The Pynes: Benson Allen: 5 months old

I need a pause button! Seriously.

My (not so little) Benson is 5 months old already!

Here are his stats at 5 months:

Cuteness- 100th percentile
Sweetness- 100th percentile
Perfectness- 100th percentile
As you can see he is doing great!
(We wont know his real stats until his next doctors apt at 6 months)

There have been a lot of exciting changes with our little man this last month so gear up for a lot of updating and of course...as usual, picture overload!

Benson is no longer a 45 min napper!!!! HALLELUJAH! I don't know how this happened but I am absolutely over the moon about it. He now takes a solid 1-2+ hour nap every time!
Speaking of sleep, a few weeks ago my great bedtime sleeper was waking up almost every hour. Not cool. It was miserable for mommy and baby. I couldn't figure out what the deal was too. I tried putting him down earlier, I tried unswaddling him, I tried a white noise maker, I tried switching his routine around. I had already increased his milk from 5oz to 6oz so I ruled out him being hungry. Maybe he was teething? (the answer for everything over here!) Well needless to say this went on for almost TWO WEEKS. I was a walking zombie, praying every night that he would sleep like my life depended on it. Then one day I thought, 'well I've tried everything under the sun except for feeding him solids'. I went to the store that day and picked up some oatmeal and that night he slept like a dream again and has ever since. He sleeps from 8:30pm till 8am most mornings!!
He is a born eater! He didn't even bat an eyelash at the first bite of real food. He opens his mouth like he's all ready for it and swallows like a champ. It has been a lot of fun feeding him solids and I think in a week or two we will try actual baby food. Woohoo!
He can sit up on his own but will only sit for 45 sec or so and then I think he loses interest and topples over. If he is watching our dog Suki then he will sit up for a while. She keeps him pretty entertained!
Benson says 'Ma Ma' and I die every time. It's officially his first word! When he was saying it at first a couple weeks ago I wasn't sure if he really knew what he was saying but now he says it when he wakes up from his nap and when he sees me sometimes. Seriously my heart melts into a puddle and I turn into mush, oh how I love my baby boy!
This has been a shocker to us all (besides the fun of eating solids) but Benson is standing, and can stand on his own (while leaning on something for balance) for a LONG time! He loves it. I think it's from all of his jumping, that kid has strong legs!
We are pretty sure he knows his name. He looks up when we say it or when we are talking to him. But it's kinda selective sometimes.
He is a wiggle worm and is constantly flailing his arms and legs. Also I think that he is going to roll over from back to tummy here pretty soon cause he can roll over completely on his side. Lately that has been one of his favorite ways to sleep and it makes me so nervous!
We officially don't swaddle him anymore because he loves to be able to hold his blanket and put it over his face. He can relax when he has arms free and blanket at reach.
Benson is a BIG boy and I love it! Every where we go no one believes us that he is only 5 months old. I feel like I need to carry his birth certificate around with me. Even people that don't know much about babies always think he is older then he is. I am so grateful that Benson is big, strong and healthy just as a boy should. I just hope our girls don't grow this big and fast...
This last month Benson has turned into a side-hip held baby. Which has made it a lot easier to carry him around.
We don't carry him around in has car seat much anymore, it is just too heavy!
He is a grabber. He will reach and grab for everything in sight.
He can hold his bottle
Benson is a snuggley little man and it is probably one of my favorite things!
Benson is all boy and we are starting to get a taste of what having a boy really mean. Right now he is in a whacking phase. He loves to whack anything he sees. We are constantly having to tell him to be soft! lol. I didn't think I would be having to deal with this now. But we do! We have to hold his arm down if we lay him next to Parker for a picture, or separate them when they are playing together. I am constantly dodging his arms and hands! One of these days I may end up with a black eye! Too funny!
He lovesssss bath time! This is a new thing for us. Benson used to tolerate bath time but now it's his favorite thing. He splashes and plays in the tub and by the end of bath time, I look as if I had taken the bath with him!
He loves to coo and talk and laugh all the time and is such a happy, good baby! He is very easy going just like his daddy!
Benson laughs hysterically every time Suki in near. He loves that little doggy!
Benson loves his nap time. He always lets out this big happy sigh when I lay him down, I cracks me up every time.
Benson loves to hold on to the railings of his crib. Also he is always kicking the sides of the crib too! I think he could be entertained in his crib for hours!
His favorite toys are still his boucer, sitting in his bumbo under his play gym and his new monkey and toy rattle also he loves to look at himself in a mirror when he is laying on his tummy in his play gym. He talks to himself and blows bubbles the entire time!

Well that about sums up Benson's 'new' findings from this last month!

Here's what Mommy's been up to this last month:

I've been really kicking it in gear with working out and eating right. I've only lost a few pounds but most importantly I am feeling loads better! When I was breastfeeding I was 4 lbs. away from my pre-pregnancy weight. After a month of struggling with nursing and my milk supply being slim to none, (no matter how often I pumped and nursed or the herbal supplements I took) I decided to close the book on Benson being breastfed and then some how the very next week I was up 10+ lbs. It has been a very long, frustrating road for me but I am finally starting to see results. Yippee!!
My hormonal garbage has simmered down a ton! In fact, I am back to feeling like myself again. It usually gets really bad around my periods (sorry TMI!) but this last time I didn't fall apart like I normally so I'd say that is huge progress!
We have been going to and watching a lot of basketball this last month! Between March Madness and David's BYU intermural basketball games, it is safe to say that Benson has been introduced to the game of basketball and LOVES it! David's team is killing it! They are in the intermural 'Elite 8' so the games have become really intense. It's single game elimination from here on out!
I've started scrap-booking all of our pictures! And boy do I take a lot of pictures...
We have had a lot of fun with the nicer weather this last month and have been playing outside a ton, which I LOVE.
I live for trips and vacations with my family so I have been on a calender craze setting up fun little adventures for us this summer
I have made lots of great goals for myself!
I've been trying to be the best Mommy I know how to be. I feel like I have found my calling in life and it feels so good! Being a mommy is truly the greatest thing I've ever experienced. The love I have for that little boy in unmatched. He is my joy and my light and we are so blessed to call him ours.