Never Mind...

He's back to waking up twice a night again.  Booooooo... :(

He's also doing this weird screaming noise all the time!  Like an almost blood-curdling scream.  He might do it when he's happy or excited, or he might do it when he's upset.  Last night, all of a sudden, he started making the worst sound I've ever heard a baby make, like someone was murdering him.  By the time I got in there, he was just cooing and talking to himself.  I hope he gets better at expressing himself real soon!

This week he has also learned to roll over into a sitting position, and he's getting slightly better every day at moving forward even though you definitely can't call it crawling yet.  Yesterday I started giving him Cheerios, too, yay!

Little Guy is Getting Bigger

Ben is growing up fast all of a sudden!  He is really on the verge of crawling.  He gets up on his knees, but still tries to push off with his feet, so he ends up in a kind of push-up position that looks really tiring!  He can kind of inch forward this way, but he is so frustrated.  I think he knows what the possibilities are, but it just takes so much effort for very little payoff right now.  I know I jumped the gun in my predictions of when Sophie would crawl, but I'll still be pretty surprised if he isn't there in two weeks.

Ben is eating more and more foods, and although he will eat just about anything he's offered, we're starting to see preferences.  He has a limited tolerance for squash and beans... just like his mama.  This week I started feeding him those little Gerber puffs that dissolve in their mouths, and yesterday he learned to put them in his own mouth (after some funny episodes of forgetting where the puff went once he had picked it up!).  I think in the next week or so we'll try to switch to Cheerios, which definitely seem more wholesome than the puffs.  Seems like there is so much junky food even for babies.

Ben still likes to say "ah-gah!"  He doesn't do any other syllables, but he's been having fun experimenting with the different tones you can make by just going "aaaaaaaaaaah!"  Sometimes he will say "gah! gah!" when he's crying, which is just irresistible to me.

Also this week, he has stopped waking up twice during the night.  Most nights he has woken up just once, and once he didn't wake up at all!  Hooray!  But now the problem is this: after he goes to bed, we close both kids' doors so they don't hear us talking or watching TV.  Then when we go to bed, we want to open Ben's door to make sure we (or really I) can hear him if he wakes up at night.  But his door always creaks when you open it.  And it's not even that loud, but it ALWAYS wakes him up.  I'm sure it's because he's learned that sound means someone is coming in, so he's extra sensitive to it.  I think we'll have to get something to grease the door hinges... either that, or use our monitor again.  I'd rather just be able to open his door and check on him!

Today he had his 6-month well visit.  Not much to report.  He weighs 20 lbs exactly, which puts him in the 75th percentile.  He got some shots, which of course he did not like, but he was ok soon.  I think his sister was almost as upset by it as he was!  The whole visit, she cried and tried to leave the room, even though I kept telling her that we weren't there for her, and she could just read a book or play with my iPod.  After a while, she believed me, but then when Ben got his shots and cried, she cried too... for him!

Here are Ben and Sophie swinging together:

Not Feeling So Good

Well, Ben seems to be a little under the weather this week.  Starting on Monday, he has been very fussy all day, which many of you know is odd for him.  When I put him down or go away from him, he gets VERY upset.  He's also been sleeping a little more than usual.  Yesterday afternoon, he started running a fever, so I've been giving him baby Tylenol and offering him liquid -- breastmilk or water -- often.  The fever seems better today, but he is still pretty fussy.  No other symptoms, though.  I don't see any signs of another tooth (he's broken seven through now), and he's not coughing or sneezing and his diaper content seems normal.  So I guess I'll just keep watching him and giving him extra comfort until whatever this is has passed.

He's become very talkative!  He likes to say "ah-gah!" over and over.  We told Sophie that this is "what he says" now, so it's nice to say it back to him.

He's pretty mobile for someone who can't crawl.  He scoots and rolls, and he can get all around any room this way.  However, those kind of motions don't let him go forward, which is what he really wants sometimes.  John has tried to get him a little further along with crawling, but he doesn't seem close yet.  He never gets on his hands and knees, which Sophie did for probably a month before she actually crawled.  He's very alert, and always watches intently as everyone goes about their business.  I think he'll be very happy when he can crawl and pull himself up on things.  All in time.

On A Happier (and More Adorable) Note...

Here are some fantastic pictures that Grammy Sue took during their visit last week.  Enjoy!

Something over there is funny.

OK, how do I get my face out of the smile position?

Yay, old people are the best!

My great-grandfather and I are no longer amused.

What did you say about my great grandpa?  ...That's what I thought.

I hope you are not going to try to come between me and my food.

Ohyesgivemethefoodputitinmymouthrightnowyumyumyumthisismyfavoritepartofthewholeday.

You're going to give me more of that right?  Right?  Yes, put the spoon in that green stuff.  Then put it in my mouth.  No funny business.  Just put the green stuff in my mouth and nobody gets peed on.  Well, ok, you probably will get peed on.  But I'll smile at you during it.  Just keep that food coming.

Hey, I'm just trying to make it as easy as possible for you to put that food where it goes.  You can't miss it.

Stylin', as usual.

Nope... I'm just not ready to walk yet.

Time to chill.

Feelin' good with my Poppy Pete.