Latest Stats

So, for those keeping track, here are my latest statistics:

Height: 34 inches - 95th percentile

Weight: 24 pounds, 5.25 ounces (they sure are precise) - about the 50th percentile
Head Circumference: 47 centimeters

The doctor told my Mom and Dad to watch out for accidents. Hehe. Like I'll let them know before I am going to get into trouble. My newest phrase, "Uh oh," is sure coming in handy lately.

The Misadventures of Benjamin Royal

So it has been a busy couple of months. I feel bad about not posting, but I am moving so fast these days I hardly have time. I've been working on new skills like, jumping, spinning, running and CLIMBING! Climbing is one of my favorite things to do. I am fearless and have a bump on my head to prove it! I move objects around the house (or other people's houses) to make stairs that enable me to get places I normally wouldn't be allowed to go - like the tops of cabinets, entertainment centers, or couches. I am also tall enough now to climb the toilet and empty cabinets. Needless to say, my Mom is plenty busy cleaning up after me all day long. She calls me Hurricane Ben because of the trail of debris I leave behind.

I just had a really fun week. I helped to celebrate my Daddy's birthday and he got a Wii, so I haven't put down the remotes since Saturday. I also went to SeaWorld with my cousins and LOVED to play and watch the dolphins and watch the 4-D Sesame Street movie. Today I went up to San Clemente to see my Uncle Steve and have lunch and tomorrow I am going to a wedding. I have only been to two other weddings in my life and I was way too young to eat cake then, so I am really excited.

I wish there was more to report since it has been so long, but really I have just been busy growing and playing. I will try to write again soon.

Love, Ben

MY SISTER IS HERE!

Well, the biggest update is that my little sister Sofia Katherine Jackson was born on Monday, March 31st, 2008 at 4:07am. I was at home sleeping, but once I woke up Grandpa got me dressed, took me out for breakfast and we went to the hospital so I could meet my "girl." I was SO EXCITED to get to hold her. I kept pointing at her and saying "girl." I can't say her name yet, but I do know who she is and I love her to death. I like to give her hugs and cuddles and kisses, and sometimes I scare my Mom because I squeeze her hard and my pats on her head are a little more like slaps - but she puts up with me.

I am saying more and more words everyday: ball, dog, cat, Mom, milk, Dad, girl, go, down, car... I am also learning how to run, which is a struggle as I sometimes get ahead of myself, but running is really convenient when I have something I shouldn't, like a fist full of cat food or the end of the toilet paper roll. The best part is that I laugh the whole time I run away from my Mom.

Last night was a first. I slept through the night again - something I haven't done since Sofia has been home from the hospital, and my girl slept from 9:30 until 5:00 this morning. Let's hope we both keep up with this schedule so that Mom and Dad can get some good sleeping in at night. Everything is going well with our little family. I am so glad that my Grandma has been coming over this week to help take care of me and my Mom and my Sister. She has been a lifesaver. I think sometimes I wouldn't get lunch if Grandma wasn't here.

I love you all, and will post more about Sofia and how to get to pictures of her soon.

Hugs and Kisses,
Benjamin

Only one week until the big day!

Can you believe it? Just one more week until my first birthday!

I have been busy mastering walking and getting more teeth. I now have four front teeth on the top and two on the bottom. It is painful, and I have a hard time sleeping when my teeth cut through my gums, but otherwise I am still my happy, giggly self. I don't drink from a bottle anymore - just a sippy cup, and so I've also started drinking milk, which I LOVE. My days pretty much revolve around sleeping, eating, being chased around the house by my Mommy while I get into things like trash cans, the toilet paper roll and my diaper bag. Sometimes my Mom calls me "Hurricane Ben." I leave quite a debris trail, but I love learning about everything and discovering new toys (like my Dad's phone).

Next week I am going to get my picture taken and we are going to work on my birthday party - we have the sandbox, but we need to go and get the sand, so that will be fun. I am also going to a shower for my Mom and my new sister. I love to have a bath or a shower, so it should be fun.

There isn't much left to report. I hope everyone is doing great!

Hugs and Kisses,
Benjamin

Greetings from the world's messiest eater!

I LOVE to eat! What can I say, I am the product of my Mommy and Daddy. Sometimes, though, I find that it is just as much fun to wear my food as it is to eat it. Take today for example... My Mom was making lunch for Trav and Heather and herself and I was STARVING. So I got to sit in the highchair and eat a nana (banana), some cheese and turkey. The nana is sweet, so I get that down, though I did squeeze a few pieces in my hands, and you can't waste good cheese, but the turkey looked great in my hair. By the end of the meal I had about 6 pieces of turkey placed strategically all over my head. Good thing it wasn't too hard to clean up. I did a real number at dinner though. I got ravioli, cottage cheese, beans and cantalope. By the end of the meal I had ravioli and beans mushed into my hair and covering every speck of my face (including my eyelids). I also managed to get cottage cheese and ravioli down my shirt and in my pants. My Dad ended up carrying my high chair into the bathroom so it would be easier for someone to transfer me into the bathtub. Sure, I am messy, but I am so darned cute that I don't get in trouble for my antics. I thought it was funny that my Mom and Grandma were laughing at Zoey. She stands under my high chair during dinner to catch my crumbs - tonight she had chunks of ravioli and beans in her fur and she couldn't reach to eat them off of herself. I like to feed the "gog" (dog).

Can you believe it?

Tomorrow I will be 11 months old!!! Life has been busy lately as my Mom and I get ready for my new little sister and my first birthday party. I am getting more and more comfortable walking and am finding that I need the furniture less and less to get around. I have also found some new toys in the house - mainly toilet paper which I like to take off the roll and play with. I am keeping my Mom busy and we are having a good time. I am also starting to talk more and I like to feed Zoey from my highchair at Grandma and Grandpa's house. I announce "dog", then I throw some food and look down to watch her eat it. If it wasn't so cute I would probably get in trouble for doing it.

I wish there was more to report. Time is sure flying by and I am getting excited for my Tonka Truck birthday party. My Mom and Dad keep talking about a sandbox - I think it would be so fun, and maybe I won't eat all of the sand out of it.

Good Night!
Benjamin

I did it!

The last few weeks have been busy! My Mom and Dad had to return the first video camera because the sound didn't work - so, they have been trying to stop the real progress on walking for a few days, but last night, I did it!!! I was downstairs at Heather and Trav's house and Trav got home from work. I went up to him and stood up holding his leg while everyone talked about how close I was to walking and that I just needed to let go and try, so I did - and I took 2 steps to the toy box. Everyone cheered and was excited for me. I wish my Dad could have been there, but Trav went and got the video camera and using it as a motivator for me (I really wanted to grab it), I walked to my Mom and we have it on tape. Needless to say, Dad ordered the new video camera yesterday. My Dad was sad he missed my steps (by minutes), but thought it was really neat to see it on video. He says it looks like I do the "monster mash." Now everyone wants me to walk everywhere, but I already tried that, and right now crawling is faster.

I've also been working on talking more. I mimic sounds more than words, so I say ma, ma for milk and when I want more. I also started saying ba for bottle and ball. I mostly speak my own language filled with all kinds of weird sounds and versions of yum like n'gum. I love food, so my Mom figures that is why all of my words seem to revolve around eating.

I love peas and carrots and broccoli, green beans aren't my favorite. I liked the baby food version, but the real thing is a little strange. I put the whole bean in my mouth and spit the skin thingy back out. Does anyone know where you can by just the beany insides of green beans??? I pretty much eat people food now, though I do sneak in some cat food every once in a while. My Mom always tells me "yuck." But hey, it is there and it is food, so I will eat it. Maybe I will turn into a cat!

I am my own person!!!

And don't you forget it! My Mom is sad that I am becoming so independent, but I am my own person now. I like being able to explore and see everything, and when I want to be held, I don't mind it, but otherwise, I will let you know when I want things MY WAY. I am a better eater when I can feed myself, I try to dress myself, and I like to explore the house. (Mom is forever grateful that I have not been too interested in the litter box - but we still have 2 cats available for adoption).

This is really my only update. I am days away from walking on my own - I am getting more comfortable standing up and getting down on my own, and I'll walk holding my Mom or Dad or Grandpa's hand. Our new video camera came in the mail today, so my Mom says I am free to walk now if I want to. Moms! Sheesh! But I am becoming a boy so quickly. What can I say? The new baby isn't far away, so I'm becoming big.

Well, good night everyone!

It has been so long...

BUT, it is not my fault. Unfortunately, I rely on a typist (my Mom), who claims that she has been too busy caring for me to type the things I want everyone to know. So, I am sorry it has been so long, but I am back to tell you about all of the neat things I've been doing!

I don't remember much about November except that I really started moving. I could pull myself up on EVERYTHING and I starting trying to navigate the house more. I got to go shopping for Christmas presents for people and picked out things to send to our family and friends who live far away. Mainly my Mom and I got ready for our trip to Hawaii at the beginning of December, which meant lots of errands and catching up to make sure we were ready to leave home for awhile.

I went to my 9 month check-up early, just in case I had a weird reaction to any of my shots. They measured me in at 29 inches tall, and 19 pounds 5 ounces. I am now in about the 75th percentile for height and the 30th percentile for weight - which really make me wonder what that kid who is 100% looks like! I am starting to work towards the goals Dr. N set for me, including 3 meals a day and my vocabulary. So far I only have Dada and Mama down. I make all sorts of sounds, but still no other words. I am not behind, it is just our goal.

I LOVED Thanksgiving. I ate turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes and a crescent roll. I didn't get any brussels sprouts because they had nuts in them, but I did get to try the cranberries. I would have gotten pumpkin pie too if I hadn't been asleep. I think it was the chemical in the turkey - it knocked me out!

Soon after Thanksgiving we were in the final countdown to our trip to Hawaii, which was awesome! We left on December 6th and spent 2 days on Oahu. I did great on the flight. I made friends with the people behind us and tried to give them "fives" all the time. The ladies on the plane gave another passenger a different seat so that I could have my own chair between my Mom and Dad. I didn't cry at all, and honestly, I probably didn't even need the juice my Mom gave me, but I liked it, so I won't complain.

On Oahu we went to the commissary and stocked up on baby food and diapers for our cruise, we visited the Polynesian Cultural Center where I was the main attraction for all of the college girls who work there. My Mom says it is inevitable - you take a cute baby to see a bunch of LDS girls who just left Young Women and they will want to hold the baby. I made LOTS of friends and had girls dance with me and sing me songs. The lady in the Samoa area made me a headband and I got to eat a Coconut dumpling. My Dad learned to play the Ukulele and the lady there held me the whole time my Dad sang and played. I also went to my first Luau where I ate all kinds of fancy things I had never had before, including Jell-O, which made quite a mess. Also on Oahu we went to the Pearl Harbor Memorial. We were going to go on the anniversary, but decided we needed the whole day to go to the PCC so we went the day after. I met a survivor who had been on another ship in Pearl Harbor. It was really neat. After Pearl Harbor we went to the North Shore and I got to eat shaved ice from Matsumoto's - they had a picture of Tom Hanks on the wall eating a shaved ice, and a picture of Hurley from LOST. I guess the place is famous for their shaved ice - I know I really liked it. Then we went to a surf shop and got the scoop on the Pipeline Classic and I got some slippers for the rest of the vacation. Then it was back to Waikiki to board the cruise ship.

On the cruise, I got my first tooth, a rash, and some new friends. My Mom thinks there was something on the sheets and towels that gave me the rash - it went away as soon as we got home. Despite the teeth and the rash though, I was a champ about being a tourist. Our first stop was Hilo on the big island of Hawaii. We went to Volcanoes National Park and saw the steam vents and areas of Mauna Loa that had errupted. We wanted to go to Pua'a and see the lava flow but we were told it was impossible to see the day we were there, so we went to lunch and waited FOREVER for food and then went to a Rainforest Zoo. It was a cool day.

Next we went to Maui for two days where my Dad and Grandpa snorkled and I screamed because I thought the water was WAY too cold. I tried, I just couldn't take it. I did discover sand though, and I like to eat it off of my hands - driftwood tastes pretty good too. On Maui my Dad and Grandpa saw a Humuhumunukunukuapua'a. How is that for vocabulary improvement?? My Mom got to take care of some shopping and got a cute dress for my soon-to-be little sister and I got a stuffed teddy bear made out of Hawaiian fabric. I also have to endorse the ABC stores, because they are pretty cool. On our second day in Hawaii we made the mistake of driving to Hana. A three hour car ride with a baby isn't such a good idea. But Mom and Dad went into a natural pool to see a waterfall - they took a picture and that was it. We went to a black sand beach and saw some pretty flowers and rainbows. Now I can say that I have survived the road to Hana, and I don't think I'll be going back.

After Maui we went to the other side of the big island and spent most of the day in Kona at the beach. Mom, Dad and Grandpa snorkled, I played in the sand and got my picture taken for our Christmas card, then we went to lunch and visited a marketplace. We also found the temple in Kona and got some pictures. It was pretty.

My favorite stop on the cruise was Kauai. It is such a pretty island and the tempo is a bit slower. My Mom says it reminds her more of Grand Bahama Island. There is life, it just moves slower - and that makes it relaxing. On the first day in Kauai we took a boat ride up the Wailoa River. My Mom and Dad were married at the Fern Grotto, they joked it was a shotgun wedding, whatever that is. There are TONS of wild chickens in Kauai and one of them almost jumped into the car with us. After the boat ride we went to the burger place my Grandma likes and got some good grub and a smoothie which I must say I LOVED! We ended the first day with a trip to Wal-Mart where I got to see Pierce Brosnan who is my Mom's favorite James Bond. She says he is really good looking, Dad and I really don't see what all of the fuss is about. After stocking up on all manner of goodies at Wal-Mart we headed back to the cruise ship for the night. Our last day in Kauai was a relaxing day of napping and shopping and driving through a tunnel of trees and seeing the beach one last time before we sailed to the Napali Coast and then headed back for Oahu.

It was fun to go, but I missed home and seeing my friends and having my own bed to sleep in. The recovery has been quick for me, but long for Mom and Dad. We only had about a week before Christmas and we frantically went to see Christmas lights, visit with friends, set up our own Christmas tree and have our family traditions. Christmas morning was so much fun. I tried to eat my stocking - but then I discovered it had good stuff inside - a book, a DVD, a ball, and a lion lovey. My Mom and Dad got me a Leap Pad that I played with, and then we all got ready to go to Grandma and Grandpa's house. We had eggs and orange rolls and then opened presents. It was sure a lot of fun, but after awhile I was ready for a nap. Christmas dinner was wonderful, Trav and Heather and Dominik and Jackson came and we ate Prime Rib and Veggies and Potatoes and Rolls. Yum.

Lastly, I celebrated my first New Year's baby style. I went to bed at about 7:30 and my Mom wishes she had joined me. My Dad slept through Pirates of the Caribbean and they ended up making it home at about 11:00. We are not party animals. I have taken my first step in the New Year, I love Elmo and going for walks. I seem to change everyday according to my Mom, but I just know that I am loving life. I promise to update sooner next time. I love you!

Big News!

Life is going great, though I have to admit that it has been a little too eventful (even for me). I LOVED Halloween! I probably tried to eat my costume more than I should have, but I went to SeaWorld on Halloween to go trick-or-treating. I got to feed dolphins, sit in the soak zone at the Shamu show, meet Clyde the sea lion and spend time with my best friends and my Mom and Dad. You'll have to see my third photo album so you can see pictures of the exciting day.

I went up to San Clemente this week to see my Uncle Steve and have lunch for his birthday. We went to Islands. I always like going there. I got to eat the whipped cream off of Stevie's Kona Pie - it was awesome. Mostly I listened while my Mom and Dad talked, but I got my two cents in and even got to play some. We talked about moving to Florida. It was always up in the air but now is definite. It's exciting, but I know it is finally sinking in for my Mom that she will be leaving her hometown and her family and friends.

As if that wasn't enough for the excitement here, we found out today that I am most-likely getting a little sister! (It is hard to be 100% sure with a girl), but the Dr. said he is pretty convinced. I can't wait! My little sister should be born sometime in early April. Then we'll all pack up and head to Florida about this time next year. Now do you see why I said it is almost too exciting, even for me??