3 Months

 I honestly can't believe this little monster is already 3 months old!
Bennett has come to LOVE his play mat and can spend hours under it doing what I call "playing" and what Lance calls "swatting at toys."
Bennett is starting to fill out his size 2 diapers and his 6 month clothes.  On occasion I am still able to squeeze some 3 month clothes on him, which I'm grateful for.
Bennett weighs 16 pounds already!
He now wakes up in the morning cooing from his crib and when you walk in and look down at him he gives you the biggest happiest smile.
He's a pretty good sleeper and will make it from 10pm-7am on most days with the occasional 5am wake up depending on how much he slept the previous day, but I'm definitely not complaining about getting in some solid straight hours of sleep.
Bennett usually wakes up, eats a ton and plays for an hour and a half before being put down for a nap.  His naps typically take place in the comfort of his boppy pillow or in his swing.
He likes his catnaps and they will generally last from 30-45 minutes, and then he will take a WONDERFUL 2 1/2 hour nap at some point in the day.
We just recently switched his bottles to the medium flow and he is dominating them in half the time.
He still LOVES bath time and has almost refuses to fall asleep for good unless he's had his time in the tub.
Winston licks his face 10+ times a day although we try to stop him and Bennett doesn't seem to mind at all unless Winston has just drank water which leaves Bennett's face sopping wet.
He could care less for his carseat cover unless he's sleeping, otherwise he LOVES looking out to the world and seeing everything.
The basketball gym is still his favorite place (second to the tub).  He finds his place on my lap facing out towards the court and is content for the entire 4-6 hours we are there.

Too Cute Not To.

While in the hospital Bella Baby Photography came and took pictures of Bennett on his second day of life.
I was totally into it because IHC employees get a free print, but wasn't interested in buying anything because I had already committed to newborn pictures and paid a deposit for them.
After looking over the Bella Baby photos I fell in love with a few, but still wasn't ready to make the financial committment.
They give you 2 weeks to look at them and possibly order some (so I hoped someone in my family would buy them so I could get a copy... but that didn't happen).
So there I was at the 2 week mark and decided to not purchase them because I had yet to see what my other newborn session would bring.

Today I was going through my trashcan shredding all the papers as to condense space when I got some pamplets from the hospital stuck in the scanner.  This delay had me going through each piece one by one until I finally stumbled upon the order form and password for my Bella Baby shoot.

For whatever reason I pulled it from the trash pile and decided to see if the code would magically work.. and it did!!
As I scrolled through the pictures there were just too many that I love that I couldn't say no. I mean Bennett is already 2 1/2 months and has changed so much.  There is no going back to being 2 days old and I felt like capturing those moments are so important...
So I did it. I bought the digital release.. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.

A Merry Christmas

 We had quite a holiday season.  In fact, this was the first Christmas we were able to spend in our home.  Let me back track ---
We decided to have our big Christmas Dinner at Lance's Mom's house on Monday the 23rd because scheduled aligned and everyone had the day off work.  We had just finished the kids gift to Rona and Andy by redoing their basement - paint, carpet, and a rearrangement of the furniture.
After our big Christmas feast I decided to wrap presents and get things under the tree.
Needless to say I somehow convinced EVERYONE to open presents and make Monday "Christmas"... so we did!!
We put on our Christmas Jammies which consisted of old navy pants for the girls and nike basketball shorts for the guys.
We gathered in the front room just before Andy's bedtime and began opening presents like we were still little kids.  It was wonderful.

Tuesday, Christmas Eve, was spent running around town with Landon and Nicole and ended with a not so close game of Phase 10 with my dad.  My dad DOMINATED us.
We tucked Bennett into bed in his Christmas jammies and woke up the next morning only to journey up to Woods Cross to Lance's Dad's for a day full of celebrating.
We enjoyed some good times, food, and laughs before we journeyed back home.
All in all a wonderful first Christmas.

Regardless of the holiday or reason for gathering I can always count on having a good time when I am surrounded by Lance and his family.
He truly has wonderful parents and awesome siblings who always have each others backs.
They love each other and truly enjoy one another's company.  It's a blessing I am grateful each day to be apart of this awesome family.

The End and The Beginning

New Years Day for me was not the sleep in kind of day from staying up all night.  

Instead I chose to return to work for the first time in 11 1/2 weeks. 

My maternity leave was wonderful and filled with great quality family time that I otherwise wouldn't have been able to enjoy.

I was blessed and fortunate to be able to have these past 10 1/2 weeks to enjoy Bennett and one week free from work to prepare for his arrival.

I enjoyed Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas, and New Years Eve from the comforts of my home.

Returning to work,  however, was inevitable, a little freighting and exciting all at the same time.

I am truly so blessed to be able to do what I love as my profession.  

There is so much personal reward from being able to care for those unable to care for themselves.  Yes, that is also a big perk of motherhood, but you don't get monetary compensation for being a mother.

I truly am so happy I was able to return to work.  

I'm not sure if full-time would have been my choice if given a say, but it is awesome to have a few days a week to forgo my motherly duties and remember who I am as a woman, an individual, and a person.  

To remember who I am other than a wife and a mother and to be able to put my education to good use.  

I love the women (and few men) that I work with.  

They truly are one of the main reasons why I continue to go to work each day and why I have stayed working on my unit for the past 3 years.  

Amidst all the stress and chaos of our 12 hour shift I learn and laugh each and every day, a blessing not every job has. 

In addition, they say absence makes the heart grow fonder and I believe it.  

I love stepping in the door and being greeted by my husband caring for Bennett.  

It has made me fall more and more in love with him as I watch and observe him care for Bennett. 

 He truly is an amazing father and caregiver. 

I love coming home to my little guy and being able to set everything else aside to spend quality time with him.  

All the stress and sleepless nights suddenly become invisible and I am reminded what a privilege it is to call him mine.

My first day back at work I was given the opportunity to care for a young man who was a quadriplegic.  

I stood back in awe at how his parents selflessly did EVERYTHING for this young man. 

 From helping him eat, to exercise, to cough, to reposition his pillows and pee.  

They had been given the challenge of raising this young man, and took the challenge full force and turned it into a positive experience.  

They truly were so happy to help him and it made me realize how incredibly grateful I am to have experiences such as these and to have a healthy and happy little boy.  

Heavenly Father has blessed my life with challenges, but none that I couldn't overcome and most importantly he has blessed me beyond measure with wonderful gifts, opportunities, and angels.

Here's to a new year and striving each day to be appreciative to the wonderful life I have been given and to enjoy each moment as it comes.