I'm 10 years (months) old!

When we took out the sticker to take Bennett's 10 month pictures we were surprised to see if actually said years instead of months!  Oops!  We ran with it.  There will be a day, when he turns 10 and will think its funny...

Smiley boy!

Favorite Toy: Just having been Christmas, he has plenty of toys to choose from these days!  He really likes playing with these little figures from his show "Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood." His favorites to play with are O the Owl and Katerina Kitty Cat.  He also really likes the FisherPrice Gator that Auntie/Uncle CupKatie got him.  

Favorite Activity: Still going strong with the high fives.  Caught some of camera too!  He can also wave to say hello and goodbye.  He also tries to get our attention by "talking" and waving (flapping his arms like he is going to fly away) and then once he does he gives us a huge smile.  Also - doing anything that makes him feel like a big boy (standing while holding onto something, sitting in a highchair at a restaurant, pulling up from a seated position)

Milestones:  Last month he had one tooth.  It seemed like once the first one broke through he immediately got another one!  Now you can see both teeth when he smiles which I think is adorable!  Its hard for me to imagine that some day his mouth will be full of them!

Dislikes: Being held by anyone besides Momma.  Major STRANGER DANGER!  It is even so bad that even Chris can't hold him sometimes.  If he can see me, and I am not holding him, he will scream.  He also has started tantrums where he flings his body backwards.  Usually over something silly - like he wants what I am eating, so doesn't want to go in his carseat.

This smile... kills me!  Can't you hear his high pitch squeal?!

He looks like he just stuck a landing in this one!  Future gymnast?

He loves to look around things.  If you are in his way, he will simply bend over so he can see.  It is really cute.

Waving to me during our photo shoot

Still doing his cheesy smile he learned around Christmas.  

Thats another thing he has learned in the past month of two... 

fake smiling

this is still one of my favorite expressions - when he shrugs his shoulders

High five action!

He is very wiggly now... Harder to keep him still.  Hasn't mastered crawling, but HAS mastered rolling and twisting to get to a new location.  He keeps us on our toes!

My cousin Cody always says that she always thinks the current time in her girls' lives are her favorite... but then it just keeps getting better and better.  

I finally understand.  

It really does keep getting better.  

Bath fun!

Bennett loves sitting on the bathmat in the mornings while I am getting ready.  The main reason for this is because he likes the sound it makes when he hits his hands against the bathtub.  He has even tried to pull up a few times while sitting there.  We decided to try to have him stand for awhile next to the tub before his bath... Turned out pretty cute if I do say so! (but I'm biased!)

This is my new favorite photo

I was sitting by to catch him if he lost his balance.

Cheesy smile!

Christmas in Tucson

It is always great coming home to Tucson.  The only problem is that both our families (Rafacz and Wheeland) live in Tucson.  That alone is not a problem.  The problem is that they live on opposite sides on Tucson... Oro Valley and Vail.

We had to split our time between the two houses and then also at Uncle Brian and Auntie Kim's house.  First stop was staying with Grandma Shirley and Grandpa John.  

We got to Tucson and Bennett wasn't feeling well.  We ended up going to see Grandpa Dale (Wheeland? - not sure how he wants to be differentiated yet) to have him check his ears and listen to his chest.  Double ear infection.  What a wonderful boy he is to travel so easy for feeling so crummy!

The next morning he was feeling MUCH better!  Had fun playing with Grandma Shirley and Grandpa John while this momma got to sleep in!

Lots of fun musical instruments can be found in the kitchen!

Bennett got to hang out in Molly's house

Grandpa john supervising!

He was actually really happy about this.  I told him not to get used to being behind bars!

Grandma Shirley talking sweet to our boy

Molly looking less than amused by Bennett... Bennett didn't seem to mind

Grandpa John set up the train under the Christmas tree for Bennett this year.  

Got some good quality play time before the cousins came over later in the day.

After playing he got a bath in Grandma Shirley's huge bathtub!

Cool hair dude!

Bennett loves him some Uncle Brian! 

...even if he does pull his pants up too look like an Umpa Lumpa!

Santa hats!

Reindeer antlers!

Cuddles!

Couldn't help but take a photo of this moment!

Mr. King attemping to make one of the origami dollars from the book we got Sierra

another Rafacz kid enjoying the train besides Bennett.  

Cody!

Baby's first Christmas at Mimi and Grandpa's

Choo choo!!!

Since we live so far from family in Arizona, we have received a few presents which family members have decided to have shipped to us.  

This was the first that arrived - Bennett's first rideable toy! 

Whoa mom... am I allowed to be on here by myself?  As you can see the animals we interested in his new toy as well!

He is learning to smile when asked...

I think this may have been right before he fell off it for the first time.  (both times he fell off were on my watch - bummer!)  He loves pushing the buttons.  The controls on the top play the songs: BINGO and When you're happy and you know it.  Good thing I know all the words to both songs.  Its pretty cute because it also has a button for a duck, sheep, and dog... and when the music is playing and press one of the animals, the respective animal with quack, bark, or bah along with the song!

I'm 9 months old!

Favorite Toy: He still loves playing with his remote control toy.  He would prefer the remote that controls the TV but he likes anything he can push buttons on and see the cause and effect of his efforts.

Favorite Activity: I bought a bucket from the dollar section at Target with the intentions of putting his bath toys in it... I ended up putting his toys we have downstairs in it and now one of his favorite activities is having the bucket in front of him, taking all of his toys out, one by one, and the playing with the bucket.  This is a great thing to keep him busy for a few minutes while I  get things put away.  Also - he learned how to "high five"!!!

Milestones:

1. Sleeping through the night in his own room.  As many of you have known, Bennett has never been a fan of sleeping, especially if you have to put him down.  He prefers to sleep in your arms.  Over the last few weeks we have been "sleep training."  It sure has been a difficult road but on Thursday night I put him down at 7:00pm and he slept straight - without waking up - until 4:30am!!!  That is the longest amount of uninterrupted sleep either of us (Bennett or me) have gotten since he was born!  Amazing!!! 
2. Getting his first tooth!  Its been a longggg time coming but he finally has a little tooth coming in on the left bottom.  He loves how it feels on his tongue so you can see him always trying to stick his tongue out to feel  it.
3. He moved into the "Older Infant" classroom at school.  It is much more structured.  Morning snack at 8:15am, Lunch at 11:00am, Nap Time at 12:00pm.  I was very worried on how he would do since he is not used to this kind of thing at all.  First week has been a transition but he is doing great.  Accomplishments this past week: eating real pears and bananas (given real food to try during snack time), sippy cups during the day filled with water.

Dislikes: Still dislikes the carseat.  But is getting better.  He somehow always manages to fall asleep during the 5 minute drive home from school.

This one looks like he is trying to be a serious model... pose and all

I melt when he looks at me.  How did I get this lucky?!

So proud of himself!

This is one of my favorites!

The dogs are always so confused when we take these photos!

Cause its Christmas!

(these should have been our Christmas card!)

Santa Hat Bennett!

Curled toes!

Squealing with glee... can't you hear it through the photo?