still no pictures, sorry.

But Ben had a checkup yesterday. He's stretching. He grew an inch and gained a pound and a half! He's now 34 inches tall and 26.5 lbs. When I look at old pictures of him with his round baby face, I can't believe he's such a big boy now.

I just wanted to put it out there that, in addition to being a professional whiner, Ben is also qualified (and proficient) for other vocations:

• Doorman: Opening, closing, you name it. Not to worry, he's pretty good at avoiding finger-pinching.
• Cabinet Snooping: If there is a cabinet at his level without a lock on it, at any place in the house, he's there. When his mother is especially forgetful about locking, his favorite cabinet contents include nail polish remover, shaving cream, and other extremely dangerous substances.
• Crying, Wailing, Screaming on Command: This usually involves something not going his way, but he's very good at making everyone around him think that the world just might end.
  
• Saying 'NO': Wow, is he good at this. He shakes his head back and forth and can say the word with such force that he sounds like he's been talking for years. The child has a limited vocabulary (mama, dada, a word that starts with s and rhymes with 'hit'), but he is fluent in 'NO'
• Waking Up During the 5am Hour: You need to wake up early? Forget an alarm clock. Ben's your guy.
  

References available upon request.

edited to add: I forgot that he's also really good at Flushing Toilets. Just, you know, in case anyone's looking for an efficient (and compulsive) toilet flusher.