It's All About The Benjamin

Those would be Ben's first words. He's been saying dada for a while now, since December I think, with some regularity. However not only would he look at Ron and say "dada" but he would also look at the phone, me, food.... you get the picture. Lately , though, he's been saying dada while looking at Ron and seems to mean it. While visiting Daddy at work this evening, and after playing with the mandible on the skeleton (don't worry, it's resin, not real bone), he said: "buh - buh - buh -ba ba ba bye bye dada." We both looked at him and then at each other for confirmation that neither of us was imagining this. He wouldn't repeat it, but it was so cute and groundshaking at the same time. That this tiny little being can actually communicate in words! He's starting to point to things in books, too, so we reinforce this for him. (That's a pineapple, Ben. You like pineapples! It looks odd, doesn't it? But so yummy...) He's also pullin...

Just nine months and Ben has had his first haircut! He did very well, sitting on my lap and playing with/trying to eat a brush during the trim. Not much was cut off, but some of his hair on top was a bit long so it looks much tidier now, as evidenced here: He had a wonderful Christmas with lots of wonderful gifts bestowed upon him by family and friends, but the whole New Year thing doesn't seem to have phazed him, as he went to bed at his usual bedtime and awoke to a new day greeted by Mommy & Daddy. His crawling is improving and he's pulling up on any and everything, including my pants if I stay still long enough. He can walk holding on to someone's fingers, and still babling: Mamama, dada, bababa, nananana... oh it's so cute! He has gotten another tooth, one of the side incisiors on the left. So that makes it three. We're looking for the matching tooth, but no sign yet. He's teething up a storm, though, so we know another one is up there somewhere. His app...