11 Months Old...Oh My!

Bentley's first trip to the park was fun!  He really liked the slide.

First of all, this is so surreal.  I can't believe that my little man is already 11 months old.  That means he is almost one-year-old, which then means that he's almost not a baby.  I know he will always be my baby, but each new thing he does and each new skill he learns seems to be so much more significant now.  Bentley is growing so fast and learning something new almost everyday.  While I am so sad to see this time go so quickly, I cannot tell you how much fun he is right now.  I laugh all the time!  To let you in on a little tidbit of what causes all the laughter around here, here's the latest.

At ten months old, Bentley was doing a few funny things, but now...he has so many new tricks!  It seems like he picks up on everything we do and say.  My little genius! :)

1. Blowing kisses - If you watched the video on the last post, you he's been doing this for almost two weeks.  We were sitting at lunch, and I was blowing him kisses, so he decided to return the favor.  He's been doing that ever since.
2. Waving "bye bye" - This is hilarious, and I will post a video later this week.  He waves his tiny little hand up and down while saying, "dye dye."  Yep, that's right..."dye dye" not "bye bye."
3. Says "Mama" discriminately - Usually "Mama" comes out when he wants to be held, wants to eat, or is upset.  I guess he knows who will come to the rescue.
4. Says "Dada" discriminately - I can say, "Dada is home."  He immediately repeats me, "Dada Dada."  The "d" sound is his favorite right now.  LOTS of things come out sounding like Dada, but he definitely speaks of Dada purposefully, too.  The cutest thing I've ever heard was when we were at the park the other day, and Daniel was trying to get his picture.  I said, "Look at Daddy."  Clear as a bell, Bentley said, "Daddy."  Daniel and I looked at each other, both noting that that was the cutest thing we'd ever heard.  We haven't heard it again, but I know we will.
5. "Bite bite" - When Bentley wants something to eat, he starts smacking his lips and saying, "Mama Mama."  I can say, "Do you want a bite bite?"  He then says, "bite bite."  So smart.
6. "Mum mum mum" - At dinner the other night I was saying, "Yum yum."  Bentley looked at me saying, "Mum mum mum."  After repeating "yum yum" over and over, Bentley kept saying, "mum mum mum mum."  Daniel and I decided that's his way of saying "yum yum."
7. Brown Bear - Though I can't get him to do it all the time, he used to roar like a brown bear.  When reading Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?, I always make the animal sounds.  So, for the longest, I could say, "What does a Brown Bear say?"  Bentley would say, "Ahhhh."  (While that's great and all, he did the same thing for a cow...go figure.)
8. Bzzzzzz - His bedtime story, Time for Bed, has a bee in it, so when I read it I always tell him the bee says "Bzzzzz."  Just two nights ago, he repeated me, "ssssss."  He's just started making the "s" sound, so that worked our perfectly.
9. Walking with help - Bentley is not walking alone, though he stands very well.  He LOVES to walk behind his riding toys.  I posted the video of him walking behind his truck last week, but he was going really slow.  Not any more...he is a speed racer.  He practically runs behind his truck and his airplane now.  He even walks on his knees behind them.  It is so funny, and he has so much fun.
10. Cruising - He pulls up on everything that will hold him up...doors, walls, furniture, me, etc.  As a matter of fact, he has figured out how to pull the drawers out just enough to get leverage to pull himself up.  On Saturday, he did that on his nightstand and decided to use the drawer as a teether.  Now, there are teeth marks across his nightstand drawer...Lovely! 
11. Where's Bentley? - This is hilarious.  He plays peek-a-boo with anything he has in his hands....his bunny, a blanket, etc.  He will raise it over his head with both hands and wait for you to say, "Where's Bentley?"  Then, he quickly pulls it down to reveal a wide, two-tooth smile!
12. Clapping - As of today, Bentley claps, claps, claps.  I've been trying to get him to for a couple of months, and FINALLY...he decided it was a good idea.  The more you say, "Yea," the more he claps.  So sweet!

That's all the tricks I can think of right now, but that's quite a lot of progress in the last month. 

Here are some of Bentley's favorite things:

• Bath time (still) - I think this will forever be a favorite activity in the Bowling household.
• His name - If you recall, I painted the letters of his name to go on the wall in his room.  Everyday, he points to the letters saying "dat."  I say "B-E-N-T-L-E-Y...Bentley!"  He smiles his biggest smile and says, "dat."
• Walking with his truck or plane - He likes to ride them, too.  He sits on them and rocks back and forth to let you know he's ready to GO!
• Doing laundry - Well, not so much doing laundry...He likes to ride in the laundry basket.  I can say, "You want to ride?"  He will crawl over and stand up by the basket waiting for me to put him in.  Too funny!
• Playing with Daddy's golf clubs - Daniel has a club we keep in the kitchen now.  Bentley plays with it every night while we make dinner.
• Opening the cabinet doors and drawers - We have recently invested in the safety latches for drawers and cabinet doors.  Bentley gets really excited when he finds one that we forget to close. 
• Dishwasher - This was a favorite at 10 months old, and I don't think that's going to change anytime soon.  He tries to hold onto the top shelf and stand up on the door.  He has succeeded quite a few times!
• Stairs - Bentley loves to hold onto the wrought iron spindles and play like he's in jail.  He has also learned to crawl up the stairs (with supervision, of course).  He's so funny to watch.  He does really good for the first little while, be he starts grunting as he gets closer to the top.  17 stairs is hard work for a little guy.
• FOOD! - Bentley loves big boy food.  No more baby food at all!  His two favorites right now are spaghetti and smoked sausage.  He eats and eats and eats when we have those meals.  He still loves sweet potatoes, bananas, pears, crackers, ham, turkey, yogurt, goldfish, and crunchies.  He has eaten grilled zucchini and squash, grilled chicken, white potatoes (baked and mashed), mac n' cheese, grapes, plums, kiwi, and more.  He's so cute when he eats.  He doesn't like to be fed anymore, so he thinks he can do it all himself.  A little messy, but at least he's eating.

So you know, the 10th month was filled with fun and sickness.  Bentley learned so much and had a blast, but he endured about three weeks of being sick.  He had an ear infection in his left ear, followed by a really bad ear infection in his right ear, followed by RSV.  He was a pretty sick kiddo there for a while, but now he's doing great!  Hopefully we've done our time for the time being!  Due to all the sickness, his appetite has suffered a little, so I don't think he's gained any weight at all.  He's definitely growing taller, but he still weighs just over 17 pounds.  Skinny little boy...maybe he will fatten up as his appetite returns.

Hmmm...what's this pickle thing?

I may as well give it a taste.

Holy Moly!  That's sour!

Well, that's all for now. There was a lot to add for 11 months, and I know there will be even more for 12 months...or should I say, ONE-YEAR-OLD!!!

So you know, I am a very busy Mommy right now. I'm planning his first birthday party, and I'm having a BLAST!  The Very Hungry Caterpillar makes for some really cute birthday party ideas...hint hint!!!

Swinging for the first time. 

What fun!

His hair was blowing in the wind!

Making Me Smile

Too cute to pass up...shopping in his hat like Daddy.

Bentley is getting into so much these days, and it seems like he has a new trick everyday.  His latest favorites include playing on the stairs (don't freak out) and walking with his truck.  He won't walk alone yet, but we are getting closer.  My favorite trick is blowing kisses.  He's so sweet about it, and he melts my heart.  I hope these make you smile as much as they did me.

Just a quick post to get you all through the rest of the week...Happy Wednesday!

a BIG weekend

Bentley had a big weekend, so he thought he'd share some pictures and stories about everything he did.  Enjoy...

First,

It was his Nana Kay's 50th birthday!  WooHoo!  We celebrated with family at Top 'O The River, and it was so delicious.  There were about 30 people there, and Bentley got to see some family members he rarely gets to see.  Even though it was past his bedtime (we weren't even seated until after 7:00), Bentley was so good, and he stayed awake through the entire party.  We only got a couple of pictures because it was so hectic, but here's what we came up with.

Hey, Daddy.  I'm a little tired, but I just can't sleep. 
(Bentley usually sleeps in the car, but not on this 45 minute drive...go figure.)

I had fun with my Uncle Clay.  I don't see him much, so we had some catching up to do.

Bentley was an onlooker during the Birthday song.  Coen and Ty were in the middle of it all! :)

Hey, Nana...can we help you blow out the candles??

Nana and Coen...too cute!

Happy Birthday, Nana! 

I love you! 

Love, Bentley

Second,
Sunday was an exciting day!  Bentley played his first round of GOLF!  I think Daddy was more excited than Bentley, but Bentley had a great time.  The weather was beautiful, but it was a little more windy than we expected.  Bentley kept his jacket on and wore his hood the entire time.  Finally, after hole # 10, I decided to take him to the Clubhouse.  His little cheeks were pink, and I didn't know if it was from the wind or the sun.  Better safe than sorry.  Within just a few minutes, his little cheeks were back to normal, so no lasting issues.  Bentley was really good.  He watched Daddy tee off on each hole, and he got to get out of the cart and go to the green at each hole.  Too cute!  I think we have a future golfer on our hands.  (Especially if his Daddy has anything to do with it.)

I am having so much fun...lip gloss in one hand and a golf club head cover in the other.  I have to help Mommy and Daddy keep up with their stuff.

It's my turn...I'm so excited!

Aha!  I got it!

I can get it!  I can get it!

Sorry, Daddy.  You'll have to find another ball to play with.

I like playing in the Clubhouse, Mommy! 
Bentley made a couple of friends, although they were probably 50 years older than him. :)

The Hungry Caterpillar is a good friend.  You'll hear more about him at a later date.

Third,
Bentley had his first serving of SPAGHETTI on Sunday night...need I say more???

Hmmm...what is this ooey, gooey sketti stuff???

I wouldn't eat it off the spoon, but I think my hands are pretty good utensils.

SLUUUUUUUURP!

Yummy!  I think this is my new favorite food!

That's that!  Bentley had a good weekend filled with fun, sports and delicious food.  Stay tuned for more!

10 Months Old...Mommy's Little Valentine!

Well, here again, I seem to be behind on our monthly posts about Bentley's growth.  He is now 10 months and 1 week old, and I'm just getting around to it.  Nevertheless, here we go!!!

This is, by far, the most fun we've had with Bentley.  His personality has developed so much, and he discovers new things every day.  I am in awe at how smart he seems...I know, I know...I'm his mom, so it's only natural that I think he's a genius.  :)  He's just so observant, and he seems to pick up on new things so easily.  He watches me do something once or twice, and he immediately tried to imitate what I'm going.  The latest thing he copied was writing.  I was writing on a birthday card, and I had given him a pen so he wouldn't try to get mine.  He watched me and immediately tried to write on the birthday card with his pen.  You'll see in a moment, the few things he's learned to do that he LOVES more than anything else.

#1: Loading and Unloading the Dishwasher

This is one of Bentley's favorite things to do these days.  If he sees you open the dishwasher, even if you just crack it a bit to get something quickly, he crawls as fast his little arms and legs will let him, and he tried to get stuff out of the dishwasher.  We've discovered that it works best if he is given a CLEAN spoon from the drawer (a metal one, of course...his plastic spoons don't have the same affect).  If you don't give him his own spoon or two, he grabs whatever he can reach from the dishwasher...clean, dirty, glass, plastic, is simply doesn't matter.  Here's a few pictures of his first real dishwasher adventure.

#2: Windows....and blinds

I've had to raise all the blinds, lately, as Bentley has discovered the window seal is the perfect height for him to look outside.  Just today, I raised the blinds in the living room, his room, and my room.  He's so cute looking outside because he talks and talks to everything he sees.  "da da da da ba ba ba ba ma ma ma ma blah blah blah."  That is a very serious conversation!

Here's a couple more pictures taken at the same time as those above.  The first one is the look you get when you say, "Bentley, no sir."  (He was headed toward the TV and surround sound stuff.)  The second one is of him and Porsche, a.k.a. Sister, when he got a sweet kiss from her.

Last weekend, we went out to eat on the day that it was TOO COLD TO GO ANYWHERE!  I had no idea it was that cold until we were out and about.  It was miserable.  We had Bentley bundled in his too cute sweater and lined jeans, so he seemed fine.  Here he is once we got home in is manly man outfit.

You'll notice in a couple of those pictures he had a bowl.  He LOVES to scoot that bowl on the tile floor.  It is super loud and, apparently, super fun!

#3: The Toothbrush

Bentley's new favorite toy is a toothbrush.  He loves to chew on it (both ends), carry it with him everywhere he goes, and hit it on EVERYTHING!  He tries to find hard surfaces that make really cool sounds.  So far, his most favorite things to hit are the dishwasher and the toilet.  Yep...that's right...I let him play on the toilet.  So you know, the lid is closed and they are cleaned and wiped down often.  Here's few pics of my silly man with his toothbrush.

Okay...this is what happens when he sees his Sleepy Bunny laying in the middle of the floor.  Bye bye, toothbrush!  Hello, Sleepy Bunny!

This is what happens when he plays with his toothbrush right out of Mommy's sight.  Hmmmm...I knew it got kind of quiet, but I didn't know he was rolling my bathroom.

#5: Bathtime + Tired Little Man = SO FUNNY!

Bentley has always liked bathtime, but recently, I have gotten so tickled at him in the tub.  He loves to play with cups and his foam letters.  He's also discovered he can crawl around the tub, stand up whenever he feel froggy, and rest if he needs a break.  For a while, we've had our washing routine.  I wash his hair, scrub his back, arms, and belly, and then I lay him back to wash his legs and "boy parts."  Now, Bentley has realized that routine, so he lays himself back for me.  The problem is that he will lay down with no warning, so I have to be ready at all times.  Never get the water too deep, always grab him before he hits bottom (he doesn't slow himself down at all), and laugh at him hysterically when he lays there with his too sweet smile just relaxing in the tub.  Wouldn't we all like to do that sometimes.

Happy Valentine's Day!!!

Roses are red

Your eyes are blue

Your sugar is sweet

You know I love you!

My heart goes aflutter

My eyes well with tears

As you've grown and you've learned

Over this year.

See my tooth!  I'm working on #2.

Your first Valentine's

Was so special to me.

Please always remember

In my heart, you'll be.

At 10 months old, Bentley is growing each day.  He's a little over 17 pounds and getting so tall.  He never lays still (and straight) enough for me to measure good, so we'll just go with...he's growing. :)  He loves to play and now he can dance.  He's crawling like a little speed demon, and he regularly stands alone, but I don't think we are super close to walking.  We'll see. 

He LOVES eating big boy food.  No more baby food for this little guy.  His favorite meal right now is ham or turkey sandwich meat with cheese, crackers, and yogurt.  He LOVES bananas.  That has to be his favorite food right now.  He also still loves sweet potatoes and butternut squash.  He's pretty good about trying the foods we cook for dinner, too.  He tries all of our chicken dishes, potatoes, mac n' cheese, and bread.  He will eat a few green beans and peas, but not enough to say he likes green stuff...just like Daddy.

Bentley seems to really like day care.  He loves his teacher is so happy in the evenings when I get him.  I think he likes playing with the other kids.  For Valentine's Day, Bentley took each of his teachers a rose, a peanut butter heart, and a card with his hand prints painted as a heart. 

Overall, all is well with him, and I am so proud to be his Mommy.  Getting to come home to his smiling face everyday is a blessing.  I love him so much, and I look forward to many more Valentine's Days with my little Valentine.