CYG – Day 3

Day 3 – In Honour

I started this blog in honor of our son Bennett.  I spend a lot of time on this blog talking about grief, anger, hope, etc. but today is all about Bennett.  I’ve written bits and pieces about him here and there, so I’m thinking today that I’ll share some stories.

About a week or so before the accident, we were having some family time in the living room.  Parker and I were sitting on the couch and Benny was in his climbing stage.  He kept climbing on the coffee table and looking at us with that Fletcher twinkle in his eye looking for our reaction.  After about the third time of this Parker decided to turn the table on it’s side.  He looked at Benny and said ‘good luck!’  Well, not to be outdone, Benny climbed right onto the table on it’s side while Parker just started shaking his head.

When Benny first started walking in the summer of 2013, he would run from his bedroom to the bathroom at night for his shower with Darcy (baths weren’t an option with this child).  He’d do his little naked dance and inevitably pee the entire way.  It got so every night I would follow him with a towel.  Darcy finally turned and looked at me one day and said, ‘Mom, why don’t you just put him on the toilet?’ (duh).  So we started every night and that kid would go.  He was only 15 months when this started, but he would actually use the toilet and figured out how to hold it until then so that I wasn’t cleaning pee off the floor every night.

Benny was a pretty calm little guy as far tempers go.  With Darcy things were often a battle of wills, with Benny it was just so much easier.  He was a very mild baby too, didn’t really cry for the first 6 months.  As a toddler, he was usually very happy and pretty easy to parent (as far as attitudes go).  It was rare for him to throw a tantrum, but when he did it was hilarious!  I would often have to look away and laugh as he would get onto the floor in frustration.

Benny was a dream baby.  He slept through the night early on, he rarely ever cried and was SO even tempered.  There were days that I would panic that there was something wrong with him, Darcy had been so spirited from birth.  Benny was my snuggler.  He would find that spot on your shoulder in your neck and just settle in.  He was a terrible napper, but just so happy all of the time.  I was so lucky to have had such an easy going baby.

Author: sheriroaf

Sheri Roaf is the mother of four wonderful children who turned to blogging after her 17 month old son Bennett passed away unexpectedly. Through her writing she has found a way to help herself and her family move forward in the face of tragedy. View all posts by sheriroaf