Ben in the Finger Lakes

We went up to New York last week for a full family vacation. . . The bug got immense amounts of attention, which made him blissfully happy -- but better yet, he relentlessly followed his cousins Thomas and Juliette around for a full week, and they were nice enough to actually let him.

Orange

A picture of the Bug in a new outfit his grandmother bought him. . . we now know that orange is clearly his color. . . (And yes, we seem to have a theme of baby pictures with his mouth wide open. Apparently he's a happy kid.)

Bug Pool Party

Ben had a fantastic time playing in the water for his first birthday party (which was really just an excuse for us to have all our friends over to swim and eat yummy bbq. . . ) Here he is swimming with his grandfather and aunt, and playing more patty cake with his grandmother.

France, Part I

For the first part of our glorious vacation, we were in St. Tropez. The Bug got to live outdoors for a week, which made him pretty happy. It made his parents pretty happy too. . .





























. . . the Bug also helped celebrate his grandfather's birthday on the Fourth of July. . .

. . .and he discovered these fabulous French cookies that kept him entertained for hours on end and made him so content that he even fell asleep eating one.

Separation

I was away last week for my cousin's wedding and I left The Bug home. I think it was harder on me than it was on Ben. Not only did he get extra special Dad time, but he got lots of grandma time.

Second Baseball Game

Here's Ben and his Grandma B. at his second baseball game. You remember the first, right? The baby was hot, tired, and yet remarkably well-behaved. (And the Nats, unfortunately, lost.)

Happy Father's Day!

Three generations. . .

Happy Birthday to Grandpa

Benjamin Bug and his Grandpa B. on Grandpa's birthday.

Grandparent Photos

Grandma Beeson and the Bug

The Bug with his Grandfather Fox

Update for the Grandparents

We had our 8 month doctor's checkup this past weekend (can you believe he's already 8 months?) and the current stats are:

Head: 44 cm
Weight: 18.03 lbs
Length: 29.25 inches

I know I am woefully behind on photos . . .I am hoping they'll get up this week.

Family Member of the Month

It's a hard award for which to choose a recipient. The baby is always cute. Steve is always doing the dishes, getting up in the night when the baby cries, and doing all the laundry. We have lots of grandparents who babysit regularly. . . But the reward this month really just has to go to Sherman.

Sherman is the 16-year-old cat who puts up with the baby, even as he inches forward, ever closer, ever nearer, with jaws open wide. . .

Grandparents Update

We had Ben's six-month check up today. He weighs 15 pounds 11 ounces, is 27 inches long, and has a 42.5 cm head. (Why height is in inches and head circumference is in centimeters I can't possibly explain. . . )

The Bug Hits the Slopes

We just got back from a week in France. . . so there are many, many firsts to record.

1) He flew on a really long flight (Ok, so he's been on a plane before, but an hour and a half compared to 8 hours is nothing.)

2) It was his first time in Europe. (Which, as Dad pointed out, is interesting in a generational trends sort of way. My grandfather went to Europe for the first time when he was 42. My dad was 14. I was 2. The Bug was six months.)

3) It was his first time in snow. Frankly, he didn't really seem to notice it much. Even when we did things like sit him down in it and try to make him slide down the hill. He was, apparently, too busy thinking about how good he looked in his new snow suits.

4)This isn't really a "first" but he has started to associate all long, skinny containers with bottles -- thus he did a lot of grabbing for champagne flutes while there.

5) He turned six months old!

Ambah

As many of you know, Ben's grandmother Amber -- or "Ambah" as she wanted him to call her -- died on January 9. She described 2007 as one of the best years she'd ever had, so I am very thankful that she got to meet Ben, even though I wish wish wish she could have had more time with him.

Here are photos of Amber with Ben in the hospital in August, and at Steve's and my wedding in May.

She was beautiful, graceful, and elegant. May her memory be a blessing.

More Thanksgiving Photos

The Bug with Grandma Beeson.








The Bug with Uncle Doug.














The baby zonked out on triptophane-filled milk in his super-duper pack 'n' play.

First Thanksgiving!

All dressed up for Thanksgiving. . . cute outfit courtesy of his Great-Uncle Steven. Look! His hair is kind of staying down. I am embarrassed to say that this is partly because I actually spit on my fingers and smoothed it down for the occasion. Apparently, I am officially a Mom.

More Cousin Photos

This is another one from Iowa -- Ben with his first cousin twice removed, Ted. (That makes Ted my mom's first cousin if you're counting. . . )

In Iowa I obsessively mapped the lineage every time I introduced Ben to someone: "This is your second cousin, this is your great uncle, this is your third cousin twice removed. . . " Well, I can't tell you how many removed Ben is from his cousin Assaf shown here, because we've never quite been able to figure it out. My grandmother Lenore was related to his grandmother Genya, I believe through my grandmother's father Joseph. Joseph came to the U.S., and Genya's family moved to Israel. Regardless, Assaf came to visit us from Tel Aviv last night since he was in New York on business. And, again, I say, it makes me feel very warm and fuzzy that Ben has so much family all over the world. . .

Update for the Grandparents

(Being an entry on information that very few people are going to care about except immediate family)

Ben went to the doctor today. He is 24.75 inches long. He weighs 14 pounds and 2 ounces. He received 2 evil evil shots into his legs. All is well!

Four Generations #2

At last, here is the second four-generation photo from our Iowa trip. In chronological order: Ednabelle Smith, Patricia Smith Melton, Karen Fox, Benjamin Beeson.

Four Generations

In chronological order: Torges Halsne, Luana Beeson, Steve Beeson, and Benjamin Beeson (wearing a bee onesie -- get it?)

Ben Meets His Second Cousins

From the left: Regan (Steve's cousin Kent's daughter), Ava and Lauren (Steve's cousin Susan's daughters), and Ben.
It makes me feel very warm and fuzzy that Ben already has all this family.

First Airplane Ride!

Ben on his father's lap, with my Mom watching, on the Bug's first plane ride. We went to Iowa last weekend so he could meet his great-grandmother (my grandmother) and his great-grandfather (Steve's grandfather) who live 45 minutes away from each other in central Iowa. Ben was amazingly good on the plane both going out and coming back, which kind of made up for the fact that -- after having his sleep schedule totally disrupted by the trip -- he cried inconsolably for hours and hours the night before we left for home. But, I have to say, he's even cute when he screams. . .

Columbus Day Picnic

Auntie Jen shows Chalkley off at a picnic. . . (It's the most au courant accessory. Everybody's wearing one these days.)

Like Father, Like Son

How endearing is this? They even bend their arm underneath them the same way. (This is slightly better than the other "like father, like son" trick they have of burping at the same time. Though actually, I have to say, that's kind of endearing too. . . )

Ben wide awake in the morning . . .

. . . with his mom, who's not.