Puppy! (someone else's)

This was from a week or two ago...our friends Tim & Tina brought over their puppy, Margot, to help socialize her with little ones. Plus Ben loves dogs.

Hard to tell in this pic, but Ben is smiling at Margot. He had a great time. It was hilarious to watch her run wide circles around Ben, trying to herd him.

Corduroy boy. This toy remote is his latest favorite toy.

Trying to take the monkey for a stroll around the neighborhood.

He has just recently started to like digging through the kitchen cabinets. This splatter shield is constantly in the living room now.

Going through my wallet and purse. He does this a lot.

Last weekend I went to a bridal shower, and the husband & son of the hostess came to our house to keep Mike & Ben company. Here, the groom (our friend Matt) is amused at the boys checking each other out.

Catching the tail-end of a clump of spaghetti as it disappeared. He was walking around the house with noodles hanging out of his mouth...until I took a picture, of course. He's holding a low-sodium saltine - those things taste like cardboard, but he likes them.

We went to a well-baby appointment yesterday with a new pediatrician, a civilian on base. I will not be going back to this person if I can help it. She had horrible bedside manner & was not interested in discussing much with us, unlike all of his other doctors (there's a lot of turnover in the Air Force). As soon as she heard that he is still not speaking, she decided to put in a referral for him to see a speech therapist. Mike & I had no part of this decision. I can't imagine what they can do for a fifteen-month-old; the only kids I know of who saw a speech therapist were at least two. But since we are going through the medical clearance process before we go to Germany, we don't have much choice but to follow through with the referral. I agree with the base nurse who sees Ben regularly - she says that Ben does things when Ben is ready, and when he starts talking we won't be able to shut him up. Anyway, that's my rant.

Just when I was thinking that Ben would be taking both morning & afternoon naps until he graduates from high school, he transitioned to one nap a day. He's been taking a 2-hour nap around noon for the last week. I'm hoping to push the nap until after lunch. For the longest time, we couldn't go to playgroup on base because it was right during his morning nap. But we got to go again last week after many months. I thought he would love all the kids and toys. I was shocked when he froze in one spot, then clung to me. So THIS is what people have been saying would happen eventually! I can't remember the last time he ran to me like that. It didn't take too long before he started playing with some books and toys, and then played alongside some other kids. I'm really glad that we'll be able to go to this group more often now.