Our Little Traveler

Planes, car rides and new places....oh my!

Friday we set off on an adventure that had John and I excited and a little apprehensive.  

Destination: San Antonio.   

Purpose: introduce Ben to family and friends from Texas for the very first time!

Journey: 1 hour drive to the airport, 1.5 hours waiting for the plane, 4 hours on the first flight, 1+ hour layover, and 1 hour on second flight, then repeat 3 days later

Travelers: one tired mommy, one tired daddy and one crying, pooping, squirmy, messy machine (baby)

It could have been a disaster....we could have dealt with meltdowns and blowouts, lost a pacifier, run out of diapers and angered every passenger in the plane.  But God covered our trip with grace and it went so well!  Ben performed fabulously on the first few flights: only a few moments of fussiness and no blowouts!  We had him suck on his pacifier during takeoff and landing and he seemed to have no problems with the changing air pressure.  

Then we reached San Antonio and Ben was descended upon by all his South Texas fans.  Gran, Pops, GG (great-grandma), Aunt Melissa, Uncle Greg, cousin Hayden, cousin Garrett, several other family members and about 25 friends all got to spend time with us and our little superstar. We had all kinds of activities, family get-togethers and even an open house on Sunday for all the friends and family to come meet Ben and visit.  Having the open house allowed us to see lots of great friends whom we hadn't seen in a long time and helped us avoid long exhausting days of toting Ben around, in and out of a carseat, to try and see everyone.

As my Grandma says, it "warmed the cockles of my heart" to see Gary and Linda (my in-laws) loving on our son.  How blessed we are to have two families that love Jesus and love their kids and grand-kids with such tenderness.  

The trip home went even better as Ben slept almost the entire day away!  We were anticipating that all that sleep would then mean a night of dealing with a wide awake baby, but he slept like normal last night and had a normal day today.  What a great kid we have!  He is just so much fun to be with, even when traveling!  

Even though the trip was exhausting, we thoroughly enjoyed having an adventure with our little threesome family.  I am so proud of my Ben and what an enjoyable and easy-going little guy he is.  And I am so proud of my John and the wonderful father he has become.  My favorite day is any day spent with my two best guys!  I couldn't imagine anything better than being the mom of Ben and the wife of John!

Here are some pictures of all the weekend fun:

Four generations: Ben, John, Gary (John's dad), Lucille (Gary's mom)

All the boys! (Garrett, Gary, Ben, Hayden and John)

Ben has discovered his tongue!

Father and Son, dressed for church!

All excited and awake for his guests at the open house :)

Some of our friends who visited. . . .

Becky and Sara

Jenny and Sylvia and me

Sara, Chad, Christy, Victor, Becky and John and me

Jenn and Todd and their son, Tommy

Malachi, Emily and their son, Grayson

Aunt Melissa and her sons, Hayden and Garrett, and Aunt Holly

Sara Jane

Our sleepy little traveler

 And I saved the best for last.  This video is a collection of a couple moments of Ben coos and conversations.  Enjoy!

2 Months Old

Today Ben is 8 weeks old and on Monday he will be officially 2 months old!  It has been the longest, messiest, most exhausting, sleepless and fantastic 2 months of my life!

Every day my little boy changes. . . .a little more alert, a few more smiles, another new sound he makes. We long to hear a giggle, and someday hear what his little boy voice will sound like as he tries out new words and eventually says our names and the most-coveted "I love you".  Amazing to think that this little squirt will someday bounce off to school with his backpack and lunchbox.  It has only been 2 months and he is already growing up too fast!


Here is our 2 month update:

Schedule: 
Eats every 3 hours during the day, takes several short naps and at least one long one during the day; at night he usually goes 5-6 hours, then another 3 before getting up for the day

Eating: 
Like a champ!  No one can stop this little piggy!  Last weigh in was 12 lb. 6 oz. (last week) which means he may be around 13 lb. by now!

Likes: 
Bath time, diaper changes, clothing changes: pretty much anything that involves being naked......yes, he LOVES to be naked.  He can be spitting mad and all you have to do is take his clothes off and he will find a smile for you.

Dangling toys on his play gym and car seat - he will stare and smile at them.

Snuggles, especially with his silky blanket made by grandma (that thing puts his eyes at half-mast within seconds).

Morning - very alert and talkative

Dislikes: 
Putting his clothes back on after they have been off.

Being left alone (he loves being with people, even if he is just in the same room with them, but he lights up when he gets talked to) 

Going down for a nap (probably because he isn't with people any more and he has to wear clothes)

Mommy and Daddy's favorites:  

Morning time - we sit Ben up against our lap so he can see us and he coos and "talks" and smiles as we talk to him and sing and play with him.

"Kitchen time" - Mommy puts him in his bouncer in the kitchen, turns on the music and will cook or do the dishes and sing to him.  Ben will look around with wide eyes, watch Mommy and coo back at her when she sings.

Snuggle time - Daddy usually takes a "snuggle break" a couple times during the day and will come find Ben, take him back to his desk and talk to him and cuddle with him.

As Ben gets bigger and grows, I am growing in my role as Mommy.  Today I went to my first MOPS meeting (Mothers Of Pre-Schoolers) and absolutely loved it.  I felt  honored to be able to walk into a room full of moms and finally belong there.  This is me now....I am a mom and I felt celebrated as such today.  I am excited to get to know the other moms, learn more about how to do my job better and enjoy being taken care of by these ladies.

And speaking of jobs....I officially quit mine today.  It was a hard thing to do, honestly.  John and I talked about it and decided that the time I have with Ben is so valuable and if I allow myself to do what I have done in the past, our days will be full to the brim, spent going here and there and everywhere, and not valuing rest and quality time together.  Right now God has blessed us with just what we need, without my income, so I am going to savor that blessing and truly enjoy it.  I will admit that my eyes got a little misty when I had to tell my boss today.  I have come to love those ladies and will truly miss their company at work.  I loved having something that I was good at, that I was respected for and that was easy and comfortable.  But, just as He has done before, God is moving me away from my comforts and asking me to identify myself only in Him.  Beyond being a wife and a mom, I am His child, and that is the role that matters most.

"It's so great being naked!"

Look at those baby blues!

It was bound to happen....

I have been coaching myself since before I was even pregnant that I would never become that over-concerned, paranoid first-time mom who runs around worrying about every little thing.  Well, today I met her....in the mirror, unfortunately.

A few red acne looking spots had popped up on Ben's face, and I had handled their arrival in stride.  No big deal, just newborn acne.  Then they began to spread to both cheeks and forehead.  Still doing ok, no need to worry, just newborn acne.  Then his ears, neck, upper back and chest broke out, and the redness seemed to get worse and all of a sudden the calm composure was gone and I was nervously asking other moms what to do, looking up his symptoms on the internet, researching different creams and lotions to use, and even having strange dreams about Ben being in danger and having to protect him.  Yep, the mama bear instincts kicked in full gear and I was a full-blown, paranoid, first time mom.  

 So, with only a small amount of embarrassment, I took Ben to the pediatrician today just to make sure that it was indeed just acne and not some rare aggressive rash with a terminal prognosis (as I was secretly fearing).  And sure enough, with a smile on her face, the pediatrician assured me that my sweet infant had a case of very normal baby acne.  Treatment: stop worrying and let him have red blotchy cheeks.

I finally am understanding what every other mother in the world experiences.  Anything that happens to my child is so significant and if something might possibly be wrong or be causing him pain, I am ready to walk over hot coals to protect him.  It is such a fierce emotion, and even though I knew it would happen, it has surprised me with its intensity.  I love that little boy with everything that is in me...and more.  He has become this treasure beyond value whom I would die for, if I had to.  Sounds something like a Father I know, who did just that.  How like our God to allow us a glimpse of His love, and heartache over us in the human relationship experience of being a parent.  How amazing to realize that what we experience is a faint shadow of His love for us.  

So today I hug and kiss my little one, pimples and all, giving thanks for my Father who holds and loves me, flaws and all.


Here are the latest pictures of some Grandma and Grandpa time and bath time.....

  

Saturday

I love Saturdays....traditionally they have been days to sleep in, have a fun breakfast just John and I, and laze around in our pajamas as long as we wanted while watching movies and enjoying ourselves.   

Saturdays look a little different now....sleeping in looks like 8:00 am (when we are lucky), special breakfast is the bowls of cereal we eat together on the couch, and watching movies means giving the pause button a workout while Ben squeaks and fusses during all the important scenes.  Staying in our pajamas til early afternoon does still happen, but mainly because we can't get anything done until then because we are changing, bouncing, feeding, burping or rocking--our new favorite activities.
But Saturdays are still grand, because I have my John with me all day--I don't have to share him with work or other people and I get my teammate back.  
What a difference it makes when you have a teammate share the day, the frustrations, the smiles and coos, and most importantly.....the dirty diapers. :)


It has been a great day so far, and a great end to a busy but good week.  Ben was such a trooper as I toted him around this week.  Wednesday we dropped Grandma and Grandpa off at the airport, went to a parent/baby group at the hospital and then visited the staff at Dream Dinners (my work) in the evening.  Then yesterday we spent the day with Auntie Laurie and went berry picking and then shopping.  Through it all Ben slept or was content and easy-going.  

What a blessing this little boy is!  As I was driving home yesterday he slept most of the way, but then about 10 minutes from home he had reached saturation point of carseat and car time and was done.  And I heard about it until we got home.  But I realized, even as he loudly proclaimed his disapproval of the circumstances, that he is so patient with me, so mild-mannered and flexible.  I am denying any credit for this great behavior, because it has nothing to do with me and everything to do with a gracious God who blesses with outrageous abundance.  More evidence of this goodness: last night he went to bed at 11:30 and slept til 4:30, then ate and slept again until 8:30.  Wow.  That means I got 5 hours in a row and then another 3.5 - what luxury!!  And this is the same little boy that smiles through bathtime, coos through tummy-time, and sleeps well in his crib for naps or nighttime.  I am seriously blessed.

Here are some fun pictures of our Ben, otherwise known as Buddy, Sweetheart, Punkin, Munchkin, Squirt, Nugget, and Little Love.

We love morning snuggle time with our snuggle-bug.

Ready for church!

This is why we call him our little nugget.  He just fits so perfectly!

He is getting so strong!  He will lift his head like this and hold it for a few seconds, and then do it over and over again while on his tummy. 

                                      The many faces of Ben....

He loves his play mat/gym and enjoys looking at all the colors and toys attached.

At the berry farm with Mommy and Auntie Laurie

It was a beautiful day and we treated ourselves to berry sundaes after all our "hard work" picking.....
....Ben just treated himself to another nap.

5 Week Assessment - by Ben Norsworthy

It has been five weeks now in this new strange place, but it is beginning to grow on me.  I still think my last place was pretty great - they kept the heater on, I had this great waterbed and no one made me wake up when I didn't want to.  But my new home has some nice additions.  

Two people take care of me all the time and I like them a lot.  The tall guy is pretty funny.  He likes to play with me and he tries to make me smile by singing to me and making goofy faces.  The lady is really nice too.  She snuggles with me a lot and talks to me all day long.  When I don't feel good, she will hold me close against her chest and sing to me....somehow it makes everything feel better.  The only thing about her is that she has this weird black box that she keeps holding in front of my face that flashes and clicks all the time.  Whenever I make a face she pulls that thing out.....come to think of it, she pulls it out whether I am making a face or not.   I think it might actually be attached to her arm.....

I keep trying to talk to the nice lady and man, but they never seem to understand me.  I even will say it REALLY LOUDLY to help them get it, but it doesn't always work well.  They usually just stick this plastic thing in my mouth and bounce me around while they thump me on the back.  I don't get it, but sometimes I just humor them and suck on the thing.  That seems to calm them down. (They can be so uptight sometimes.)

Everyone here talks to me in this sing-song voice....I think they sound funny and I smile at them, which makes them do it even more.  Silly big people! 

There are some strange things that happen around here.  Every couple of hours they take off my clothes and wipe something cold over my bottom and then put my clothes right back on again.  Just when I had made it all warm and comfortable in my pants, they have to go and ruin it!  Oh well, I will have to just work on it again.  

The best part about this place is these great fountains of milk - anytime I want it!  The nice lady holds me and I get to snuggle and eat at the same time - what a deal!  

So, overall, this new home isn't too bad.  I think with the snuggles and nice people I will give it 4 stars.....I keep hearing about something called "food" and it sounds pretty great, so I will reserve my 5th star until I get to try that stuff out.