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.

Fifteen Months

Our munchkin is growing up. Here he is at fifteen months. He loves having things on his head - bandanas, blankets, towels, and other things (I'll get to that later).

Speaking of blankets...this morning he grabbed these things from around the living room, made a pile, walked away, then came back & rolled around.

Ben in a box. He tried to crawl all the way inside. This is a fabric bin that we keep small toys in. He has been known to walk around the house with this on his head...which is fine, except that he can't see and ends up walking into walls. Doesn't seem to bother him, though.

Okay, I really didn't plan to have this many pictures of things on Ben's head. Hope this is a stage. This fabric bag usually holds sponge blocks that Mike likes to shower down on Ben's head while Ben blinks and giggles.

Studying a pecan. He has really been enjoying the spring weather. It will be hot before we know it. Ugh. Oh, and those pecans...he carries them from the back yard to the front yard.

Last week Mike took Ben to the lake on base to check out the birds. He didn't get any photos of the birds because as soon as Ben saw them he ran after them (and Mike ran after him). But before the birds, there were pinecones.

I love this picture & have no idea how Mike did it with an outstretched arm.

VCR Operator

This must be from a few weeks ago. Yes, we still own a VCR. Benjamin has figured out which buttons to push to play, stop, and eject the tapes. He pushes all the other buttons because he can. He hasn't tried to shove anything into the VCR...yet.

Dueling Keyboards

This is from last month & I just keep forgetting to post it. Sometimes he really likes lots of sounds at once. Today, he wanted to watch Blue's Clues while his electronic light & sound machine was on full blast. But he's teething something awful this week (at least four teeth that we know of) and I'll do whatever I can to keep him from being miserable...poor little guy.

Mr. Monkey

Last week I decided that, at some point, I was going to be out somewhere walking with Ben and he was going to try to get away from me. So I found this monkey, which is like a stuffed animal backpack with a tether. Basically a leash for a toddler. I haven't tried to use it yet, but Ben loves the monkey...especially when Daddy's involved.

Gilmore Girls

This is how Ben reacts every time he hears the opening credits to Gilmore Girls, one of my favorite TV shows (and one that I watched a lot while I was pregnant). In this video, he keeps looking back at Mike as if to say, Are you seeing this? We have just these couple minutes recorded on our DVR for when he is freaking out and we need him to snap out of it. Works most times. As soon as the music is over, he loses interest.

Backyard Fun

Catching up on photos from last weekend...this was after the rain, before the snow. Ben was very interested in the soaked leaves.

He is really good at squatting and standing up again. It's not so easy to stand up from a sitting position.

One of the two snowfalls last Sunday...it melted in between.

We had to roll his pantlegs up so he didn't trip on them.

Finding out that the tree doesn't change when it snows. Mike never did put on a coat.

All bundled up.

He put his hat strap in his mouth by himself (it wasn't the first time).

Running around the grill with Mike. This was early in the week, when it was still cold enough for hats & jackets. It has warmed up a lot in the last few days. Ben has spent time each day in the backyard picking up pecans. Unfortunately I don't have pics of that yet because someone (let's say a little person who's trying to grow a mullet) ran off with the camera and hid it before his nap.

He dragged the broom from the kitchen all the way across the living room. And yet the living room is still not clean. Ben is in a stage where he takes things apart, removes things from their homes, and throws things on the floor. I have a terrible feeling that this stage may last for a decade or two.

Lovin' on a throw pillow. He ran down the hall with it and then rolled around on the floor.