Merry Christmas!

Merry, merry, merry Christmas! We had such a fun day, and Benjamin even slept until seven o'clock, a great Christmas present for Mommy! Our house is now filled with primary colored plastic noise-makers, as Ben made a haul. We ate cinnamon rolls, read Luke Chapter 2, opened gifts, and enjoyed watching Ben discover all of his new goodies. We wish each of you the merriest of Christmases, and always His perfect peace!

Christmas Lunch

An early Christmas lunch with the Burketts and the Bulcrofts. Ben wants to type, here it goes . . . hn n h76gg7ybg. That's "Merry Christmas" in baby-talk.

Tool Bench

We decided to open a couple of Ben's presents a little early this year. Christmas morning will probably be more than a little overwhelming to Benjamin . . . He loves his new tool bench (thank you Big Daddy & Kate). Yesterday I got to open my new digital camera (thank you Jim and Diane), so a little practicing was in order! Very merry!!

Santa's Little Helper

The back of these jammies have embroidered "Santa's Little Helper", as if they weren't cute enough already. Ben stays away from the tree, but occasionally plays with the presents.

 

So Silly!

Silly is as silly does. Benjamin was determined to get me to play with his foot. I guess that's more fun than posing for a picture. Thank you Sarah for the darling Christmas bib. And thank you Jim for the on-going camera loan!

Eight months already!

I just want to slow everything down! Seems like life just goes faster and faster. We're having a ball. Ben continues to crack us up, and seems to understand that he has this power (especially at nap time). Every day I wonder if he'll start crawling, I know it's going to happen any minute now.

Trick or Treat!

In the Burkett house, we kiss this little frog like it's going out of style. And yes, he does indeed turn into a prince after each and every smooch. Remarkable! Benjamin didn't go trick-or-treating this year, as the time change really messed up bedtime, but there's always next year. Happy Halloween!

 

Jumperoo!

Bouncy! Bouncy! Ben loves the Jumperoo, and I love Kim for loaning it to us! This ingenious piece of equipment buys me about twenty minutes every morning. We think crawling is right around the corner, as Ben has figured out how to get into 'crawling position'. Look out!

 

Playing . . .

Greg and I think of Ben's play time as just that, playing. We're constantly reminded that he's learning . . . and playing. The world, and everything in it, goes into Benjamin's hands, and then his mouth. We keep the Clorox wipes nearby! Smiling pictures are hard to come by these days, as the camera is far more interesting than the goofy sounds we're making from behind the camera to coax out a smile. Enjoy!

 

Are we having fun yet?

I promise our walks are more fun than Ben makes them look! Three teeth are on their way, and some days are just kind of tough. A little Motrin can go a long way, and smiles remain the norm!

 

Green beans are GROSS!

Squash is preferable, according to Benjamin. We've tried green beans (home-made, and I promise they taste great) two nights in a row, and Ben screws his face up with every bite. Then shudders!! Can't wait to try peas.

 

Busy Benjamin

Wiggle worm, busy bee . . . That's our baby! He's been working on a very unique sense of humor. Yesterday he giggled uncontrollably over the sound the shampoo bottle made when I squirted shampoo on his head. Each new stage is more fun than the last, how can that be possible?

Six Months

Benjamin is officially twenty four weeks old today! He's getting busier and busier, rolling over and practicing the fine art of sitting up. He now sleeps on his tummy, with his adorable little nose squished into his bumper pads. Moving him wakes him up, so we've learned, finally, to let our sleeping baby sleep.

 

Bouncy Benjamin

Ben borrowed a bouncy seat during his latest trip to Midland, thank heavens! He spent some quality time with the Blue Fish, Red Bird and Yellow Lion. Is there anything better than a happy baby?

 

Twenty Two Weeks

Benjamin loves to play with those toes! He's either munching on his fingers or chewing on his toes. He weighed in at 16-1/2 pounds this week, and two bottom teeth are on their way. Still not sleeping through the night, but all in good time. And time does fly when you're having fun!

 

My favorite new toy

Benjamin loves the exersaucer. Mom loves the chance to cook dinner!

 

Future Red Raider?

Thanks to Steve, Ben has his first piece of Texas Tech gear! We're keeping our fingers crossed that he doesn't become an Aggie . . . .

High times in the high chair!

Shouldn't somebody give me some Cheerios or some Puffs? We put Ben in the high chair tonight. Thankfully I was able to figure out how to operate it without pulling out the manual!

A napper, at last!

Patience is a virtue! We've spent a couple of long weeks trying to accomplish 'the nap'. Success, at last! Benjamin spends his days happily rotating from my arms to his jungle gym, to the Bumbo, to the play mat, to the bouncy seat, to the swing, and last but not least, to the crib. Next on the list . . . night-time sleeping. Wish us luck!

 

Every little thing . . .

. . . goes in the mouth! Clothes, burp cloths, blankets and especially FINGERS! We're just waiting for Ben to discover the next delicacy, his toes. Sleeping through the night continues to be my main goal, and naps are starting to improve. Baby steps, right?

Nap Strike

Lots of little power naps today, resulting in an early bed-time tonight. Sweet Ben continues to resist the long nap . . . That said, he wakes up cheery every morning. His newest trick, laughs and giggles as soon as we put him in the crib for the much-needed naps. It's nearly impossible to tell him "sweet dreams" and walk away!

 

Bumbo!

Ben loves his Bumbo chair! He bobbles around, and gets a great view of the world. He definitely prefers the Bumbo over tummy time. He's been for his four month shots, and weighs 14-1/2 pounds now. We can't believe he's nearly double his birth weight. He's growing up so fast!!

 

15 Weeks

Already giving us "the look"! He's due for four month shots this week, which I dread. Can't believe how quickly the days go by, wish I could slow it down somehow. Ben looks more and more like his dad every day . . .

Smiles, smiles and more smiles!

The world's happiest baby must be Benjamin James (unless he goes without the much needed nap, then he's a crab-apple). He continues to light up our world with sweet baby-talk, enormous grins, and music-to-our-ears, laughter.

Home!!!

We snapped this picture after getting back from the airport on Saturday. Benjamin, savvy traveler, was happy to be home. Greg was happy to have us back home, too! Ben continues to love his carseat, and if we drive far enough, I'm guaranteed a little nap. Three cheers for the Graco carseat!

Ben & Paige!

We took our first big trip to Midland for the 4th of July! Ben and Paige made fast friends . . . Paige held Ben's hand at every opportunity, and Ben blew bubbles accordingly.

3 Months Old!

Here he is, loving every minute of his day (still a crab-apple at night) . . . Our Ben is three months old. The days start early, as six a.m. tends to be his wake-up-hour of choice. I'm still holding out for seven or eight!