Love is a battlefield!

Sam and I were in Sammy's room spending time with him before bed. I was on the couch and Sam was laying on the floor, tickling my feet. Let me just say that I have told Sam that I am too old to be tickled! I am 30 for crying out loud! He continues to tickle me constantly and some times to the point I pee my pants a little. Ridiculous!

Me: Seriously babe, you better stop!
Sam: Or what?
Me: Or I am gonna smack you in the face!
Sam: (Scoffs) Babe, you aren't going to smack nobody's nothing.
Me: Oh yes I will!!

He tickles my feet again and I dive off the couch towards him. I am giving him the beating of his life when in self defense he picks up Sammy's Giraffe and hits me in the head.

CRACK! The metal windup part is what hits my head. It hurt soooo bad! I touched it and then saw blood on my fingers. I pounded him again a few times for making me bleed and ran to the bathroom. I was crying! LOL It really hurt! I get there and there is blood trickling down in two fat streaks from my hairline to my eyebrows. Seeing it makes me wanna barf so I look down. Then I sit down on the tub, still crying by the way! Then I start seeing pink. Blood had gotten into my eye! GAG! I wanted to throw up so bad.

Sam came in and his doctor instincts kicked in I guess because he ran and got his medical bag. He was doing all sorts of stuff to my head but I was trying not to hurl all over the bathroom. After the bleeding stopped we put Sammy into bed and went back to our room. I went to his desk to see why he wasn't talking to me. He looked up at me with those big brown eyes weld up with tears and he said, "I'm just sad that I hurt you." LOLOLOLOL Bless his tender heart he felt so bad! I tried to make jokes and he kept telling me to stop. I didn't even get a chance to milk it! He asked me if I wanted him to put a few stitches in it. "ARE YOU CRAZY?!?!? HEEEEECK NO!!! You've lost your mind!!" After my dramatic reaction he finally laughed about it.

Even though it was definitely in my top five most painful accidents of my life I am fine. To prove there was no hard feelings I brought Sam a big glass of ice cold water...which I dumped on his head while he was in the shower. (Insert evil laugh here)

Tagged

I love these things!

1. If you have pets, do you see them as merely animals, or are they members of your family?

Well I am married to a Veterinarian but even before that pets are part of the family! I love my Mickey-do-da so much. He lives with Erica but we have had him since I was 17. Sam and I have the Flojo! She has been a little jealous of Sammy getting most of her attention but we love her.


2. If you can have a dream to come true, what would it be?

Well, like I told my friend BreAnn. My dream come true would be a calorie reversal! So I could grab a King Sized Reese Cups and watch all the salad eaters swell up! LOL On a serious note, my dream come true would be to run a marathon. Some day!!


3. What is the one thing most hated by you?

I really can't stand people who are rude, mean, or try to make others feel stupid. I think I hate it so bad because I used to be all three of these things. Now that I am older I just want everyone to be nice to everyone else. Sounds cheesy I guess.

4. what would you do with a billion dollars?

-Give Erica 100 million.
-Pay off all my families debt and make sure my Dad and Sam's parents could retire.
-Set up college and mission funds for Sammy and all my neices and nephews.
-Buy Sam an animal hospital with any and all equipment he wants.
-Buy season tickets to the Tarheel games.
-Buy a house in North Carolina, Utah, and Louisiana
-Donate to some charities and causes (SIDS, Depression)
-Hire a private Spanish tutor!
(I could go on LOL)

5. What helps to pull you out of a bad mood?

I can usually talk myself out of a bad mood. I am usually happy. A funny movie or laughing with my sister.

6. Which is more blessed, loving someone or being loved by someone?

Odd question. :)

7. What is your bedtime routine?

Make morning sippy cup for Sammy, take Flojo out, go into Sammy's room and make sure he is still breathing, brush teeth, read scriptures, pray, and argue with Sam about who steals whos pillow.

8. If you are currently in a relationship, how did you meet your partner?

We met on LDSsingles.com not findahunk.com as he likes to tell people. :) We talked for about 2 months then went on our first date. Engaged three months later and married three months after that.

9. If you could watch a creative person in the act of the creative process, who would it be?

Johnny Depp, if that counts. I was a theater major so at one time I loved being in plays and he is one of the best actors out there.

10. What kinds of books do you read?

I read all Nicholas Sparks books. They are all set in NC and he describes my home state perfectly! I also love books about communication and strengthening relationships. Also, quote books!

11. How would you see yourself in ten years time?

Hopefully with one or two more kids. Fluent in Spanish and Sign Lanuage. Having a job as an interpreter (For sign language). In shape enough to run a marathon!

12. What’s your fear?

Something happening to Sammy, Sam, or Erica. I have been really lucky and nothing really bad has happened to me. They are the three closest people to me. If I lost one of them...I wouldn't be completely myself anymore.

13. Would you give up all junk food for the rest of your life for the opportunity to visit outer space?

No way! I am too scared to leave the country much less the planet! You go ahead Bre, take lots of pictures! LOL

14. Would you rather be single and rich or married, but poor?

I'm really not good at being poor but I could not live without Sam so I'd take the second one.

15. What’s the first thing you do when you wake up?

Check my phone, ugh I hate that that is true.

16. If you could change one thing about your spouse/partner what would it be?

I would make him communicate the way I do so we could understand each other always. LOL

17. If you could pick a new name for yourself, what would it be?

I love my name and wouldn't change it!

18. Would you forgive and forget no matter how horrible a thing that special someone has done?

I absolutely would forgive but depending on how horrible it was it might take a while. I would definitely try to forget but that is hard for anyone I think.

19. If you could only eat one thing for the next 6 months, what would it be?

Chicken! I love it. :)

I will tag....Erica, Meghan, Jess, Lynds (They are my friends that actually blog) but anyone else feel free. It is always fun to learn more about people

One year

My sweet baby boy, Samuel James, is one year old. When I found out I was having a boy I thought, "What am I going to do with a boy?" LOL I didn't have any brothers so I felt like I wouldn't know how to be a mom to a boy. I have to say that the times that he reaches for me and I know I am the only one he wants at that moment...it melts my heart! Those moments don't come as often as I would like because this kid stays on the move from sun up to sun down! I try to keep him busy and plan things for him during the week. He absolutely loves his "Birds" class at The Little Gym! He runs and climbs and even screams with delight! He has a music class and a storytime that he doesn't enjoy as much. Playdates are always fun! He would play with his cousins all day if they could. He has the best time with the four of them.

A few days before his party he got the stomach flu. He threw up all day. It was so heartbreaking to see my normally happy and super active boy just look up at me while I was holding him. It was the first time he has ever been sick. Sam and I shed more than a few tears to be honest. It was so sad. His party had to be cancelled but we are going to try to reschedule it. We did give him some presents on his actual birthday and Erica got him a mini cake to play in.



I can't believe he is not a baby anymore. We threw away all his bottles so he is only drinking from sippy cups. We are going to start weening him off of the pacifiers for bedtime. I have thrown all his pacifiers away but one. The doctor gave us a good strategy so we are going to start that today.

His doctor appointment went really well. His new doctor seemed cool with his Spiderman scrubs. He is from California and moved to Utah about ten years ago. He said Sammy is looking good. His stats are weight 20.3lbs (15%) and height 30.2in (65%). He started Sammy on a Multivitamin and suggested we switch him to whole milk. He had to have four shots and he was screaming so loud. Bless his heart it was so sad. I really like this Pediatrics office. They have over ten doctors at this office and have four offices total. They have a 24 hour number where you can speak to a nurse and there is always a doctor on call until 10pm. So I am very happy with his new doctor and their office. Here is the poor guy getting his shots.




He loves his Giraffe, his cars, his ball pit, eating cheerios, and baths! He hates getting dressed and diaper changes. I feel so blessed to have had a whole year with him. I am so lucky to be his mom and I can't wait to see what he learns this year.

Gross!

Since getting the baby gates Sam and I feel pretty comfortable letting Sammy explore the apartment. He usually sings or talks constantly so even if he plays in the hall we know he is ok. We close all the doors and just let him cruise up and down the empty hallway. Sam and I were in the living room and all of a sudden...silence. So we both shoot up off the couch to see what Sammy was into. Someone, I won't mention any names *Cough* It was Sam *Cough* left the bathroom door open. We never use this bathroom other than when I toss the dryer lint in the trash can. Well lately Sam has been in the back room working on his resume and today he was back their going through his important doctor papers so that is why I am assuming he used the bathroom. Oh and the fact that the seat was up.

FYI He maintains that he is innocent.

So we run back there to find Sammy in the bathroom dipping one of his super hero action figures in the toilet. There was this blue fuss every where and it looked like some was in the toilet. It turns out Sammy decided to give his action figure a swirly after pulling out all the dryer lint out of the trash and throwing it in the toilet. Wet dyer lint was all over the place including his hands and a big wad in his mouth. I am hoping that Sammy did not dunk that particular wad of dryer lint into the toilet before he put it into his mouth.

We snatch him up and took him to our bathroom the clean his hands and wash out his mouth. He thinks it is play time and even tries to slurp the water I am using to clean his mouth. So as my friend Meghan would say, "There goes my Mother of the Year award."

"He's perfect!" (9 Months)

Today we took Sammy for his nine month check up. He weighs 19.2 lbs which is exactly average and he is 28 inches which is slightly above average. Dr. Ambrose said, "He's perfect!" That doctor sure knows how to make a mom feel great! He asked us if Sammy was trying to pull himself up yet and was quite surprised when we said he was already walking. When we let Sammy go Dr. Ambrose called him a "Showoff" and said he must really be a year and a half old midget. He got two shots including his first flu vaccine and a prick on his heel to test his iron. He cried less than 30 seconds but it was long enough to break Sam's heart.




Sammy took his first steps in July and we have been chasing him ever since. I always knew that the day would come when I'd be chasing him up the aisles at church but I had no idea it would come so soon. When he wiggles off my lap at church he takes off like he's been called to "COME ON DOWN" on the Price is Right! He is laughing and smiling at everyone he passes. He cheeses it up for all the ladies who reach out for him. Sam and I seriously can't wait for him to be able to go to nursery! I literally can't keep this kid still. He is all over the place and has also started climbing.



Life is pretty exciting these days. Sam and I fought a crowd of way more experienced moms to get him into a story time. It is only 6 weeks so I will have to go through this again in a month and a half. I got in line at 9 am for registration starting at 10. I got the 8th spot. So even though I think 9am is a safe bet I am going to go even earlier next time because I won't have Sam to help me. I am still waiting to see if the other classes I signed Sammy up for will have enough people to not be cancelled. I want Sam to love books and reading. I want him to love to learn so I am going to try to get him into every thing I can. I have tried reading to him but he usually won't sit still. Of course his doctor and Erica both have told me how important it is so I am going to keep at it. Other than that Sammy went to the fair for the first time but he was totally not interested in most of what he saw. When we were in a big barn Sammy was more amazed by the ceiling fan and the fences than the animals.



Other news...Sammy has started taking to his sippy cup and we are thrilled! He always wants us to give him some of our bottle water. I was actually worried about why he drinks so much water but won't sit still long enough for a full bottle. The doctor told me it was fine so I feel better. He still yells "momma" and "da-da-da." Now he has started saying "Aah-wa" for agua (Water in Spanish)...we think. I never updated on this but his finger sucking habit didn't last very long and he started using pacifiers. Now that he is nine months he only gets them for nap and bed time.

I've started thinking about his birthday party. This year has gone faster than any other year of my life! :)

Six Flags

Six Flags Magic Mountain had a Mormon Family Fun day this past Saturday. It was announced at church and since the tickets were over half off we decided to go. Sam's sister and her husband went with us. We should have known that on a discount day that was also a Saturday that it would be packed. We were there from 10am to 8pm and rode a total of seven rides! Each ride had about an hour wait. We rode five roller coasters and two water rides.

X2 was five dimensional so we were spinning every directions and at one point went through two huge flames! It was pretty awesome and the scariest coaster I've ever been on!

Then Tatsu...the whole ride was upside down and backwards. Everything was strapped down all the way to our ankles! It was the closest to death I have ever come! In the beginning some thing was wrong so we kept getting lifted upside down then right side up again. Being upside down for that long made me really sick! When we were done everyone was chanting, "One more time" to which I screamed, "Let me off!" I thought I was going to puke!

Terminator Salvation was an old school coaster that didn't have a loop. It was scary because it was made of wood and rickety. Plus, we saw a live mouse in the scenery during the wait so I was concerned about the upkeep.

Riddler's Revenge was one that you are standing. It was ok but it really tossed your head back and forth which made me have a head ache.

Goliath has the biggest hill I have ever seen! It was fast and my favorite! I love a roller coaster that is fast and doesn't make me sick!

Roarin Rapids is one of my fav water rides. I usually don't get too wet and it is totally unpredictable. Some seats get soaked and some only splashed. I picked the wrong seat. Sam and I got so soaked that everyone else was laughing at us. The water in inside the boat was almost up to our knees! My brother in law was laughing so hard that it made me laugh so hard I may have peed a little! :)

Tidal Wave was the big boat that just goes down a big drop. You really don't get wet unless you stand on the bridge after...which I did because I was already wet so why not.

I didn't get many chances to take pictures since we were in line most of the day. I would have bought one of the shots from the rides but I seriously looked like I was in pain for each one of them. Sam and I decided we absolutely have to go on diets before we ever go back. The two of us riding together was so funny. Amusment parks are a great place to people watch. Wow, I felt like I was in the world's largest trailor park! Some of the gems I saw made me laugh and other's embarrassed me. I always get slightly emabarrassed when I see other chumby people wearing stuff they should not. I did laugh at a fat guy wearing a shirt that said "Gordos do it better." The muffin tops were in abundance! I saw a chick in heels that I wanted to punch! I saw pretty feet, ugly feet, and gross feet! I had a lot of fun and it was really nice to spend the day with Sam. If I am being honest though I just wanted the day to be over because I missed Sammy so much it was ridiculous!

Random thoughts keeping me awake

Sam is snoring so loud I can't believe he hasn't woke himself up!

I wish I had worked harder on my mission. I wonder where Sam and I will go when we serve a mission together.

Man, I need to stop slacking and get back on my diet.

I wonder what it is like at my old job. As soon as all our kids are in school I am getting some kind of job! I can't take being home every day. Maybe I will go to school. I will be like 35 then...but who cares.

I really want to read those two books I just bought.

I am going to stop buying stuff we don't need and use the money I save to get my nails done.

I hope Sammy likes the classes I am signing us up for. I hope he makes friends...I hope I make some friends too.

I wonder if the Beehives are getting anything out of my lessons.

Why does Flojo have to lay by me when she is a thousand degrees?

Do I really have the patience to teach Sammy sign language?

The kitchen is a mess.

I wish I could go back and do everything all over again with what I know now. That's life I guess. School for sure though, why was I so rebellious?

I truly believe that Kathy is trying to sabotage my relationship with my Dad and his relationship with Sammy. I wish I could like her, it would be so much easier.

I wonder who will win Hell's Kitchen, So You Think You Can Dance, Last Comic Standing, and Big Brother.

I wonder if America would like me if I was on a reality show...I'm funny right? Pssh, heck yes I'm funny!

Seriously, why can't I sleep?

I can't believe I had two dreams about poop last night. Don't laugh Jean, keep it together!

What was that noise?!?!

What would I do if someone broke in here? I am definitely getting a gun and I am going to learn to shoot! Gotta keep it locked up so there is no accidents.

I wonder if our nieces and nephews know that we love them. I hope Carolina liked her birthday present.

I am going to be consistent with my discipline. It will be hard but I have to! I can do this!! I wish Sammy didn't have those break my heart big brown eyes! Be tough! I have to! I don't want Sammy to be a brat like some kids I know.

Will I have a girl next? I want a girl so bad! I've dreamed about a girl. I feel there is a daughter out there for me.

Why am I so exhausted all the time? I definitely need to start taking my vitamins again. I don't eat anything healthy! Need to start waking again but it is so hot!!

I really need to start doing my Rosetta Stone again. Man, I wish I had taken Spanish in high school. I wish I could take a class now...I would hate being away from Sammy.

Sam seriously falls asleep in less than 30 seconds. I can't imagine 12 hour work days, poor guy.

I wish I could always control my temper.

In a few minutes I will flip my pillow and it will be cool and that'll help me sleep.

I'd listen to my sleep machine app but my ears are sore from the headphones.


These are just the few that I could remember. Sam and I went to bed around 10:30. I started watching cartoons on his iPod and playing games on mine. I do this every night and it usually takes me about an hour to fall asleep. I fell asleep but around 12:30 Sammy woke up. I gave him a bottle and changed him then put him back in his crib. It took less than five minutes but when I got back in bed I was wide awake! It is now 3:58am. If I am lucky Sammy will sleep until 8. Tomorrow is going to be awful! At least I can nap but of course if I nap too long then I will have this same problem tomorrow night. I hope everyone out there is having sweet dreams.

8 Months

Eight months! I can't believe how fast time is passing. Sammy is going full steam ahead! On July 19th he took his first step. Now a week later he walks all over his play fort. He walks between Sam and I. We are like kids ourselves when we watch him walking back and forth. We squeal and clap like it is the greatest thing we've ever seen. He is on his feet for most of the day. Sometimes I have to snatch him up for hugs and kisses and he wiggles away from me like a teenager would. When it is time to eat he holds still long enough to drink maybe half of the bottle I make and then he is on the move again. Church these days is basically a nightmare because he can sit still through maybe half of sacrament and then he wants down. We found a room no one uses and we just let him crawl during second hour. Then Sam takes him to Elder's Quorem but I usually get a text half way through saying they are driving around the parking lot. The "talking" is getting louder and more often. He sings and yells "Mom ma ma" all day long. He is so much fun.

7 months

What can I say about this handsome little guy?! He steals my heart over and over. He turned seven months old a few days ago. He is crawling all over the place. He is pulling himself up. He wants to stand and he wants to walk. Needless to say, I am exhausted! I have set up a play fort in our living room that can barely hold him in. I so wish I had a padded room he could go wild in. This kid is fearless!

He took his first plane ride! That was an adventure! Travelling without Sam was so tough. So many people helped me and offered to help but I still wish Sam had come with us. We are here at Erica's and are having so much fun. Erica has way more room for him to play so he has rug burns on his knees from exploring. Bless his heart, I had to go buy him pants to protect his little knees. He is having so much fun playing with his Aunt Erica and chasing Mickey around. She is giving him daily "Too Soons" to keep him from growing. Tomorrow his Aunt Ivy will be baby sitting him while Erica and I see Eclipse. On Wednesday, we are going to visit Aunt Nancy and Uncle Felipe. We have a play date scheduled with his cousin. I am so excited because he loves being around other kids. Last time he saw his cousins he was only a week old.

On a kind of personal/spiritual note...I had a moment a few weeks ago that brought me to tears. I was playing with Sammy. He was laughing so hard that it was making me laugh. I was crawling after him and he was squealing with delight as he crawled as fast as he could. He doesn't understand this chase game quite yet. Sometimes he crawls towards me and just screams. LOL Sometimes he sits up and flaps his arms and just laughs. Anyway, this time he had gotten it right and was crawling away from me. I crawled to him and scooped him up. He was laughing so hard his face was red. I was looking at him and trying to memorize everything. I got this warm feeling and the thought came to my mind that Sammy felt safe and that all of Heavenly Father's children deserved that. All children deserve to have a mother and father who love each other and are committed to their family. It was such a special moment and I had to write it so I won't ever forget.

By the time he is eight months old he will have at least two more teeth. They are about to poke through any day now. :)

Motivation Roller Coaster

I have been on millions of diets. I am one of those, "I'll start again on Monday" people. Back in March I had a break through and I started walking every single day and counting my calories. I was on the top of a huge hill in my motivation roller coaster. I lost ten pounds that month! Since then it has been a steady downhill slide.

I had a dream that I was a runner! I was on a shady path and there was a breeze. It felt amazing! I started doing the couch to 5K plan and I was pumped. Everything was going great and each time I completed a day I felt so proud. Last week, which was week 3, my knees started to be a little sore. Now it hurts to squat or crawl on the floor. I squatted down to get something out of a low cabinet and I could not get back up! Sammy has a play fort and I like to get down there and crawl and play around with him. Now it really hurts to do this.

Today reality smacked me in the face, my weight is keeping me from doing the things I want to do. I hate that! I am not going to be able to continue to run with my knees hurting like this. I am going to go to the doctor and get an exercise plan that will work for me. My motivation roller coaster has come to a complete stop. I am really discouraged!

Blah!

The good, the bad, and the uglies of me!

Every June I start to evaluate myself as a person. I do this with each new year but I do it again in June. On June 2, 1996 I was baptized a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. So every fast Sunday in June I bare my testimony as kind of a State of the Union between Heavenly Father and I. This year I wanted to write them down to get it all out. I don't intend to say most of this in my testimony just a little word vomit.

I wanted to talk a litte about what my "Natural Man" is like. I am very prideful! That is not me being humble about it either, I truly am prideful! My "Natural Man" is always right and knows it! I can be mean and even at times cruel. I am very quick whitted so I am great at arguing, and excellent at lying. I never forgive, I never forget, and I never apologize because I am never wrong. I also have a super hot temper as a result of the Rajin Cajun blood that runs through my veins. Yep, no patience whatsoever! These are not all of my natural man qualities but the most obvious ones.

At the same time I am none of those things, or I decided a long time ago that I didn't want to be.

A combination of my membership in the church, serving a mission, living and learning has changed me. That and a conscience that I developed somewhere along the way. I started trying to be better and when you think you are perfect changing can be a hard task. I learned to apologize which was a huge step because from the deepest depths of my soul I hated admitting I was wrong. Now if I am wrong I just want to admit it and apologize. It always makes me feel better to do so and even though it is always initially tough, because I still hate it, I am getting better at it every day. I can forgive and I can forget the wrongs done to me, and if I ever have trouble I remind myself of my not so perfectness to get over that bit of pride that is stopping me.

These weaknesses of mine are still so hard for me but Heavenly Father really helps me every day. I know that He is making me stronger even though I feel so incredibly weak. I have been battling my natural man for some time now and there are days when I want to give up and more often than not I stumble. I say within my heart, Jean, you are justified in being mad or not forgiving because you are right. I shutter to think of the cruel insults I can hurl at people in my mind. My ultimate goal is to be strong enough to apologize without having to swallow a gut wrenching urge to blurt out that I am right. I want to learn to forgive and forget without judging and without having to remind myself that I make mistakes too. I want to forgive because it is the right thing to do. I want to be able to control my temper and learn to communicate well. I want to be honest but always kind even in my thoughts of others. Of course, I need to stop being such a gossip too but I have enough I am trying to tackle at the moment.

I have so far to go but I really have come a long way. Wait...am I being prideful again? Hmm. I just say that because even though I still fall short daily I am actively working on it and repenting like crazy!!

Anyway, I wanted to say that I owe everything I am to Heavenly Father. He is changing me every day and it hurts something fierce!! I am grateful for the still small voice that whispers to me hundreds of times a day. "Jean, you need to stay calm. You are being impatient." "Think of what your actions are saying about you." "It doesn't matter that you are right, apologize and end this argument because you love him."-LOL Oh I do love my husband. "That person is a child of God." "What you are thinking right now is very cruel." "Stand up for what is right." Millions of thoughts race through my head when the good in me is battling the bad. I once said that I was 50% good and 50% bad and I could go either way at any moment. That is a true statement! I don't know how Heavenly Father with his billions of children spends all day working on me but I know he is always there!

There is a great comfort in knowing that Christ knows every thing about me and still loves me. He is a friend that I cannot lie to even when I lie to myself. He never turns His back on me and He never leads me a stray. I know He lives. He knows my name. I know he died for me. I know He is involved and aware of even the smallest details of my life. I know that in spite of my many, and I do mean many, faults I know that if I were face to face with him today that He would look on me with love in His eyes. I know that he has forgiven me and continues to do so. He and I have no secrets and I cherish my relationship with Him and my Father in Heaven.

And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them. Ether 12:27

That which we persist in doing becomes easier to do. Not that the task has changed but our ability to do the task is increased. Ralph Waldo Emerson

"Imagine yourself as a living house. God comes in to rebuild that house. At first, perhaps, you can understand what He is doing. He is getting the drains right and stopping the leaks in the roof and so on; you knew that those jobs needed doing and so you are not surprised. But presently He starts knocking the house about in a way that hurts abominably and does not seem to make any sense. What on earth is He up to? The explanation is that He is building quite a different house from the one you thought of - throwing out a new wing here, putting on an extra floor there, running up towers, making courtyards. You thought you were being made into a decent little cottage: but He is building a palace. He intends to come and live in it Himself."
— C.S. Lewis (Mere Christianity)

Six months

I missed posting his five month update. Time is flying! Here is how Sammy's day begins. He wakes up between 5 and 6 in the morning. He has a 4oz bottle and goes back to sleep until 7 or 8. I don't put him back in his room but I put him in the pack-n-play we keep in our room. When he wakes up he rolls around and laughs, squeals, and sings until Sam and I start laughing. Once we laugh he knows we are awake and wants to be taken somewhere else to play.



The rest of the day is pretty intense rolling and scooting around with his toys. He sleeps every two hours and eats every three to four hours. He has such a fun personality and he is a really good baby. He cut his first tooth on May 8th and the second one has just started poking out within the last two days. Today we let him try a bit of rice cereal. He also tried a little avocado and banana. Those are the things the doctor suggested we start with. The first time he ate it all but the second time he seemed to get very aggrivated and didn't eat too much.



I was carrying him into our room this morning and just thought to myself that he is growing too fast. I am so excited for every new thing that he learns but I just want him to stay my baby forever.

Two years

This is Sam and I on November 17th, 2007...the day we met. I was so nervous this day and really didn't think any thing would come from this. As a matter of fact the next day I text my friend Carrie how much I liked him, scale of 1 to 10, and I said 4! Sam and I had been doing the whole email/chat thing online for a few months before, as Sam says, I finally started paying attention to him. Now we were finally going on our first date. Our second date was at a dentist office when he held my hand through an emergency root canal. Honestly, I didn't want it to work out. He had a major strike against him, he lived in California. I am not like most people I guess because I have never had even the slightest desire to even visit the state of California let alone live here. It is one of my top three states I would never want to live, the other two being New York and Florida. Some of you are thinking I am nuts right now, like my friend Jess who loves NY and my step sister Natascha who loves FL!

Three months later we were engaged and three months after that we were married. It is always tough for me to learn to live with another person and this time a boy. Learning how to live together and communicate. We only dated for six months and were only in person together 3 times before we got married. We communicate in totally different ways. Also, I consider myself a difficult person to be around so I try to tone down the drama that is me. LOL Anyway, there are those silly things you don't think about before your married like how we fold our shirts differently. I am not saying that we are pros at being married now at the two year mark. We still work at it every day. Even when he makes me so mad I could spit fire I know in my heart there is no one else I would want driving me as crazy mad as he does. :) Most of our days we are just like two kids playing house. He is so much fun and makes me so happy that I forget that I am a grown up. I love it! I love him! It has been a blast!



This is us today on our two year anniversary. Sam thought it would be nice for us to get out of town. I consider this our first family vacation! We drove six hours north to Monterey, California to go to the aquarium. I really had no idea how much fun it would be. The aquarium was amazing! The ocean was so beautiful! The day was just absolutely perfect. After the aquarium we went down to the beach and walked around this little town. They had so many little shops and I found two great lighthouses to add to my collection. We even went to this mirror maze that was a lot of fun. Then our last stop was the Dennis the Menace playground. I know that Sam and I had more fun than Sammy did and the other adults started following our example. After we went down the slides we saw other parents start to do it. They knew they wanted to anyway.





Now I look to my left and my little Sammy is all tuckered out in his pack-n-play and to my right big Sammy has fallen asleep watching Animal Planet. Like I said, it was a perfect day. :)

Four months

Today Sammy had his four month check up. He is weighing in at a whopping 13.10 lbs and is 24 inches long which are both close to 50%. Dr. Ambrose said Sammy is growing beautifully and we of course completely agree. After all my questions it was time for his vaccines. Sam had to leave the room. LOL What a wuss! The nurse said it was the first time she's seen a Dad leave the room. One was given orally and he was not a big fan. He likes the taste of formula so this vaccine must have been super gross! Then two quick shots. He only cried a few minutes and we were all done.



We have decided that tonight is going to be his first night in his room. He has been sleeping through the night for two months now so there is really no reason why he shouldn't. He is a rolling over machine and my days are spent turning him back on his back after he tries unsuccessfully to scoot around on his belly. Diaper changes have turned into diaper chases! If I so much as look away to grab the butt cream when I turn back I'll see a nacked heiny trying to wiggle away!



He is such a happy little guy and he loves talking to his Auntie Erica on Skype and on the phone. When I put the phone to his ear and she talks his face lights up and he gets the biggest grin. On Skype he smiles and coos at the screen. Erica even watched Sammy on his playmat so I could do the dishes without checking on him every minute. Babysitting over skype, it was fun. I was just a few feet away though. My Dad watches Sammy on his playmat over Skype and got to see him roll over a few times.



This month Sammy has tried a jumper and a play saucer and he loves both of them. He has decided he needs to be up on his feet. When this kid learns to crawl...we are in trouble!

Battle of the Bottle

As you can see from the picture we have several bottles. When I clean them I line them up in the same order each time. The bottles each have a matching nipple. Sam has this habit of taking a bottle from one side of the racks and a nipple from the completely opposite side.

Sam says, "It doesn't matter babe, they are all the same."

I say, "Yes it does! It helps me when I look at them to know they are all there or which one is missing. You're fired babe!"

I know this is a silly thing to be irritated about but I think Sam is secretly trying to drive me crazy! LOL

Dilemma

I had it all figured out. Armed with my Parents magazines and What to Expect the First Year I knew exactly when I was going to start weening Sammy off of his pacifiers. Everything by the book. LOL At six months he only gets it when he naps and at bed time and then gone completely at one year. I bought such cute little pacifiers and I bought some of each kind. Things were going well. Then Sammy found his fingers. Now I cannot keep them out of his mouth and he hates pacifiers. My pediatrician said to get him hooked on pacifers because they are better and you can take them away. If he keeps sucking his fingers you can't take them away. So for a good two weeks I spent all day taking his fingers out of his mouth and putting in a pacifier only to watch him spit them out.

I started reading a ton of articles online. I read everything I could find. Most said there won't be any permanent damage unless he continues past age 4. I also read a lot that said if we try to stop him from sucking his fingers he may do it longer than he normally would if we just let it be. Sam and I have decided to just let him suck his fingers and hope he stops at about a year like we read. If he doesn't we will worry about it then.

I am not writing this so that I can get everyone's advice or opinions although you are free to give it. I am writing it to acknowledge and remind myself that parenting is not always going to go by the book. I get these updates from these parenting websites and also the book that I am reading all tell me what Sammy should be doing. I found myself worrying about it. I am trying to relax a bit. I just want to be a good mom...not like anyone wants to be a bad mom. I have worried for most of my life that I didn't have those motherly instincts because my mom was not really motherly. I wish I could say that I would stop obsessing over the things I read but I probably still will. I am just going to try to remind myself that people have been raising children for thousands of years without the information that is available today. Here's to taking it one day at a time. :)

Randomness

Sam-"Babe, why do you eat half the hot pocket with a fork and then the rest with your hand?"

Me-Out loud..."Because a whole hot pocket is just not manageable." In my head..."Because I'm just crazy like that, I do what I want!"

Sam-"That just doesn't make sense."

Me-"Whatever babe, you do a lot of things that don't make sense!"

Sam-"Oh yeah, like what?"

Me-"Umm, lots of things!"

Sam-"Yeah keep trying to come up with something."

We both laugh.

Jean-0 Sam-1

Facts in Fours

Thanks for tagging me Lacey, I love these things. LOL

4 shows I like to watch:

1. The Office
2. House
3. How I Met Your Mother
4. Biggest Loser

4 things I`m passionate about:

1. Politics...I avoid talking about it because I get so worked up.
2. Becoming a better person...since I have such a long way to go!
3. Religion...it is why I do everything I do, or why I do most things and repent of the others.
4. Working on relationships. ie With my husband, my sister, and friends.

4 phrases I say a lot:

1. Hey girl, what's goin on wid it? (To Erica)
2. Your face! (To Sam)
3. Hey baby, what's the fuss about? (To Sammy)
4. I love you. (To Erica, Sam, and Sammy)

4 things I have learned from the past:

1. All of us are made up of a bunch of different personality qwerks that make us either more or less annoying to each other. (I forget who said this)
2. No one can make you feel inferior without your permission. (Eleanor Roosevelt)
3. When you are trying to be a better person the Lord will bless you with happiness and strength to battle your own weaknesses.
4. The is a great healing power in apologizing for your mistakes and in forgiving others!

4 places I would like to go:

1. Cape Hatteras, North Carolina
2. Chapel Hill, North Carolina
3. Sulphur, Louisiana
4. The cemetery where my ancestors (Istre) are buried in France.

4 things I did yesterday:

1. Rode my bike
2. Went grocery shopping
3. Checked the celeb gossip sites
4. Played with Sammy

4 things I'm looking forward to:

1. Seeing Erica in May
2. Seeing Sammy grow up
3. Learning Spanish
4. Going to Louisiana for the family reunion

4 things I love about winter:

1. Hoodies
2. Hot Coco
3. Bonfires
4. Christmas

4 things on my wish list:

1. Tarheel Season Tickets
2. Rascal Flatts Concert
3. An iPhone or Blackberry
4. iTunes gift cards!!

4 friends to tag:

1. Lyndsay
2. April
3. Jess
4. Carrie

Viva Las Vegas!

There are times when Sam gets really frustrated with the big corporate company he works for. All I can say is they sure know how to treat their doctors! I remember before Sam graduated some big wig from Banfield headquarters took us to dinner along with the others who were going to start at Banfield after graduating. We went to the nicest restaurant I have ever been to and the big wig knew my name when he stood up to greet me. I was really impressed. This past weekend they paid for us to take a family trip to Vegas!





Banfield has an Education Symposium a couple of times a year so that all doctors can attend. This one was in Vegas so Sam asked Sammy and I to come along. They set them up in a super nice hotel and feed them catered meals three times a day. They have lectures, town hall meetings, prizes, free products, and even have labs set up to practice surgeries. Sam did the optometry and dentistry ones.





They had all kinds of activities for the families to do. They took a Hoover Dam tour. Toured the chocolate factory. (Banfield is owned by Mars Candy) They also had a tour of the Botanical Gardens and Mandalay Bay Shark exhibit. I really wanted to go but I was nervous to do something like that alone with Sammy so we just hung out at the hotel while Sam was busy and enjoyed the cable tv.




We met up for lunch and dinner. There was always so much food! Lucky for me and my diet there wasn't much I would actually eat. However...there was usually a pretty good dessert and because Mars Candy owns Banfield there was free candy. I didn't go overboard but I definitely ate more than I wanted to.

Sam saw several of his classmates and they were really nice. The conversations were always flowing even though I would get a little lost when they'd start geeking out about the labs. One girl asked me if I was getting grossed out after someone said, "Make sure you get one that is pretty warm. So and so could barely cut hers it was still so frozen." They were talking about practicing surgeries on cadavers during dinner. I was enjoying my potato too much to let it bother me.

When Sam is at home he is goofy and playful. Sometimes I forget how smart he is, how hard he studied to become a doctor, and how much he loves to learn. When I hear him talk to other doctors I quickly remember. There was usually a general session at the end of breakfast and lunch that the families were welcome to stay for. There were words up on that screen that I couldn't even sound out! It was crazy but when I would see Sam listening so intently I was really proud of him. He cares about animals and wants them to have the best quality of life possible. There were times when the "at home" Sam would pop back up. During the town hall meeting the microphone was in front of our table. When someone came to ask a question our table was put on the big screen. Sam put bunny ears on the speaker, made faces, and even pretended he was discussing something very seriously. LOL He looked like a muppet!!

I am really glad we got to go because I would have really missed him. He said he enjoyed it more with us there because he doesn't go out to drink like his colleagues do. We survived our first trip with Sammy. It was tough! I packed all his toys but we didn't bring a stroller...we should have but it wouldn't have fit in the car. I hated changing him in gas stations because they are so filthy! It was fun being together and seeing Sam so excited to learn. Good times!

It's just like riding a bike...Fat Girl Triumphs

Two weeks ago I had one of those life changing moments. Those moments that need to happen before you can actually stick to a diet or reach a goal. I set some small goals. I wanted to count my calories and walk at least 3 times a week. Since that day I have walked every day and stayed under the calories I set for myself. I have also been doing The Biggest Loser workout dvds. My scale is driving me nuts. I lost a pound, gained three, lost three, lost two, gained two, and then lost three. There are days I want to hurl it out the window. Today when I put on my belt I comfortably pulled it to the pre-pregnancy notch so that was a highlight!

I really wanted to get a bike because I always loved riding a bike when I was younger. Sam said I should get myself one but we really didn't have a way to get it home. I got sick of waiting and told him to drop me off and I would ride it home. He scoffed at my plan. He didn't think I would make it and if I did it would take me three hours. Still I was determined! He asked how long it had been since I had rode a bike. It has been over ten years but you know the saying, "It's just like riding a bike." You never forget...right?

Sort of...

I got on the bike as Sam drove away and struggled as my legs were trying to remember how to get going. It was because of this awkwardness that I decided to walk it when I had to cross at an intersection. I am sure the drivers were thinking, "Hey fatty, it goes a lot faster if you ride the bike!" I was not about to wobble in front of all of them. Even though I can laugh at myself and love making others laugh. This laugh could also involve an injury so I opted against it.

Five minutes into the ride I was going slightly uphill I thought Sam may have been right. I huffed and I puffed and I kept going. 25 minutes and 7 miles later I knocked on the door. Sam was shocked! He couldn't believe I made it and did it so quickly. I am sure for smaller folks that ride would have been no sweat...for me it was a big deal. I felt so good that I took it for another ride on the bike path at the park. That didn't last long because bicycle seats aren't too friendly to a person with a voluminous tush such as I. I am already sore and I am sure it'll feel worse tomorrow.

When I got home for the second time the Mace I ordered had arrived. I am armed and dangerous! Hell on wheels! Watch out psychos that hang out at the park to scare me the Ragin Cajun in on patrol! Keeping the parks safe for her fellow ladies!