Benjamin - 11weeks-5months (65 photos), by Abbie Sanderson

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Wow - I'm behind again!

Well... now that Benjamin is 5 months old - I suppose I should catch you all up!!

At the end of September Benjamin had his first session with Parents as Teachers. The school district sends someone to our house 6 times throughout the school year and they make sure he's hitting all of his developmental milestones. That night, she said he only has one thing left to do to be on target: roll over. Lo and behold - 24 hours later he rolled from back to tummy! We were so proud of him!! Don't mind his nakedness... but this is video of the 2nd time that day :)

Then, Eric & I went to Vegas for our friends wedding. That was Oct. 10th. Grandpa & Grandma Fedeler watched Benjamin while we were there. That weekend - he rolled from back to belly. He did that regularly for a while - but he's stopped doing it so much now!!

Now - on to the next milestone. When we got home from Vegas, we decided to start Benjamin on cereal. We started with rice cereal and he wasn't a big fan. So, we moved on to oatmeal cereal, and he liked that better!

So - yesterday we started him on fruits/veggies. His first food - avocado. He actually really liked it. They (books I've read) say it's a good first food because of the healthy fats. And, if you can get them to like that - they're likely to like other green foods! He chomped it right down!!

And - the final picture for today - Benjamin is a "Lil Stinker." This is his Halloween costume handed down from the guy that works for Eric. Ben will be a skunk for Halloween!! Well, back to Mommy duties! Take care and keep checking in. I'll try to be better about keeping you all up to date!

Oh My... I'm Slacking!!

So, I just realized that it has been ages since I've updated this. It's been a little crazy in the Sanderson household! Benjamin is growing up so much. He had his 4 month checkup yesterday and everything is looking great.

He weighs 15 lbs, 4 oz; is 25 inches long; and his head is 16 inches. With those measurements... he's right in the 50th percentile!! As you can see from the photo above - he's a little chunker with those cute baby rolls!!

Ben has been really growing up. He's now cooing, giggling and rolling onto his side. He's also bringing everything that he can to his mouth. He is definitely a blanket boy. He loves to pull his blanket into his mouth - and fall asleep with it rubbing his face. He's also starting to grab his feet!! I love that!!

We were lucky enough to make it home for TWO Hawkeye football games. The first one, Grandma & Grandpa Sanderson spent the day with Benjamin. The second one, Benjamin stayed with Grandma Fedeler, Emma & Kendrick.

Well, nothing else really new - except Benjamin's baptism is this weekend. We're looking forward to a weekend filled with family fun. My Grandma is coming along with my parents. Eric's grandparents were set to come down for the event, but his Grandpa is having severe back pains.

I'll try to update this better. It's just been hard with all of the extra hours at work!

Beautiful Weather & A Ball Game

Well - I've been pretty bad about blogging since I've been so busy with work & Ben! So, here's to catching up!!



Monday, Ben and I started going to our new support group meeting. He weighed in at 13 pounds, 12.5 ounces!! What a growing boy! We didn't really have any other big news from last week. I asked for suggestions at group about how to get him back to sleeping through the night. He was waking up earlier for Ben than when I was at home. They suggested I put something that I had worn in the crib with him. It seems to be helping!

He's loving daycare and doing so well with her!! He had one more fussy day this week, but she's very good at calming him!

Last night, we went to the Royals game. Eric got tickets to sit in a suite from a lady he does a lot of work for. It was awesome!! Free tickets, great seats, free food & drink!! Can't go wrong there. Ben did a great job and was happy most of the evening at the game!!



Other than that - nothing really new here. This week is going to be a long one for me. We are down a producer all this week then I'm working on Saturday so one of the other producers can take a weekend off!!

Enjoy some more photos!!
Ben chilling on the couch:

Playing in the exersaucer:

Playing on the floor- he's starting to roll over on his left side!!

First week of work, done!

Well, it's official - I'm back to work!! I have survived my first week back. It went very well and Benjamin did so well at daycare. He only had one fussy day and it wasn't even that bad! And, he's still eating like a champ, but luckily I've been keeping up with him!!

We had a great week together last week on my last week at home! Thursday - we went to visit my friend Lisa at her new house. She was nice enough to take a picture of us together:

Then Friday, we had a little get-together at our house for people at work. It was my bosses last day, so we thought we'd have a going away party for him. Everybody loved our house and it was nice to enjoy it now that it's all finished.

We'll get to see how much Ben weighs on Monday when we start our new support group meetings! He's really starting to figure out his legs and hands. He's starting to put his fists in his mouth. And, he's talking/cooing a LOT!! It's so much fun!

11 Weeks Old

Well, Benjamin & I went to our last daytime group meeting today - I go back to work on Sunday night. We've had such a great time with the girls & their babies at Wednesday group - so it was a little sad. Some of us have been going out to lunch afterward - so we've become pretty close. But, we'll go to a new group on Monday nights twice a month! And our friends Jackie (the mom) & her 7 month old Kylyn are also going to that group!!

Today Ben weighed in at 13 pounds, 7 ounces!! Yikes! He gained 10 ounces from last week! So, he's really growing!

It's been a pretty slow week! I've just been enjoying the time I have left with Benjamin - holding and snuggling him! Eric started doing the overnights & early mornings since he'll have those starting Sunday night!! He's been doing great with it - especially considering Ben woke up at 4am every day this week. He'll get back to sleeping until 6 or 7 - I hope!!

Benjamin had a great time on his tummy the other day - I got this big grin out of him:

And - I started putting him in his exersaucer- with a little help from some padding! He loves it!

Benjamin 2 (85 photos), by Abbie Sanderson

I'd like to share my Snapfish photos with you. Once you have checked out my photos you can order prints and upload your own photos to share.
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I'm Behind...

Well, as I usually post on Wednesday's... I've just realized that I'm a bit behind. But, I have a good reason. I've spent this week battling an UTI. Fun!! And, the antibiotics that I am on have made Benjamin's diapers smell pretty bad!

Ben is now 10 weeks old, and I have a week left of maternity leave! He is still growing... he weighed in at 12lbs. 13.5oz. at group on Wednesday. He's been doing great sleeping until last night! Eric said I jinxed myself! Wednesday night he slept from 8:30-5am!! My mom asked me yesterday if I still get the urge to check on him when he sleeps that long. I said "Heck no, I'm getting all the sleep I can, too!" Last night, he only made it until 1:30 :( But, he goes right back to sleep after his feedings, so that's great!!

Last weekend, we moved the cradle into the nursery so I could get some better sleep. Benjamin adapted so well. Then, the second night on his first feeding, I found him smushed in the corner of the cradle. Then, on his second feeding his arm was hanging out the slats and he was flailing it around. The basket was hanging to the side... I decided that was the last time he was sleeping in it. So, he's in the crib now and is doing well with it!! We also rearranged the nursery a bit:

Also last weekend, my brother, his wife & 4 kids visited us! We had a blast. They got here on Wednesday. Thursday was Eric's birthday - so he joined them in going to World's of Fun while I watched Ben & their youngest. Then, they hit Ocean's of Fun Friday. Then we all went to the zoo on Saturday! It was Ben's (and our) first visit to the zoo.

I am getting a little nervous and anxious about going back to work. I return on August 10th. My direct boss (the executive producer) is leaving the Friday before I get back, so I'm going to have some of his responsibilites. It's going to mean a lot more work for me, which I'm nervous about... but I know I can handle it. Plus, I plan to do a stellar job so they look at me more seriously as a candidate for his position!

Well, back to the grind! I'll be sure to update sooner next time!

2 Months Old & A Big Weekend

Well, Benjamin has hit another milestone. He's now 2 months old. He had his check-up today and it went great. He's in the 65th percentile for both head & weight and 50th for length. He did so great with his shots, he only cried for seconds! Then, when we got home, he nursed and passed out! He's been sleeping for 2 hours! He weighed 12 pounds, 9 ounces and measured 23 inches long!

This past weekend, we visited Eric's family in Atkins for a long weekend. We headed up on Wednesday night and Benjamin slept through the night. He ate at 8pm, fell asleep at 9pm and didn't wake up until 5am.

Thursday, we went to visit some of my old friends at KCRG. It was nice to stop in and see people I haven't seen in a while. Later that evening, Eric's cousins and their children, and his aunt and uncle came by for a BBQ. What a fun night!

Friday night, we went to a very good family friends' house, Mike & LuAnn Kuennen. Their daughter Angie and her 2 children were there, and so was their son Michael. It was so nice to see them, they are like family to me! Benjamin had another champ night that evening. He ate at 6pm, fell asleep at 8 and woke up at 5am!!

Saturday morning, we made a quick visit to Steph & Kyle's in North Liberty. Kendrick had injured himself so we wanted to check in on him. And, Steph had a basket full of goodies (old toys and tons of books). Then, it was on to New Hampton for a baby shower. Benjamin got tons of great clothes & toys and got to meet the rest of the Kuehn family.

Sunday it was time for the Kuehn family reunion. That's Eric's mom's, Wanda, side of the family! We had such a great time and even got some great photos! Here's a peek at all of the action from the weekend:

With Great Grandpa Keuhn:

With Great Gradma Keuhn:

With Ashley Hinson:

Hanging out with Dad in the hotel:



2nd Cousins Mariella & Benjamin:

4 Generations:

Happy Family:

Already 7 Weeks Old!!

Surprise, surprise!! Benjamin is still growing like a champ. At group today he weighed in at a whopping 11 pounds 10 ounces!! And, while we were at group - he had a major blowout! Poop came up the back of his diaper and dripped out. He was only wearing a diaper! Luckily - it only got on my nursing cover and the floor - somehow I stayed clean! Since then, we have bought a new brand of diaper that has a flap in the back to catch those types of poops!!


On to other news. We made our first long car ride over the holiday weekend. We went back to see my family. On the way there, we broke up the trip and stayed in North Liberty on Thursday night. The trip went very well. We only had to stop 2 times for feedings and Benjamin didn't get too fussy!!


Then, Friday morning we headed up to Waukon to have lunch with a neighbor lady. After lunch, it was off to a friend's house for pictures! I can't wait to see how they turn out... she does an amazing job! Then, my entire family joined up at Mom & Dad's for a barbecue, bonfire and fireworks. This was very exciting as Dad, Brad, Kyle and all of the kids hadn't seen Ben yet! We had a very nice night!

Saturday afternoon, we headed down to my Grandma Shea's house for some baked goods! She spoiled us rotten and Benjamin got to meet Great Grandma, Great Aunts Teresa & Mary Jo, and cousin's Geoffrey & Patrick. After some sweets at Grandma's it was off to Arlington for a picnic in the park with the Fedeler's. It was unseasonably cool outside - so we had to keep Benjamin snuggled up in his blanket... but he did just great!!

Sunday morning - we hit the road again for Kansas City. This time, we made the 7 hour trip in one leg! And, Benjamin did so well. We stopped a couple of times for him to eat and for us to use the restroom. He only had one fussy meltdown and we pulled onto an off ramp to soothe him. As soon as we put him back in his carseat after he cooled off - he fell right asleep. I spent a lot of time in the back seat with Ben - but it was worth it.

Oh - Benjamin started smiling and cooing at us over the weekend. Steph & Grandma ended up getting several smiles out of him!!

Here are some pictures from the weekend:

All the kids ready for fireworks! (Benjamin was napping)

Uncle Brad holding Benjamin

Benjamin giving big smiles to Aunt Steph

Growing So Fast

Well - at 6 weeks, Benjamin is just growing like a champ. At group today, he weiged in at 10lbs. 13.5oz. He's just filling out so well. We have retired most of his newborn clothes. The only things that still fit him are his newborn pants. The 0-3 month pants are still too big on him.

We have had a great week. The weather has been beautiful, so Sun., Mon. & Tues. we went downtown Parkville to English Landing (a small park with walking trails) and went on a stroll. I think I enjoyed it more than Benjamin. He just slept! But, it's been great for me to get back to being active and get some fresh air. And, I am getting some color, too!

This week we also started the summer reading program through the library. I read books to Ben every day. I can fill out a list of 20 books, then we get to pick a board book for free. We can do up to 5 lists of 20!! He got his first book yesterday! I don't think he understands me reading to him yet - but he likes hearing the inflection in my voice.

Another big note from this week. Benjamin started really smiling back at us! He is also cooing more and mimicing the sounds we make! It's so much fun.

July is a busy, busy month for the family. Tomorrow night we head to NE Iowa to spend the holiday with my family! We are very excited as most of my immediate family has not yet met Benjamin - including his Grandpa!!

Then, next weekend, our friends Boone & Heather and their 2 children MAY be coming down to stay with us.

Then, the following weekend we are headed to Cedar Rapids and New Hampton to spend some time with Eric's family.

Then, the next weekend my brother, his wife & 4 kids are coming to stay with us for an extended weekend. It's their vacation!

So, you'll be getting a lot of updates from those weekends, if I can get to the computer!!

Photos - Check them out

Hey everyone. I have some pictures up on Snapfish that you can check out. You can sign up - it's free. And, if you'd like - then you can purchase any of the prints! Enjoy!
http://www1.snapfish.com/fbshareredirect/p=715301246386370260/l=1694888016/g=10623282/redirectURL=share/otsi=SALBBL/AlbumID=570872016/a=10623282_10623282/usercomments=I_xqd%20like%20to%20share%20my%20Snapfish%20photos%20with%20you.%20Once%20you%20have%20checked%20out%20my%20photos%20you%20can%20order%20prints%20and%20upload%20your%20own%20photos%20to%20share./counttext=92%20photos/COBRAND_NAME=snapfish

More pictures...

Here are some more pictures! Enjoy!
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4 Weeks & Growing Quickly

We've hit another milestone. Benjamin is 4 weeks old! We went to our breastfeeding support group today and Ben weighed in at 9 lbs 14 oz. He's a growing boy. Just 2 weeks ago at group he weighed only 8 lbs 4 oz. He has been sleeping great. The last few nights he's taken a bottle from Eric at 10pm. He's been asleep by 11pm and doesn't wake up until 4 or 5am. That's been very nice to get that long of a stretch of sleep.

Benjamin has also been awake a lot during the day. I love this time because he just sits and stares at me while I talk to him. He enjoys tummy time and he's starting to turn toward us when we talk to him. He also seems to be focusing in more on objects.

We've realized his fussy time is at about 8pm when he's fighting sleep. He gets very angry for about 10-15 minutes - and then he passes out! It's all trial and error!

This weekend is father's day and Eric's parents will be visiting us. We're going to the Royals game on Sunday. It's supposed to be 90 degrees - so Ben & I may have to drive separately in case he can't make it through the whole game!

Well - back to working on some stuff around the house while he naps!

Busy Family

Well - I've been thinking that I have to keep this blog up... and I never get around to updating it! Thinking something and actually doing it are quite different in the parenting world!

We are all doing great. Steph (my sister) & Emma (niece) just left this morning after getting here on Saturday. We had a very nice time. It was nice that I was up to doing things. We went for a very nice walk one day, baked another day and mostly just hung out. We did a lot of errand running and some shopping. And, yesterday was the best of all. Steph watched Benjamin while I got a massage!! It was amazing! Sunday night, she babysat while Eric & I went to dinner for our anniversary! That was also a very nice time! We enjoyed being able to sit and talk without having the distraction of crying Benjamin... not that we mind it!!

There were a lot of firsts this past week. Benjamin had his first time sucking on his pacifier:

Benjamin also sucked on his thumb for the first time:

He also took his first bottle from Steph while I was at my massage. She said he did pretty well, but apparently he's a very messy eater! I already knew this, as he tends to get my clothes pretty messy while nursing! Who knew I'd have to pack clothes for myself as well as for him in the diaper bag??

Nothing else is really new. I've been letting him sleep as long as he wants and not waking him up for feedings. That's made it much more bearable - I didn't like to wake him while he was sleeping. He's about out of his newborn clothes. I'm curious to see what he weighs when I take him to my support group meeting on Wednesday. On the 3rd - he weighed 8lbs 4 oz. That was up from 7lbs 11 oz at the pediatrician only 6 days prior! So, he's a growing boy! I've noticed he's eating a lot more as I haven't felt as "full" and he's eating for longer periods!!

Well - he's starting to stir. Time to eat again! I'll post when I can! Meanwhile - if you're on facebook I've been pretty consistent about posting photos there.

Labor & Delivery

Since many of you have asked - I figured I should let you know how labor went. We went to the hospital at 6pm on Saturday night 5/16. When we left the house, my contractions were about 3 minutes apart and getting stronger. But then, I got into the car and they were 7 minutes apart. By the time they hooked me up to the machines at the hospital, they were 9 minutes apart.

But, they wanted me to stay and be monitored. At about 8pm, the nurse told us Benjamin's heart rate was staying too level - it wasn't spiking the way they wanted it to with stimulation. So, we had to have a sonogram to see what was going on in there. The technician said he was running out of amniotic fluid. So, they said I was staying.

At 9pm I was put into a room and pitocin was started. The contractions got a lot stronger over the next few hours. At 1am I was in active labor and was having a very bad contraction. I asked Eric to rub my back and as he touched my back we both felt/heard a loud pop. We thought he had popped my back - until I felt it... my water broke. I'll never forget that feeling, and neither will Eric ;)

That's when things really heated up. The contractions really started to hurt and were progressing. At 2am I was finally 4 cm dilated and they said it was time for the epidural... thank the lord ;) The epi went great - I didn't have a contraction through the entire process. And, I even talked about the next child with the doctor - which he laughed at!!

My family showed up shortly after and I got to talk to them, then Eric's parents showed up and chatted for a bit. And, we even got a nap.

At 5am the nurse came in and checked me and I was 9 cm. It was about time to push. Eric thought it would be great to take a picture before I pushed - and I guess I'll share:

At 5:15am - they told me to begin pushing. I pushed for 45 minutes - Benjamin James was born at 5:59am. At first - I wasn't too happy about the pitocin, but I'm glad I didn't have to stretch that labor out and go through it all at home!! We decided to do the Baby First program and had Benjamin in our room with just the two of us for the first hour. That time was amazing!!

And - here's a picture of the end result: Benjamin!!

Baby Benjamin

Okay - I've been slacking - but I have a good reason. Benjamin James was born 5/17 at 5:59am. He was 7 lbs 9oz and 20.5 inches long. He is the most beautiful baby boy in the world - but we're biased ;) We've obviously been very busy with feedings, diaper changes and catching as many cat-naps as possible.

Don & Wanda stayed with us for the first week after Benjamin was born. They were a great help. Don helped Eric get a bunch of brush cleared out of our back yard and got the garden planted. Wanda was a great help in the house - and taking care of Benjamin when I needed a nap.

My Mom got the 2nd week of Sanderson duty!! She was just amazing. My whole house is cleaned, so now all I have to do is keep on top of it and it should stay nice. She even washed my windows and cleaned the upholstery on the couches in the basement. Oh - and she baked our favorite cookies, chocolate crinkles.

My sister, Steph, comes to visit with her daughter, Emma, next weekend for about 5 days.

Okay - back to Benjamin. He's been a great little boy. I have to wake him to feed him... but he's just starting to figure out that hunger reflex. He's been starting to stir about 15 minutes before I am about to wake him. We had his 1 week checkup yesterday and it went great! When we left the hospital he was down to 7 lbs 3oz. Yesterday - he was 7 lbs. 11oz. So, the doctor said I could let him sleep for one 6 hour stretch once a day. I tried it last night and he slept 5 hours before stirring. He also grew 1.25 inches. He's growing fast! I sent out pictures to many of you - but if I missed you, please let me know! I'll try to update as often as I can - but I feel guilty spending time on the computer when I could be cuddling Benjamin - or napping ;)

38 Weeks!! And a busy day!

Well, I'm still feeling great - so that's the first and foremost thing to report right now! I had a little swelling that I talked about last week. But, over the weekend, I cooked up a bunch of chicken and veggies with little/no salt and I've been eating that for meals this week. I've been really watching my sodium intake and haven't had anymore swelling!!

Over the weekend, I made a CD to take to the hospital for labor, picked out some DVD's and finished packing my bag.

Well, we almost thought we needed it Tuesday morning. I thought my water may have broken and was leaking a little bit. So, I called the nurse at the hospital and they had me come in. I called Eric on my way home and told him to get ready. I picked him up and we packed the car - just in case. Well, it wasn't broken but they did monitor the baby for about 1.5 hours. The nurse said he/she wasn't quite in the parameters they wanted for reaction to stimulus... so they kept monitoring. But, by the end the little bambino finally started responding. And, we were sent home and told to keep track of kicks. So, it was a long morning, but better to be safe than sorry.

The nurse did tell me that I am just over 1 cm dilated and about 80% effaced. And, I am having pretty progressive Braxton Hicks... which is good. They're doing their job of getting me ready for labor!! And, I got everyone at work worked up by leaving early. But, they'll be surprised to see me back at work tonight!!

Well - I think that hits it all. I will continue to keep everyone posted. I have another appointment today - so I may post a very short update to let you know what I find out (if it's any different than I already know).

A quick update!

Hey everyone. Just a quick update after my appointment yesterday. Everything went well. She says I'm still measuring where I should be. I did gain a couple of pounds - but I've noticed a lot more water retention the last two days. So, I'm tryinig to cut back on the salty foods and enjoying a bath when I get home. I am still at the same stage - 1 cm dilated and 75% effaced. So, no progress there. Next appointment is Wednesday afternoon. I'll keep everyone posted. Baby S. is still moving like mad! Rolling around looking for room ;)

37 Weeks

3 Weeks to go... give or take!! It's been a busy week since my last update. We had our newborn care class Wednesday and actually learned quite a bit. Most of it focused on the 5 S's to calm the baby. Swaddling, side/stomach holding, shushing, swinging and sucking. They also talked to us about how the baby won't look "perfect" when it's born... all the different things that can be odd that we haven't been told about! There was also a very short demonstration on changing diapers. But, since I have 6 nieces & nephews... I let Eric try that lesson!!

Thursday I had a check-up. I am now going every week and they're checking my uterus. I was 75% effaced and 1 cm dilated. So, she says my Braxton Hicks are doing their job and getting my body ready for labor. Everything else at this stage is going well. I'm still feeling great. I am having some troubles sleeping & breathing... but that's not too bad.

I got a lot of stuff purchased over the past week that I think we need before the baby arrives. I got the pack & play, towels and washcloths, socks and my nursing pillow. I just have to buy the baby bath tub thing. And, on Saturday, I took the carseat to the fire department and they installed it for me and showed me all of the components of how it works.

Friday - my coworkers had a baby shower for me. A bunch of them went together and got our high chair! And, we also got more clothes and toys. So exciting. And, one of the producers got me a gift card for a massage!! Can't wait to use that!

Sunday, I had another small "shower." Dion is the girl on the left - she planned the brunch. Dion is one of the morning anchors at the station. Crystal, the next girl, is from work also (a producer) and wasn't able to make the one at work. Then, Laurel, is one of my friends outside of work. We ate at Lidia's (amazing!!) and had some great conversation!! I think I had one of everything on the dessert buffet!!

Everything for baby is washed and ready to go, we're just waiting on the baby now. Eric put together the stroller, pack & play and the high chair. They're all stored neatly in their spots in the house. The baby's bag is packed and mine is almost packed. So, now the waiting begins!

I'll be sure to keep everyone posted on the progress, so check back. I may post again Thursday after my appointment to let you know what I find out.