Benson at 12 months

Sometimes it is tough only being 12 months old.  Just ask Benson.  At your 12 month appointment you get 5 shots!  No fun.  And they prick your finger and take two things of blood while your mom holds you and you can't move.  No fun.  They also make you take all your clothes off and they poke and prod you with weird looking things . . . and then you get a little scared and cry.  Being 12 months is tough!

 At 12 months, Benson's stats are:

Weight:  21 lbs. 4 oz. (26th percentile)

Height:  30.5 in (73rd percentile)

Benson is growing and learning so much.  Benson can stand up all by himself and he can stand and stand and stand some more, but ask him to move . . . well that is another story.  He has started taking a few steps but he would rather crawl.

He understands so much.  He can say dad, mom, nigh-nigh, na-nuh (banana) and that is about it.  He also shakes his head yes and no.  He doesn't talk a whole lot, well he does but it is mostly just gibberish.  But you can tell that understands things.  He loves to copying things we do.  If we are dancing, he dances.  If we are eating, he needs to eat too {even if he just barely ate}.  If we shake our head no, he shakes his head no.  If Reese is coloring in a book, Benson needs to color in a book.

 He loves his older sister.  He loves to be near her and do whatever she is doing .  He thinks that she is so funny.  He loves to pounce on Reese and wrestle her and tickler her.  He also loves to pull her hair and the thinks it is pretty funny.  He loves Reese and loves to follower her around.

Benson LOVES to be be outside.  If we let him he would spend all of his time outdoors.  He loves to go on walks, play at the playground, eat wood chips, look at the ducks and anything else we can find to do outside.  He also loves when we go shopping.  He loves watching people and so when I buckle him into the grocery cart he will turn as far as the seat belt will let him and watches people.  Benson loves being out and about.

Benson is definitely a mama's boy.  He loves to cuddle up to me when I put him to bed.   There was a time when he only wanted him mom.  Don't get me wrong he does get very excited when Dad comes home from school, but he always comes back to him mom.

Benson has also learning to pout and scream just like his older sister.  It is a lot of fun when they both get going!

He is such a sweet little man.  He loves to give hugs and kisses but he has a very hard time sitting still for very long, which makes church every week quite the adventure!  He is definitely my little wiggle worm.


My favorite thing that Benson does now is he FINALLY sleeps through the night!   HALLELUIAH!!!  I have been waiting and waiting and waiting for this milestone.  Benson has gone through sleep spurts throughout his whole life.  He would sleep through the night for a few nights and then wake up again for a couple of weeks.  Then he would sleep through the night again a couple of times and I would get my hopes up that this was it, he was finally going to start sleeping through the night and then he would start waking up again.  Well I decided it was time to ween him from that middle of the night feeding and so I let him cry it out for two nights and he has not woken up since!  It has been over a month now and I think it is safe to finally say that Benson is sleeping through the night!  I am so happy!

Benson has acquired quite a few nicknames as well, most of them Reese came up with.  We call him Benson boy, buddy, Bens, mister, bubba, and Reese grabs his cheeks and calls him cheeky {that lucky little boy}.

We sure do love our little brown-eyed boy!