Sam is 7 weeks old

Sam is getting so big!! I can't believe it's already been almost 2 months! He "talks" and smiles all the time, especially with his Granddad! He's been pretty ornery about sleeping at night (or anytime we put him in a bed!), but last night I made myself stay up till he ate at about 11, then fell asleep around 1130 and I put him in his bed (successfully!) at about 12, went to sleep, and woke up about 0545 to him starting to squeak a little...he did pretty awesome! I'm hoping he does it again tonight!!

My sisters and I gave my mom a pedicure for Mother's Day, and decided we'd just try to find a time while we were all around to go get one altogether, and we were all (except Beth =+(...) able to go today...it was AMAZING!! Easily the best pedi I've ever had, with hot stone leg/foot massages, massaging chairs, hot parafin, warm towels, loofahs, and more! It was fantastic!

Anyway, I'll post pics in a couple of days hopefully when I have some time.

Josh and his pool

Josh has a very cool fold up/pop up pool that we ordered online for this year, and he LOVES it!! He's always loved water, though..
We invited Sydney over to play one day, too...they had a good time, but kind of antagonized each other a bit. Josh would pour water on Sydney or splash her, and she would get upset, till her mom told her to just splash him back. It eventually worked out.
pouring water into each other's buckets

Josh being silly, and Sydney loving it!
Aww...pretty smile, Sydney!
"Washing" each other
splashing Mommy
swimming Josh

Filling up the pool with Daddy
Trying to play in the pool with his clothes and rainboots before it had any water in it.


Josh on video playing with his pool

Sam Smiles!!

Sam smiled for the first time on Thur, May 7!! I was talking to him while holding him, and he just lit up! He put on another show for his daddy last night. I tried to get some pictures of him smiling, but not sure how well it worked. I also took a couple of videos of him "talking" to me this morning.


Daddy "multi-tasking"



Sort of Sam smile


Sam smiled for the first time on Thur, May 7!! I was talking to him while holding him, and he just lit up! He put on another show for his daddy last night. I tried to get some pictures of him smiling, but not sure how well it worked. I also took a couple of videos of him "talking" to me this morning.

I wrote this the other day...not home, so can't post the videos, but I will when we get home!

Naps!

Both my boys are taking naps as we speak!! So exciting! Josh has been having a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day, though...he says he wants to move to Australia!

He woke up UBER EARLY this morning, and then had to sit in his room and wait for mommy to finally manage to wake up enough to emerge from bed. Then he was trying to empty a water bottle (old, and I asked him to, to give him something to do) into the sink, and he somehow slipped, fell off the step stool, water bottle (and water) flying, and ram his head and arm into the open dishwasher...poor Josh!! Then he had to wait for his breakfast while I was on the phone (in my defense, I asked him and he said he didn't want breakfast...), and then when he was finally finished and wanted more, I was feeding SAm, so he had to wait...which turned out to not be a big deal, b/c a lady from church came by to "encourage" us, and bring gifts (layette set for Sam, and big red rubber ball for Josh). It was very sweet, but unfortunately, her 6 year old grandson was with her and he and Josh got into mischief the whole time she and I were visiting.

After they left, he had several issues with the fact that I then had to finish feeding the (by then) ravenous Sam, instead of playing with him...he clobbered Sam with his baby doll (time out #1), then after he came and apologized, threw a (toy) golf ball at Sam (and me, missing us both, thank goodness), and had time out #2. Then we were in the library, and he was dumping things on Gus, after I asked him not to, and when I tried to get him into time out #3, he threw a toy at me, so he got a spanking and still had to sit in TO #3...not a fun time.

Then I decided it was time for either nap or lunch, so we tried lunch...he at the watermelon, but threw the chips and sandwich pieces on the floor, so I got him down, cleaned him up, and took him up to bed. As I was changing him into his diaper for nap, Sam, who had been sleeping peacefully in the swing, started SCREAMING...not just fussing or crying, but full out screams. So I got Josh into bed, him protesting the whole time that he "not need a nap, mommy!" He kept asking me to lie in bed with him, but there was Sam screaming, and me needing to eat something for lunch, so I had to tell him no. (Normally this wouldn't even be an issue with me, but I know he needed Mommy time so badly today...and I just didn't have enough to go around!) So I went and got Sam, calmed him down, got out some burps, which I'm assuming were what caused the wake up and scream session, and got him to sleep, as I hear Josh banging around in his room...

So I finally got Sam to stay asleep in his bed, and went to get Josh and put him back in his bed, and after crying a few min., all is quiet from upstairs...my children (and I) am so so so SO much happier when we all have enough sleep!! Hoping they both get good naps in, and then Josh can play this afternoon wtih Sandy and Evan in the pool outside, while I get the house cleaned and vacuumed for community group meeting here tonight. Whew...now it's time for lunch!!

Just a note...

...to say I really love to put up new backgrounds on here...it's so much fun! I hope everyone who reads this likes them as much as I do! And now I really have to get going...WAY past my bedtime, plus there's still a kitchen full of dirty dishes and a couch full of laundry and a visitor coming tomorrow morning, as well as community group coming over here tomorrow evening...yikes, what have I gotten myself into???

Sam sleeps in his crib!

So last night, I gave Sam a bottle at dinner time, since I had one in the fridge that was about to go bad, and he was eating constantly yesterday (growth spurt??). The boy ate 4 oz. of milk, after nursing (probably only 1-2 oz. that time) just an hour before. So he was nice and full and had a dirty diaper and burped, and so I laid him in his crib on a blanket (yes, I know you're not supposed to do that, but the mattress was kinda cold) with his binky and afghan and he slept from just before 8 till midnight!!! It was great!! He then ate and slept till 0430 in bed with me, ate again, and then I spent an hour and a half talking/playing with him, then trying to get him to go back to sleep. He slept from 0630 till 0845 in his crib again, when I woke him up to go to RP's music (which turned into open gym, since Ms. Marka was sick)!! He probably would have slept longer even! I think he prefers his big bed to the cradle...he might have to start sleeping in there, we'll see. It was a nice schedule, though, and I feel fairly awake today as a result.

After RP's we went to McDonald's to pick up a snack...only to find out that they weren't serving lunch yet, so I ended up getting an iced mocha for me (pretty good, btw) and nothing for Josh. He wasn't too pleased, but I didn't think he really needed a snack that badly anyway. Then we went and met Sheree and Sydney and their playgroup at the park on base and played for about an hour and a half. Josh sat in a baby swing for about 30 min.!! I couldn't believe it, but I think he's tired today...he was yesterday too, and I don't think he's caught up yet. Hopefully he'll take a nap today and do better.

And in a truly ambitious manner, I'm planning for a possible walk with Sandy and Evan this afternoon after nap, and possibly an outing to Target with Sheree and Sydney this evening...we'll have to see, one or both may get nixed, depending on our moods/schedule this evening. It's nice to feel human enough to do some stuff again! I feel like we're finally not going nuts all day everyday anymore...only sometimes on most days!

OK, just felt like posting something...I'll post some pics of Josh playing in his pool soon...and of the stroller when it gets here! Can't wait, I got the email that it shipped today, so it should be pretty soon! YAY!

Sam is one month old!

OK, here's some pictures from the past few days for you. Sam turned one month old today, and it's hard to believe that much time has passed! He had a check up today, and weighs 9 lbs. 9 oz., and (according to their measurements, which I'm not convinced are totally accurate) is 21.1 in. long. That puts him in the 45th percentile for both height and weight. He's a healthy little boy, and is really starting to focus more on things...he loves to watch his fishies and faces of people. He also loves to bounce, just like his brother!
This is a little fuzzy, but I thought it was cute of Sam and his seahorse.
AJ brought this seahorse back from Spain (the BX on base there) for Sam...we all love it! It lights up and plays music and bubbly water sounds, and helps Sam sleep. That's why AJ and I like it...Josh wants to take it to his bed all the time...he likes that it glows...he picked up his octopus the other day and asked where it's light was...it doesn't, unfortunately, light up...poor Josh!

Sam and "Uncle" Kevin. He saw us going into Rolly Pollies one morning and came in and talked a little with us. We have a picture like this with him and Josh, so I really wanted one with Sam, too. Sam treated Kevin to a little "one-eyed pirate" look, which is what earned Josh the nickname "One-eyed pirate Kevin" when he was a baby, so Kevin was pretty happy that Sam does that look too. I'm pretty sure that came out as gibberish, but it's a really long story, so if you need an explanation, let me know!
Awww...big softie!
Sam is obsessed with his fishies on the swing! He loves to watch them. The other day I came downstairs after having put him in the swing, and found him in this rather uncomfortable looking position. He just had to get a better look at those fish!!
Josh with his baby. AJ and I got him this doll and gave it to him when Sam came home. He didn't have a ton of interest in it until recently, when my parents sent a little bag with two bottles and two diapers. Now he plays baby all the time...he likes to pack up his "diaper bag" with the bottles, diapers, and sometimes a chicken leg or something, and carry them around and feed and change his baby. These pictures he had decided he needed to feed his baby, and had seen me using the boppy with Sam earlier, so he picked it up to use. At least he didn't lift up his shirt and try to nurse his baby...
Loving on his baby!!
I got out the tummy time mat (Josh never used it for tummy time, he absolutely HATED tummy time!) to see what Sam thought. He mostly just didn't want to be set down anywhere, I think...wanted to be held. But this is him trying to lift up his head. He's getting pretty good at it!
One month old boy! He's lying on his brand new nite-nite crocheted for him by his Grandmom. He really loves the afghans, they seem to calm him when he's upset! Just like his brother...
Pretty blanket! Sam, in between screams...he didn't want his picture taken!
Happy Sam with his binky...
Not so happy Sam when the binky fell out...poor Sam!