Dear Benly,

Merry Christmas! Okay to be honest we celebrated Christmas with you last Friday. I loved this Christmas. I didn't love that I couldn't celebrate it on the day because I was working. But I loved this Christmas because we got to do what we wanted to do. Don't get me wrong I love our other Christmas traditions, like going to Grandma and Grandpa Hodson's house and visiting family. But this Christmas was special because we got to focus on our family. Just the 3 of us. You, me, and Daddy. We had a blast! I can't remember the last time I had such a laid back awesome Christmas! Daddy keeps telling me that it was his favorite Christmas ever!

Christmas Eve (The 21st of December) I made a little dinner. Of course I burnt the ham but that's just your Mom and her amazing ability to burn everything! Haha. I made it as fancy as possible, we used the nice dishes and had candle light. We giggled and talked and enjoyed the good food! :) Next I gave you our Christmas Eve ornament. It's 3 little penguins with our names on it! I love it and I think you did too! You kept trying to pull it off the tree. Haha! Then we loaded up in the car and headed to Christmas Street. It's a street in Salt Lake where all the houses are decorated! You my son fell asleep 5 minutes into the drive. So you didn't see any of the lights! But they were cool! I think that's going to have to be a tradition! :) We also went down an adjacent street that had the story of Christ and his birth! It was a very special moment as your Dad and I took turns reading the verses of the scripture and looking at all the beautiful pictures. When we got home you woke up and you sure were happy. I hope you note the sarcasm here. :) We got you in your Pjs and read you a Pirates Night Before Christmas, while you mostly screamed through it. Then it was time for you to go to bed. :)

The next morning was Christmas! It was super fun! I burnt the cinnamon rolls (again shocker)! :) Haha! But they were still yummy! You didn't like them though silly boy. You kept asking for cereal! You loved opening presents! It made it so stinking funny! Your reactions were so cute! Every present you would beg us to open it for you! You just wanted to play with all your toys! We got you a police car that makes the siren noise. You love it! You mimic it and it is so stinking cute! :)

The rest of the day we napped and watched Hunchback of Notre Dame and cuddled and had homemade hot cocoa! It was seriously just awesome! :) I loved every second of your second Christmas with us! It was perfect! Just like I knew it would be! :) I love spending holidays with you my son! You are my whole world and watching you light up with excitement is something I will never forget! I love you more than you'll ever know!

Mom

Dear Bently,

We took you to see Santa! :) Dad was nervous that you were going to cry and freak out! I was actually not scared of that outcome. We were planning on buying the crazy expensive pictures for you and I figured that would be hilarious! :) I know I'm a weird Mom. But I had no fear. You are one of the friendliest kids I've ever met. I knew you would do fine. We stood in line waiting and the whole time you kept saying, Santa! Santa! :) I carried you up to Santa and you didn't cry at all! I sat you in his lap and you just stared at him in awe. Then we got the picture. You didn't smile, no surprise there you never smile in pictures, but you weren't sad either! Santa looks crankier then you do! ;) I love the picture! I love getting to have these fun holiday traditions and memories with you! I love getting to do all things I dreamed of doing with my children with you! You are the sweetest baby and I just love you to pieces! :) Being your Mom is the best! :)

Love,
Mom

Dear Bently,

Kid you are hilarious!!! Today we were driving home from Salt Lake and your Dad told me you were sleeping. Sure enough I look in the back seat and your head is down. I let out a pretty loud "NO!" I knew you wouldn't nap at home if you fell asleep! Your head immediatly jerks up and you have the this hilariou goofy grin on your face! Your Dad and I busted up laughing! It was hilarious! We have been mimicking you all day long! :)

Another time you were dancing in your booster seat. I said "Bently what are you doing!" and you said "I dancing!" It was hilarious! I have never heard you say the word dancing before! I loved it! :)

You keep us laughing Bently! I love seeing what new and exciting things you'll do! Every day is different and I love it!

Mom

Dear Bently,

The other day you were trying to climb into your crib. I knew it was time to put you in a big boy bed before you started to crawl out and hurt yourself. I dreaded it. Not only because it means you can get out of bed and touch things, but because it means you really aren't my baby anymore. It's really hard for me to accept that you're growing up and getting bigger. I love watching you grow and change but it's really hard to deal with at the same time!

You did so good going to sleep in your bed. You didn't act like anything was different. You didn't get out of bed once which shocked me! I'm thinking it's probably not going to last forever! Eventually you'll learn you can just get out and do what you want! After you fell asleep your Dad and I went in and of course took pictures of you and just marveled at our little boy looking so grown up in his big boy bed. I tucked the blankets around you and we kissed your face. I almost cried. It's just so unbelievable how fast time has gone. I am just trying to cherish each tiny precious moment I get with you! I love you so much Bently! Words can never describe how I feel about you! You are my world son! :)

Love,
Mom

Dear Bently

You had a rough day today! First you fell and bit your lip. Which is now swollen and has a little vampire mark on your lip! I felt so bad! If I only I knew it was only going to get worse!

I decided to get pretty for your Dad today and curl my hair! Yup, you came into the bathroom and grabbed the hot part of the curling iron! I was in a panic! I grabbed your screaming self into my arms and ran to the kitchen. Then when I got there I couldn't tell which of your hands you had burned so I quickly held both of them under the cold water. Eventually I was able to look at it enough to tell it was your right hand! I then grabbed a freezer pack out of the freezer and I sat you down on the couch and tried to hold your hand on it. You did NOT like that. You screamed and screamed and screamed some more! It was awful! :( I had to do it! I couldn't let your hand just burn! Eventually you stopped crying when I didn't have your hand on the freezer pack. You screamed for a good hour and I think you just exhausted yourself because then you fell asleep on me! That's when Melissa came in with the burn ointment! Thank goodness for Melissa Hyer! What would I do without her?

Later on I think you smacked your eye on my guitar. All I saw was you laying on it crying and tonight your eye was swollen! :( So not only do you have the worlds worst cold, but you have a swollen lip, burnt fingers, and swollen eye! Greg told me I have to stop beating you up when he leaves! I promise I don't! :( I love you so much Bently! The whole time you were crying I just kept thinking over and over how I wish it was me! I would take any and all of your pain in a heartbeat! :) I love you little man!

Love,
Mom

Dear Bently,

I love you kid! No seriously I do! You are the cutest thing in the entire world! The following examples will prove that you are just that, completely adorable.

Example #1: No matter how badly my day is going you always find some way to make it better! The other day I was having a horrible day. I finally just dropped to my knees and started to pray. For some reason me sitting there, on my knees, with my eyes shut was hilarious to you! You let out a screech and a giggle then come running over and jump on top of me while trying to poke my eyes out with your little fingers. I couldn't help but smile and scoop  you up into the biggest bear hug I could muster! :)

Example #2: You have started doing this thing where you talk all the time. Most of it is things I can't understand but you don't let that stop you. The funny thing is you will randomly say something and then laugh about it! I can't wait to be in on the joke! It sure sounds funny! :)

Example #3: You found some old sunglasses in my room. I'm on the computer and you bring them to me all the while saying, "glasses glasses" in your little baby voice. I immediately put them on you and you just grin from ear to ear! You then run around the house giggling. It sure made me laugh watching you run around in your sunglasses!

Example #4: You have just barley learned to talk on the phone. Before you would not talk back or you would push it away. Now you actually enjoy talking on the phone and will usually jabber away for long periods of time! You are especially good at talking to your Dad! You get all excited when it's him on the phone and will actually take the phone from me and walk away. The other day I hear your Dad on the phone say "I love you!". Then you in a high excited voice say "love you!". It was adorable and pretty much melted my heart. I still have a hard time believing you are old enough to talk! Crazy!! :)

Example #5: Okay this is the last one. Today your Dad brought you to come visit me at work. As soon as you see me you point to me with a huge smile on your face and yell out "mama" while reaching for me! I loved it! I love that you love me! That you want to be with me! That you are almost as excited to see me as I am to see you! :)

Bently I love you so much! Thank you for making me so incredibly happy! I don't know what I would do without my little man! You have made some horrible days all that much more bearable! :) I love you my little man!

Mom

Dear Bently,

When you were in my tummy I decided to sing to you. Almost every night before we fell asleep your Dad and I would sing a verse from the song, "My Wish" by Rascle Flatts. When you were born you seemed to remember the song. Whenever we sung it you would come straight down and be content. Now that your 18 months old we still incorporate singing to you on a regular basis. Every night before we lay you down we have a tradition that goes like this. I hold you and you lay your head on my shoulder. Daddy then comes up behind me and puts his arms around both of us. I then sing to you a song of my choosing. Either, "My Wish", "I am a Child of God" or "Think of me". It's one of my favorite traditions. I love holding you close when you are tired and snugly. I love feeling your Dad's arms around me and I love the little moment we get to have as a family! It's seriously my favorite moment ever. I look forward to it every night as it approaches bed time. It makes me sad that you won't remember this when it's so important to me. I hope you always know how loved you are! I hope we can continue our little night time tradition for a long time! I love you with my whole heart!
Mom