What a difference a year makes. This time last year, my sweet Ben was still quite baby-like but there is little of that left in him now. He’s a big boy in so so many ways. He’s given up his bottle. He runs and climbs and jumps everywhere. He talks up a storm (even though we still understand little of what he says). He sings. He throws. He blows kisses. He plays with other kids. He (sometimes) helps. He is BUSY.
He has had a good year, overall very healthy, though I’ve commented to many that I’ve seen about 3x more blood from him in 18 months than I’ve seen from Tabby in 43 months. It’s impossible not to compare him with Tabby at a similar age and I find it interesting. They really seem to live up to the boy-girl stereotypes. She was all fine motor skills and VERBAL. He is all PHYSICAL and quite mischievous. It’s really lovely to see and enjoy the differences in them.
Ben’s favorite thing right now is Toy Story … he is not much interested in anything on TV that is not Toy Story. He also loves anything he can throw or vroom … balls and cars for example, but also, in a pinch, blocks and dolls or food and books. He’s actually not very particular, come to think of it.
He is quite a snuggler and has a special attachment to his family, but to Matt in particular. He also is a big fan of my grandma, his GiGi. He says her name with relish and goes to check on her to make sure she’s coming to the table for dinner or keeping up with us at the zoo. We also recently discovered that Ben is having some stranger anxiety issues with our gym daycare. He’s fine without us, but not without us AND without Tabby (Sissy as he calls her). He pretty much worships his Sissy and loves it when she sings to him.
His chatter is mostly incomprehensible, but he does have about 50 words that are clear and a bunch of signs. He seems to pick up the signs more quickly than the verbalizations, so they are nice and very helpful. He has started stringing his words together in sentences as well, his most clear being “I wamma BaBa!!!” One of the funniest things he does is mug for the camera and loudly exclaim “Cheeeee!” when we point the camera at him.
He eats like a champ most of the time. I can probably point to applesauce as his favorite food. He still loves pasta and meatballs and any kind of “cakka!!! or cheeee!” (crackers and cheese). He is still very much attached to his milk, though he now drinks it from a sippy or a cup.
He is a sweet, sunny little guy with a mischievous streak that I adore. He has had a great year and I am so excited to see what 2011 has in store for him.
what a sweet little man. He sounds very similar to O in a lot of ways. LOL!
I think it is so cute and funny that your kids are following along the typical boy/girl lines (mine are too I guess, but it is easier to see it in your kids from this perspective). Really really sweet that he wants his sissy with him. He looks a lot like Matt now!