6 Months Old

Benson has technically been 6 months old for a whole week now, but it's been a busy week which why I am only posting now.  We have returned from living in Oregon, moved into our house in Lehi, Benson's adoption has been finalized (obviously will get it's own post) and we had Benson's six month appointment.  We are also preparing for this weekend ahead of us with family and friends so there just hasn't been the time to sit down and blog.  The worst thing is, I have about 10 posts I need to write about all of the happenings in our lives.  Bare with me.  I will get there.  For now, it's all about this little man!

Doesn't he look like a little boy here?  CRAZY!

Total typical face and pose for him

So I feel like over the past month Benson has TOTALLY filled out.  He is really feeling heavy and looking bigger to me.  I was so sure when we went to the doctor he would have been at least 16lbs.  I was wrong.  He was 15lbs 1oz and 26 inches long.  He is currently in the 20th percentile for height and only the 8th percentile for weight.  I guess he is tiny, but he just seems so big to me.  His head is still in the 65th percentile, so that's still plenty big.

We had a really fun month and Benson had a lot of firsts.  We went to the coast a few more times, the Nelsons came to visit so Benson got to meet his cousins, Aiden and Regan, as well as his Uncle Nolan.  We went to his first drive in movie (The Pirate Movie and MIB III).  We spent the day in Portland with our friends the Birkels and Bensons new friend, Ruby and went to the Portland Zoo, Powell Books, the Rose Garden, and so on.   We also made the trek home from Oregon to Utah, which was less than enjoyable for Benson. He loves to play and have things to do and look at.  He did not enjoy sitting in the back seat by himself, bored.  He screamed probably over 50% of the drive.  It was really heartbreaking, but we had to get home!  Benson tried his first solid food, avocado.  He didn't seem to have an opinion one way or the other.

He has started really knowing who people are and choosing whether or not he likes someone.  He will look at someone and just burst into tears.  Sometimes they have facial hair, glasses, a hat on, etc.  Other times it's completely random.  He DEFINITELY knows who mommy and daddy are and prefers us over anyone else (which is an awesome feeling.  you all know you love it).  He loves to laugh and giggle and is really ticklish under his armpits and when daddy rubs his face on his chin.  He loves his bath, especially sucking on the washcloth.  He started standing up leaning on furniture!  He starting crying mama when he is really upset (but we are pretty sure he has no idea what he is saying).  It's still adorable and melts my heart.

I know I have said this before but Benson literally lights up any room he is in.  It is impossible to feel anything but complete joy when he is smiling.  We cannot believe he is already six months old.  We have been waiting for this day for a long time.  Finalization, sealing, blessing...all waiting on six months and it is here.  Time is flying by....maybe now it can slow down a bit.

Cannon Beach and sandcastles

At the beginning of June Ben started talking about maybe cutting our four month Oregon stay to just two months.  I realized if we would be leaving soon we needed to make the most of our time here.  Oregon is a beautiful state with lots to see and I wanted to take advantage.  I started a pinterest board just for Oregon and started my list of things to do and places to see.

We got lucky and our timing was perfect to be able to go to the annual sandcastle competition at Cannon Beach.  It was on June 9th this year.  We almost didn't go because we were so tired, but I wanted to make sure we saw Oregon so I got everyone up and we were on our way.  It was a 2 hour drive (as are most places on the coast) and Benson slept the whole way there.  I can't say the same for the way back, but that's how it usually goes.  None of us really enjoyed the last 40 minutes of the drive , but it was definitely worth it.  Cannon Beach is really beautiful and it is just how you imagine a coastal town.  It's very quaint with cute shops and restaurants.  The homes are all very small and rustic with that coastal charm.  I really think it is my favorite place that we have visited on the Oregon coast.

P.S  I didn't find out until later that it is also the beach that is on the first Twilight movie.  Um, WHY didn't I know that before?  I am a total twihard and would have been SO excited to go to the exact spot where Bella and Jacob stood (hee hee).

Anyway, we had a really fun day.  We walked out onto the beach to see the sand castles.  We then walked through town visiting some of the cute shops and getting a late lunch of clam chowder and fish and chips (for Ben, I just got a burger cause I only like raw seafood).  The weather was perfect.  It wasn't too hot, but the sun was shining most of the time.  We also stopped by a little park on the way back to the car so Benson could play a little before we got back into the car for the 2 hour drive home.  It was Benson's first time on a swing.  We couldn't tell what he thought, but he seemed to be a tiny bit scared.  Then he puked a little right after so we decided he might just not be ready yet.  All in all it was a great day at the beach.

They had these sayings on top of all of the garbage cans, each can said something different.  It was cute.

Another thing I love about little touristy towns, they always sell cute things with funny sayings.  I thought this was VERY fitting for myself and certain people in my life.

Gotta have some Tillamook ice-cream

On a side note: We did have to rush home in order to be home for the Paquiao/Bradley fight on pay per view.  Gotta show that Pinoy pride and pass it along to Benson. It was a total joke when Bradley won, but it was still a good time.

5 Months

Cutest kid ever!

Benson turned 5 months old yesterday.  I haven't done as well as I would like at including a lot of information on these posts because I had been including it on the posts at his blog, but I haven't been doing well at that either so I am going to start including it here.

Since he doesn't have a well child visit this month I am not sure exactly how much he weighs, but he seems to be filling out quite nicely.  His cheeks and tummy are getting big and round and he is finally growing out of his 0-3 month clothes so we know he is growing.

He has learned to do so many new things this month.  He now rolls over from front to back and from back to front.  He can sit up all on his own (still a bit wobbly to do it for long).  He holds his own bottle (but lets us do it most of the time).  He is starting to mimic our sounds and totally says "hi".  He is starting to teethe and therefore is always slobbering and chewing on everything, including our faces.  He really likes the little mesh pouches with ice in them.  It has also made him a bit crankier than usual, which is completely new for us.  But, most the time he is still his happy, fun self.  He hasn't started eating solids yet, but totally stares at us while we eat and watches everything we put in our mouths.  He loves books and pictures and colors.  He has started doing really well in his car seat and just playing on his own while in the car. If we are in there too long he screams until we get out, but that hasn't happened too many times (once on the way back from the Williams beach house and once on the way home from Portland).  He still loves music.  We have started turning on pop music and dancing and singing with him and he kicks his legs and smiles the whole time.  He loves listening to daddy play the guitar and sing.  He also got a Johnny Jumper and although he is still a bit too little for it, he really enjoys just hanging around in it and making himself turn around.  He really enjoys time with his Lolo and Lola.  They usually take him into their room for at least 30 minutes every night and just play with him.  He also spends a lot of time with his Tita DJ when mommy and daddy are both working.  His nap schedule is starting to get established.  His night sleeping is kind of crazy and I realized it's because Ben and I are both total night owls.  Benson usually takes a nap at about 7 or 8pm for about an hour and then doesn't go down for the night until between 11 and 12.  He did sleep a full 8 hours one night this month.  His longest is normally about 6 hours.  He wakes up to eat usually about about 4 and then again about 7 AM, but then he sleeps with daddy until about 10 AM.  So, we can't complain.  He is just growing and changing so much!

Benson truly is the light of our lives.  He brings a smile to everyone's faces and people cannot help but just love having him around.  We are so lucky to be his parents!

Love....

If anyone had been able to really tell me how much I would love being a mommy to this little boy......I don't know how I would have been able to wait for so long.  I could not have ever imagined it.  PURE JOY!

Mother's Day Weekend and the Coast

This Mother's Day weekend was full of fun for us.  For obvious reasons this was the best Mother's Day yet for me:).  I had high hopes that my first Mothers Day as a mother would be a good one and I was not disappointed.  It really started on Thursday night.  Ben and his sister, Deidrene, decided to make us a special dinner as a gift for mothers day.  It was quite yummy.  They made steak (which was actually pork chops, but it was yummy nonetheless) and twice baked potatoes and a fun dessert.  They made sauces for both with yummy avocado and some other special stuff.  It was quite tasty and so sweet of them.  While sitting at dinner, Ben then plopped a new IPOD nano down for me and I was ecstatic!!  

The festivities continued on Friday when we drove out to Seaside on the Oregon coast to spend Mother's Day weekend with the extended Bugar family (Ben's moms side).  Ben has SO many aunties it's hard to not get them all confused.  They are all so wonderful though and we have a great time with them.  I was excited to go out to Seaside since that is where we went on our honeymoon and we have not been since.  It was so fun to go and spend the weekend in the same place we had been on our honeymoon and now with Benson in tow.  

We got there Friday evening and were greeted by Ben's cousins as well as the kids.  Everyone fell instantly in love with Benson and he LOVED all the attention.  He also seems to really enjoy listening to Tagalog.  I love that he is surrounded by so many cultures and languages.  No wonder he is such a smart kid :).  I immediately took Benson out on the patio to see the ocean.  I was so excited to share it with him.  It was BEAUTIFUL!  

Saturday we went and walked down to the beach, put our feet in the ocean, walked the boardwalk and down through the cute little downtown of Seaside.  It is an adorable little town and it was so fun to remember and re-experience the places we had gone on our honeymoon.  That night we went out to eat with the cousins, John and Noa, and their families.  Sunday morning we woke up, had tasty treats for breakfast and then left to go to the Sunday market in Astoria.  It was a fun filled weekend and we hope to get to do it again soon.

Benson with his "Lola Elizabeth".  This is Ben's mom's older sister and such a wonderful wonderful woman

Cousins...Colby, Nicholas (Nicky) and Bailey.  

Alli, Colby, Benson and Nicky.  The kids LOVED Benson

Benson's first time at the ocean.  I was SO excited to share it with him.  I LOVE the beach and the ocean and the beauty of it all.  Such a fun way to spend Mother's Day, sharing the things I love with this little man.

Benson and daddy on the beach

Crisantos

First time in the water, it was a bit cold

The 2 loves of my life

We had to ride the carousel, since we did on our honeymoon.  We have almost this same shot from 6 years ago.

Benson's first time on a carousel

Did I mention that I LOVE the ocean!!!  This was the view from our room.  I won't complain.

The Saturday before Mother's Day is Birth Mothers Day.  I wanted to be able to tell Benson's birth mom how much we love her and how truly grateful we are for her.  She made me a mother!  She was constantly on my mind this weekend. I just hope she knows how truly grateful we are.

I recently bought this Hello Kitty for Benson.  If you remember we bought the same on for Benson's birth mom, Sierra, on placement day.  Sierra's is a bigger version.  Benson's is just little.  I loved the idea of them having matching stuffed animals.  

I am so grateful for Benson and for the opportunity to be a mother.   I woke up this morning to my sons smiling face and all I could think was how truly blessed I am!

 Happy Mother's Day!!!!

4 Months Old

At 4 months old Benson weighs 13lbs 5 oz and is 23.75 inches long.  His head is in the 75th percentile while his weight is closer to the 20th.  We LOVE this little guy!

Life Lately

Although I need to post about all the many things that have happened to our little family over the past four months, I am just going to start with our recent happenings so that I don't put off updating the blog  anymore.

As of Sunday, April 29th, the Utah Crisantos are actually part of the Oregon Crisanto clan.  We "moved" up to Salem in order to spend the summer here while Ben does summer sales for Dish 1.  The opportunity came up and it just seemed like a good move to come spend time with Ben's family and have Benson get to know his Crisanto family.  We have moved from living with one set of parents to the other.   We are lucky to have families that are so supportive and willing to allow us to live with them.  We are pretty sure they are just doing it to spend time with Benson. He is too hard to resist.  I know my parents were very sad to see him go.  Honestly it made me a tiny bit sad when I realized that my parents have been with him pretty much every day since he was born, but it's only fair that both sets of grandparents get this kind of time with him though.  My other family members were also sad we would be away for four months.  Everyone loved having Benson around and it's so fun to be so close to family.  We will miss Sunday night dinners and playing games until all hours of the night with the fam.

After 2 days of driving, stopping to see friends and family along the way and then spend the night in Boise, we finally arrived on Sunday night.  We took our time driving, stopping often, in order to get Benson out of the car and give him a break.  He is not a huge fan of his carseat when he is awake, so we planned to be stopping a lot.  It was fun for us because Ben and I really enjoy road trips together, but if anyone else had been with us I think they would have wanted to kill us for stopping so much.  Sunday was my 35th birthday and was spent traveling.  We did get me a Dairy Queen blizzard to "celebrate" but that was about it.  Lolo and Lola were so excited to see Benson again and he was so excited to be out of his seat and with people who love him.  He met his aunt Elisha and then talked and cooed and screamed of happiness while hanging out.  He pretty much hasn't stopped since.  He has had so much fun being loved and cuddled with all week.  Uncle Archie has been playing his guitar and singing for him and Benson loves it.  He also loves to have his Lolo sing to him.  He is just very very loved.

I have been working from home for the past month and therefore me working from here or working from Utah, it's all the same.  Going back to work was really difficult, even though I am lucky enough to work from home.  It's been a big adjustment as well as just a large effort to make sure I am spending enough time with Benson, taking good care of him and making him a priority while getting my job done.  Living with family makes it a lot easier, but it's still hard.  I am a little nervous about how we will make it work now that Ben is going to be working full time.  While he was in school, he was home all afternoon and taking care of Benson which made my life much easier.  I am sure it will all work out, but it's a little nerve wracking to think that it's going to all be on me now.

Benson is 4 months old today and such a bundle of joy.  He really is such a happy, smiley baby.  He LOVES people.  He loves to just sit in a group and listen to us talk to each other.  He will sometimes join in with his chatting and cooing.  He smiles SO big and giggles at the funniest little things.  He is calm and easy and sweet.  He does this adorable thing when he gets really excited where he scrunches himself up and pulls his hands up to his mouth and smiles huge.  It is so very adorable.  It reminds me very much of Sierra's sister Carmen.  She did the same thing.  He loves playing on his floor mat.  He is starting to actually enjoy tummy time now that he can lift his head and reach for toys.  He loves anything that is bright and colorful.  He LOVES sleeping with daddy.  He does not sleep well with mommy, but can sleep nuzzled in Ben's "armpit" for hours.  He is extra cuddly when he wakes up from his naps and it is the sweetest thing to have him cuddle up into my neck and just lay there.  He is really getting to know mommy and daddy and smiles so big whenever one of us walks into the room.  We have decided he can say "hi".  I know you all think I am crazy, but it seriously sounds like he says hi and it is so cute. He has started sleeping with his toy monkey.  It is the cutest thing to watch him as he is falling asleep reach over to touch his monkey and as soon as he feels it his whole body relaxes. He is starting to really enjoy watching Archie the dog.  Now that we are with Ben's parents, their dog teddy is very entertaining for him.  Teddy is NOT happy about Benson, but Benson loves Teddy.

Life is great and I am going to do better at recording what's going on in our lives, cause it's a lot!