2 and a half

Last month we got some 2.5 year pictures taken of Bennett with our favorite photographer at JC Penny's in Temecula (not favorite photographer ever ... just favorite at Penny's, really, she is such a sweetheart! I love to see and catch up with her each time we go!)

Anyways ... I was looking at Bennett's 2 year picture at my neighbors house and realized how different he looked and well, I look rather different too, so we took some pictures to document this phase in life our life.

19 months today!

At the doctors yesterday Bennett was 33 1/2 inches tall (75th percentile) and 27 1/2 pounds (70th percentile). His head is 20 inches and we just bought him a size 7 shoe this last week at Stride Rite. He's currently wearing size 24 months clothes and pants when he's wearing cloth diapers but if he's wearing disposables we can still get away with 18 month pants.

His vocabulary currently includes: Mama (mom) , Da-E (daddy), app (apple), nack (snack), yeah, no, thanks, wha (water), bat (bath), hi, bye, Uh- oh, nurse (only said to mom of course), nana (banana), this and that. (There are probably more, but that's all I can think of right now)

Bennett still loves anything to do with being outside but some of his favorite things to do right now are dancing and clapping to music, trying on people's shoes and trying to walk in them, playing with pretend food / playing in kid sized kitchen, running, sword fighting, looking at books and anything to do with cars! Play cars on a race track, driving his cozy cope around the house or driving with his toy steering wheel but most of all he LOVES sitting in a real car where he can play with the steering wheel and put his seat belt on! (Trust me, there is no temper tantrum like a temper tantrum when we have to take him out of a real car! The boy looses his mind!)

Speaking of, yes, the boy has started temper tantrums. We are working on ending them but he's figuring out that he has opinions and that he is able to convey them to us. We just need him to quickly figure out that they will not be tolerated in our home! :)

His favorite movie as of yet is the original, old school, Disney version of the Jungle Book. He loves it! He marches with the Elephants and dance with the animals! It's very cute! He watches Veggie Tales a little bit but looses interest quickly.

As far as eating goes he pretty much eats everything we give him. The only thing he has totally spit out has been cooked spinach, however he did eat it when i dipped it in his spaghetti sauce first. His current favorites are: Beans and Rice, Cucumbers, Broccoli, Kefir and Veggie Straws (which had to be banished from our home due to the previously mentioned temper tantrums - they may make a come back some day, but probably not for another month or so)

Bennett is a joy and so much fun to be around! He's funny and has personality coming out his ears! 

16 months

Bennett is 16 months old!

(One year and 4 months in normal language)

Bennett is loving life. 

He is into everything and loves to explore anything he can get his hands onto!

He's eating a huge amount of food! It seems like he eats all day long. As soon as breakfast is over he's ready for a snack! Orrrr ... if he sees anyone else eating something that looks interesting to him, he is suddenly famished and must try a bite of whatever it is he sees (not that he always gets a bite, but he sure does try!)

Bennett currently has 14 teeth and it working on two more right now! I might lose my mind before they all come in, but we are hoping these last two will be it for a LONG time!

Bennett has mastered walking and is now really enjoying running! When he gets excited to see someone or if he wants you to run after him, he makes this little squeal and them his little legs just get moving so fast and he takes off! It's adorable!

As has been the case for at least the last 6 months, Bennett continues to love music. He loves to listen to it, he loves to dance to it, and he loves to make music anyway he can!  He has started to sit with his "guitar" and sing! (I have a video of him and Adam sitting together with their guitars singing but Adam says he sounds bad in it - I think it's adorable!)

Bennett isn't talking a ton, but he's communicating! We got baby signs for a gift, we were totally on board to start it, and well... I failed. So basically the kid is on his own, in the world of kids who are all signing to their parents. He just has to point and say "Nah nah nah" enough times until we figure out what it is that he wants. But we usually get it in the first couple tries :)  (90% of the time he just wants us to hand him his cup on the counter or he's asking for a banana, he asks for banana's constantly!) 

I don't really know a whole lot about toddler strength and all but I think our son is super strong! He can pull himself up on to things that are at his shoulder height! It's rather amazing to Adam and I the things that he has been able to climb up on! He defiantly can get his foot above his shoulder and then push off - He may be getting rock climbing gear for his 2nd birthday!

All these pictures so far were taken one month ago on May 22nd (15 months) - this is what our 16 month  old looks like today with his freshly cut hair

He looks sooooo much older to me! I'm still not sure if I'm happy with the cut, it may be a long time until he gets another one! He needs to stop growing now!

Earth Day at the Elwer's

It takes a lot out of a man to save the earth!

Bennett is 14 months today! He needs to slow down - it is going way too fast!

And here's "Planty" too! 

She is growing very well and we are excited to see the new fruit of her growth! 

Our Boy is 13 months today...

 ... so it's about time for those one year pictures to finally hit the blog!

Yes, those are the same blocks from this:

So, as you all know our boy is now...

...and we think that he is just about the cutest thing around. Here's a little update on all that he is up to now.

At his one year check up Bennett weighed 24 pounds (the 69th percentile) and was 31 1/2 inches (67th percentile).

As of right now Bennett's favorite things to do involve making noise (aka: playing music). He has his own piano, guitar, banjo, kazoo, 3 xylophones, harmonica, castanets and a tambourine. And that's not counting any of Adam's instruments that Bennett thinks are his.

Bennett has been doing really well at communicating. His words include: Mama, Dada (sometimes Diddy), Yes, Yeah, This and That. He has said No only a couple times but usually he touches something and looks at us and says "Yes?" It's pretty cute. Other forms of communicating include the sign for "more", he uses it while eating and while playing (when he doesn't want to stop what he is doing he will sign "more" ... yet again another way to avoid saying the word 'no'  - funny huh?) Bennett has also recently (in the last week or so) mastered the art of pointing. He can direct us (as well as guests) as to exactly what it is he would like for them to get for him! (Uncle Brian and Auntie Lee-Lee know this one all too well)

Bennett has been exploring lots of new foods lately too! He absolutely LOVES the red beans and rice I made last week. He also has a new love for banana and pear! Some other new foods include steal cut oats, raw zuccini, raw broccoli, white potatoes and ginger cookies. He still loves his rice cakes (seriously, he would eat them for every meal and snack if I let him)! He also is enjoying some old favorites from his "puree" days now just steamed and cut into cubes like butternut squash and yams. He is an awesome eater!

Last but not least, Bennett is officially a walker! These first two videos were a few weeks ago when he was just starting out (don't feel bad if you laugh, I do every time!)


This last video was taken this afternoon as Adam and I were moving the furniture in Bennett's room around. I noticed just how much better he is doing at walking and pulled my camera out so you all could see just how well he's doing!


Happy 13 months Bennett boy!

Where's My Baby?

Who is this 11 month old man?

10 month pictures

So I figured that since my son turned 11 months yesterday (sniff, sniff) it was about time to scan his 10 month pictures!

My little Cruiser!

Doesn't he just look like the life of the party? Such a little ham!

Cute little stander!

Look at this perfect little gentleman!

And then last but not least ... the picture you will find in your new picture frames you buy:

I just LOVE this last picture!

9 Month Update

Bennett is just about 9 1/2 months old now, but I finally scanned his pictures, so now I can update! :) His basic 9 month stats are:

22 lbs, 12 oz and 29 1/2 inches tall

...but let me tell you more about this sweet little man!

He loves to walk! He he hasn't ventured out on his own yet but he turns anything he can into a walker. He uses things such as kitchen chairs, his high chair, laundry baskets and even the tubs we had our Christmas decorations in... basically if he can push it, he uses it as a walker!

Bennett has also become very, very vocal in the last month. He talks and talks and talks. Sometimes to his books, sometimes to his toy and sometimes my mom and dad's dog Tony but more often then not to Adam or I. So far his "words" include: "Dada" Mama" and "Hi" (Hi is almost always accompanied by waving, it's adorable!)
Bennett loves to eat! His favorite thing to eat is puffed brown rice, the boy would eat it all day long if I let him. But he's also really enjoying tofu and he has just started on eggs. He loves yams and green beans and does not seem to be a big fan of spinach (but we still try to get it down him every other day or so). As of yesterday Bennett has 6 teeth!
Bennett's favorite toys right now are (as always) his air-tivity thing we got from the Curry's but he is also really into the Nativity scene his Grammy got him for Thanksgiving and his walker Deanna got him as well as his books! This boy loves books! His favorite seems to be Good Night Moon (as he has almost totally destroyed it) but a very close second is the Jungle book Maggie Underwood gave him at my baby shower.
Bennett loves music. He dances (aka rocks back and forth) when ever there is any music. If Adam or I sing to him he makes the cutest sounds that are so light and faint we can only assume he is trying to sing too because his normal voice is much louder and fuller than his "singing voice". Bennett's latest musical trick is standing at the edge of the piano and pushing the keys with one hand and then with the other hand banging on the d'jimbe. He also LOVES Adam's banjo! He will strum that thing for 10 minutes straight - no joke! I think the music lessons will need to start soon!
Oh and FYI, the bear in these pictures is the bear I received when I was 6 months old on my first Christmas, her name is Sarah Bear-ah.
Bennett is growing like crazy! As you might have gathered from his stats at the beginning we have a big boy! He's wearing 12 - 18 month clothes (depending on the brand/store) and is wearing a size 3 shoe, but we expect him to move to a 4 rather soon.
Bennett is such a sweet boy and we love his so much! He's a smart cookie and we know he is going to keep us on our toes, but I wouldn't have it any other way, we need to be on our toes! :)

( I love this picture! )

Bennett Update

Our big man is now 23 lbs and 28 1/2 inches tall!

He's wearing a size 3 shoe but will very quickly be in a 4 and is wearing almost exclusively 12 months clothes.

Here's his 8 month pictures, enjoy the cuteness

Standing

Crawling

This month we decided to get some father-son pictures ... I am so glad we did!