good to be cold. I know next week at this time it will be stinkin' hot! Have a Merry Christmas!