Friday, August 20, 2010

20 month update

20 months! Goodness, we are getting closer and closer to Ben turning 2. How amazing is that? I am amazed every day at how smart and funny Ben is. Here's what's been going on (the detail is getting a little crazy as this is the only place I document the details of his life. :)):

- Since Ben's 19 month birthday, we took him to Northern Wisconsin to visit the whole Berg family and have some Berg/Bentley fun at the cabin. He had a great time, loved the lake and the boat. He also loved seeing all of his 2nd cousins!

- He seems to say new things every day even though he isn't putting words together and won't really attempt a word if it's too difficult. The hardest words he's tried (in my opinion) are pretzel and tomorrow. He's trying though. I'm sure in the next few months, his speech will really take off. He definitely understands me...we just need to work on talking instead of crying when he wants something! This past weekend when Nick's parents visited, he really "got" the concept of who people were. I am now more consistently "Mommy" (instead of "Daddy") and he successfully referred to Daddy, Mimi and Papi accurately throughout the weekend. Until last weekend, it was safe to say that almost every family member was "Daddy."

- His imitation is awesome these days. The other day, he shook my Dad's hand goodbye after Nick did. Today, he put his little broom away where mine goes and put his vacuum next to the hallway closet where mine is kept. If I say "after your nap" or "when you wake up" he immediately makes a snoring sound. He copies a lot of what we do....I guess we need to be careful now!

- Also, he remembers things much better than I expect him to. For example, when I take a toy away right before bed, he goes right to it in the morning. Also, one day we went to see the fountain at the mall and he remembered (from probably a month or two ago) that I gave him some pennies to throw in the water. There's no fooling our little smarty pants.

- His favorite toys (this week - it seems they change constantly) are his vacuum, his new "Cars" suit case, his poppers (there is a theme here....things he can push or pull around), in addition to his play kitchen and books. At friends' houses, he's drawn to the play kitchens. He pretends to cook food and brings it to me to eat....and always follows that with his "eating sound." It's very cute....let's hope he can cook for real some day! He still loves buttons, but is just as amazed (and entertained) by a bucket of water outside with watering cans and squirt guns. He loves going to the pool and had a great time at Bouncetown and the zoo.

- The last of Ben's 1 year molars is coming in and resulting in a little crankiness and shortened naps. I'm hoping this passes quickly, but I've heard the canines are even more painful. Please let Ben (and me) get through those without too much of a problem!!

- The other big update is that we left Ben with a real babysitter for the first time. He did great....although the babysitter did not have to put him to bed. Next time, we'll attempt that. For now, we'll be happy with the small victories. :)

I love this boy more than anything in the world. I'm thankful every day for the last 20 months and for my fantastic family. Watching him grow and learn is the coolest thing in the world!


No comments: