January 25th-January 31st

Another week has gone.  Time is flying by and we are loving every second.  Benson is growing so much.  We took him into the doctor for a weigh in today and he had gained 9 oz!!!  He now weighs 9lbs 8oz.  We were extra pleased and so was the doctor.  He is obviously eating great!  We have been blessed with friends that have given us their breast milk so he is eating the BEST thing possible for him and thriving!  He is beautiful as ever and just so much fun.  He LOVES music.  We will lay down with him and lay the phone next to him with Pandora playing Jack Johnson or Adele and it just calms him right down.  To Ben's pleasure, he seems to love Jack Johnson the most.  Maybe it's the Hawaiin in him :).  I have also had him listening to church music and he absolutely loves it.  It is the cutest thing to watch his eyes get droopy while he listens to hymns.  He is figuring out sleep and we are pretty exhausted while he still has his nights and days mixed up, but that's to be expected.  We have tried some new things with him, like the swing and the sling.  So far he doesn't seem to love either.  He does LOVE to sleep while being held though.  He will sleep for hours as long as he is in someone's arms.  He does not love the bassinet, but will tolerate it.  He also likes sleeping on the boppy pillow.  We took him in the car a few times this week.  As long as he is well fed and changed before he gets in, the carseat isn't too bad.  If he is hungry or tired, he HATES the carseat.  We went on our first family outing to California Pizza Kitchen for lunch.  It was fun to go out together.  Benson did amazing and really just slept the whole time.  Since his umbilical chord fell off we have started bathing him at night.  The first night was in the kitchen sink and he hated it.  The next day we went and bought him a baby bath.  He still hated it.  The next night we put more water in and made sure he was warm and cozy and he LOVED it!  He is still the most popular boy on the block with tonz of visitors. He is very loved!

He holds his hands in the cutest positions when he sleeps and when he eats

hanging out on the boppy

Asleep on Grandma.  He LOVES sleeping on people.

Bath in the kitchen sink

He did not love it

First "outing" with mommy and daddy

He is just so adorable, sleeping or awake

The 2nd night of the "real" bath.  Still doesn't love it.

He loves sleeping on daddy.  

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His cousin Addy watching him

One of his many funny faces

His first time in the sling

LOVE this picture.  He is so beautiful!

The way he holds his hands when he is eating is adorable

Archie is still extra protective of Benson

Love this face!

We love you guys!  Hope you are enjoying all the pictures.

January 18th-January 24th

Benson is now 19 days old. He had another doctors appointment today and he is gaining weight and the doctor says he is perfect. We continue to have tonz of visitors, including Carmens family, Ben's family and lots of friends. Everyone is so excited to meet him. Ben's best friend, Kevin, brought his little boy Zeke over to meet Benson. Ben and Kevin are hoping these little boys are going to be the best of friends. Carmen's good friends also brought their kids over to meet Benson. Everyone is so excited to have him here. He is sleeping great, but does have a time between about 12pm and 2am where he has decided he wants to stay up. We are all doing our best to get some sleep. Ben is away at school in the mornings but loves coming home and spending time with Benson. Benson has started holding his hands in the cutest positions, especially while he is eating. He also started holding our fingers when he eats, which is so sweet. He loves to be held to go to sleep. He is more and more alert and the cutest thing is when he smiles in his sleep. Today he lost the umbilical cord and we can now see his adorable little belly button. We will be burying it in the backyard and say a prayer, since Carrie let us know that is part of his culture. We plan to give him his first "real" bath tomorrow and will make sure to take lots of pictures!

Benson got to meet his Aunt DJ and Uncle Archie now that they both are living in Utah!  Ben being a goofball.

Benson has started sleeping more with his hands up above his head.  It's adorable!

Archie the dog is very protective of the baby.  Grandma Johnson is loving having baby Benson here and helps out a lot.

Uncle Cowdery meeting Benson.  He lives in Utah now too!

Tummy time!  Benson is SO strong, he practically started scooting himself.

Benson got to meet a few new friends this week.  This is him and his new friend, Brighton.  

Zeke and Benson, future best friends:)!

He is very alert this week.  He is showing us those beautiful brown eyes a lot.

Carmen is loving time with Benson.  He is such a joy!

Benson holds his little hands in the most adorable positions while he is eating and while he is sleeping.  

We have family dinner with Benson's cousins every Sunday and they love holding him.  

This is for Carrie!  Taken right after Benson was born.

Love you guys!

Carmen, Ben and Benson

January 5th-January 17th

Benson is now 12 days old.  He is as perfect as he was the day he was born and is just doing wonderfully.  He has had a lot going on in such a short period of time. The first few days of life were spent in the NICU due to a few apnea episodes. He had many of visitors during that time.  He is one loved little boy.  He was finally able to come home Monday, January 9th.  We were waiting for the ICPC paperwork to come through so he came home with us to stay at our friends', Kimmie and Byron,  home in Henderson NV.  Kimmie is Carmen's very best friend so it was tonz of fun to share this time with them.  Carmen's mom had also stayed in town to help out.  We spent the first few days just getting used to having this sweet little man in our home. We have both been smitten with him.  Since the first night Benson has been pretty much on a consistent three hour schedule.  He eats about every three hours and in between he sleeps.  He does have a few times during the day where he decides to just stay up and hang out and we love it.  On Thursday, we finally got the call that we were approved to go home to Utah.  We were so excited!  We packed up the car and made a most important stop to see Sierra and family.  Benson has the most wonderful birth family and we were excited to spend a quick "see ya later visit" with them.  From there we were off to St George for the night and then home to Orem the next day.  It has been a huge week for him.  He has had his first bath, his first long road trip, his first two doctors appointments and he has met Many Many people that love him!

In the hospital, just two days old

Showing him off to visitors

Finally ready to go home!

First Ride in the Carseat

Benson got to visit his birth family on the way home from the hospital

His first night "home"

Ready for his first bath

He LOVED having his head run under the warm water

Um...LOVE this face!

Yawning!

Sleeping on his boppy!  This boy will sleep anywhere.

Listening to music while hanging out with Daddy

Gotta love the tiger outfit

Isabel loving Benson

:Little Carmen holding Benson

Beautiful Sierra and Benson

Our dog Archie has also been smitten with Benson.  He sleeps right next to his pack n play.

Since this blog is specifically for you, Sierra, we would love to hear any feedback or thoughts you have.  If you have certain things you would like to see or hear about, let us know!

Love you
Ben, Carmen and Benson