Ben and I have our own personal superhero...

his name is Craig, AKA Daddy, which he prefers to be called these days.

A few months ago, my friend had a sweet baby boy and she wrote a blog about how wonderful her husband had been through the whole process. I thought to myself...that is really sweet of her, but we already know he is a great guy...surely he hasn't been so great that he deserves a whole blog post, huh? Well, I'm here to say that after going through the whole pregnancy, labor, delivery, recovery with my husband, I understand why she wrote it and I am here to do the same! Craig has truly reached Superhero status over the past month!
Can't you just see the love he has for our little family written all over his face? Craig has always been an amazing person and a great family man, but he has gone above and beyond any expectations I could have ever had for him. From changing diapers to doing laundry, he is the BEST! I think the thing that has most affected me over the past month, other than watching him transform into the most loving, caring father on earth, has been his care for me. You know, everyone always talks about how crazy and hard the labor and delivery process can be, but nobody really warns/ prepares you for the way you will feel after the fact. I knew it was going to be hard, but I didn't know I would feel quite so helpless right afterwards. Craig was there for me every step of the way...and still is! He took such amazing care of me as well as Ben and never complained once- and believe me, there were things he volunteered to do that were not very fun and most normal people would surely complain about! I specifically remember a moment in the hospital, when he was helping me with multiple "issues", that I said, "Of all the ways you have shown me that you love me over the past nine years, I don't think I have ever felt as loved by you as I do right now".

Ben and Superdad's favorite afternoon activity

This is my favorite!

Zoe knows he is a superhero, too!

I love our little family, and I love watching my husband hold and love our precious little boy!


Football season officially started today...the players have reported to campus to begin the fun week of two a days. Ben and I know that we won't see Daddy as much these next few weeks...ok, really the next few months. But we know he is working hard for us and we know that getting to see him at the end of a very long day will make our time together that much sweeter. So to our very own Superhero, Daddy, thanks for all you have done and continue to do to make our little family so wonderful. We love you best!

Long Overdue!!!

Okay! For all 2 of you that follow/read this blog, here is the most important post I have ever made- Ben is here! He has actually been here 3 weeks and 2 days, but it has taken me this long to get my act together and blog about it...sorry! The good news is, because it took me so long, this post will be full of lots of good pics of all of the wonderful "firsts" we have experienced the past few weeks.
Ben arrived at 11:34 am on July 12. Everything went great! We went in the hospital Sunday evening to be induced. Our doctor had originally said Ben should be here by Monday late afternoon, but things went so amazingly well, he arrived before lunch! I cannot say enough good things about the nurses, doctors, and staff that cared for us while we were at River Oaks! I didn't want to leave!

Ben was 7lbs. 7oz. and 19 1/2 inches long. He is absolutely perfect!

Big sister Zoe has been doing great so far. She is already very protective of her little brother and has to sniff out all the company that comes to visit him. If they pass her sniff test, they can hold him

Have you ever seen such a cute face before!!! Here he is hanging out on his blanket his Great MaMaw made for him.

Ben is sleeping great! As of the past few nights we have done our last feeding around 11:00 and have not gotten up again until around 4:00. Monday morning, it was 5:00 before he stirred again- what a sweet boy!

Our big trip home from the hospital! He was 6lb. 15oz. when we left the hospital and a little jaundice, but don't worry- he is doing great now and gaining weight like crazy!!! I swear he looks bigger everytime he wakes up for his next meal!

This blog post wouldn't be complete without spotlighting Ben's very own personal photographer- AKA Aunt Ellen! Ellen captured so many amazing moments in hospital and as we came home. Ben loves his photo shoot sessions. If you see a picture of Ben, there is a strong chance Aunt Ellen is responsible- especially if it looks fancy and professional. We are really going to miss her when she moves to San Francisco in a few weeks- but we are very proud of her!

We love bath time and we especially love the "magic lotion potion" (bedtime lotion) we put on after bath- it gets us ready for a great night's sleep!

Our first trip to the pediatrician for a 2 week checkup was relatively painless- other than the awful heel prick! We LOVE Dr. Denney! He said Ben looked great. He was up to 7lb. 12oz. and 21 inches! So big!

Don't you just love those little frog legs! So sweet! Ann- thanks for the great idea for photographing how much he is growing- hope you don't mind I stole your idea :) 4 week picture coming up soon!

Craig and I have been overwhelmed by the help and support our family and friends have shown us. We cannot thank you enough for everything you have done to make this transition in our lives so smooth and enjoyable! We have felt every prayer from family and friends near and far and enjoyed the meals and company of those close by. We truly feel blessed!

So, that is a little bit of what we have been doing the past 3 weeks and 2 days! I PROMISE I will be back soon with another update!

Ben's Finished Nursery

The nursery is FINALLY finished- other than a missing window treatment that is still in the works! Everything is clean and smells like sweet Dreft baby- if that stuff wasn't so expensive, I would wash my own clothes in it!!! Thanks to Nana and Pop for all of their hard work a few weeks ago helping to get everything hung and organized!


These canvases were custom made by one of my most favorite stores in Montgomery- Say It So! They used the pillow sham from his bedding to create them and they turned out better than I could have ever expected!



All of his little Lovies in the crib (yes, I know they can't stay in there once he gets here, but they are so cute!) Every sweet baby needs a binkie (blanket) and buddah (pillow)- thanks sweet Hollyn :)

This was made by Craig's Grandmother Bowman and hung in his nursery- I just updated the frame. So sweet!

Canvas totes and baskets hold bibs, burp cloths, baby socks, hats, ets.- thanks Susie for the GREAT idea! The baby book on top was a gift from Craig- he had it made just for Ben by our good friend Jenny- it was the best surprise!

I LOVE this corner of the room- and it's a good thing I think- because I can see myself spending many hours sitting in it in the very near future! The BEN photo was a gift from Aunt Ellen- so fun! The bookshelf was a gift from Ben's cousins Shelton and Hughston.

The changing table piece was also passed down from Scott, Jen, Shelton and Hughston- it fits perfectly in this part of the room and gives even more great storage! The black and white picture on top is of my Grandaddy, Benjamin Milton Stevens, in his uniform.

So, tomorrow marks week 36 of this journey and we go to the doctor bright and early at 8:15. Well, bright and early for me during summer :) We will find out about how big Baby Ben is right now and get a little better idea of when he might be making his grand arrival!

Another update coming soon with pictures from several of our wonderful showers...

Ben's First Portraits

We had our 4D (or Avatar- as Craig likes to call it) ultrasound today!  Little Ben was not the most cooperative- he was facing my back most of the time and had his little hands in front of his face- but we still got a few good pictures. I don't think he especially enjoyed the sweet nurse poking my belly to try to get him to move his arms.

I am 28 weeks and 3 days today!  The second trimester FLEW by!  I can't believe we are already in the third and starting to look for the finish line!

There is so much to do before he gets here!  Right now my main goals are to get through these last few weeks of school, finish my masters by the end of May, and get everything ready for Little Ben's arrival.  I can't wait for school to be out so we can really focus on the third item on the list!

  
After seeing these sweet pictures, I am even more ready to meet this handsome little guy in person!  I can't wait for all of you to meet him too!  Hope you enjoyed the pictures!

Memphis Baby Shower!

Last weekend we traveled to Memphis for a family visit and a wonderful baby shower hosted by my aunt and sister! Craig's parents even made the trip up from Montgomery for it- thanks, Nana and Pop! Of course, Zoe came with us- where else would she be??? Everyone keeps trying to tell us that we are going to start treating Zoe more like a dog than a person when Ben gets here, but I just don't see how that is possible. And, if you are around Zoe and feel like this is true, please do not talk about it in front of her- she is very sensitive.


The weekend was great! My aunt is one of those amazing peoeple that is wonderful at hosting parties or gatherings at her house of any kind- always the perfect food, decorations, etc- but if you tell her, she'll say "it was nothing" and mean it! Here is the cutest diaper cake I have ever seen that sat in the middle of the table.

We had catered Central BBQ for dinner. If any of you have been to Memphis with us- or just know Craig Bowman- you know that this is our all time favorite place to eat in Memphis. We never make a trip to Memphis without eating there at least once, usually more. It was delicious. These yummy cupcakes were dessert! (Thanks, Ellen, for the artsy food photo shot.)

Now, as I mentioned before, my aunt, Mary, likes to host the most wonderful parties and not take any credit for how wonderful they are. Her other half, Billy, is not quite as reserved. We always love family events at the Routt house because you never know what game, song, challenge, Billy is going to come up with for all guests to participate in. He did not disappoint at the baby shower when, after the blessing, he led everyone in singing "Happy Birthday" to baby Ben. Why? Well, because most of the people were not going to be at his actual "birth"day of course, and Billy wanted everyone to be able to celebrate with him. Like I said- you never know what to expect! More Billy games coming soon in the post...

"Happy Birthday, Ben"

One guest I was most happy to see there was my grandmother, Mamaw. As I mentioned in a previous post, Mamaw gave me Ben's first special present at Christmas time- a beautiful blanket she had crocheted. This time she had "whipped up" a swaddling blanket, fleece blanket, and train quilt for Ben to have some great tummy time. She is amazing! I tell people all the time, if I got a fourth of her genes and can look this wonderful after having 6 children and 19 grandchildren, I'll be happy!

This is one of my most favorite friends I grew up with at St. Mary's, Erin. She and her mom (AKA Momma Lyttle) made it to the shower. Erin and I have the exact same due date and she is having a girl- Claire Elise (isn't that the cutest name). Below is a picture of Claire and Ben's "first date" :). I was so glad they could make it and I can't think of anyone else I would rather share my due date with!

Little Ben is already so spoiled by the love of family and friends he and we have been showered with. We are so lucky to be surrounded by such an amazing and supportive group of people to help us begin this exciting adventure. Below is a picture of the cutest football outfit from my cousin Michelle. I don't know if she did it on purpose or not, but it is Belhaven colors and has matching football socks- can we say, Media Guide picture next year??? I can't wait to see him in it!
I told you there were more Billy games to come. This was one of my all-time favorites. Billy wrapped up the gift-opening by having Craig get down on one knee and repeat any "promises" offered up by the guests- but if he repeated it, he had to promise to do it. For example, "I promise to change every diaper while we are still in the hospital". (I liked that one). And my all time favorite,"I promise to let Claire dress Ben however she wants- big collars, smocking, lace, etc. unitl he is a year old"- this took a lot for Craig! Only one promise got denied- Auntie Ellen tried to make Craig promise to let her teach Ben how to tap dance so he will be "well-rounded"- good try, Ellen, but you should have known better!

It was a wonderful evening with family and close friends, great food, and the celebrating of our little man's approaching arrival. A BIG THANK YOU again to all of you that made it possible. We are overwhelmed by your love and support!!!

Way past due for an Update!

So, I have been criticised lately (mostly by my wonderful husband) for not doing a better job of updating our blog. I keep trying to tell him that our blog is really not going to be as cute and fun now as it will be in about 4 months, but here are a few updates, just to make everyone happy :)

The biggest news, which most of you reading this already know, is that we are having a baby BOY! We found out at 17 weeks. Craig and I both went into the ultrasound room convinced we were having a girl. Deep down, we both really wanted to have a boy first, but of course we would have been just as ecstatic if it was a girl. We started the ultrasound and heard the heartbeat immediately. About five seconds later, "it" appeared on the screen. (You all know what "it" is). Before the nurse could say anything, I asked "Is that what I think it is?"...to which she replied, "that's what you think it is". Craig and I spent the next 5 minutes of the ultrasound grinning from ear to ear. We couldn't wait to call everyone and tell them the exciting news! Here is a picture from 17 weeks when we found out. He sat "criss cross applesauce" the whole time! (That is also known as "indian style" for those of you who don't teach little people :)

Everything else looked great- it is amazing what details they can see on those machines! Since we got to find out a little bit early what we were having, they couldn't see everything they needed to with his little heart. So, when we went back at 21 weeks, we got to do another ultrasound (the highlight of the doctor's visit) and saw all of the chambers of his heart- everything looked great! Here is a picture of his sweet little feet from 21 weeks- so cute!

Our little man's official name is Benjamin Craig Bowman- we will most likely call him Ben. As his Aunt Ellen says, let the monogramming begin!

This Tuesday I will be 24 weeks- that is 6 months, people! I can't wait to meet little Ben, but at the same time, I am really enjoying this pregnancy thing and don't want it to pass by too quickly. (However, ask me in about 2 months and I might give you a different answer :)

Next doctor's appointment is the week after Easter at 25 weeks. Then we go back at 28 weeks for the glucose test and our 4-D ultrasound. Don't worry, a new post will definitely follow that visit!

Our New House!!!

We are FINALLY getting settled in the new house and have gotten some pictures taken. Now we are ready for people to come visit! Building a new house was not as stressful as we thought it would be, but I am definitely glad the process is over. Well, almost over- you think that building something new, everything would be perfect and complete when you move in, but that is not the case. There are still a few little projects that need to be finished, but we have our "punch list" (as our realtor calls it) started and things will be finished soon (hopefully)!

The house is great, having our own stuff back is great, and knowing that soon one of our guest rooms will be transformed into a nursery is really, really great!