Well, as many of you know, the blog has been down for quite some time.  I’m still really not quite sure what happened.  All of the files were still on the server, the database was still intact, the config.php file was set up to keep all the different parts and peices talking, but still, it wasn’t working.  I will say that we’ve had other weird issues with that server in the past.

So, I got everything over to one of my other servers, configured, with a new theme and all!  There are still some bugs I’m working out, like the funny symbols after some of the characters.  But, enough of all the boring geeky stuff, what’s up with our family?

Where to begin, where to begin.  Oscar’s in cub scouts this year, but that pattern was quickly interupted by his desire to play baseball.  I’m dissappointed because I feel like he’s missing out on experiences that he (in the long term) will hold dear to his heart.  But he wants to play baseball.

Sometimes I wonder how Lily is going to make it.  I mean, that sounds kinda harsh, I know, but seriously, she is a danger not only to others, but to herself.  Two weeks ago, she did some sort of acrobatic daredevil stunt off her bed and slammed her face against the wall causing her eye to swell and turn several shades of blue and purple.  Once the swelling went down, it actually looked as though she had heavy eye shadow on.

Then, as if that wasn’t enough, two days later, she was doing something on Oscar’s skateboard that involved standing, and did a faceplant on the sidewalk causing her top lip to swell and gave her a good laceration.  I swear, when we took her out in public, people thought we were abusive parents.  People would ask in a concerning, but not too obvious way “Sweetie, what happened?”

That’s right, we’re moving on up in this world and we’re not quite up to our eyeballs in debt.  The suburban life.  Not that we have an urban area to be a sub of, but still, I feel like we’re living in the burbs.  Cookie-cutter house, sidewalks, garages, community pool, that’s right, the luxuries of a real neighborhood.

Many of this may be the norm for some of you, but for us down here in little ‘ol Panama City Beach, a neighborhood like this is few and far between.

Two weeks ago today we were in the hospital with Baby Benjamin after an exhausting 9 months of pregnancy.  Benjamin had some into this world at over 10 lbs.

Today, I have no idea what he weights, but it still seems quite unreal that just two weeks ago he was in Ashley’s belly.

It sure is amazing how fast time goes by.  I’m sure we’ll be saying the same this time next year and in the many years to come.

We are so blessed to have such a healthy family.

We can home tonight.  Baby Benjamin is eating well and Mommy is healthy.  We’ve changed at least a half dozen black tar poopies and his belly button comes closer to being healed every hour.

His ride down the elevator was quick and pleasant, but he was non too happy to be put into his car seat, leaving himself vulnerable to the frigid 50 degree weather we are having here.  However, he took to his new seat quickly and stopped crying only after a few short minutes.  He was peaceful through our Target and Olive Garden stop, and the rest of the way home.

He slept for an hour, then nursed some more.  We are just getting ready to go to bed.  Noah and Lily are with BeBe and PaPa, and will come home tomorrow.

Enjoy the pictures!

Well, we awoke early.  Ash woke me around 3:00 and said it was time to go.  She was scheduled to be induced at 5am, but Benjamin wasn’t having it - he wanted to do it all by himself.

When she woke me up, I had planned on making some juice with our new juice-maker Papa bought us for Christmas, but Ash said there wasn’t time, and she was right.

This morning it was raining and very windy.  There was tons of water on the roads and a constant prayer was going through my head that we’d make it to the hospital safely and that we wouldn’t get pulled over.  We made it, with no tickets.

When we arrived at the emergency entrance, two workers were standing out front and asked if she was labor.  I was told a wheel chair was right inside.  I ran the chair out, helped Ash into it, roller her inside and moved the van to a handicapped space near by.

I jogged her down the hallway to the elevator only to travel to the wrong floor, Labor and Delivery was on floor 2, not 3.

When we walked into Labor and Delivery, we were greeted by a friendly, calm nurse who guided us to room LD9, where Baby Benjamin would come into the world.

I wish I could tell you the labor was easy and painless, but it wasn’t.  Although, it was, I’m sure, much easier than some have it.

We arrived in the room at around 4 am and 33 minutes later, our new baby was born.  H’e huge at 10 lbs 2.6 oz’s and 23 inches long.  One nurse told us that was the longest baby she’d ever delivered.  Another nurse compared his size to that of a 3 month old.  Looking at him, it is already hard to beleive he was inside Ashley’s belly.

He’s been nursing off and on all morning, and has already had a huge peepee diaper.

Enjoy the pictures.

Baby is nursing mommy and baby are healthy

Benjamin is here at ..10 lbs 3oz born at 433 am

Well, I’m off to bed.  I’ll be up at 4 am so we can be at the hospital at 5.  Ashley will be induced and Baby Benjamin will be here tomorrow morning.

Noah and Lily are at Bebe and Papa’s condo right now and Ash is already asleep.  I’m sitting on the bed, right next to her.  She is just so awesome, strong, tough, courageous, beautiful, brave, admirable . . .

What she has endured to bring our new son into the world is beyond incredible.  Baby Benjamin will truly have a special spirit.

I’ll post something as soon as I can tomorrow morning.

Ash just left the doctor who told her she is dialated to 4!  Wow, with Noah and Lily, she was dialated at 1 in the early stages of labor.  Benjamin must be comfortable.

We had scheduled her to be induced Friday morning, but the doctor was able to get her in tomorrow.  So, tomorrow morning at 5 am, we’ll arrive at the hospital to have a new baby in a few short hours.

When she told me, my stomach dropped and tears came to my eyes.  We’re going to have a new beautiful baby boy.  We can hardly wait.

We’ll post pictures soon!