What's new with Ben?

Ben eating split pea soup



Ben taking care of "bucket head"



Ben putting me to bed



Ben going to work with his backpack (like Dad)


Ben is now 21 months old and this is what he is up to...

1. He talks in 3-4 word sentences constantly.
2. He loves his new books--We Have a Baby, Up, Down, and Around, Edwina the Emu, and the Llama Llama books.
3. He often refers to himself as "you" in response to our questions.
4. He loves bubbles, finger painting, using stamps and washable ink pads, and drawing.
5. He loves (and asks for) cuddles, snuggles, nuzzles, and kisses.
6. He is almost too big for his little bike!
7. He was perfectly happy with Josh and our friends who took care of him when I went to a 4 day conference in the Bay area last weekend. He knew I was in San Jose, a hotel, a conference, and with my friend Marnie.
8. He gives Molly lots of love and now even likes her kisses.
9. Ben and Josh have been going on lots of bike rides to the zoo and Old Town Eureka. Ben enjoys these rides even in the wind and rain (when his little face gets soaked.)
10. Instead of "bye-bye," yesterday Ben said "goodbye and good night."
11. Ben loves collecting rocks. He has a bowl of them on his dresser.
12. Ben wants me to read EVERYTHING to him. He wants me to repeatedly read my name tag from the conference and brings it to me and says, "Jodi Smith."
13. He loves to eat carob and any fruit we offer him.
14. He says that his favorite food is pizza--just like his dad.
15. He knows that we have a Volvo and a Subaru and points out our cars and cars that look like ours when we walk around.
16. Ben is very social and gets excited about seeing friends.
17. Ben loves wearing new clothes.
18. He has a memory that amazes us. He wanted to hold a picture of a volcano in a book and I told him that we would make play dough the next day and create a volcano that he could hold. The next morning when I mentioned play dough he said, "Make volcano." So we did.
19. Ben is still interested in my "big belly" and cuddles it daily. He and Josh massage the belly (and baby) every night with lotion.
20. The first time Ben tucked me in (I have been going to bed early lately) he turned on the sound machine, tucked the covers around me, and brought in one of my novels to read (I thought we were going to read one of his stories).
21. He still LOVES family hugs and wants to be a part of any hug and kiss in the house!