Hunter's Four Month Milestones

Hunter was four months old on December 2nd, and I can't believe how time has seemed to just fly by! We went to the doctor and found out that our Mr. Man weighs 15 lbs and is 26 1/4 inches long! He's holding his head up with way more control, which seemed to happen over night. He actually enjoys tummy time and he's loving cereal! He's also discovered his feet, I love it! I can't wait til he can put them in his mouth, he's just not the flexible yet. He continues to grow and amaze us everyday!

We started working hard on his tummy time and he has become more comfortable now that he can hold his head up for longer amounts of time and see things. I have two favorite milestones this month, one being that he now holds his arms out for me when I pick him up and he now can turn him self in a circle in his crib and knows how to kick his crib toy to turn it on! My smart little man! Oh yeah another great one is that he has successfully put his own binkie back in his mouth the correct way a number of times!

Daddy continues to work with Hunter on saying... you guessed it "dada"! And it's working, kind of. Hunter will say the consonant sound of "d" now which was a sound he was having trouble with. Because of my consistency with "mama" he has taken to saying "mmmmmmmmmm" all the time, this just coming to my attention in the last few days. He is still the mover and shaker we love and babbles all the time. He's completely interested in everything we do, so I try to make it a point to tell him about things that are happening. Poor baby is probably sick to death of hearing about dishes being done! :)

Hunter's First Meeting with Santa

On November 15th we piled Hunter in the car to make a trip to Bass Pro Shop for Hunter's first meeting with Santa. It seemed early for Santa to be out to me too, but hey the pictures were free and they also let us take our own!

We stood in line for around 30 minutes. While waiting Hunter looked at boats with daddy and met Mrs. Claus and also had time for a bottle. I was really hoping he wouldn't spit up on Santa but I think Dustin was hoping he would, naughty guy will probably get coal in his stocking! :) There were elves to meet too. There was so much going on and Hunter had a great time looking at all the different stuff.

After meeting Santa we took him to see the giant fish in the tank and of course hung out in the fishing section so daddy could buy lots and lots of lures. We also bought Hunter a fun camoflauge sippie cup bearing the bass pro shop emblem! Good times had by all and I think Hunter will definitely receive what he asked for.... a maid for mommy, right?! ;)

Hunter's First Thanksgiving

Hunter had his first Thanksgiving and although he couldn't eat the turkey that mommy and daddy slaved over all morning he still had a wonderful day!

It started at 9 in the morning and Dustin helped me by cleaning the turkey. I prepared it with 2 sticks of butter and spices. It turned out wonderfully and I couldn't have done it without Dustin's help! Surprisingly he was a natural in the kitchen! (He's been holding out on me!) Five hours later we went to the Sapp's and enjoyed a delicious meal complete with every side you could imagine! Amanda and I later decided that we'd made waaay too much food, but it was still yummy!

We spent the rest of the evening over there chatting and watching football. Hunter and I slept very well that night! Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

3 Month Milestone

Our little Hunter has reached his three month milestone! He's growing and healthy and truly a blessing in our lives! Everyday he does something that is new! He's definitely a talker or maybe I should say screamer. He loves to have screaming contests with Daddy! They could ahhhh and ohhh at each other forever it seems!

When Aunt Nee was here she taught us that if you say certain sounds they will start mimicking you. So it's "mama", "dada", and "bobo" all the time now! He can make the n, g and m sounds and is hard at work on the other ones.

One of the most exciting milestones is Hunter learned to roll over! The other night I woke up to him screaming bloody murder it seemed, so I frantically ran in his room and he was on his tummy! A couple hours later he did it again! Then when he woke up for the day, and he rolled over twice for Nee and Phil, unfortunately Daddy wasn't here to see it. Hunter hasn't really felt like doing it again. We keep trying to coax him into it but I think he figured out that he can't roll back over yet so it's kind of frustrating for him. He'll get there!


He's also trying really hard to sit up. He does not enjoy his car seat anymore when awake and feeding him has become a challenge, as well as diaper changing because he just doesn't want to stay still. He's a wiggle worm for sure!

We won't know how much he weighs or how long he has gotten until his four month check up in December. I know he's getting big though, picking up the car seat has become quite the chore! We got out all of his 3-6 months clothes and most of them fit pretty well. Some are a little too long but he's definitely grown a lot over the past four weeks! And he's getting a little chubby baby belly to boot. Gotta love it!

This weekend we are going to start him on cereal. He's already downing four to five eight ounce bottles! I'm so excited for this! Today we went and bought a high chair/booster seat for him! I can hardly wait to see his reaction, I will be sure to post lots of pictures, they're sure to be entertaining at the very least.

Hunter's First Halloween!

Hunter's first Halloween was a blast, at least for me it was! We had a prolonged Halloween this year due to having lots of outfits for Hunter to use! My favorite was the ghost shirt, too cute! We kicked off the holiday by going to a haunted house at the community center. I prepared Hunter by telling him we were going to a "spoooooky houuuuse". Every time I told him he would laugh hysterically, until I told Amanda to watch him, then of course he wouldn't do it. He just stared at me like I was crazy. :)


Then on Halloween day we met the Sapp's at their house and went trick-or-treating. Lots of people thought our little tiger was adorable. And of course they were right! I didn't expect Hunter to get any candy, but I was expecting to have more people give mom and dad some. That didn't happen, I only got one piece of candy and that's because they had left the bowl unattended. ;) Overall a great Halloween!

Auntie Nee Nee and Uncle Phil Visit

On October 4th Dustin's aunt and uncle came to visit Hunter and be our babysitter for the USMC Ball. They came for five days and even watched Bailey for Amanda and Jeremy so we could celebrate Jeremy's 30th birthday. It was AWESOME having them here! They always spoil us and I managed to get so much needed rest! We went to the Marine Corps Ball on Thursday expecting it to be our first night leaving Hunter. There were other plans in sight, we ended up having to come home due to some financial issues. That's ok though we got to go out the next night and it was a nice "prep" for really leaving Hunter overnight. It was tough but I handled it, like a true new mommy I ended up going to bed by eleven thirty and waking up at seven! LOL Hunter did just fine like we all knew he would.

That Saturday we went to the beach with Nee and Phil, to hang and barbeque with the Sapps. Nee and Phil enjoyed their time with Hunter, I've already heard they miss him. Who wouldn't? We look forward to the next time they get to come visit! Love you guys!

*There are no pictures of Hunter with with his Aunt and Uncle due to the fact that they're on Nee's camera. As soon as I get the photos needed I will upload them!

Pumpkin Patch

While my Grandpa was here we decided to take Hunter to the pumpkin patch. I really wanted to get some good pictures of him in his cute little "fall" outfit. (Dust says I just like to play dress-up, I say, so what!?!) We had a great time. There were many things for Hunter to look at and lots of wonderful photo ops for me!

Daddy thought it was a great idea to take Hunter into the petting zoo. There were goats, alpacas, donkeys, and more goats! It was hilarious, mostly Dustin spent his time standing up and holding Hunter away from the treacherous goats! :)

We had fun picking out Hunter's first pumpkins and of course they were all "baby" pumpkins. Grandpa George let us know that he could most likely mail us Missouri pumpkins for cheaper compared to the Cali ones, but we had to buy them... for Hunter!

Great-Grandpa George Visits

My Grandpa George (whom Hunter is named after; Whitman) got to come and stay for a week last Wednesday. We tried our hardest to keep him busy. While Grandpa was here he was able to get in a game of golf with Dustin, go to the pumpkin patch with us, eat at the pier and watch a lot of football. Not to mention all the fun he had with Hunter. Dustin and I also had a great time explaining to him why we are able to pause live television. He just couldn't understand how I could pause or rewind a show that was on at that specific time. :) It was pretty comical.

While here Grandpa had a flash back to the last time he was really around a baby, it was my brother Ryan, who is now 19. A long time but alas it was like riding a bike for him. He agreed to watch Hunter one morning while I ran to the gas station and when I got back I found him walking around with him singing to him. It was absolutely adorable. Hunter seemed to really like having him around. We discovered that Grandpa has the magic touch to put Hunter to sleep and he didn't even need "that thing in his mouth" (the paci) to do it. :)

We've really loved having Grandpa here but now it's time for him to go. We'll see you soon Great Grandpa! Love you!

Our Quick Visit to MO

We recently made a trip to Missouri. It was only a couple days but Hunter got to see his family and friends, people he most likely wouldn't have met until Christmas. The list includes: Grandma Stacy, Grandpa Curtis and Grandma Cinda, Uncle Dustin, Uncle Ryan, his Great-Grandma Hobbs, Aunt Carla, Cassel, Grace, and Seth, Suzanne and Adylynn, Mama and Papa Sapp and Auntie Sarah.

While there we ran around like chickens trying to introduce him to everyone. The first day we got there we were met at the airport by my dad and step-mom (Gpa Curtis and Gma Cinda) and also a guest appearance was made by my Mawmaw and Aunt Carla who came just to see Hunter for a few short minutes. Totally worth the trip though. ;) We then made our way to Auntie Kaley's house where he was bombarded and I mean bombarded by Grandma Stacy and Great Grandpa George.

That night Auntie Kaley, Grandpa Curtis and Grandma Cinda spent time with Hunter while I visited a friend. Uncle Dustin also hung out with Hunter but claimed that he "doesn't do much". Later Dustin decided that Hunter was more entertaining than he had given him credit for. :)

The next morning Hunter got to spend some more time with Grandpa Curtis and Grandma Cinda while they let mommy catch up on some much needed sleep. Later that afternoon Grammie Stacy took Hunter to show him off to her friends and let mommy hang out with Cassel for a bit. Family is the best!

On Tuesday we hung out with Mama Sapp for a bit and then got to spend some time with my odl roomie Sarah. She was pretty impressed with our mister! :)

The next day Hunter got to meet my best friend Cassel and her two kiddos Grace and Seth. Grace really liked Hunter asking me "how many months til Hunter is a grown-up?" LOL. Seth, seeing as he's only 1 1/2, didn't really seem to care. :) Hunter also got to meet my friend Suzanne and her daughter Ady. Ady seemed to think Hunter was a dolly. She would pinch his nose and say cute. She was also very concerned with covering him up with his blanket. So cute! :)

I'm so glad that everyone got to meet our little mister man! It was wonderful getting to see everyone. We'll see you all again very soon!

2 Months Old!

Hunter had his 2 month check up on October 2nd. He now weighs 12lbs 2oz and is 23 inches long! He's a growing boy who can't be stopped! Sadly he had to get his shots too. I'm not sure if it was harder on him or me. :) The first shot wasn't so bad, with the second one he let out quite a scream and by the third one not even the yummy sugar water could keep our poor mister man from crying. As soon as the nurse left the room I scooped that guy up and felt like the worst parent ever. I just had to remind myself that getting the shots is way better than the flu and all the possible viruses out there. The aftermath of the shots was not a problem at all, he took it like a champ and didn't even run a low-grade fever (which I was pretty paranoid about), he was also able to sleep the whole night through, which is always nice! Hunter doesn't have to go back again until he's four months old. Here's hoping mommy can stop being such a paranoid parent and last that long.

Hunter's First Visit to the Ocean

Getting Ready for the Beach!

Hunter in the Sand

The Three Generations

Today we took Hunter down to the beach for the first time! Hunter had a lot of fun. Because of all the new things to look at Hunter had a hard time falling asleep for a nap. I finally had to put the blankie over his eyes and rock him. We got to take lots of fun pics and Amanda brought a fun baby tent so Hunter didn't get stung by any bees or sand in his face. We also took advantage of our visit and did a little family photo op. Hope you enjoy!

The Benson Family

Tears, Smiles and Tummy Time

Well the Benson family made yet another trip to the doctor's office. When we woke up on Thursday I noticed that Hunter's right eye was looking red and puffy and it was a little goopy. The doctor said it was a clogged tear duct that was infected. He gave us drops to use and showed us how to help unclog the duct. While we were there they weighed our ever-growing boy and he's now 11lbs 2oz! I'm fairly certain he's going to out grow his 0-3 month clothes before time, which is sad for his Halloween costume. ;) And to let you all know Hunter's head is getting a lot better and the doctor said he is going to be a healthy boy, no more worrying about it. We will continue to make sure we are giving an even amount of time to both sides though.

Hunter has also been improving on his tummy time skills. He can now hold his head up for short amounts of time. He continues to laugh and giggle but now it's more social. We can tell when he's smiling at mommy or daddy. Hunter continues to use his vocal cords, oooing and ahhhing but also using more vowel sounds. Our favorite is when he fake cries, a short little whah, very cute! I almost forgot to post the most exciting thing to happen in our little family since Hunter was born... he slept through the night!!! I couldn't have been more please when this happened. The poor little guy was so exhausted that he slept almost 11 hours and I had to wake him up to feed him and he didn't even open an eye while this was happening! Now he sleeps in 5-6 hour increments through the night! YAY and praise the Lord! He still has a little trouble with naptime but we'll get there! :)

Grandpa Randy Visits

Dustin's dad, Randy (Rando to some people) made it out on Monday, with him he brought Dustin's Dodge Charger. I have never seen Dustin more happy in his life! While waiting for Randy Dustin was like a kid in a candy store he was so excited! :)

At first Grandpa Randy was a tid bit apprehensive of Hunter, saying "I don't remember Dustin being this little, I might brake him" when I asked if he wanted to hold him. But by the second day he was a pro. He has yet to change a diaper but I'm not letting him leave until he does! Hunter has enjoyed having a new face to study and look at. He's been showing off for Grandpa by smiling and giggling often, doing tummy time with a great attitude, lifting his head and being the wiggle worm that he is. He even did a little dance for him the other day.

Rando has gotten to enjoy some of the things in California that the rest of us take for granted. We got him a spot on the beach for two nights and he camped in a tent, not exactly my style but I'm pretty sure nothing else could have made him happier. Dustin took him fishing and he also went to work with him to see what exactly Dust does everyday. The myth to Rando was that he does nothing but I think Dustin got to prove him wrong. :) He's also been helping out a lot by watching Hunter so we can catch up on sleep, go to the gym or clean up. He's taken a few rides on the Harley too. All in all I think Rando has had a great visit and we have so enjoyed having him out here! We'll miss you Grandpa Randy see you in December!

Left Side, Strong Side!

I took Hunter for his one month check up last Wednesday. We found out that he is now 10lbs 2oz and 22 1/2 inches long! What a growin' boy! We also found out that our little man favors his right side, so his little head had some flattness. The doctor said that right now it's normal and as long as we start working with him to like his left side too then his head should go right back to normal. We've been doing our best to promote the left side. At tummy time, play time and even while in his swing or carrier. Hunter still likes the right side best and I can't seem to get him to sleep on the other side. We will continue to work on getting his muscles used to the other side too and hopefully the next time we're at the doctor's office we will be told his head is fine.

Our little baby boy has also discovered some fun and fascinating things he can now do. Such as screaming, yes Hunter has found out that he is capable of one single, very high pitched scream when something is not going his way. It's pretty funny because it really is only one scream and then he feels much better about things. It's like he knows that he told us exactly what he needed to. :) Hunter has also discovered his voice, using it a lot more to ooo and ahhh at mommy while we play on his mat. And the best thing that he started doing was smiling and laughing out loud. The other day I was holding him, trying to get him to sleep and I looked down at him, his eyes were shut and he let out the biggest giggle ever, followed by the sweetest smile. I wonder what he was dreaming about.

Update on Hunter

Things are finally starting to slow down a bit around our house. We are so thankful for this considering the scare we had last weekend. I changed Hunter's diaper and there was some blood in it. Of course being a new mommy I freaked out and we ended up taking him to the ER. The doctor there switched poor little man's formula yet again to a hard-to-find and much more expensive type. The formula switch ended up not being the best thing for Hunter's belly. He was eating 4 oz every 2 hours and feeling very hungry. We did a follow up with our pediatrician that Monday and learned that the blood was most likely from a diaper rash abrasion. Thank the Lord!!! I was completely stressed out, between feeling awful for Hunter's tummy and the extreme cost of the new formula. It was a sigh of relief for us when the doc told us him tummy would be fine and we could slowly switch him back to the previous formula. Hunter is doing much better, while on the yucky formula he was so fussy that Dustin and I got our first taste of what it's like to stay up all night long with a very unhappy baby. Now that we have switched back he's much happier and feeling a lot better, which in turn makes mommy and daddy feel a lot better too!
While at the doctor last week we found out that our little guy has gone through quite the growth spurt. He measured 21 inches long (a two inch increase) and is now weighing in at a whopping 9lbs 9oz! He's grown so much! Here are few pictures of our growing boy.

Auntie Kaley Visits

My sister, Kaley, came out to visit on the 19th of August! We were so excited for her to get here! Her first meeting with Hunter went well! He really liked her and she was great with him, but of course she would be! We only had three short days with her, but I'm sure it was enough for her to fall in love with our little man! While she was here she helped out so much, cooking us very delicious food and cleaning, she even let mom and dad get in a little nap! Her time here was much too short but we'll see her soon!

Hunter's First Bath

Hunter's belly button and circumcision finally healed and we have now given him two baths. The first bath was not Hunter's favorite thing in the world by any means. :) He was a little chilly and from the facial expressions he had, not quite sure why mom and dad have to do such mean things to him.

The second bath was a much smoother event. He seemed at home in the tub and was more willing to let us poke and prod at him with the soapy wash cloth. He still doesn't like it when mommy puts lotion on him, but he smells so good afterward! There's nothing better than a cuddly, fresh and clean baby!

Baby Hunter Arrives!

ALL THE DETAILS:

Baby Boy Benson has officially arrived! He made his way into the world on August 2nd, 2009 at 7:02 in the evening. He weighed 8lbs 1oz, measured 19 inches long and is named Hunter Dean Whitman Benson. He is named after Dustin's dad, Randy Dean and my Grandpa, George Whitman.

HOW HE ARRIVED:

Dustin and I were leaving the house to run to the hardware store and my water broke. It was completely unexpected! We didn't think Hunter would get here until the 7th. I believe Hunter knew that mommy was ready! :) After some frantic roaming around the house, we called the doctor who told us to start heading for the hospital. When we got there the nurse did another ultra sound and he was still head up. They scheduled the c-section to start at 6:30 pm. I made it through a few hours of what is considered light contractions and then they wheeled me into the operating room with husband in his scrubs. It was very nerve racking, yet so exciting. It took them about 22 minutes to get little Benson here! We brought our perfect, little, bundle of joy home on Wednesday, August 5th.

THE HAPPY FAMILY:

Hunter is doing wonderfully! He's completely healthy and soooo handsome (just like daddy)! Dustin and I are loving being parents. Dustin has been on leave since the second and goes back to work this Friday. Hunter and I will miss him (especially me, considering he helps so much with the night time shifts)! We are both adjusting and figuring out the hard way what works and which cry is which. It has been a tiring and eventful last few weeks, but completely worth every second!

I am feeling great. I go to the doctor on Thursday so they can check the incision and tell me if I'm healing correctly. Dustin and I both anxious for things to slow down around our busy busy home, but the chaos is sure to continue for the next couple of weeks! One thing is certain; we have never been happier!

Dustin's homecoming

Dustin's finally home! Yippy! After the longest 7 month deployment ever, husband finally made it. He got home just a week ago and we have been loving spending time together and preparing for our new baby! Dustin got to go to our doctor's appointment on Tuesday. It was his first time hearing the baby's heart beat which was hard to find at first (due to his unusual and tight position) but strong! Dustin was very excited. The doctor said that Baby Boy Benson is still head up, and that most likely he will not turn. We go back for another ultra sound this coming Tuesday. If he is still breech we will schedule a c-section somewhere around the 7th of August. Right now I'm to the point of just wanting to meet our baby whether it's via cesarean or otherwise. It is however stressful knowing the date your baby will be born. Dustin and I are continuing to enjoy each other's company after such a long time apart and ready ourselves for the biggest change to come our way!

Pregnancy Update

I went back to the doctor this morning. They told me that little baby Benson is still in a frank breech position. I was also told that my due date has moved from the 8th of August to the 15th. As upsetting as this was to hear (I would much prefer the normal way of delivery and am certainly saddened by the extra week of pregnancy) I also received good news as well. The baby's heart is "beautiful" and developing very nicely, he weighs 6 lbs 1 oz right now and is right on target for a healthy little guy. I go back to the doctor next Tuesday. All faith is not lost to the possible c-section, they will do another ultra sound in a couple weeks before we actually plan on a cesarean. We continue to pray for a healthy and happy little guy, no matter which way he makes his appearance, please continue to pray with us.

Besides the update on our baby Benson, Dustin will be coming home very soon! Although I can't put his exact date or time on here, it's very near! I am trying my best to get things around the house ready for him. I'm very excited for him to finally come home, it's been a long 7 months.

Welcome to our Blog

I decided to start a blog in order to keep everyone up-to-date on the pregnancy and baby Benson to come. The good news is I only have four weeks left, the bad news being I might not make it. In retrospec this pregnancy has been relatively easy for me. That being said I'm completely over the whole carrying a baby in me and am ready to meet our bundle of joy!!!

Dustin, or for those of you who know him as Guito, is getting ready to come home after a very long deployment! He will be here just in time for me to go into labor. Lucky guy, huh?!? Although I've missed him greatly, I'm extremely nervous for him to see me and all the changes that I have gone through since he left. When he last saw me I weighed a tiny 120, that number has changed quite a bit since he left. :)

We are both very excited to meet the new addition to our family! We can't wait for all the new, exciting, scary, and rewarding adventures to come our way. Hope you all enjoy reading Our Family Blog!