Lallier Adventures

I love birthdays! I love celebrating my own birthday but I really love celebrating (and planning) birthday parties for others. Over the weekend we celebrated Benaiah’s first birthday! Honestly, I cannot believe he is already one. The year has flown by. Everyone always talks about how fast it goes but I really did not understand until I experienced it myself.

I have a few favorite memories with Benaiah from over this past year. We took him to his first baseball game, and while he cried every time the music or the announcer came over the speaker behind us, he loved people watching and liked seeing the players run around the field. I remember the first time he experienced rain and how startled he was at the rain drops touching his skin. I loved taking him to the Oregon Coast for the first time. Getting to show him my favorite beach and accidentally letting him tip over into a shallow tide pool (and having it be immortalized on video) will be a memory I have forever.

I have a few hard memories too. The fear over Benaiah not pooping for the first two weeks of his life, the struggle with breast feeding and postpartum depression, the first time he was sick, and the struggle with developing a sleep routine. But even in the midst of the hard memories, I’m grateful for them. God was faithful in the midst of every one. I learned a great deal about trust, hope, faith, admitting when I need help and that hard things are seasons that do (eventually) end. I also learned lessons that are preparing me for our future children and perhaps even to be able to help those who are facing situations I have now walked through.

We had a great time celebrating Benaiah with friends and family. His baseball themed birthday was a huge success and Benaiah really enjoyed hamming it up and showing off for everyone. As a side note, if anyone needs incredible baked goods, my sister-in-law makes the most fantastic things! She made all 55 baseball themed cupcakes for Benaiah’s party and not only did they look incredible but they tasted amazing!

I know Benaiah won’t remember this birthday but I will have wonderful memories to hold onto. Top of the list is the reveal of Baby Lallier #2! My mom created a smash cake for Benaiah. Inside the cake was colored for the gender of our next baby. We set Benaiah up in his chair, sang “Happy Birthday”, gave him the cake, and waited for him to smash into it. Would you believe my high energy, adventurous, rough and tumble son delicately pulled off small pieces of frosting and slowly ate while everyone watched? When we finally could not take the suspense any longer, we assisted Benaiah in smashing the cake! And without further ado, the Lallier family would like to announce that we are having a boy! We are looking forward to meeting Joshua Daniel Lallier in June!! Further adventures clearly await us and we cannot wait.

Much love,