Dear Bently,

Child oh how I love! I love days when I get to spend time with you! I love your Dad and all but I also LOVE days where it's just the two of us hanging out! I get to play with you and love on you! :) Today was like that! We went to the park with Aunt Shawna and Christina and Stacey. You were adorable! I was pushing you in the swing and the whole time you are gripping the front and staring at the ground. You looked not miserable, but not happy. I thought you were probably done and felt bad for swinging you for 10 minutes! To my utter and complete shock when I pulled you out of the swing you threw a fit! Screaming and kicking. So you went back in the swing. You stopped throwing a fit and resumed your hunched over position. I guess you enjoy it though you don't look like it on the outside! :)
When I finally got you out of the swing you had a blast crawling around on the sand! :) I loved watching you run your fingers threw it! I began chasing you! You recently started to scream when we chase you! It's hilarious! It makes my day hearing your little baby scream! :) You also do this thing when we get close to catching you where you plop your head down on the floor. Like an ostrich hiding in the sand. It's usually not a problem but today, like the ostrich, you really were in the sand. You have been drooling a ton because of your teeth so you can imagine your face when you pulled up from the sand! :) It was pretty gross but you were just smiling the whole time! You also got sand all up your nose! That was really gross! Aunt Stacey and I ran you to the bathroom to wash you off. Aunt Stacey was holding you when you let out a terrific sneeze. Snot and sand landed all over Aunt Stacey! Thank you Bently for not doing that on me! :)
You do so many fun things! I feel like I don't write enough of them down! I am stinky about writing in my journal so this is my journal for you! I will list as many as I can think of off the top of my head!
-You are too chicken to walk but you would rather us hold your hands and walk you around then crawl.
-When you are done with your sippy cup, or food, you throw it on the ground. You sometimes also throw it on the ground because you like to watch it fall. Dad always says we could feed a whole other kid just by the food you leave on the ground! :)
-You love watching cars! I am trying very hard to get you to say cars!
-Just these past couple days you have started to say the word Mom consistently! I LOVE IT! It's the most beautiful sound I've ever heard in my life! :) I can't even describe how good it makes me feel! :)
-You love bananas, hot dogs, candy (of course), and french fries!
-Don't get me wrong we give you drinks all the time! But every time, not matter how long since the last one, you drink like you are dehydrated and dying of thirst. You will chug and chug. You drink more than you eat! Thus, we have switched to whole milk because your Momma is worried about you getting too skinny! Daddy says you got that from him! :)
-You are constantly trying to get into the bathroom. Like constantly. If you hear the door open you hurry your baby butt as fast as possible over there. You always seem so proud of yourself when you make it in!
-You love books. You will just sit and look through all your books for hours on end. You love to flip the pages. I'll read them to you but you get impatient. Flipping the pages is apparently really fun! You are gentle though. Knock on wood, but so far you haven't ripped a single book.
-Lately when we say cheese you will scrunch up your little face into the most heart breaking smile imaginable! Sometimes you'll even close your eyes! It's hilarious! I try and make you do it as much as possible because I just love it so much! :)
-Dad has been trying for months to teach you to say "Oh Bugger" and then hit your head with your hand. I thought he was going to fail but the other day he said it, and you didn't say anything, but you hit your little head with your hand. I'm pretty sure your Dad was on cloud nine! And I got a nice little laugh out of it too! :) It's pretty much hilarious!

I know there is more but that is all I can think of right now! Every day you get bigger and bigger. I think you officially look like a toddler now. (Even though there is no toddling going on! ;) I love you my little man! You light up my world and keep me smiling!
Love,
Mommy

Dear Bently,

Life sure is getting exciting in the White household. You are growing like a weed and getting bigger and smarter every day. I swear you are always learning. You are such a happy baby. I hope you always keep that happiness. I hope you always find the good in life. Even in the hard times there are always good times to be found! Your Dad and I went on a little get away for a night and it was so weird us both being a way from you. We missed you like crazy! Melissa was bringing you back and we were literally standing outside on the curb waiting for her to get there. All I wanted was to have you back in my arms! Any time I get with you is so precious Bently. I think it's not only because I love you so much but because I work full time. I hate it. I hate sleeping while you are home and up and happy. The only thing that keeps me going is knowing this isn't going to last forever! Dad has finally decided what he wants to go to school for so hopefully the time will go by quickly and I will be done and home with my favorite little man all the time! :)
Like I said, you are figuring things out! The other day you handed me a Tupperware container full of cereal. Usually you just want me to shake it for you and then you are happy. But this time when I handed it back to you, you gave it straight back to me. After another round of this I realized you wanted me to open it for you and give you some. You were as happy as a clam after that. Since you point at everything you want. Well it's not really pointing, it's more like you reach your hand out like you are trying to grab it. Today I was outside with you and we just went from object to object touching and feeling different things. I love watching you explore your enviormentt! I love watching you grow and learn! I feel so incredibly blessed every day that I get to be your mother. I pray all the time that I can be the mother you deserve! Never ever forget how much I love you!
Love,
Mom

Dear Bently

I have officially decided your baby giggle is the best noise in the entire world! I have never heard anything more magical or cute in my life. I constantly tickle you just so I can relish in the sound! I wish I could keep it forever! I know no matter how old you are it will always stay in my heart! :) I love you my happy boy!
Mom

Dear Bently,

I've been meaning to write you forever! But life is just crazy hecktik as usual! :) Here we are, Easter Sunday, (april 8, 2012) and you are already one! I can't even believe it! I still look at you and see my tiny little baby. That soft little newborn I brought home from the hospital. I remember constantly marveling at how small you were. You're little hand would grab onto my fingers and I would just stare at those tiny fingers. I couldn't believe something so small could hold my heart so tightly. Even though you are bigger now, you still hold my heart little man. Everyday I get to spend with you is my favorite day. I hate having to work but it's what we have to do at this time. I can't wait for the day when I can stay home with you and get to snuggle and read to you and wake up with you in the morning! Seriously can't wait!
You're birthday was so special. I think all first birthdays are. I know you'll never go back to being a baby. You are a toddler and a big boy now. I know you already see yourself that way! As all the people who love you gathered around and sang happy birthday I couldn't help but get chocked up. I looked over at your Dad and at you sweet face and I just felt the severe and utter joy that surrounded that moment. As I watched the flickering candle I told Dad to make a wish for you, since you weren't old enough to make one yourself. I wish so many things for you my boy. I guess what I wish more than anything is for you to live a life full of happiness and love. :)
We took you to the zoo on your actual birthday and it was too fun. You weren't exactly super excited about looking at the animals but you still enjoyed yourself! I loved holding you and pointing at the animals. I loved watching you get excited and slightly scared watching the porcupines run around. I love your wonder at looking at the birds. I loved your sweet smile while staring at the monkeys! The whole day was magical and wonderful. It's a day I wish I could replay over and over again! You have given me so many amazing memories already and it's only been a year! Kid you have quite an influence over your Mother!
This morning was so fun! Last Easter you were only a couple weeks old and just laid there the whole time. This Easter you were able to crawl around and gather the eggs and put them in the basket.You LOVED all the candy and constantly wanted more! You looked so cute in the outfit we gave you! You are so funny now! You LOVE to walk! Not by yourself, but if someone is holding onto your hands then you practically run everywhere! The whole time you are walking you are just laughing and grinning! :) It always makes my day! :)
I love you so much Bently. I wish I could spend every second of everday with you! :) You are my whole world son!!
Love,
Mom

Dear Bently

Dad got surgery on Thursday and can't lift you which means we've been having LOTS of quality time together. I once again your favorite person the be around. (you have always been my favorite peron!) We've played, gone to the store together, taken long naps together, danced together, I've kissed your ouchies, picked you up when you cried, and enjoyed the magic of your smiles and giggles. It funy how much I appreciate the every day things because they're not always everyday things for me. It's so magical being your mom. Every moment of your life is filled with discovery. Everything is brand new and that is quite refreshing. You remind me there is good and beautiful things in the world and my favorite good and beautiful thing is you. I love you more than you know. Thank you for thinking I am funny and smiling when I walk in the door. Your my favorite son. ;) aren't you glad you are the first born? Love you.
Love
Mom

Dear Bently

Today you fell in the bathtub! Now you must understand, if you don't all ready, how very different your father and I are! I always knew we had some little quirks but having you sure has made some of them become more prominent than others! One that sticks out is how much more laid back I am then your dad. Usually i don't find this much of a fault, really I often think your dad stresses too much! Well today I learned otherwise! So as I said earlier you fell in the bathtub. You have a habit of standing up in the bathtub where it is slippery and you tend to fall! You hit your head pretty hard and started to cry! I whisked you up out of the water and hugged you tight to my chest, even though you were soaking wet! What can I say i sacrifice for you!!!! ;) well your dad if course is freaking out telling me I shouldn't let you stand in the bathtub! I think myself well ya but maybe if he falls enough he'll learn not to do it! But apparently my reasoning was incorrect! I put you back in the bathtub and watched as you stood right back up. I wasn't quite fast enough and you slipped and hit your mouth. Oh bother you cries and screamed. In that moment I felt so horrible I wanted I cry along with you. I would've taken that pain from you in a heartbeat! As I thought back on this I realized in some small way, I could understand how the Savior and our Heavenly Father feel about us! They know the danger out there and warn us of it! But we (especially me) think we know better and do it anyways. Sometimes multiple times! And every time we fall down and get hurt they are there for us! To pick us up when we're soaking wet and wounded. They are there to hold us as we cry and tell us it's okay! They never say I told you so. They just love us and want us to be happy. They are always there for you Bently! Never doubt that! Neve think you've done too much or are not worthy to talk to them! As a parent I can tell you the love for a child is endless! I love you more than you can imagine and so does your Heavenly Father!
Love you forever no matter what!
Mom

Dear Bently

Today my creative juices started pumping and I decided to start working on your first birthday party invite. As I sat down and stared at the words, Bently is turning 1, my eyes flooded with tears. My little boy is growing up too fast, and it's amazing, and wonderful, and heart wrenching. I can't even believe it! I love you more than you know and that love only grows more and more with each day. Never forget it!
Love,
Mom