We Failed As Parents Today!

Ben had his doctor's appointment today. I didn't realize that he was scheduled to get another shot....and we forgot his pacifier! The poor little guy HATES to be undressed...HATES even more to have his diaper off.....and now had to get a shot...all without his crutch...the pacifier.

Needless to say, he did very well (He really has a set of lungs, though)!

The great news is that he weighs 8lbs, 13 ounces....so he has exceeded his birth weight (and was/is going through a growth spurt as I had suspected). Also, he is now 20 3/4 inches long (which is weird, because he was supposedly 21 1/2 inches long when he was born)....we double checked that measurement. Also, he has no signs of thrush in his mouth....but he does have a small diaper rash. But, thanks to my co-worker, I am on my way to KMART to get some miracle ointment.

As for the pumping, I have now managed to get about 3 ounces each day. I'm VERY happy about this....but I still decided to contact the Lactation Consultant....who has given me some pointers. She's even agreed to meet with me if her advice doesn't work....I want to get comfortable with this whole pumping thing by 8 weeks.

We're all really looking forward to this week-end. Benjamin gets to meet Pop Pop Paul and Uncle Andrew for the first time!! And, Ben gets to see MeeMom again....we all wish they lived closer! Also, it's Superbowl week-end...and we can't wait to make Benjamin's debut at various parties.....Go GIANTS!

Visit With Grammy and Grandpa Benke (and Uncle Philip and Uncle Scott)

Grammy has the magic touch! Look at those little eyes closing!

I love Ben's face...he's staring at Uncle Scott...and he doesn't like what he sees (just kidding, Scott)! Look how's he's holding up that little head!My little guy!

There Is A Certain Someone That Ben Wants to Meet

MADDIE!!!!

Kelli- Ben wants to meet his little future arranged marriage partner! If you're ever in the area, let us know....we would LOVE for you to come and visit!

Pumping Checklist

Oatmeal- Check!

Water- Check!

Protein- Check!

New Pump!- hmmmm....interesting!

Pampers Swaddlers Are Definitely Out!

Period.

We have 1/2 an Ounce!

It isn't much...but it is a start. It took 2 days and 6 pumping "sessions", but it's kind of cute! =0)

Needless to say, pumping is much harder than I thought it would be. I thought that if you were able to breastfeed your baby, then naturally you would be able to pump the milk for bottles. I am finding out that pumping is an "acquired skill"....one that I don't seem to have yet. But, I am hopeful that the whole Supply/Demand system that God created will come through in the end...only time (and patience) will tell!

We've Got A New Ride!

Here's a look at our Trooper! It's niiiiice!! It's especially nice to be a passengaer in this vehicle and not have your face in the dashboard. The Mazda was getting a little TIGHT!

And The Winner Is....Yet To Be Determined!!

Which Diaper will be the winner? We are looking for all around quality which means able to withstand my son's explosive poops AND one that is unleakable. We usually go through about 3-4 outfits per day!

Will it be Target's Generic Brand, Huggies or Pampers Swaddlers? Here is a picture of Ben in his favorite onesie from the Garner's. It reads "My Best Friend is a Garner"....we were given this onesie as a gift when our friends from MD told us that they were expecting a baby in 2008!! YAY!
More pictures of PlayTime....because he's just so cute!!

Quick Update!

Benjamin is now 3 weeks old! I can't believe how quickly the weeks have flown by. It's sad that I am now single digit weeks away from returning to work (9 weeks left). I am still in a lot of pain between feedings, but it does look like Benjamin is feeling better. Caleb starts night shift this week. So, we get to see how life is like with that schedule. All in all, things are wonderful! Benjamin is eating like a champ, I'm getting more than enough sleep each day and Caleb has been such an amazing, attentive husband. He is really trying hard to do whatever he can to help!
Grammy Weir came to visit us this past week-end. We also got to visit with Uncle Cam, Aunt Jill and Cousin Alex. Caleb's Sgt and his wife stopped by for a visit, too. We LOVE visitors!!

Yesterday was our Photo Session with Rebecca (FrameLight Photography). Ben was WONDERFUL! He kept those little eyes open for a majority of the time AND he even let us undress him down to his little diaper for a few pictures. (This little man HATES to be cold.....so this was HUGE.) I can't wait to see how they turned out!

Current Advice Needed- Ben pees all over himself and it leaks through the diaper. I am not very good at changing little boy diapers....girls were so much easier. His little sprinkler is extremely unpredictable....yet inevitable! We ordered PeePee TeePee's to help when we are changing him....so that he won't go all over himself. But, I am still going through about 3-4 outfits a day, because it leaks through the sides or up the top of the diaper. Maybe I just need to try a new brand of diapers!

Uncle Cam and Cousin Alex on Caleb's bike! (I get to ride with Caleb now on it!!)

Don't worry, I rescued him ASAP! It did make a funny picture though!

If you know our dogs, you know that this is very uncharacteristic of them!! They really like laying by the fireplace, though!

My Mom Is Going To Be So Proud!

This post is mainly for my mom to show her the new "pictures" I created to put all around where Benjamin is the most alert and active.

He is already staring at the big black and white box when he is being changed.

I moved to mobile lower and added some black/white/red shapes for him to see.

He's fascinated by the mobile now (Thank you Pop Pop Paul for this gift!) Also, notice the new picture to the right of little Benjamin. He loves it!

Big Boy Bath!

This post is dedicated to Auntie Dawn in Jacksonville, FL who hooked us up with the cutest duckie hooded towel and the temperature control duck that tells you if the bath water is too hot.
Benjamin's cord fell off on Monday, but we were still too hesitant to give him his first real bath....so he's had spounge baths since then. Well, my mom informed me that it was time to "grow up" and let this little guy experience the water. She said that he would probably love it and love kicking his feet around.

Well, he loved kicking his feet around.....but only because I am sure he HATED the bath. As with the spounge bath, the second time is always the charm. I'm sure he will grow to love it in due time.

Here are some pictures from the fiasco!

Auntie Dawn gave me this as a present because I told her I was pregnant on our girls' trip to FL last summer! The tourist duck was appropriate because of all the pictures we took!

It gets better, Little Man, I promise! Life is so hard as a 20 day old!

Benjamin LOVES being held. This is the hooded towel from Auntie Dawn, too.

Oooops! Hopefully that will come out! Benjamin got a little too comfortable and went all over the new towel! It's in the wash now!

The "scene of the bath" immediately following. Next time we'll ask Daddy to help!

Thanks for the advice!

Things are still going really well with little Benjamin. He and I do have yeast/thrush now....which is making breastfeeding a little difficult (more for him than for me). We have the antibiotics and are hopeful that it will all clear up soon....since we caught it early.

I wanted to thank all the other mom's/friends/family out there who have given me so much wonderful advice. I am so appreciative of all of your long e-mails, phone conversations and quick responses when I need help.

Thank you:

Mom

Jill (Stepmother)

Ann (Mother-inLaw)

Jill (Sister-in-Law)

Tabetha (Co-worker)

Kelly (Church friend)

Kelli (College Friend)

Kerry (Chruch Friend/Speech Pathologist)

Andie (Ex-Roomie from college)

Kristin (Church Friend and future first babysitter)

Katherine (Caleb's Squadmate's wife/Baby Expert!)

A Morning in the Life of Benjamin Asher

The morning begins with a little Mommy/Daddy time and a morning devotional. Benjamin is usually still groggy from the long night! Last night, he went 4 1/2 hours between feedings and then another 3 1/2 hours. He makes us so proud!

Then, it's time for a diaper change. He's usually VERY hungry by this time....thus, not very happy.

He recovers well, though....as soon as his feet are covered up!

Below, is the look I usually get when he is ready to eat! The little lips start to curl and pucker!

Next is playtime! It's nice and warm in the office!

And of course, Benjamin has another dirty diaper! This kid can GO! As you can see from the picture below, once he's fed, things go much smoother for diaper changes....

...until he pees all over himself and needs a new outfit! Did I mention how much he HATES being cold?
Next it's TUMMY TIME! I'm not very good at taking the pictures when his head is in the air. It is only there for about a seccond...and I always miss it!

Then, Benjamin gets tired and just wants to be held. Playtime is a lot of work!

Then the cycle begins all over again. When he wakes up, he usually needs a diaper change and a good feed.

Hope you enjoyed this morning in the life of Benjamin Asher!

Why Do Women Cry? (Thanks, Rachael!)

A little boy asked his mother, "Why are you crying?" "Because I'm a woman," she told him.
"I don't understand," he said. His Mom just hugged him and said, "And you never will."

Later the little boy asked his father, "Why does mother seem to cry for no reason?"

"All women cry for no reason," was all his dad could say.

The little boy grew up and became a man, still wondering why women cry..

Finally he put in a call to God. When God got on the phone, he asked, "God, why do women cry so easily?"

God said
"When I made the woman she had to be special.

I made her shoulders strong enough to carry the weight of the world,

yet gentle enough to give comfort.

I gave her an inner strength to endure childbirth and the rejection that many times comes from her children.

I gave her a hardness that allows her to keep going when everyone else gives up, and take care of her family through sickness and fatigue without complaining.

I gave her the sensitivity to love her children under any and all circumstances, even when her child has hurt her very badly.

I gave her strength to carry her husband through his faults and fashioned her from his rib to protect his heart.

I gave her wisdom to know that a good husband never hurts his wife, but sometimes tests her strengths and her resolve to stand beside him unfalteringly.

And finally, I gave her a tear to shed. This is hers exclusively to use whenever it is needed."

"You see my son," said God, "the beauty of a woman is not in the clothes she wears, the figure that she carries, or the way she combs her hair.

The beauty of a woman must be seen in her eyes, because that is the doorway to her heart - the place where love resides."

Torn

So, I love being a mom....especially Ben's mom. He is the most amazing little boy that I have ever met....but then again, I'm a little biased.

But, it's hard being a mom. The hardest part for me right now is that I feel great, but my body is not great yet....it still needs to heal! I want to do so much more than my body will let me do right now. I over-did it yesterday with a really long walk and carrying things that were too heavy. So, today, I was forced to sit on the couch with my feet up...hoping that my body would get back on track.

It's also hard to do the same thing day in and day out. It's kind of making me go a little crazy. I find myself wishing the day away....just so that I can sleep again. Then, I get all upset, because I realize how special this time is for me, for my son and for my husband....so I feel guilty for actually wanting the days to pass by.

So, 5pm is my "weepy hour"....or so it has been named. I really hope that my body will get back up to par quickly so that I can actually start walking and visiting with people and running errands and such again. I think that once I am able to do more, I will feel better.

In other news....my wonderful husband took little Benjamin out tonight to give me some time to myself....which is why I am on the computer right now. I just got a phone call from him. He told me that he forgot the diaper bag!! hehehehe...and that my son will be wearing a size 3 diaper when he comes home....and to please not yell at him. I think he learned his lesson....he was pretty embarrassed that all the people at the party found out that he forgot the bag and wouldn't let him keep Benjamin's dirty diaper on until they got home.

I love my husband. There is no way I could do this without him....He's my sanity!

We'll Miss You, MeeMom!

MeeMom is going home to Maryland soon! We are all going to miss her so much! I don't know what we would have done without her!

We are especially going to miss:

All her wonderful meals

Morning Babysitting Sessions with Ben

Oatmeal every morning (for milk production)

Our Photographer and Picture Uploader

Kirk and Riley are going to miss being fed and let out

Another pair of hands for errands

Another pair of hands for baths

PlayTime Ideas (Those toys would not be out of the package yet if it wasn't for her- infant stim)

And SOOOOOO much more!

No one can take these two weeks away from any of us. Ben is blessed to have been able to spend this time with her. Thank you Pop Pop Paul and Uncle Andrew for being so selfless and allowing us this time with MeeMom! It has meant the world to us (and the tears have begun to flow....)

The Days Go By So Quickly

The days seem to fly by. It usually consists of playtime after the first feed, shower (thanks to my mom being here), walk around the block with Benjamin in his Snugli after the next feed, another afternoon playtime, an errand/trip out, etc. I get a little weepy around 5-ish, but then Caleb comes home and all is right with the world. Benjamin loves his Daddy and comes to life in his arms!

I've managed to take a trip to Target and my Mary Kay consultant gave me a New Mommy Makeover today!

My mom leaves Thursday morning. It is going to be bittersweet. Even she says that it looks like we are ready to try this parent stuff out on our own. But, she has been such a huge help and is going to be missed....especially by Ben!

Caleb's off tomorrow and Thursday! I am so happy about that. Ben still gives us at least 2 3-hour stretches at night to sleep....some nights, there is a 4 hour stretch. After his early morning feed, I like to hold him in my arms in bed and watch him sleep.

I still can't belive that I'm a mom and this child is ours....to keep!

Currently Ben has the hiccups....breaks my heart!

I Love My Little Boy!

Family Photo and Play Time

Family Photo

Benjamin is starting to stay more awake during the day.

Don't you just want to kiss that little nose?

Riley sat at the edge of the playmat the entire time. (Kirk was no where to be found.)

Talking in My Sleep!

So, last night, I went to bed around 9 PM and Caleb stayed up to play XBOX....and watch Benjamin. Around 11:30 PM, I called Caleb (I was in bed, he was in the other room....I know I'm lazy....but have YOU ever had a newborn?). I told Caleb that Benjamin was finished with his feed and that he could come and get him now to put him down to bed.

Silence.

Caleb's response: "Honey, Benjamin is with me....how can you be finished with his feeding?"

hehehe...Looks like I mistaked the pillow I was holding for my son! Wow!

********************************************************************************
Here are a few more pictures for you to enjoy!

Mommy Meltdown...followed by 7 HOURS of SLEEP!

So, I had my first Mommy Meltdown. We all knew it was coming, we just didn't know when and from what direction it would make its debut.

I was all upset because this little guy had his days and nights mixed up. I recognized that I was heading for a hormonal explosion, but I didn't care. I just wanted to cry. I realized that of all the things that could be going wrong at this point (what, 6 days after birth), this was by FAR nothing to get all worked up over.

Well, I had my moment. Recovered quickly with the help of my mom and amazing husband....and wouldn't you know it, my beautiful little boy slept 4 straight hours, woke up for his feeding, then slept another 3 straight hours....all in his bouncer. Can I just say that my little boy ROCKS!

I feel like a new person. I realize that most babies take 2 steps forward and 1 step back....especially in the whole sleeping area. We are not holding our breath that tonight or other nights from now will be just like this....but it gave me hope....and a much better attitude.

I love this little guy. He's a keeper.

Also, we have started to stimulate Benjamin throughout the day with some early tummy time, music, toys, etc. His eyes are staying open a little more each day. Hopefully we will get more pictures with his eyes open.

First Doctor's Appointment

Today we had our first outing since coming home on Sunday! Benjamin had his first doctor's appointment for a weight check. Doc said that all looks great! He lost the typical 10% in body weight, so he now weighs 7lbs, 8oz. My milk just came in, so that should help his weight start to go up since he eats about every 2 hours. We have another appointment on Friday to check his weight again. Oh! and while we were at the doctor's office, it started to snow flurries! It was so beautiful!

Benjamin got his first sponge bath today...and he sprayed Caleb while being changed....and he had his first "spit up"....again, on Caleb...hehe!

Also, Benjamin is getting some supervised tummy time and doing fabulously. He can really raise that little head of his. This week-end, we are supposed to have spring-like temperatures. I am looking forward to our first little walk AND we may even venture to church on Sunday. That all depends on how I am feeling.

Here are some pictures for you to enjoy!