The Theme Is...

We went to church today. I was feeling okay and felt there was no reason to stay home. I only went for first hour though as I don't feel up to three hours out with Elizabeth just yet. We had a theme today with Elizabeth's outfit/ensemble. The theme was "Do not mistake our little girl for a boy!" Lots and lots of pink.

Benjamin decided to crawl into his old car seat. He obviously way too big for it now.

I had been wanting to take some pictures of Elizabeth like they did at the hospital and today I finally pulled it off.

Since the sun was out for a bit we decided to hang out in the backyard for a little bit as a family. Benjamin had fun throwing rocks and grass down the drain. Elizabeth eventually fell asleep and laid under the big umbrella to keep her protected from the sun.

I was able to harvest a few more strawberries (I am thinking I need to get 3-4 more strawberry plants and then I can harvest enough to make my own jam from my garden).

Jared got some good pictures of Benjamin hanging out with Elizabeth. He is really starting to come around to enjoying her more and more. When he wants his mommy though he still doesn't hesitate trying to get her away from me.

Smart Phone Test Drive

Jared's phone was acting up badly. He took it apart to work on it and broke the part that was causing the issue which broke the phone. We had an old school back up phone that he booted up to use as we debate changing carriers and getting smart phones when our contracts expire. Yesterday when we picked up Benjamin from Jared's sister (Jacki) he talked to her about her old Window's phone. He brought it home and booted that one up and has been taking the whole smart phone thing for a spin without breaking our contract (Thanks Jacki!)!

Of course Jared downloaded the trial version of Angry Birds as I've used it in the past to entertain Benjamin. Elizabeth was asleep on Jared's chest last night and Benjamin was climbing onto his shoulder to watch him play and play the game himself. I eventually took Elizabeth away but not before I got some pictures of the three of them together.

A Week in Review

A week has already gone by since Miss Elizabeth has come into our lives. I wanted to take a few moments to capture things so I don't forget them. I am always so far behind in scrapbooking so this is my best way to remember things besides what I write in my journal (even though my husband thinks all I write in there is grumblings about him).

Elizabeth not even quite a day old yet. (06/16/2012)

Back time at home. Benjamin was starting to get a little curious about Elizabeth. (06/16/2012)

It's funny how you change something just a little bit and all of a sudden it's like a new toy to play with. (06/17/2012)

Ellie Mae taking a nap in her chair. (06/17/2012)

Again old toys become new when you haven't played with them in a long time. Benjamin is a pro at the toy now. (06/17/2012)

Elizabeth takes really good naps in her chair and she is portable this way. By the way there is a warning on this seat to not use it as a carseat (parents of the year would do that). (06/18/2012)

Benjamin's Great Grandma Lutz sent him some birthday money. While I was at a Dr's appt with Elizabeth Benjamin and Daddy went and did a little shopping. Benjamin got to pick out a 10 pack of Hot Wheel cars. Again he segregates the one's he likes and doesn't like. (06/18/2012)

Me and my little family. It is hard to get Benjamin to hold still long enough. (06/18/2012)

A moment with her Daddy. (06/19/2012)

I just love this! It's proof that Daddy can hold her and she won't always cry. (06/19/2012)

A picture of my family. Daddy cuddling with Elizabeth and Benjamin jumping back and forth from the stool to the couch. (06/19/2012)

Thank you to my husband for catching a sweet moment with my little girl. (06/19/2012)

She's awake and lively looking in her chair. This was during family and personal scripture study time. (06/20/2012)

Here is Benjamin on the move between different objects. (06/20/2012)

Elizabeth fell asleep on me and Benjamin needed to cuddle. Mommy's lap is always big enough! (06/20/2012)

Elizabeth's first bath at home. Benjamin got to share in the moment too and thought it was pretty cool. (06/21/2012)

All dressed up and no where to go. (06/21/2012)

Daddy captured a moment of Benjamin and Elizabeth together on the bed watching TV. (06/21/2012)

Mommy also caught a moment with Elizabeth and Benjamin together. Their feet were touching. Benjamin was happily watching Phineas and Ferb. He loves that show! Elizabeth fell asleep on her own without being held. (06/21/2012)

I asked Jared to come out and take pictures of Benjamin and I blowing bubbles together. He was too slow and by the time he came out we were on to watering the garden. Benjamin kept standing under the water and trying to get wet. He was soaked by the time we were done. (06/21/2012)

I was busy making some dinner and getting other things taken care of (cutting up strawberries and slicing up carrots to freeze). I turned around and found Benjamin with a ladle from the drawer and dipping into the whipping cream. I laughed so hard and ran to get the camera. I could not pass up this oppourtunity. (06/22/2012)

Benjamin thourougly enjoyed himself. Getting his face into the ladle was a little bit of a challenge. Mommy helped after awhile. (06/22/2012)

There's just a little insight into the happenings of our family this past week. I still can't believe a week has already flown by. I only get 8 weeks off of work and I am trying not to let things slip by too quickly.

Our Newest Addition

We would like to introduce and welcome to our family Elizabeth Marie Lutz.

Born on a beautiful Friday afternoon June 15th, 2012 at 1:18pm. Elizabeth was actually born on her due date. She came into the world weighing 10lbs and 10oz and measured 20.9 inches long.

(Yes, she was vaginally delivered!)

Labor was very different this time around as I was not exhausted from not being able to sleep the 2 previous nights. I had gotten some sleep Thursday night off and on trying to make myself sleep as much as possible. At 2am I could not longer make myself go back to sleep. Jared and I felt the time was fast approaching to go to the hospital. The car was all packed so we did family scripture study and prayer and got the last few things we needed and headed off to the hospital at 3am. Benjamin woke up and was wide awake until around 6am when he fell asleep in his daddy's arms. I was not able to be admitted right away and had to go do the "walk of shame" as Jared put it, to see if I could progress any further. Benjamin enjoyed going up and down the escalator with his daddy while mommy made the rounds. Jared got Benjamin's stroller so we could walk outside. Walking outside was beautiful, refreshing and cool to my skin. After out "walk of shame" was done we went back to triage and I had progressed enough to be admitted.

I debated getting an epidural. The thought of the needle scared me but I was already feeling maxed out on my pain threshold. I got the epidural and the thought of the needle almost made my husband pass out. Thankfully Benjamin was asleep for all of this part and slept for a few hours. Once I had the epidural things slowed down some. I was eventually dialated all the way but Elizabeth was not down far enough yet. The Dr. and nurses thought I would have to labor for a few hours still before she would come. I remember looking at the clock and thinking it's not going to be much longer. They hadn't even left my room 10 minutes when I asked Jared to go get someone as I needed to push. I was checked and Elizabeth was right there ready to go. I have learned with both pregnancies that when your body is ready to go and the time has come to deliver things move quickly.

I will save you from any further details but I certainly had to push more this time than with Benjamin. And I almost lost my cool when they tried to have Jared deliver or catch Elizabeth as I was holding his hand and could not let go of him. The sweet nurses said to squeeze their hands but I honestly thought I would break their slender little female hands.

We are so grateful that everything went so smoothly with delivering Elizabeth. There was a knot found in the umbilical cord that was found after delivery that thankfully was loose and had not caused any issues. I am grateful for my Dr. and the nurses who helped out and are so knowledgeable and kind.

 

We are excited to watch our little family grow.  

Big Boy Bed

Monday night we met Jared's parents at Costco and bought Benjamin a big boy bed. A whole twin size bed all for Benjamin! Benjamin was no longer sleeping in his crib minus Sunday night where he slept for 10 hours straight. We felt that if Benjamin had a regular bed that he would sleep in it and less in our bed.

We hadn't finished cleaning the room out yet for Benjamin so we worked on that for a bit and cleaned things up. Benjamin enjoyed playing on the bed in the living room and even more when we moved it into his room. We still have some work to do in the room but Benjamin has his own bed and is in a new room.

 Unfortunately Monday night Benjamin decided not to go to bed until after midnight but he did sleep in his bed for a part of the night. And then last night he was staying up late again and around 10pm he decided to go to his bed again. I followed him and made sure he was okay and said goodnight. I went back to my bed and he never came back. He fell asleep. I woke up around 4am when he was screaming...we think he might have fallen off his bed.

We are feeling pretty good about the big boy bed and that it is a step in the right direction for all of us to sleep better.

Baking Time Together

My dessert for the month was two bags of chocolate chips so I could make myself chocolate chip cookies. So Saturday night Benjamin and I started making cookies around 8pm or so. Benjamin loves to help in the kitchen. He also thinks the mixer is one of the coolest things to play with. You have to be careful because he will stick his arm in, drop other things in, or turn the mixer on high.

Once we got the dough made Benjamin did not want to wait for them to bake. I had to distract him with his Daddy's RC car. It was a long 12 minutes plus cooling time but once they were available we were both in heaven. We only cooked a few batches to help them last longer.

Crashed

Last Friday Benjamin and Jared were laying together on the floor. I went to snap some pictures and Benjamin decided to dive under the blankets. It was precious!

Benjamin eventually crashed and fell asleep on the chair in the living room. I accidently woke him up trying to take his picture so I got to cuddle with him. I had Jared take our picture.

Cuddling

What is one of the greatest things in the world?

Cuddling!

I remember cuddling with my mommy and I still love to lay my head in her lap and have her run her fingers through my hair. I cherish every moment I have to cuddle with Benjamin.

Family Time

I love my family! Benjamin and his mommy have a lot of PJ days lately. I've been working from home mostly since my father passed away on 6/3/12 and I am so pregnant. So I've gotten extra time with Benjamin and extra sleep and I am saving on gas.

I just love that smile!!!

Here is Jared being his silly self. I had a bag of clips that spilled and he of course had to attach them to his face and gross me out. 

  

My Two Year Old

I have a two year old! He's been a toddler for well over a year now as he mastered walking very early on. I cannot express how much I love this little boy of mine.

05/30/2012

He is currently weighing in at 31.6lbs and is 34 inches tall.

06/27/2011

He is a momma and daddy's boy through and through. But of the two of us momma is best! Which is fine with me except maybe in the middle of the night when I want to roll over and sleep and he refuses to let me. But how can you resist the cuteness that is my little Benjamin!

07/27/2011

Benjamin loves cars! He thinks cars to play with, look at, climb in or watch is the coolest thing ever! When we go to my Boppa's house to work on the garden we will put him in the car to play and keep him penned up and he loves every minute of it. He actually gets mad on the days we don't let him play in the car.

08/31/2011

Climbing! Oh my goodness Benjamin is a climber. I've said it before but his goal in life is to get to the highest point he can and potentially jump off of it. While this terrifies other people who see him climb things we don't mind much. Every once in awhile he does make a nervous but we try to keep a close eye on him while letting him explore. Last week Jared picked Benjamin up from the nursery at church and they said "He's quite the climber huh?" And Jared said "Yes." They then said "and very resourceful!" Apparently Benjamin had been moving different toys around the room to climb onto or into things.

09/24/2011

Sweets! It's amazing to me how quickly Benjamin recognizes packages that will contain something sweet. I will bring treats home from work and even if it's something new based on the packaging he assumes it's a nice tasty treat. He also loves Chocolate milk. I can't make it through the door if I have chocolate milk in my hand. He must have it and will hyperventilate until he gets it. So he's mommy's son. His daddy doesn't have quiet the sweet tooth.

11/03/2011

Benjamin still enjoys to spin and sometimes he will spin with his eyes closed which is funny. He loves to relax between our legs. He absolutely loves to watch Phineas and Ferb. There's several episodes like Meepless in Seattle that are his favorites. I love to watch it just to watch him and listen to him laugh.

11/23/2011

Tickling! Benjamin is like his daddy and can decide to not be ticklish. So not fair! But when he wants to be tickled watch out. He will grab your hands and make the motions for you to tickle him and he does get pretty wild.

12/25/2011

He still doesn't talk much but that doesn't mean he can't communicate. He will get your attention and let you know what he wants you just have to follow him and pay attention.

01/29/2012

As I mentioned before Benjamin loves his parents and is not crazy about the idea of being away from us. At church he goes to the nursery and when we get to church now and sit down after a few minutes he starts to panic. It used to be that it only happened when the closing prayer was done that he would grab my neck tight and start crying. Now it happens before church and after almost every amen that is said. Amen at home is an okay word but at church it means time for nursery in his mind. While it's funny to some degree I do feel bad. He has a great time while in nursery but the idea of being separated is very hard on him.

02/25/2012

Swings! There is a park in Monroe that has this awesome saucer swing. Benjamin loves to swing on it with his mommy! I love swinging too so it's great! Being outside is also a favorite of Benjamin's. Along with throwing rocks down the back drains.

03/31/2012

Benjamin basically refuses to sleep in his crib anymore these days. So we are going to be moving him up to a big boy bed because he will sleep fine on a regular bed. We think he doesn't like to be trapped and unable to come to us if he wakes up and this way we can go cuddle him back to sleep in his own bed.

04/19/2012

We love Benjamin so much and are so grateful to be his parents. We enjoy every minute we have with him and feel so blessed. I cannot believe it's been two years already. It does fly by quickly but I am doing my best to enjoy each moment, make great memories and love him with all my heart (which is really easy to do).

05/29/2012