Don't just skip to the end of this post for the exciting news!

Benjamin's first birthday was almost two weeks ago now, and I'm just getting around to posting pictures.  In my defense, a few things.  The day after B's birthday, we had a little house concert in our backyard, so birthday party planning lead right into music party planning.  I thought a lot about having both in one weekend and decided that with enough preparation, I could do it and still have fun at both events.  I was right.  The birthday was low key, and I had at least a month to work on the concert, so I did actually enjoy being with our friends and family celebrating Benjamin and making and listening to music.   

For the week after the party, I was preparing to take my child with me to San Francisco without JB for a church related event.  Our friend Gabriela accompanied us on this trip, so I didn't feel completely like a single parent for the weekend in SF, but when Benjamin was crying in the middle of the night and tossing and turning all night when I finally let him sleep in the bed with me, I felt pretty alone.  Please don't misunderstand me:  I loved San Francisco.  We were staying in the Mission District with all of its interesting murals, coffee shops, and restaurants.  We took long walks viewing beautiful architecture, admiring gardens with lemon and orange trees, and finding absolutely exquisite coffee on every other street corner.  

But I don't think I would try to travel again with a one year old and without JB. 

On the way home I was thinking many virtuous thoughts about how much I appreciate JB's daily contribution to raising Benjamin.  And then a day after we got back, JB threw his back out and I felt once again like a single parent.  After a couple of days home from work and a few prescription muscle relaxers later, he's feeling a lot better, but it was a rough couple of days for all of us.   

So, yes, I'm just now getting to pictures.  First, above, a classic birthday picture of a child enjoying a cardboard box more than his birthday gifts.  Indeed.  He did love the box.  

I think Benjamin had a very special first birthday.  I only wish his Wilson side of the family had been able to be there to celebrate.  Benjamin's Smith grandparents were here, however, and he had fun drumming on granddad's cajon, a spanish drum, and playing his new glockenspiel with his grandmommy.  JB made us a grand feast of smoked meat for a birthday dinner, and we had lovely weather for eating outside on the back porch.  B gobbled down sweet potato fries like they were candy.  Our small group from church joined us to celebrate with cake after dinner.    

The cake is supposed to be in the shape of a monkey (or a gibbon).  It didn't turn out perfectly, but I really had fun doing it.  That was the extent of the party theme, folks.  A gibbon cake.  And gibbon faces from father and son.   

We had fun opening gifts from the Wilson grandparents the next day.  I love it when birthday celebrations last for days.   

And now, a reward for those of you who stuck with this entry to the end (or skipped to the end):  Benjamin Henry is walking!  He took a few steps last week right after his birthday.  Until this weekend, he kept taking just a few steps between me and JB, but then at the Dallas airport, on the way home to Waco, just after we learned that our flight to Waco had been cancelled, Benjamin suddenly decided to walk from me over to some friendly strangers in the waiting area.  And today he really took off.  He pushed my hand away when I tried to grab it this evening, and just walked clear across the room, squealing with delight the whole way.  As JB was rehearsing downstairs for playing at Farm day this weekend, I was following B around as he walked in and out of each bedroom, just so pleased with himself.  Every time he fell he pulled himself up and got going again.  What an amazing sight to see your child walk with confidence and pleasure for the first time!  

Here's our newborn with his little cone head, one year ago today.  The memories of that day are so vivid for me that is hard to believe that a year has passed.  On the other hand, the memories of difficult times with Benjamin over the last year are also quite vivid, and those memories remind me of how long the year has seemed at times.  So today marks one year of being out of the womb for B and the one year anniversary of the experience of giving birth for me.  I have spent so much time processing that experience this year that it does seem like a milestone for me as well as for Benjamin.  I think I can finally say that I would go through it again.  Someday.  Don't get excited.

I think the next picture is from Benjamin at 4 months?   And then below we have our one year old with a classic Benjamin face:  all scrunched up like a rabbit and making a whizzing sound with his mouth and nose.   He does this especially when he sees something he wants, and in this picture I'm pretty sure it's me that he sees.  At one year old, Benjamin has discovered separation anxiety.  He still gets excited to see daddy, but if I'm in the room, he has to be with me.  Sweet, but also exhausting.




At one year, we can start to see Benjamin's personality starting to come out.  He is a happy child, pretty laid-back, and filled with curiosity and wonder.  Even his separation anxiety is not very bad--I've seen MUCH worse.  He loves to be around people and does well with strangers and other babies.  So far, he doesn't seem too fazed by a crowd, but does have his limits.  His mischievous streak comes out when he finds stairs to climb and thinks that he is climbing away from me.  He squeals with delight when I "chase" him up the stairs.  Brazos brings out this side of him too.  He plays a little game with the dog that has something to do with taunting her with his toys.

At one year, Benjamin is going through an amazing period of transition to being a toddler.  Sometimes he still looks so much like a baby and then sometimes when he looks at me I see a sense of recognition, a knowledge of the world around him that makes him look like a little boy. One minute he is crying to be held, and the next he smiles proudly as he walks holding on to our fingers.  He fumbles and throws things around and then he turns blocks in his hands and stacks them with a amazing deftness.  In the morning he fusses and acts like he doesn't understand anything, and in the afternoon he says "bye-bye" and "bebe" for baby and "da" for dog and "da-da" for daddy.  He constantly surprises me when I try to teach him a sign and he learns it or give him a command like "put the duck in the cup" and he does it.

I can't wait for you to see him this year!

A little getaway

I can't wait to do a little post about Benjamin's first birthday on Friday.  But in the mean time, a few good pictures of our almost-one-year-old B.  He is almost walking and likes to toddle around holding onto fingers.  

We had a little getaway to Houston this past weekend to visit some friends who used to live in Waco and to attend a family wedding.  Benjamin loved playing with our friends' children (and all of their toys--especially the dolls!) and we loved getting to relax and catch up with our friends, eat good food, and share our musical .... eccentricities?   Is that fair to say?  And by "our" I mean the husband-folk.  What are the chances that two people anywhere will both own (and try to play) accordions?  

Benjamin loved the music, and also enjoyed the swing in their backyard:  

We had fun dressing Benjamin up for the wedding the next day.  I think he liked dressing up--and all of the attention that came along with it.  I guess we all liked getting dressed up.  We don't do it very often.  

More on Friday.  B is waking up from his nap and doesn't sound too happy.