Busy little Ben

I have a lot of things I should be doing right now. I've got a final to get ready for, a house that needs cleaning--heck, I've got a house that needs painting and flooring installed so we can move into it in this lifetime. But I'm feeling the need to reflect and I don't keep a journal (I know, I know) other than this blog. Basically, feel free to skip over this post.

Ben is just growing up so fast and is turning into such a big, able little boy. Well, he still refuses to stand on his own or walk; however, he has demonstrated that he has the ability to do so. He's lacking the desire I suppose. It's so fun to watch him become aware of his little world. He babbles constantly, although his vocabulary of "real" words consists only of "hi" at this point. He has proven that he can maneuver the stairs--both up and down. He's just a lot of fun and I love him so much.

I guess I've been feeling particularly grateful for my healthy little guy recently. I've been faithfully reading (okay, blurking) Charlie Cooper's blog for weeks now. He's a little boy who is just a little younger than Ben and he's been in PCMC for months now. He got very sick after contracting pneumococcal meningitis. This sickness took a serious toll on his little body. He has brain damage, hearing loss, and is likely blind. I look at pictures of this perfect little boy who was a healthy little child just a few months ago and I think about how quickly things can change.

We've been to PCMC with Ben a couple of times for testing. Each time we've been sent home with a clean bill of health. I can't imagine spending months there and I certainly can't imagine seeing my sweet little boy affected by a disease the way that poor Charlie has been. My heart aches for his parents. Before Ben was born I would have thought Charlie's story was sad and probably not given it much more thought. But after having a kid I'm so much more affected by things like this. It makes me a little more patient when he yells, rummages through cupboards, and paws through the baskets of laundry I just folded.