On being 8 months old...

Today I am officially 8 months old! My day started with a birthday breakfast...steel cut oats with apples and bananas. I kept getting so excited between each bite I couldn't help but wave my arms frantically and wipe the food all over! If you're going to eat...you might as well get a little messy in the process!

Some of the things I want to remember about being 8 months old are...

1. I love to crawl around. I am getting faster every day and can usually get into something pretty quickly when mom has her back turned!

2. I sit up and balance pretty well. I can play on things like my tractor!

3. I LOVE books. I love being read to, turning pages, chewing on corners and wrinkling and ripping the pages in books I find lying around. They really shouldn't be left out you know :)

4. I am a pretty big boy when it comes to eating. I drink out of a sippy cup and I am getting good at picking things up and putting them in my mouth like pices of bananas, apples or beans.

5. I have just recently figured out how to pull myself up onto things. I love to stand in my crib, scoot along the couch and even try to touch things that I probably shouldn't!

6. I love it when dad comes home from school. We always play and giggle and he throws me up in the air!

7. I am starting to learn to play with other kids now. Sometimes I take their toys just to give them the taste test...I will practice sharing!

8. I think it's fun to mimic what my mom and dad do. I especially like to mimic singing, smacking my lips, sticking out my tongue, pounding on tables, rolling balls back and forth and waving "hi".

9. I still love taking baths. I sit in the bath by myself and play with toys. Every now and then I try to taste the water...not a good idea. But dad always saves me and I keep right on playing.

10. I am a good sleeper. I usually sleep about 11 hours a night. Sometimes I wake up in the night to play in my crib and stand up - but I am getting better at going right back to sleep. I dropped my third nap and do pretty well with just two. I am busy so much of the time, I rarely find time to stop. But every now and then, if they catch me at just the right moment, I manage to find time to snuggle up and cuddle in the arms of mom or dad.

***A note from Mom: We sure love our Bennett boy. He is so fun and so busy and so much the joy of our lives. It really seems like he learns something new every day. I am amazed as I just sit back and watch his little mind work and discover and explore. He definitely fills my days. We feel so blessed to be his parents and look forward to the milestones ahead.

Seattle, Med School, Bennett and more!

We moved up to Seattle in mid-August and went (if I kept track correctly) 50 beautiful sun-shiny days without any rain! Can you believe it? But now the rain has come along with a beautiful fall and the approaching holidays! Love this time of year.

We have really enjoyed Seattle so far. There is a lot to do and great people to do it with. We have met many great people and I have been blessed to make some good "mommy" friends. We take walks together, jog, attend an institute class, have "play" groups (which are really for the moms since our babies are so young) and hit up the local produce stands. This has been wonderful as I was a little nervous moving to "BIG" Seattle from "little" Moscow, ID where I loved the place and the people. Heavenly Father sure hears and answers prayers! Here is a bit of what we have been up to here in Seattle!

Camping

Hiking

Enjoying the water

Picking Blueberries

Canning Blueberry Syrup

Going for Jogs (I am in the jogging phase - not yet what I would consider running :))

Studying in this Library at UW that looks like Hogwarts...well, David's studying!

Enjoying the sights - this was at the Ballard Locks

David is enjoying second year a lot. The material is a little more applicable and he enjoys the schedule and increased Independence. He is also enjoying his mentor who is a Pediatric Pulmonologist (lungs). He is such a wonderful dad/husband and, as the song goes, we're "so glad when daddy comes home, glad as we can be..." every evening! We are so proud of him and happy to be working through med school together!

I am learning a lot and truly enjoying being a mom - what a ride! Bennett brings so much joy to our home. He is a happy little guy that is such a fun little companion. It seems he just gets more fun with every day. We feel so blessed to be his parents and hope Bennett is happy with us so far!

BABY BENNETT

While Summer is laying low I am stepping up to give a little update on our past couple weeks, most importantly the birth of Bennett David. I'll get to the "time-line" but here are a few fun facts:

- Bennett is great-grandchild #100 of my maternal grandparents, Paul and Betty Ahlstrom. Their posterity is amazing in quantity but if you know the quality of the 10 children, 60+ grandchildren & 100 great-grandchildren it is even more amazing.

- We were stuck on "B"-names when one day in the kitchen I saw Bennett online and it stuck for us through the last months of pregnancy.

- David (his middle name) is a family name on many accounts: my name, Summer's dad's, and on my Jenkins side it has been used for generations: a great-uncle, a great-grandfather, a great-great-grandfather, and at least 4 other David Jenkins going back to the 1600's in Wales. Its great to pass on a family name.

Ok, the story:
Summer's due date was scheduled for the 8th of May, and I was to finish my last final exam for the semester the day before. We had been hoping and praying all semester that he would come on time or late...and you'll see that we got it and more! The week before I started testing Summer's doctor said she was looking like the baby could come any day - not what we hoped to hear - but we put the car seat in and Summer's mom, Valynn, drove up a few days earlier than planned. So Summer and her mom watched movies and sewed burp clothes and I took my exams but the 8th came and went! We had been warned that the first baby often comes late but with the doctor putting us on alert we thought for sure I'd be in the anatomy lab when Summer went into labor. (Our code during testing was that I would keep my phone on vibrate in my pocket and she would text me 5 times in a row if things were urgent and I needed to finish my exam quickly and get home!). On Tuesday the 8th we celebrated the end of my semester and Summer's "due date" by going hiking with Valynn. No luck inducing labor as we secretly hoped, but it was great to get some fresh air. Finally Friday morning (3 days and a lot of movies later) we went into the hospital where things got moving and by 5:20pm Bennett David was born. Summer bore it all remarkably well - though difficult it was an amazing experience to go through together. I also have to thank Summer for letting me assist in the birth, she has so much confidence in me! Her doctor works with some of my medical school classmates, so she had me gown up with her for the actual delivery. With the doctor as backup, she let me catch the baby, place it on Summer's chest, and then cut the cord. Though a simple routine for an experienced doctor, it was my first delivery and I'm so glad it was with Summer and our first son - I'll always remember it. We spent a couple nights in the hospital, then had Valynn home to help out for a couple more days. Thanks for all your help Valynn! And thanks to the hospital here in Moscow where we delivered. The nurses and staff were fantastic. Our experience was much more than a "hospital stay," it was full of congratulations, education, pampering (candle-light dinner) and lots of encouragement. The women working there surely sacrifice a lot to do their jobs well, thank you!

Bennett is an angel, bringing so much peace and joy to our home already. Today is his 1 week "B-day" and the 3 of us plan on baking a cake to celebrate, though Bennett will have to enjoy it second-hand!

P.S. We owe a lot to talented teachers who have made our first days go remarkably well with sleeping and feeding and I'd hate for anyone to miss out on these great resources: "On Becoming Baby-Wise" and Shari Criso at MyBabyExperts.com.

And now for photos...

Blue for Boy!

Out hiking

Valynn & Summer

Hitting a tough spot

Putting on the scrubs

Grandpa Price made a surprise visit

Mother's Day dinner the day we got home from the hospital

I'd say future Usain Bolt, but sprinting hasn't been our family's thing, but we'll see

The nursery: country theme!