NOW: Ben is FOUR today. I can't believe that we have a four year old. That is so crazy to me. Benjamin has so much personality. I can't really describe him. He has so many weirdnesses! He becomes fixated on things--his current obsessions are trains, and juice, and movies. He thinks that it is completely his job to turn on whatever movie he is currently focusing on--lately it has been Ice Age 2, Winnie the Pooh, WordWorld, Peter Pan, etc. Ben also has a weird obsession with kitchen utensils and sticks--anything even remotely able to be used as a stick is used as such--wooden spoons, curtain rods, spatulas, vacuum attachments, you name it.Benjamin is really a smart little boy. Unlike Samuel, he is very cautious about most things. In fact, if he has to try something new, he usually tells us that "it's Sam's turn" or that "Sam wanna go first." Once Sam has done something, it is usually ok for Ben. He also will only make the same mistake once (in general). Sam will just keep barrelling through things, but Ben, once he has failed once, will sit awhile and figure it out, and then he will almost always be successful the second time he tries something. Ben has a great vocabulary--he says the funniest things too. One example--when we were at Walmart a while ago, I told him that he needed to hold my hand. He grabbed his hand and said, "No, Ben hold Ben's hand!" He thinks he is so big. And really, he is getting so big. Even from a year ago. He goes to big-boy primary. He, as of the last couple weeks, is officially potty-trained (HALLELUJAH!!!!!!!!) except for at night. He goes to preschool two times a week, and LOVES it! He takes wonderful care of his brothers, except when he is kicking Levi or hitting him or pushing him over. He LOVES Sam. I am firmly convinced that a lot of why Sam joined our family when he did is because Ben needs him so badly. Ben is so cautious, and so worried--he needs Sam's throw-caution-to-the-wind attitude. Ben is a great helper--he loves to vacuum, and help me sweep. He does NOT like picking up his toys...at all. In fact, he will NOT do it. I am currently looking at about a million pieces of train track and trying to gear myself up for the fight it will be to get him to pick them up. Ick!
Ben is a very sweet little boy. He loves to cuddle--at naptime and bedtime, he always wants mom to "nuggle me." He HAS to have his blankie--it is NOT optional. He is especially attached to the tag on his blankie, which he sits and rubs on his face as he goes to sleep. Ben loves Curious George. Ben loves Maddy! Ben LOVES when Mom and Dad come home from work--he always runs up with a huge hug for us. Ben is a great eater--although during the day he tends to forage for junk constantly. Nothing is safe.
We are so blessed to have Ben. He reminds me of how blessed we are to have children. I love my boys, and I love my firstborn, for all the things that he teaches me, whether they are about patience (DAILY!!), love (constantly), humor, etc. I love that he reminds me to say the prayer at dinner. And that he points out the temple whenever he sees a picture. I love that he sits (most of the time) during the sacrament and says "Amen!" when prayers are over. I love Benjamin.
Rub a dub dub, boys in the tub! Really all three of them were there, but this picture only shows Ben and Levi. (duh!)
THEN: Benjamin James Reed, 3 lbs. 4 oz. 16 inches long. 28 weeks. Boy, has he changed! We went from me making daily lists of all the medications he was on (and there were several), and not being able to touch our little boy at all, and when we were allowed to touch him, it was only on the bottoms of his feet, to this boy who is tall and skinny and super smart. He thinks he is big enough to run his own bath. We used to go to the hospital at midnight (well, after midnight, since Cam didn't get off work until 12:00) to bathe Ben. The nurses in the NICU would save his baths until the night shift so we could do them. They did the same thing with bottles once they finally started feeding him. The whole experience of having Ben is the NICU for two months was pretty much horrible. There isn't any other word for it. There are still things that come up in his life that are effects of his prematurity--soon he will have to get glasses because he is pretty far-sighted. And he has had some speech delays, although not anymore! Yeah! There will probably be other things that we will discover as he goes through school--having a fairly severe brain bleed means that there could be issues. We just have to figure out what they are. It was a long haul getting him out of the hospital, and an even longer haul once he was home...but he was worth it all.
Ben at one--the summer after Samuel was born. Isn't he the sweetest??
Ben and Daddy
Happy Birthday Ben! Hopefully you will have a fantastic year being four. I love you!!
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