December 14, 2011

Dear Bennett, Months 26 & 27

Dear Ben,

You are the best 2-year-old hider that I know. Hide and seek with your brother was always pretty funny because he'd hide and wiggle and giggle while we pretended to look and then eventually "discover" him. But not you. You can stay perfectly still and completely quiet for a ridiculous amount of time. You'll lay flat in our bed, pull the covers over your head and be totally still while we hunt. On a few occasions, I've started to worry that perhaps we had lost you!

November 2011

You hide behind chairs, in closets, under tables . . . and you're spatial reasoning abilities are developed enough that you can tell when you're not completely covered and look for ways to conceal yourself entirely. Dad and I are impressed. Because you're so good at this game, I actually enjoy playing hide and seek with you more than I used to. I love finding you, and I love watching you try to find me. Granted, it's much easier for you to find me, because I can't hide behind chairs or curtains. I take up entire closets.

November 2011

I can't wait to see you as a big brother. You've become quite the little stinker over the last two months, but when it comes to your sister, you know how to give kisses and hugs to my belly; though your affection for her doesn't keep you from taking flying leaps onto me as I'm resting on the couch or in bed. We're working with you on being gentle. Dad and I were talking today about how we think you'll be someone who's always ready to stick up for and defend his siblings.

Your language development has brought both joy and frustration. Today, when I asked you not to play with something you found on my desk, you said, "I obey Mama, otay?" And for a brief moment I felt like maybe I'm finally getting through to you. Normally when I ask you not to do something that you really want to do, there's some sort of melt down while you shout, "NO MOM! YOU A BAD BOY!"

I love watching you process and try to think through how to say what you want to. There are times when you say the same sentence over and over while we try to interpret your sounds, and when we finally do, we're all so excited that it doesn't really matter what you were trying to say as much as it does that we finally got it.

November 2011

Now that you can repeat multiple words at a time, I started a memory verse with you . . . "God is Love." I say it with you and sometimes, when the moment hits, you'll just remind me of it on your own. You don't really know what it means, but do any of us completely understand it? My hope is that the words you learn will soak into your mind and your heart and stay with you until you are old enough to better understand.


November 2011

You're more interested in Christmas this year and are fascinated by Christmas lights. And your nativity set. This morning you told me that baby Jesus was in the manger for a time out. I guess I still have some explaining to do. Even so, seeing these earliest glimpses of your understanding of who God is and who He has made you to be are such a blessing to me.

I love you, Ben!

Love,
Mama

1 comment:

Elisa said...

I love reading the letters you write to the boys! I look forward to hearing Claire's story soon. I'll be praying for all of you during this wonderful new season of life.