Bennett: 16 Weeks

This week you had a couple of firsts: trying baby food (sweet potatoes) and hanging out in your exersaucer. You are starting to become interested in toys, so you love watching and listening to your everything spin and make noise. Deacon is more than happy to show you how they all work, since he started playing with them before you arrived.

Bennett:3 Months

Bennett, you are well into your third month!

You weigh about 14 lbs. and are 25.5 inches long.

You can wear anywhere from 6 month-18 month clothing and size 3 diapers.

You are such a smiley little guy, but we are having trouble capturing it in pictures because you are still a little surprised by the flash. Along with the smiles have come some giggles too!

Giggling isn't your only noise, you also have "conversations" with us by making the "ah" and "o" sound. You will sometimes imitate your brothers too when they whine.

You have a great appetite and will usually drink 6-8 ounces during a feeding. I think you would like to try baby food too, but with your spit-up problems I'm not sure your little tummy is ready yet.

You still sleep quite a bit throughout the day and usually only wake up once at night. You are still in your carseat at bedtime, but with your nursery now complete you should be moving into your crib soon.

I am back to work now, so you get to spend your weekdays with our fabulous neighbor, who is also your babysitter. I was able to stay home with you longer than your brothers, so we were really able to bond this summer.

Your coordination has improved so much! You can get your hand to your mouth now and like to cram your whole fist in. (I may need take a picture!) You haven't learned to roll over yet, but are very close. Your neck is strong too and you can hold you head up while being carried with no problem. We can also pull you by your hands into a sitting position.

You are starting to be our social baby! You watch us as we walk across the room, love when your brothers give you attention, and enjoy sitting up so you can see what is going on.

It's hard to believe you are already a quarter of the way through your first year! You will be running around, wrestling with your brothers before we know it.

Bennett's Nursery

Now that Deacon has moved out of the nursery, Bennett can move in!
All the furniture stayed the same (all three boys have used it), only the bedding really changed.
My friend, Ashley, bought Bennett these adorable letters to match.

All the nursery needs is a baby sleeping in it, which will be coming soon!

ABA Therapy Update

I can't believe it has already been over a month since our first blog on Deacon's therapy. What's even more amazing are the changes we see from him daily.



So, what's he doing??




Where to start...

For the first time in over a year he is saying "dada"!!! (I couldn't be more thrilled for Brian)

He is now eating his meals in a booster seat at our dining room table, instead of strapped in a highchair.

He is able to make so many sounds there are too many to list!! He can even roll his r's, which I can't even do! At school yesterday he imitated the m sound 25 out of 26 trials!!

With the help of his therapist, who stayed at our house until after 11:00pm, he FINALLY transitioned into the room with Carson!! With this milestone, some other age appropriate ones followed, like escaping from his crib and opening the door to leave their bedroom...I now hear him on the monitor in the morning and by the time I make it into the living room, he is meeting me there!! So next step will be turning the crib into a toddler bed!

The biggest shift has been his ability to understand! Prior to therapy, I'm not sure that he knew anything we were saying to him. Deacon can now shake his head and play peek-a-boo on command. When I was pushing him on the swing the other day I asked if he would like to jump on the trampoline and he immediately jumped off the swing and walked over to it!! This morning I said "look at the baby" and he walked right up to Bennett!!

He can sign for "eat" and does it consistently. You can tell that he is so proud of himself each time he does because of the huge smile on his face.

His demeanor has changed to. He approaches everyone for play and will follow me around the house and tug on my clothes to be picked up. He gives at least one kiss almost every day (not on command, just when he wants to) and many of them have gone to Bennett and me. :)

The name of the therapy facility is "Reason for Hope" and couldn't describe it more accurately. For the first time in at least a year we truly do have reason for hope. Hope that he will communicate, even talk. Hope for him to be in mainstream classrooms. Hope that he can one day be an independent adult. I haven't slept this well in so long.

"And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort."

2 Corinthians 1:7

My Three Sons

The space bar has been broken on my laptop, but has finally been fixed...so I promise to blog a whole bunch this weekend to catch up. Here's a photo of our sweeties to hold you over!

Bennett: 12 Weeks

Although you can't tell from this picture, (you were sleepy, but we had a free moment to take it) your little personality is emerging and you are possibly the happiest baby ever! You are all smiles and giggles and we love it! You are also 3 months now and pictures will be coming soon.