Ben turns 4 months old!

I'm 4 months old today!

Ben turns 4 months old today! Since our last post, a lot has changed. He moved into his room about a month ago, I think. Matt and I are sleeping in the guest room next door so I can access him easily in the night. He typically sleeps from about 8pm to 4 or 5am.  Then I nurse him and he goes right back to bed until about 8:30am. It's the perfect schedule for me because it gives me time to get the other kids ready for school, nurse him then out the door, in the car and to school we go.

He still proves to be a very easy going baby. No witching hour in the evening like with Millie and Cam. He adapts pretty much anywhere I lay him down. He really likes tummy time probably due to all the attention he gets on the floor from his siblings. He has rolled over from tummy to back a handful of times. His torso is stronger. As of last week, he can jump in the jumperoo, sit in the bumbo, and swing in the playground swing for a good amount of time.

His is such a drooler and loves chewing on his fist and fingers. I wonder if he'll get teeth sooner than 12 months old like the other two children. As of yesterday he has been tugging at his ear. We suspect it might be his first ear infection. I'm taking him to the doctor on Monday to get it checked out. I'll get his growth stats then too. In the meantime, we treated his ear with droplets of a mix of vinegar and alcohol before bed. It seems to work fine because he seems to feel fine afterward and sleeps well too.

Some of his favorite things are mirrors, tickles, eye contact, rattles and squeaky toys. Here are some photos I took tonight at bath:

Back to Ben! He's 10 weeks old!

10 weeks old, Ben!

I love Benjamin! He is the sweetest baby a mother of three could ask for. He is so so so easy going. He coos, ahs and talks right back to you like he's having a real conversation. I'm sure those coos mean something like "I love you so much, mommy, and won't ever stop."

The sibling love still stands strong, too. The love Millie and Camden have for Ben is quite astounding. They want to be with him every minute. Millie is getting good mommy practice as she loves mothering him.

It is hard to believe he has been a Morris for 10 weeks already.

Yesterday was Ben's 2 month check up. He is now 12 lbs, 12 oz and 23.5 inches long. Both around 50 percentile. I haven't looked yet, but I think he has to be my biggest baby at this stage considering Millie and Cam were 6 lbs at birth. No way they were already 12 lbs by 2 months. Also, he does have a little bit of chest congestion. The doctor didn't hear it in his lungs so we didn't get any medicine for it, but he did have to have his 4 vaccines. 3 shots and 1 oral... I always feel so sad and guilty. He's cried for about 5 seconds  then was happy to be in his Daddy's arms again.

10 weeks

 

Happy 3rd birthday, Camden!

Over the weekend family and friends joined us to celebrate Camden turning three. The Thomas the train themed party planning sounded low key but was a lot of work in the grand scheme. Matt and PaPa ran train tracks made of painters tape throughout our house up and down our stairs. They took such great care and detail in it. Then YaYa and I decorated the rest of the house with streamers and Thomas banners and backdrops. Crossroads sign reading "birthday crossing." cool indeed.

There were over thirty people at he party. We served pizza, chips, cake, ice cream and drinks. I didn't want to make it complicated since I've got a newborn in my arms. Thankfully, my mom took care of Ben while we partied like a three year old.

After the party and the clean up was my favorite part,we traveled for the first time in 3 years down to my Uncle Art and Aunt Pam's place, Naas Farm, about four hours from Evans. We packed up what seemed like all of Camden's new toys and headed south. The kids were perfect car riders.

Upon our arrival, we ate a bunch and the kids fell asleep watching Peter Pan and Toy Story. Bliss for Cam. The next day was Sunday and we rested poolside. Both kids took several trips down the water slide. Millie started to love it while Cam remained resistant. By Monday morning Millie was swimming under water! I could not believe my eyes. So proud. We even managed to squeeze in a family photo shoot.

Monday night when we got home from Naas Farm, we gave Cam his gift from us... Thomas's Trackmaster train track...4 different tracks! It was a long night of fun! Now our playroom is covered in train tracks. I think purging may be in order soon.

Cam's actual birthday came on Tuesday. Cam brought donut holes to share with his class at school, and later Grandpa D'Amico celebrated with us at Red Robin for dinner.

During this last year, our big boy Camden went from hardly saying words to non-stop chatter, from constant diaper changes to clean and dry, day and night, from pushing his trike to riding a bike, and now he has favorites like trains, toy story movies, and cheeseburgers. He's 39" tall and about 33 lbs.

Ben's first days

He is such a good baby. I've been telling everyone that if I could have my third child first I would be so much more calm and confident in my mothering skills. During Ben's first four days of life, he received our undivided attention. His big sister and big brother were off enjoying themselves in Florida on vacation with their cousins and grandparents. While they were lavishing Legoland on Tuesday, we were having a baby. Seriously... On that very same day. It was so nice not having to arrange child care. When my water broke at 7am, Matt headed back home (as he was on his way to work), we packed up the car and headed to the hospital totally excited about and focused on our one new baby, knowing the other kids were in good hands.

Upon settling into our birthing room at the hospital, I was 4 cm dilated and handling mild contractions well. The pain became more intense around 9:30. Shortly thereafter I got an epidural and I was all smiles again. I was progressing but because my water broke and baby needed to get out soon, the doc decided to start me on pitocin at 12:30pm. Boy, did that do it?!

I quickly dilated fully, pushed maybe 7 times and out came our big baby boy, Benjamin David Morris, at 1:14pm . The labor and delivery was better than textbook and better than what I could have ever imagined. The nursing and medical staff at Trinity hospital were AMAZING!

On Friday, Millie and Camden came home from Florida. It was emotional for me. They seemed to have grown up and they had only been gone a week. Millie and Cam received Ben very well. They are in love with him and have shown to be sweet and helpful siblings. Millie's duties include replacing the paci, singing lullabies, and fetching burp cloths. Camden likes to take the diapers to the diaper pail, hold him and share his blankets when Ben is laying in Cam's bed in the evening.

Big sibling gifts arrived mysteriously at the front door on Saturday morning.  Millie got accessories for her bike, a mobigo case and a new mobigo Tinkerbell game. Camden got a new Cars bike. They are both in heaven!

Ben's eating like a champ every 2 1/2 to 3 hrs day and night. He's most awake in the evening and has a rough time settling for the night. Something we're working on as we get to know his likes and dislikes. He sleeps just about anywhere though and loves to "jump" with his daddy. In fact, his first smiles were for Matt while he was jumping in his arms. Overall he has a really calm, sweet and patient temperament.

 

FaceTime with the Florida gang while we were in the hospital.

Papa Morris

Aunt Katie just happened to be in town that week! What luck!

Mia is admiring his Morris features.

Kristine and Madison Austin visit us at the hospital bringing a really cute diaper wreath.

Getting ready to go home. Wearing the same outfit Camden wore leaving the hospital.

All snug for his first car ride.

Yaya and Papa meet their sixth grandchild.

Sibling gifts at the front door.

Tummy time with the dance princess.