A Journey to Love

I finally got around to snapping a couple pictures of my pregnant belly. I'll try to be more diligent as the weeks progress and I grow even bigger...gulp.

Do other moms go into their children's rooms after they've fallen asleep, simply to stare at them as they dream? I do this every night with Benjamin, usually to make sure that he is properly covered and still breathing, but sometimes simply to marvel at this perfect little boy that I get to call my own. I watch his round little tummy steadily rise and fall as he breathes and I thank God for a healthy child. I brush his blond tendrils of hair off of his forehead and hope that he never loses his daddy's curls. I stroke his soft cheek and touch the tip of his nose, thrilled that he and I share this prominent facial feature. I watch Benjamin and think to myself, "Can a person really be this lucky?" Like I said, these thoughts run through my head every night as I check on him before I go to bed myself. But you want to know when the absolute best nights are? The nights that Nathan is right there beside me, thinking the same exact thoughts. That is perfec...

Here is our little Peanut #2 at 12 weeks gestation: Already sucking his thumb, just like his big brother! And here is a 3-D image of him today, at 20 weeks gestation: It's kind of hard to tell here, but the general consensus is that he, like Benjamin, has my nose! So far, the first half of my pregnancy has been great. No morning sickness, just really tired and hungry most of the time! The baby is growing and developing just like he should be and our excitement is growing right along with him. Next step? Get Benjamin's big boy room finished so his little brother can move into the nursery when he arrives! Oh, and choosing a name wouldn't be a bad idea either...

If I had to pick a character for Benjamin to be in love with, I guess Thomas-the-Train would be high on the list. I would much rather prefer the hard working little blue engine than the fighting superheros, such as Spider-Super-Bat-(fill in the blank)-Man that seems to be so popular with little boys right now. Yes, the movies are quite bland for my taste, but Benjamin just can't get enough of them. However, when I've had my fill of them (which is rather quickly), I insist that we switch up the movies a bit and insert a little Elmo's World or Baby Einstein into the mix. Afterall, a mom can only take so many British-accented children's songs about trains and rail roads. Sometimes a little classical music is in order, or at least a cute, fuzzy puppet giggling about Big Bird and Cookie Monster! :) Anyway , because Benjamin is infatuated with the spunky blue train and all his friends (his actual favorites are Percy and Henry) Nathan and I took him up to Santa Cruz yesterd...

Emily Post would be so proud of Benjamin. Nathan and I firmly believe that children need to always be polite and respectful so when he was just mere months old we started teaching him those two crucial words: Please and Thank you (I guess that's actually three words.) It started (and continues) with modeling. His smiles would elicit an excited "Thank you!" from us beaming parents. We would kindly (or sometimes through gritted teeth) ask him if he would please stop crying so we could all get some sleep. When he would sign for some cheerios, I would say to him, "Cereal please?" After I gave it to him, I'd say "Thank you, Mommy." Pretty soon he was signing the words back and a short while later actually saying them when prompted. However, now we don't even have to prompt him (most of the time). When he asks for something he tacks on "Pease." He responds with a sweet "Thank-oo". It melts my heart when I do something for him...

We celebrated Benjamin's birthday with friends and family at Avila Beach today. Once the fog burned off, it turned into a beautiful day and Benjamin couldn't have been happier. He loves people and he loves the outdoors, so it was the perfect combination. Now that he's two, he's ready to hit the surf...so he thinks! But after realizing how cold the water is, he decided to stick with the sand instead. Of course, snacking is always a good activity. As is playing with cousins. Love that Miranda family! Gracie is one of Ben's best friends! Papa Jack, Uncle Doug, and Uncle James Three generations Our precious family Happy Birthday Benjamin! We love you!