Forget what I said

I take back all the nice things I said about Michigan. I woke up to snow this week and it's been so bitter cold I've hardly gone outside for days. However, the howling winds and frequent snow falls have had one good result - we've done more tummy time and it has yielded wonderful results. He's using his arms now to hold himself up and he's almost figured out how to roll over. Sometimes he gets so close that I run for the camera, but no complete rolls just yet.

I tried setting out toys for him to look at so that he'd enjoy tummy time more, but none of his usual toys had any effect...


...Until Daddy brought out the "Tummy Time Bunny." Something about this furry friend calms all tears. Hey, whatever works.

The Color Tour

We've lived in Michigan for over a year now and have never seen much beyond our little area around Detroit. So, we decided to take this opportunity before the snow came to see more of this state that people claim is "much better up north." So, two days after I got home from grandma's house, off we went again. We drove to the upper peninsula and then down along the western coast of the state, along Lake Michigan. Truly, people have not been exaggerating, this state is wonderous. It has gorgeous beaches, beautiful forests, and really charming little towns. This time of year also happens to be "The Color Tour." This is what Michiganers do for fun - drive around and see all the leaves change color. (Besides throwing loud football parties every Sunday and Monday while smoking inumerable packs of cigarettes - or is it just our neighbor that does that?) So, we got to experience gorgeous displays of nature's finest colors...and some colorful people as well. Appartently the favorite way to see this color tour is on a Harley Davidson. And, let us not forget, that it's also hunting season. Lots and lots of men in camoflauge gear in every hotel. We almost didn't get a room one night because so many bikers and hunters were in town. However, we found a cute little 10 unit place that gave us their last room. As we carried our bags inside, I saw the owner pull off the paper that covered the "no" in the "no vacancy" sign and saw two bikers pull into the parking lot exclaiming, "There was a vacancy a minute ago! What do we do now?" Benjamin did quite well on his first long road trip. It wasn't until the last day that he really started getting sick of sitting in his car seat for hours on end, but by then we were sick of sitting in the car that much too. After this trip, though, I really have to admit, Michigan has some really beautiful areas and I look forward to seeing more of it in the future.

A small glimpse of the changing colors.



After a while we got sick of driving and let Benjamin take over.




Kelly was getting Benjamin to smile so we'd finally have proof that he really does. The funny thing was that every time he'd see me with the camera, he'd scowel. Thank goodness he has a short attention span and a short memory.



Benjamin enjoying a windy day by the beach.



Look, Daddy's wearing a funny hat too!




Benjamin explores the water.



Can you believe this is Michigan?!

Home Sweet Home

We returned from grandma's house a few nights ago. The trip was a good one, but I'm glad to be back home. Benjamin was great on the flight and noticeably happy to see Daddy again. However, he had a hard time adjusting to his own crib again the first night and cried for over an hour before finally falling asleep, but the second night (last night) he settled right in and slept through the night again (8pm-7am). It was wonderful. We currently have no second car so Benjamin and I have spent our last few days visiting neighbors in our apartment complex and playing with some new toys that he's getting the hang of now that he's starting to reach and grasp. I laid a few toys around him on a blanket and he managed to pick one of them up and bring it to his mouth. Well...he jammed it in his eye first, but it eventually made it to his mouth. :) Didn't manage to get a picture of it, though, and he wasn't too consistant with that game. There's still a lot of arm waving going on, but he's definitely improving.



Also, he's expanded on the superman arm pose during changing time. He's now turned it into the dead bug pose. He kept his arms and legs up almost the entire time and every time his legs fell, they'd startle him and his eyes would get really wide. Then he'd lift his legs right up again. It made diaper changing a little difficult to say the least, but still highly entertaining.


Still working on getting a cute smiley photo of the two of us. I guess he's just such a studious guy.

A visit to Grandma's

We're here at Grandma's house for a few weeks and Benjamin has been great at adapting to the new surroundings. He did wonderful on the flight over. He never cried (except when the toilet flushed - which incredible stand-back-or-you'll-get-sucked-in noise even scares me.) Everyone in the airport and on the plane commented on how curious and alert he seemed. Once we arrived, he loved checking out the backyard with all its trees and flowers since our "backyard" is mostly parking lot. Also grandma's house has a lot more rooms and exciting things to look at, so all in all, it has been an adventure for my little curious baby.

Bathtime is always fun, well, as long as the water is already in the tub. Benjamin is very scared of the sound of rushing water for some reason.


Of course, no visit to Grandma's is complete without trying on some of mom's old baby clothes! Gotta love the 70s!


We've started doing tummy time like this sometimes because he seems to enjoy it so much more. We still do it on the floor, but he's such a perfectionist that when he doesn't lift up immediately, he starts to cry and tummy time is usually over in less than five minutes.

Little Johnny Jumper

Benjamin tried out a new toy yesterday - the Johnny Jumper. I'm not sure why they call it this, but what a great invention! I was at a friend's house and as she held Benjamin she commented on how well he holds up his head and that if he does this well, he's really ready for the Johnny Jumper which was apparently her childrens' favorite thing. So, I went home and tried it. I put a blanket in there with him so he wouldn't bonk his face in case he got tired and flopped forward, but he ended up sideways instead, so it was unnecessary. However, he seemed to really enjoy using his legs to move himself around. He actually managed to bounce some, but mostly he turned in circles. He sat there while I cooked dinner and things went really well. My little boy is growing up.




Every time I change Benjamin, he likes to lay on the changing table with his arms out and his hands in fists. Kelly says he's practicing for the days when he'll own a motorcycle. I really don't know why he does it, but he does it all the time, so I had to take a picture. The other is here just because I thought it was cute and in memoriam to the adorable outfit he's wearing because it is possibly no more unless I can remove the gigantic poop stain it acquired only hours after this picture was taken.

After all, God is a parent too

We invited some friends over for a game night tonight, so I had to make sure my apartment was presentable. However, it was another no nap day for Benjamin. So, that meant whatever I did, had to be done with him and he wasn't interested in cleaning. So, by 3pm, I still hadn't done any. Finally I gave up and took him to the post office where I needed to mail a certified letter. He fell asleep on the way home, but I assumed that he'd wake up again when I got him inside, as he always does. He has never slept more than 5 minutes in his car seat outside of the car. But, not wanting to waste a second, I put his seat on the floor and started moping, hoping to at least finish the kitchen before he started to cry. I finished the kitchen and he was still asleep, so I did the entry way...then the guest bathroom...then the master bath...and he was still asleep!! So I started scrubbing tubs, cleaning toilets and sinks, and dusting the furniture. Finally, as I finished off the very last thing, I heard him start to fuss. It was a miracle! I'd finished the whole place! The only thing I had left was vacuuming (hadn't wanted to make so much noise), so I put him in his bouncer seat and he watched me vacuum, completely contented. Honestly, I don't know what happened, but I can only assume it was divine intervention. Heavenly Father knows what it's like to be a parent and really need your child to take a nap. I've never seen Benjamin sleep so soundly in his seat and I've never seen him sit so long and watch me vacuum! Even when I vacuumed in other rooms, he sat quietly and waited. It was a miracle of immense proportions. Parting the red sea has nothing on this! So, my place looked great and I was all excited. Then the phone rang - our friends weren't going to be able to come. They wanted to postpone until Friday. Oh well, my place still looked fantastic. At least I could enjoy it. :) Now let's hope for another miracle on Friday.

Benjamin in his bouncer seat yesterday. He really enjoys the lights and sounds, and especially the mirror in the middle. He "talks" to and smiles at the baby he sees inside it.


I was in this picture too, but it's a "self portrait" so to speak, and it was far from flattering, so now it's only a picture of Benjamin. He looks very serious in this shot. I think it's cute.

A tall drink of water

That's what the doctor called Benjamin today. Apparently, that's supposed to mean that he's tall and skinny. He's 24.5 inches long and weighs 12lbs 1oz. So, at two months old, that puts him in the 95th percentile for height and the 50th percentile for weight. Looking at me, the doctor declared that he likely gets his genes from the other side of the family. Thanks doc, so are you saying I'm short or that I'm fat? ;) But he added that at 2 months, it's too early to really tell. In any case, Benjamin is a perfectly healthy little boy and thanks to the shots he got today, hopefully he'll stay that way. Of course, I would have loved to spare him that ordeal. I've never heard him wail with such intensity! Three times they poked his little thigh with needles. I read in a parenting magazine that you shouldn't try to distance yourself from the situation and look like the good guy by saying things like "That was mean, wasn't it?" or "What a nasty doctor to poke you like that!" Instead you should focus on why they're doing it and how you know it may hurt but you want to protect them. So, I tried to remember that and although I wanted to dissassociate myself from that awful feeling, I held his little hand, stroked his head, and told him how important all this was for him and how he'll be healthy and strong later on because of it. Who knows if that really made any difference to him and that's not to say that it didn't still break my heart to see him poked like that. But alas, it's over. Now I'm supposed to go get a flu shot to keep from possibly giving the flu to Benjamin. The problem is that I've never gotten the flu except the one time that I got a flu shot! ;)

Some more tummy time:

How many leaf blowers does it take...?

For some reason Benjamin refused to take his usual morning nap today and so by 1pm he was very tired. I managed to get him to go to sleep and hoped he would make up for the morning, but after only a short while I heard the dreaded lawn care truck arrive. Ugh, these people bug me. Yes, they provide a useful service, but does their equipment have to be soooooo loud? The minute they started working I heard whimpers coming from Benjamin's room. Pretty soon Benjamin was in full-out wailing mode and no amount of white noise makers would help. I got him up and looked outside to see not 1, not 2, not even 3, but 4 guys with leaf blowers walking as a group, blowing clipped grass right under my window. Then, over by my door, a bull-dozer moving dirt from one spot to another for some unknown reason. Finally, a little ways off - 2 riding lawn mowers circling around on the grass and a guy with an edger trimming around the curb. No one could have slept through that racket! Plus, it's now 6pm and they're still mowing and edging and blowing - 5 hours later!! And still, Benjamin has not gone to sleep. So, this is my battle today. Oh, how nice it would be to own a house where you can mow the lawn when it's not nap time and if your neighbor mows his lawn, it's with one lawn mower at a time. Not to mention, if I owned a house, I wouldn't have smoker man's noxious fumes wafting into my bedroom at all hours of the day and night. But alas, we're too chicken for such a huge step just yet, so I must deal with the consequences of apartment living. Though, I sure love having maintenance guys to call whenever anything breaks! :)

End of the story: It's now after 9pm, and for all those dying to know how the story ends - Benjamin finally fell asleep for 30 minutes after the lawn crew left and thus got enough rest that he was his normal, happy self until bedtime. We played his favorite game - the airplane - which elicited the usual excitement. This is where I (or Kelly) lay on my back and lift him above me, in a laying down position, so he's looking down at me. Whenever I do this, he smiles. I've actually been able to stop him in mid-wail with this move.

The airplane game:


Coming in for a landing:



Also, we played on the blanket a bit which resulted in his first laugh while awake! It was so amazing! He has the cutest laugh! He grinned real big and laughed several times as I moved his arms around and sung little songs. Finally, at the usual 9pm, I carried him into his room, swaddled him, sung to him, and laid him down. He smiled at me as I said goodnight and walked out. I haven't heard a peep since, so I'm assuming he's asleep. Why does he do so well at night but have so many troubled afternoons (with or without work crews outside)? I don't know, but I'm grateful it's not the other way around. So there you go, all's well that ends well.

Let's Go Shopping!

I felt out of sorts Friday and Saturday. Kelly was gone all day both days, not to mention the whole week, of course, and I felt lonely and a little depressed. I don't know why exactly, but subesquently I did what every American girl does to make herself feel better - I went to the mall! In all reality, I'm not a big fan of the mall, but I really wanted to get out and walk around and be around other people besides just Benjamin. So, I dressed him up in a spiffy little outfit, complete with shoes (not easy to put shoes on an infant!) and off we went.


I have to say, I didn't look nearly as good as he did, but no one looks at the person pushing the stroller anyway. Benjamin seemed to really like the mall. He was alert and attentive for a long time. He looked at all the people and the multitude of colors. I noticed he seemed to get a little nervous as I passed through a large group of people waiting for an autograph from a Detroit Tigers player, but he calmed down again right after. He never cried the whole time we were there. It was really fun to window shop. I didn't buy anything for two reasons: 1. I'm a penny-pinching miser who feels mall prices are ridiculous and 2. dealing with a stroller in the dressing room was way too much work. I guess it's just like you never notice how wheelchair unfriendly a place is when you can walk. I noticed how tight many areas in stores are once I had a stroller to push around. However, even though I came home empty handed, and possibly even because I came home empty handed (no buyer's remorse), I felt really good after only a short time in the mall. I also ran into some friends who work at various stores in the mall, who hadn't seen Benjamin yet and it was fun to show him off. By the time we went out to the car, he was worn out and was sound asleep before we even got out of the parking lot.



The many adventures of Benjamin:

Putting up with Mommy's love of hats and cuddly outfits:


Exploring my "big boy" toys:


Talking to the fish that hangs above my play mat:


Dressing up for church:


Taking pictures with Daddy:




Also, update on the sleep situation: although his 12 hour night was a one-time delight, he has been a great sleeper ever since. He sleeps from 9 until 5 or 5:30 every night, eats, and sleeps again until 8. He's a terrific little boy. And the best part is, I no longer wake up every hour fearing the worst. I now sleep peacefully until 5:30 right along with him.

The Whole Night Through

On the eve of his 8 week birthday, Benjamin slept through the night for the first time. (He must really like the crib!) He's had a couple nights where he's slept from 11 to 4 or something similar, but last night I put him down at 9 and he woke back up at 8:45 the next day. It was glorious. I don't know if it was a fluke or not, but it sure made me happy. I've read that once they're 11 lbs. (he's almost 12), metabolically babies can last through the night without eating. It's just that most babies wake up out of habit. Likely Benjamin will still take a while to make sleeping through the night a habit, but as a mother, I just have to brag a bit. My Benjamin is just so awesome.

Also, while we're on the subject of milestones, he shed his first tear yesterday as well. He had been playing peacefully by himself on a blanket for a while when he started to cry. I tried distracting him a little to get him to stop (using the those colorful linkable rings that he loves) and I noticed a little tear running down his cheek. They say that tear ducts develop around this time, so I guess that's finally happened for him. It was the most tender thing! As I wiped it away and picked him up, it made me think of the scripture in Isaiah 25 where it states that God will "wipe away tears from off all faces." I had never wiped anyone's tears away and it made me feel truly motherly for a moment. He's really my little boy. He relies on me and I love him so dearly. When I pick him up and he puts his arms around my neck and rests his head on my chest, there are no words to describe that moment. And now that he's a little bigger and sturdier, he's just so much fun to cuddle! I could hug him all day long.

His 8 week birthday photo




Also, along with the motherly warm fuzzies, comes another mother distinction - when it comes to Benjamin, nothing is too gross to handle. From spit to vomit to boogers to poop, no bodily fluid or substance bothers me anymore. Truly, it's just like people say - when it's your own kid, you don't mind. I used to hate being drooled on by other people's kids and don't even get me started on changing their poopy diapers! But for some reason with Benjamin, he'll wipe a booger on my shirt and I'll just think, 'oh, I'm glad that's not bothering him anymore.' What has happened to me? And I'm one of those people who's very conscious of my own personal space. Someone, even Kelly, breathing in my face drives me insane. Yet I find Benjamin's breath pleasing. When he breathes in my face, I think, 'how wonderful, that was inside my little baby.' Is that twisted? I don't know why all the rules change when it comes to your own kid, but truly, it's like Johnson & Johnson says, "Having a baby changes everything."

Every time Kelly feeds him, he tries to teach Benjamin how to hold his own bottle. Leave it to Kelly to try to automate even that process. :) So, here's an example of last night's attempt. Not bad in my opinion. It stayed like that for nearly the entire time he ate.

The Brand New Crib

Benjamin moved out of the pac-n-play bassinet to a real crib today. He's now just under 12 pounds and we noticed that no matter where we placed him in the bassinet, he'd sunk into the middle by the end of his nap. When your bassinet takes on a taco shape - time to move on. So, we got the crib and the mattress, but being the new parents that we are, didn't get sheets or bumper pads. Brilliant. So, he's kickin' it simple style - plain blanket on bare mattress with towels hung over the rails as bumper pads. It'll do for now, I suppose. :) After I assembled the crib (all by myself, hoorah!), I had to take a picture (minus the towels)and see how Benjamin liked it. However, today was not a good day for the little guy. He had some sort of stomach issue and had spent the entire day screaming, filling his diaper, passing gas, and going bright red in the face while grunting. He also almost pulled another 'all-dayer' except that he occasionally drifted off for 20 minutes or so from time to time. So, when I laid him in the crib, he was less than pleased. Had to get a photo of his reaction anyway, though. Couldn't pass up the moment. Currently he's sleeping quite well in it, thanks to Kelly, who took over for me once he got home. What would I do without him? (He even made a cheese cake a couple nights ago that we've finished off together this evening.) Cudos to all those single moms out there. I would be lost.

The new crib, still where I set it up, not where it will end up, since the pac-n-play has yet to be taken down.



Benjamin's reaction. I'm feeling the love.



Thought I'd include a picture of him actually sleeping. Mentally link this one to the one of the crib, if you will.

Has it been 5 years already?

Kelly and I celebrated our 5 year wedding anniversary this week. It's been a wonderful journey and I look forward to all that's ahead. It also happened to be the week of Benjamin's blessing at church. So, the whole family came into town. His blessing went great. Kelly did a wonderful job. Plus, Benjamin only fussed a little at first, but thanks to some bouncing, he calmed down and was quiet the rest of the time. For our anniversary, we went to Cedar Point amusement park with a couple ward members and our whole family (minus my mom and Benjamin). That place has some the most amazing roller coasters I've ever seen! Not for the faint of heart (or weak of stomach, such as myself). We all had a fantastic time and luckily, only once did I come close to losing my lunch all over the unsuspecting populace below the coaster. That's one good thing about the LONG lines at that place - it gives your stomach time to settle before you flip it around again.

The family gathered for a day of fun.



Kelly in his oh-so-stylin shades and Ford Fusion visor which unfortunatley didn't survive the day. May it rest in peace below the hideously jerky and bumpy Magnum XL-200. So sad.



Benjamin in his cute blessing outfit. Thanks to Sue for making it for him. It's adorable.



The family at our place after the blessing.



We bought Benjamin some pajama pants today and this hat came with it. As it says on the hat, "so cute!"



Just a couple cuddly Benjamin pics. I love my little boy.





P.S. Thanks to all those who comment on my posts. I love to read your thoughts and ideas. Also, special thanks to my faithful reader, Julie, who I don't think I've ever met (have I?), whose good ideas and compliments have made my day many-a-time.

I am SO tired!

Benjamin pulled an "all-dayer" today. That's what I call the opposite of an "all-nighter." Not a feat for an adult, but quite a rare feat for a five week old. So ironic that he does this after I write what a sleepy guy he can be! The day did not go over well. It went something like this: eat, change diaper, play, get tired, cry like crazy for an hour or so until hungry again, repeat from the start. Only the further we got, "play" dropped out and it went from eat to cry and back again for the entire day. It was death. You could tell he was so incredibly tired. His eyes were red and his cries became weaker and weaker, but for some reason, even when he did manage to drift off, he'd wake right back up again. It was insane. We tried the pacifier, the bouncer seat, rocking, just letting him cry, putting him down right after eating, going for a walk in the stroller, etc., but nothing worked. He ended up being awake for nearly 14 hours straight. How my little boy managed, or more importantly WHY he managed, I'll never know. I can only thank God he's asleep now and pray he'll be better tomorrow. Here's what he looked like, in all his droopy eyed glory, as I fed him around 6pm - after being awake for 10 hours:



On a happier note, Benjamin has gotten really strong and manages to hold his head up for long periods of time now. Also, he really likes to practice standing. We will balance him and he will actually support his own weight for quite a while. It has stopped him from crying many a time and he often grins while he's doing it like he knows he's pretty cool. (No grin in this picture, but trust me, he does.)

Sleeping Beauty

Little Benjamin is the sleepiest eater ever. It seems no matter how hungry he is, once he starts eating, it's off to dream land. Consequently he doesn't end up eating very much and then is hungry soon after. Often just laying him down on a blanket so he's not all warm and cozy next to me will wake him up, but when that fails, I've tried tickling his back, feet, hands, and/or face. I've also shaken him, blown on him, talked loudly to him, and sprinkled water on his face. Last night Kelly went so far as to stick his foot in a cup of cold water! It did the trick for about 5 seconds before he dozed off again. Yesterday I thought I'd time him from the time he latched on to the time his eyes closed and he stoped sucking. Any guesses? 39 seconds. Yes, seconds. The other issue this creates is what the baby whisperer calls "snacking." He only eats an ounce or two each time and then is hungry again right away, once he's awake enough to realize it (usually about 15-20 minutes later). She says to try to drag out the time between feedings at first by 10 minutes, then 15, and so on until they're eating every 2.5 to 3 hours like they should. I've tried that. What happens is that he cries those whole 10 or 15 minutes and wears himself out so that by the time I finally give up and feed him, he's even more tired and he eats even less!! Not effective. The strange thing is that at night he goes 3-4 hours at a time and eats a full 4+ ounces before going back to sleep. I can't figure out why he can't do it during the day. Alas, this is the newest battle we're facing. I'm sure it'll will change in a day or two.

In other news, Benjamin has now been taking real baths. His cord finally fell off at 4 weeks. Here's a picture from our first bath attempt using a fancy baby bath tub. (With a carefully placed wash cloth.) I decided immediately I didn't like the tub because he doesn't actually sit in the water, so it's just like the sponge baths he was taking. Plus, he gets cold sitting wet like that. You can see on his face he's not too enthused. So, since then it's been bath time in the sink, but I've been alone doing all those, so no pictures just yet. (Bath time with a baby makes you wish you had 5 hands - 2 to hold him, 2 to wash him, and 1 to grab all the stuff you need, like shampoo, towels, etc.) It's so cute seeing his face as I lower him into the water. His eyes get really big in surprise. Once he's in, he seems to enjoy it. Today he smiled at me the whole time as I washed him. Plus, he looks so cute in his little baby towel with the corner that folds over his head. I noticed he's got a rash around his chest and neck and into his hair, though. I'm not sure if that's just baby hormones and skin issues or a reaction to something. Just in case, our bath today was just plain water, no baby soap. We'll see if it clears up. It doesn't seem to bother him, so I hope it's not serious.