{12 Weeks}

Hello my name is ....

Ben is 12 weeks old today!  I regret not writing enough things down of when Luke did what, so I want to do that for Ben more.  So here goes...

• Sleeping has regressed as I mentioned in a former post.  He typically goes to bed between 8:30 and 9:30 pm at night and does about a 5 hour stretch.  He will eat and then go back down for another 2 to 3 hours before waking back up to eat again.  Sometimes he will be up for good at that point, sometimes back down for another hour or two.  We still don't quite have a perfect schedule down. So right now he is currently still waking up at least twice a night to eat.  Not sure where that 8 or 9 hour stretch went, but it was heavenly the four nights I got it....
• We still swaddle him to for bedtime, but I have a feeling we are going to be stopping that in the next few weeks.  A few times this past week he has busted out of his swaddle and it wakes him up and he fusses and has to eat to go back down.
• He takes about 4 naps a day.  Usually he takes them either in the car, on walks or in his vibrating seat, but I am starting to put him in his crib for at least 1 or 2 of them starting this past weekend.  I am not swaddling him for naps in his crib.
• He still nurses on demand, but he is starting to go longer in between feedings.  Sometimes he will go 2.5 to 3 hours between feedings now, but other times he still wants to eat sooner like every hour.
• Ben sort of takes a bottle.  He is not great at it, but will do it if encouraged enough.  After his hospital stay, I got lazy and did not keep up with it, so right now I am trying to give him at least one bottle every other day or so.  Mama needs him to do this so I can leave him at times! 
• He is not a big spitter-upper.  He does it every now and then, but it is rare. 
• I believe he weighs between 17 and 18 pounds.  He is a chunky monkey!
• For clothes, he is in size 6 months for the most part, but sometimes 3 to 6 months (although getting tight) and sometimes even 9 months in certain brands.
• Ben smiles constantly!  He just smiles and smiles and smiles.  My mom says he reminds her of me at that age :).  He is starting to laugh as well, but it has only come out when I tickle him. 
• He loves to coo and talk to anyone and everyone!
• He loves bath time and it starting to kick and splash his feet in the water.  I give him a bath about every other night.  I am trying to do this to help establish a bedtime routine.
• Watching Luke play with his trains and the ceiling fan are the highlights of Ben's day.
• His eyes are still blue, but I don't think they will stay that way.  I am assuming he will either have brown like Chat and Luke or possibly hazel like me. 
• Ben rolled over twice from stomach to back when he was 8 days old, but nothing since then!  He does pretty well doing tummy time and enjoys laying on his back on his playmat.  But he has to be in the right mood because if he is tired or fussy, watch out! 
• He is starting to put his hands in his mouth and drooling a bit.
• Unfortunately, Ben has had his first cold (well, one that didn't put him in the ICU).  He has been coughing and stuffy all weekend.  So ready for summer...
• Although the newborn stage is hard for me, I do feel we are getting out of it and things are getting somewhat easier.  Even with the lack of sleep, I feel that we are handling having 2 kiddos well and that it isn't as challenging as the first 6 weeks or so. 

I think that is about it for now!