Benson's First Birthday - and First Year Memoir

It was hard to believe that our little 8lb 12 oz baby was having his first birthday. I thought about the day that we first heard his voice and saw his face. Ryan and I were overwhelmed with love for the soft, helpless infant that laid on my chest, still covered with junk from the delivery. We looked at each other and instantly knew that, "this is the most beautiful moment of our lives".









Benson: Here are some thoughts I want to share with you about your first year of life!


Newborn: *What a cuddler! Your favorite place to nap was on Daddy's chest. *Your G-ma and G-pa Hayton got your into sun bathing early, (also to help the jaundice) and you discovered your adoration of being in the nud!
*You took a marathon sleep of 10 hours straight with no milk.







0-3 months: * Still a cuddler! G-ma Hayton had said, 'babies are either spitters or not spitters" which gave us false hope seeing as you didn't spill a drop of milk in your first month of life. Then...you were handed to people with a warning and a burp cloth.
* You detested tummy time.
* Your first airplane ride was fun, and visiting the Haytons for Thanksgiving and feeling sand on the beach was so lovely.

No, really what DO you think of Tummy Time?

3-6 months: * Cuddlier than ever! G-ma and Papa deBerg and Aunty DD came to visit for Christmas. G-ma said that she would have to work on her endurance to hold you, but loved that you were chubby like your Mama when I was young. Papa would sing to you and your eyes would droop, but the moment he sat down, you let him know it was time to stand up again. Aunty DD liked to play with you in the play gym, and you would smile big for her.
* You travelled to Australia where you took your first bite of real food. It was like you were made to eat, you knew what to do.
* You liked to sit in your bebepod and watch Mama cook dinner. You had to be up where the action was, 'don't put me on the floor or in the other room' you would plead with your eyes and cries.
* Bouncing in your jumper would entertain you for hours.
* Your blond locks appeared and one Gerber baby curl was easy to manufacture. You became known in my Trader Joe's as the baby with the curl. (This has now become, the baby with the biggest blue eyes at TJ's).







6-9 months: *I think you skipped this stage of clothing. You moved so fast from one size to the next.
* You liked to sit on the floor and try to reach for objects. Aunty DD gave you plenty of sit down stand up practice and you enjoyed cruising around the furniture.
* I remember the excitement in your eyes when you discovered in CA how to crawl! It was like, "cool - I can move!"




9-12 months: * Our cuddly baby boy graduated from infancy...almost. I looked at you one day with two new teeth and thought, "my baby boy is all grown up".
* You still enjoyed cuddles and naps on Daddy's chest.
* You love to giggle at my fake sneezes and "Mama's gonna git you" lines.
* Your communication skills have stopped with one finger. Your pointer finger is in constant action from the moment you wake up to the moment you close your eyes. You point at everything that remotely interests you. When G-ma and G-pa Hayton dropped us off at LAX they were amused by your apparent love of buses as you would point emphatically and "OOOOH" after each and every bus drove past.
* The pointer finger also comes out when you are greeted by people. They come over to say hello and you point at them with gusto.
* I am awed at the love that I have for you my little fellow. Thank you for teaching me about life from the eyes of an infant and for being my baby B, my little lover boy and Daddy's nap time partner. We LOVE you with all our being.










So, we celebrated your first birthday at Salt Creek Beach with your awesome extended family and good friends. You really missed your Aussie G-parents and Aunty. I enjoyed watching you tentatively reach for your birthday cake, then whole heartedly smother your face with the frosting.