ROOOar

How much for that baby in the window?

While I still wouldn't officially say Ben has said his first, unmistakable, definite, no-question-about-it word, his newest verbalization is pretty awesome: he "roars" when we roar, when the cats meow, and when he just plain feels like it. It's pretty awesome (see video below).

Ben has also has a new hankering for sitting on our laps for an extended period to be read to (repeatedly). After we finish reading a book, he will frantically make the sign for "more," and after the book has been read a second time, he will demand a third. I flatly refuse to re-read any book more than three times in a row, so after a bit of a fuss he'll go choose a different book and we'll repeat the procedure. It's very endearing and wonderful.... except that I've had a sore throat for a week and re-re-reading has become closer to "croaking" after a while. Perhaps that's why he's "roaring"...

Speaking of signing, Ben uses the "more" sign hundreds of times a day, in many different situations. That one sign has been an amazing way to communicate with him and keep him from screaming needlessly. He also does the signs for "milk" and "eat" and I think he was trying to do "music" the other day. The other weekend, we had an exciting moment when Ben was fussing and Clay signed "what" (what do you want), and without any prompting from us, Ben signed "eat". We were so excited I ran to the kitchen and fed him cheese (he new favorite food) right there on the couch.

Why, YES, that is guacamole (note the tomato chunk on his eyebrow)

In other Ben news, a little over a week ago he had a check-up with his pulmonologist. Everything looks good, breathing-wise. It looks so good, in fact, that in a few months we may be able to stop taking the daily inhaler altogether (which would be extra good because the new meds he just got on is $70 a month!)

The doctor even cleared him to occasionally go back to the day care at the gym (hurray for an hour or two of Me-time). Since cold season is about to start up, the doctor wants to see how Ben's body will react to getting a cold, now that he's been on strengthening-medications all summer.

my two handsome boys

@zoo: Ben's new (no more running away from Mama) harness/baby leash... that he hates

Ben and pal, Grady. asleep on the way home from Ikea

first taste of no-pasta spaghetti (spaghetti squash)

enjoying some of his birthday toys

and sometimes bags are more fun than toys

loves his birthday scoot

Ben's first computer art (on Clay's Kindle)