Growing up

We can't believe how fast Benjamin is growing up--only 10 days until his first birthday! He is starting to look more toddler than baby at times. He'll occasionally take a few steps on his own, and cruises holding onto the furniture and walls. Of course, crawling is still the fastest way to get anywhere. He enjoys crawling up the aisle at church after church is over, so he can meet Daddy. Finally, Mom lets him loose, after sitting still for so long!

We've been done with baby food for a month or more now. If he can't feed it to himself, he wants nothing to do with it! He loves fruits and veggies the best, and bread and cheese come in close second.

Benjamin's latest feat has been recognizing his favorite books. I started saying a few lines from one of his favorite books, and he went right over to it, and picked it up. Just for fun, we tried it with a few of his other favorite books, and sure enough, he picked up the right ones! We always knew he was a smart kid, but now we have proof! Of course, Dad is a bit concerned that his boy will like books better than balls. But, we also log in time playing "catch." He does a pretty good job of letting the ball go so that it will roll.

So far, he hasn't been talking much, at least so that we can understand! He jabbers away on a regular basis. So far, we've picked out "uh-oh" and "all duh" (translation: all done). We're still holding out for ma-ma and da-da. He says the words often enough, but not really in connection with us.

Enjoy these latest pictures!


Testing the bath water. My favorite bath toy is my washcloth. I suck on it, and Mom always says it reminds her of Aunt Rachel!


Mmmm...who should I call?


Faster, Daddy, faster!


Yes, my feet are touching the ground! I've got him suckered into believing I don't know how to do it on my own! This is the life!