Ben's Photos are Online...WoW!

I am CRAZY about Ben's newborn photos!! Of course, my baby is gorgeous ;) , but I really like the girls at Picsee Studios and the pictures they took blew me away! We went last week to view them, and it brought tears to my eyes how they captured his sweetness. He was so tiny ~ already so much bigger and more grown-up. Time flies.......

http://www.picseestudio.com/index2.php

Click on "Clients" (all the way on the right), and the password is babyben.

How in the world am I going to choose?!?!

Who Does He Look Like?

When Ben was born, Mark and I both agreed: He didn't look like either one of us!!! BUT, as soon as we got our own baby pictures out, we changed our minds...looks like Ben's a little bit of both :)

These 3 photos are Ben, Julia, then Ben: This next pair is Mark, then Ben:

And I have been wanting to compare Ben's 30-week 3-D ultrasound to his "real" self since he was born ~ that's him alright!! It's amazing how close they are...

Ben Turns One (Month!)

Well, we made it a whole month!! Time has REALLY flown by....I haven't done a thing except feed Ben, sleep, and change diapers but the days have gone by so quickly. He had a great 4 week check-up, weighing in at 8 pounds, 4 ounces. Thank goodness I'm not starving my baby boy! I just about croaked, though, when the nurse put him on the scale and it came out 6 pounds 12 oz....Mama started crying right there on the spot!! Mark and I knew that couldn't be right, because he's feeling heavier and looking a little chubby in the legs :) So, she did it again, and apparently had pushed the wrong button on the scale ~ whew!!

Ben, in the past month, we've taken several rides in the stroller, and tried out the bouncy seat but you didn't like it AT ALL.

"Ummm...does this bouncy seat make me look like an old man?"

You also went to your first Lake Day!! Here you are in your girlfriend Sophia's pink boppy - don't tell Daddy ;)

"OMG, my first Lake Day, and I don't know how to swim!!"

At one month, you are still nursing and eat about every 2 hours during the day, and every 3 at night. Sometimes at night, you do sleep for up to 4 hours, but usually it's about 3 and then you're hungry again :) Daddy and I love to watch you waving your arms all around ~ you're still trying to get control of them and it's so cute! We pretend you're waving "Hello!" at us. In the past week, you've started having more and more awake and peaceful moments....just sitting in the swing, looking around. Also, for the first time this week, you enjoyed looking at the mobile in your Pack-n-Play for a whole 5 minutes! (Yay! Mama got to brush her teeth!!)

The big event for Week 3 was your first bath...you didn't hate it, but didn't love it either. You were DEFINITELY cute, though!!




The newest development that Mama is most excited about is your first ride in the Mei Tai. We borrowed this from your Aunt Anne ~ she said your cousin Hank really liked it. So, Daddy and I watched a Youtube video on how to work this thing, and put you in and you LOVED it!! That next day, I carried you all around the house, and you were happier and so was I since I could load the dishwasher, make a sandwich, and just have both hands free for once ~ WOW!! This thing is GREAT! Here you are....riding in the Mei Tai. I'm already thinking about getting another one in black (you know, so it will match more of my outfits - ha ha!)

Baby Ben, we're so glad you're here and we can't wait to see what next month holds!!

Photo Shoot with Poop

Finally Ben's newborn pictures are ready to view! Two awesome ladies, Jennifer and Christy from Picsee Studios, came when he was six days old and spent 5 1/2 HOURS at our house waiting for Ben to settle down and go to sleep. He was acting just like a cat - you know how if you desperately want them to come sit on your lap, they act like they hate you, but if you ignore them, they won't leave you alone? Well, the more we pursued sleep for this little one, the wider awake he became!! Ha! Mark even gave the girls some lunch while I fed him for the third time, hoping it would conk him out (Nope.)

Now, at this point in his life, we were supplementing him with super calorie-rich formula because he had lost so much weight. Well, apparently he wasn't needing ALL those calories, because he was a pooping machine for a few days :) Yes, including that day. Twice while he had no diaper on (for photo purposes), he let it rip!! EEEK! Thank goodness he was wrapped up tight in two blankets each time (I was feeding him), but even that wasn't enough to contain it.....ha! Then as soon as I'd put him on the changing table to clean up, he'd pee. Fortunately, I must have gotten a fair amount of sleep the night before, because it was so funny ~ we laughed and laughed!!

Anyway, we eventually gave up on him, quit whispering and tip-toeing around, and he just happened to fall asleep. So, even though they were about to leave (thank goodness they had no other appointments that day!), they got a few more good shots of him :) I love the second one of us with Mark holding him - look how TINY he was! He pretty much fit on one of Daddy's hands...so sweet! Enjoy!!!

Here's the link ~ leave a comment on her blog if you have a second...it's easy, and we'll get a free print!!

http://www.thepicseeblog.com/?p=2211

Ben's Second Week

Since Mark went back to work, I haven't gotten the chance to take as many pictures as Week 1, but here are a few...our little sweetie is changing already!Asleep in Mama's arms...in the evenings lately, he will only sleep while being held by Mark or me! (Or any warm body, I suppose...volunteers??)
This was last night - I think it lasted 20 minutes while we wolfed down dinner. I thought babies loved to swing!?!
Ben and his great grandmother Nana.