Ben's first haircut

I'll post Christmas pictures later, but Ben got his haircut today. Gramps was a barber before he became an educator, so he did the job. It's amazing how different he looks--I'll post a close-up later, too. He sat still for the most part. Enjoy.

all boy

He plays with all his toys, but if he had his druthers, he would simply be content to climb on bubba bear and the stairs all day and search for more electrical outlets and such. The second picture was taken at school. He fell asleep eating snacks. That's funny.

Birthday presents

I'll post more present pictures later, but here are a few. We had a great lunch party today. My mom, Uncle John, Aunt Kris, Timm, our friend Jessica, and the Coster's (Jules' former boss) came over for chili, cupcakes, and presents. Ben got great gifts. Unfortunately, the bag full of new pacifiers took center stage (see last picture). He also enjoyed the many phone calls from faraway family. He's sound asleep now--we flat wore him out.

Ben's Birthday

Here are few pictures of Ben's first Birthday cupcake. As you can see, he wasn't that excited about it, but the crowd sure had a blast watching him eat it. He entertained everyone all afternoon, but he crashed soon after these pictures were taken.

Random pics

Here are a few pictures from the last couple weeks. Ben is almost walking--really, he just likes to climb stairs and play with electrical outlets, cleaning supplies, and anything else hazardous to his health and our mental state. He is absolutely interested in everything. Enjoy.

Early birthday

Grandpa Curt and Grandma Jo came to visit this weekend and brought early birthday presents from family and friends. Granny thought Ben needed a barn to go with his nativity set. Now we have sheep from the Mid-East and the Mid-West.
Ben in his new Fila urban outfit. He's holding a block from a train set he got from Gale and Becky (I think).
These next two pictures show exactly what Ben was most excited about: paper and instructions. Below he's letting us know that we need to buy new batteries . . . lots and lots of new batteries.

Ben climbed our flight of stairs last week. He's not much for climbing down the stairs, but he likes the adventure.
Jules bought Ben a Playskool Little People Nativity set. He's taken a special liking to baby Jesus . . . and the camel.

Happy Halloween

For those of you who remember last year's halloween pictures, we thought we would continue the "pumpkin" theme. Ben wasn't much for the hat, but he liked his costume well enough. Walking while holding onto me is his latest achievement. Life is good. Enjoy the pics.

sleeping and standing

Ben stands now with regularity. He still holds on to furniture (and us), but we know we are just weeks away from walking.

World Series Game 3

Here are some random pics of my incredibly surreal trip to St. Louis for Game 3. My Uncle Jay called on Sunday and said that if I could make it to St. Louis on Tuesday, then I could have a ticket. Thanks to Aunt Kris and a generous Midwest pilot we know at church, I flew down Tuesday morning, walked around the city all day, and went to the game that night. It was great to see Daniel and Joy, too. My cousin's, Daniel, brick is right outside the stadium. The Buck family means a lot to them. Oh, our seats were 18 rows behind homeplate.

Both Julia and I had this toy when we were kids, so we thought Ben should have one, too. He just wants to eat the mallet.
We started swim lessons in September. Jules took this picture after his first lesson. He likes the water, but I feel like a fool singing, "The Wheels on the Bus go round and round" just so he can feel more comfortable.
People think it's rude to compare babies to puppies. Witness evidence A.
Evidence B: He crawled himself dizzy. This restful position usually lasts between 30 and 45 seconds.

Fall up Nort

Sorry for the delay in pictures. Here are a few. Our college friend Darin ran in the Milwaukee marathon last weekend. He ran a great race, and we had a great time showing him new things in Brew City. Darin bought Ben this rockin shirt. It was a hit at Daycare.
Now that Ben can sit up with ease, nap time is a bit of a nightmare. He yanks on the wood slats like he's in prison.
Yes, Ben is playing with detached page of the Bible. We call this picture, "the highlighter Christian." If he doesn't like what Jesus says, he just rips it out.

Labor Day Weekend

We spent Labor Day Weekend in Springfield. The week was packed with parties and family get-togethers: Kathy's 5oth, Julia's Great-Grandma Snodgrass' 90th, and small Wimberley reunion. I'll make sure the other side of the family is well represented in the next blog.
Ben met cousin Marcus--they played in Mema's brand new garden. Below is a picture of how the family tries to distract Ben from the fact that he's hungry and tired. They did a great job.
Aunt Tracy Ava was gracious to let Ben borrow some of Sam's toys. It's amazing how transfixed he is by these little people. He loves putting them in the bus and then taking them out quickly.

9 months

We went to the doctor today for Ben's 9 month check-up. At 21 pounds, it is obvious that he doesn't miss many meals. He's crawling now and starting to lift himself up. It's a lot of fun but certainly more work. The last picture is proof that the boy can flat wear himself out.

8 months old

Just a few random pictures of Benjamin Bear. We took him to the Ozaukee County fair last night to see pigs, cows, horses, rabbits, and roosters. Can't say he was too impressed, so we're headed to the Wisconsin State Fair today so he can have a Cream Puff and some fried cheese curds.

Unlike Nate, we saw a good movie last week. Monster House is worth your time--great animation with an interesting plot line.