Roll Tide!

Ben supports today's Alabama v Auburn game!! 36 - 0!!

Yes, we leave the house

Our lives are pretty much rotating around our small child - but, we are still able to go out and experience the local culture. A couple of weekends ago, Jordan, Ben, and I went to Rokkasho for the annual salmon festival. The village of Rokkasho, a small community of about 12,000 residents, boasts two big attractions: a nuclear fuel reprocessing plant and the annual Salmon Festival along the Pacific Ocean. The festival was originally started about 25 years ago to promote tourism in the area and is now the longest running salmon festival in Aomori prefecture.

The main event is, of course, a salmon catch. We didn't get there early enough to get a ticket to participate, but we watched along the sidelines. Participants lined up around a large pool stocked with salmon and were given 3 minutes to catch one by hand. You get to keep what you catch. It's actually pretty funny watching people run around chasing salmon - it was pretty cold outside (as I'm sure the water was) and the salmon are pretty slippery. If you were one of the first 6 people to catch a salmon, you proceed to another pool to race your salmon against the others for some kind of prize.

(No, we don't know any of these people...)

After watching the festivities, we sat took a rest by the water.

Last weekend, the three of us went down the street to Rokunohe to pick some apples. Aomori is known for its apples. The day started with a tractor ride around the orchard, which put Ben right to sleep. Apparently, Ben likes tractors. We figure the next time Ben is fussy, we can just go off-roading in the CRV and the bumps will rock him right to sleep.

The apples are as big as Ben's head. (I tried many times to turn this picture, but for some reason this website wants to keep turning it on its side...sorry).
We are giants amongst the Japanese people...but, that just allows us to get the biggest apples.

The weather here is turning pretty cold now...so, who knows where we will go next. Maybe Ben likes to ski??

Decipher Ben's Superhero Code

Ben is trying to send us a secret message...can you break his code? (Turn your volume up - it may be hard to miss).

That's our boy!!

Happy Halloween!

It's a bird...It's a plane...It's Super Ben!!!

We didn't go trick or treating this year because it was too cold - so, Ben just stayed in, ready to fight crime...one poopy diaper at a time.

Since Ben was supposed to be an October baby, he accumulated many Halloween onesies which he models in the next couple of pictures. This one is my favorite - "I want my mummy"

After a hard day at play, Ben passes out mid Boo! in his pumpkin onesie - luckily Daddy was there to catch him.

What up, yo? Ben sends a shout out to all his homies.

Boo yah!

This one says it all...

Ben's Photo Shoot

Ben had his first photo shoot a couple of weeks ago (again, courtesy of Sarah). These photos were taken when he was two weeks old. There were so many great shots, but here are just a few. I personally think he is the cutest baby ever, but I may be biased!

I think I love his feet the most (he has his daddy's feet - not as cute when they get bigger:-)

Yes, he does have eyebrows!!

He doesn't like being naked, so I had to help comfort him by letting him suck on my thumb. He is so tiny!!

Already sticking his tongue out, sassing his mom.

Calm baby :-)

I wish I could post them all!! We are hoping to do a family photo (with Chasey, of course) before Jordan leaves. He is growing so fast, I want to make sure we don't miss any of it!!

Separation Anxiety

Well, it's been 3 weeks now since Ben has been born. Ever since we took him home we have been sleeping with him in our room - either in a bassinett by my bedside or in the bed with us (yes, I know that all the baby books advocate against it - but, he is so small and cute). I have been adequately scared by all the SIDS literature out there that I am convinced that our small son will suddenly stop breathing in his sleep. I am also still trying to decipher all of the farm animal noises he makes in his sleep to try and determine if he is tangled in his swaddler or if he has magically turned into a goat.
Right now it is 10 pm and I have been staring at our video monitor for the past 2 1/2 hours because I have finally set my son down to sleep in his crib. He is quite the active sleeper, so it is almost like watching television. I feel like a neglectful mother for leaving my child alone in his room and he is so small in his big crib - but, I know that this is just the first step down a long road of gradually granting my child small freedoms. However, I totally miss him right now and I am hoping he will wake up soon so that we can cuddle and feed.
More signs that Ben is growing - his belly button finally fell off!! So, Jordan and I gave him his first real bath. I think he liked the warm water, he still just hates being naked. Jordan will post the video on the photobucket link soon - so, watch for it.




Also, Ben finally took his first bottle...Jordan is happily giving middle of the night feedings now :-)

Proud Dad

Well, it's me again, Jenifer's priorities in order are feed the baby, clean the baby, sleep the baby, repeat, take naps. So I think she's a superwoman on how little sleep she is actually running on. Anyway, I'd told here I throw another post on here so what else would I put on here other than more pictures of Ben. He was a little jaundiced so he got a few reps on the Bili blanket (the glowing picture) The other two pictures are a random one of Ben and actually one of my baby pictures. I may be biased but I think he's a spittin' image. You could also probably argue that they both look like, well...babies.

Jordan out!