Spotlight on Ben

We have so much to be thankful for (see my last post) and as I have reflected these last few days I am struck by how very thankful I am for my children. While the last few years of child rearing have been challenging, they have also been some of the best years for me. For those of you far away, this is my measly attempt to give you the inside scoop on Ben in hopes that you'll be able to get to know him better. Earlier tonight I interviewed Benjamin and here are his responses:

Mom: Ben, how has life been for you these last 8 months?

Ben: Thanks for asking, mom - they have been good but I'm still learning this whole "life" thing. I know you and dad get frustrated with me when I do things that don't coordinate well with your schedule, but cut me some slack - I'm just a little kid. When I wake up at night, sure I want you to feed me, but I also just miss you. Lately the whole patting me on the back thing has been quite nice. I never turn down a free back scratch and am learning to really enjoy that time. I'm learning the longer I fuss the longer you stay and I like that!

Mom: You certainly are different than your sister - who, by the way, slept through the night at 7 weeks of age - we know that sleep isn't high on your priority list, so what is?

Ben: Milk, of course. And none of that bottle nonsense, okay? Hopefully you figured out by now that I will have no part in any bottles you try to throw at me. Let's see - green beans and applesauce seem to be my favorite "big person" foods lately. Oh and then the other day Lily gave me one of her cereal bars and I really liked that...until you took that away from me just as I was chowing down - not cool, by the way! I love, love, love to chew and slurp on my socks and pretty much any fabric. Lately I've been enjoying some of Lily's new songs she sings from TV - "Lovely, Love My Family" and "Happy Birthday". Did I mention Lily? How could I forget the one constant source of entertainment for me...my big sister Lily is AWESOME and she makes me laugh all the time. 

Mom: Yes, you do like your sister - especially in the car when she roars at you and hums "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" for you. So if someone were to try and describe your personality, what would you like them to say?

Ben: Well, I would like a lot of things, mom, but I've learned in life that you can't always get what you want (case in point - that blasted cereal bar). I'd like people to say I'm the best baby ever, but I don't think that's reality. I have my moments when I want something and I will cry hard to get it. Milk, a toy, a diaper change, a back scratch. But overall I'm pretty happy and laid back. I think I'm less of a drama king than Lily. I love to watch people and I love banging my toys against each other. So I guess that makes me a kind of results man. I also like to snuggle with people so whenever you or dad or Smoochie snuggles me, I'm super happy. 

Mom: One last question - if you had one character trait people think of when they either see you or think of you, what is it?

Ben: The cheeks. Definitely my chubby cheeks. I know how much folks like fat babies so I worked hard on them all summer (big shout-out to you mom for being a major contributor). I am very proud of my chubby cheeks, thunder thighs and double chin. They are who I am...for now anyway. Rumor mill has it that when I go mobile (I'm slow, sorry) I'll start to lose all that chub. That will be a sad day. Probably means I won't get as much attention too. A really sad day, indeed. Thanks for the interview mom and keep up the good work!