The Raft

Happy Birthday, Baby Ben!!

My Best Friend's Boy.

My Boy's Best Friend.

{My Girl's Future Husband.}



Here's the little guy on the first day I met him.
I think he was about 2 weeks old.



I'm guessing here, but I think this was about mid-year, maybe 4 months.




And this is the most recent I have, about a week ago.

When my sisters had Samantha, Kathleen and Cara, I was awe-struck and in love. But they had babies before I did, so I never really grasped it.

Then, Deborah had James and I really got it. Really understood the depth of what she was going through because I had had Abigail. I could thrill and enjoy over every little thing because I knew what she was talking about.

So, when my Belle had Benjamin it was like I was suddenly a seasoned vet. I had 2 babies, I was a full-time mama. And here was my best friend, the one person in my life (with the exception of my husband) who has known me, loved me and accepted me for all these years not because she had to but because she wanted to.

Here she was, giving birth to this amazing person that she grew in her body and wanted so badly.
Here she was, joining me in this world of motherhood. Our "final frontier" of friendship, really.

And Belle, you are a wonderful mother. You are natural and instinctive; loving and nurturing; calm and rational; warm and secure; fun and happy.
You make your baby feel safe, secure and loved - and because of that he is smart and happy and funny; musical and comical and curious; physical and emotional - already!

Ben is so blessed and amazing, because he has blessed and amazing parents.

So, Happy Birthday, Little Man.
God has truly blessed us all
and you are just one more example
of how He does that,
every single day.