Just thinking today

I spend a lot of time thinking about what Benjy means to me, but today, as he was snuggling in to me for a cuddle during our bedtime routine, I got to thinking about what I mean to him. He comes to me to be soothed and calmed - when he is tired or not feeling well, he flops into me or sprawls over me, or just snuggles in for a hug. He thinks I'm the funniest person in the word, along with his daddy - he has little 'in' jokes with me - as he does with several others now - and finds wordless, or with minimal words, ways of getting me to do things - sounds, actions, games, all sorts, to make him laugh so hard he doubles over. If he ever hurts himself, even if it's just a slight bump, he 'brings' whichever part of the body over to me to kiss it. I particularly love it when he hurts his bottom, usually after a fall, and reverses to me with his bottom sticking out ready for me to kiss. He loves me - holds my hand while he is eating, and out of nowhere, will cuddle me and say 'I love you'. He looks to me for answers to everything - any question he has, I should know the answer - and I realise that this is just how I feel about my parents, even now and despite all logic. He fully expects me to understand everything he says, and while I understand almost everything and certainly an enormous amount more than anyone else, I feel a little guilty when there's a word I don't get, and he is patiently repeating it trying to help me understand. Really, I am to him what my mum is to me, but he still has that wonderful innocence with it - that he really thinks I can do everything, know everything, understand everything. Long may it continue; but I know - and rightly so - that it won't last forever that I am his whole world as much as he is mine. So I remind myself to treasure every moment of this wonderful, innocent little boy's babyhood and toddlerhood. My delicious little Benjy-chops.

Twinkle toes

Our little ABBA fan... here's Benjy at 20 months in full on dancing mode. And one from his younger days - I think he was about 9 months old, and already swinging those hips...

'I love you'

For a week now I have been teaching Benjy to say I love you. He's pretty good at copying, and when he cuddles me, if I then say 'What do we say now?' he'll say it. But this morning, out of nowhere - we hadn't even been practising 'I love you' today - he gave me a kiss, then another, then said 'I love you'. Amazing. My heart is still melting.

Hedgehogs

New approach - am going to blog little and often.

I think I mentioned in an earlier post how funny it can be hearing Benjy try to say a new word. We sing a song called 'A hedgehog is very prickly'. We sang it yesterday, and he wanted to say 'prickly'. It took quite a few goes, before he settled on 'plicky'. And he had to concentrate really hard to get it right. Cute little thing.

Craig and Amy's wedding

A couple of photos from Craig and Amy's wedding (Feb 2010).

Florida, Dec 2009-Jan 2010

Some photos from our trip to Florida with the Rivlins. Benjy had the best time, having a group of willing servants around him. He would stand in the middle of the room, shout out the name of whoever he wanted, knowing that everyone would come running! Straight away, he was happy with everyone, we could leave him without any worries - so nice for Joel and Ann to to be able to instantly see the Benjy we see every day, and not have to wait for him to warm up to them, as he often has to do with strangers.

'Where's Benjy' and other favourites

So, what is Benjy up to? At the moment - next week (at the time of writing) he will be 20 months - he is just grasping words that are more than one syllable. Up until now he has managed, quite impressively, at making longer words monosyllabic ('plar' = caterpillar, and also umbrella and propellar; 'mint' = minute, 'stup' = stand up). Now, out of nowhere, we hear 'bagel', 'money', 'morning', 'welly' and many others, more every day. It sounds strange - I suddenly hear a properly pronounced word and look around me, wondering where it came from. Although, it does take a long time to say a word of more than two syllables - the first one is very drawn out as he seems to prepare himself for the next! And being more confident with words, he is also more confident in playing with them. 'No' can be a very forceful 'no', a mocking 'no', a definitive 'nope', a jokey, high-pitched 'no', or an elongated, don't-be-silly-Mummy, 'noooooo'.

Pretend play is still a joy to watch, and shows so much about the associations he makes as he goes about his day. He asks for one of his teddies to be put in his cot, his giraffe for example - then lays it down, hands it his dummy, puts his cot music on and says 'sshhhhh' - the giraffe is now asleep. Recently, this pretend sleeping - both Benjy's and his toys - is followed a few seconds later by an emphatic 'awake!', and a jump up to sitting or standing. And he's caring as ever - storytime for Benjy has always been on our knees, so now storytime involves him on our knees, and Pooh, Piglet, Eeyore and Benji Bear on his.

'Where's Benjy' seems to have been a firm favourite for so long now that I'm surprised I hadn't mentioned it in my last blog posting. Some photos are attached. He gets very involved - we can ask, out loud, if he's in the kitchen, say, and he'll respond with a quick 'no'. We can even get him to go and check. Hiding in the wardrobe is a favourite spot, as is hiding behind his hands pretty much anywhere.

Interesting too to see how he copies what we do. When he can't find something, it'll be two hands out, palms raised, and a quizzical 'gone', and then he'll look around, determined to find the missing object, but really only looking within a 10cm diameter of his feet. Very cute to see him walking round in circles looking for something while really only looking at his feet. And we realise how regularly we must make mock excitement sounds - intake of breath and astonished gasp - as he'll pick up a toy and do the exact same thing, as if to say, 'wow, look what I found!', for even the most mundane thing. Not sure I can really explain this well - perhaps that's one that needs to be witnessed rather than explained.

Benjy at 19 months

How is it that it has been two months since I last posted? I try to make a note of all the little things that I want to remember as time goes along so that I can recall them when it comes to updating the blog, but there are so many that inevitably, I won't remember them all. Which really defeats the purpose of having this blog. Must try harder. Must try to make more time in the day. Must just get round to the things that are important to me. Although, if not updating the blog during my evenings means spending more time doing things that allow me to spend more of my day with Benjy - well, really, that's the point.

Benjy - also known as Benjy-chops, Munchkin-chops, Mr Gorgeous, Benjy-pupsicle, and a host of other things which aim, unsuccessfully I think, to capture his utter deliciousness, is just the most amazing little boy. Still - and it has been every day for 18 months now - I think that surely this is as good as it can possibly get. He is just so funny, so kind, so lovely, so soft and squidgy, so affectionate, I just can't get enough of him. And he loves me so much too - often, he will be in his highchair having breakfast, or in his cot playing while I sit with him, and he just asks to hold my hand, then takes it and just sits, holding my hand, just like that. And sometimes, he will stop whatever he is doing to kiss me, or cuddle me, then go back to his games. Doesn't get much better than that, does it?

Photos are from our trip to Florida with the Rivlins.