Finally!

I've been trying to upload this video for 3 days now, and for some reason Blogger decided today was my lucky day! *Warning* This is pretty much for grandparents, aunts, uncles, or anyone who has interest in seeing Ben walk. I won't be offended if you don't watch it!

He did it!

Benjamin finally started walking! He's been walking 2-3 steps at a time for quite a while now, but just wasn't ready to make the leap. Yesterday morning Joel said, "Benjamin, when I get home from work, we're gonna walk." And sure enough, he did!

He's so excited about finally being able to toddle around. And he's fast! I knew that once he started, he would just go for it. He's practically running, especially if there are other kids' toys involved. If I had realized just how much Benjamin covets his neighbor's possessions, I might have been able to bribe him to walk earlier. This morning he saw some little boys at the beach playing with BIG plastic shovels, decided they were preferable to his puny little shovel, and just swaggered over there like he owned the joint. Of course, I'm not encouraging that behavior. He wasn't allowed to actually take anything. I just think he looked so stinkin' cute walking all over the beach!

I'll try to post a video sometime soon. Yay Benjamin!

June

June has been busy month for us. We've had 7 house guests so far, and more arriving this weekend! In between visitors, Joel has been FINALLY finishing our kitchen. The shelves he built are on the wall, and the tile backsplash is going in this week. I want to install some more open shelving, and paint a chalkboard wall. I'm hoping everything will be finished by next week. It's only taken us 2 years!

Ben has learned how to climb the chairs in our den. Several times we've walked in to find him precariously reaching over to grab our remotes from the top of the piano. The other day he was just sitting on the arm of the chair, watching the news.  He fell last night and cut his lip, but that hasn't stopped him. He's started testing every piece of furniture in the house, seeing if they're short enough for him to climb. Obviously, the baby proofing has to be taken to a new level! Any suggestions about how to minimize the climbing? Can it really be stopped? I'm open to advice!

Here are a few pictures from the past 2 weekends:

Joel, Benjamin, and Joe (Poppy) on the boat. I know it doesn't look like it, but Joel is holding Ben's life jacket so he doesn't fall. 

At the beach this past weekend. After 3 morning in a row at the beach, we've finally created a beach baby. Ben used to cry whenever the water touched him, but now he only cries when we leave!

Our friend Jared was very slow and patient with Benjamin, and spent a lot of time building big piles of sand just so Ben could knock them over!

Ben and Joel. Another big development...Benjamin is actually wearing a hat, and didn't try to rip it off.

14 Months

Actually, I'm a little late with this post, since Benjamin's 14 month birthday was on Friday. And by the way, when are you supposed to stop counting months? There's a popular blogger who writes about her 5 year old daughter by using months. I think she does it just to annoy people. I won't take it that far, but someone stop me when I start talking about month 30, ok?

Anyway, our little dude is just a joy to be around. He loves to be read to...always bringing us books, especially "Brown Bear, Brown Bear." I hate to admit it, but I tried to hide that book once. It didn't work. His new favorite toy is an old, broken laptop computer I dug out of the closet. I got a good half hour of quiet time with that little gem. BEST. IDEA. EVER. He's finally getting used to the water and doesn't cry anymore when we go to the beach. As far as developmental stuff goes...he can say mama, dada, baba (ball and bottle) and our favorite, bebe (pronounced bay-bay) That means Ladybird, or doggie. He says it with the emphasis on the second syllable, and he always shouts it, like be-BE!! I think he can also say banana, but he just says nanana. Speaking of...bananas are still his favorite food. Yesterday he ate three of them and will usually eat two in one sitting. Yuck. I'm not a big fan of bananas, but whatever. Let's see....he will point to his nose, belly-button, and tongue/mouth when asked. If he's in the right mood, he'll even point out his ears. What's missing from this summary? Walking! He walks 2-3 steps at a time, but still hasn't taken off. Every day someone says, "he's going to walk any day now!" I'm too polite to say this, but don't hold your breath. People have been telling me he's going to walk for a full month now. What they don't know is that my boy is stubborn. He knows how to walk, and he also knows it's up to him to decide when to start. I'm not taking any bets just yet! Until the walking starts, he loves riding on his scoot-about, climbing everything, and moving my furniture across the room. He got pretty tall all the sudden, and can reach our kitchen countertops, and the top of the stove. Not good. Not good at ALL. 

I could write so much more, but it would only be interesting to me! He's just a funny, funny, boy. Lots of laughing. Lots of fun. 

A dose of creativity

Just a quick note to let everyone know about a new blog I'm just a leeeetle obsessed with. One day I was perusing one of my favorite design blogs, and came across some pictures of the cutest little playroom. While reading about the owner and designer of the cuteness, I noticed she was from Kansas. Now, usually when someone on a design web site or in a home magazine talks about being from Kansas, they mean Johnson County. As in outside Kansas City. As in...not REAL Kansas. If you can't drive a mile and see a wheat field, then you are not in Kansas my friend. But anyway, I clicked on her blog and was pleasantly surprised to find out she lives in Newton, is a stay at home mom with 5 kids, and a gifted photographer. She's funny and just writes about real life. Be sure to click on the link labeled "Our House."  The author and her husband are renovating an AMAZING older home. Her taste is a little too shabby chic for me, but her creativity is to be admired, and it will definitely inspire you!

http://www.megduerksen.typepad.com/

And now..deep thoughts with Anne

I have so many things I've been wanting to write about, but when I actually sit down and try to form some sort of post, they all seem pretty mundane. I talked to my mom last night and told her that we have a lot going on, only none of it is too exciting! Pool on Monday, play group at the park today, beach on Friday, farmer's market on Saturday. Lot's of emptying the dishwasher, then loading it back up, changing a diaper, feeding a snack, laundry, trying to clean something, cook dinner....I swear, this is why people get pregnant again. Nothing is more exciting than another baby, right:)

I re-read some portions of "Women's Bodies, Women's Wisdom" the other night, and there was a passage where the author describes the phenomena of women in their late 30's desperate to have another baby just so they can delay having to figure out what to do with their lives. I don't feel that way (and I'm not in my late 30's quite yet) but I can understand that type of thinking. Raising a child overtakes your whole life in such a way that you really have to fight to retain a small part of yourself that has nothing to do with being a mother. Fight to have a conversation that doesn't involve sleep habits, or eating habits, or developmental milestones, or the cute things they all do. I have those conversations all the time, and they're fun, but I don't want several years to go by before I realize those are the only discussions I'm having. And then panic because the kid(s) are getting older and are in school, and then think to myself "hey! Another baby would be great, right?"

I don't know...I guess there are some women who really throw themselves into being a mom and really WANT that to completely be their identity.  Oh, don't get me wrong. Benjamin is my job right now. I stay at home with my child, breastfeed, think about him nearly 24/7....but I fully realize that Benjamin is not my property,  He is his own person, with his own thoughts. The older he gets, the more independent he will become, and THAT IS OK. He's not a doll, and he's not a pet. I will set rules in my house, and he will have to follow those rules, but at some point he will become an adult and start making his own decisions completely independent of my input. Once again, THAT IS OK.

I was in line at Target a few months back, and the woman in front of me started a conversation about how they grow up so fast, in school before you know it, leaving home, blah blah blah. And then she said to me, "I don't want ANY of my children to leave home. I just want them to stay here forever. I hope my daughter attends school at UNCW and lives at home." WHAT!!!! That just KILLS me. I keep imagining some sort of "Grey Gardens' type of situation. I wanted to say, "Wow. I feel sorry for you. I hope you find a hobby of some sort." But of course, I just politely nodded and moved on with my purchases. I once had a woman whose daughter lives a couple hours away say to me, "you know, I feel like I don't get to see my children very often, but realizing how far away you are from your parents, I just have to say to myself, it could be much worse, couldn't it?" Um...well, yes. It actually could be MUCH worse. Your daughter could be dead. She could decide to never speak to you again. She could be a soldier and be in Iraq for an extended period of time. Your children could be immigrants who have decided never to return to their home country. She could be in a North Korean labor camp!  I think my parents living a relatively short plane ride away is pretty low on the hardship scale.

So I am clear, I don't think there is ANYTHING wrong with living close to home. Joel and I have thought about moving back many times. Being away from your parents is hard, especially when you have children. But I am so thankful that Joel and I have parents who encouraged to follow our dreams and didn't protest when those dreams included moving far away. They don't make us feel guilty about our choices, and they realize that we are our own family, and our path will be different than their path. I am alway telling Joel, "can you imagine what it will be like when Benjamin leaves us? I'm going to cry and cry." And I will. But I'm so glad I have good examples of how to cope with that transition. 

Hmmm...I started out having nothing to say, and ended up saying a little too much, huh? I'm truly not trying to offend anyone, I promise.  Just wait a few years...you all will have the last laugh when Benjamin is 30 and still living at home, right?

Look at those two crazy kids!

Five years ago today, I was excited to be marrying a man I loved. I had no idea what marriage really meant, or how love would seem like such an inconsequential word several years later. I know Joel will be embarrassed by this post but I don't care. I want everyone to know how amazing my husband is. I'm having a hard time organizing my thoughts in a narrative structure, so there are some cool things about my husband in bullet points.

• Many times, when I am stressed and I snap at him for no good reason, instead of snapping back at me he says, "what's going on? What can I do for you?" That is awesome.
• Joel works hard all day, comes home late most nights (around 7) and immediately puts on his work clothes. Then he takes the dog out, pulls weeds, puts the baby to bed, and works on various projects around the house. He never just comes home and vegs out in front of the computer or tv. His energy amazes me.
• He can figure out how to make or fix anything. Last week I told him I would like him to build a new shelving unit for our kitchen. I walked in his shop to ask a question, and BAM!! There it was. 
• Forgive me on this one, but my man still looks good. I love that he eats healthy and stays busy.
  
• Joel thinks I'm funny. Ok, ok....I guess he's pretty funny too. But the most important thing is that he laughs at my jokes.
• He has infinite patience with me and with Benjamin. He loves us and shows that love everyday by setting aside time for his family, being a good listener, bringing me flowers from the garden, offering to cook dinner every once in a while, and never complaining about my endless demands. He is a thoughtful and kind person, and I'm lucky to have him as a husband. I'm glad we ended up together....finally.

It's been a great five years.