**Here's Ben getting ready to blow out his candles.....again! Later that evening, Ryan was already in bed and Paul & I sang "Happy Birthday!" to Ben all over again, let him blow out the candles another couple times, and then let him have another small piece of cake. It was fun! Kind of like our own secret little party! Ben got a chance to play with his toys for a little bit too without any interruption from his big brother!!**
Benjamin is 2!! I can't believe it's already been a full two years since he joined our little family! He's grown so much and so fast! He's very smart and doesn't have the slightest problem telling you whatever it is that's on his mind. He's quite articulate for barely turning 2. I'm sure having Ryan to converse with has helped speed up his vocabulary progress. I think that's the part of Ben that has always amazed me! His ability to communicate so clearly at such a young age, whether it be through words or body language. He is very good at conveying his thoughts and feelings to others whenever he chooses and is very rarely at a loss for the correct words.
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Ben's personality was fairly slow to reveal itself. He has always been very much in control of his thoughts and emotions. I remember as a baby, about 3 months, we would always try to tickle him to get him to laugh but when he didn't want to laugh, no amount of trying on our part could crack him. I could literally see the determination in his face to hold back, not give in. I always thought it was so odd because it seemed like such a conscious effort on his part (I'm not gonna laugh! I'm not gonna laugh!) and yet he was so young. As he's gotten older, he's become much more prone to laughing and smiling but still, he exercises control over when. He won't just laugh at anything like his mommy does!
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Ben is not shy. He's not super outgoing either but he seems to trust most people Mom & Dad trust and although he can be reserved and observant before he likes to interact with people, he's not afraid to look a newcomer in the eye either.
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Ben LOVES his cars!! He loves BYU football and anything of that nature. He loves playing with his brother, although, there's still some learning going on in that area. He's still a cuddler! I love that about him! He still likes to cuddle up with a big blanket on my lap and just sit with me (and he still sucks his thumb). He's just learning to pray and is getting pretty good with the beginning and endings of prayers but still needs help in the middle. He's always very pleased with his accomplishments, frequently yelling, "I did it!" for putting something in the trash or putting a puzzle piece in place or singing a song or catching/throwing a ball, any little random thing that to him is such a big deal. I love his enthusiasm for his accomplishments! He's a good napper and still hasn't figured out how to climb out of the crib despite Daddy's efforts to teach him. (Don't ask me what Daddy's thinking even trying to teach him! I'm happy that he can't get out yet!!)
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In about July Ben started saying "I'm mad at you!" which I thought was pretty funny for some reason. He furrows his eyebrows as he says it or actually, sometimes all he does his furrow his eyebrows and give you a serious "mad" look but usually, even when he really is mad, if I do it back to him it becomes a game and then he can't do it without laughing. It's pretty funny.
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We held a family party for Ben and he made out pretty well! A car, a truck, a big dump truck, some shirts, a puzzle, and a couple of books!
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