An update after week one . . .

So, we've officially reached one full week as a family of five. I'm sure there are some of you out there who, unfortunately, aren't able to see our little family on a daily basis so you're probably wondering how the transition is going so far.

Cole and Karlene came home from the hospital this past Thursday morning. The kids and I were extremely glad to have them come home and begin this next chapter in our family history. Cole spent a couple days under the lights making sure he was getting all the vitamin D his little body could handle. So far he's been a little bit yellow but nothing out of the ordinary really. God has been so gracious to this little man and we make sure to say thank you each and every day for that.

Since they came home life has been busy, not insanely-so. Carter and Jenna have adjusted well to having their little brother home. We are thankful to have such good kids.

Jenna's first question every morning when she wakes up is, "Where's the baby?". She always wants to know where Cole is and it's so neat to see how much she loves this little guy already. She sometimes gets a little too intense with her love and affection for him- so much so that she wants to pick him up and squeeze him, or put her head on top of his because she just can't quite get close enough. It's somewhat cute but, at only a week old, even little two-year-old Jenna looks like she could squash him like a bug.

Carter can't wait for Cole to be big enough to start playing sports. All summer Carter and I have been working on his baseball swing and he's really becoming quite a good hitter (and without any HGH or anabolic steroids I might add). I started throwing overhand to him yesterday and he just about hit one out of the backyard (ended up being a line drive that hit about 3/4 of the way up the fence). If you've seen our backyard you'll understand that it's a pretty good poke to get it out of there. Anyways, he's having a blast and showing his aptitude at yet another sport. He can't wait until he can teach Cole to do one-timer's in hockey, or how to hit in baseball, or shoot a basketball, or play trac-ball, tennis, or soccer. Needless to say I don't think we'll have to worry about Cole having an outlet for his energy. Sport-nazi Carter will take care of that.

So, after week one I'd have to say that the future looks bright for the Saskatchewan chapter of the Benallick family. Week two looks to have the potential for a little more drama as Daddy goes back to work on Tuesday (potentially) and poor Mommy has to start the adjustment to being one-on-three for 8 hours each day. Needless to say, your prayers for Karlene can shift from safe delivery and quick recovery to maintained sanity and cooperative children who will all be looking for a big slice of the attention pie.

We'll keep you posted. If you don't hear back from me within a week, send in the search and rescue:).

A little more Cole . . .

I have a few more pics of our little man to show off. Thanks to our friend Tara for taking so many good ones yesterday while visiting.

Cole had to go under the lights today as he was getting a bit yellow. Nothing too serious but, given the concerns going into his birth they don't want to mess around so they've got him working on his tan early.

I finally got to hold the little man today. I probably shouldn't have but having gone some 36 hours without doing so I decided to exercise my parental rights and took him out of the incubator for a few short, but very sweet, minutes of bonding.

I want to be very intentional about soaking up as much of this time in Cole's life as I can. Knowing that Cole is probably the last baby we will have I'm determined to not let these early months fly by as quickly as it did with Carter and Jenna.

He's such a sweet little guy. He makes the softest little sounds and he's so very tiny. Every protective fatherly instinct is working overtime now.

I cannot say enough about the staff at the Moose Jaw Union Hospital. It's a small-city facility with big-hearted individuals working there. The nurses and doctors who have looked after Karlene and Cole have been nothing short of amazing. If you ask me these hard working people don't get anywhere near the credit and recognition they deserve.

Anyways, enjoy the pics of the little man and I'll keep updating as much as I can.

Meet the newest addition

Cole Michael Benallick was born at 3:47 AM on Sunday, July 16. He joins our family weighing 6 lbs, 11 1/2 ounces and standing (or lying) at 18 1/2 inches long.

He'll spend most of his first day in the comfort of the incubator getting lots of oxygen and lots of rest as he came out to play about 2 1/2 weeks early. All signs suggest though that our little "Warrior" (as is the meaning of the name Cole) is healthy and a picture of perfection. He looks like his big brother Carter with big brown eyes and long, skinny fingers. He's hardly made any noise since he's been born so we're not sure if we've got a quiet one on our hands or if he's just storing up his energy for a little later:). I haven't had a chance to hold my little man yet so I'm a little anxious to do that seeing as it's been nearly 12 hours since he was born.

There is truly no more amazing experience in this lifetime then watching the birth of your child. Having had the priviledge of watching all three of my kids come into this world I can truly say that I am a rich man.

There is no denying the goodness of God and the wonder of His creation when you witness the beginning of a new life. Someone as precious as Cole could not have been created by something without feeling or without deep love. God has blessed us.

If you want to know who one of my hero's is that answer is simple- it is my wife. To have gone through the physical trauma that comes with child birth three times in the past 4 years is no small feat to say the least. Add two surgeries to the mix in that same time span and you have yourself an incredibly strong woman. My wife does not give herself nearly enough credit for how strong she is. I am so proud of her. Words cannot do justice to my feelings for her.

I know this is starting to sound like an Oscar acceptance speech or something- "I'd like to thank God, my wife, my agent . . . blah blah blah"- so I'll wrap it up for today. I just wanted to get some initial thoughts down on the ol' virtual paper before my brain begins to forget all that has transpired in the past 24 hours.

I can't wait to see what the Lord has in store for Cole. I can't wait to see his relationship develop with his big brother and his big sister. I can't wait until we can sleep through the night again :).

I'll try to add some more pics of our little man as we go along here.

The MLB All-Star game

I have to make a complaint about the upcoming MLB All-Star game. First off, they need to change the name of the game because if it was in fact an "all-star" game then it should be played by players who are all stars.

Last time I checked Mark Redman of the Kansas City Royals was not an all-star player. Mark who? Exactly. I saw this guy's pitching numbers before his start against the Blue Jays and there's probably about 100 pitchers not playing in the so-called "mid-summer classic"that have far better numbers than Redman.

However, the geniuses in the MLB front office say that each team has to have a representative, regardless of how unworthy that team may be. I mean come on, does a futile organization like Kansas City really deserve to have an all-star representative? There is no one on that team who deserves a spot.

So instead you have actual all-stars like Curt Schilling and Francisco Liriano (who should be the starter in the game because he has been the best starting pitcher in baseball so far) sitting out because every team has to be represented. It's a joke.

Secondly, this whole new idea about giving the fans the chance to vote for the last two position spots (one for each league) has got to go. It is an absolute travesty that a meathead like AJ Pierzynski is going to the all-star game over AL studs Liriano (already mentioned) and Travis Hafner.

Nomar getting voted in on the NL side isn't as big of a joke as the Pierzynski vote but the NL spot still should have gone to Chris Young or Billy Wagner.

You want to make that last spot open, make it a vote where the MLB players themselves vote. I can guarantee you that the write players get voted in then. As far as I'm concerned you just took the "class" out of the mid-summer classic by adding Pierzynski to the mix.

And finally, please, for the love of everything that is good about the great game of baseball, remove the stipulation that awards home field advantage in the World Series to the league that wins the all-star game. It, along with requiring every team to have a rep and with providing AJ Pierzynski with an all-star jersey, is a joke.
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Moving on from baseball- it was a sad week for me as a moment I've been dreading for twenty years now occured this past Monday. My boyhood idol, Steve Yzerman, announced his retirement after 23 years in the NHL. I've been a Stevie Y fan since I was 9 years old. Cheering for the Red Wings will never be the same.
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Finally, some quick thoughts on the almost-completed World Cup of Soccer. After watching a few of the World Cup games this year I have vowed that I will never again complain about hockey players diving anymore. My goodness are these guys ever a bunch of Nancy's. I grew up playing soccer and I've taken my fair share of kicks to the shin and elbows to the face. It might sting a bit but to go down like you've just been hit by a Skud missile is absolutely ridiculous. It's downright embarrassing really to see these grown men flopping around on the field like a bunch of jellyfish swept up on the beach after the tide's come in. Be a man. Stand up and take the hit.