10!

Now I'm really starting to feel old. This past month not only marks my birthday, but also Ben's graduation in to double digit status. He's becoming such a big, grown up man! Ok, so he's not potty trained and he still likes to cry and whine when I take hazardous things away from him...but besides that, he's practically an adult. Besides, there are plenty of adults who have moments where it's forgtton that they're potty trained and cry and whine because they don't want to make good choices. But I digress...

Family photo from Easter (thanks Stacey Eaton!) I've got some handsome men on my hands!

So where should I start with the updates this time? This kid has learned a TON of new tricks in the last month. The biggest one I would say would be crawling!! It's crazy how he went from laying on his belly doing nothing productive, to pushing himself backwards or in a circle, and then finally to darting off on all fours in any direction! That's pretty much how it happened, too. I left him to play alone while I made breakfast and when I came back, he had crawled forward for the first time! I bribed him with banana to get him to do it again just to be sure, and he did...just in time for me to snap a quick video:

He's also learned how to pull himself up to standing really well. At first, it would take him forever to get himself all the way up but now, I am constantly finding him balanced against a table or the couch or even my leg to see what's up there. And it's not uncommon to find him standing in his crib waiting for me to come get him after waking up. His new thing is to do everything while standing. That includes eating, diaper changes, and general hanging out. I'm betting he'll be walking before his birthday at this rate. It's pretty adorable to see him growing up so quickly. I'm sure that I'll get sentimental and weepy when he finally does grow up and move out of the house, but right now, I am so excited to see all these developments and milestones happen before my eyes! It'll be nice to have a little helper around the house asking mommy what he can do, too.

Physically, Ben is developing right on track and is having a great time exploring the house in new ways. He's also getting pretty smart upstairs and learning a lot of cool new sounds he can make with his mouth. I am seriously considering teaching him spanish somehow (even though I don't know it myself) because he is a natural at rolling his "R's" and makes that sound whenever he's crawling. I call it his motor mouth :)

Our new games include peek-a-boo, catch the kitty, and Ben's personal favorite, "Destroy All The Things." I've managed to rescue him from digesting countless scraps of paper and tissues, coins, and even a giant piece of broken glass (yikes!). I discovered just how much cleaning is in my future...and let's say it's a lot. Ben's got this great block shot of an arm and has managed to take out a couple cups of coffee I didn't get to in time, as well as the cat food left on the floor. He's really good at cleaning up the dirt with his pants but he's even better at smashing banana into the carpet. My boy's got skills.

Going out for errands always provokes old ladies to hit on him, and he takes it with stride. It's not uncommon for them to hail their friends over to "ooh" and "ahh" over his cute face and messy hair. And his big blue eyes and long eyelashes get him mistaken for a girl, no matter what outfit I have him in. He's a natural with the ladies and gets really excited when there are little girls around. His favorite girls are still mommy and Aunt Val, but that's because we are blessed to see him the most.

Here are some adorable pics of my ridiculous little dude. Until next month, enjoy!

Ben's squinty face!

His hand is the best part. A real cool guy.