Our Growing Benjamin

The update for 'Your Growing 13 month old - Week 1' included the following. Funny how some are right on and others are exactly wrong. I think it's funny because kids are so unpredictable and different that it's funny that they try to predict.

'Whether your toddler's been walking for months or is still happy just cruising, one thing's for sure: She's not about to slow down. With great delight, she'll soon learn that walking frees her hands to unroll reams of toilet paper, knock glasses off coffee tables, and empty your bedside drawers.'
This is definitely Ben, but add climbing to the list of new skills (new skills that are troubling to his parents and make watching him a challenge). In a given moment he might climb on the kitchen chairs, run to a drawer and empty it, empty a cabinet and use whatever he finds to pound on the floor and make as much noise as possible. There are many things we can do to baby proof and still let him have plenty to learn on. But, the only way to ensure his safety if we have to do something that will require our attention is to put him in his play area. He does know how to climb the walls a little but he hasn't had the desire to climb enough to get out yet. So, it's still a safe option when using the oven or other dangerous things that Ben views as toys.

Here's another one from the website/email 'Don't be surprised if your hearty eater's appetite has shrunk. It's typical for kids this age to eat a bit less and suddenly become more picky. This change may seem strange, considering how active your child is now. But because he's growing more slowly, he really doesn't need as much food.' Ben eats a LOT and he eats everything you put in front of him. He likes food that's a bit spicy, he likes Italian food, Chinese food, and all sorts of food in between and more general. He does, however, get fussy and picky right in the middle of eating sometimes, sweeping all his food to the floor and then being upset when he has nothing to eat. Funny enough, if you try to feed him the same thing with a spoon or fork (rather than let him feed himself) sometimes he's still hungry. (In general, he only wants what he can feed himself. However, there are some foods that he thinks are good enough to allow us to feed him - apple sauce, yogurt, and oatmeal being the main three. There are also times when he's hungry enough to allow it, too - like breakfast.)

The last comment for now is that Ben likes to make noise. Lots of noise. Generally as loud as possible. His favorite noise maker is a hard metal (as opposed to a mesh) strainer that he bangs on the floor. (He likes to take this same strainer and push it all around the tile floor. This provides endless entertainment for some reason. More so even than his trucks, but just by a little bit.) He also likes music, but it doesn't have to be loud. I can sing a song and do a little dance and sometimes he'll dance with me. Sometimes I have to say something like 'Benjamin, dance with me' and then he'll dance anytime I sing or he hears music for hours. It's like we just have to remind him about dancing and then he loves it all over again.

He is a handful* but such a joy. One of my favorite things about Ben at this age is that he's still crazy snugly and he's so good at it and cute about it. He just nuzzles right in and snuggles. I love it.

*The daycare ladies at church asked how we take care of him - because he climbs EVERYTHING. They have little chairs and a little table there, plus a little picnic table and maybe one other thing he can climb. None of the things are tall enough to really hurt him if he climbs and tumbles off. I didn't see him, but she implied that he was on and over everything there. Glad there aren't many kids there!