Vignettes of Benjamin

Since it has been a while from the last posting about Ben, I thought I would write a few little vignettes about what he has been up to.

So the best story recently, happened Saturday night while we were over at Nee's apartment for dinner. (Now remember that Nee is a 93 year-old Sicilian woman, who does/ says what she wants. She has after all earned the right.) I had Ben laying on the couch and was changing his diaper. Nee was sitting across the room facing the couch and apparently looked over just as I was placing the clean diaper under Ben's little bum. "Look at that fat ass," Nee exclaimed. And just in case we had not heard her the first time, she said it again in response to a question my father-in -law posed. I apologize for the language but in all fairness, that is an exact quote. The whole group of us burst out laughing and Don lamented not catching it on video.

And for all of you wondering if Ben has rolled over yet; the answer is yes. Ben rolled from his back onto his belly on Thursday the 13. We had just come downstairs that morning and I laid Ben on his back on the playmat while I changed Jackie and got her breakfast together. I looked over just in time to see him resting on his side almost all the way over reaching for his pacifier. I started to look for the video camera but couldn't find it and so grabbed my camera instead. I took a few pictures before I realized I really needed to use Don's fancy camera. All the while I was cheering him on to roll the rest of the way over. And when he did, it didn't startle him. Ben was just smiling up at me as proud as he could be. Or at least very excited by my attention which was soon divided with Jackie as she got a little jealous of my praising Ben. And in true Foster fashion, he hasn't rolled over since. Once is all it takes to prove you can do something!

Don and I were discussing dinner options for the week and Don mentioned Carbonara. Ben gave him this great big smile. And so now Don and Ben have a little game of Benny Carbonara. The look on Ben's face is so cute, but it only works for Don. "Do you want a little Carbonara?"

Don likes to spend time in the evenings and weekends finding ways to make Ben smile and laugh. Recently one of the things that really gets Ben going is singing and dancing with Daddy. Don will sing a song (sometimes changing the words to make it about Ben) or hum a tune and hold Ben under the arms moving him to the beat of the music. Sometimes there is a little chest shake or other fancy dance move as well. Ben finds this little game quite funny and he will give his daddy little "huh, huh-s." I will try to catch some of it on video soon before the funny breaks.

Ben's most recent accomplishment is standing by himself. Now don't get too excited, he isn't pulling up yet- just standing. I can place him on his feet next to the trunk and place his hands on top of the trunk and let go. And Ben can hold himself up for quite a while. Now I do have to make sure his little legs are not too far apart and I do lean him just a bit forward (mainly because our balance is still a little off,) but he can stand all by himself.

I will also try to post other cute little Ben stories as they happen, but you know how it is. Sometimes life gets in the way of our intentions.