It's hard to believe it's been a whole year since Ben arrived! Here's a little look back at his first day and a comparison with who he is today!
Thursday, October 9, 2008
Happy Birthday, Ben!!
Saturday, October 4, 2008
Goodbye, Froggie...
Well, I finally went and did it. Today, we lost Ben's beloved Froggie at Old Time Saturday AS WE WERE LEAVING! I feel horrible about it. He didn't seem to notice or care, but I sure did. I went back to look while he cooled out in the car with Aunt Angie. It seems Froggie had to have just been picked up by some kid or something. I've even put a lost and found ad in the Banner and the News-Sentinel!
He's had a really big day with very little napping, and as I write is having trouble winding down and falling asleep, which is unusual lately. I can't help but think, "What if I had Froggie that I could take to him?" I would never have thought about doing that if Froggie was still in the toybox, but of course, now that's what I wonder....
These pictures were made in May. I'm not even sure if I've cut 'em up and given any away yet! They are a fitting tribute to Froggie. Maybe we'll see him again someday, but I'm not holding my breath.

Thursday, October 2, 2008
We LOVE the Fall!
Today Ben and I got outside and played. He walked around, a lot, and played with rocks. The 2 rocks he picked you'll see throughout the pictures. He refused to let them go, and they are now sitting on my desk! Rather than comment on each picture, I'll just let them speak for themselves. We played in the front yard at first, on the walk and at the porch, and then moved to the side and sat on a rock. He had fun, and I think we both loved the weather. Hooray for long sleeves!





P.S. Ben has obviously gotten over his aversion to grass!
Boat Ridin'
Last week we got some fixin' done to our truck and took Abby and Aunt Angie to Rutledge while we waited. Abby had never been on a boat before, so Pop-pop and Nan-nan took us all for a boat ride! Here's some pics...
That day, he was all about looking at the water and pointing.
The Gibbons Reunion
In September was the yearly Gibbons family reunion. Ben went last year, too, but he was still in his cocoon (Mama's belly) then. This year he met some new people, and didn't seem to meet any strangers.
(Sadly, I don't recall her name either!)
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
Just a quickie
Ben was very insistent today that he would feed himself his lunch, even the mashed potatoes.
Saturday, September 6, 2008
Wow! It's been a while...
So, I've been pretty preoccupied with Ben, and making his breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks, and trying (often unsuccessfully) to keep things cleaned up after us. (It's a lot harder now that he doesn't eat baby food!) I think I have a little "foodie" on my hands. There's virtually nothing he turns down! Previously, he didn't like grapes, but those are back on the menu. He's added, among other things, green and black olives, guacamole, and green peppers. He's up to 8 teeth, all 4 front top and bottom. Ben is also growing fast! He's already fitting well in a size 18 months!
Ben is trying so hard to walk. He does really well if he's holding on to something or someone, and can even walk if you hold his hand (but just one, he won't let you hold both). He's taken off across the den a couple times, and can sometimes make it kinda far before he stumbles or sits down. He's so funny. He runs with his arms up over his head. I have a little bit of video of it, it's just a matter of being able to import it and upload it, etc. Ben doesn't like it very much when I sit at the computer for too long. We also found out he's a pretty good drummer! When I get it all worked out, there will be some video of a few different things posted.
Now we are coming up on his first birthday! It's just under 5 weeks away. This has been the fastest year of my life. Some other things he's been working on mastering before he turns one are certain words. He has several that start with "b" and are sometimes hard to distinguish from each other. He has a newfound fondness for boats, and so when he talks about 'em is very excited and says "BO!" He also loves his ball ("bawl"), and I think we have a little southerner (as if he'd be anything else) on our hands. He sometimes sneaks in "bu" for book, "boo" for Pooh, and another "buh" sounding word, with a point upward, for bird. He's getting very good with "Tigger" and "Kitty" and thinks all dogs are "Sadie." He says this remarkably well. He recently started trying to say "Buffy" because I keep trying to tell him that all dogs aren't Sadie. He has more, but i could go on and on and on.... you get my point.
The following are pictures since the last post. I've tried, and think I got it, in chronological order.
"What do you mean I'm special?"
August 24, 2008
(yes, I slacked with my camera for quite a while)
can see both their faces! Imagine that!
August 29, 2008
August 30, 2008
September 1, 2008

