Happy Anniversary!

My parents are celebrating their 34th anniversary today! What a great example they are to all of us in our family!! I am so thankful for them and their legacy. We love you guys and miss you!!!

It's the small things in life...

Last thursday, I had a horrible, no good very bad day. One of those days where if someone had offered me a ticket home to the states, I would have taken it and gone with only the clothes I was wearing. Not really because of anything that happened or because I really don't like it here but because I was homesick. Allen and I really do like living here and for the most part we have great days. So, the Father has been really good to give me little things to encourage me this weekend. Now, they are mostly trivial, ok, totally trivial but have brought a smile to my face.
-When we first got here the sandwhich bread was terrible! Hard as a rock. They make great pita but terrible sandwhich bread. Well, the grocery store I shop at has started making sandwhich bread. It is slowly getting better. This week, it is awesome. It made a great pb and j sandwhich!
-Our fruits and veggies are very seasonal. Well, it is the season for cherries and apricots. They are so yummy! I bought over a kilo(2 pounds) yesterday of cherries, just for me! Allen is not a big fan of fruit.
-We had some friends visit from the states and they brought dukes mayo and chocolate chips for us! So sweet and thoughtful!
-Ben went down for both naps so far today with no crying!!
-I got to stay in my PJ's till 4 in the afternoon on Friday(which is like your saturday)!!
-Went walking last night with some friends and walked by this gorgeous honeysuckle! It smelled great!
-We are having mexican tonight and I am going to make some really yummy salsa!
Plus, I have a great husband who after a long day at work came home and listened to me complain about life here and how I wanted to go home. He let me talk and vent! I am so thankful for having him in this adventure with me.
So, those are the little things that brought a smile to my face this weekend!

Saturday outing

We decided to get out of the city for a couple of hours today. Unfortunately, it wasn't a great find. However, it was nice to get out and hike a little and see some of the country.

Smiling!!

Ben is finally starting to smile on a more consistent basis. The pictures aren't great because he is generally moving when he smiles. It is great to go to his crib after a nap and have him smile up at me! I love it! Wish you all could see it in person but this will have to do for now.

Bath Time

Ben has quickly grown out of the sink bath. Since we only have showers in our apartment I made a bath tub out of a rubbermade container. We can buy baby baths here, I just have not done it yet. Here is our sweet boy at bath time. I love the smell of a freshly bathed baby!

Firsts...

Ben had his first bottle this morning! He loved it and gobbled it up quickly! He also went the whole night without a feeding! I can't believe it!! He ate at 10 and I put him down for the night. He woke me up at 1:30am but was just wimpering. So, I gave him his passie and he went right back to sleep. Then he woke me up at 3am, I tried to feed him but he wasn't interested. So, I changed his diaper and put him back down. The next thing I knew, it was 6:45!! And 7 is a scheduled feeding for him. I can't believe that he is 5 1/2 weeks and basically slept through the night. We will see what tonight is like...
Allen went out of town Monday. This is Ben and I hanging out. I love this boy!!!

Thank You Mom!

Happy Mothers Day!! My mom came to visit us for three weeks when Ben was born. I have wanted to write about our time with her since she left and thought that mothers day was appropriate. I was amazed by my mothers servant heart while she was here! I have always thought that my mom was such a hard worker. But while she was here I realized how her heart was to serve Allen, Ben and I in any way that she could. She cleaned, cooked, changed diapers, planned meals, etc! Thank you mom! We can not begin to tell you how much your time here meant to us! WE LOVE YOU!

Day One of delivery! She was such a great encourager through the WHOLE process, from being 1 week plus overdue to the long birth process.

After the c-section, she stayed with me while they stitched me up so Allen could go down to the nursery with Ben.

With her sweet Grandson! I love this picture!

She welcomed us home from the hospital and served us for over two weeks!

Happy Birthday Papa Hawkins!

Papa,
Happy Birthday! I asked mom and dad to put this picture up yesterday, on your birthday. But mom made excuses about being sick and something about me waking her up in the middle of the night to eat! A growing boy needs food!! I have so much to do I need those middle of the night snacks. All this eating, filling diapers, and looking so cute! It isn't easy. Anyways, Papa HAPPY BIRTHDAY! I love you and can't wait to see you in September!
Love, Ben (the first grandson to carry on the Hawkins name!)

I found my fist!

Ben found his fist on Sunday. He loved it!!

Four Weeks Old!

Where have the last four weeks gone? It is amazing to see the changes in Ben. He is now focusing on us and tracking with his eyes. Which is very comforting to Allen, he was concerned that Ben was blind at first(Of course, the pediatrician explained to him that Ben's eye sight was developing). He is lifting up his head and getting stronger every day. He has grown out of a bunch of his clothes! He wakes me up just once a night to feed at around 2-3 am. He is amazing! We are so blessed to have this bundle of joy in our life.



When Ben was born, he had no eye lashes. They are slowly growing in! Amazing!!