Nine Months

Ben is nine months old today! He seems to be going through a developmental explosion. In the last week or so he's started waving at every opportunity. Tonight he was waving at me while I was occupied with some other task, so he yelled until he got my attention and I waved back. He is also spouting lots more gibberish that sometimes sounds like words to parents eager to hear them. He is also walking behind his little push toy, though not on his own yet. He now has two bottom teeth and one top tooth with another one on the way. His favorite toys include bottle caps and the rubber-like coasters we attempt to keep on the coffee table. He loves chicken, cheese, and basically any food that moves from our plate to his. He has an incredible eye for detail as he is now able to pick up the tiniest specks of dirt or paper on the floor and subseqently put them in his mouth. He is incredily stealthy (and quick!) about all this. It is possible that he may have consumed a dog treat (like a little girl I know who shall remain nameless...), though I can neither confirm nor deny this.

We are feeling better about the daycare situation. He really seems to enjoy playing with the other kids. Last week one of the teachers (actually the teacher that we like the least and who is the least effusive in her Ben-love) told Harold that Ben is everyone's favorite. I realize they probably say that to all parents, but I have chosen to believe that they don't and that Ben in fact IS everyone's favorite.

We go to the doctor tomorrow for Ben's official numbers. I am sure he will top out on the scales as he has in previous months.

Here is a nice picture of Ben with Senator Kennedy...

...and Elizabeth Edwards (this really wasn't done on purpose).

Last of all, here is a personal greeting from Ben himself.

The Wave

Ben has mastered the art of the wave. Sometimes he waves with both arms, like he's just completed a magic trick. Ta da!

The Boys

This past weekend Ben and I ventured over to Durham for a playdate with my friend Bekki and her 5-month old son Beckett.

The boys weren't quite sure what to make of each other at first.

Ben especially wasn't sure what to make of Beckett's head full of hair.

But once Ben was satisfied that Beckett's hair was in fact real, they were able to get down to the business of playing.

Of course the business of playing doesn't last long for 5- and 8-month olds (especially not after allowing their Moms to have a relatively lengthy, fuss-free lunch at Satisfactions), so it was soon naptime for both boys.

I am sure there will be many more Beckett & Ben playdates in the future, despite the increasingly vast distance between Durham and Raleigh.

Ben Goes to Washington

Here are some very belated pictures from our trip to DC in July. Harold and Ben took a little tour of the city while I was in a meeting and Harold only recently showed me these pictures from his phone.

I love how he artfully parked the stroller with the various landmarks in the background. It kind of reminds me of the pictures of the garden gnome that travels around the world in "Amelie" (not that I think Ben looks like a garden gnome).



Ben was clearly overstimulated by the whole process.

Daycare Update

So we've found a daycare. Due to an unforeseen illness (that's a whole other post) Ben's first day wasn't until last Friday. It went fairly well, though it was quite a bit more difficult to leave him in an institutional setting versus someone's home. The teachers said that he did very well, though he refused to drink a bottle until the afternoon. And true to his nature, he played until he fell asleep in the middle of a circle of blocks that they refer to as the "pool."

Today was his second day, and I think it was a little harder on him. Apparently he kept crawling over to the door and trying to bang his head against it. At some point he was successful, because he ended up with a bruise on his forehead. How heartbreaking is that??? He was trying to bust his way out of daycare. Maybe he felt he belonged with the older kids or maybe he was looking for Mom because the doorway was the last place he remembered seeing me.

It likely won't be a permanent situation, but we're at least going to try to make it through this week.