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!