BENJAMIN EVERETT: MONTH TWO

Easily following toys now

Was constipated for over 48 hours but karo syrup and a warm bath helped that

Went over 12 hours with only nursing!

Starting to coo and smile at everyone

Loves looking at our ceiling fan and lights

Still pulling his hair with his right hand. (Stopped around 6 weeks)

Watches tv.

Can breast-feed without a Boppy now.

Smiles and gives smirks with giggles. W

ent on his first picnic with Rory and aunt Nikki at larriland farm. Has had 4 picnics, 3 trips to restaurants with momma, 2 pumpkin patch visits and 1 leaf-tastic afternoon photoshoot.

Visits Grammy d on lunchtime walks

Momma takes me on morning outings during my morning nap.

Love to snuggle in bed with mom and dad when I wake up around 7. I'll sleep an extra two hours on mommas chest.

Gets extra happy and smiley at night when dad gets home from work, in the morning and at night. Loves giving smiles!

Officially outgrown all of my newborn clothes and outgrowing his 0-3 month onesies and some shirts.

Weighing a little over 10 pounds at 6 weeks and a little over 12 pounds at 8 weeks.

Made Halloween cards for all of my grand and great grand parents.

Loves to eat and having his diaper changed.

Started sleeping in his crib at 7 weeks but momma still lets me sleep in the Rock and play if I have gas.

Starting to sleep on my tummy during naps at 8 weeks.

Figured out our nanny situation.

Drinking over 30 ounces a day.

Went to a Halloween party at papa duke and Grammy pammys house for my first Halloween.

Took his infant insert out of the car seat.

Visited Annapolis with Grammy d and great gramma Schaub.

Still loving tummy time (especially on the boppy) and playing on my play mat, but my favorite thing to do is be perched on someone's shoulder or sitting so I can look around.

Loves being outside!

BENJAMIN EVERETT: MONTH FOUR

12/14 you officially rolled from back to your side! We've been practicing rolling for a week or so and we are so proud!

 On your third month birthday 12/10 I weighed you and you were 15 and a half pounds! Y

ou smile all the time!! Still! So happy all of the time!

About to bump your bottles up to 5-6 ounces for each feeding :)

 On 12/29 I weighed you and you were 17 and a half pounds!

You have rolled from your back to your tummy now a few times!

You love love standing! It's your new favorite thing. We hold onto your little hands and say up and you will go from laying to standing in a second flat! You're so strong!

You had your first Christmas where you were spoiled with love and presents! Some things you got were: an embroidered leather chair, a push car for you to sit in, a plush car and toy car for you to sit and play in, lots of toys and clothes!

Your aunt Lauren came to visit and she instantly loved you. The way she takes care of you makes mommy cry because I know she loves you so much and she was such a natural.

We asked aunt Ali and aunt Lauren to be your godmother - they said yes!

You were asked by aunt Kiki and uncle Albert to be their ring bearer and you said yes! You play with a ton of your toys now and grab the ones you want if they are next to you.

You are so close to sitting up by yourself!

Going to bed around 9pm every night that we don't ruin your schedule

Went to Terris for the first time and you had so much fun. You were wiped out and went to bed early!

Mom started working 4 days a week

BENJAMIN EVERETT: MONTH 6

Oh Benjamin! You are changing so so much every day. From the moment you turned five months I feel like we've been saying you are a man on a mission!

I shed a few tears after you decided to start going to bed between 7-7:30PM. You did this right at the five month mark. I knew this day was coming and you need the sleep so you can grow big and strong, but I miss you so very much when I'm not with you. Sometimes I will sit in your rocking chair after putting you down to sleep and listen to your sounds. We started a bedtime routine with you and we never miss a night! We start by giving you dinner (solid foods) a little after 6PM, followed by bath time, then we wrap up the night with a bottle. You've recently decided that you are a big guy and want to sit up in the bath tub, rather than relax and recline in the baby bath. We know you will be a big boy sitting in the bath tub in no time, but no rush!

Rolling from back to tummy is a given if you are on a flat surface - even when sitting in your black chair, you can't help but to lean forward to grab at something or trying to flip over to get out and explore. The only time you sit still now is when watching Mickey Mouse after your morning bottle - which allows mama and dad to get ready for the day! Diaper changes are a challenge and I've found if I give you something to grab onto or sing really loudly I can grab your attention for a few moments so you won't flip half way through. The week you turned 6 months old you rolled from your tummy to your back!

You love playing peek a boo and belly laugh at so many things - which is the best sound in the entire world. You are still the sweetest ever and smile constantly throughout the day. You've started to smile and interact with strangers when we are out in public and you even babble now while out! Your personality is growing so much week-by-week. You really love watching other kids and love hanging out with Jax and Rory.

You are still an awesome eater and love helping me feed you. You still love to put the spoon in your mouth all by yourself! This month you started becoming interested in watching mama drink her coffee. I let you reach out for an empty mug and you immediately grabbed it and brought it to your mouth - you're so smart! I know that in a few weeks you'll be sipping water out of your very own cup!

This month we have had some nice weather! We took you to the zoo and bought a membership so we can go back all throughout the year. You loved the monkeys! We saw a mama lion, penguins, giraffes, monkeys and farm animals (plus more). You experienced your first trip to the park and you went on the slide and swings. I was afraid to push you very high, but Dad wasn't worried - you loved it! You would smile and kick your little chubby legs. The week you turned 6 months you started sitting all by yourself for long periods of time! Working those abs out - you only tumbled over after 10 minutes the first couple of days and then you decided it was time to sit all by yourself one day we were at the park with Aunt Nikki and Rory.

We found out that you have eczema and you broke out in hives when I washed your clothes in our laundry detergent, rather than your baby detergent. After taking some Benadyrl the hives cleared up the next day. We now do a mini massage after your baths with eczema lotion.

WELCOME BENJAMIN EVERETT LUCAS: OUR BIRTH STORY

On Thursday, September 10th I woke up after having a sinus infection for two days deciding to stay home from work and go to the doctors to get a prescription for antibiotics. I didn't want to ignore the cold and, in turn, not be able to kiss our sweet Ben when he made his arrival.

Chris left early that morning to play in a golf tournament with his dad up past Frederick. We both knew it didn't make sense for him to stay home waiting for something to happen - especially since we weren't even at his due date yet. At this point, I was sure he was going to come after due date since he didn't make his arrival on my birthday. The midwives had all told me the same thing - that he would be making his arrival early, but as each day came and went I found myself more impatient and more discouraged.

I made an appointment to go to Urgent Care after calling my OB/GYN office and was prescribed Amoxicillin. Around lunch time I drove to CVS to drop off my prescription and came back home to continue working. Around 3PM I decided since my prescription still wasn't ready and having only two more hours in the work day, I would try a trick to stimulate my nipples that Tammy told me could help start contractions. I walked upstairs into Ben's room and grabbed the breast pump out of the closet. I came back downstairs, saw a text that my medicine was ready to be picked up and plugged in the machine. As soon as I sat down on the family room couch I felt a "pop" of water - I had a feeling that I didn't pee my pants... I remember thinking that I may be pregnant, but I should still know the difference between peeing my pants and my water breaking. Half nervous and half excited I waddled to the bathroom. As soon as I sat down I felt liquid instantly gush out of me. I couldn't believe this was it!

They tell you that once your water breaks you have about 24 hours before they want the baby to come since after your water breaks, it leaves you open to infection. Since it was only 3:30PM at the time my water broke, I knew my doctors office would be open. I called the office and asked if they wanted me to come in to be checked. Instead, they told me to go straight to the hospital. I called Chris almost in a panic. I needed him to head home. I called my mom and asked her to come over and called Tammy letting her know I was 99% sure that my water broke. She was already at the hospital working and told me she would stay until we came and were checked in .

Once my mom got to the house, I jumped in the shower. At this point I wasn't experiencing any contractions. I knew they could take their time and it could be hours before they progressed. I remember feeling like I was constantly leaking, even after getting out of the shower. By the time I started to blow dry my hair I could feel the contractions starting. They weren't too strong and about 5-7 minutes apart. I decided to wait to time the contractions until we were in the car on the way to the hospital. Trying to track them and get ready would be too much. I got dressed and made sure our bags were packed as the contractions started getting more intense and closer together. I called Chris asking where he was. By the time he got home I had my mom start and put all of our bags and the car seat in the car so we would be ready to go. The contractions were getting stronger and I just wanted to get to the hospital.

Chris got home, sweaty from playing golf all day, and by that time I was afraid to wait any longer. Without showering we were off to the hospital. I started timing my contractions in the car on an app I had downloaded months ago. They were consistently about 3-4 minutes apart by the time we got to the hospital. We grabbed our bag and headed up to the labor and delivery unit - around 5PM.

As soon as we got to the nurses station we saw Tammy. I was breathing through my contractions, waiting to be checked into a room while a girl was crying in a wheelchair because of her contractions. In the room across from the nurses station the door was cracked and you could hear screaming. She was pushing and Tammy told us she waited too long to come to the hospital and wasn't able to get an epidural. Needless to say, I was terrified of what was to come. I was able to walk and breathe through the contractions at this point and seeing/hearing these two women made me panic that the worst was still to come.

After about 20-30 minutes we were headed to our room. I changed into my gown and our nurse hooked me up to a fetal heart rate monitor and a monitor to track my contractions. She asked if I wanted an epidural (which I said yes) and explained that I needed a full bag of IV in me before they could administer it. I called my mom and told her to head to the hospital since we were checked in!

I continued to breathe through the contractions which were about 1-2 minutes apart at this point. We had a nurse change at 7PM and I was given the epidural at 7:30. Everything the nurses told me about what to expect (feeling wise) with the epidural happened and I remember it not being as bad as I had anticipated. I just kept trying to focus on my breathing. I remember Chris trying to comfort me by telling jokes and rubbing me, but until the epidural kicked in I just needed my space and to focus on the waves of contractions! They best way to explain how the contractions felt is the feeling of having to hold your pee really badly, the cramps you get in your stomach would also wrap to your back.

Once the epidural was given they monitored Ben's heart rate. It was spiking after each contraction, but the midwives were amazing and made us feel that this was common. We tried to help Ben by rolling to my left side and finally they put me on oxygen so he would receive extra as well. Thankfully it worked! The midwives told Chris and our family to go get some dinner, that since this was our first labor, it could go on for hours before he arrived. I remember this was about 8:30. Everyone left the room and the midwives fluffed my pillows and told me to rest. We could potentially have a 9/11 baby.

Shortly after 9, the midwife came in to check my progress and saw I was fully effaced and dilated. In fact, she told me that Ben had hair on his head - that's how far down he was! I was anxious and excited to start the process - I remember texting Chris to come up since we were ready to start pushing as soon as they were finished eating. He came up while everyone else finished and I remember looking at him asking him if we were actually ready to do this - to become parents - and more importantly, was I actually ready to push out a baby.

My mom met us in the room and we started pushing! After pushing normally for 15-20 minutes, I turned to my left side and pushed him out after an additional 10 minutes. While pushing I kept thinking what will be the first thing I say to him? How will I act and then all of a sudden he was here! He was perfect.

Born September 10,  2015 at 10:12PM. Weighing 7 pounds, 10 ounces and 18 3/4 inches long. 

I remember saying "Hi Baby!" and looking around the room at everyone's faces. His hair was dark and so curly, I was for sure he would have Lauren's curls.

He started to latch and the midwives and nurses said because of the large bruise on the left side of his head, they wouldn't be shocked if he wouldn't nurse right away. He probably had a huge headache - it was from how he was positioned and came out through the canal. They weighed and measured him - which I was in disbelief of how short they measured him to be. We later found out it was a mistake since he wasn't fully stretched, but forever he will have his tiny length on the birth certificate.

The rest of the family came in before they stitched me back up for the night and I remember all of their proud faces. We're so lucky to have them all right outside cheering us on.

We were finally transfer to our room around midnight/1AM and went to bed that night as a family of three. I remember waking up with the sunrise, holding Benjamin and crying the happiest tears. I've never felt more joy than every day he has been in our lives.

We're so very lucky and blessed.

BENJAMIN EVERETT: THREE MONTHS

Got his first shots. Two in his left thigh and one in his right thigh. He was fussy that evening from his thighs being sore. We gave him Tylenol but he spit most of it up.

Weighed 12 pounds 10 ounces and was 23 inches long at his doctors appointment. Doesn't have another appointment until 4 months. Drinks 32-33 ounces a day. Mom produces about 20-21 ounces a day.

 Mom ordered and got our Christmas pajamas in the mail. All of us and aunt Lauren will match.

Beginning to talk to mom and dad with my cooing.

Mom and dad made me giggle at week 9. I would imitate their giggles. I especially love when they put the burp cloth on me because it means I get my bottle.

Smiling a lot now! Confirming he is a happy happy baby.

Loves the song the ants go marching - gets excited when we say hoorah!

 Grammy took care of me one night because mom was sick with a sore throat. Gigi watched me one day so mom could clean the house. Mom and dad went on a movie date and to the Ravens game.

Rarely gets fussy over gas now. Holds onto blankets a lot now. Loves kicking his feet and kicking toys

 Clasps his hands and open and closes his hands more often now Loves sitting up on his changing pad and looking in the mirror with you. He will giggle and smile at himself.

Visited moms work for a work thanksgiving.

Met his Reid cousins who love him so much. Every time they would walk by him they would put their hand on his head like they were blessing him.

 Watched mom and dad put up the Christmas tree and decorate it with lights and ornaments!

Went to lunch with mom and aunt Alex to aunt Mandy's job.

Had his first thanksgiving / went to Grammy d and great aunt Kim's house.

Sleeping in his crib!!

Sleeps through the night on his belly. Mom was nervous at first, but she's been using the monitor Terri gave her to make sure he was ok.

Tried taking Christmas photos at the tree farm but I had a blowout in my skinny jeans. We came home and set something up at the house and the photos turned out great.

Went for a nice long walk the day after thanksgiving at freedom park. It was in the 60s!

I am starting to talk a lot more now! Maybe I'll be a talker like my mama.

Loves kicking the water in his bath tub

Had your first belly laugh one day shy of your three month mark.

We didn't catch it on tape but mama cried happy tears!

Wants to sit up all. The. Time! You try to do crunches to sit up because you want to see what's going on.

Mama put you in your high chair for the first time and you played with toys - speaking of toys you grab your toys now! Your favorite is the wrinkle rattle and the links!

Mom went back to work :(

Exclusively pump now - which has helped increase my milk supply! we typically only need to give you 8-10 ounces max rather than 14!

Loves looking in the mirror!

He smiles immediately when he catches your eye!

 Size 2 diapers and just about outgrown your 0-3 month clothes!

Saw Santa and the Christmas tree lighting in downtown sykesville. Decorated the Christmas tree and hung your stocking! Your hands are in your mouth constantly and you no longer take a pacifier. we think we have a thumb sucker on our hands and it's adorable when I hear you sucking on your hands in the morning in your crib.

Blows spit bubbles all the time! Lower lips kill me! I'll pick you up and snuggle you at any sight of the lower lip.