How Does Your Garden Grow?: Three Months

Boppy ready? Check. Lights dimmed? Check. Sleep Sheep playing ocean wave sounds? Check. Diaper changed and sleeper on? Check, check. Well, our days may be filled with failed attempts at consistency, but nights are actually a piece of cake. Praise the Lord for that. Our little Ben faithfully sleeps through the night - anywhere from 9 to 11 hours!!! He is still in the bassinet in our room and assumes the same classic position - on his back, arms raised up over his head. After he drools all over his fists and tries to find his thumb, that is.

The car seat used to be a guaranteed baby drowser but it has actually ceased to be that all the time. Sometimes he sleeps in the car seat with Baby Einstein travel tunes playing but at other times he looks around and stares at himself in the mirror with really huge eyes, like 'who is that?!?" Ben is cooing up a storm and smiling in response to us. I like to give him big smiles after he finishes breakfast and he just grins the biggest grin right back up at me and then buries his face in the Boppy. We do that over and over again. It's one of my new favorite games : ) He grins like crazy later in the day, too . . . as soon as Daddy walks in the door and comes over to greet him. It's adorable.

Bubby (Jeremy's mom) came to visit us for a week and Ben really enjoyed his time playing with her! She sang him songs, held him, helped me shop for groceries and let me take showers! We went on a walk around the mall one day and took her to the Farmer's Market. By the way, if you're ever looking for more fried seafood than you could ever possibly eat in one sitting, visit the Seafood Restaurant at the Farmers Market. I am not normally a fried food kind of girl, but I gave in. It was delicious. I had to power walk for days just to feel ok about my arteries again.

Last weekend our neighborhood had a neighborhood-wide yard sale and we got some fun things for Ben including an activity mat with toys hanging down, a bouncy seat that allows me to take a shower while he plays (amazing!) and an exersaucer that he's not quite ready for. I also got a jogging stroller! The yard sale was a smash hit! He LOVES his new toys and actually smiles at the monkey, giraffe, elephant and parrot that all stare down at him while he lays there accidentally swatting them with his hands. Oh, his hands! He has been trying to simultaneously stuff them both in his mouth while COVERING them with drool. It's pretty darn cute. He is soaking the top of all his clothes - just under the chin. He actually has a little blister on his thumb from sucking on it at night so I guess he is becoming quite the faithful thumb sucker. We have tried pacifiers time and time again but he only takes them sporadically.

Ben loves his bath time! Since the first time where he peed in Mommy's face until now . . . he is a water baby for sure. And you know what? Sometimes when he sleeps in his swing, his ears come forward out of the little bear pillow that surrounds his head, and we say "Phelps." Water baby. Phelps ears. Hmm. Nine gold medals anyone? Ha. Proud parents think funny things sometimes I guess.

He still hates the booger ball! Who wouldn't, right? Picture yourself just lying there all happy and suddenly a big scary blue thing is in your face - sucking everything out of your nose. It really must be dreadful, but I only do it so the poor baby can breathe! I will tell him my reasons one day : )

Brief funny story. The other day I (in a very unlady like fashion, I know) let out a long burp. Ben was on my lap and his face wasn't too far from mine. As soon as I was finished he burped really loudly - right back at me. It was awesome.