8 Months Old!

I'm such a big boy!!

 Mommy says the kitchen is too small to give me an entire cabinet (like the books say), so she's let me have free reign over this drawer.  I love to sit here and take out the tupperware containers.  I love to sit and take things out of anything.  Great game!!

 AND, just over a week ago, I got a little crazy and started pulling myself up.  The first time, I really surprised Mommy, and pulled up while she wasn't right next to me.  Mommy says she felt like she was running in slow-motion, as I lost my balance and fell and knocked my head on the hardwood floor.  As you can see in this picture, she stays closer now!

 My toy basket is also awesome for both things -- pulling up AND taking things out of it!  So fun!!

Grandma Thiessen came to stay with us this past week because Mommy had ACEP and was so busy.  Mommy forgot to take a picture of me with Grandma, but she did take this one, one night after a busy day, when I fell asleep nursing, and slept through my whole bedtime routine.  Grandma is SO fun.   

 As a bonus, after Grandma went home, Uncle Shannon came to see me!  We took him to the Festival of Scarecrows in Olde Town Arvada.  Then we all went to lunch at our favorite restaurant, Udi's, also in Olde Town.  The waitress brought me a pickle!!  I made a funny face at first, but then I gnawed on the dill pickle for a while!  She said if I was teething it would make my teeth feel better.  So far, no teeth!!  

My First Trip -- To Vermont!

It's been a while, now, but in September we took Ben to Vermont for Sean and Abby's wedding.  Sean is Patrick's best friend from growing up, and he got to be the best man in the wedding.  What a great honor!  (He was ours, too!)  The wedding took place at Sterling Ridge, outside of Jeffersonville.  It was a beautiful wedding, outside looking over this "pond" (We were pretty sure in Kansas you'd call it a lake...), with the canopy that Sean built for Abby.  It turned out to be a pretty blustery day, so we had a quick wedding outside and moved to the main lodge and big tents for the party.

Abby was a beautiful bride.  It was very windy, and her hair never moved!  Patrick had to hold on to the canopy to keep it from toppling over!

 After the rain, there was a beautiful sunset, and a rainbow -- must be a good sign!  We were so lucky to have Grandma and Grandpa Thiessen at the wedding, so we could enjoy dinner and dancing with our old friends!!

 This picture is from just behind our cabin at Sterling Ridge, on the opposite side of the "pond."  (I ran around it, took about 10 minutes per lap...it's a lake, right??)  

 We had a nice, relaxing time at the cabin -- What a great place for a wedding.  Here are Patrick and Ben playing outside.

In the week leading up to the wedding, we stayed in Burlington and played in the area.  What a gorgeous place!  We visited Shelburne Farms -- with the biggest, most beautiful barn I've ever seen (pictured behind the boys).  We had a nice picnic lunch with food from the farm.  We were going to let Ben army-crawl around on a blanket, but a hen kept interrupting our lunch.  We didn't think we could trust her with Ben (or Ben with her!!)

 Ben got to try out Daddy's "dream car" -- this old tractor!

As you can see, Ben thought Shelburne Farms were riveting. 

 We went for a hike at "Red Rocks" by Burlington...it turned out to be an epic fail.  I put sunscreen on Ben's cheeks, which promptly went into his eyes, and we had a very unhappy baby for the entire hike -- so we aborted pretty quickly and headed back to the car!

Right before the sunscreen got REALLY bad!

 A trip to Burlington would not be complete without a tour of the Ben & Jerry's factory!!

All of that being said, the BEST part of the trip (besides seeing Grandma and Grandpa) - was seeing all of our old friends.  We had a surprise baby shower for Natalie (due any day now!).

And had a wonderful time dancing the night away with all of these fabulous friends.  (Thank you Grandma and Grandpa!!)  Love these faces!

What I'm Up to These Days...

First off, Mommy says life is crazy!  She told Daddy she is going to change the name of our blog to "Livin' La Vida Loca!"

But, as I grow more and more, we've settled into a bit of a routine, and I am fairly predictable.  

When we first get up, Mommy makes breakfast and tea or "coffee" (General Foods prepackaged mocha!), and we sit on the back patio with Duke and enjoy the sunshine while Mommy eats.  It's starting to get pretty chilly on these Colorado mornings...Mommy is getting sad these mornings are over.

Usually after that I have some cereal (I prefer rice to oatmeal), with cinnamon (yum!), and then I like to play in my exersaucer.  Especially outside.  I love everything more outside.  

Mommy or Daddy or the babysitter take me for a walk most every morning after my first nap, before it gets too hot.  I can sit facing forward in the jogging stroller now instead of in the carseat adapter (as long as my escort isn't actually running...).  It is so much more fun to go for walks and see the world and watch Duke than it was to stare at Mommy or the sky, facing backwards.  I almost never fall asleep on walks now! 

 ...And most days I have a little Chipotle for lunch...

(Just kidding.  But I can sit up in the high chair...sort of...with a bolster...and Mommy and Daddy watching me...very closely.)

 I'm also eating "solids" now!  Mushy cereal, and all kinds of veggies.  This is my "Bitter Beer" face, that I make whenever I try something new...

...But usually after a few tries at a new food I look like this.  So far I like peas and sweet potatoes the most.  Daddy grew me lots of carrots and butternut squash in the garden, so whether I love them or not, I will be eating LOTS of them! 

 Mommy discovered these cool infant seats integrated into the carts at Wal-Mart!  I love them!  I can sit right up  by Mommy, and see out the whole time.  MUCH better than the carseat, and more stable.  I like to hold new things, especially things that are not baby toys, so every aisle Mommy gives me something new to hold.  Like the avocado, or some english muffins, etc.  

I can also army crawl now!  Just 1 week ago I was sort of tentatively pulling 1 pace or 2 with my arms, and mostly wiggling to get around...  That's how I ended up in the grass here.  But in just 1 week I am a master army crawler.  I can cover half the living room in no time flat.  Mommy says she needs to find a place to put the New Zealand wine in the wine rack...among other things.  This house needs to be Ben-Proofed!  

Love and miss you all!

Benjamin

Thiessen Family Reunion

Just your average family reunion...complete with ropes course.  These Thiessens do not mess around!!

For the past 20 years or so, the families of the children of Henry D. and Tina Thiessen (Grandpa Ben's parents) have met in Colorado every 2 or 3 years for a family reunion.  That was getting a bit far for some of the older siblings, so the cousins got together and planned a Kansas reunion.  They got us all together at Morning Star Ranch, just outside of Florence.  

It had all of the essentials -- plenty of places to sleep, a swimming pool, a big dining room to hang out in -- and a staff that cooked for all of us!  

But when you go where there is a ropes course, you pretty much have to do the ropes course!!

Here is Grandpa Lyle flying through the air with the greatest of ease. 

Mommy made it half-way up the climbing wall...not bad for 5 months post-partum, right?? 

Aunt Lola and Cousin Ellie went across these boards...Super scary.  They are fearless! (Mommy and Daddy were going to do this one together but they ran out of time.  In the end Mommy wasn't too sad.)

Mommy did make it up this big pole, then once you've perched yourself on top, you turn around and jump toward the trapeze.  Only a few of the big men made it to the trapeze.  Mommy did not.  But she was proud she stood up on this crazy thing AND jumped off.  Once she started, all she could think was "What if something happens to me?  What about Ben?!?!"  She is off of death-defying feats for a while.  

Ben made it up in the air ... No, not THAT Ben... Grandpa Ben!!  Not bad for 90 years old, eh?? 

Daddy of course made it all the way up the climbing wall.  Those summers of teaching rock-climbing at camp in Wisconsin pay off in these types of situations. 

Of course, Daddy was one of those big men who got the trapeze!!  So cool! 

I stayed on the ground, safe and sound with Grandma Donna.  We were BOTH happier here.   

Hanging with Aunt Lola.  Cousin Tami even made me a special reunion onesie to go with the grownups' T-shirts! 

 I also had fun hanging with cousins Ellie and Lucy from Grand Junction.  I really wish Lucy would come up here from Colorado College and babysit me some time!  Maybe Ellie will wise up and chose CU!!

I also went swimming for the first time!!  We were glad Grandpa Lyle was wearing this shirt so we wouldn't lose him. 

 Big Ben and Little Ben. :)

 Hanging with Uncle Jono.

The Thiessen Men

What a fun family!

5 Month Photo Shoot

We finally got around to doing a 5-Month Photo Shoot ... I wanted to put up a more colorful background, but I absolutely LOVE this little shark shirt, and only white blankies matched it.  They weren't very big, either, so we had a limited space to do it in.  Ben can't crawl yet, but he can roll and tripod, and usually lunges in crazy directions from the sitting position, so it required some acrobatics on our part!

Serious Ben. 

Drooling Ben. 

 Happy Ben!

Happy Ben!  I love that all of these smiles were for Daddy.  Nobody can make Ben laugh the way Patrick can.  I must admit, I'm a little jealous...and proud all at the same time.  :) 

Happy, drooling Ben! 

A nice shot of his tiny hand and foot -- tripod position.  He should be sitting up before too long. 

And a few of the outtakes:

...And this is why the bouncy seat went in the attic after the photo shoot.  It's worse when he tries to sit up and pitches forward -- so close to taking a header on the hardwoods.  So long, bouncy seat.  You've been amazing.

And this is why I couldn't get any sitting up pictures...he can't crawl, but boy, does he MOVE. 

Aw, Mommy, can't I just lay here and look out the front door?