Benny Boy

It's been a long while since I posted about my Benny Boy. I have a list about a mile long sitting next to my computer of all the things and stories I want to remember about Ben at this age.

• At 20 months (June), Benny started saying "Cool!" I'm pretty sure it was one of his first words after Mom and Dad.
• Around that same time, he also started saying, "SHO!" Which was how he said, "Show". Yes, not even two years old and he wants his TV fix.
• This kid signed like crazy. Now he's talking A LOT, so he doesn't as much, but he knew at least 30-40 signs at one point. Jason taught him how to sign "tree". I think that's my favorite one that he does now. I need to videotape him again doing all of them. It's pretty darn cute.
• It seemed like Benny started talking a little later than my other kids. He communicated really well because of the signing, but I was getting a little worried. Some of the ways he said certain words were a little off, too. He always said Lucy with this weird nasal noise. But, about 2 weeks after Jason left, he started talking like crazy. Now he says everything! Last week I laughed out loud when he said, "What doing, Mom?" I cringe a little when he yells at "Gam" (Graham). It sounds way too much like me.

• Ever since he was about 18 months old, he has said "Na-na" (Imagine it sounding like "Peek-a-boo"). He uses it when he finds something, like his lost blanket or Binky. He says it when he enters a room. It's like he's saying "Tadah!" We love it!
• Jason did a good job of having Benny of leaving his blanket and Binky in his bed after nap and in the morning. I've kind of given up, but I've started up again this week. Yesterday, I told him to put his Binky in the crib and he threw it in and said, "Bye, Binky!" It was so cute! This kid LOVES his Binky and blanket. He wants it all the time. He's always really happy to see them. Today he started saying, "Binky is?" I can tell he's trying to say, "Where is the Binky?"
• Every time I get him out of the bathtub, he looks in the mirror and says, "Hi, baby!" He says the same thing whenever he sees his reflection.
• A few months back, when he wasn't talking as well, we took him to Sunday School with us (because of his constant runny nose, he couldn't go to nursery that day). Anyway, Jason gave dumped out a little bag of toys for him to play with and immediately Ben started saying, "Wow! Wow! Wow!" over and over again. We're talking for like 20 seconds straight. It was hilarious! Maybe you had to be there.

• Ben has become my pickiest eater. My other kids ate everything at this age. Not Benny. Here's list of the things he will eat, but keep in mind, he only will some of these things every other or every third day: dry cereal (not picky about what kind unless he sees Honeycomb....then he wants that), chips, goldfish, raisins, string cheese, meatballs, triscuits, nuts, watermelon, grapes, fries. Occasionally, he'll eat some Mac and Cheese or a chicken nugget, but that's rare and he has to be really hungry. Seems like a lot of stuff, right? It's not. Especially when that is really all he will eat.

• Here's my little man sportin' his stylish headband. He has to wear this when we go swimming and when he gets a little adventurous in the waves at the beach. Supposedly the tubes put in his ears were going to change our lives. He just took antibiotics for an ear infection last month.
• Ben will come up to one of us and hit us and then immediately say, "Sorry, Mommy." or "Sorry, Lucy."
• He LOVES the trampoline and he'll jump around with all of the kids on there.
• Benny is also my earliest riser. Before J left, he usually woke up around 7 am. Maybe a little before or a little after. Well, about a week after Jason's departure, Ben started waking up between 5:30-6. Yep, it's early. What I should do is get myself into bed early and then get up with Benny and be super productive. Nope. He comes into bed with me or I get a blanket and crash on the couch while he watches Dora or Signing Time for 30-40 minutes and then he badgers me enough for cereal that I have to get up and get him something to eat. It's a good morning when he sleeps past 6:00.

Early riser or not, Benny is such a bright spot in my day. He is so darn funny and he keeps us all laughing. We love the copycat phase he's in right now. The kids love to make him say "poopy pants" or "kick my booty" or something to that effect. It makes for entertaining car rides. I can't imagine our life without this incredible kid.