Happy 2nd Birthday Benen Edward

November 10, 2019

Dear Benen,

My sweet boy, somehow it has been two full years since we brought you into this great big world. Getting to know you over these past two years has been such an adventure, one I wouldn’t trade for anything. I truly can not imagine my life without you.

You are kind, brave, smart, funny, and intuitive, yet you are only two. I can only imagine how you will grow and find depth in these adjectives you already embody. This past year has incorporated some truly amazing moments. We excitedly planned exiting things for our future, and spent oodles of time making memories with family and friends. This past year has also been really really hard. You have shown me grace and provided an incredible light in the past four months through the passing of your beloved Uncle and my little brother Carter. His absence in our home and in our lives has hit us all hard, and I have needed you more than you know little man. You continue to give me strength, hope and courage. You unknowingly help me keep his presence alive by nonchalantly giving his photo a kiss, a fist bump, a casual goodnight wave, or just by simply playing with his hot wheels and saying that you love and miss him. These actions often make me teary, but I'm so thankful for the sincerity of them.

Your world is about to be rocked with the addition of a sibling in the coming new year, but I know you'll adapt with love and grace over time. Its pretty special to be an older sibling, something you and I will have in common.

Your little voice is probably my favorite sound. Your incessant chattiness is something I jokingly attribute to you getting from your dad and your vocabulary continues to knock our socks off. Please never stop saying "yeah mom, yeah". You're pretty genuine with your manners, and while sometimes you have to be prompted I will never tire of you saying "peeeeese" or "tank yew mama/daddy/ Ammmma / Ammmpa/ Ammmy /Papa".

You are starting to become fiercely independent. Although you still like to ask for help or "hand? Mama?" You're sometimes bossy, often telling Sully ("Sussy") just what you think he should do. Poor Sull, hes such a trooper and loves you so much. A little bossiness isn't a bad thing though, I'm confident its an older sibling trait. Besides, your sometimes unprompted hugs, sloppy kisses and "I luh you's" counter balance it perfectly.

Around Thanksgiving this past year, we transitioned you to your big boy bed. We surprised you with your new big boy room all set up and you were very very excited to say the least. You were pleased with the dinosaur bedding and free range access to the toys and books in your room. You've done pretty well, but you still like to snuggle with us almost every night… usually sometime after midnight you decide that our bed is actually better. To be honest I secretly kind of love it. (That’s kind of a faux pas in this whole parenting gig it seems… but you know what? I acknowledge that when you're all grown up as a teenager you're likely not going to want to come in and snuggle with your dad and I at two am. But if for some reason you do decide that you need us on occasion, were happy to have you).

Your reminders to be present and in the moment are humbling. Your current favourite foods are: burgers and "fwies", breakfast sausages and "yeeeeerieos" aka honey nut cheerios. I think blueberries will always be a favourite and you can easily put away an entire tub of hummus with a spoon. Your favourite things right now are dinosaurs, cars, paw patrol and everything hockey. The love for hockey is real. You collected an impressive stack of "awwkey" cards from Tim Horton's this season and if it were up to you, you would spend almost every waking hour playing hockey in the living room, you even like to crosscheck your opponents with no remorse. Grammy, Grandma and I have all been equally victimized by a Benen cross check. You get excited to visit the rink with Dad and now that you're two we've signed you up for parent tot skating lessons.

I can't wait to continue to watch you grow and get to know you more B. Thank you for continuing to teach me more about life and love, but most of all, thank you for choosing me to be your mom.

Love you forever,

Love Mom