Newborn Photo Shoot

At 10 days old Benjamin had a newborn photo shoot. Our friend Jenny held the photo shoot at her house and the results were amazing! Here are some of the pictures.

Holding a candy cane.

Bright eyes.

Michelle's favorite picture.

Mommy and Baby

Benjamin posing.

Dad's strategically placed tie.

After this picture Ben left a "surprise" in Jon's stocking,

Another favorite - seems very beach like, maybe it's the wood background.

Our Christmas present.

Mommy and Baby.

Wearing Michelle's wedding ring.

Baby feet.

Snowshoeing

This past Sunday the Cramer family ventured into the great outdoors for a snowshoeing adventure with friends. It was Michelle's and Benjamin's first time snowshoeing. Technically Ben didn't strap on his own shoes and walk in the snow, but he came along for the trip in a front pack strapped to Jon.

We traveled to the nearby Mt. Spokane for an afternoon. We had three other couples join us, one of which brought their two kids. The weather was nice. It was chilly until you got moving and it even snowed while we were out walking.

The girls.

The boys.

It was so much fun to hike in the snow, fall in the snow, and play in the snow with our friends. There were even some snow forts that others have made that we got to play in.

Michelle in a snow fort.

Benjamin did pretty well on the adventure. He slept most of the time as Jon carried him. He woke up while we played in the snow forts, but after a diaper change he was back to sleep.

The Cramer Family

Jon's New Job & Michelle's Degree

This month Jon started a new job. He is a digital content scheduler at CBS Outdoor (a subsidiary of CBS). A big part of his job is scheduling advertisements on digital display boards all across the country. This job is located in Spokane Valley and is a Monday through Friday 40-hour/week job.

This has been a huge answer to prayer as Jon stepped down from his Peak 7 ministry so he could spend more time at home with his family. Jon recently left UPS as well as that was a part time night job. He is still working at Diamond Parking but just on the weekends. This provides a little extra I come as well as free parking downtown (which is a huge deal). So far Jon is really enjoying his new job and is excited for this opportunity.

Michelle finished her MBA in December (just one week after Benjamin was born). She hopes this advanced degree will allow her to get a job that is more enjoyable and rewarding. Prayers would be greatly appreciated in this regard.

Benjamin David James Cramer

Life has been pretty hectic. So much in fact that we haven't posted an announcement of the birth of our baby boy.

Benjamin David James Cramer was born on Saturday, December 10, 2011 at 3:13 am. He weighed 7 pounds 10 ounces and was measured at 22 inches long. He was born with hair streaked with red, gold, and brown highlights.

One question we have been asked is why 2 middle names. It's simple: Michelle wanted 2 names. It took awhile to convince Jon but ultimately he caved. The name Benjamin was chosen because it is a solid name that can be broken down to Ben if desired. David is a family name as it is Jon's middle name and both of our fathers' first name. James was chosen because it is a solid biblical name and doesn't contain many syllables. Obviously Cramer is our last name. Another question we get is what we call him. We prefer calling him either Benjamin or Ben.

As Ben is now just over a month we are all adjusting. Sleep is still broken during the night but improving as we establish a routine. He is gaining weight and is almost over 10 pounds.

Michelle has been blessed to be able to stay at home with Ben but will be returning to work March 1st. Benjamin will be attending an at-home daycare provided by a friend of ours. While the transition will be difficult we feel it's the best option for us at this time. In the meantime Michelle is enjoying her time off with him. Jon is busy working but is able to spend time in the evenings with us as well as attend to Ben's middle of the night diaper changes when Michelle wakes him up to do it.

Benjamin also got to take his first trip to the beach at just two weeks old. He slept during the drive over and woke up briefly while at the Washington coast.

All in all we are so very happy and excited for this stage of our life and are so grateful for the baby the Lord has blessed us with.

October Update

The past few weeks have been flying! Jon has been employed at UPS for a month now. He has also been working at Diamond Parking part time as a parking attendant. Managing two part times jobs has been challenging but overall we are very happy about his change in employment. The biggest challenge is adjusting to a new work schedule. The UPS shift is from 11 pm to 3 am. Diamond Parking isn't consistent. Some days he works 6 am to 11 am, other days 11 am to 4 pm, and other times 5 pm to 8 pm. Finding time to sleep has been tricky. But overall Jon is adjusting well. The biggest change is the sense of peace and relaxation. Jon has been happier with his career change and a lot less stressed.

Michelle continues to pursue her MBA. She has two classes left this semester and will be done with her degree upon completion. She is anxious to be done with the homework and excited to see what doors open as a result of a Masters degree. She hopes to find a better employment opportunity as a result.

Our pregnancy has been going well. Michelle is now at 33 weeks with only 7 left till her due date. The nursery is coming together nicely. Today we received a dresser from a friend. After Jon cleans it up and repaints it, it will be the last of the nursery furniture. There are still a lot of small things we need ranging from diapers and wipes to hats and socks.

One concern about our pregnancy is that Michelle has gestational diabetes. Due to hormones, her body isn't accepting the insulin produced. This results in higher glucose levels in her blood. As a result, she has had to adjust her eating habits and monitor her blood sugar levels constantly. She has to test her blood four times a day and limit her intake of carbohydrates. This has been especially hard because most people know what a sweet tooth Michelle has. The good news is that once Benjamin is born, the gestational diabetes will go away. But until then, pray that the temptation of sweets and carbs will diminish.

Answer to Prayer

The past two weeks have been an interesting one in the Cramer household. Jon started the month of September as an unemployed stay at home husband. He had been applying for jobs at several locations and even had a couple of interviews at The Davenport, a high-end hotel in Spokane. However, The Davenport decided not to hire him.

Last Thursday a job posting came up for UPS, Jon's former employer. Jon worked for UPS while he was attending Eastern Washington University and again when we lived in western Washington. Within a few minutes of the job being posted Jon had applied. The next day he was called back for an interview. They scheduled him to meet with the shift supervisor on Sunday at 11 pm. (The shift he applied for is from 10 pm to 3 am, Sunday through Thursday.) Then Monday (yesterday) he got a call asking if he could start working that night! We were so very excited! Jon started work with UPS last night and is scheduled to go back the rest of the week!

This has been a huge answer to prayer! We have been praying for a job opportunity to come along for Jon and in less than two weeks of unemployment he has a new job! We are especially excited for UPS because he is being hired back at his previous wage and they have amazing benefits! It will cost us $0 to have our entire family on his insurance! In addition, since he is being hired as a part time employee, any extra shifts or hours he works above 25 hours a week will be counted as overtime and paid accordingly.

Michelle has officially began her last semester in her MBA program. She has 3 classes left and will be finished mid December. She has continued to earn a 4.0 GPA and hopes to finish strong. Please continue to pray for her as she finishes her program. Also, note that her program ends mid December and our baby is due December 1st. Pray that she will be able to handle having a baby and the remainder of her classes.

Baby Benjamin has been developing quite well. He is now a very active little guy. He likes to kick Mommy just when she's about ready to fall asleep. We are at 28 weeks and are still on track for a December 1st due date. Please continue to keep Baby Ben in your prayers along with Mommy and Daddy.

Cramer's Changes

"Life belongs to the living, and he who lives must be prepared for changes."
-Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

At the beginning of July Jon made a decision to end his career with Peak 7 Adventures. Although he is passionate about the ministry, the time away from home was too much for our growing family. There were also other reasons that played a part in Jon's decision to step away from Peak 7 Adventures. We plan on continuing our relationship with Peak 7 but in a volunteer capacity. Jon's final day with Peak 7 will be August 31, 2011.

As Jon is pursuing new opportunities he has begun the process of applying for a new job. He has applied for many and would greatly use your prayers.

Michelle has continued to stay busy. She is finishing up class 9 of 12 of her MBA program. She has maintained a 4.0 average so far and hopes to continue it into her final semester at Corban. She has also been actively looking for a new job as her current work environment has not improved at all.

The changes facing the Cramer household are a little frightening but we are continuing to trust God for His will, guidance, and provision.