Well I haven't been posting much because I really don't have anything to tell everyone. Benjamin is great. Growing daily. This past week has been a record for weight gain..he put on 15oz. That's crazy...I can't believe he's still growing so fast. He now weighs 13lbs 5oz. He's so chubby. He's been eating alot..around the clock so obviously he was having a growth spurt. We have no appointments this week which is great. I think we'll only have one more in December for Ben's second RSV vaccine and that's it until the new year. We're just visiting some friends and finishing up shopping before the stores get to crazy..I don't want to take Ben out into packed stores. Benjamin is being baptized on Sunday which we are really looking forward too. I'm just so excited to finally be able to do this. Hopefully I can keep it together in front of the chuch. We have so much to be thankful for.

What a day...We saw the surgeon and she is so happy with how Benjamin is doing. She was impressed with his growth. But he has a remarkably large hernia where he's had his surgeries...the abdominal wall has seperated and his bowel is pushing through. The doctor said it was one of the largest hernia's she'd ever seen. So Benjamin will have to have 1 more surgery. I'm so bummed. She's in no hurry so she's planning on doing it when he is 6mths corrected, so probably in March. Compared to his other issues this is minor, but she will have to re-open his original incision and push his bowel back down and sew his abdominal muscles closed. I think this will be the hardest surgery. He'll be so much bigger and aware of what's happening. Luckily the 7th floor will be over in the new building and we'll have our own room. I'll be able to stay around the clock...I'll have to anyways because he's nursing. Anyways, its disappointing but we're going to focus on what's going on now and he's great.
Yesterday we saw the physiotherapist and she was thrilled with his progress. We've been working hard at home and she really noticed that. So that's great. He's doing above and beyond what a 2mth old baby corrected should be doing. He's grabbing for toys and he's found his tongue :). So we are happy. He also had his RSV vaccine yesterday and did great..the doctor weighed him and he gained another 12oz this week. So he's up to 12lbs 6oz. Crazy.
Benjamin is on the cover of the NICU cookbook which is available now..so we picked up a few copies..so exciting.
Anyways that's about it for now.

We have a busy week with Benjamin coming up..We have 3 appointments. Tomorrow we are going back to St. Joes to meet with the physiotherapist again. I'm hoping the work we've been doing with him has helped. Benjamin is starting to protest a bit when I try to do his physio with him so it makes it hard. He's also getting his first RSV vaccine this week. I'm glad that we're starting that..it makes me feel better. We also have an appointment with the surgeon. I'm looking forward to seeing her again. I'm sure she'll be so happy with Benjamin's progress. We're having Benjamin baptized on December 5th. I'm really looking forward to that. Any one is welcome to show up and witness such an awesome event. Our church is a come as you are type church. Wear your jeans..bring you timmies. If anyone is truly interested in coming let me know and I can email you the information. I think its going to be fantastic.
Anyways life is good..

Some pictures

This week has been good. No appointments at all. It was nice. I had Benjamin weighed again on Tuesday and he gained another 10oz. Wow...I'm assuming he'll slow down sooner then later. He's 11lbs 9oz. That's great. Every day I put something on him that is too small. He really is starting to catch up. Next week is busier again...but its good. Here are some pictures from our family shoot a few weeks ago.

Things are good. Benjamin is starting to run the house...:) He definitely wants to be held a lot. I don't blame him, but it makes it hard to get things done around here. I've been wearing him when I really need to do stuff around the house and that keeps him pretty happy. Its a little awkward, but I'm sure I'll get used to it. I have a custom made mei tai which I love...he snuggles in and usually just goes to sleep. The girls are great with understanding when he needs me...but I know they get a little impatient. We don't have any appointments this week which is nice...next week will be busier. I'm going to take him and have him weighed again tomorrow. I'm curious to see..I'm sure he's slowing down a bit...but he seems to be eating all the time. Anyways things are good at home and we are enjoying life.

Benjamin was back at the pediatrician yesterday (whom we love so much) and got his 4 mths vaccinations. He did well. Its so said to hear him cry....I felt bad for him. He had a bit of a fever this morning, but other then that he seemed fine. He's a little behind in his vaccine schedule because we postponed his first set because he was sick. He'll go back next week for the rotavirus vaccine and rsv as well. I'll feel much better once he gets those.. Benjamin is still growing like crazy...He grew 2 inches is 2 weeks..that's crazy. He weighs 11lbs 2oz..and is just doing so well. So we're just working every day on getting him stronger and building up his abdominal muscles with physio. He seems to be doing good and I think the buldge on his belly is getting smaller. We go see the physiotherapist next week again so I hope she notices a difference. We'll see.....

Things are good here. Benjamin is growing like crazy. I took him to the Well baby clinic to have him weighed since I have switched to breastfeeding only. I wanted to make sure he was getting enough..and he is. He put on 12oz in 6 days. He is 10lbs 15oz. I can't believe how fast he's growing now. He's so happy. He's really starting to want to be held a lot. He hates being put down. He arches his back and complains a lot when I do put him down. Its pretty funny. He's really developing his own personality. Friday we go back to the pediatrician and Benjamin will get his next set of vaccines. Poor boy. Other then that we don't have any appointments until the 22nd. Yay! We are so blessed.

I know its been a few days, but I really don't have to much to tell you. Benjamin is doing so good. Yesterday was our first day of exclusively breastfeeding and he is doing great. He is sleeping well and having lots of good wet diapers so I know he's getting what he needs. We still need to work on his latch, but overall he's doing great at it. I'm so glad that I don't have to pump anymore...and just cuddling up with him and nursing him is an amazing experience. I just love it. Benjamin looks bigger every day. He's really filled out and some of his clothes are getting small. Its nice to see him growing and looking so chubby and healthy. I'm starting to push to the back of my mind that he was sick..and just think of him as a normal baby. He's doing a lot of the normal baby things now. He's starting to chat a lot..he smiles lots...and he's getting lots of tummy time. He doesn't love tummy time because of his belly...but he still gets a few minutes here and there. I'm just loving every minute with him. Our quiet days at home are wonderful and I just can't get enough of him. He makes me so happy and I just can't imagine life without him.

Today was a big day. Benjamin had developmental follow-up clinic at St. Joes. It was nice to see some familiar faces again. We even popped into the Nicu and said hi to a few nurses. Benjamin is doing pretty good with his development. He scored just above the 25th percentile, so everyone was fairly happy with that. We got some good instruction from the physiotherapist to help Benjamin with muscle tone. He has overcompensated in his upper body because his abdomen has been cut open so many times. So we have to work on getting him to relax his shoulders a bit and do some tummy time. Because he has such a large buldge from his operations he tends to teeter while on his tummy, so we got some good tips to help him with that. We go back in a month, so we have lots of work to do before then. We also saw the dietician and she was very happy with Benjamin's progress. She was happy for me to stop bottle feeding and start breastfeeding full time. So by the weekend I think he'll be straight breastfed..what an answered prayer. To be born a micro-preemie and to nurse in the first place is amazing...but for him to have been so sick and come through what he has and then to still be able to effectively nurse is phenomenal. I am so thankful!!!! Life just couldn't be any better.

Benjamin is great...All of a sudden he looks so big to me. Things are good here. He is a happy baby. I love every minute of having him home. The hospital is becoming a memory now and that makes me happy. Its just so right having him here. He's definitely the boss. He lets us know when he wants something..he definitely has times where he just wants to be held. I don't blame him though. He's starting to smile more and more and that is simply amazing. We're slowly going out a little more. I'm very cautious where we go. I try to go out when its less busy. I took him to church on sunday. We sat up in the belcony and then I slipped out with him before church was over..I want to avoid crowds. The public health nurse was here today. She weighed Benjamin and helped me with nursing. I have been nursing him more and more, but his latch isn't great so it hurts. She gave me some good tips. So I'm going to nurse half his feeds. I guess if he nurses well and gets the good milk it can have more calories then even formula. Once he was on good, she was very happy with how he nursed. The idea of exclusively breastfeeding is so exciting. Wednesday we have our developmental follow-up at St. Joes. I guess we'll see a pediatrician, physiotherapist, dietician, and other people. So I'm looking forward to that. So things are great. Prayers are being answered daily....