I love you SO MUCH! (Fred @ 7 Months – Ben @ 3 1/2 Years) | Life at the Chicken in Flight Headquarters

Sometimes I hit a creative writing block and don’t want to write. Or more likely – I choose sleep or television over anything that requires brain power after the boys go to bed. But I’m powering through as the boys slumber today, because it’s almost Fred’s 7 month birthday and I’m determined to have at least an entry per month. For inspiration, I went and reread about Benny at 7 months. And it’s a good thing I wrote the blog then, because – DUDE – my sweet Benny was a BABY. How quickly I can forget. So here I go!

I remember when Ben turned 6 months old and telling Jesse that we need to start at that age with the next kid. Newborns are special and magical – but man, they are WORK. Sleep-depriving, crying, adorable little bundles of work. 6 months is such a sweet spot for us. Fred is quite a happy baby and almost predictable. I just need him to stay like this a little bit longer before teething and crawling, k? Here’s what’s new with him, along with some favorite new pictures.

rolls over and gets across the room like it’s his job
chuckles at funny voices and peek-a-boo
LOVES to watch his brother
chews & slobbers on everything (no teeth yet)
loves to nurse and eat new baby foods/cereals
sleeps longer stretches and finally puts himself to bed without crying (still up 1-2 times a night but has a consistent 7:45ish bedtime)

sits up for small chunks of time on his own
has the best “silent smile” – he lights up with a huge grin and holds it forever without any noise
is finally growing some hair
loves splashing in the bath
19 pounds 13.5 ounces!
loves to pull off his socks
babbles and squeals with excitement

And then there’s my big boy! How he is changing… Ben turned 3 1/2 this month!

Ben is much more into creative play now. He “tends” (pretends) things and is starting to retell stories. He likes to pretend we are going to the moon or that we are in the Jack and the Beanstalk fairy tale. He still isn’t very interested in arts & crafts, but he will humor me occasionally. Our days still revolve around trains and cars. It breaks my heart when moms tell me their boys “used” to be into trains. I honestly can’t imagine my life without Thomas the Train or Lightning McQueen right now.

I will also miss the way Ben talks. He’s in such a transition right now, going from toddler language to big boy speech. I had to pick up my jaw up off the floor one day when he suddenly announced to Jesse, “Frogs catch flies on their sticky tongues, Dad!” I’m pretty sure this is normal for a chatty three year old, but when you have a kid with delayed speech suddenly kick it into high gear, it’s a BIG DEAL.

And of course I can never remember all of the cute things he says by the time Jesse gets home from work. I swear I need to keep a notepad with me at all times. But here are some common things we hear from our big guy:

“It’s almost!” – used when he doesn’t want to do something immediately. As in: It’s almost time for the bathroom.

“I love you SO MUCH!” – melts my heart every single time.

“see-al and meelk” – cereal and milk. I swear this kid could eat 5 breakfasts every day.

“Do it ‘gain!” – and again, and again, and again…

“What’s that says?” – Ben is still super into being read to and now memorizes things and is curious about anything with letters on it. (The teacher in me is so happy!)

“NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!” – because he is three.

“May I have some juice please, Dad/Mom?” – because we make him.

Ben is still pretty independent and does his own thing, although he is more than willing to introduce himself to other kids (“HI I’M BENNY!”). He does not appreciate Fred rolling on his train tracks or sticking Duplo in his mouth, but he still loves his little brother. We are LOVING the mild March temperatures and are outside as much as possible, including walks around the neighborhood and picnics in his “tree house” (play set). The option of going to a park is amazing for Ben. The fact that he’s old enough to climb on things independently is amazing for me!

Whew! I did it! I obviously didn’t totally catch up on everything – but a snapshot is pretty good for now. Here are a few more moments from the month.