Spending time with Aunt Jenny

One of the good things about having a professional photographer in the family is that she documents all the time she spends with the boys in such a beautiful way! Recently, Benjamin has been able to spend a lot of time with his Aunt Jenny. He loves her (and her camera!) Here is a small sample of some of their most recent escapades. Enjoy!

(Benjamin playing with his favorite toy, the shopping cart...with headphones on.)

(This one is titled, "Hipster in Training")

(I like to call this one "Babbushka")

Benjamin's 18 month and Christopher's 2 month check-ups

Today we took the boys for their check-ups with the pediatrician. Here are their stats:

Benjamin

Weight: 24 lbs. 8 ozs. (25th percentile)

Height: 33.25 inches (75th percentile)

Head circumference: 19.75 (97th percentile)

Christopher
Weight: 12 lbs. 2 ozs. (75th percentile)

Height: 23.5 inches (90th percentile)

Head circumference: 15.5 inches (50th percentile)

They are both growing and developing right on target. We were a little concerned about how many words Benjamin has mastered, but evidently animal sounds count at this age, so he's solid ;)

I went back and looked at Benjamin's 2 month stats, and he was just a little bigger than Christopher on all the stats. But hopefully Christopher will cope much better with his first round of shots then his big brother. I was a little better prepared this time and gave Christopher some tylenol before we went to the appointment. Maybe that will save us from  dealing with an excessively fussy baby tonight! Your prayers for grace and comfort for both the boys would be very much appreciated!

I will be posting in the days to come about our recent activities - so check back soon!

Discovering Crayons

Benjamin, where did you put the BLUE crayon???

Dinnertime Antics

Sometimes it takes a lot to keep Benjamin happy at dinnertime. He's teething right now, so meals can be hard for him if his mouth is hurting. Bram has found that distraction is the best way to help him get through meals. Here's some of his most recent attempt to keep the boy happy!

Benjamin learns a new skill

Benjamin has not been around too many older kids. The other night our friends Dusan and Elizabeth, and their daughter Eva, brought us dinner and hung out for a little while. Benjamin loved playing with Eva - and she taught him a new skill (well, almost.)

Our first day home and what I learned

Monday, July 21st was my first day home alone with the boys. Before this day actually arrived I had many worries. How well would Benjamin adjust to me having divided attention? What would happen if we had to divert from Benjamin's routine? How would Benjamin do while I nursed Christopher? All these questions lay at the back of my mind. All I could hope in was God's grace to help me face these and other unknown challenges.

The morning arrived and I felt a peace that I could not have conjured up on my own. I know my prayers and the prayers of others were being answered by the Lord. Everything happened the way I had secretly hoped. Christopher nursed at the perfect times. Benjamin was in a good mood and played happily throughout the morning. Lunch went off without a hitch and Benjamin went down for his nap without any complaints. While he slept, Ruthie Hemple came over and stayed at the house while I took Christopher to his 2 week check-up with the pediatrician. I was shocked when the nurse told me Christopher had already gained a pound over his birth-weight! At birth he weighed 7 lbs. 15 oz. When we left the hospital he weighed 7 lbs. 9 oz. At his "new born" visit to the doctor (two days after we came home) he was 7 lbs. 12 oz. Yesterday he weighed in at 8 lbs. 14 oz. He gained 17 oz. in 11 days! The doctor said that is pretty rare for breast-fed babies, so needless to say, I am very proud of myself...hehe! I can't say that I am very surprised because my brother grew at the same rate as a baby...we might have another Jamison on our hands :) I hope I can keep up with his demand! What a blessing not to have to worry about how well Christopher is growing. When we got back home, the ease of the day so far continued. I could not have written a better script for our first day in the new routine!

All of these things, the perfect day and Christopher's beautiful growth, have reminded me that God is faithful when we humble ourselves and acknowledge our dependence on him. Left to myself I am emotional and reactionary. But, with his grace I have peace and an abiding joy that changes my perspective on any circumstance, be it easy or challenging. My heart is filled with gratefulness for God's blessings and I am freshly reminded to posture my heart in humility toward him who freely gives blessings to a sinner such as me.

"In all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make straight your paths."
Proverbs 3:6

Who's who?

Here is a picture of each of our boys at 2 days old. Can you tell which one is Benjamin and which one is Christopher? (No peeking at previous posts, please!)