Singing

Ben has never really sung in his short life.  :)  Even at two he would say it was silly.  And once in church Andrew asked him to sing and he whispered back, "No daddy, because if I sing in church then mommy will make me sing at home!!"  :)

And then he went to Vacation Bible School at our church.  He learned "Baa Baa White Sheep."  And then a flip just switched and I can't stop him singing!  Here are a few recent videos:

Need a Laugh?

This video and the next are all about a kleenex box cover that our good friend Melanie brought us back as a gift from her 2 years in Thailand as a missionary. :) As you can see, Ben found a new use for it!

This is how he usually says little and big... it just kills me!

He did this without us teaching him (the different mommy, daddy & baby sounds).

Teachin' 'em Young

Videos

I have created a monster. We watched a video or two on the camera and now he just wants to watch them, he won't let me take them! AHH! Here are the few that I did manage to get.


Yummy!!!

Well, he knows hair, ears, eyes, nose, mouth, tongue, teeth, lips, chin, cheeks, neck, elbow, armpit, belly button, knees, toes, feet, leg & arm... but this is as many as I could get on video. :-P



Well, here are some of his skills with a ball... but he wouldn't talk... AHH! If only he would perform on command!!!
COMING SOON (If I can get it on video): Jumping, and the sound a snake and a rabbit make. :)

Growing Up

Benjamin is growing up so fast, and he seems to be learning and doing something new every day! I can't believe he is almost 18 months old... less than 2 weeks!

You can hear Pap paw who Ben and I sometimes hang out with in the back ground. :)

He started this a few weeks ago. Yikes!

And here is a video with some of his animal noises, although in the last week since the video was taken he has added a few more. And I also had a video with him identifying body parts but the computer ate it... so I will have to load that one another day. :)

Pearly Whites & More

Brushing Ben's teeth has been a struggle for a long time, but about a week ago he has started LOVING it, and constantly asking to brush his teeth (as you can see in the video). He has TWO toothbrushes and mainly loves just sucking the water off of them. And he keeps asking for "Mo Wa?" (more water).

Ben & Auntie Kristin reliving a flip-flop-bug-squishing incident.

And this is Ben's new play pen. :) He can easily climb out, but he loves running around and smashing into the cushions. The scream is new too. Hilarious.

Munchkin Update

Well, it has been a little while since I have posted an update on Benjamin, so here is a little bit of what is going on with him (Warning: Grandma Level of Info):

• He is now almost 15 months old (Yikes! Where has the time gone!), and about 22lbs.
• He walks, and sort of runs and has recently decided climbing is fun.
• He is a very cautious child, studies everyone, and shys away from everyone at first.
• When asked "where's Ben?" he points to himself and shouts Beh!
• He is deathly afraid of the big stuffed bear my brother gave him when he was born. He cries and runs to me and shakes whenever he sees it. (Tonight at a restaurant, he saw a stuffed elk head and freaked out and we had to hold him with his eyes turned the other way the rest of the night.)
• His vocabulary is increasing all the time, the words we can recognize are: hat, book, bye-bye, hi, dog, bear, ball, hot, "where is it?," "I don't know," "right there!" uh-oh, dada, mama (he has no idea who this is, but he says it :), and a few others I can' think of at the moment.
• He knows the sounds the cow, bear, lion and dragon make... the latter three all sound the same. :)
• He can sign: please, thank you, come, mama, up, down, all done & "oh man!" (hand on his head)
• He loves to wave, and says Hi! & waves to anyone we pass in any store, and just about everyone else.
• He has started throwing real full-blown fits...There is no such thing as a rest in parenting. :)
• He just got his second hair cut. Bye-bye baby!
• He loves hats.
• He knows where his ears, eyes, mouth, tongue, teeth, nose, hair, belly button, fingers and toes are.
• He LOVES to read books, he is constantly putting them on my lap and then signs "please" frantically. He loves to spot things... especially animals.
• He dances (if you can call it that) to music.
• This child LOVES LOVES LOVES balls, all shapes and sizes, from golf balls to exercise balls. I can't tell you how many hours we spend every day spinning soccer balls. At least he brings them back to us. The kid can't get enough!
• He nods yes and shakes his head no... it is so useful!

Sporting his super cool hat made by uncle Ryan.

He found this vest and wouldn't take it off, he loved the dogs.

Note the new hair cut.

A few words for you... note the hair... pre-cut shag.

Not a great video, but I ADORE the sound he makes when signing 'please' and this is the only video I could get. :)

Dancing Man!

I think he was a little over-stimulated... what do you think?

What Does the Tiger Say?

Laughter

There is nothing better.

Yummy...

Love those Christmas treats!

Grandma Fix

Last friday is was 70 degrees here in Asheville, so we spent plenty of time in the sunshine enjoying the amazing (non-Christmasy) weather! I love the little tongue thing. :)

Yes Yes Mama

This nodding is his latest thing, it makes us all laugh.

Laughing at Mom

It is starting a little young for my taste... :)

Where is my Baby???

10-9 First attempts at more than one or two steps

10-13 Practice Makes Perfect!

10-19 No going back now!

The Babbler

All of you who think... or have told me... "oh, what a quiet child you have." YOU ARE WRONG! Here is proof.

Aaaa CHOO!

I LOVE baby sneezes. And I finally caught one on film... I make a big deal out of it when Ben sneezes, my secret goal is to scare/make him laugh out of the sneeze. It has only happened once but I will keep trying!! :)

Like His Daddy

Eating Greens in a Special Treat

It Grows LOONG Ears and Great Big Feet

But It Sure Is An Awful Thing to Eat!

New Tricks

We can't get enough of this little man!

The wave

The nose

The stairs

P.S. No babies were harmed in the making of this video. :) This was his first time ever on the stairs, I just found him half way up. The next time he made it all the way to the top without any problems. Yikes!

Minnesota

Hello dear people. We are here in Minnesota for my grandfather's 80th birthday party and a family reunion. We spent 5 days in Minneapolis/St. Paul and now we are staying at my uncle's house. Here is a video from when we were at the Mall of America... doesn't my dad have such great talent? Hopefully it will hold you over until we get home in a few days.

It is a little hard to tell, but there was a guy playing the hoola-hoop Wii Fit game. So dad was "playing" as well. :)

Fun with Uncle Micah

We miss you already!!! Can't wait to see you in August!