Getting bigger...

Six months old!


We've given Benjamin squash and sweet potatoes, so far. He did not like the squash, but loved the sweet potatoes, after he got used to them.

What in the world is this?!


Sitting up all by myself!


I'm not too steady yet, but I can last for a few seconds.


Look at this, guys!


How'd I end up over here? I've been all over the living room these days. I'm not crawling yet, but I can move pretty quickly by rolling and scootching.


Time for a real bath! Mommy and Daddy had fun watching me get in the bathtub for the first time. I'm still not real steady yet, so they're going to hold off a little bit longer until next time.

Long Island

Aunt Mary, Uncle Ken, and Great-Grandma came to visit a few weekends ago.

I had a lot to say to them!


Riding the ferry to Long Island with Grandma!

Don't worry, Mom. I've got the bag!

Here's a picture of us at the most eastern point of Long Island. My first visit to a lighthouse.

New Accomplishments

I've been quite busy lately! Grandma came to visit (more pics of that later) for about 2 weeks, after we got home from Iowa. And of course, there's always church stuff Mom and Dad are dragging me to. I guess I better get used to it!


Here I am sitting up (with the help of my toy basket).


This is me getting mad at my book. I love to look at books for a little bit (as you can see below), but then I get frustrated by them for some reason.




My new high chair!


Sometmes I even get to eat in it! So far I've only tried rice cereal and oatmeal. They're both yummy!


Getting closer to crawling. I can get my bottom up, but haven't gotten up on my hands yet. Mom isn't quite ready for crawling yet, but I can't wait to be able to move around more on my own!

More travels

Benjamin went on his third plane ride a few weeks ago. While Dad was at the youth gathering in Orlando, we flew to Iowa to visit Grandma and Grandpa. We also got to see Great-Grandma, Uncle Jonathan, Aunt Sarah, and cousins Jessica and Andy.


Hanging out with Uncle Jonathan--he's such a fun guy!


Four generation shot--I feel a bit out of place as the only male!


Grandma got out some old toys for me while I was there. This was the cow my mom got from her grandpa when she was just my size. It mooed and everything. My favorite toy was the ferris wheel that played music. It was a little big for me to handle, but I still tried to stick it in my mouth.


Isn't this ferris wheel the coolest?!


I'm so glad Grandpa is such a good listener--I had a lot I wanted to tell him!


We took this shot especially for Dad--dolls!

New stuff

I've been busy learning and doing a lot of new stuff since I've been home. I cut my second tooth, so now both bottom teeth are in. I'm now rolling from my back to my stomach.


Here's a shot of me in my favorite state: naked! (except for the diaper--Mom's not that brave!) I was telling some good stories, as you might be able to tell from my open mouth.


Higher, Daddy!


Oh! This is so much fun!


Here I am in my latest toy--my exersaucer, which I love! It's more exciting than always laying down! Of course, it is a tiring after awhile, so I can only last about 20 minutes or so in it.



Cereal! Mom and Dad tried giving me rice cereal for the first time. I liked it pretty well. A lot of it just dribbled down my chin, but they figured I must have eaten some, because I couldn't finish my bottle afterwards.





Lounging on the back deck, sucking on my favorite two fingers. The fingers work better than any of those teething rings Mom tried to give me. I did not care for that cold stuff!


Time for a rest after a long, hard day!

Our Illinois travels

After the wedding in Michigan, we traveled to Illinois to see some of Jonathan's extended family. Everyone was excited to see Benjamin--they thought he was such a big boy! He did pretty good being carted around, and oogled over. He'd never been around that many kids before. I think he misses all of the action now that we're back home!


Second cousins Kendra and Kelli


Look at my first baseball bat from Uncle David--just my size!


Who's longer? Here I am with my youngest second cousin, Campbell.


Here we are again in the car! At least they gave me something to read this time!


Mirror fun with cousin Brady


Friends Julie and Tim came down from WI to see us. This is the day I got my first tooth!


Smile cousin Kelli!


While in IL, I got my first tooth! I wasn't even too fussy. It's hard to see, but it's one of my bottom teeth. The other one is almost through, too!

Wedding Pics

I had a great time at my first wedding! Uncle Jonathan and Aunt Sarah got married on July 7th in Michigan. Mom and Dad were both in the wedding. I was a big hit, since a lot of my relatives hadn't seen me yet, plus I'm the only baby in the family! I loved all of the action, and I was a good traveler.

Higher, cousin Jessica, higher!


Seriously, guys?


Beach Bum


Our hotel had an indoor pool, so I went swimming for the first time. I didn't really have much of a reaction to the water--I didn't love it or hate it.


Me with Great Grandma--one of the many people to fight over holding me!


How late is this party going to go? I'm sleepy!








Snuggling with Uncle Ryan. He even let me lay on his Snoopy pillow!