9 months old

I apologize - for anyone who's been pining for couch shots: those are for the most part a thing of my past. I'll get one when Benjamin turns 1. I should have enough help around to a) remind me and b) keep him from leaping off the couch before I can get the photo taken. So ... this will have to be sufficient as a 9 month snapshot.

As of his doctor's visit on July 7th, Benjamin is 23lbs, 10oz (85%), 28.5inches long (55%) with a noggin 47cm in circumference. Benjamin puts nearly everything in his mouth these days. We've had to put up all Jasper's little trucks and just throw out some small toy accessories because while Jasper had a small mouth, Benjamin has a bigger one. We found a hay bale from a tractor set in Benjamin's mouth and decided it was not worth keeping versus having him choke on it. Benjamin is not really making great strides on the consonant sounds these days. He's not ripping up the charts, (but neither was Jasper at this stage and we've already contemplated if we're going to need to try to pay him to keep quiet). Benjamin does make "dada" and "mama" sounds, but that's about it.

Benjamin likes standing at this window (or chewing the cable cord underneath it). The window sill is the perfect height for little ones to perch upon. (Jasper is napping during this photo op with daddy, otherwise he'd be right next to Benjamin.)

After gazing outside for some undetermined length of time, Benjamin has now caught sight of daddy's cool camera and wants to come in for a closer look.

Looks can be deceiving, and this romper is baggy - but Benjamin is a chunk. His limb creases remain, he has canckles and he just seems to get heavier every day. He doesn't wear shoes yet because a) he doesn't have to, b) he's not wearing socks - the main reason for which i think babies should even wear shoes (boys, that is ... girls have much cuter options that accessorize their outfits) and c) it's too hot in Texas. If the vast majority of the adult population is wearing flip flops which just barely pass as foot apparel, then i certainly don't think babies need shoes. But that being said, I've tried getting his feet into shoes which should fit him length-wise only to not be able to shove them in because his feet are too big - too puffy. It's hard to describe because most people don't have this problem. but his feet are too tall, like from the bottom of the sole to the top of the foot. Anyway, he's big ... Texas-size, if you will.