Protest

I can't quite figure out why, but Benjamin has suddenly protested sleeping at night. It started three nights ago when he woke up at 2 a.m. and didn't want to go back to sleep. The next night he didn't want to go to bed at all. Last night, he screamed every time I put him down. So, we shall see what he does tonight, but I am going to do my best to let him cry it out...as heartbreaking as it is. I wish I knew what was wrong, but I think it is because he misses us during the day now that I am working and he is at the babysitters.

My parents came to watch Benjamin Friday, and he has been having a ball with them. I am not sure who is more entertaining...Benjamin or my parents. Benjamin actually laughed out loud when he was playing with my dad. He only did it once, but it was a precious belly laugh. We hope he does it more soon.


My dad and I went out to get Benjamin some new outfits, because he doesn't fit most of what he has. We bought some six- to nine-month pajama outfits to wear during the day, so I will take more photos as he wears them. In the meantime, here is one of him in a gift from the Fairfield PR director.



Here he is just being darn cute.

Working mom

I am officially a working mom, though I can't say I like it all that much. It probably wouldn't be as complicated if I wasn't nursing, but if you saw the smile and joy on Benjamin's face after a good meal, you would probably understand why I keep doing it. Lately he has been getting milk all over his face as he eats, because he keeps taking smiling breaks or he stops to look adoringly at his daddy on the couch next to him.
It is easier on our budget, and I am hoping it keeps him healthier as I ship him off to day care each day.

He seems to like it at Ms. Linda's house. He either watches all the other kids (there are between five and seven of them in addition to Benjamin) or he sleeps. She seems to have a good bond with him already, and she said he really never cries. We are so glad to hear that.

I, on the other hand, spend my fair share of time crying! I think the stress of work and then the stress of trying to be there for him gets to me. But, Jeremy has been a huge help, and I am sure it will get easier. My coworkers are getting used to me showing up without a shower on days when I had no sleep and couldn't get Benjamin and myself ready in time. And, sources are used to me fleeing the scene of a fire or sneaking out of a meeting to go feed Benjamin or to pump. News may break, but my baby lives by deadlines... if I don't meet his deadline for eating NOW, he is not too happy.

So, hopefully I will get the hang of this, though I think it is just going to get harder as he starts to realize we are leaving him each day. :(

On a side note, Benjamin got to hang out with his Grandma Jan last weekend. Monica, Sadie and Lydia spent the night and then Jan and Joe took them to the airport.

Back to work

`I don’t have much time to write, because things have been so hectic going back to work! I cried the first day I had to drop Benjamin off at daycare, but so far we both are surviving. He seems to be adapting well. I am exhausted all the time,  but work is going well for me too. I am sure next week will go much more smoothly. Here we are the morning of our first day apart. We look happy here, but we really weren’t happy until the evening when we were together again!

 

On a side note, Benjamin had his two-month appointment and is in the 90th percentile for height and weight. He is 13.3 pounds and 24 inches long.

Two months and a trip to Findlay/Bluffton

Benjamin is officially two months old! He was supposed to go to the doctor today, but we are buried under snow and his appointment was canceled. I attempted to take him to his babysitter for the first time, but I turned around after I saw how bad the roads were!

So much has happened in the past few days, so this will be a long post! First, Benjamin and I traveled to Findlay Thursday and spent the afternoon hanging out with Nana. This is a picture from the night before we left. Jeremy and Benjamin got some quality time in before the long weekend. We could play with him all day! It is so hard to get anything done, and Jeremy needed time to study. So, our trip was well timed.

 

Nana Kathy had her Bible study Thursday, and Benjamin cooed on the floor the whole time, distracting everyone from the video. Friday, I took him to meet some of my high school teachers, mainly my Spanish teacher. She loved Benjamin!

Saturday, Benjamin and I visited his cousin Toby, and both boys were in bad moods. Benjamin started teething, so not only is he drooling, coughing, sleeping poorly and gnawing on everything in site, my sweet baby also has some cranky spells. But, the visit was nice. From there, we went to Grandma Jan’s house, where Benjamin got to meet his Aunt Rachel and Aunt Monica for the first time. I got to meet my new niece Lydia, who arrived from Ethiopia in December.

Here is a picture of all the grandkids together! Aren’t they precious!?

 

While there, Benjamin and I got our pictures taken. He was a little tired and somewhat cranky, so no smiles. Still, he is so adorable! I just love him to pieces!

 

 

Sunday, my dad took Benjamin around church, and was as proud as a peacock. People say Benjamin looks like my dad. That is probably because he looks like my baby pictures, which favored my dad at that age.

They are hilarious together, and enjoy many hours making each other laugh. My dad swears Benjamin likes watching sports, and they watched speed skating together while I took an evening cat nap. Benjamin has had a very upset tummy, and hasn’t been sleeping well. On top of teething, I have had many nights in a row of very little sleep!

I awoke this morning with the dread of having to take Benjamin to his sitter. It took me longer than I thought it would to get him fed and out the door (mostly because he wanted to eat a ton this morning), so luckily it was a dry run and I didn’t need to be at work today. I almost cried as I put him in his car seat. He was so happy, but had no idea I was leaving him! We drove for about 20 minutes in the snowy mess before I decided against risking out lives. It was such a relief to come home and nap together! He has been teething and fussy all day, and just wants to be cuddled. I don’t mind one bit! Tomorrow, we will go out for real and he will be left at daycare all day. I don’t know how I will stand it!

 

Here he is sucking away on his fist… a favorite pastime lately. He has been getting his thumb too!

And here he is snuggling with his daddy.

I could watch him all day

I could watch Benjamin play all day! He is so precious! While I assume the purpose of a mobile is to lull a child to sleep, Benjamin does the exact opposite when I turn his on. Take a look. I love how he coos and smiles at everything!

Eight weeks

Our little guy turned eight weeks old today! He is approaching 13 pounds and is around 23 inches long. We have a doctor’s appointment Monday, so we will know his exact measurements then.

This week has been a rough one, because Benjamin has a cold and he hasn’t slept well. Here is a picture of him yawning, which he did all week along with rubbing his eyes.

Isn’t he precious!? Here we are distracting him by swinging the light fixture back and forth above his head.

Benjamin loves to hang out with his daddy when he gets home from work!

 

Mommy bundled Benjamin up and took him to a Super Bowl party, where he had a ball!

This  morning, he was all smiles as I attempted to keep him awake a little while while I ate breakfast.

And tonight, he played and laughed for nearly an hour. He especially loves his “Little B” toy from Nana.

Wake up!

I rejoiced the last few days when Benjamin slept through the night. He has averaged seven hours each night this week, except for Monday when he didn’t really sleep at all!

However, today, he decided to sleep all day. I have been battling to keep him awake. You would think he had plenty of sleep! He slept from midnight to 7:30 a.m. It is now 6:30 p.m. and he slept the whole day except to eat every now and then! He is awake and playing now, or I would have called the pediatrician to make sure it didn’t mean he was sick or something! He does have a little cold, so perhaps this is his way of fighting it off.

I put him in six-month overalls today, and once again, they are too short. I guess Osh Kosh is not a good brand for Benjamin. I plan to go through all his clothes this week to decide what he needs for this winter! We may have to do some returning of items that are summer clothes, but the right size. Here he is this morning during one of his rare moments awake. I took him to work to introduce him to everyone and touch base. My doctor gave me extra time home, so i don’t have to go back for another week!