A Christmas full of gifts!

This week is always a hard week for me, as Christmas decorations come down, twinkle lights are turned off, the Christmas aisles in the grocery stores are replaced with storage bins, and it somehow feels wrong to keep playing Christmas music, even though I have yet to be tired of the songs.  But it was a wonderful Christmas, and the glow of the last month is still with me, even as I boxed up the last ornament and candle yesterday.  
What a poignant Christmas this has been for us.  Singing and reading about Jesus coming as a baby, I look at our little Ben and am amazed.  Jesus was this.....a small baby that cried and wiggled, needed to be held and changed, depended on his mother to eat and be safe.  God.  As a baby.  My mind struggles to comprehend our incomprehensible God, in diapers.  The enormity of His sacrifice, and His love that demanded He do so is overwhelming.  Emmanuel, God with us.  I have been so impacted by that name of God this year.  He chose to be with us, to live in our mess to rescue us from it.  I wonder what Mary thought as she raised her Son.  It has reminded me to never stop being awed by His presence in my life.

Our Christmas was filled with such joy and wonder this year as we celebrated with Ben.  He makes us marvel at God, and laugh at ourselves, and cherish each day.  It has been such a thrill to watch him learn and grow.  You can almost see the thought processes connecting in his mind-and not unlike watching a stroke victim learn how to reach out and hold things...his hand shakes and wobbles as he concentrates with such fierce determination.  Drool drips from his mouth and his brow furrows as he works so hard to get the goal.  And what a victory it is when he has been working so hard to pick something up, and finally grasps it in his hands, tastes his success with his drool covered mouth and grins with excitement!  We usually break out into cheers and applaud and you would have thought he had turned cartwheels by the way we celebrate, but the ear to ear smile we receive is worth celebrating in and of itself.  Wonder what we will do when he actually does something big, like walking!

As of Monday, our little boy is 5 months old!  So here is the update:

Stats: 

•  17 lb, 12 oz. (we found this out on an impromptu visit to the walk-in clinic on Christmas Eve for Ben's first cold!) 
• wearing 6 month onesies, and 6-9 month pants....those legs just go on forever!  I have to work hard to make sure he doesn't get into a high-water pant situation! :)

Likes: 

• lying on his back and holding his feet

• trying to sit up (mostly hands-free from Mom and Dad--just a little stabilization required occasionally)

• anyone who will sing, talk or pay attention to him!  (he can be overtired, hungry, ready for a nap and super cranky, but if there is a new person who will smile at him, he is happy and sparkly!)
• music, of any kind - even a commercial jingle will make him look up and grin; and thank goodness he doesn't have a discerning ear yet, because we sing and whistle to him all the time and he loves it, no matter what key we attempt!

• bath time, diaper change time, clothing change....still LOVES to be naked!

• being tickled!  this is a new thing...under his arms or on his sides are great spots to get grins and wiggles 
• silly noises and faces--usually guarantees you a giggle and sometimes a string of laughs!

• being up high-he loves to be held up high where everyone else is, or sitting in a chair that puts him on level with everyone else....we call it his altimeter, and you know when it is on and he needs altitude!

• "talking"- he continues to discover new sounds and octaves that most people wouldn't attempt!  Often during his playful time, he will just chatter away and carry on long "conversations" as long as I keep talking back to him!

Dislikes: 

• being left alone for very long (i.e., more than a minute)
• having to go to sleep when there is something going on-he hates missing out on a party! (still quite the socialite!)

                  
Mom and Dad's favorites: 

• his smiles, giggles, and talking are contagious and make us smile and laugh out loud

• his snuggles--still such a snuggle-bug and loves to cuddle, especially after waking up from a nap

• watching him learn new things and discover how to use his hands, arms, legs, feet, mouth and tongue 

  Here are some photos from this month and our little cutie!

playgroup friends - looks like a candy cane display!

Ben and his little friend Grant both wore the same outfits to the party, so of course the moms had to take advantage of this opportunity for a photo!

"What?  Doesn't everyone wear their snow hat with their pajamas?"

this is Ben's new trick: he loves to lie on his back, kick up his legs and hold onto both feet....makes diaper changes REALLY easy! :)

Christmas Eve, opening presents from Gran and Pops

the presents may have been good, but the tissue paper was the most exciting thing!

Christmas breakfast with the family!

Ben felt very grown up having his own seat at the table

"What?  A gift for me?! . . . "

". . . oh, it's just what I wanted!!"

Christmas morning seemed like a good excuse to try out the highchair for the first time!

"What flavor is this?!"

teething beads are great!!  Ben now loves to sit in the high chair at the edge of the kitchen to watch me cook and clean (we have upgraded from the bouncy seat--Ben loves altitude!)

Christmas dinner table set for 10 at Mom and Dad's

we had a full house on Christmas night: Lauren and Ryan Mitsuhashi, Dave and Mandy Frost, David and Jessica and Caroline Russell and us for Christmas dinner and hang out time!

A wonderful meal is even better when shared with friends!!