Monday, November 15, 2010

Seth Josiah Benefield

Over the last several weeks I have sat down with each of my children and interviewed them for our Anniversary Month. Angela and I have been blessed with awesome kids, and I want our friends and supporters to have a chance to know them better. Since Seth only knows a few words, I have asked the rest of the family to help prepare his article.

Riding in a tuk tuk to go get his first haircut, November 2010
Seth was our 4th child to be born at the Bumrungrad Hospital in Bangkok, Thailand. Seth is 15 months old, but none of our family in the U.S. has met him personally yet. He will be just a couple months shy of 2 years old when he makes his first trip to the United States. Can't wait for grandparents, uncles, aunts, and cousins to meet him!

A couple of days old, August 2009
When Seth wakes up in the morning, or from a nap, he is perfectly content in his crib as long as he doesn't see anybody. As soon as he sees somebody, he stands by the rail and jumps up and down as high as he can. His pudgy little feet used to not even leave the mattress, but these days he gets some pretty good air!

October 2009
A few weeks ago he discovered a way to escape from his crib all by himself. Over the years as each new child was born, the older siblings liked to stand on the bottom bar of the crib to see the baby. Eventually, one of the wooden bars on the very end of the crib came out, and we just plugged the gap with some pillows. He finally found it and was able to get out several times (causing mommy to think she was losing her mind), until we finally caught him and put an end to his liberty. We caught his escape on video tape, and it was pretty ingenious and quite funny too.

October 2010
Seth is perhaps at his funniest when he is in his high chair. He loves food! We have found virtually nothing that he does not like. If we are eating it, he wants the same thing. He probably enjoys the act of eating more than any human I have ever known. He talks to the food, plays with the food, smashes the food, teases others with the food, and then finally stuffs all he can into his mouth. When he is done (or when he spies something that he likes better) he lets you know by starting to toss things overboard! We're still working on his manners!

Big sister, Candace, put him in a box to sit by her
and read books, September 2010
One of his favorite treats is to steal a sip of mommy's Diet Coke. If he sees her drinking one, he will instantly reach out his hand and begin to open and close it while making smacking sounds with his lips. Mommy can't resist. The funny thing is...even at his young age, he doesn't waste time asking daddy for a drink, because he knows daddy doesn't share his Diet Coke with the kids.
With Daddy on 1st Birthday, August 2010
Seth is a big-time thumb-sucker. But he has a different technique than I've ever seen. While he is sucking his thumb, he flicks his nose with his pointer finger. Not sure where he picked that up, but it's a sure sign he's ready for bed. The nice thing is...we just have to put him in his crib and he goes to sleep with no fuss.

On his 1st Birthday with one of his
presents, a giant box of American
Cheerios, August 2010
Candace: "Seth loves to be played with. He is also learning how to say a few words like daddy, doggy, baby, mama, and boo. He makes car sounds while playing with toy cars and trucks, and he loves to hit, kick, and throw balls too."
On his 1st Birthday, August 2010
Deborah: "Seth loves to hit things and people. It doesn't mean he's mad. He just hits things whether he is mad or happy! He knows how to say uh-oh, baby, and doggy. He also really loves to climb on things."
Playing with big brother's cool fire truck, July 2010
Emma: "Seth likes to eat lots of different things, like bananas and yogurt. He also likes to stand at the front door and look at Bandit and say "doggy".
June 2010
Stephen: "Seth hits everything that he plays with. He loves peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. He takes the two pieces of bread apart right away, then he takes the one that has the most jelly and eats all the jelly off. He gets real messy, and then he likes to reach out and touch anybody who is close enough."

With big sister, Gabby, April 2010
Playing with big sister, Gabby, March 2010
January 2010
March 2010
Getting his first haircut, November 2010

7 comments:

  1. What a little cutie! He would get along great with my little nephew Daniel (Brandon's youngest) he loves to eat too! Thank you so much for sharing your children with us, you guys are truly blessed! We always enjoy reading your blog but the post about the kids are our favorite!

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  2. Seth is just TOO CUTE!!! His eyes just sparkle and his smile looks contagious.
    He is growing up quickly. I can just imagine how he fills your home with so much joy.

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  3. I REALLY enjoyed reading this. It was so fun to get to know Seth a little more. I'd love to see the video of his "Great Escape". I bet that was hilarious...Seth, you are a handsome little boy.

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  4. I feel like I know him much better after reading this awesome article. I enjoy getting the kids' input. Here's a line that cracked me up: "He probably enjoys the act of eating more than any human I have ever known. He talks to the food, plays with the food, smashes the food, teases others with the food, and then finally stuffs all he can into his mouth." We can't wait to meet him in person!

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  5. Oh, and in that last picture (getting the haircut), he looks just like Stephen.

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  6. Dee and Wayne SnyderNovember 22, 2010 at 3:30 AM

    Steve and Angela, you are surely blessed and I love the "interview" and report on Seth. We miss ALL of you. So glad you will be enjoying a "foreigner's chicken" in a couple of days. Can't beat turkey for feasting. God bless you - we pray often for you.

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  7. from little Timothy - "I like climbing stuff. I REALLY like that fire engine. I have a dog names Spot. I don't like soda. I like peanut butter by itself."

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