Benjamin and Caitlin: The Ultimate Tag Team



Saturday, March 31, 2007

Many steps!

Ben can take about ten unaided steps in a row now! Yeah Ben! He has to be in the mood, but when that mood strikes there's no stopping him, and he just beams with pride the whole time (as do Mommy and Daddy).

I'll try to get some video in the next few days.

Cutting lots of teeth over here!

Ben's cutting his upper molars and his upper eye teeth. His lower molars have been in for a while now, and I think we'll see his lower eye teeth soon. This is making for one cranky baby!

Wednesday, March 21, 2007

A couple of steps!

Ben took his first unaided steps today. Just two, but it's a start. Fortunately it happened when I picked him up at daycare and the two steps were towards me (not away! haha.)

He later shuffled from the couch to the coffee table with his sippy cup in his hands.

Maybe we'll see him walking in the next couple of weeks. :)

Ben: In and under things.

Ben in the tub:


Ben in a toy bin (really looking like a little boy here):

Ben under his crib - peekaboo!


Monday, March 05, 2007

Some good news from Ben's allergist

The good news from Ben's allergist today is that Ben can continue consuming dairy since his allergy is weak and he's asymptomatic. Phew.

We've decided, however, to continue with soy milk for drinking and allowing dairy into his diet in the form of cheese, yogurt, and as an ingredient in other foods. Ben's reaction to casein was certainly much stronger when Ben was <6 months old, and although his consumption has increased significantly when we transitioned him to whole milk on the advice of his GP, at 12 months his reaction is next to nil -- a good sign that his milk allergy will eventually be a thing of the past.

Saturday, March 03, 2007

Doctor Ben Dolittle...?

Ben seems to have a "word" or "words", both in relation to the cats. When he sees the cats he yells "BA!", then he scurries over to them, and if he hasn't scared them away, he'll look at them and yell "Mehhhh! Mehhhh!" We think he's meowing at them. It completely cracks us up!

And so we've been trying to get Ben to say cat. This is how it's going:

Mommy: Ben, can you say "cat"?
Ben (enthusiastically): Ba!
Mommy: Can you say "cat"?
Ben (slightly annoyed): Baaa!
Mommy: Say "cat"?
Ben (thoroughly frustrated): Baaaaaa!


He looks at us as if to say "What do you think I'm saying??"

His level of comprehension is ever increasing. He now knows where his tongue is, and if you ask him he'll stick it out and touch it. Way too cute.

Ben and his Castle Marbleworks

We bought Ben Castle Marbleworks from Discovery Toys for his birthday in December. I just dug it out of his closet yesterday and set it up. It didn't take him long to figure out that the ball goes in top, and he loves watching it roll to the bottom.





The results of Ben's allergy tests

Ben was sent for allergy testing because I'd discovered he was allergic to egg white, and because it could effect his vaccination schedule. His appointment was yesterday.

When we arrived the nurse asked if I just wanted Ben tested for egg white and yolk, or if I wanted all tests for common allergens done, so I opted to have all the tests since we were there anyway. They did a skin prick test (SPT) and Ben was so cooperative; the nurse was very impressed and I was really proud of our boy. He had four rows of allergens down his back and hardly flinched.

And so it turns out that Ben is allergic to egg white (which we knew), egg yolk (this was a surprise), peanuts, and milk. For perspective, the control measures 4+, egg whites measured 3+, egg yolk measured 2+, peanuts measured 3+, and milk measured 2+. The allergist wrote a prescription for an epi-pen "just in case" and recommended that we rid our home of peanut products.

Egg yolk really surprised me because Ben's had egg yolk with no visible side-effects. The allergist said it was because this allergy is mild. Milk is another one that threw me. In the past it caused exzema in Ben, so we knew he was allergic -- in the past -- in some capacity, but he's been on whole milk exclusively, i.e., no formula, for over a month now and he hasn't had any real negative reaction to it. I still have to speak to Ben's allergist about the milk, I don't even recall him mentioning it, because we're not sure how much dairy is acceptable. This morning we switched Ben to fortified soy milk. He seems to like it okay, thankfully. I think we can go this route and still allow a little cow's milk into his diet by way of cheese and yogurt.