A Bittersweet Day

Benjamin's FIRST birthday was February 5th. We had planned a fun family day. Dad had even taken off from work, Grandma Joanne and Grandpa Augie were going to come for lunch and it was to be a sweet quiet day including birthday cupcakes!

A few days before the birthday we got a call from an old high school friend of Claudio's. Another good friend of their's had died suddenly of a heartattack. 37 year old man with a beautiful young family including three very young children. The funeral was to be on Ben's birthday.

So Grandma and Grandpa came early to spend the day with Ben while Claudio and I went to the funeral. It was heartwrenching. Frank was the friend's name and as his sister said in the eulogy he was "larger than life." And he was.

Eternal rest grant under him O Lord
And may perpetual light shine upon him
May he rest in peace.
May his soul and the souls of all the faithful departed rest in peace
Amen.

Not sure why these two pics came through so small. But here is the rest of our day. We went to dinner at Friendlys where Ben ate clam chowder, saltines, french fried, and ice cream.

A sleepy and full Benjamin will have is cupcake and eat it too!

More pictures to come of his REAL birthday party!!

Ben's Year In Review

You Wear It Well!

Nothing like a soggy Cheerio to really accesorize!

The Many Faces of Bathtime

Ronzoni Sono Buoni!

Like mother...

Like son....

Food coma? LOL

and the clean up....

Mind Your Mother

just so you don't think we are confusing him by telling him "noo" when he wasn't doing anything. He went under the table to play with the electrical outlets...just didn't get the camera on fast enough.

Jack...errr...Ben in the Box

I Dare You To Tell Me He Isn't The Cutest Kid!

I think Ben woke up this morning looking like a little boy and no longer a baby. In seven days he will turn 1 and I am shocked. It helps me get a bittersweet perspective as we await our new baby. Those 2am feedings really are just a miniscule phase, those clingy whiny phases are fleeting amidst weeks of sweet baby lovliness, that first tooth, cold, ear infection, diaper rash, owie is a meer blink. At the time we are going through these things it seems as if the days stretch on into eternity.....and yet it is a whole year gone by.


Ben in all his glorious sweetness...munching on pizza crust...and a nice shot of my foot LOL

Here he is meandering about with one of his favorite stuffed animals. It is a monkey that Claudio named Brooklyn, but we can't remember why LOL

And in case you are wondering why he has no pants on so often lately.....he just likes having his pants off. Nothing makes him happier than being unfettered. So we indulge :)

So I dare ya ;)

At Long Last!!

Well after thinking we would have an early walker and being proven wrong month after month look who finally decided to get off his bum just a hair shy of his 1st birthday!



This video looks almost exactly the same LOL...but here he is again. By the way...yes, by the end of the day my living room is always that messy!

Ben Auditions for First Chair Frog

The Importance of Motherly Encouragement

True encouragement for mothers is sorely lacking in our society. Melissa is truly lucky to have found these women.

;)

Our Christmas Family Picture

PS to those few who don't already know....and there is a new member of the family not visible in the picture :) Due late July.

Benjamin Gets in Touch with his Roots

Storage For All Ben's Toys!

With the huge influx of toys at Christmas we quickly realized that the two little baskets we kept everything in just wasn't going to cut it anymore. Here was our solution. So far so good!

Peek-a-boo