How is my baby 8 months old already?!?  I feel like this month Benjamin is starting to change into more of a little boy than being a baby.  I need him to stay little a little bit longer!!

Likes: balloons, playing with his siblings, nursing
Dislikes: staying in his highchair once he's done eating

Height: Approx. 29in
Weight: Approx. 20.8lbs

This month Benjamin has continued to try new foods.  He is currently eating breakfast and dinner with an occasional snack depending if he's acting hungry.  He has an internal clock that lets him know when he should be eating.  He will follow me around in the morning and then around 5:00pm going "ahhh" until I get him up and into his highchair for a meal.  

This month he tried:

• eggs
• strawberry
• cauliflower
• teething cracker
• smoothie
• zucchini 

Benjamin also continues to breastfeed this month. He is still nursing several times throughout the day and a few times at night: 

Benjamin's nursing schedule

6:30/7:00 Wake and Nurse

9:30-1000 Nurse

10:30/11:30 Nurse and Nap

12:30/1:00 Wake and Nurse

3:00 Nurse

4:00 Nurse and possible Nap

6:00 Nurse

7:45 Nurse and Bed

Sleep

Oh Sleep I miss you.  I truly miss a full nights sleep.  After eight months of sleeping in 2-3 hour stretches I'm getting tired!  I know that this phase of waking at night doesn't last forever but I'm sleepy!

This month Benjamin had a few big changes.  Benjamin started sleeping on his belly this month.  That is a huge change him.  Up until this point Benjamin has barely moved once he was asleep.  Now he rolls over almost immediately after being laid down.  Its so cute and I'm hoping finding a new comfy sleep position will eventually help him sleep better at night.

.Just a few days before he turned eight months old I moved him to his own room for night time sleeping.  He has been napping each day in his room in the pack n play (because Chris is working from home in our room) and I bought him a mini crib mattress for the pack n play to make it more comfy.    

4/28 pulled to stand. 

5/10 has started to pull up to stand more frequently

5/1 got into a sitting position 

Will follow me around when he’s tired and hungry making an “ahh” sound 

5/4 started sleeping on his belly

5/07 started actually crawling more often than army crawling 

5/10 is about 70/30 sometimes 60/40 army crawling/regular crawl 

5/14 is actually crawling all the time

This month Benjamin started to lie his arms to be picked up. 

Benjamin will hold onto your hands and take steps.  

Benjamin has started saying "dada dada" this month.  He doesn't seem to mean it to refer to Chris yet, but I'm sure thats coming!  When he started babbling he was so excited and proud of himself it was sweet to watch.  He was sitting by the trampoline and just started saying "dada dada" and looked up at me beaming a smile!  

 

5/15 used the walker and took steps

5/15 was playing a “game” with me. Crawling Down the hall to Ellie’s room and going in when I’d say “where’s Benjamin?” He’d pop his head out into the hallway and then laugh and crawl back to me. 

5/20 climbed onto the trampoline

5/25 drank from a straw 

Benjamin Joseph

Another month has come and gone and now you're eight months old, how did that happened?  You continue to be the happiest baby around.  You have changed so much this month I feel.  You started out the beginning of the month army crawling around and now you are crawling every where, pulling up and even crawling up onto the trampoline.  You have finally found the joy that is sleeping on your belly, I'm hoping that this will improve your sleeping (that hasn't happened yet, so we'll see!).  You love to eat and your internal clocks knows exactly when you're supposed to eat.  If I don't get your meals to you on time you will follow me around the kitchen making it known that you are hungry.  Your excitement when I put you in your highchair and bring you your food is so precious.  Love you so much Benji-Man!  

I love you forever

Love Mommy

Eight Months of Benjamin

Poor Baby had some sort of a reaction one night, which I think we decided was just from him rubbing avocado in his eyes.  (He has never had any reaction since)

He wanted to sit at the table with the big kids while they played with play dough.  He was so pleased with himself

This is where Benjamin hung out while his brothers and sister worked on school work, haha!

He's too busy to stay still during diaper changes.

Benjamin has the best big brothers.  They both enjoy pushing him in the stroller. 

Since Will and James were born I have known Brogan was a special dog. And he continues to show me with each one of your babies.   

He crawled under our bed and then couldn't get back out without bumping his head.  He wasn't happy about it.  

He's getting so good at pulling up, even when using my leggings!  I felt him pulling on my pants and was surprised to turn around and see him standing there. 

Look at those hands, covered in paint.  He got into paint Will, James and Ellie were using to paint bird houses.  We made the best of his mess by getting his hand print!