Dear Ben #3 Volume 2

Dearest Nugget,

Here will begin volume 2 of Benjamin's Blog Life.  One year down and to infinity and beyond to go!  I did let you watch your first movie last week, Toy Story 3, and you only watched for a couple of minutes before returning to playing.  This was a positive sign for me that I've done at least one thing right over the last year.  

You reminded me with a baby boy shower yesterday that although you have technically entered toddler-hood, you are very much a baby in some ways.  In the toddling department you are starting to cruise a bit and pulling yourself up a bit more often.  You love doing laps in the family room with the elephant walker your dad and I got you for your birthday.  

You still prefer veggies over meat and spinach and cheese over most anything else which also makes me happy.  I tried to give you leeks this week with your carrots and you didn't care for them.  I will have to get creative in the winter months as I've been spoiling you with fresh peach and mango puree most days.  Speaking of food, our breakfast and lunch dates are getting more fun by the day as I imagine what you babble back at me must mean in your little head.  Nothing warms my heart more than when we eat dinner as a family and I look very forward to that becoming a more regular occurrence in the coming year. 

As we closed Year 1, you had been to 9 states, tackled 10 plane flights, ridden a gondola, and gambled in Vegas-sshhh!  All that in one year makes your Dad and me so excited for the next chapter in our adventure.  You begin year 2 with 10 teeth, a Jellycat collection from a-d, and so many pictures from year 1 that our 1 terabyte hard drive may soon be filled. I am looking very forward to the crisp days of fall with long walks and adventures, to the prospect that you might actually care a little bit about Christmas, and to teaching you alllllllll about college basketball this season.

Thank you for being the joy you are in my life!

Until next time.......

With love,

Your Mama