Monday, February 8, 2010

I feel so blessed:)





We blessed Ben on his 5 week b-day and it was a wonderful day with lots of family and friends (however, we definitely missed Rach, Boop, and Megan to name a few:). Lance gave Ben a beautiful blessing at church and then we all celebrated together at my moms with yummy BBQ foods and watched the Superbowl. Was kinda rooting for Colts but it was appropriate that the Saints won on this special sabbath day:) Here are some preview pics--will post more later!

Wednesday, February 3, 2010

HAPPY 1 MONTH BEN!


Happy 1 month to my baby!
Its hard to believe it has already been a month! and at the same time it seems like he has been a part of me forever! Im in love with being a mom! I love just cuddling and looking at him. I love our staring contests--his eyes are so deep--when he is wide awake its like he can see right through me! He is so silly and makes the silliest facial expressions like his dad. at night we often sit for hours and i just laugh--wishing someone else was there to see his cute faces:) I love showing him off and am so proud that he is mine.

There were many times I would walk with Anna in Springville when she was born and would totally pretend she was my baby. I loved when other stroller mom's would wave like i was a part of their elite club and she was so cute and fun to pretend with. Or when I first moved up here I took Luke and Dane to grocery store once and pretended when people complimented how cute/handsome they were or how old they were--i had gone to buy dane a treat but because i was pretending to be a mom didnt want other grocery store goers to think i didnt feed my kids healthy food too so i ended up buying juice and carrots and a whole ton of things i thought a "good mom" would buy haha. I could hardly wait for my turn and loved them like they were my own. Ive had a couple moments where i am just hit with the realization that I mad him and carried him for 9 mos and he is mine but especially that other day when I walked with Ben to the mailbox and someone ooed and awed and asked his age and name. On my way home I almost cried because I felt so grateful and lucky that he is MINE-forever-and i love him so much! Ive waited all my life to be his mommy.

I wish he could tell me all he remembers and knows about our home before he came to live with me. Sometimes when he is sleeping or zoning out I wonder what he is thinking or if his little spirit can still go back and forth?! He is just so perfect! He has smiled a few times for us already and we are convinced its intentional because we have seen the gassy smiles to compare it too! He just started being more alert this week and really tracking and following us in the room. He got his first cold which is way sad but he has been so sweet! He can't breathe well when sleeping on back so the last two nights its just been he and I cuddling on the couch all night--ive loved it! He sleeps so soundly and peacefully in our arms. It is such an honor and a little scary at the same time that he relies so completely on us. I feel so privileged that our Heavenly Father entrusted his care to me and let me be his mom!

There has been one night that I was a mess. He had slept so well the first week and a half and this night he was fussy and uncomfortable which was so unlike him. He couldn't get comfortable even cuddling with me but didn't cry just kinda whimpered all night. I felt like he had a fever and Lance was already at work (his graveyard shift is even harder now that we have a baby:(-i miss him at night) I didn't know how to help him or what to do or if he was ok--he just stared at me and all i could do was cry. (Granted that is not that weird for me normally let alone being that I was only 1.5 weeks post delivery and emotions and hormones were out of control) but i just cried and rocked him all night, kind of intimidated by the whole mommy thing--at least one night like that is a right of passage to motherhood I'm sure. I thought to myself if i am this upset now and its probably just gas imagine when he ever really hurts himself or is sad or mad--i will be a MESS :)

Another night he would be sound asleep in my arms, i would gingerly lay him in his crib and sneak out of the room and then right when i would crawl into my nice cozy (never slept in) side of the bed the lights on his monitor would light up and he would be asking nicely for me to come back. Oh wait--thats every night his 3rd and 4th week:) but the first night he started his crib boycott I was frustrated and went in there about the 7th time and picked him up under his arms and held his face by mine and said "Ben- its night time, mom's tired, you NEED to go to sleep" in my most stern i love you-you're so cute and perfect whisper and he looked right at me and made the silliest guilty face and i couldnt help but laugh!

He is such a mellow fellow. Such a content and easy going temperament already. He really honestly hardly ever cries and when he does its simply to communicate something and as soon as we attend to him he stops immediately--we are so lucky! and he has a low cry--its just sad when he cries not annoying:) even at night he just whimpers and grunts (asking nicely) for us to come get him for like 10 min before he actually really cries to get our attention (only timed it once-i promise im not a mean mom:) and when he is up at night its just simply because he is awake and wants to hang out--i take my hat off to moms of colicky babies--knock on wood for #2:)

He loves baths! and is especially calm when on his tummy. We do laps--breast stroke and back stroke--my mom and sister taught me that:) A sure sign he will love to swim and love Lake Merwin right? (despite the obvious temperature difference:)

well those are my thoughts for now--Im at work and "Harvey"-the autoclave at my dad's office- is done and ready for me to put tools away and go home and take care of my baby. I love being a mom. I have loved every day of our first month together--as unproductive as they may feel--there is nothing i would rather do than hang out with my 2 favorite guys! i still owe my wonderful husband, mom, dad, sisters, and other family a public tribute for all their love and support--I am so blessed!

Monday, February 1, 2010

4 weeks old

my sleepy boy!

go dawgs!
ben with his Parker cousins after his first sunday at church. You cant tell because of lighting but they all matched in blue and yellow:)




he and grandpa matched so well it was a perfect photo opportunity :)

sporting a very handsome "missionary hair do" with a part after bath:)

week 3

took these while he was sleeping to capture the size of this little guys hands! they are huge!
dont worry if as we took the first pic-fresh from the tub-his face is indicative of the mess he was making in towel and on my lap-little stinker:) he stops crying when i put the hood of the towel over his face while I dry him off:)
love this one! he loves swimming on his tummy and has fallen asleep that way twice!

bath time with grandma :)

ben sporting the "someone in washington loves me" jammies that my dad picked out for me to wear home from hospital in '83:)

he makes hilarious facial expressions that give us a peek at his little personality--able to capture a few:)
his poor heel after pku testing thing :( he didnt break eye contact with me the whole time she squeezed his poor heel to fill all the circles as if to say "why are you letting her do this?" --enough to break a mom's heart!
my little gnome :)
some more funny faces!
i promise we did more than bathe this week:)

Tuesday, January 19, 2010

Happy Birthday Dane and Brother Ben!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DANE-O!
WE LOVE YOU AND ARE GLAD WE GOT TO CELEBRATE WITH YOU YESTERDAY!! YOU ARE THE COOLEST 5 YEAR OLD EVER!





HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY BROTHER BEN TOO! (MY BEN'S NAMESAKE)
HE WOULD BE 31 YEARS OLD TODAY!

Sunday, January 17, 2010

HAPPY 2 WEEKS to my baby!


We love you Ben!
It's been the fastest and longest 2 weeks of my life:)

Day 11-18!

ahhh! so "our internet" hasn't been working and while i have slacked on posting--the photo-taking has not slowed:) so here is a glimpse into our last week!




Tuesday, January 12, 2010

Sneak Peek!

Allegra posted a sneak peek of Ben's photo shoot on Saturday on her photo blog: http://allegrageorgephotography.blogspot.com/. Check them out--they are darling if I do say so myself!

Monday, January 11, 2010

Day 9 with our Benners :)

slightly startled by the flash :)
my sweet bennerman


thanks for my sweet onsie aunt boop

bonding with grandma

Sunday, January 10, 2010

Day 8

Sunday-Day 8:
HAPPY 1 WEEK LITTLE MAN!
Today was a blissfully lazy day. When Lance went to church, Ben and I just relaxed and wrote TY notes/journal while watching a movie. We ate a yummy dinner after church then celebrated with a 1 Week birthday cake the hospital gave us:) it was a little dry after a week but was good for a picture:) We love you Ben and cant imagine our lives without you! You have made us so happy and we are in constant awe that you are ours for eternity! Heres to many more days and weeks and years with you!...

Don't mind the gang signs--he's always throwing those up when we take pics:)