Four Months Old

Our Son. Don't Mess.

"Good Job Ben!," says my mother. I assumed she was talking about a cute smile or motion he had made, so I stayed looking at the computer screen. "Good Job Ben!" she says again minute later. A whole minute passes before she says "Summer Ben is rolling over." Ben had rolled over for her twice, before I had even been alerted about the historic event! It was a day after he turned four months old. I had set in my mind that he would not roll over until at least five months (of course so I wouldn't push him unnecessarily). I scolded my mother, got out the camera and we watched as he rolled for his 3rd time! The roll overs come with a lot of screeching but they sure are cute to watch.

The next latest and greatest are Ben's four months stats. He is in the 71st percentile in height (25.2 inches), 57th percentile in weight (15 lbs 4.5 oz) and 53rd percentile in head circumference (42.5 cm). He got rave reports on the proper care of his excema-- his skin was looking quite clear. It looks like we have a healthy little dude. He got two shots and cried for a minute and has not squawked about them since then.

Ben's first shot at rice cereal (ate mostly his hand/not his cereal)

Will is sooooo cute with our son!

Ben at a party we had for Clarke family toddlers- He loved it!

The accident

Last week Will and I were driving 55 miles down 193 in Layton when the light in front of us turned yellow.  With plenty of time I thought we would make it through just fine, Will, however, decided not to speed up. He stopped. Moments later the car ahead of us that did go through the light was hit by a left turning SUV. The car was thrown across the intersection and into a the stoplight post. We knew instantly that the persons in the car had incurred some serious injuries. We pulled over and Will got out to help. I waited a minute and then got out as well (leaving Ben in the back seat for a moment).  The next scene was one I don't think will ever leave my mind, and a scene I won't expound upon in this post, other than the minimal details. The girl driving was dazed and cut up. The guy in the passenger side was even more cut up and partially conscience, but could not respond to questions. His head was been stabilized by someone who had called 911 and was being instructed to open his airway.  Within minutes around six fire trucks were on the scene and some police cars and the women was taken away in an ambulance. Within 15 minutes lifeflight landed about 30 feet from our car to retrieve the guy in the crash.  He, however, was in the process of being cut out of the car. About 10 minutes later he was shuffled onto the helicopter and flown to the U hospital.

It would be 45 minutes before we could leave the scene of the accident (Will filled out a report about what he had seen). I have never felt so vulnerable in my life. "What if Will would have run the light?"  "What would have happened to Ben?" "Would something have happened to Will or I?"  I held our little son for an extra long time that evening, and after Will held me for an extra long time. We were so grateful to be in good health. Our prayers go out to those involved in the crash- and those who suffer. At times I think we are left for a small moment-- but in great mercy the Lord gathers us and enfolds us in his arms. We are not left comfortless. I am so grateful for my little family and pray that we might always be enfolded in the Father's great love.

Hands

I've always had a fascination with how small babies/children's hands are compared to their parental counterparts. With this in mind I set out to take a picture portraying this concept. I'm not sure what it is that draws me to this particular aspect of the child but I do know anytime a baby/child puts his/her hand in mine-- I am at their mercy. Speaking of being at a baby's mercy-- Ben has me wrapped around his little finger. My day doesn't start until he is awake. I will pace in front of his crib until the little guy makes his first noise (these are on the days that I am up before him which is usually one in 10 days).  On the other days his squeaks are not to terrible to get up to. Speaking of squeaks and getting up--- I have something to say. I sleep about eight hours a night!  Ben sleeps 10 hours with one feeding sometime around 4-6 am…..If this isn't the best news you have heard all year you better just re-evaluate your priorities cause-- Sleep = Sane Summer = which equals a manageable wife/sister/daughter/friend.  Well you get the point your life is easier when my life is easier ;)


So I have so much I have wanted to blog about and I am not sure if I'll get everything in. Ben's milestones are, and not limited to, laughing uncontrollably when I dance and sing or when his aunt Leisha/Cami tickle him. Grabbing my arm whenever I am changing him. Screaming once loud and clear if he has gone too long without attention. And wiggling in his bumbo- arms straight out (like he is doing right now-- see pic to the side).  Will and I took his four-month-photoshoot and we will go in for his four month doctors appointment next week. I will give you the stats then.

He is really starting to enjoy people right now. Whenever there are kids in the room he watches them intently and two days ago he "yelled" at me for handing him over to mom, instead of holding him. I think the rest of the story is best told in the pictures below, so I'll end with his latest medical conditions: a runny nose, hard to control dry skin on his forehead and a rash or two on his little tush. He still has not rolled over, to his father's dismay-- but he did wiggle himself to me today so I think that is progress.

This is the picture I promised earlier about our "twiner eyes"