Clap! Bang! Bonk!

Besides reaching a whopping TEN months old this week, Ben managed to accomplish another feat: no medical emergencies or new worries!

Actually, his niftiest new tricks are waving and clapping. It took Ben a long time to learn to wave (and he still doesn't do it consistently), but after I clapped his hands together a few days ago, he almost immediately "perfected"clapping (see video below). I think he especially enjoys it because anything that makes noise is a great favorite with him. (For example, banging on tables at restaurants and smacking the mirror at home.)

I feel like Ben is very very close to walking, and expect any day to see him take some real steps. I know I may very well eat these words, but I really don't see how him walking will be that much more of a headache for me (at least while he and I are in my very baby-proofed house).

Since Ben immediately started pulling up on everything as soon as he learned to crawl, walking won't mean that he'll be able to get to anything that he can't already get to now... although when he learns to climb.... I shudder to think of it!

daddy: conquered

smothering daddy

He's already so mobile and so interested in everything. Earlier today he was trying to smoosh a pillow he'd grabbed off the sofa into clay's face (see photos), and ended up fish-hooking the membrane inside Clay's nose, giving Clay a nosebleed that took soak three tissues to mop up. He can be one dangerous little guy!

mirror, mirror...

It's so funny how things have gone from, "Oh thank goodness Ben is quiet, he must be safe and happy" to "Uh, oh. I don't hear Ben, I hope he's not trying to eat a dead bug again."
Somehow I thought it would take a lot longer to get from one extreme to the other. All in all, I still greatly prefer each new stage he enters to the one that preceded it!

We went to the pediatrician this past week for a post-hospital follow-up visit, and she said Ben's breathing improvement made him look like a "totally different baby." All his vitals were where they should be and I think the reflux meds + inhaler twice a day are starting to make a difference in how hard he has to work to breathe all the time. Thank goodness! I have a doctor's visit with the pulmonologist this week, so we'll see what he says.

Some part of me is still clearly quite worried about Ben's breathing issues given my dream last night. I woke Clay up around 1:30 in a DEAD panic certain that "Ben" (the pillow I had been hugging) was not breathing, nor was "Ben's body" (my pillow) even warm. I was so frightened I leaped out of bed and shook Clay awake. Poor Clay.   :)

clap! clap! clap!

conked out

eyebrows!!!

motorboat

no really, I'm awake...