Benjamin - 1 year!

Hello? Anyone still out there? Things have been pretty quiet around here lately. I'm working on catching up so stay tuned...

One year ago (erm....and some months) this little nugget dropped into our lives and from day one he has kept us on our toes.

Looking back on the highs and lows of this year I find myself feeling nothing but overwhelming gratefulness for the richness Benjamin has added to our lives. The amazing thing about a second child is that while everything is new again you're not quite so scared. You have more confidence and are more mentally prepared for the marathon ahead. This time I was healthier and in less pain and knew that I needed to grab on to every moment and appreciate it as this child would most likely be the last baby for us. 

 The day we left the hospital to head home...

Benjamin has always been a cuddler and I loved that I was strong enough to wear him, at least until he became too much of a chunk!

I think for the first 11 months of this kids life I was probably averaging 4-5 hours of sleep per night. So we took a lot of mommy/baby selfies where I look half asleep...and probably was!

We were so excited to watch Benjamin grow, He didn't have any of the nursing issues that we dealt with Alexander and it felt like he doubled in size every day. 

Although no one would argue that B was pretty attached to me for the first year he sure did have a sweet spot for his daddy. Arthur could get the most amazing giggles out of him.

Benjamin loved to cuddle with daddy too...just as long as he knew I was close by :)

As he grew we started to see glimpses of his personality emerging...his silly side...

And his determination to master things...maybe even before he was physically or developmentally ready...

Benjamin and I kind of became mobile together. As he started to crawl I was healing to the point that I could walk. We spent our days playing or going for walks out of the house.

In his first year he did quite a bit of traveling...Copenhagen at 3 months, the US at 4 months, Italy at 6 months, Prague at 9 months and back to the US around his first birthday.

Mr. Personality in Rome

About to enjoy some Prague pub grub!

It took me some time to adjust to Benjamin's demanding personality. It was so exhausting being the only person that could meet his needs for months. But he reminds me a lot of myself...he knows what he wants, hes particular about it, and impatient. But he is also very determined, stubborn, and independent. I know these traits will serve him well in life...as they have for me :)

Benjamin began pulling up and cruising around 9 months. I remember feeling a little concerned because he was slow to crawl and slow to start pulling up. Little did I know 1 month after pulling up he would start walking at just 10 months!!

In his favorite spot...Momma's lap :)

Benjamin and I enjoyed swimming class together. I was so impressed with his instinct to hold his breath and how much he enjoyed the water.

Last minute Christmas shopping with Mom and Dad.

Every mom thinks their kid is beautiful...but come on...this kid is adorable!

My sweet B...you might have surprised us with your timing but I hope you always know how desperately you were wanted. How I was mourning the possibility of never being able to have another child while you were already growing inside me. What a beautiful and incredible gift you are.

You're spunky, unpredictable, mischievous, stubborn, silly, loving and sometimes too clever for your own good!

Our birthday eve picture has become tradition now. Here we are...our last night with an 11 month old. Two tired but happy parents! Benjamin, we love you more than I can ever express. Happy Birthday sweet boy.

Benjamin - 11 months

Its been a pretty good month for our little B. But 11 months!? No way! No freaking way has it been almost a year since this little guy rocked our world! 

Teeth have been popping out left and right (literally) but you've been sleeping OK. You make it KNOWN when you are uncomfortable or tired or hungry or just plain grumpy. But you also give these AMAZING full-on cuddles that I absolutely love!

Mealtimes have entered another dimension of crazyness lately. You do not wait for food and gripe and yell almost the entire meal if you're not currently stuffing yourself. And you eat...A LOT! More than Xander does for most meals. But you're pretty picky. No eggs. No yogurt. No cheese (are you sure you're my kid!?). And anything new goes through a rigorous taste test that usually involves a few gags before it ever makes it down the hatch. And anything that doesn't pass the test goes straight on the floor while making defiant eye-contact with us!

We're in the early stages of the wanting-to-do-everything-brother-does phase. You follow him around, take all his toys (which to be honest is a 2-way problem), and gleefully grab his hair or clothes if he isn't paying you enough attention.

I imagine this is what he must look like to you most of the time....a 2 year old sized blur!

Now that I can finally walk, we spend every single weekend morning out of the house. With 2 boys with loads of energy it's a matter of survival. A few weekends ago we met some friends at a lovely forest right by the sea. And while we all successfully enjoyed oranges, and sausage, and roasted marshmallows, the ever elusive family picture still evaded us!

Soooooo.....the major news this month is not something I was expecting for a while. YOU ARE WALKING! Out of nowhere one day you were holding onto a kitchen cabinet, turned around to me, and took a few wobbly Frankenstein steps. Every day you walk a little more and you seem totally thrilled by your new skill. I just couldn't believe that I had a 10 month old taking his first steps!

My little B...I'm holding onto this last month of babyhood. Even though I see toddlerhood almost upon us! You are such a strong-willed, brave, active little guy. I love how vocal you are and I can't wait for the day when you can verbalize what you want (if only to cut down on the noise!) I love your focus on learning and mastering new skills. I love that you absolutely DEMAND attention and affection and you have no time to wait. I love this tenacious little personality that I see emerging and I love every minute with you!

Benjamin - 10 months

Happy New Year to our friends and family! I'm going to try my best to get caught up on posts (still haven't done Halloween yet!) But first I need to start with this little guy...he's 10 months old now! Actually, technically he is 10 months and 1 week but ehhh...I'm trying here!

Although we did not travel home for Christmas break it was still a busy month for you. You've gotten pretty good about keeping yourself busy while I am trying to get things done around the house. Here you're just doing a little low weight, hi-rep exercise while I put away clean clothes.

 And here, keeping a close eye on the laundry cycle. Spinning clothes are so fascinating.

But more and more, keeping yourself busy really means getting into EVERYTHING! Especially if its potentially dangerous or makes a huge mess. So more and more I find myself pulling things out of your mouth (what is the obsession with eating toilet paper about!?) and racing you across the room to make it to whatever item you've set your sights on. And man! You can move pretty dang fast!

You're also very eager to help with the morning cooking but I think daddy/chef has all the help he can handle for now!

Sleep. What a rare a precious thing. You struggle my little B. But it's coming along. Slowly but surely you are sleeping through the night more often than not. Although the crazy Norwegian winter storms we've had the past few weeks haven't helped matters. 

Case in point...10pm...Christmas night...not sleeping! UGH!

You took your 3rd international trip this month to Prague. And, just like every international trip we've EVER taken with kids, you decided to pop out a tooth while we were there. So that means, no sleeping, lots of being cranky, and lots of wine for mommy...I mean whining...or do I?

 I'll be doing a whole Prague post later but unfortunately this is one of the few pictures I took of you while there. In a pub no less lol! But it was very cold and so most of the time you were bundled up in your stroller.

Once we got home from Prague we realized we needed to take a last minute mad dash to get a few more Christmas presents for you and Xander. The best part of taking a baby to a toy store is that there are no EPIC meltdowns when we don't end up going home with something totally random. You were a gem and it was fun getting to spend time just the three of us.

Christmas eve we decided to have a little adventure, brave the wind and rain, and go to Stavanger Cathedral for a Christmas Carol service. We stopped by Starbucks on the way in to grab hot chocolate, and let you both eat dinner during the service. You were pretty good and really seemed to enjoy the music...and listening to your voice echo when everyone else was being silent! 

You had your first Christmas and although it was quiet, just the 4 of us, wait....who am I kidding!? Quiet!? No way! More relaxed maybe but you two are never quiet. Anyway, it was really special for us to spend it together and your dad and I enjoyed watching you two play with each other and with your gifts. 

We also celebrated New Years Eve as a family...with a special dinner made by your dad and a toast. Which sadly you did not get to partake in. And by some insane miracle you slept through the local neighborhood firework show...which was pretty loud and intense for a good 45 minutes. I have NO IDEA how a squeaky floor board can wake you but NYE fireworks go off for nearly an hour and you never stirred!

My silly little B...you are such a spitfire. You hold your own and ALWAYS make your voice heard (which is a lot to say when you're competing with a toddler.) You keep us laughing and on our toes and definitely keep me from sleeping but I love you to the moon and back anyway!

Benjamin - 9 months

NINE! Just like that y'all! It has happened so fast!

Unfortunately this has been a month of fevers, runny noses, coughs, bumps, and bruises! You've been sick off and on for almost 3 weeks. It's been hard on you but on me too! You've been reaaaaally clingy and fighting sleep, even though you desperately need it! 

So I can't blame the bumps and bruises on the fevers but I can blame it on this! Pulling up on anything and everything. Especially things that are top heavy, or on wheels, or that are just prone to falling easily. Things that shouldn't be pulled up on include side tables with drinks on them, doors that move, and 2.5 year olds! So you've had a few tumbles, a black eye, and tons of head bonks, but that hasn't deterred you. The countdown to first steps has begun! My money is 1 year or sooner!

You celebrated your first Thanksgiving here in Norway with some fantastic friends. You loved the turkey and dressing the most. You're eating like a champ and growing MUCH too fast! In fact, you're wearing the clothes Xander was wearing LAST WINTER! Ya'll! This is not OK! My 9 month old is wearing 12 - 18 month clothes!!!

Those gloves really do fit! Ha ha! You're just too much of a pro at pulling them off. We've upped the bundle game since it's winter and its pretty cold most days. I think you are just adorable all cozied up!

Tandem cheerio snacking in the morning. This is something we've passed down from when Xander was your age. We'd put a handful of Cheerios on a chair to keep him still and occupied long enough to get breakfast ready. You seem to enjoy it too and I guess monkey see, monkey do!

You make the BEST faces! You totally crack me up all day long with your squinty eyes and wrinkly nosed smile!

I have no idea where you picked it up from but I'm going to snap as many pictures of it as I can before you grow out of it!

My little B. You're such a mess (even Xander calls you a mess now!) You're into everything. You're a little bit ornery already (heaven help us) but you give the best cuddles and slobbery (snotty ewww!) kisses. I love that you pat me on the back while I'm holding you. I love that you look for your brother and that you crawl to you dad now for cuddles too. Happy 9 months sweet boy!