Two months with our blessing!

What a great day! We celebrate our precious son today and thank God for what a gift he is to us!

We had our two month checkup today and here's a quick update on his stats:

23" long in the 54th percentile (last month: 21.75"/60th%)

12lb 10oz in the 74th percentile (last month: 9lb 14oz/54%)

15.12" head circumference in the 17th percentile (last month: 14.76"/40%)

***at least he's not getting a big head about how quickly he can grow! hardeehar. Give me a little credit. I think sleep deprived women can get away with some cheesyness ;)

He's responding very well, cooing and smiling even as I type, to the two vaccines we got him today. We're doing a delayed schedule of vaccines and will forego some alltogether for a while until he's older. We've done a lot of research and feel peace about spacing them out and also about getting them. We feel we've weighed the risks of the vaccines and the risks of the diseases and have made what we hope is the right decision for Benson :)

Here are some pictures from the past 24 hours. I wanted a picture of him last night, just before the time two months ago we were going to the hospital and hadn't yet met this wonderful baby. A night full of uncertainties but mostly hope and excitement :) (see above pic)

Here are some pics from the doctor's office today - what a cutie.

He was clearly unhappy about the cold room :) but check out those sweeeeeeeeeet thighs ;)

Post shot - just a few tears, then smiles - a pic of his band-aid, that incidentally, is not actually covering his injection site - that's about an inch lower... Ha.

And just a few minutes ago, very happy to be TWO MONTHS OLD! When he really smiles hard, he scrunches up his shoulders. I love it. And I really love him.

Thanks so much for your prayers and love - he is a testimony of God's faithfulness to us!

**Car update - the catalytic converter was diagnosed as needing replaced by the end of November and the check engine light went off on Friday, so maybe God healed our Montero! Yippee! We shall see when inspection comes up!

8 WEEKS!

Happy 8 weeks to this little cutie pie...

We are enjoying our baby Benson SO much! God has blessed us abundantly! Two month checkup coming on Monday. We are looking forward to checking out his stats!

Some trust in chariots, some trust in horses...

Some trust in chariots, some trust in horses, but we will trust in the name of our God! Psalm 20:7

This morning I am grateful for so many things and pondering what God has to teach me with our cars. Again. I’m grateful for a relationship with my Heavenly Father that blesses me and challenges me. I’m grateful for a wonderful and healthy husband, son, and family who I love. I’m grateful for friends who encourage and challenge me and I'm grateful for the opportunity to work with training directors to send missionaries in 30 countries around the world in a small way, so others may have a chance to choose Jesus as their Savior.

I’m even grateful for cars that have issues... Why? Because I get sweet reminders like not trusting in anything but God. Since January, we’ve had several MAJOR vehicle issues. Three blown engines, one fried computer, and many other small issues that basically meant our vehicles wouldn’t run. I wish I could tell you I always responded full of faith and with grace. But I cannot honestly tell you that, so I won’t. But as time goes on, I think I’m beginning to see fruit from these “obstacles”. I’m learning to trust God and God alone and EVEN if everything I “count as gain” in this earthly life is gone and wiped away, one truth remains, and that is: I know my Father is trustworthy.

Last night we picked up a second car (yippee!!!) so no more one carrin it for this family. I was beyond excited, perhaps too much so. I don't believe God is a God who punishes us, but I do believe He will use any means necessary to get to our hearts. I made a remark to the guy we bought the new used car from that now our car issues are solved. Clearly, I was putting my trust in something other than God. I even sensed on the way home that I shouldn't do this, that my thinking was wrong... On the way home, Nate was driving our first car and I was in our newer used car. He told me when I got home that the Check Engine light came on in our Montero (that we got in May). This is the car that had a blown computer in it, that was thankfully replaced on warranty (the warranty period is expired...). My first response was something like, "WHAT?!?!?!?!?" (or something like that) and Nate, calm and composed as ever let me know it would all be okay. Perhaps this lesson is for me, not for him. Sorry honey that I still haven't gotten it ;)

I have the Montero today to get the light checked out. I guess I am posting this before I go, so EVEN IF it's bad, I will remember the faith God has asked me to have in ALL CIRCUMSTANCES. Some of you may wonder why I'm even writing about a car problem when I have SO MUCH to be thankful for. I guess I'm writing because I know I often put TOO MUCH faith in things that don't deserve faith at all. Like cars, people, our house, etc.... Really, God is gently reminding me to Trust In Him Alone. I'm also writing it down, so I remember it. God is so sweet, so gentle and so wonderful, isn't He? God, I want my heart to be teachable for you...

I can't get the song out of my head that is from Psalm 20:7 - "Some trust in chariots, some trust in horses, we will trust in the name of our God. Like Abraham, Isaac, David and Moses, we will trust in the name of our God!" Okay, God, I get it. I will trust you. Only you.

And in the process, I will also pray for help with our cars. Seriously 10 months of car issues is enough, no??? ;) I don't even want to think how much has been spent on our cars. Ugh.

1 Chronicles 16: 8-11 Give thanks to the LORD, call on his name; make known among the nations what he has done. Sing to him, sing praise to him; tell of all his wonderful acts. Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice. Look to the LORD and his strength; seek his face always.

What kind of "chariot" is God asking you to lay down and put your trust in Him instead today?

With love,

The Two Car Hoovers (well, kinda)

Week #6

Okay, so technically, we are in week #7, and I know I'm late on week #6, but... so many things were happening, a blog post just could not be accomplished! All the pictures are, in fact from week 6. And I have to admit, I didn't take very many of Benson. I'm trying to get the hang of part-time working mom here...

I (Jenny) went back to work last Wednesday (Nate surprised me by sending sunflowers to my office, what a sweet gift!). I am blessed to be able to work three mornings a week from home and two at the office. So far, Nate has been home with Benson for my mornings in the office and I am just so grateful for both of our jobs being so flexible with our schedule. Benson's been a total sweetie with this change and even re-arranged his nap schedule for me. He now sleeps most mornings and is awake more in the afternoons! When he does wake up, it's for a brief time and I stick him in the Moby wrap and can continue to work. For a couple of nights Benson was only sleeping for 1.5 or 2 hour stretches and we were praying for him to go back to his nice 5 or 6 hour stretch, followed by 2 hour stretches... He finally did, thankfully :) Last week, I was asking the Lord why He gave us such a calm, peaceful and content little boy. I wasn't bemoaning my blessings, but just wondering why... I sensed very clearly that it's because God's not done with me in my role at Global Disciples yet. So I'll receive this blessing, not only for our benefit, but for the nations, too. God is so good!

Benson's been smiling and cooing more and we just love it. When he really gets to smiling, it's big and causes a large crease to develop at the top of his nose by his eyes. We hope he loves life! His eyes just might stick to being blue. Time will tell, but for now, they are a nice blue. His receding hairline has stopped, so now he has his long birth hair and shorter hair in the front. Ha. He rolled over a few times on September 28th, I think to celebrate mom's birthday and hasn't since. Maybe he was just really excited for Grandma's 60th birthday??? :)

We got to hike and have a BBQ with friends last weekend and look forward to a weekend filled with campfires and S'mores, Mindi's birthday party with Nate's family, pumpkin picking, and our family group get together on Sunday with a fall theme :) We'll be missing the McHugh's though!

Is anyone else completely excited it's FALL??? I think this might be my very favorite season.

Blessings and love to you!

Jenny (for Nate and Baby Benson, too)

Week #5

Our little tiny baby isn't so little tiny anymore! Nate took these two pictures yesterday afternoon. Benson no longer fits into Newborn sizes, and fills out his 0-3 months clothing very well!

Benson had his first bath in a bathtub last week and rather enjoys it. He smiles in the tub and smiles afterward, too. He just might be a water baby (which would be just fine with us!!!). He likes to squirm down in and hang a foot into the water. We enjoyed another hike, campfire, and some hang out time before Nate left on his first business trip away from us. He flew to Mississippi to do some work getting stuff ready for projects in California and other places....

And... We survived our first week away from Nate! It wasn't easy, but we learned a lot! It was always a bit rough when Nate left for work trips, but a whole new dimension was added when Benson came around. God protected me from too much fear (just a couple of short spurts at night) and taught me many lessons of His love during the trip. Nate's first plane was very late landing in Atlanta, well, actually it was diverted to SC and I didn't hear from him until well over 1.5 hours past when he should have landed, which resulted in me praying for peace and calling my friend Kent (I was with his wife Erin) and asking him to check online. Kent told me about the diversion and told me that his flight would be landing soon. I learned to try to hold my thoughts captive in a new way as my imagination not only affects me now. I talked to Benson about trusting God, having faith, and finding peace in Christ when things are unclear. We prayed together.

I also got to grow this week in believing God's promises to me. I really feel like God has a special plan for our family and that includes Nate being around to help raise our kiddos. So in that, I have to believe that He will keep him safe on these work trips (why is it so easy to fall into forgetting God's promises???). And also remembering that nothing on this earth is as important as God. It's hard to hold the ones we love so much in an open hand, isn't it?

For all these reasons, it was a wonderful week. I love growing in trust and faith, don't you?

Last evening, Benson experienced his first Penn State game, and also his first attempted mauling by his friend Owen. Owie was recently introduced to solids... Do you think Benson looks delicious? Apparently Owie did! Benson didn't seem too nervous, though. And we all got quite a laugh out of it. I love this sequence:

Mmmm... You look like a tasty morsel...

Let me just taste and see...

Okay, my mom told me not to eat him, but I still think he look yummy... Can I maybe just take a little nibble??? Please???


And how about this adorable Nittany Lion???

We've been so blessed by wonderful family and friends! Benson is a lucky little guy!

Thank you for your prayers and love!

We love you,

Jenny for Nate and Benson, too!

One month birthday hike :)

We decided to celebrate Benson's One Month Birthday, we should get out in this gorgeous weather and get out in nature. We went to to the central park and got on the wrong trail, but it was still beautiful!

He's Already ONE MONTH!?!?!?!?

Okay, so I've become "that parent". You know the one that says, "time sure does go by too quickly with these little ones"??? Yep, that's me. I've loved being mom to Benson and I've loved parenting with Nate! We're enjoying everything about our son and this wonderful journey we're on together. Nate's an incredible daddy and I love watching him care for and love on our son!

Don't you just love how they fall asleep sometimes?




We had our one month well-visit today at the pediatricians office and well, our son is GROWING very quickly. For a recap on his stats:


Born August 19 and weighed 6lbs. 14oz. (in the 15th percentile), was 20.25 inches long, and his head was somewhere in the 13 inch area... Before he was discharged from the hospital, he had lost 6 oz.

At his one week visit, he had gained 5 oz. back and his head grew a bit, and I think he was about the same length.

At his two week visit, he had gained 1lb. 1oz. which put him at roughly 7lbs. 14oz., up one whole pound from birthweight and into the 28th percentile.

Today, he had grown to NINE POUNDS, FOURTEEN OUNCES (into the 54th percentile) and well, that's averaging a pound a week. I just hope he doesn't weigh 50+ pounds at one year old ;) **Check out his sweet chub in the pic above

Let's see, his head is now 14.76" around and I'm grateful it was 13" just a month ago :)

And he's now 21.75" tall, which means he has grown into the 60th percentile for height. Still looks long and skinny like daddy. We are so grateful to God for continuing to grow him and keep him so healthy!

He's got a receding hairline (seriously, his hair is falling out like crazy only in the front) like his great grandpa and today is sporting a mohawk that Nate and I had nothing do with. Really, he did it all by himself, as you can see, as it's a little off-kilter. What can you expect from a one month old???


He's smiling more and more and well, we think that's awesome. We especially love it when he smiles at us in what seems to be response to us. He makes many faces, and we think he might be expressive like me. He's awake more during the day which I like and he slept five hours last night in a row (bliss!!!).

During tummy time this week, I thought he might roll over, but got stuck on his arm, which looked like a kickstand on a bike. Ha. I'm impressed with his strength and sometimes surprised by it, too.


Benson also enjoyed his first work meeting with mommy this week (mommy enjoyed it, too).

Nate was able to feed him his first daddy bottle and they did great!


We continue to be SO BLESSED by generous friends and family members and just enjoy visits, meals, and gifts for our little guy. We love the Body!

Nate and I get to go on our first date in a long time tonight - he's taking me out to Sight and Sound for Abraham and Sarah. I can hardly wait! Benson will be in good hands hanging out on the farm with grandma Hoover.

Thank you so much for praying for our little guy. It's so incredible to see the fruit of those faithful prayers and to see how healthy he is.

We love you,

The Hoovers