First Trip Around the Sun

Our dear son is now 1 year old. I know everybody says this, but the time goes so quickly, it is seriously unbelievable. Its gone, poof!, like the blink of an eye. The other day we were looking at his photos from his infancy and can't believe how much he's changed. I guess we have, too. I'd like to think that in the past year we have done a little more maturing, a little more growing in our faith, and learned a little bit about being parents. It is tough, this parenting stuff, and we are just beginning. I really like the idea that it takes a village to raise a child, I really agree with this statement. We're so thankful for our friends and family for your endless support in the past year...especially after a difficult birth, time in the NICU, Ben's casts, colic, SLEEP DEPRIVATION, and now the beginning of discipline issues. We couldn't have made it without you. We are also so thankful for our faith in God...without this, our year would have been much different. It provides us with such support, strength, and peace, especially when we are at our weakest.
Benjamin remains such a delight to us. We are really enjoying this stage. He is a bundle of energy, curious, talkative, and playful. He is in constant motion, always walking, crawling, or getting into something. He is kind-natured like his daddy, and also fearless! He began really walking last Saturday, and is still a bit tentative, but doing great. He is saying a few things: Daddy (Daddy), Dadoo or Dad-o (everything but Daddy), Na-Na (banana), Uh-Oh (all the time), and I can imagine that he has said some primitive version of mama (one can hope). He signs a few things: "more" and "all done", and also claps and waves bye-bye. He loves water and being outside more than anything else. The best thing of all is that he is sleeping well, finally!!! We have our times of speed bumps, but he is generally sleeping through the night, takes two naps per day for 1-1.5 hours. It is wonderful! We love our son with all our hearts. Life is rich, indeed.