The last month seemed like perhaps the fastest yet since Ben has blessed our lives. While lots of the major baby milestones are passed, it seems like Ben changes more, and at a more rapid pace all the time. As many predicted, his babbling has turned into more words and he is using the correct words for objects more often. He greets me with Mama in the mornings regularly and we even got a couple "Anna's" last week as he saw her coming down the stairs. I've slowed my hurry and am trying to enjoy each new recognition or word as they come. Ryan claims Ben said, "ba ball wit DaDa," while I was gone. Now ball and dada are regular words and he was playing ball with DaDa, but whether there was a "wit" in there remains in question:). He tries harder to mimic more sounds that we say and they sound closer to the actual words than before. Ben certainly understands more requests each day and remains fiercely independent, fearless, and out-going.
Being outside and reading books are still his two favorite activities and balls entertain him for lots of the day. He now has 5 or 6 different sized and colored balls and I think he has room to love many more. I find myself knowingly standing alot as any open lap is quickly filled with Ben and a book. I lovingly refer to him as the "Lap Monster." Eric Carle's Grouchy Ladybug, Pancakes Pancakes and Very Busy Spider are still the favorites along with Goodnight Moon, My Very Own Name and a little board book about a quacking duck. We ALL wish Ben would let us read any of the MANY other books in his collection, but for now he likes what he knows and knows what he likes.
In regards to the above titled, a couple things we've done right, are two of Ben's favorite things that I know will serve him well, long into the future: vacuuming and laundry. He has long helped put the laundry into the washer and from the washer to the dryer, but while I was gone he took his skills one step further. After dousing himself with his own water, MeeMee dried Ben's pants in the dryer and later brought them to him and handed them to him. She watched him get distracted and drop them. A short time later when she finally went to put his pants back on once and for all they could not be found:(. After a lengthy search they were discovered back in the dryer-door closed :).
Ben shares my first love of the vacuum. Love is the only proper word here as he kisses her (Tante named MeeMee's Hoover, Hoovina) whenever he sees her and oohs and aaahs at her much the same way he does Jelly. There is also a complete and utter earth-shattering, life-ending break down anytime you fire up Hoovina and then stop. At least one solid hour of vacuuming is necessary to avoid the breakdown so I mostly try to avoid turning her on when Ben is around. He loves her the same, plugged in or not:). So, I think we're off to an OK start.......fearless, ball-loving, rough and tumble chap who loves to vacuum and do laundry???
Sounds like the perfect on-line dating profile to me.
