Sunday, June 20, 2010

Benjamin Paul Turns Two!

Dear Benjamin,

(or Ben Ben, BP, Lil B, Biscuits, Ben)...

Today you are two. Last week, when I asked you how old you were going to be, you would say, "TWO" and show me five fingers. Today, you're able to show me only two fingers. That's how quickly you learn. If something just doesn't work or doesn't seem right, you're going to figure it out. You might scream a little on your way, but you're going to get it.

You have grown so much this year! You have learned so many new things, and you are constantly amazing us with your awareness.



One of your favorite pastimes is eating. If I can't find you in your room playing with your toys, it's a safe bet that I'll find you at the pantry saying, "Nack?" Your favorite "Nack" is ice cream. If someone has a bowl of it they're eating, it's not safe around you. But since you'll eat almost anything (except pickles, corn and potatoes it seems), we don't worry about the occasional scoop or twelve of ice cream.



You're pretty fearless of food and like to try different things. I don't know why I'm surprised when you eat a new type of fresh fruit. You have eaten almost every piece of fresh fruit I've given you (you didn't like the guava very much). In Disney World, we would get bowls and bowls of grapes for you to eat. I think that's how you stayed hydrated while we were there!



My favorite thing about you right now is the funny way you say things. Sometimes the things you say sound VERY inappropriate. But sometimes the things you say just sound so cute coming from you. You don't say, "NO" often. But when you do it sounds very Southern and drawl-y, "Naaawwww". I love how you call Grandpa, "Tee TA" and Kristen, "Ki Ki". My favorite thing to hear you say is, "Nee Nee, fpway? (Anthony, play?)"



If I'm going to mention your little "quirks", though, I can't help but mention the screaming. Oh, God, do you SCREAM, Ben. If someone (Anthony) looks at you wrong, or touches something you were even THINKING about touching you scream, "MINE!". It's awful and it's something we've got to try to keep you from doing. You scream if we don't feed you fast enough. You scream if we don't pick you up fast enough. You scream if you feel the least bit slighted. You scream if you're excited. You scream just to hear yourself scream. I feel like I might go deaf!



I adore they way you (mostly) idolize Anthony ("Nee Nee"). You look up to him all the time and want to do just what he's doing. If he's sitting in the chair with the red seat, then you find the other chair with the red seat. If he's laying on the floor, you're right there with him. And you always want to make sure he's got a stuffed animal to snuggle with when y'all are watching TV. You'll even go to his room to get George for him.



Your two favorite "babies" are Leo and Rassie. Leo, of course, is a lion. Rassie is a giraffe. You won't be found without Leo most days, and Rassie is usually not far behind. Those are the two you ask for at nap time and bed time first. And speaking of sleeping, you're a champion at it! 10 hours at night and three hours in the afternoon are normal for you. Keep that up, babe...you need your rest since you're 100% active when you're awake!



I could never have believed that I could love another child as much as I love Anthony. Since you've come into our lives, I'm glad to say that I can. I absolutely can. I love you differently - you're literally my baby, and you will be my last child. You don't love to snuggle, but you're glad to sit on my lap and remind me that both arms need to be securely around you. My heart expanded when you were born, and you've firmly claimed your part of it.



You get excited about seeing your grandparents and go through their names like a litany each morning, hoping that I'm going to say, "Yes. We'll see Nana and Tee TA today." or, "Maw Maw and Paw Paw will be coming over for dinner." If I say no to all of that, you'll poke out your lower lip and think for a minute. Then you'll start all over and see if maybe, just maybe, I made a mistake.



If you're not eating, you're asking to be outside. With the bubbles. And the swing. Or the pool. You love to take wagon and stroller rides. You wave at every person we pass and say, "HI!" You blow kisses to squirrels and birds and follow ants on their journeys down the sidewalk. You love to help water my flowers and check out Daddy's blackberry bush.

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When we go to the grocery store, you love to ride in the "BUGGY!" and we always need to find one with a buckle. You love to buckle things. Your high chair belt, your car seat belt, the belts in the buggies...and if we don't let you, well...it's more of the screaming and the "MINE!" or "Ben-Ben BUCKLE!" You also have very definite ideas on who should be pushing you around in the buggy. And sometimes you change your mind 100 times in a single shopping trip. "Daddy POOSH!" "Mommy POOSH!" You even said, "Ben Ben POOSH" the other day and started pretending like you were pushing the buggy while riding.



You love going upupupupupupup! and downdowndowndowndown...and every bump, hill, or bridge we meet along the way is met with exclamation. "Bump bump! Wheee!" "Oooh, Mommy! Go UPUPUPUPUUUUUUUUP!" "And downdowndowndowndown!" "Mommy, up? UP, MOMMY!"



You have your aunts and uncles wrapped around your little finger, too! Ki Ki gets your honey pot and you laugh your beautiful belly laugh when she pinches your tummy. Mi Mi plays "Monkey Baby" with you and you pretend not to share. You constantly ask "Wha's Marshall? Wha's Matt?" and you've started to ask for Uncle Matt's dog, Tucker, by name. In Disney World, you lit up like the sun when your uncles showed up. And we can't forget "Umpa Mite" (Mi Mi's fiance)! In comes Mi Mi and the first thing you ask her is, "Wha's Umpa Mite?"

Your birthday party yesterday was so much fun! You loved opening the presents and eating the cake and ice cream (mostly the ice cream). You played in the pool and got to have ALL of your grandparents in the house at the same time. Then this morning it was birthday cake for breakfast and a Father's Day celebration with Daddy, Maw Maw, Paw Paw, Ki Ki, Mi Mi and Umpa Mite. What a great weekend this was!














You are an amazing little kid, Ben Ben. You are smart and funny, sweet and coy. You can drive us crazy and then make us laugh the next second. Please don't change too much as you grow up. You can lose the screaming, but not much else. Your personality is so great, and I can't wait to see what TWO has in store!

Love, Mama

1 comment:

groovie mom said...

Ashley is fascinated with buckles too. She has always loved to "strap in" and "unstrap". Give her a baby doll and a seatbelt of any kind and she's occupied for a good hour or so.