11 Months!

Sorry it's late, but Ben's reached 11 months and I've noticed a calm come over us. We kind of feel accomplished. We've nearly made it a year. We know how he works, what to expect and what his "tells" are. It feels good.

It's hard to even begin to tell you how much he's changed in the past month. He can stand for as long as he wants and he can walk. He doesn't do it on purpose or as a primary form of conveyance. It's always just an accident, only 5 steps at a time and if he thinks about it, he'll fall.

He's also getting very good at sign language. He knows how to tell us that he wants more food and when he's finished eating. It's also cool that he can point to himself when we ask him his name. It's been a really amazing month.

Enjoy the pictures.

2 months shy of a year!

Last week we took Ben to the doctor's office and learned that he's in the 90th percentile for height and 75th for weight. He's tall and skinny. In the past month he's changed so much and become so much fun. But don't take my word for it, read what Ben's aunt, uncle and grandparents have to say. Enjoy the pictures and video. See you next month!

From Daddio--

One of my very favorite memories of Ben over the Easter weekend was when he learning to walk. He would get started walking behind his truck and start smiling from ear to ear. You could tell that he was very pleased with himself. Not every try was perfect, he took some good tumbles but there were no tears. He would just get right back up and try again.

From Uncle Casey--

Where do I begin? Seems like everything this guy does is an exciting learning experience for him and an adorable moment for anyone watching. He's growing so quick. A few highlights are watching him walk (assisted) with his truck for the first time, watching him become the 2nd Lowdermilk to pass out at Easter Mass (awesome), and his Superman pose that he's so proud of but not exactly sure why. The obvious standout for me though was when Brady brought him into the living room to sleep with me for a couple hours because Kristina and him weren't feeling so hot. Although I was unconscious at the time, this nap was it for me. Having Ben rest his head on my shoulder while we both slept with one arm up - perfect. I think he's taking after his uncle!

Lowlight - his 4am cryfest. Like clockwork I tell ya.

From Grammy--

The Superman arm--this is so funny, he does pump his arm in the air with such a deliberate conviction, it definitely means something to him, but it just makes me giggle. Of course, pushing his truck and looking so pleased with himself as he navigates across the living room carpet, making his determined cry of hatchaa, hatchaa, hatchaa. This must be so exciting for him, to be 'on his own'. Seeing Ben sitting proudly in his new red wagon was just adorable, too. He was so curious about all the trimmings, the sippy cup holder, the holes in the bottom where he could watch the sidewalk go by. He held on tight, clapped his hands, squealed and just beamed! It was so fun to watch him.

From Nana--

The suit and the tie. Pushing his little car and walking. Playing with his cousins who all wanted to hold him like he was their teddy bear. Of course, the Superman salute. Enjoying his Grammy and Daddio.

9 Months (or, Longer Out Than In!)

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I know, I know. We're horrible, neglectful and selfish. We should have updated you on Ben's 9th month weeks ago. Please forgive us. Maybe these pictures will help.

Ben's been able to stretch and kick and squirm to his little heart's content for 9 months now. That' means exactly 50% of his life has been spent is incredible confinement and darkness and the other 50% percent has been spent in an overwhelming blur of color and sound and movement. And in the past month he has really taken advantage of those colors, sounds and movements.

He can crawl. He doesn't army crawl anymore and his knees have the chapped skin and bruises to prove it. He doesn't stop moving and is getting pretty quick. Yesterday I stepped into another room to change the laundry and, in a flash, he was at my side trying to pull himself up.

He can eat (mostly) real food. He loves bits of cheese and bread, peaches and kiwis, ground turkey and soft potatoes. The other day at daycare, they let him eat with the 1 year olds. They buckle them into chairs and put them around a table. We were told that Ben was so pleased with himself. It must have looked like a very messy board meeting.

He can stand. For 2 seconds on his own, Ben can stand and slowly let himself down to sit. He would stand longer, but he gets too excited and falls. I really think that he'll be walking in no time.

He can dance. He bounces when Kristina and I dance and yells when we sing. I think he is playing with us. It will be great to see him boogie at a concert soon.

Anyway, enjoy the pictures. Ben is ready for a concert with his great headphones, ready to celebrate March 14 (Pi day), a very messy eater, ready to stash rocks in his poncho, wearing a suit to the red carpet on Oscar Night, and really excited about St. Patrick's day (those aren't tic-tacs in his mouth, they're teeth).

More (prompt) postings later.

8 Months Old

Ben has reached his 8th month birthday. Even though this past month wasn't as exciting as the previous month--Christmas--it was a busy and fun time for Ben.

He's been spending more and more time at the park. Last time, he went on the swing and giggled the whole time. He also really enjoyed going on the slide while one of us held him. I think he really likes having stuff near his level. He can hold onto to different bars and such and stand up. That thrills him the most.

We've had fun taking him to a couple of parties with friends. You can see that Ben looks great in a button down and loves having his hair combed.

He also got a new car seat. It's pretty big--it will last until he's 6--and he looks so tiny in it. But he sits in it like he's the boss of the world. I crack up at how he puts his arms on the arm rests and acts like he's ready for an audience.

We had some rain recently and he got to try out his new rain coat. It kept him very dry at the USC v. Stanford swim meet when he met Mark Spitz. But I think he mostly liked the crinkly noise it made when he tried to eat it.

He's more and more independent--and bold. He loves to army crawl around the apartment; even right into the kitchen to watch us cook. He climbs up me to bring himself to a standing position and then tries to eat my nose. Sometimes I have to flip him up-side-down to get the energy out of him.

The big news for Ben is that he is getting a new room. We are moving this weekend. Our new place will be great for him--much more room to crawl around, no shared walls means no neighbors to wake up with cries. We'll send an email with the new address soon.

Thanks for your continued love and support. More next month.

7 Months!

So Ben has reached his seven month birthday. Well, actually he reached it on the 9th--we're a little late, sorry. It was quite an exciting month for the little guy.

The most noteworthy event in the past month was that Ben celebrated his first Christmas! He enjoyed singing during the posada at Dolores Mission, was a squirmy, aggravated worm during Christmas Eve mass, enjoyed being the center of attention at lunch on Christmas day and then slept on the flight to Denver. The next morning we celebrated Christmas in Denver and Ben was horribly spoiled. It was a great trip highlighted by snuggling with great-grandparents, grandparents, uncles and friends, meeting a children's music rock star, sledding in the snow and riding a (toy) pony!

Ben's menu has increased dramatically. Every weekend Kristina turns the kitchen into a laboratory and steams veggies--sweet potatoes are his favorite--purees fruit--he devours blueberries--and even blends turkey or chicken. We've also added Cheerios and these toasted puff things that he is crazy about. With all that nutrition in him, I know I'm going to find him busting out of his pajamas one morning.

The weeks of pain and aggravation associated with teething came to fruition recently when, in the middle of his lower jaw, Ben's first tooth slowly emerged. Not long after, the first tooth's first mate poked through and he got his Christmas wish--his two front teeth. 2 down, 18 more to go. To help with the pain, we've given him these teething biscuits and frozen mini bagels to gnaw on--both of which make an enormous mess.

A very exciting development is that he can now army crawl. In the past month Ben went from rolling and flopping from side to side to crawling on his elbows in a straight line. When he started, Kristina and I looked at one another and said, "Uh, oh!" We've always thought that once he could move independently, we were in big trouble because he would never stop. And, thus far, we've been proven right. But it's really special to see a big smile of pride on Ben's face when he finally makes it across the carpet to get the toy he wanted.

Enjoy the pictures. We promise he has a ton of hair--it's just so blonde that you can't see it very well. Thanks for the continued love and support. More later.

A Very Merry Un-Birthday to Ben!

We've reached Ben's 6th month half birthday. He's .5 years old! We've had a pretty eventful month. Now Ben can sit up on his own and stand up when he leans against something. It might be hard to tell, but he is growing hair like crazy. He talks and talks by rolling his tongue and blowing through his lips. He even makes farting on my arm and laughs about it--such a boy.

Uncle Casey and his girlfriend Brooke came down to LA for Thanksgiving. We all had a lot of fun playing together. Ben rode in a backpack while we took a walk through a botanical garden. He loved playing in the grass and laughing at his uncle.

Recently we went to a couple of Christmas parties and Ben was a hit with everyone. You can see that a couple of older ladies took a shine to Ben. Later he had a chance to play with 6 month old twins. The three of them had so much fun talking together and comparing fingers. When he tired of the twins Ben and I went to the bounce house. Obviously he isn't quite ready for that action. Maybe next year.

We'll post more in a month. Have a great Christmas and New Year!

5 Months!

Today marks Ben's fifth month with us. This past month has seen some of the most significant developmental jumps yet. He can roll over--and does so all the time. He can find a loose pacifier and bring it back to his mouth. He devours solid food. But most importantly, Ben is sturdier. He is heavier and stronger and likes to rough house to a degree.

Ben celebrated his first Halloween. We couldn't put him in just one costume, so we spread the holiday out over three days. Ben was a 1950s era Mousekateer at his day care parade. The next day he was Jake Blues of The Blues Brothers. On the actual holiday, Ben was my teddy bear. Kristina and I dressed in our PJs and he was our teddy bear. It was pretty cute.

Enjoy the pictures. We watched Sportscenter in our underwear, took head shots in the car seat, and cheered for the Broncos tonight.