Little John

Today was John’s 2 month well baby appointment. Boy has our little guy grown! He weighed 14 pounds 6 ounces, was 25 inches long and his head circumference was in the 95th percentile (as were his weight and length)- not so little anymore! John tolerated the actual shots fairly well- he cried a bit and then fell promptly asleep on my shoulder. He seemed fine all afternoon until he woke up from a nap and realized how sore his little legs were. He was not a happy camper and we had to spend quite some time before he calmed down enough to take some baby tylenol and get a little milk drunk. Thankfully he’s sleeping soundly now, and hopefully by tomorrow morning he will be feeling back to his usual self.

Hazel spent the last two days at Omi’s house enjoying a few nights of sleepover fun while mama and John had the house to ourselves to clean and hang out. It was nice to be able to get so much done in the house and it was great to spend some time alone with John, but we missed Hazel so so much while she was gone and we’re glad to have her crazy little self back in the house. She is such a little firecracker and she has become so funny. The things this kid says are hilarious- my favorite phrase right now is, “How ‘Bout Me?!” whenever she hears about something that she wants to do/have too. Instead of me too she says, “How ‘Bout Me!?” It is so funny… she also says “What happened?” whenever something isn’t quite the way she remembers it, or whenever something isn’t the way it should be. Hazel is really into Toy Story right now, and she is in love with Buzz Lightyear. John was given a Buzz Lightyear plush toy when he was born, and Hazel has it on permanent loan right now. She has even mentioned “Get Married with Buzz” a few times… what can I say? the girl is in Love!

Here are a few pictures from the last month or so, including pics from when Grammy and Grampy came out to visit. We had such a nice visit with them and are excited to see everyone again in about a month when we head out to Kansas!

and a couple videos just for fun…

2 Months Old Already!

It’s hard to believe little John is already 2 months old. I hoped to have his latest weight and height measurements for this post as we were scheduled to have his well-baby appointment today, but our appointment got rescheduled for next week, so you’ll all just have to wait with bated breath to get his latest stats. I can tell you he is growing well, and the last time we weighed him at home he was over 14 pounds!!
John is sleeping great now- he goes down every night between 6:30 and 8 pm and sleeps until 4-5 am without waking up. He usually nurses around 4 or 5, then goes back to sleep for 2-3 more hours before he’s up for the morning. We’ve developed a nice little routine that involves me getting up for the day around 5  after he’s nursed- I get to go work out before Jered heads to work and then I’m home to feed our little lunch box.

It’s funny how quickly the sleep issues work themselves out- this time last month I was wondering if he’d ever sleep more than 4 or 5 hours at a time, and suddenly he’s sleeping nice long stretches. He’s also been cooing and smiling up a storm. He makes the sweetest noises and has the most charming little smile. John is the calmest, sweetest little guy- he’s a total snuggler, hardly fusses and is very easy to read. He even lets you know when he’s had enough and just wants to be laid down for a nap- what a kid! I keep telling Jered he’s the kind of baby that makes me want to have more… we’ll see about that!
In Hazel news, things get more and more fun with each passing day. She is literally talking our heads off and her imagination is really blossoming. She plays with her dolls, and legos and potato heads and kitchen and makes up elaborate plots pretty much all day long. She still loves “Baby John,” but doesn’t quite understand why he isn’t going back to the hospital- I think she thought the arrangement was temporary.
We’re also heavy duty into potty learning now- and this week marks the first week where she is completely out of diapers except to sleep at night (and then it’s a night time pull up so as not to be confusing). During the day she is pretty much completely trained, and we’ve recently had success with short car trips to the store in big girl underwear (not pull ups but actual underwear). Boy has it been fun! (I hope the sarcasm is apparent). Really, we can’t complain as she has done very very well, but it is challenging potty training a toddler when you have an infant to take care of (especially because sometimes when she needs help my hands are full!). Each day gets a little better, though, (no accidents at all today!) and we are that much closer to having only one kiddo in diapers!

It’s late, and I can’t remember half of the things I wanted to post tonight, but I’ll leave you with a few videos. Please excuse me constantly asking John if he’s going to talk to us, apparently that’s all I ever say to him!!

July from esther benoit on Vimeo.

July from esther benoit on Vimeo.

July from esther benoit on Vimeo.

And finally, Hazel’s first film- it’s very Post Modern, or Po-Mo as Grammy might say!

July from esther benoit on Vimeo.

Finally, a video update!

Here are the videos from Hazel’s birthday, the kids’ baptisms and some watermelon eating!

June/July from esther benoit on Vimeo.

June/July from esther benoit on Vimeo.

June/July from esther benoit on Vimeo.

June/July from esther benoit on Vimeo.

June/July from esther benoit on Vimeo.

June/July from esther benoit on Vimeo.

June/July from esther benoit on Vimeo.

June/July from esther benoit on Vimeo.

June/July from esther benoit on Vimeo.

June/July from esther benoit on Vimeo.

June/July from esther benoit on Vimeo.

Baby smiles!

John started smiling this week- as most of you know, capturing a baby smile on camera is not an easy thing to do- so pardon the blurry picture, this captures his open-mouthed gummy grin pretty well, but hopefully we’ll have some more in-focus pictures soon!

He is growing so fast!

Getting sleepy in the swing…

Our Hazel Bear has been having a great summer- she recently received a package from her GG Benoit that had in it a beautiful dress. Hazel has been really into dresses lately, and this particular dress is now her favorite. She calls it her lamolina dress- which we don’t understand, but she loves her lamolina (pronounced lam-oh-lee-nah) dress. She especially likes to spin and twirl around to the Princess and the Frog soundtrack.

Thank you GG for the gorgeous dress!!

Looking a little crazy here…

She also loves to do robot dances…




Hazel’s hair is also getting longer, and we have started to do variations on pony tails almost every day. Thank goodness we can get her hair up now that it’s so hot out!







Hazel absolutely loves her brother- Here is John enjoying some tummy time (he fell asleep he enjoyed it so much)…

Here is Hazel having some tummy time too…


This kid loves tummy time so much!

Hazel says, “I do it, tummy time, too!”

I bribed her with chocolate for this picture…

Just a typical morning ’round these parts…

Birthday and Baptisms

This post is going to be heavy on the pictures and light on words- we have too many pictures to share and if I don’t focus on posting them I’ll never get to it, so here we go!
We’ll start with Hazel’s second birthday party, which was less of a party and more of a family get together since we had a newborn to fret over and didn’t want the stress of hosting a big to-do. And, we figure that she’s only two, and that this year we still get a sort of free pass in terms of throwing a big soiree!
We had two cakes…

Jered and I were very proud of the robot cake we made together…

there were party hats…




Hazel’s friend Lily got to come

And her good friend Kirsten stopped by for a bit too! (Kirsten really came over to watch soccer…)


Hazel got some bubbles!


We had a pretty full house!

One of Hazel’s favorite things was the musical card we got for her…



Hazel had a great time, and we didn’t even get to all the presents on her birthday- she liked to stop and play with each thing she opened, so she was still opening presents the next morning!

Switching gears now to last Sunday, Hazel and John were baptized. The baptism was at the Celtic Eucharist on Sunday evening and it was absolutely beautiful. I’ll let the pictures speak for themselves…


Proud Godfather…





















They sent us home with these beautiful flowers!

It was a busy and beautiful weekend… Here are a few pictures since then.

Happy Father’s Day

Growing up I had a great model of a good father. My dad was patient, kind, adventurous, funny, affectionate- the list goes on… From the time I was very little I was described as a daddy’s girl, or in our family’s case, a “papa’s” girl. As most of you know, I lost my father almost 4 years ago and since then, father’s day has not been an easy day for me. I looked forward to father’s day every year with my dad- I would always get him some sort of goofy card, sometimes a little gift, but usually just some funny card or piece of art work. That’s the thing about a good dad- not much is asked of you in return. This post isn’t really about my dad, though. For two years after my dad passed I had no cards to buy for today- the sting of losing my dad was a little worse when the advertisements for king of the grill gift sets started up on tv. Then, two years ago, Hazel came into our lives. I found myself with a new dad to recognize- Hazel’s dad, or, as he’s called around here, papa.





and then came John…


What can I say about Jered that isn’t captured in the pictures above? When Hazel was born we were both in for a rude awakening- making the transition from our little comfy world of two, to life as a family of three wasn’t easy on us. But very quickly Jered gave me a new example of what a great dad looks like. Like my father, he is patient, kind, loving, affectionate, adventurous and funny. My kids don’t even realize how lucky they are to have such a creative papa. Around these parts he is the one who builds forts (known around here as houses) in the living room, dances with Hazel to her princess songs, does hair, has tea parties, and has recently become known as the breakfast king for his uncanny kitchen skills in the hours before noon.
Jered and I have been together a long time, and in that time I’ve always known him to be a cut above the rest of the guys I saw around me, but it wasn’t until we had kids that I really got to see just how deep his greatness runs. Sleepless nights, diaper changes, squealing toddlers, potty training- he’s up for all of it, and he does it with a smile.
So, here’s to you Jered- papa extraordinaire. You have it all- charm, wit, good looks, and a family that loves you more than you could know. Happy Father’s Day- to a dad that would have made my dad proud.

The first week as a family of four…

What a week it’s been! I’m typing slowly (and one-handedly) as John naps in my arms. We’ve been home about a week now and it’s been an incredible week. Our boy had his first pediatrician’s appointment on Monday where we learned he had already gained back 5 oz of the weight he lost in the hospital. John weighed 8 pounds 3 ounces on Monday, measured 20.5 inches long and came out in the 50th percentile for all of his measurements- we’re so happy he’s a healthy boy!
Nursing has been going great and sleeping has been going as one can expect with a newborn- we sleep in fits and spurts but we’re getting as much rest as we can manage and the fatigue isn’t nearly as overwhelming this time around. Hazel continues to surprise us with her absolute fascination and adoration of “Baby John.” She was overheard asking him “are you hungry, buddy?” when he was fussing tonight- she’s a heart melter that Hazel Madeline!

I’ll continue the written part of this post below, but want to add a few pictures from our first 9 days as a family of 4.

Having two children is so different from having just one. I find myself trying to balance spending time with Hazel and John and switching gears from parenting a toddler to parenting an infant has highlighted just how much these little guys change in just 2 short years. Jered and I are both filled with this strange sense of contentment- it feels like the love in our family has just expanded exponentially. This experience has been very different from our experience with Hazel. With Hazel I was anxious, tentative, exhausted, and overwhelmed. With John, while there are moments of exhaustion, things feel so much more settled. Making the transition from one child to two has been, dare I say it, a lot of fun. I am so excited to get to know little John as his personality emerges and to watch Hazel as she continues to grow and learn alongside her little brother. We are so truly, deeply blessed to have each other.

Moving Pictures!

A few of our first videos of John!!

Hazel and John <3 from esther benoit on Vimeo.

VID00012 from esther benoit on Vimeo.

VID00013 from esther benoit on Vimeo.

He’s Here!

Tuesday night:


Wednesday morning!:
Duo is here! May 26, 2010 John Miles Benoit was born at 11:57 am.

He weighed 8 pounds 7 ounces, is 20.5 inches long and has quite a bit more hair than his sister had when she was born nearly two years ago!

This delivery was so different from the last and we are so thankful for that.



We got to the hospital this morning at 8, started IV fluids right away and tried to calm my nerves. We were scheduled for 10 am, but we got bumped by an emergency C-Section, so I didn’t walk myself into the OR until shortly after 11:30. Once in the OR I was prepped and given a spinal, which was a much much better experience than I could have ever imagined. I numbed up almost immediately which was such a relief to me. One of my biggest worries was that I wouldn’t numb up and would have to be put under general anesthesia again. Once the spinal was in, my legs and feet got nice and warm and heavy and I was helped onto the operating table. This was my most nervous moment as I wasn’t sure just how numb I would get. The anesthesiologist, nurses and doctors were all very reassuring and soon enough I was informed that the doctor had just pinched me really hard and I was none the wiser!
Once everyone as convinced I wouldn’t be feeling anything, Jered was allowed back into the OR. I was so happy to see him that I had a little pre-baby cry right then and there.
Once Jered came in it took about 10 minutes for John to be born. Hearing his cry was the most amazing experience of my life. Being awake to hear my son take his first breaths (and let us all know how he felt about those breaths) was a true gift.
John had a little trouble breathing at first so we weren’t able to see him right away, but after about 5 minutes they brought him over to us and I got to give him a few quick kisses before he and Papa headed over to the nursery.
While they finished me up, Jered and John got to spend a little time getting to know each other in the nursery- and got to share the news that our little boy is not really all that little!
Unlike last time I didn’t have any problems with bleeding during the surgery and everything went very smoothly. After about 40 minutes I was wheeled into a recovery room where I was monitored for about an hour. Jered came in to tell me how John was doing, but I wasn’t able to see John until a few hours later because of some breathing issues he was having at the time. Fortunately his breathing slowed down and he was doing much better by the time our post-partum room was ready.

By that time Omi, Paul, Clayton and big sister Hazel had arrived at the hospital to visit. Hazel did really well, although I think she was a little overwhelmed and confused about why she couldn’t get up on the bed with mama.


Oma came into town from Germany last night as well, so before we headed to bed to get some much needed sleep we were able to introduce Oma to her newest great grandson. Needless to day it was a very eventful day. John has been nursing well, and has spent a bit of time in the nursery to give mama and papa time to rest up. This morning he was whisked away for his circumcision and we are waiting to see him again soon.
What a wonderful, beautiful experience this has been. We have two beautiful children and each other, we could not be more blessed.

As promised…

And probably not a moment too soon, I’ve decided to upload the last of the photos from the past month or so to flickr for your viewing pleasure. There aren’t too many pictures, but the ones we have are pretty fun. Hazel finally has enough hair to put into a little pony tail or pig tails, so I snapped a few shots of her new do’s. You’ll have to pardon the messy faces, apparently I was afraid that my washing her face she’d pull out her hair styles, so I left her face dirty in all of the photos (seriously, all of the photos from this upload she has something on her face- eep!)

But dirty face or not, she’s a happy girl! (maybe because of the dirty face)

Pig Tails!

An almost clean face!

When she isn’t modeling a new hair style she’s trying baby garments on her head- just before this picture was taken she said, “Hey mama, look, a hat for me!”

Strangely, the “hat” matches her purple crocs… so fashionable!

She’s fashionable and talented, already a virtuoso pianist at just 23 months…

Here she is eating the camera’s lens cap- we think she thought it was an oreo…

That smile!

As active as she is, occasionally she does wear herself out and crash- in this case on her rocking chair with an old lady blanket, and a dirty face, of course.

This kid is pure joy. Love her to bits.

Hopefully the next pic picture post will feature two Benoit kiddos- one cute blonde girl and one squishy little newborn!