Ben at 15 Months

Our little bit is 15 months old! That’s a lot of months! Here is a quick update on what he’s been up to:

He saw Dr. Martin just after his 1st birthday and he weighed in at 24 pounds!

He spent a week in July at Grammy and Grandad’s house in Gilmer ALL BY HIMSELF! (Which meant that Bri and I were ALL BY OURSELVES!)

Ben got his 1st haircut at Great Clips on August 8th. He was very patient right up until the end – we were very proud and a little sad because his new haircut makes him look even older!

Ben started a new class at Grace Point MDO on August 28th. In his new room, they go to the playground, do crafts, and sing songs. They also eat lunch together at a little table and take their naps on mats on the floor. SOOO cute!

Ben said his 1st word in september – "uh oh”. He uses it when he drops something, or when he throws something, or when someone else drops or throws something. It’s just a fun word to say!

Ben continues to LOVE playing with Tanner next door. They are truly best buds! Ben also gets SOOO excited when he sees Aaron, and he always runs to him to get hugs. :)

Ben is also turning into a great little helper. He follows me around the house and is especially interested in the dishwasher and washer & dryer.

We love our little 15 month old! He is definitely speeding right out of babyhood and becoming a full fledged toddler right before our eyes!

I’m HILARIOUS!

Ben has a pretty high opinion of his sense of humor, as evidenced by these photos. He cracks himself up. He cracks me up, too, I must admit!



Reading a book with his booty
stuck in a drum... just minding his
own business.

 

Oh, you caught me? I'm so funny
stuck in this drum, huh?!



Pure joy!



Oh, that cheesy smile!

Hee Hee Hee

Mischief Managed

Now that Ben is on the move, he really keeps us laughing. He’s into everything and always seems to be up to something. He’s a man with a plan. We went for a walk around the mall this week and he thought that all of the rain puddles were there specifically for his enjoyment. First, he moved the wet floor sign out of the way…

I’m not really sure why he felt the need to move the sign. I guess it was getting in the way of his next move which was going to be….

Washing his hair in the puddle.

Sure, we weren’t dressed for water play… but sometimes you just have to go with it.

I picked up this little set of tents and tubes for Ben. It was crazy cheap at Costco and it has been such a hit! He loves to play hide-n-seek in it.

Peek a boo!

He’s so precious – even when he’s up to no good!

First Haircut

We took Ben to get his first haircut today. Up until this point, I had just trimmed his hair over his ears, but it was definitely time for an all-over trim. He did so great! He was a sweet boy and didn’t fuss about it at all. He looks like such a big boy with his new shorter ‘do. Isn’t he so handsome?

Visiting Grammy & Grandad

Grammy & Grandad took Ben home with them just after his birthday party. It was his first time to be away from both Brian and I at the same time. We missed him while he was gone, but we did use the time to get some things done around the house. We also managed to squeeze in a date or two (or three… or four…)

Diane took some pictures for us so we could see what he was up to all week!

They visited with Great Grandma Barrick at The Bradford House, where Ben tried to figure out how her walker worked!

Grandad took Ben with him to work. The highlight of that day was going for a ride on the big tractor.



He also had plenty of opportunities to stretch his chubby little legs outside. It looks like he just walked and walked until he couldn’t go anymore and then he just plopped down at the end of the driveway.



I really missed my little buddy, but I’m so glad that he had some quality time with his Grammy & Grandad. I’m pretty sure this is going to be an annual occurrence that he’ll look forward to each summer!

Summer Fun

It’s definitely summer outside and one of Ben’s favorite things to do is to play in the water. It doesn’t matter what kind of water, really… any water will do.

Sometimes we go all out and head to the SeaWorld water park. The kiddie area is perfect for Ben sized people and he can spend the whole day splashing around and working on his tan!

Dad, I think you're the one that needs the tan!

Of course, we can’t drive across town to SeaWorld every day, but we don’t let that stop us. A sprinkler in the back yard will do in a pinch on these warm July days!

Sometimes Ben gets a little impatient. Before I have a chance to pull out swim suits and water toys, he just helps himself to Army’s water bucket.

Am I in trouble?

Although we kept very busy entertaining Ben and beating the heat, we did manage to squeeze in a visit to the Circus. Brian really likes the circus, so I got some tickets as part of his Father’s Day present. Ben didn’t come with us this time, but Brian was already making plans to take the little guy next year when he’s a bit bigger. Yay for summer, the circus, SeaWorld, sprinklers and water buckets (Ben added that last one).

Ben is One!

Oh my sweet little boy… congratulations on turning 1! You are so precious to us and we cannot imagine our lives without you.





  Let's take a minute and remember some of the fun things you've been doing:

In your 10th month, you got your 5th & 6th teeth. You were learning to wave and hand us things we asked for.

You also started "cruising" all along the furniture.

By the time you turned 11 months, you were weaned (mommy was a little sad) and you had taken your first steps! You also had your 7th tooth come in.

Now you have 12 months under your belt and you are ready to take on the world! You are sweet and snuggly and funny and adorable as can be. You don’t have very many words yet, but you sure know how to make some noise and get our attention. You are also up to 8 teeth, and we are sad to report that you are not the most pleasant teether. I'm dreading those molars coming in one day! You love to eat and you love to be outside. By the time your birthday party came around you were a pro at walking. I'm sure we'll be running after you soon! You started Mother’s Day Out just before your birthday and you are already a star pupil. The teachers rave about what a good baby you are! We can’t wait to see how you grow and who you become in the coming year.

Happy Birthday to you!