25 of the best Benjamin cell phone photos from August and September!

I can't explain the way I feel when he makes eye contact.  There's so much intelligence and sweetness in his face.

Bug-eyed in his car seat

Hanging out with granddad

Speaking through his imaginary microphone

Enjoying his mobile!

A beautiful smile in his sleep.

We've always loved the faces he makes when he's propped on our shoulders.

Benjamin's first trip to the park!  I was trying (to no avail) to get some sunset pictures over the lake.

Baby Elvis

See previous comments about eye contact - he really kills you with it!  All you can do is love this boy.

Perfect

I really wish I had a DSLR photo of this expression.  It's amazing.  Marie took this on her cell.

Just look at that angelic face!

Bathtime has moved to the kitchen counter - so much easier!

His very first trip to the store with us!

An amazing smile Marie captured.  So glad she got this one.

#10: Most things get better as babies grow, some things get worse

It's amazing how much things change when you're taking care of a little one.  Some of the changes are sudden, while some are more gradual.  Some things become less challenging, and other things more.  It's an incredible process - one I've enjoyed discussing with my wife and documenting here.

Here are some things that have changed, through the first 4 months and 11 days of Benjamin's life outside the womb...

BETTER: His feeding, sleeping, and pooping schedule is SO much more sane.  As impossible as it seemed during the first couple months that we would ever get to a point like this (we would get a 1-2 hour break at most before he cried again!).  Now, he's already sleeping through most of the night!  He only wants regular feedings (every 3 hours, approximately) during his more active hours - generally about 9 AM to 11 PM, though it can vary.  He also poops MUCH less frequently!  The best part about this change, over the last couple months, is that he doesn't irritate his bottom.  Before, he was constantly exacerbating his own rash.

WORSE: However, that also means that his bowel movements, when they do occur, are ENORMOUS.  When it's already been 2-4 days (the longest wait so far was 4 or 5), we truly dread the arrival of his beastly unloading.  Thankfully, it's only been disastrous timing once...but it almost made poor Marie late for work that day.  We had a frantic cleanup effort, which continued even after I brought him back home from dropping her off.

BETTER: Obviously, babies become more aware as they grow.  This is a beautiful thing when it comes to:
- responsive facial expressions (he's been smiling quite a bit since about the 3 month mark, and we can fairly reliably trigger it now with our voices and expressions)
- vocalizing (he loves to coo at us when in the right mood)
- eye contact (he LOVES this and literally strains for it when he hears a voice behind him - sometimes to the point of making himself sick from all the twisting around)
- grabbing for clothing, burp cloths, toys, etc. (he has been doing this in a more directed, less random way for a week or two)

It's incredibly rewarding to gain a greater sense of reciprocity in your interactions with your child.

WORSE: However, greater awareness can sometimes be a bad thing!  Benjamin used to have no idea what was going on in the car, or at the doctor's office, so it didn't really phase him.  He either slept, or took it all in passively.  As he senses patterns and remembers more of the world around him, some of it can be scary.  Let's just say that his last couple trips to the doctor were NOT his favorite.  He spent about 80% of the time crying at the top of his little lungs, and it only got worse when his 4 month shots were administered.  Good grief, I felt awful for him.  I've never liked lying on a slab and getting injected with things either.

Overall, we are overwhelmed by his progress and how beautiful this boy is.  We love him so much, and we tell him about a thousand times a day.

#9: Yep, you worry about EVERYTHING when it comes to your baby's health

I've already documented the diaper rash issues.  But that's far from the only thing that Marie and I have panicked over when it comes to Baby Benjamin.  

Thankfully, the rash is gone!  It feels amazing to say that.  He's been totally rash-free for about a month now.

But we've had these things to worry about (which probably seem trivial in comparison to our worries during the pregnancy):

1) Blocked tear duct in his right eye - ongoing, virtually since birth.  According to the doctors, we won't need to worry TOO much about this unless it persists past 8 months.

2) Various rough patches (probably eczema) on his face and left arm.  Hopefully, this will clear up.

3) Fever when he got vaccinations at 2 and 4 month checkups (temporary, but alarming at the time). We gave him liquid tylenol and it returned him to normal within about 24 hours both times.

4) Poor Benji has this tendency to ALWAYS turn his head to the right when sleeping...and, as he's a little baby, he's supposed to always sleep on his back.  Well, that has resulted in both a bit of a flat AND lopsided back of his head.  We'll need to keep an eye on this condition (positional plagiocephaly) - hopefully he won't need to wear a helmet!

While you learn to cope better as time goes by, any new element thrown into the mix can really be jarring.  When you have a beautiful boy like ours, you want everything to be perfect for him.