The Conley Crew: Babies Don't Keep, 12 Months of Benson

Oh my word! My sweet and fire-y Benson is one year old and it's killing me!!! This has definitely been the fastest year ever! It has been filled with many amazing memories and milestones for our boy. I have especially loved seeing my boys together and seeing their relationship grow and bloom. They are turning into the best of friends and the best of enemies ;). It's hilarious and exhausting to watch but I am loving it so incredibly much!!! It has also been amazing to see Benson and Jon together as well. They have the sweetest relationship and their adoration is mutual and adorable. But I'm not going to lie.....I'm a little selfish because more than anything I have loved developing my own relationship with my baby boy. He is sweet joy and happiness. He seriously has a light to him that's hard to explain. Man I love our boy, Benson the Red. He is our miracle baby and the gratitude I feel for him in my life and our family is unexplainable. He came at the exact moment he was supposed to and our whole extended family and our little family was blessed as a result.

Here is a little more about our boy.....

- He loves to drive little cars around (and especially loves shopping carts with steering wheels.....those are his jam!)

- He is crawling everywhere and is getting so fast! He definitely prefers carpet and rugs to the wood floor. He likes cozy, comfy on his knees.

- He is doing so much better pulling himself up on furniture and toys and it's so cute to see himself so proud

- He is still a CRAPPY sleeper. He is usually up twice a night (once if I am really lucky!) and he's killing me! I guess it's better than the 3-4 times he used to get up.

- He loves to wave, clap, shake his head no

- He is still super ticklish with his chin being his through the roof tickle spot

- He says whoah, yeah, no, mom and dad

- He loves to wrestle the couch, couch cushions and pillows. It's seriously hilarious.

- He loves to unload any basket, bag and/or bin he can get his hands on

- he always takes his left sock and left shoe

- We are thinking he is going to be a lefty but we will have to wait see.

- He is still rocking the copper red hair and blue eyes with the sweetest face on earth. Looking very much like his dad (handsome little devil).

- He likes to put stuff away.....he is totally his mother's son

- He loves to be outside and gets the biggest smile on his face when you take him into the great outdoors......even if it's just the front porch or back yard.

- He still loves to read books, might be his favorite daily activity but usually likes to do it before bedtime the most. He loves sitting in the brown rocker chair with mom and read a STACK of books.....seriously a STACK every night. I love reading with him. He makes the sweetest expressions, loves turning the pages and definitely has his favorites ("Duck & Goose", "One Fish, Two Fish", all flap books, "You Are My Sunshine", anything by Caroline Jane Church).

- He has some major stranger danger but will usually crack a smile and even sometimes a giggle when you give his cheeks a little squeeze (& then he's happy, happy, happy).

- He gets beyond mad when you don't let him hold everything you are shopping for. Like screaming bloody murder mad.

- He still hates when I leave the room by as long as he can see me he is content to play and hang out

- He is getting quite adventurous in the bath, moving around, soaking the walls with his splashing

- He hates being told NO and pretty much cries every timmom tells him no

-He still loves Mickey the most and it's pretty dang cute....especially when I make his Mickey stuff animal dance and sing

- He has one solo tooth on the bottom and I love it!!! (Thankfully he has not bit me!)

- He has best little chubby thighs and face cheeks and is skinny boy everywhere else and his cheeker dimples are to die for

- He loves his binkie at night and naps but tries to steal it all day

- He cries when Jon aka Dad leaves the house and does the cutest happy dance when he comes home

- He adores his brother above all and looks for him when he gets up from his nap or when we get in the car to do errands

- He attacks his crib lovies every chance he can get

- He does the cutest little lip pop

- He loves when people imitate him. He gets the biggest smile on his face.

- He adores kids, especially his cousins!

- He loves food but gets bored very easily and wants different foods all the time. He usually rejects any kind of puree including apple sauce right now

- He still loves singing and will usually stop what he's doing to watch a person sing

- He is obsessed with animals with dogs and bunnies being his favorite. But if he sees a dog he will almost cries he gets so excited. Then he tries to grab and take the dog home. It's pretty much the cutest thing ever.

- He has started to walk a little on his knees (not on his feet yet)and has started to do the cutest little shuffle with them and barely started taking steps holding onto things

- He started to unload all the shelves in the playroom and that's super fun......NOT

- He loves exploring, especially the hallway

- He loves to squeeze his binky while he nurses and I'm just grateful it's not my boob he's squeezing anymore

- He makes the sweetest "o" expression still and mixes it in with his surprise face

- He can destroy a stack of books in .5 seconds

- He blows kisses and gives high 5's and I adore it!!!!

- Sometimes if you ask him if he's going to be nice, he will shake his head no....it's hysterical

- He loves to pet the owl on the quilt my mom made for him that hangs in his room

- If you tell him you are going to get him, he gets so excited

- He thinks it's super funny to drop food off his highchair. He will watch you, watch him drop stuff off the highchair...he's a stinker!

I'm sure there are million other things I'm forgetting