9 years

Today me and Greg have been married for 9 years. I can hardly believe it. It has been the best 9 years of my life and I would not change a thing- well maybe one or two things. We don't always get along - he is more cautious where I am more "Do now, Think later"- but most of the time it seems to work. We are blessed to have the sweetest little girl Samantha Grace and two great cats.

There is nothing I can say that can express the emotions that I feel when I see him cradling Sam, making her laugh and it never gets old hearing him tell Sam he loves her - which he does continuously.

He is my best friend and someone I know I could never live without and I am so blessed to know him.

Cereal and new adventures

Hi! Sam had a lot of new adventures this weekend and was glad to get back to daycare so she could rest !!!!!
I took a day off Friday and finally got some cleaning done. With going back to work and then trying to spend time with Sam at night it was good to finally get some deep cleaning done upstairs!
Sam tried her excersaucer this weekend after I walked in to daycare last week and saw that they had her in one they have there. She did really well though supported with a blanket.

Checking out the animal sounds

Taking a break to see what's on TV

We also started cereal this weekend and I have to say that I am a little disappointed. There was no huge mess. She did great. At first you can tell by the pictures that she wasn't to sure if she liked it our not but ... well see below

The first bite

The last bite- lovin it

Sam also got some sunglasses last week and let me tell you she looks so cool!!

Sam also met some of Greg's family this weekend at the party for April Birthdays at Greg's mom's... Greg's uncle Butch, Aunt Gayle and Aunt Gloria came up from Florida as well as his cousins from around Alabama came with their kids.

Sam with her great grandmother


Greg, Sam, Andy and Aunt Gloria


Brandon, Greg and a passed out Sam

Also we tried to drink some water from a sippy cup. She did real well - though this cup is made for her age group- She even tried to hold it.

Every now and then she even tries to hold her bottle like a big girl!

All in all a fun weekend!!!!

4 Month Stats

Well today we went for our 4 month appt. Dr Barron was happy with the way Sam was developing. He classified our little spit up queen as having silent reflux. He also said she is what is known as a Happy Spitter (doesn't cry when she spits up) and no need to put her on any medicines. Unfortunately he said that she was at the peak of her baby reflux and would be for the next 2 months. YAH US!!

He said that she was growing well - just petite

Weight 12lbs 12oz (40 percentile)
Height 24 1/4 (40 percentile)
Head Circumference 16.5 (50 percentile)

He also said that we could start solids so you know that I will have a post about that soon!!!
He was also happy with the milestones that she has met. Of course Sam had to show him all that she could do talking, laughing, holding things like her paci holder and her bib and even spitting up- that particular trick she showed him as well as the nurse. We also had to get the dreaded shots- though she did good - she didn't really notice the first one and barely cried with the second one - just enough to let us know that she was not happy and that it hurt. But once she saw mine and Greg's face and her paci (she is really getting to where she likes that paci) everything was better in her world. Oh well all in all it was a great visit!

The bib says it all

How Time Flies!

Samantha Grace is 4 months old today! I can't believe that 4 months have passed so fast!

She is such a sweet little girl and I learn something new from her everyday: about how I can survive on her smiles instead of sleep and teaching her patience has taught me patience as well.

Sam was named after my maternal grandfather Samuel Carnes. He passed away 10 years ago last November but is still to this day missed more than anything. He was my sunshine and I believe that I was one of his (I have 2 other cousins - but I know I was the favorite b/c I was the baby and the only girl). I remember that when I was in elementary school he would wait for me to get home from school and we would load up and go to burger king or waffle house - where ever him and his friends would meet to drink coffee that week. I would entertain them with the antic dotes that I had learned or come up with that week. Also I remember that he would always ride with the windows down no matter how cold it was. Time I spent with him are one of the best things I remember from my childhood. Both me and my mom looked so much like him that when we were little we were dubbed "Little Sam" - well I thought I would carry that on for a 3rd generation with our newest "Little Sam"- though she may not look exactly like us (she favors Greg more - though she has my eyes!) she resembles him in spirit and she will always know who she was named after. I know that he is looking down on us now and loving his newest "Little Sam".



Things Sam has learned - We go for her check up this Tuesday so I am sure I will have lots to say - stats- solids and all kinds of fun stuff.

* Sam is flirting with rolling over- she will constantly lay on her side.

* She is getting better at tummy time and when not being lazy can lift her head and push up with her arms. Though lately she has been trying to crawl/scoot over the little pillow we sometimes put under her chest to help her learn to push up.

* She is talking up a storm- she gabs all day long and usually punctuates her sentences with
squeals.

* She loves to sit up in your lap and look around.

* She is starting to laugh all the time and will laugh at everything that makes her smile. I predict that she will be a giggler!

* She still loves TV and will look for it if she hears it. Her favorite and will hold her attention is still Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. She can even pick out her stuffed Mickey from the pile and stare and smile at him for hours.

* She can look from one person to the other when 2 people are carrying on a
conversation.

* Has started reaching for toys if they are hanging in front of her. She also will hold on to toys for a long period of time before dropping them. She also loves her chain of rings. We have them on every toy in the house.

* Will go to sleep by herself and usually is passed out by 8:30 or 9 at night- She will then sleep
till 4 am - eat - then back to sleep for a few more hours.

She is the light of mine and Greg's life. We couldn't be more blessed~


Meeting my mom's dog Ozzie

Sam and the Easter Bunny

Happy Easter

Well this was Sam's first Easter and the whole weekend was busy. Her weekend started Thursday when she woke up with a fever. We kept her out of daycare for the day and she got to spend all day with me and as the day went on she felt better and eventually around lunch was in a great mood and was so much fun- I loved it.

Friday daycare was closed so she spent time with her mimi (my mom) and her aunt mimi (my mom's best friend Karen). They took her to see the Easter Bunny (I will update with a photo soon!) and mom said that was a treat! No she did good; the only mall easter bunny was at Brookwood(they checked the Galleria first). They had to wait in a long line and by the time they got to the front- of course it was time to eat. She fussed a little but luckily in the picture you don't see that. She looks so cute in her little dress-I was so excited to see the pictures and wished that I could have been there!


I have mentioned in previous post that she loves Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. Well while they were at the Galleria on the easter bunny search - mom got her a stuffed Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse from the Disney Store. Mom said her face lit up when she saw them. All this weekend whenever she saw them she would just stare and smile at them and at one time would sit there and hold Mickey's hand. She loves her Mickey and Minnie.


They are as big as she is!!!

After such a long and exciting Friday she thought it would be best if she slept in with her daddy Saturday morning.





On Saturday we got to eat lunch with my grandmother. This was the first time that she got to see Sam since Christmas. It was a great visit. She got to see Sam in motion with all her smiling and laughing and Sam even tried to tell her one of her stories as we were leaving!



Showing her how strong her grasp is! Super girl


Sleepy little girl just waking up....



Later that night we went and hung out with our friends Kristi and Randy and their kids. But first she had to chill out a little with Greg


Note- Notice 3 different outfits in the same day- no we don't dress her and undress her for fun- she has become the ultimate happy spit up queen. Luckily they make different kinds of formula for that.

Sunday morning the Easter Bunny came and brought Sam so much stuff: a hat for the beach and pool, a ring with all kinds of different links, some strap covers for her car seat, a crinkly book to help her learn her numbers, her Mimi got her a Peter Cottontail book and she also received from us a Winnie the Pooh rattle. Pooh is dressed up in a bunny costume with My First Easter written on it.






Later that day we went to eat lunch at my aunt Brenda's house. There she got to see her other great grandmother. We also received a easter basket filled with candy for me and Greg and a few outfits for Sam. It was a good visit as well and the food was good as usual!



Happy Easter Everyone!!!

Wheww What A Weekend

Well it has happened.... on my way home Friday I got a call from Greg who said that daycare called saying Sam had a fever of 101. I was almost there but of course I speed up to get there as fast as I could. I get there and Amy (one of her daycare teachers) was holding her and she looked so sad and once she saw me she gave me the most pitiful little smile. I of course tried to get in touch with my Dr as soon as possible. Greg happened to already be at home and had contacted them and when we got home he had me talk to them to tell them what all she had been experiencing. I told them of course of the cold we have been trying to get rid of for the last 2 weeks. They were closed at the time I was talking to them so they sent us to Children's on Acton After Hour Care.

These were some of the nicest people. We didn't have to wait long and Sam was such a trooper. Never once did she whine or cry with anything that they did. They had us do x-rays once they checked her ears and her throat and stated that they looked good. The x-ray technician was so sweet and easy to talk to. Sam corporated in anything that we forced her to do (lay still on the x-ray table). The dr then informed us that her chest x-rays looked good and sent us home with instructions to give her Tylenol and contact our dr if it worsened. Fortunately her temperature broke around midnight and we haven't seen it since. My friend Kristi said that sometimes they have a temperature and its here one minute and gone the next.
I have been taking her temp none stop all weekend and wondering what I should or could do to help her. Sam seems to be getting over it well though she has slept more than normal and not eating her normal bottle she is seeming to do better each day.

Below is a picture of my sweet little pitiful angel trying to hide from her crazy momma with the camera - I know her thoughts are " I don't feel good and you want to take a picture to remember it by?" Poor baby!!!




Also on Sunday I heard my first real laugh!!! On Sunday she had spit up some of her bottle and had gotten it not only on herself but on Greg... As he was changing shirts and I was changing her, she was talking away like she normally does. I asked her if she had spit up on her daddy and she of course responded back in her sweet little baby talk. I asked then was it funny and that is when I heard it... The sweet music of her laugh. I couldn't help but smile and laugh with her. Later that day she was with my mom at her house while me and Greg were running errands and she laughed for my mom as well.