Your Birthday Party!

Saturday, March 3, 2012
It took six months in the making, but your Birthday was a hit!  I was surpirsed at how many guests arrived to celebrate you!  There were at least 30 people here.  The house was decorated in Dr Seuss and the food was named after Dr. Seuss foods.  We had Green Eggs, Ham, and Who Roast Beast.  We had Yots in a Pot, Hop on Pop Soda Pop, Assorted Greens and Other Things and a Big Katroo Birthday Cake! 

You had on a little Dr. Seuss Cat and the Hat onesie for the first half of the party. Then after you ate your birthday cake, we changed you into you Thing 1 onesie.   It was necessary.  You got cake and icing all over you. 

After cake and ice cream, we all gathered around for presents.  I read a few pages to you from Dr. Seuss' book, "Happy Birthday to You!" and then we started opening gifts.  You got so many clothes, toys and gift cards.  You were playing with your new toys with Roman and Claire before we were even done opening gifts! 

Your birthday party was amazing.  The "Thank You" cards have been sent (with your little face on them), the leftover cake has been thrown out, and the toys are still everywhere!  So many people love you.  We love you, Little Buddy!

Mommy

PS:  A few more highlights from your day...

I love this picture! 

Daddy lovin'!

Claire

You and Roman

Jessica, Mason, and Morgan

One Year Old!

Dear Bentley,

Today you turned ONE YEAR OLD!

I know you know this by now, but this has been the best year of our lives!  Every day with you has been the greatest days your father and I have ever lived! 

We had a great day with you!  It was a big day for a Little Buddy! 

We woke you up and got you ready for your photoshoot we had booked.  We spent all day yesterday picking out little outfits for you to wear.  I'm very proud of our selections.  You couldn't have been any cuter!!



The balloon wreath I made for your birthday party!

Your First taste of SUGAR!!

We also got you a cupcake to eat, as you can see!  This is your very first taste of sugar.  We have you on a very healthy diet.  Needless to say you LOVED the icing.  When we were done with the photoshoot we picked you up to clean you off.  As soon as we started to clean the icing off your fingers, which you were still currently eating, you started to cry.  You didn't want us to take away your yummy dessert!!  It took us awhile to get all the blue off of you. 

What a year, what a year....
I have been dreading this day.  I have been sad knowing you were going to no longer be "so many months" old.  Knowing that once you completed this milestone all the others were just going to fly by even faster.  My little bitty baby is growing up so fast!  But once this day arrived, I was okay.  I still have so much to look forward to!  You will be talking soon.  Saying words together, then making broken sentences, and eventually talking and having conversations with us.  We will start counting and learning letters, eating bigger bites...which reminds me...you still don't have any teeth!  So there is another milestone we still have ahead of us!  I am just happy to be your mom.  I love that you are my little One Year Old now.  And no matter how old you are, you will always be my baby!!

I love you, Buddy!

Mommy

Walker, The Little Buddy

Dear Bentley,

On January 28, 2012, you turned 11 months old.  And you were walking.

You walked all over the house.  From the kitchen to the living room, from the couch to the dining room, from the bathroom to the laundry room, and places in between.  Taking between 10 to 20 steps at a time. 

You are awesome!!!

You are the sweetest, happiest, smartest and cutest baby I have ever known.  I love you, Little Buddy!

Love,
Mommy

Crawling was SO last year...

Bentley,

So as of today you are taking about 9 steps at a time!  These last two days you have just leaped into high gear on this whole walking thing.  You about have it down.  Won't be long before this will be your primary mode of transportation around the house!! 
You do most of your walking attempts in the evening after a day of recreation and excercise.  You crawl up to the couch and then just let go and start taking off until you drop down and crawl.   Sometimes you walk from one couch to the other and back again taking about 5 to 7 steps each time. 

I love watching you grow up.  You make your mommy so happy!  In 4 days you will be 11 months old.  Almost completed your first year.  I will probably cry on your birthday.  Only because time with you goes by too fast. 

I love you, Buddy!
Mommy

Always Love

Happy New Year, Bentley!  It is 2012.

A lot of people choose to make New Years Resolutions at this time.  I don't usually make resolutions like others make.  I don't want to set myself up for something that by March I have already forgotton or possibly failed at.  I resolve every year to be better than the year before.  To be a better wife, a better friend and this year to be a better mother to you.  I always want to improve myself in every way.  When you have a standard like Jesus, there is always room for improvement.  Let me share with you what I live my life by:

This morning in church, your grandpa preached about "Finishing Well" and "Running the Race" that Paul talks about in 2nd Timothy 4:7.  Paul is at the end of his life and he is encouraging others to live their life so they can look back and know that they lived their life to the fullest and have no regrets.  Grandpa also preached about Jesus' words in John 15:9-17.  Jesus is encouraging, practically begging, His disciples to love each other.  He says, "I tell you to LOVE so that my joy may be in you and your joy may be complete."  Others will know you are a follower of Jesus by the love you have for people. 

I want you to be happy and be the best person you can be.  I want you to have joy in your life.  I want you to live your life to the fullest with no regrets.  Hate and resentment will hold you back from happiness and peace.  Love people.  Love yourself.  Love God.  You will be happy.  You will have complete joy in your life that Jesus promises.  Then you will finish life knowing you lived the best life you could.

My favorite song is called Always Love by Nada Surf.  It isn't a well known song or a well known band.  But it is one of the greatest songs I have ever heard.  And I have lived my life by this song.  I like to call it my Theme Song.  :) 

I hope you look up this song and fall in love with it like I have.  Here are just a few lyrics to share with you:

"To make a mountain of you life is just a choice.
But I never learned enough to listen to the voice that told me,
Always love.  Hate will get you everytime.
Always love.  Don't wait 'til the finish line.
Self-directed lives, I wanna know what it'd be like to aim so high above
any card that has been dealt, you always love."

Always know that I love you, Bentley.  Here's to many more years ahead!

Love,
Mommy

What A Buddy!!

Hey Little Guy!!

You turned 10 months old this week.  And from what I was told at your 9 month appointment, you are approximately 19 pounds.  But then again, you have had a little growth spurt!  Length wise you have almost caught up to your age in clothing sizes.  In pants you are up to 9 months and you are wearing size 6 months in shirts.  And we have you working on little finger foods now which you are excelling at!!  I worked all day today making your baby food for the month.  I made little bite sized fruits and veggies to go along with your pureed baby food.  I think you have growth spurts everytime we advance your food.

So last night you did something awesome...
You stood up, stayed standing...stayed standing...stayed standing...TOOK A STEP...STAYED STANDING...and then plopped down.  WOW!!  When we started clapping and cheering you started laughing and clapping with us.  A mommy would never forget a moment like this. 

So here you are, 5/6 a year old.  You will be happy to know that you are STILL the cutest baby EVER!  I am not biased. It is the truth.

I love you, Little Buddy!!

Mommy


 

Merry Christmas, Little Buddy!

Ho Ho Ho, Bentley!

It is Christmas Eve!  And although you do not understand anything that is going on, you sure are enjoying the lights, bells, paper and boxes everywhere! 
This year is my first year to not make a huge fuss about everything.  I usually have the tree up by October 31 (which your daddy doesn't enjoy) and the stockings hung neatly with perfect symmetry, and the gifts are wrapped neatly and topped with beautiful bows.  But this year I am distracted by this happy, smiley, adventurous little bald guy crawling around.  So the tree is up, stockings are hanging, and gifts are under the tree.  And by no means is it a picture perfect scene.  Each stocking has fallen down twice and at this point they are just thrown up on the wall hanging on for dear life.  The tree is leaning slightly and the gifts are mostly stuck in gift sacks and pre-decorated boxes taped shut.  I laugh at my half-attempt to do up Christmas this year. 

See, this year I have a whole new mind set.  I love that Christmas brings along with it the excitement to celebrate with the ones you love and give gifts that you picked out with them in mind.  So that has taken over my care to have a picture perfect home.  Since you came along I have just been relaxing and enjoying this season watching the magical little moments that make me take a snapshot for my memory bank.  And this year there have been several of these moments. 

Next year I will be teaching you about the true meaning of Christmas and how to spend the Holidays giving to others from your heart.  And we will be making many more memories from now until then. 

Merry Christmas, Little Buddy!

Love,

Mommy