Baby Benjamin

I had the sincere intent of writing a heartfelt post on Benjamin's second birthday. But that was a week ago. It's been hard to find enough time in a day--especially a birthday--to write on the blog.

However, for the past week I have not ceased to be amazed by my two-year-old little boy. He's all grown up, or so it seems.

I look at three-month-old Rhett in my arms, and it seems as if just a few months ago that was Benjamin. And wasn't it just a few months ago? Just 24 short months?

It seems that 24 months is all it took to turn my little baby into a little man. And I know it's only going to go by more quickly from here.

He made a surprise, but oh-so-welcome, entrance into the world on a beautiful September morning. When the nurses in the delivery room announced that I was "ready to go," suddenly I didn't feel so ready. Tears came to my eyes as I realized that my life was about to change forever. And I wasn't sure I was ready for what was about to happen. Not because I didn't want to be, but because I already loved that baby boy so much that I knew I would have to be better than I was to deserve him.



He has been lighting up our lives ever since.

Seven weeks

Twenty-two months

He loves his dad and his brother, and he loves doing boy things.

Seven months

One year

Nineteen months

Twenty months

Twenty-three months

Two years

Like any little boy, he loves to explore his world. And he's usually not tidy about it.

Thirteen months

Fifteen months

Eighteen months

Twenty-three months

Two years
(Who needs food or dishes for a new kitchen when you've got a tool set and race cars?)

He is so sweet to his mama (with the obvious exception of those Terrible Two moments), and is my best helper.

Four months

Seven months

Ten months

Nineteen months
(This is actually when he stayed with his grandparents for a few days. Don't you love how he's putting real food in the shopping cart? I do.)

Twenty months

Two years

He loves the Cougars! This is obviously something that Paul and I have promoted, but he has run with it like I never expected! He loves to don his Cougar attire and can be heard several times a day cheering, "Rah rah rah rah... Cougars!"

This is his "Cougars Hat" which I made for him in case it was cold at the BYU vs. UW game (it wasn't). He is in love with it! On this particular day he insisted on wearing it while we went grocery shopping, and Paul said he looked like a homeless boy.

We celebrated the big day fairly quietly. With a coupon from Fred Meyer I brought home a free "fancy cupcake." When Paul came home for lunch we stuck two candles in it and let Benjamin practice the big blow-out.

Later we had some friends over to sing and help us eat the cake and ice cream.

He didn't eat any of it. Can you believe it?

So what can I say about this boy after 24 smile-filled, laughter-filled, love-filled months? Not nearly enough. Only that he really does light our lives.

Every single day.