The Eberhardt Family: January 2012

Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Big Brother Big Sister

So far there has been a lot of talk about Benjamin but not so much about my other two wonderful children Elias and Annie! I am sad to say I really haven't spent a ton of time with them in the last 2 weeks. I sleep in the mornings since that is pretty much the only time I can, I have coaching stuff in the evenings and it seems like every minuet I am awake the kids are either napping or I am feeding Benjamin. All that being said they seem to be handling it as good as can be expected.

They both seemed pretty excited to meet Benjamin up at the hospital, both Annie and Elias wanted to hold him and although Elias was scared to sit with me he did sit with Grandma Mim and hold Benjamin. When we brought Benjamin home from the hospital both kids would hug and kiss Benjamin and didn't seem to mind that he was there to stay. In those first couple of days Benjamin cried..a LOT and each time Elias would tell us to give him a bottle or change his diaper, such a caring little boy he is turning out to be! Annie frequently walks over to me when I am holding him and asks to hold baby "Benamin", she holds him for 20 seconds or so then shoves him back, hops off the couch and runs around and plays. The kids never seemed resentful that I was holding him or feeding him but they did have wayy more meltdowns then typical some due to all the changes in our house and some due to the lack of sleep. Normally everyone in our house sleeps pretty dang good once they fall asleep and our normal wake up time is 7:20 on school days and around 8 every other day. For the last week the kids have been waking up at 6 or earlier and its just too much for them! Luckly Grammy, Skyla, Uncle Jordan, Kellie and sometimes Daddy were on hand to curb meltdowns.

Elias got out of the house by going to school (and talking about his new brother to anyone who would listen) Annie and mommy ran a couple of errands just the three of us( Benjamin in tow of course) and both kids had some fun Grammy-Skyla-Daddy play time at the Alerus Center. There was lots of play dough, coloring, hide and seek, baking cookies, tag, and just good old fashion rough housing to keep the kids entertained and feeling loved :) Here are some pictures of the kids adjusting to their roles as big brother and big sister

Checking out Baby Benjamin

Holding his little brother

Welcoming us home

Annie holding the baby

Elias playing with his quiet book right after we got home from the hospital

Elias playing the computer...sitting crossed legged

Annie hanging out coloring behind our piles of stuff we brought home from the hospital

Elias holding Benjamin...he is saying Cheese although it looks like he is in pain or taking a poop.

Annie saying CHEESE

Happy Elias

Who knows what Annie is doing here

Pretty hair

Elias shooting hoops

Fighting over footballs

A little outside play time on a 30 degree January day

Someone is happy to be outside again

Playdough never gets old

Playing jumpstart on the computer, Annie is learning the ropes

Annie, Daddy and baby Benjamin cuddling one morning after work

Monday, January 16, 2012

Grammy and Skyla

My mom and niece Skyla, flew here from Virginia to spend 10 days with the Eberhardt clan helping us out as we adjusted to being a sleep deprived family of 5. They arrived when Benjamin was just 2 days old and I was VERY happy to see them being as Benjamin still wasn't sleeping unless he was being held and was eating every 2-3hours so I was getting zero sleep and had 2 toddlers to take care of! Right away the help began with a massive grocery trip compliments of grammy, cooking, cleaning, laundry and holding baby Benjamin (so I got rest in between feedings).My mom was able to help out with that oh so fun first bath, the umbilical cord removal( She thankfully has been around when all three of my kids lost theirs, thankfully so because that is one thing that just completely grosses me out)., laundry, play time with Annie and Elias, getting Elias on the bus on time for school...the list just goes on and on. Skyla jumped right in with Annie and Elias playing hide and go seek, play dough, coloring..you name it cousin Skyla was there to do it! The older kids had SO much fun with her, don't worry she got her baby Benjamin snuggles in too.

In between all the cooking and playing with babies my mom had time to finally teach me how to knit! I bought stuff when Elias was a newborn and never got around to learning...good thing I had another boy! My mom, Brandon and Skyla took Annie and Elias to the Alerus Center for a kids event and the whole family had a lot of fun while baby Benjamin and I stayed home and rested. It wasn't always sunshine and roses and everyone including the adults may have had a melt down or two but thats what happens when you have 7 people in a small house and regardless it was so wonderful to have them here for 10 days! My mom was even able to get some things taken care of in preparations for their move like meeting with the real estate agent, skyla's school counselor and arranging to see where she will be working. It was a awesome trip and I can't wait for them to move here in a few months! Annie and Elias will be glad to see them return too! This morning when they packed up and left Brandon joked about how we would managed and Annie literally cried the entire way home from the airport after dropping them off so I think its safe to say Grammy and Skyla's visit was much appreciated and they will be missed..until they return for good! Here are some pictures of all the fun stuff we did on their visit.

Grammy fresh off the plane snuggling with baby Benjamin

Skyla holding her cousin for the first time

Getting ready for that first bath

Grammy is so smart, she throws a towel in the dryer on low while we give them bath then wraps the baby up right after, no crying and a very calm relaxed baby !

Benjamin getting dressed after his bath in a outfit Elias never got the chance to wear because he was so dang big! Benjamin seems to have taken interest in Skyla's sucker

All snuggly and clean

Like mother like daughter?...just kidding Melissa! Brandon came by and arrested Skyla

OK fine I guess he decided to not bring her to jail and to let her drive the cop car instead.

Kellie helping Skyla with her Biology homework

Grammy doing Annie Kat's hair

Finally learning how to knit!!!

Elias at the Alerus center play day

Grammy and Annie Kat

Benjamin was very gassy and didn't really know how to burp so he spent a lot of time up and over shoulders trying to work out bubbles, I guess he was reaching out for some help here

Skyla and Annie playing in the snow

Grammy helped take baby Benjamins birth announcement pictures, we didn't use this one but its cute

Our traditional mom, daughter, baby picture

Grammy and Benjamin...and jordan holding up that stupid blanket ( that is a whole different story)

Another sweet picture

Mini Elias or Benjamin in the bath?????

Skyla and Annie Kat

Ah yes another thing my mom helped out with..learning how to wear my baby. HE LOVES THIS!!! Well worth the 100 something I spent on it!!

Relaxing lunch date with my mom, skyla and Benjamin and L'Bistro

Grammy and her boy all dressed for bed.

Wednesday, January 11, 2012

Benjamin Martyn

Well this has been an eventful week to say the least! On Wednesday January 4th at 12:16 pm little Benjamin Martyn made his big arrival into our world. He weighted 7lbs 10oz and was 21 inches long. He is the spitting image of his big brother Elias and the whole family is so in love with him.

Birth Story

I got to the hospital at 7am to be induced while Brandon stayed home with the kids to get their day started then headed up to the hospital to be with me while Grandma Mim watched the kids. The potocin started around 8 and the contractions started almost immediately. I just kinda relaxed, listened to music and used the birthing ball to get through my contractions. By 11:40 they were pretty much right on top of each other and I didn't think I could handle it any more since I was only 5-6 cm. I asked for the epidural and felt totally defeated since I wanted to do a all natural birth. I had the numbing shot and had the catheter inserted in my back. I layed down and waited for the epidural to take effect but my medicine wasn't up from the pharmacy for it yet so I was still feeling all of my contractions and a intense amount of pressure( this is all in about a 5 min time span) I was completely dilated and ready to push. I pushed for about 2 min and out came baby boy Eberhardt. We were trying to figure out his name and couldn't really come up with anything so we just decided to wait until we got to know him a little bit before naming him. Meanwhile I was totally bummed that I got a epidural once again 20 min before I delivered my baby but after all was said and done and my chart was being filled out the anesthesiologist and my doctor conversed and decided I didn't have a epidural during delivery and marked my chart as so. So even though I gave in and attempted to get one, the medical professionals said it didn't count and by golly that's good enough for me so I guess I got my all natural delivery after all!

We moved rooms and got situated and finally decided on the name Benjamin Martyn. Benjamin is just a good solid name and Martyn is after my wonderful father. We welcomed several visitors up that evening including big brother and sister who loved their little brother from the second they met him. Brandon went home with the kids and I stayed up pretty much all night with a adorable baby who really didn't' want to sleep. We went home the next day at noon and got adjusted to life as a family of 5. Benjamin is a wonderfully adorable baby who unfortunately loves to eat and be awake but isn't so much a fan of sleeping at night just yet...hopefully soon he will develop his love for sleep like his mom, dad and sister ( Elias isn't a fan of sleeping either). Here are a couple pictures from our first 2 days, more to come soon!