Snow!

We've really had way too much of it these last few weeks. Snow, that is. After the first big snowfall I bundled Benjamin in his snow suit and took him outside. He protested the whole way then seemed to almost enjoy sitting in the middle of the white stuff -- but not enough to want to move from where I set him down.

When the sun came out today I introduced him to icicles. He held a little one in his bare hand for almost a minute before I realized that it just might be cold and took it away from him.

My little snow baby and I have had fun -- especially because we usually get to stay warm and dry at home -- but we are certainly looking forward to Spring.

The Best Seat

I was getting ready for the day but my little guy was done playing with his toys and wanted to be close. So, he crawled over and found the best seat in the bathroom -- my feet.

Introductions

Scotty, meet Benjamin. Benjamin, meet Scotty.

More adventures sure to follow.

Stairs

Benjamin has discovered the stairs and LOVES to climb them. The baby gate is ordered and on its way but in the meantime we have to improvise. He, on the other hand, is quickly learning how to outwit our improvisations. Crazy baby!

Baby's First Christmas

We had such a fun Christmas with our little guy! Everyone told me he would be more interested in the wrapping paper and boxes than the toys but he actually preferred to play with his toys. His favorite of the day was a little dog he can push around the floor.

He got to see Santa twice this season. The first time he wasn't so sure about the strange man with a beard and let out a delayed cry about ten seconds after I put him on Santa's lap. The second time around he did much better.

Here he is with Uncle Roland as Santa.

Benjamin even gave us two gifts for Christmas. 1) As an early gift he started crawling all over the house on December 23rd. 2) Then on Christmas Day we discovered his first tooth erupting through the gums (that gift was especially for Dave).

We hope you had a wonderful Christmas too!

Just for Jill

Poor Aunt Jill lives very far away and we MISS her terribly. She thinks I've posted too many pictures lately of the back of Benjamin's head. Maybe I have. So, just for Jill, here's my baby's cute face.

 

P.S.  How do you get the pictures to rotate in blogger? I'm at a loss...

Benjamin's New Trick

He's not crawling yet but he can do this funny pose. My crazy boy.

GET ME OUT OF HERE!

Nothing can contain him these days. Crazy baby.

Time to Babyproof

Month of Gratitude, Episode 4

Day 16: I am grateful for my mother.
I ran across a few good quotes about mothers that reminded me how thankful I am for my mother as well as my mother-in-law.  I hope and pray that I can be as good of a mother as they both have been to me and Dave.

"Adversity is a part of my life and your life and your children's lives. But we are not left alone to contend with, pass through, or overcome these trials. We are not alone...we have help. Powerful help. Consistent help. Constant help. One of the primary answers to adversity is that God blesses us with mothers to teach, love, and nurture us through the difficult experiences of our lives on earth. God enlists mothers to help His children learn about Him and to rely on Him in mortality. In this, they are ministering angels to us....

"Mothers help us understand why we must pass through such painful and traumatic experiences. They remind us in whom we can trust. They tell us in whom we can place our confidence. They ask us to draw upon previous experiences. Mothers ready us for adversity. Mothers also ready us for the answers to adversity. They often direct our attention heavenward. They ask us to have faith. They join us in mighty prayer to overcome the enemies and opponents that try to defeat us and cause us to doubt that God is watching us....

"Mothers remember single battles and lifelong battles. They give us their undivided attention when we need it most. Mothers notice our scars, both visible and invisible.

"Mothers prepare us to answer adversity's call and face the trials of life. They prepare our souls to receive answers and to open our hearts to gain a broader perspective when we lose our way and forget who we are. Mothers are there to cheer us on and to pray for our safe return"  (excerpts from I Sit All Amazed, by Steve Mikita).