A Little Bit Cra[Sieh]: Much Ado About Bennett

A good deal of my blogging time has been devoted to Cameron and Elly lately. I wrote the other day about some of their interactions, and a fellow mama asked me how Bennett interacted within the mix. It made me sad to think that the past few blogs have been far too short on my precious baby. My littlest (BIG) boy. My Bennett Isaiah. My Brown Brown :)

So I'm going to do something that's hard for me. I'm going to roll up my sleeves and get to work. Hard, arduous work. Bragging mama work. That's right. It's a tough job, but someone's gotta do it! A post just for Bennett...because there haven't been nearly enough :)

Where do I start with the baby of the family? As far as interaction with his siblings, he's the ULTIMATE little brother. He was born with a fierce drive to pester, heckle, harass and torment. He can disrupt sleeping baby dolls, destroy perfectly put-together puzzles and knock down sturdily constructed towers in record time. He knows how to bug...but that's part of his M.O. He's the little brother!

As long as we're on the word, "little" can only be used to describe Bennett's place in the family in reference to AGE. He's edging ever-closer to picking Elly off in the weight department, and Cam won't be hard after that. He's solid...not chubby...but quite sturdy :) He's a little above average in the height department, but something about his build tells me that he's not going to stay the baby for very long. I think he might even grow to be taller than his Daddy. :)

Bennett's personality is intense. I say this because you could meet him one day and think he was the sweetest, most affectionate child in the world. But if you meet him the next day...or even in a few hours, you'd shake your head and smile at what kind of a firecracker, independent, stubborn personality you saw. I think he's got a stronger will than Elly (and those who know Elly, know her will). He needs consistency and structure, but at the very same time needs devotion, attention and AFFECTION! Yep, I really think he's going to be a 6'4 teddy bear...

This intensity lends itself to a great amount of emotion, as well. This little boy crumbles at a stern word, and squeals, claps and screams at the opportunity to pig pile on his Daddy in the middle of the living room floor. He's all-in, 100 percent. He wears his heart on his sleeve...and I love it.

Bennett probably gets into more trouble than either of his older sibs did at this age, and I think that's due to a combination of things. 1) his personality, 2) the urging/manipulation of his brother and sister, 3) my eyes and attention now going three different ways, and 4) his problem solving mentality. There's a chair in the way? Move it. Can't slide it over? Knock it down. Oh, you wanted to get your finger into that outlet? Surely we can find one of Cam's toys to pry off the outlet cover and get closer. Can't quite reach what's on the counter? Knock mommy's cookbooks off the shelves and climb right up the stack. You catch my drift... :)

I must say that I do catch Bennett in the act of troublemaking (also) more often than Cam and Elly because he can't contain his excitement when he's about to pull something off. I hear the door creak open and the little pats of his hands on the floor as he goes toward our (uncarpeted) stairs to take a light speed climb...and right before he takes the initial crawl up, he SQUEALS with joy at the prospect of making it up those stairs. I mean, a crazy loud noise that totally gives him away! Fortunately this also gives me the opportunity to fetch him before he completes the task. A similar sound is made when he's about to reach his hand in and play in the toilet, or pull every plastic grocery bag out of the dispenser. Busted by his own glee. Poor little stinker.

When Bennett's happy, relaxed and content, you will almost ALWAYS find him sitting with his little ankles crossed in front of him. Sitting with a snack in the high chair, waking up and jabbering in his crib, on the living room floor with a cup of milk, or in his carseat jammin' to some tunes on the way to the grocery store, those precious little ankles are al.ways.crossed. It's totally his own thing, and it makes me smile every time I see him do it!

Teething, sleep training, and weaning when I was nursing have all been most difficult with Bennett. Caleb would say it's purely because he's the baby (which I completely don't understand... :) but he's probably the most physically sensitive baby I've had. His shots were difficult and needed extra care, his teeth coming in were the END OF THE WORLD, and when he gets overtired...just watch out. It's not easy being the baby, as Daddy would say ;)

This boy has the perseverance of a lot of kids twice his age. He LOVES to throw the ball (any ball, really), and judging by his build and tendencies, I think we may have a real athlete on our hands in the future. He's already started his weight training and carb-loading for future competition, pretty sure... :)

Ah...my Brown Brown. Days are more exciting because of him. My cupboards must be stocked with more food because of him. I'm certain I'm keeping off and extra 3-5 pregnancy pounds because of him. Elly is a big sister and Cameron twice a big brother because of him. My heart is full of that much more JOY, because of him.

I'm teary-eyed right now because of him.

Just love this little boy...