tried and true.

This weeks recipe is what I made for my family and friends gift. I am not a baker so the idea of making cookies or any other treat was out of the question.  So this year I made cinnamon sugared almonds. They were delicious. If you want an easy and addictive treat that will make your house smell divine, then this is for you.

Cinnamon Sugar Almonds

- 1 1/2 c. sugar

- 3 Tbsp. cinnamon

- 1/8 tsp. salt

- 1 egg white

- 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla

- 3 1/2 c. whole raw almonds

Mix the sugar, cinnamon, and salt in one bowl and set aside. In another bowl whisk the egg white and vanilla together until foamy. Add the almonds to the egg white mixture. Coat the almonds in that. Then add the sugar cinnamon mix and stir together. Put the almonds in a crock pot on low for 2 hours. Stir the almonds every 25 minutes so they don't burn.

Pour almonds onto foil and let cool.

Enjoy!

MY NOTES: Matt and I definitely give these a 5! Beware they are addicting. Also you really need to watch them and make sure they don't burn in your crock pot. I have an insanely hot crock and the first batch I made was a fail. I burnt about half the batch. Other than that they are so super easy and delicious!

6 months stats.

Few days late, but here are Benson's growth stats. We had a good doctor's visit, except Benson did not like the vaccine he had to drink.

Weight: 19 lbs. 1 1/2 oz.- 75%

Height: 27 inches- 75%

Head circ.: 42.6 cm.- 30%

On another note, Benson loves sweet potatoes. We ditched the rice cereal and he loves it. Fun new stage for us!

tried and true.

Tortellini Soup

-2 cloves of garlic

- olive oil

-2 cans of tomato soup

- 1 1/2 c. milk

- 2 c. half and half

- 2 c. chicken stock

- 1 t. onion powder

- 1/2 t. salt

-1/2 t. pepper

- 2 t. italian seasonings

- 1 package of cheese filled tortellini

- parmesan cheese

Saute garlic with olive oil in large pot over medium heat until golden brown. When the garlic is done, add tomato soup, milk, half and half, chicken stock, and spices. Bring to simmer. Once simmering, add tortellini. Cook according to the package. Serve in bowls and top with parmesan cheese.

Enjoy!

Matt gave this meal a 4.5. He said he would have it as often as we would have grilled cheese and tomato soup. If you need something quick and easy this recipe is for you. I would probably make this a lot during the winter except the dang tortellini is a bit pricey. But its yummy so it's worth it.

six months.

How have we had this little guy for half a year! Every stage is fun, but this one is so great. We are starting to see more of Benson's personality.

This month:

- He has mastered sitting up. He can bend forward, grab a toy, and sit back up.

- The most exciting has been that Benson finally rolled over. He rolls from tummy to back left side only. Once he figured it out there was no going back. Tummy time lasts .5 seconds now.

- Still no teeth.

- Still loves to have his hands in his mouth whenever possible.

- Has the biggest smile and deepest belly laugh ever, but doesn't give them out freely. You have to work for them.

- Started rice cereal. He doesn't like it. We have only tried a few days with no luck. I am still trying to figure it out myself as to when is the best time to feed him. Hopefully he will like it soon.

- Hasn't slept through the night more than two nights in a row in who knows how long. Mom and Dad are tired. Naps are still usually pretty good.

- Reaches towards Matt and I.

Benson brings so much joy to our family. He is such a sweet little boy. We love him!

tried and true.

Tonight's meal was sort of a cheat, but I am counting it. We have had this meal once before and then I started this little series and wanted to put it on so I made these pork chops again tonight. Matt and I both gave them a 5. This time around they were made even better. Super easy if you want to make a nicer and different meal.

Brown Sugar Glazed Pork Chops

-boneless pork chops

- 1/4 c. brown sugar

-1/2 t. garlic powder

-1/2 t. paprika

-1/2 t. salt

-1/2 t. pepper

-2 T. olive oil

In a small bowl, combine brown sugar, garlic powder, paprika, salt, and pepper. Rub mix all over the pork chops, using the entire mixture. Heat olive oil in a skillet. After the oil is hot, cook the pork chops for about 5 minutes on each side until browned and cooked through.

MY NOTES: I cooked them on each side for like 6 minutes. Then I put the pork chops in my preheated oven at 350*. This allowed them to cook all the way through without burning the outside. Make sure you don't have your stove on too hot so you don't burn the rub before the chops have time to cook. We had them with mashed potatoes and veggies.

Enjoy!

tried and true.

I don't quite know what to say for our dinner tonight. It was good, but I just felt like there was some taste missing from it. Don't know. Matt gave it a 3.5 saying yes he would have it again, but he noted my prep time might not be worth it. The prep time took a hour and a half!!! It took forever to prepare; thankfully Benson was asleep or this would have been impossible. So while yes it was good, I wouldn't tell you to stop what you are doing and make this right now. Lots of time, lots of dishes, lots of food. See my notes for more thoughts on the recipe.

Baked Penne with Chicken, Broccoli, and Smoked Mozzarella

Topping: 3/4 c. bread crumbs mixed with 2 Tbsp. butter

- 1 bunch of fresh broccoli, stalks cut, florets only

- 12 oz. penne pasta

- 2 Tbsp. olive oil

- 1/2 medium onion, minced

- 3 cloves of garlic

- 1 tsp. dried thyme

- 1/4 c. flour

- 2 c. chicken broth

- 1 c. heavy cream

- salt and pepper

- 2 or 3 chicken breasts cut in bite size pieces

- smoked mozzarella

- sun dried tomatoes

-In a small bowl, combine the bread crumbs and butter and set aside. Lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking dish and set aside.

-Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. In a large pot, bring the water for the pasta to a boil. Stir in one tablespoon salt and the broccoli. The broccoli cooks quickly so stay close! Cook the broccoli for 1 minute, until it is bright green. Quickly remove the broccoli with a slotted spoon to a plate. Return the water to a boil and add the pasta and cook until al dente, about 1-2 minutes less than how you would eat it normally (it will cook a bit more in the oven while baking). Drain the pasta in a colander and toss with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Leave it in the colander and set it aside.

-Wipe the pot dry. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil and return to medium heat until shimmering. Add the onion and cook until softened and beginning to brown. Stir in the garlic and thyme; cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Add the flour, salt and pepper, and cook, stirring constantly, until golden, about 1 minute. Slowly whisk in the broth and cream; bring to a simmer, whisking often. Add the chicken and cook, stirring occasionally, until cooked through, about 6-7 minutes. Stir in the sun-dried tomatoes and smoked mozzarella.

-Add the cooked pasta and broccoli to the sauce; stir to combine. Transfer the pasta mixture to the prepared baking dish and sprinkle with the bread crumb topping. Bake until the casserole is bubbling and the crumbs are lightly browned, about 15 minutes. Serve immediately.

*MY NOTES: The sun dried tomatoes I got were disgusting and chewy. Gave the meal color but we didn't dare eat them. I could not find smoked motz at the store so I used regular. It worked fine, but maybe the smoked would give it that extra flavor it needed. This recipe has you cook it all in one pan. I think that is why it took so dang long to make. If I ever make it again I will definitely use multiple pans.

halloween.

I don't care how many times people say it, but seriously time flies by so fast. It is already Nov. 1st. The holiday season is upon us. I can't believe it. And another thing I don't care about how many times it's said, but holidays are so much better with kids. We had a pretty fun Halloween. Benson was a ghost by day and skeleton by night.

John came over. We had white bean chili and cornbread. This year we actually had trick-or-treaters with our front door being an actual front door and not in a backyard under ground. While John manned the door for a bit, Matt and I took Benson around the neighborhood. We considered knocking on a few doors, but felt a bit strange so we just walked the streets and said hi to or neighbors. We ended the night with watching Super 8.

Someone please come take our leftover candy away from our house.

five months.

How Benson is five months old is beyond me. I keep thinking he is like still my little 3 month old. This picture is a pretty accurate look for him. Finger in the mouth constantly. Sure do love him!

- Sleeping: This has been such a battle this past month. For sure the hardest part. He was sleeping through the night and now he has decided to wake up lots. Sometimes all he needs is his pacifier and other times he has cried for a while. We have just had to let him cry and thankfully he figures it out within like 10 minutes (although it seems longer). I think only once has he cried longer than that before I rescued him. We have tried lots of different things and are really hoping he figures this sleeping thing out soon...before the teeth come and we have to start all over again. He still does great during his naps.
- He has started sitting up! No sign of rolling, but he has no problem sitting up. Prop a few pillows behind him and he will stay there for quite a while.
- Laughs the best when his dad is playing with him.
- Got a new toy and loves it.

- Still drools a ton and loves to chew those fingers and sometimes his entire fists.
- Can take his pacifier in and out of his mouth. It gets real fun when he takes it out and throws it.
- Had his first Halloween
-Enjoyed a few last walks outside before the freezing winter comes.

Stay tuned for some fun videos of who else but...Benson. 

Happy Halloween!

tried and true.

Tonight I made curry. I have never made such a thing nor did I think I would like it. But it was good. Matt gave it a 4.5. He would have given it a 5, but he said to make it a 5 he would want some naan bread to go with it. Next time. I thought it was good too. The color of the curry creeped me out a bit, but the flavor was good.

Curry Chicken

2 chicken breasts, diced

2 medium potatoes, diced

2 large carrots, peeled and sliced

1 can cream of chicken soup

1/4 cup chicken broth

4 Tbsp. butter

3 Tbsp. curry powder

salt and pepper

Place chicken, potatoes, and carrots in crock pot. Add all remaining ingredients. Stir to combine. Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours or high 4-6 hours.

Serve over hot rice.

MY NOTES: Obviously this is a crock pot meal which means super easy. You will want your chicken thawed out before you put it in because you need to cut it in chunks. I didn't even bother measuring anything out, just poured in. Also forget the time recommendations on the recipe. I think I have a mega cooker of a crock because my food always cooks so fast. I switched back and forth between high and low and it was done in like 2 - 2 1/2 hours. It sat on warm and off for like 2 hours before it was time to eat.

tried and true.

This week instead of a main dish I made some artisan bread. 3 ingredients is all it takes. Super easy to make, you just have to plan and prepare ahead of time to have it. My grandma found the recipe and I can't wait to do some variations...think garlic and rosemary or white chocolate and pecans. Matt and I both give it a 5/5.

Crusty Bread

In a large bowl, mix 3 cups of white unbleached flour. To the flour, add 1 3/4 teaspoon of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of rapid rise or instant yeast. Mix together and add 1 1/2 cups of water. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it set for 12-18 hours on the counter top. Do not refrigerate. Dough will rise and be super sticky.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. As soon as it has heated place your pot with the lid in the oven and pre-heat for 30 minutes. 

Right after you put the pot in the oven, dump the dough onto a heavily floured surface. Shape dough into a round ball. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit for 30 minutes.

Remove pot from oven and carefully pick up dough and drop it in the pot. Put the lid on and put it in the oven for 30 minutes. Then remove the lid and bake for another 15 minutes.

Cool bread completely on a cooling rack.

*MY NOTES: I didn't have instant yeast so I had to activate my yeast beforehand. Just add the yeast to a 1/4 c. of warm water. Let sit and then add to flour/salt mixture. I set my oven to 425 because my fire alarm goes off every time and I am not tall enough to wave a towel high enough to cool it and Matt wasn't home so I didn't want to deal with it. Because of that the center was very slightly doughy so next time I will bake it at the right temp and when Matt is home. Also make sure you have a serrated knife to cut it. I don't so my slices weren't the best. Enjoy!

asay halloween party.

We had our 2nd Annual Asay Halloween Party this last weekend. It was fun to see the kids dressed up. Even gma and gpa Asay surprised us all with fun costumes of their own. Matt and Caleb gave everyone a good laugh volunteering themselves as moving targets for the kids to shoot the paintball gun at. Benson was a super cute little ghost guy. Holidays are so much more fun with your own kids!

Nearly impossible to ever get a good picture with the grandkids

Battle wounds

tried and true.

Last night's dinner was a total shot in the dark, but it turned out pretty good. Matt gave it a 4 again. Probably because tomatoes aren't his favorite, but they were easy to pick out. I thought it was good, easy to make, and had a nice kick to it.

Creamy Caprese Quinoa Bake

2 cups cooked quinoa

1 cup of your favorite pasta sauce

2 Tbsp. tomato paste

1/3 cup heavy cream

1/2 cup parmesan cheese

1 cup mozzarella cheese

grape tomatoes cut in halves

1 large bunch of basil, cut into ribbons

1/2 tsp. crushed red peppers

1/4 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

Preheat oven to 350*. Heat tomato sauce and tomato paste over low heat in a large saucepan. Once warm, stir in heavy cream, parmesan, crushed red pepper, salt, and pepper. Remove from heat and stir in the quinoa. Fold in half of the mozzarella cheese and half of the tomatoes, then chop up some basil leaves and add them in too. Once combined, spray an 8x8 or 9x9 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray and pour the entire quinoa mixture into dish. Top with rest of mozzarella cheese and tomatoes. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes and then turn on the broiler for 1 to 2 minutes or until cheese is golden and bubbly. Remove from the oven and top with fresh basil ribbons. Allow to sit for five minutes and then serve.

* MY NOTES: I wish I would have gotten some fresh motz to put on the top. Since we are not huge tomato fans, next time I may just put tomatoes on top and not inside. They were a bit mushy and I am not a fan of cooked tomatoes.

tried and true.

I am starting a new little series here called tried and true. I have decided to try one new recipe a week. I will then post about it with the recipe. On a scale of 1-5, Matt and I will rate them. If it looks good to you, then you are welcome for the new menu idea. Tonight was our first week of this and I would say it was a success.

Ham and Swiss Roll Sandwiches

1 12- pack of King's Hawaiian rolls

1 lb. ham

12 slices of Swiss cheese

3/4th stick of butter

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon dried onions

2 teaspoons poppy seeds

Slice the rolls in half. Line the bottom of a 9x13 pan with the bottom halves of the rolls. Spread the ham over the rolls, and then layer the swiss cheese on top. Place the other halves of the rolls on top. Set aside.

In a small sauce pan, combine the butter, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, and dried onions. Over medium heat, stir until the butter has melted to create the sauce. Pour equal parts of the sauce over top of the rolls, and then sprinkle the tops with the poppy seeds. Cover the pan tightly with aluminum foil, and then refrigerate for at least three hours.

When you're ready to bake: Preheat the oven to 350F. Place the covered baking dish in the oven for 20 minutes. Uncover and bake for an additional 5 minutes, or until the cheese has finished melting. Serve warm or at room temperature.

*My changes: I couldn't find the King's Hawaiian rolls so I just used regular rolls and they were just fine. No need to measure the poppy seeds, just sprinkle them all over the tops of the rolls.

Matt gave it a 4 due to the tiniest taste of the dijon that he didn't even know was in it until the end. Super easy to make, super fast, and quite tasty. Enjoy!

four months.

Weight: 16 lbs 11.5 ounces - 75%

Height: 26.5 inches - 90%

Head Cir.: 41.5 - 50%

This sure has been a fun month for us with Benson! We love how interactive he has become. He is discovering so many new things. We love being his parents. There is nothing better.

Fun and Not So Fun Facts:

- Nursing battle like no other. Those were some hard days, or should I say weeks. Benson refused to eat off one side and would scream, arch his back, and fight me. I could not figure out what the deal was. I finally think we are over it, but not totally back to normal. Maybe this is the new normal now?

- Continues to smile, coo, and laugh. My favorite may have to be when he mimics the sounds I make to him.

- Loves peek-a-boo, books, and his giraffe.

- Drools like I've never seen and always tries to get his hands in his mouth.

- Went on his first airplane ride and did great!

- Met more cousins, aunts, and uncles for the first time.

- Took a dip in the pool.

- Started sleeping in his crib at night. That first night he was in his room was weird; I kept thinking something was missing as I went to bed.

- Decided to act like a newborn and wake up every 2 hours through the night. I think our trip to AZ and sleeping in his crib threw him for a loop. The inconsolable screaming at 2AM and sleeping on my chest most of the time have been our nights lately. Although last night he slept through the whole night, so fingers crossed he gets it. Oh and his naps aren't so awesome. We are working on it.

- Saddest thing ever has to be seeing Mr. Benson with a cold. He came down with it on Saturday. Stuffy nose, congestion, and sore throat. Through it all he has stayed happy. I think we are on the uphill and will be back to normal soon.

Grandma sure did love her cuddles!

Happy 4 months Benson! Sure do love you!

arizona.

After talking about it our whole marriage, we finally made it down to Arizona. It was a great vacation. My parents were there to surprise my Nana for her 80th birthday. So we decided to surprise my Dad for his birthday. I am happy to say that we pulled it off successfully. The reaction as we walked into the restaurant from my dad was priceless. Tia Rosas was delicious as ever and we were the recipients of a good deed. The people behind us saw the surprise, realized it was my dad's birthday, and unknown to us paid for our lunch. There really are good people in the world. Great day! I will let the pictures tell the rest of our trip.

SURPRISE!!!

Many laughs over trying on all of Nana's wigs

Benson went swimming!

Gilbert, Arizona Temple

Benson was such a good boy on the airplane!

3 months.

I am afraid we no longer have a newborn on our hands. I say it every month, but Benson is such a dream. We are just loving this stage.
Fun Facts
- he totally knows who we are
- focuses intently on things
- still smiles and talks when encouraged
- discovered his hands and LOVES them
- has just started holding onto his toys
- gets angry if I talk while he is eating
- nurses good still, although this week has been a bit of a battle
- sleeps 930-5 most nights
- loves to break out of his swaddle to gnaw on his hands
- is such a drooler

these two...

chatter boy.

The coos, squeals, and chatting keeps getting better. Enjoy!

benson's baby blessing.

August 4th, 2013. What a special day it was being surrounded by so many family and friends who love Benson. Matt gave a beautiful blessing to Benson. Benson was an angel and looked darling in his blessing outfit. We had a wonderful lunch afterwards at the gardens. It was great to have Matt's family there and so much of my family who all flew in to be a part of the day. I am grateful for eternal families and the happiness the gospel and families bring.

Lyons'- 4 Generations

Thompson's- 4 Generations

Love my family!

2 months.

Mr. Benson sure has grown this last month. Seriously I die looking at his month to month pictures. 

Weight: 14 lbs. 4 oz- 94th percentile

Height: 24 inches- 90th percentile

Head circumference: 39.7 cm- 70th percentile

Benson is such a good baby. I don't know how we got so lucky. He has been such a trooper this past month with lots of time spent in his car seat. His schedule and routine went out the window, but now we are getting back on it. He is such a joy and brings a smile to everyone's face, especially his mom and dad's.

This month:

-his smiles and coos are the best

-while nursing/sleeping/being held he will always hold onto your shirt

-tolerating tummy time

-only wakes up once during the night

-holds onto rattle if put in his hand

-loves lights and ceiling fans

-focuses on faces much longer

-had to box up some clothes...sad day

-knows his parent's voices

-had a terrible case of baby acne/heat rash that thankfully only lasted like a week

-got his shots and was such a tough guy. by the end of the day he was back to his normal self.

-loves books, especially brown bear brown bear

I could go on and on about our little guy. He is just the best and we love him more and more everyday!

we've moved.

Our lives have been a bit of a whirlwind the last little while. With a quick decision needing to be made, we felt good enough to purchase our first home! We bought a townhouse in American Fork. While the packing and moving over process was a bit slow, we are finally settled and feel like this is our home. It is so nice to be out of our basement although I think we will come to miss it, especially the neighborhood and ward. Here's to making this new place our own and to making new friends. Stay tuned for some fun updates.

4th of july.

We have had a jam packed week with Matt's family. It is always fun when all of his siblings and families are together. We create quite the crew. This 4th of July was a great day! That morning Courtney was in town and was able to spend a few hours with us. It was fun to see her and for her to see Benson again. Then we headed up to Alpine. All the family went to a movie so we had the house to ourselves with Josh and Whit. It was nice to relax, play games, and enjoy the outside. The night ended with a great firework show that the Hillstrom's neighbors put on. Benson slept through the whole thing!
God Bless America! and Happy Birthday Grandma! and Happy Birthday Calvin!

one month.

I can't believe it has already been 4 weeks. Time needs to slow down. He is growing too fast. This newborn stage is going to be gone before we know it. He is already growing out of some of his newborn clothes and no longer wears newborn diapers. His umbilical cord finally fell off 2 days ago. That instantly made him seem older. As annoying as that cord was, I am sort of sad it is gone just because that means Benson is getting bigger.

Fun Facts:

- will not sleep in his cradle during the day

- first real bath was today...lets just say he will eventually love it

- tried out some tummy time today and did great

- loves the sound of my blow dryer and it puts him right to sleep

- sleeps best when being held and sometimes it's the only way he will sleep...somehow we need to fix that

- stays calm and peaceful when Matt plays his guitar

- focuses really well on things you dangle above him...especially fingers

a baby story.

I have been meaning to journal Benson's birth story and now here we are a month later. Better late than never, right?
Friday, May, 31st, 2013 was the longest, most remarkable, hardest, memorable day of my life. No words can adequately describe it, so a chronological timeline of the day will have to do.

3:30AM- I woke up to feeling contractions. They were different than what I had felt before. I laid there for a bit and then decided to start timing them.
5:00AM- Woke up Matt who was immediately wide eyed. I told him he could go back to sleep, but yeah right he was up for good.
6:00AM- Woke up my mom just to let her know something was different, but there was no rush.
6:20AM- We all decided to shower and get ready just in case. There was no way I was going to the hospital not ready, so I was grateful for that time to get ready.
8:00AM- We decided to head to the hospital since the contractions weren't stopping. Matt gave me a blessing, we grabbed our bags, and we were out the door.
9:00AM- Had the monitors around my stomach and was dilated to 1 cm. For them to officially admit me, I had to progress 1 cm in one hour.

10:00AM- Nurse checked me and I was a 2. Reality then hit that this was really happening. We were here to stay. Papers were signed and I was hooked up. I do not like needles at all. I feared having the IV the whole pregnancy. It ended up not being so bad, especially since I didn't look at it once. My arm was covered under the sheet the whole day.
12:00PM- 3 cm, contractions getting uncomfortable.
12:15PM- Got my epidural. What a miracle drug! I was a bit nervous about getting the epidural too, but it wasn't bad either. I really liked the anesthesiologist. The numbing feeling was so weird. I was totally dependent on people to help turn me over and switch positions. I am sure it was quite the sight!
1:30PM- My water broke on its own. Talk about a strange feeling. Still 3 cm.
2:15PM- Pitocin drip was started. Let the waiting game begin!

5:30PM- Got a stronger dose of my epidural. Those hours in between were spent trying to rest while my family watched the monitor and told me when I was having a contraction. Best part was I couldn't feel a thing. Miracle!
7:00PM- 7cm
8:00PM- 9.5cm. We couldn't help but think that this baby would be here real soon. It had already been a long day.
8:30PM- An alarm from the epidural machine kept going off. Comes to find out there was no epidural fluid (whatever it's called) being pumped. No wonder I was starting to be able to wiggle my toes. Not exactly the time for no epidural either, but it got fixed and we were okay.
9:15PM- Started pushing. I only liked to have my nurse do the counting. There wasn't much talking besides her counting and my eyes were closed the entire time. I think it helped me focus more. I had Matt, my mom, and my grandma there supporting me.
11:20PM- After hours of pushing and no progress, Dr. Rees finally came in. He was in a c-section that took longer than expected. I was exhausted by this point. Dr. Rees started talking about needing to use some interventions aka vacuum or forceps. I heard that and the adrenaline kicked in. I regained strength to push harder than ever. I did not want anything bad to happen and wanted Benson born.
11:38PM- Vacuum was used part way.
11:41PM- The moment our lives were changed forever. Benson was here! I think I was past the point of exhaustion to really feel any other emotions besides relief knowing that we had our son finally here. There were lots of nurses in the room to assist in case something went wrong. Matt cut the cord and was right by Benson's side. Matt brought Benson over to me for the first time where I finally got to see him. 30 seconds later, the nurses noticed his breathing was a bit raspy so they took him immediately to the NICU.

12:05PM- They did a C-PAP on Benson. Matt was with him the whole time. That was such a comfort to me. Even though I had hardly seen my son, I knew he was with his dad so everything would be okay. I had a lot of after pain/contractions. I was given pain medicine to help bring relief, but not much helped. Finally, I was able to get wheeled down to my other room, but not without a quick stop to the NICU to see Benson and Matt.
3:50AM- Benson and I were finally together! Those were some long hours waiting for him not really knowing what was going on.

For those still reading, good for you. It was a day we will never forget. I could go on and on about everything else that happened and our stay at the hospital, but I will spare you. All that matters is that we have Benson and this little family of three is as happy as ever.

first family photo