And baby makes three....

Past month!

2010-02-02T16:33:00.000-08:00

Here are some pics from the last month. They are from 3 different occasions, but all blog worthy!

The kids behaved so nicely during Christmas brunch at their own little table! We were at my mom and step-dad's home.

We had a great visit with Aunt Lynnie a few weeks ago. They danced together and she even shared her IPod with Samuel - which he LOVED!

He is loving the music!
The dancing was hilarious! We had a lot of fun w/ Lynnie - come back soon!
We had lots of snow this past weekend and Samuel loved it - my little daredevil had a blast sledding.

Christmas

2009-12-28T12:05:00.001-08:00

We had a great Christmas with the Vallecorse's and still have more celebrating to do this weekend with my family. Love a loooong Christmas! Here are some highlights from our weekend:
Samuel making cookies and taking it very seriously...look at that precision:).
An annual highlight is attending our Christmas Eve church service. It's so wonderful and Samuel loved every minute of it. He was in awe of all the music and still as a mouse! This was taken after the service.Henry and Samuel sprinkling reindeer food:)This one was taken with Pup pup w/ his new table and chairs... I had to steal a Christmas kiss!

Someone one else stole a kiss too - cute!

More kisses...this was taken right when Samuel woke up Christmas morning.

Loving his new slide....

Jingle Bells and Baby Jesus

2009-12-04T10:34:00.000-08:00

Here is a little video of Samuel singing his favorite Christmas carol today!

Lots of pictures over the last week!

2009-09-25T10:56:00.000-07:00

We've had a busy past 8 days! First we had a wonderful visit with Samuel's Pup Pup over the weekend. Samuel loved playing hide-n-seek with him, going to the golf course and chatting on his cell phone (a special grandpa treat)! Samuel is still asking about Pup Pup's whereabouts especially when we see an airplane. Thanks for the great visit, Pups!! Below are some pictures from this visit and several others other the last week....
Samuel LOVED the tractor Pup Pup bought him and wanted to take it everywhere!
This boy could not be happier chatting on a real cell phone. I believe this was a call in from Mum Mum that lasted at least 20 minutes of non stop talking on Samuel's part. He thought he was so cool:)! His new favorite phrase to say is, "whatcha doing" and he likes to say, "go for it" too. The boys love a good competition and Wii was the perfect opportunity for one. The picture captures their tennis match. Pup Pup gave Brian a run for his money in bowling!

Our next set of visitors came in the form of the Seckman clan! They were stopping through for an appt in our area so they stayed the night. This picture shows Samuel in pure delight as he plays "balls" with Dolly. He doesn't forget the crazy face/noise Dolly made ONE time when he pressed the lever to this toy and now he wants her to do it all the time....thanks for being a sport, Dolly!

I had so much fun keeping adorable Michael while Dolly & Leland headed to their appt. The boys played well together. What sweet boys!

I had to give Michael a time out....hahahaha. Of course I'm kidding, but doesn't it look like that? Michael crawled right into this little cubby space and it was too cute not to take a pic.

When you come to Vallecorse house, you are bound to find a golf club hanging around! The Seckman's can teach Samuel the farming ropes and we'll teach Michael the golf ropes!

The next fun trip we had was to a local park that has cool rides for tots. Here Samuel is looking up at the carousel in awe....

Mimi joined us for the day and Samuel wanted her to be his partner on the rides....

Here he is on the train...loved it.

I must say NOTHING compared to the boat ride in his mind - he absolutely loved it. He would pull the bell and steer the wheel like he was a pro. We definitely had to ride more than once.

Mimi brought a pumpkin & paint home for Samuel to decorate. As you can see, he concentrated very hard during his project.

As you can tell, he adored his masterpiece....

Giving it a little more love...

And last, but not least, we had a day at the pumpkin patch with Pappy. Samuel thought the big wheels were great.

I told him to pick any pumpkin, so of course he went for one that weighed more than he did:).

Walking to the tractors...

As I was doing laundry, Samuel climbed in the dryer...he did NOT want to get out!

Here is a sneak peek at Samuel's monkey costume (partial).

Thanks for hanging with me on this LONG post!! Lots to see and tell from the last week....

Weekend Fun!

2009-09-08T16:23:00.000-07:00

Here are some pics we promised the grandparents we'd post!

My little chef riding his horse - it's a giraffe, but he insists it's a horse:).
I treated Samuel to popsicle tonight and he obviously LOVED it! That little tongue got a true workout. From stroller to bath he went ...

One HAPPY boy...

Kissing Elmo...

Helping Daddy put batteries in Elmo....

He had a blast helping Daddy wash the car on Sunday...he could have helped all day.

Trip to VA!

2009-09-04T14:26:00.000-07:00

Samuel and I had a great trip to VA to visit friends. As always, Dolly was an exceptional hostess spoiling us with lots of yummy food. Our dear friend, Michelle, from our DC days met up with us so we could spend some time together and let our boys play. It was like no time had past at all - so glad we made new memories together. We also visited Teecy's classroom and had lunch with her kids. It was so fun. She is an exceptional teacher - those kids are blessed for sure!

Here Samuel and Elijah enjoy breakfast together. So neat our boys are only 5 days apart!

Here they are sharing a snack together. What sweet boys!

This adorable little guy made his papa proud by supporting the home team favorite. Michael was right there playing with big boys - such a cutie! Leland was kind enough to "monitor sit" while the mom's had a little night out.

Before we left, Leland gave all the boys a ride up to the moose to feel his fur. They loved it!

We visited Liberty and the new ski lodge - it was so neat. We got a little silly and slap happy from staying up too late talking every night! Dolly and Michelle did great animal impressions. I did one too, but it's on Dolly's camera.
Next we headed to Starbucks and asked some college kids to take our picture. She literally handed me back my camera and asked it this picture was okay (above)...what?

Much better....

The boys had fun looking out for Dolly's beloved cat....

It was a great couple of days with great friends. Thank you for being such a wonderful hostess, Dolly! And, thank you for driving down to meet us, Michelle!

Fire Truck Parade!

2009-08-22T16:49:00.000-07:00

Today was every little boy's dream - a Fire Truck Parade! We repeatedly told Samuel where we were going and he'd say, "Mommy, Daddy, Samuel, WOO WOO". The "woo-woo" is obviously his name for fire trucks. He was ALL SMILES and in awe as the parade started. We were in the beginning of the parade and actually ended up sort of IN the parade trying to get to the sidewalk. Here are some pictures of our fun day!

This was our favorite fire truck for obvious reasons - go UNC! Loved the old trucks...

Here Samuel is waving at the trucks and passengers with pure glee. Long line of trucks...

He loved clapping for the trucks as they drove by...this was one excited boy!

The parade was over and look at this little guy patiently waiting for the trucks to keep coming. He would have stayed there all day waiting!

After a fun, humid day at the parade, a little cool condensation hits the spot!

Fun on the Horse

2009-08-06T15:02:00.000-07:00

Our little ham!

2009-07-06T16:36:00.000-07:00

Visit w/ the PA V's!

2009-06-17T11:39:00.000-07:00

We had a wonderful visit with Brian's parents over the last week. Samuel loved spending quality time with his Mum Mum, Pup Pup and Nittany. We spent a lot of time playing, eating and laughing. We also frequented the neighborhood pool which Samuel loved. Thanks for the great visit guys!! We had a lot of fun!! Here are some pictures to highlight the past week (and two videos):

Samuel LOVES cars, trucks, buses, lawn mowers and anything that MOVES. Below Samuel and Pups play cars on the porch. He loved playing with everyone. Samuel and Nittany were fast friends. Here Samuel takes a play break for a quick snuggle.

Etch a Sketch fun! Samuel loved drawing on his toy and the rest of us had fun playing hangman on it.

This was taken on the way to church Sunday. Samuel loved having his playmates in the backseat with him.

Below is a short video of Nittany and Samuel...

Below is a short clip from this morning...

Good Times!

2009-06-07T10:38:00.000-07:00

We've had a busy, fun week/weekend! We were fortunate enough to have Mary, Dolly, Annabelle, Adeline and Baby Michael stay with us for the week. It was fun to watch the kiddos play. The time flew by and was filled with lots of action from Kindermusic class and lots of pool time to living room dance parties and sidewalk chalk fun. We ended our time together with a yummy Melting Pot dessert celebration for Mary's birthday - thanks so much for coming guys! On Saturday, we attended our good friend Henry's birthday party. Henry and Samuel hang out almost everyday and are adorable buddies. We were at the hospital the day Henry was born and vice versa, so it's sentimental to see these two grow up together. Jessica out did herself with a safari themed party that blew everyone away. There were awesome decorations and food, but she also organized a complete safari for the kids plus coconut water balloon races. Creative! Here are a few pics from our week...

After dinner, we turned on the music on and the dance party began! Annabelle and Dolly did a wonderful dance show for us then everyone joined in. Ring around the Roses was a hit with Samuel & Adeline... These two friends were really funny to watch....

Could Michael be any cuter?!?! He is such a darling little boy - I could eat him up!

Here are the kiddos about the hop in the pool! We had about 4 - 5 trips to the pool and everyone had a great time.

Water babies!

A shivering little Samuel nice and snug in a beach towel...

Our final night with a bang - Melting Pot dessert! Happy Early Birthday, Mary!!

Samuel's face says it all - best friends in the making! Happy Birthday Henry!

The safari was just about to begin, but first the kids were given hats, fans and backpacks containing a flashlight, sunglasses and a safari map (among other things)!

The birthday boy wasted no time looking for his safari animals....

Here Samuel is checking out the picture containing his animals to search for - we found them!

Fun Video

2009-05-31T10:12:00.000-07:00

Boston

2009-05-28T05:11:00.000-07:00

Brian and I were able to get away for a long weekend to celebrate our anniversary. We had a lot of fun touring Boston and going to a Red Sox game. We definitely missed our little guy, but it was nice to have some time to focus on each other too. Plus, he was in wonderful hands with Mimi & Papa! We walked all around the city and loved seeing all the cool sights. We took a "Duck Tour" that lasted 1 1/2 hours and showed us all the history of Boston. The food in Boston was incredible and we definitely indulged:). It was fun to have no agenda and just do whatever we felt like doing. The game was a huge highlight and not just because of the food (I love ballpark food). It was a neat experience to be in Fenway Park even if they did lose that night. The last night we were there, we went to dinner with Brian's sister, Lynnette. She took us to an awesome Italian restaurant that we thoroughly enjoyed. We were able to spend a few hours catching up with her which was nice. Brian made sure we hit the yummy pastry shops for some of the famous cookies he loves so much.
Here are some pictures of our trip.
We walked all around the city and ended up by Fenway Park on game day. There was a fun buzz in the air and Brian was in heaven.
This was on the Duck Tour. I had very few pics from this because a downpour.

The Duck took us for a jaunt in the water which was fun....

Here we are on the Duck (our reflection at least)....

Game night!! We were excited as you can see...

Fenway Park...

Tradition calls for the song, Sweet Caroline, to be sung every game. It was cool to hear thousands of fans getting into it.

We had a great time with Lynnette on Sunday. She is a lot of fun. Here she is singing with the local musicians....they loved her!

Fun with Friends

2009-05-20T17:26:00.000-07:00

The last 3 days Samuel and I were blessed enough to spend with two of my best friends (Mary & Dolly) and their families. We arrived on Monday and Dolly's sister Dawn was kind enough to let all of us stay at her beautiful home - she's a great hostess! We could not wait to let all of our kids play with each other! It's very surreal to watch the next generation in action and think back to when we were just "kids" in college. Wow - time flies. We definitely soaked in our time together. On Monday we had dinner out and met up with our friend, Angela, for Mexican. Afterwards we spent some time with members of Roscoe & Mary's church (NorthStar) and then stayed up until 2a.m. catching up. Tuesday we had a great time getting out for lunch and a little pampering thanks to Mary's mom who stayed home with the kiddos and let us get mani/pedi's together. It's such a gift to have lifelong friends who you can walk away from feeling refreshed and encouraged. Even more important, the influence these Godly women have on Samuel's life - priceless. I'm one thankful girl!
This picture (below) was taken within the first 5 minutes Mary arrived with the girls. Looks like someone is really interested in the cute blond...I'll let you know how these two "made out" in another picture. Beautiful Dolly with Annabelle and Michael. This little boy is adorable and SO SWEET I could eat him. Annabelle was such a good example to the younger kids - someone raised her right (and could she be more gorgeous?)!

This was taken on Tuesday night (Dawn, Kim, Dolly, Me, Angela (taking the pic) and Mary). We had to catch the Bachelorette Premiere!

So, these two continued to play together so well - they were adorable.

Time to go in for the kiss!!

These two are going to best buddies....

Our pampered feet....

Our pampered nails....

What a great trip!!

Happy Mother's Day!!

2009-05-10T10:38:00.000-07:00

Happy Mother's Day to all the wonderful moms out there who I love and admire! I feel blessed to have so many amazing women in my life who have influenced me as a wife and mom for the better. I have watched you through the years as you cared for your own children and weathered the storms with grace and patience. How true it is that it takes a village to raise a child and I'm thankful Samuel is surrounded by Godly women who love him almost as much as his mama:).

I had a wonderful Mother's Day weekend! It started out with a day with MY mom. We grilled out, played on the Wii and enjoyed each other's company. Thank you, Mom, for being such a caring, precious mom & Mimi - I love you!! Happy Mother's Day to my sweet mother-in-law too - we love you a lot and look forward to lots of great quality time in June!

Today was a lot of fun - I woke up to my hubby sneaking out to get me my favorite coffee at Dunkin Donuts. He definitely spoiled me in many ways on this special day and I felt very loved.

When Samuel woke up, I told him how much I loved being his mommy - one day he'll comprehend that more, but I definitely always want him to know that. I want him to know I love all the things that make up who he is from his big, fun personality to his sweet little heart and his fiesty, all-boy nature.

Here are some pictures (out of order) from this weekend. Again, HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY to all those amazing moms out there!

This picture was taken before church with the flowers from Brian and Samuel....

After church the boys treated me to a yummy brunch (since it was around 11am). Samuel loves using his own spoon and does it well, but we forgot to pack one so he used a big spoon. Obviously, it is a lot more to handle:)...

On Saturday, I told Samuel on the drive over that he could give Mimi her flower when we got to her house. He was so proud to hand his little flower over!

Mimi & Papa bought a kitchen set for Samuel to use while at her house. He had a blast!

Hershey and Tiggy decided to take a wagon ride with Samuel. I think he liked the furry company!

Pasta fingers

2009-05-06T16:55:00.000-07:00

Tonight Samuel had macaroni shell noodles for the first time and he quickly found a fun way to eat them:).

Beach weekend

2009-05-03T18:29:00.000-07:00

We took a little weekend trip to Wilmington and had a great time! Every year friends of ours let us use their beach house for some R & R. Last year Samuel was only 7 months old when we went and he cut his first tooth that weekend. This year was so much fun seeing the sand, water and sights through the eyes of a toddler. I think it's so neat to be reminded how majestic God's creation is through the eyes of a child. Here are some pics to highlight our weekend.

Samuel is getting his groove on in his shades - He really thought he was something else:)!This was Friday night - like father, like son. Samuel loves sitting in any type of chair and thought he was extra cool sitting in a big chair like daddy.He wore his new fish PJ's that Mum mum sent him in honor of the next day's trip to the aquarium.He LOVED the fish, birds and reptiles at the aquarium. In fact he was having so much fun I didn't take many pictures b/c I was loving watching him take it all in.Mimi and Papa dropped in for a visit since they only live 1 1/2 hours from Wilmington and Samuel loved seeing them... "You peeps ready to hit the beach or what?!" My dare devil literally ran to the ocean clapping along the way - he LOVED it!
The more the waves splashed him the more he giggled! At one point a wave hit us so hard it knocked Samuel's swim trunks and diaper down exposing his bare tush...he loved it.

Eventually, he took some time to play in the sand - as you can see he was very serious about his sand project....all in all it was a great weekend!

Enjoying the Weather!

2009-04-29T13:00:00.000-07:00

Samuel has been a sick little boy! Last Thursday the doctor confirmed he had tonsilitis and he battled a tough couple of days with a fever, sore throat and rash. By Saturday his fever was gone, but we still kept him home to make sure he was 100%. We decided to put together his water table since he couldn't play with his buddies and it was beautiful outside. It was nice to have in the 90 degree weekend weather. We also went to the Buckwheat Strawberry Farm with our neighbors. Samuel loved picking the berries and petting the horses. He is feeling much better and we are thankful! Here are some pictures:

Never too sick for a wagon ride:)...

Mr. Independent loves to drink in regular cups - we let him get all the practice he wants outside since there are still some dribbles that come when he gets so excited he inhales the water too fast. He also loves to use his own spoon to eat his yogurt, oatmeal, etc... Thankfully he is very successful at getting all the food to his mouth. He definitely thinks he is a BIG BOY!I wish he had his eyes open in the below picture. He loved all the strawberries and helping mommy pick them.

Aunt Jessica is showing him the ropes...she picked a ton of berries even with baby Mason in tow.

These two buddies like to practice sharing since we give them so much praise when they do. Lately they love to pass things back and forth constantly. It's funny to watch.

My fearless little boy did not even flinch...he marched right up to the horse to pet him.

Easter!

2009-04-14T11:31:00.001-07:00

We had a wonderful Easter weekend and hope you did too! Samuel's Pup Pup came in town for a visit and we enjoyed his company as always. The weather was great so we spent time taking walks, visiting parks and eating outside. We had several games of hide-n-seek (Samuel went to the same corner on the porch to "hide" each time) and Pups taught Samuel to say "toe" - now he loves to touch toes and tell you what they are. The boys played golf Friday and Saturday then enjoyed watching the Masters throughout the weekend. Samuel had a great time digging into his Easter basket before we headed to the early service at church. Here are some pictures below....

Samuel's first glance at his Easter loot - all smiles...
"Okay, time to get serious, what did this big bunny leave me anyway?"

This was his first order of business - eat a peep!

A very happy little boy posing for the camera.

Preppy boy with his peep!!

Look at Samuel's face - he wanted that peep!

How can you not share when Pup Pup puts on bunny ears - these two were fast friends! Samuel even got an Easter basket from Pups and Mum mum with lots of cool new clothes including his Easter outfit- thanks guys!!

Spring is in Air!!

2009-04-05T12:47:00.000-07:00

We have LOVED the beautiful weather sprinkled in between the cold days lately. Every chance possible we head outside to soak it all in. Our little guy has a lot of energy and loves the park, so we end up there several times a week and have lots of playdates. Here are a few pics with captions to fill you in on our last few weeks....

I couldn't wait to give Samuel his Easter basket so we could hunt Easter eggs with the neighbors! Here Samuel is checking it out for the first time (he loves to point to it and say "car-car")...

Egg hunting pro in the making...

We bought Samuel a wagon and the kiddos flocked to our yard to take turns looping around the block in it. Below, Samuel and Chance gear up for a ride...they even have a nifty cup holder for their sippy cups - what a life!Yesterday, we had a visit from Mimi & Papa to deliver Easter surprises....Samuel loved having Papa read some of his new books to him...

One final cuddle to say goodbye! Definitely a twinkle in those baby blues- total sweetness and all boy:)!

We wish everyone a blessed Easter!!

Little Toddler

2009-03-17T11:57:00.000-07:00

Since Samuel took his first steps close to two months ago, we have had fun watching him get more and more comfortable with this new independent world on two legs. Crawling has still been cooler in his mind, but he made the complete switch recently and it's been even more fun to see him toddle around everywhere. Here is a little snip-it for those grandparents out there waiting with baited breath.

Little Helper

2009-03-14T10:03:00.000-07:00

Whenever I pull out the vacuum cleaner, Samuel wants to be on my hip 'helping' manuver. Well, for Samuel's 1st birthday he received a toy vacuum that we stored away along with a few other gifts because he received so many we didn't want toy overload to occur. It's been fun introducing him to new toys here and there. So, last night we decided to pull out the toy vacuum and it was a HIT to say the least. He has been using it any chance he gets and doesn't want to eat or sleep if it means putting the vacuum cleaner away. Here he is in his glory this afternoon. My little helper!

Busy past few days

2009-03-09T11:49:00.000-07:00

Samuel and I have been home alone for the last five days while Brian is in OR. We miss him terribly so to pass time we kept VERY busy. Dolly & Michael came to visit us Wed - Friday and we had so much fun shopping, eating, talking and letting our boys "play" together. Samuel asked for "Doll" & "baby" for several days after they left. Unfortunately, we did not take any pics during their visit! Saturday we headed to my mom's house for the day. Samuel had a blast (again, I forgot my camera). The weather was beautiful so he played on the porch and outside most of the time. He did some major exploring as his curious little mind could not get enough of all the new sights.
On Sunday we took a little road trip to Winston-Salem to visit a LOT of family. Our first stop was my dad's house. Samuel liked sitting on his Harley and looking at all the antique toys. After that stop we had lunch w/ my grandmother. Samuel explored the house and decided his favorite past time was sitting in the driveway playing with rocks. He did give some kisses out too. Our final stop was Ralph's house where we were able to visit a few more family members including my Aunt Carol who is battling breast cancer (she is doing great though). So, after a very long day, we arrived home at 8pm. Samuel was a great traveler and it was a fun day! We can't wait to see Brian tonight!

Below is my dad/Samuel bonding...

Samuel is acting shy - "should I give my kisses out?"...

It didn't take too much convincing!!

His favorite "toy" was this empty popcorn tin that entertained him for a long time. He thought he was something else picking it up and carrying it. Yes, we ended up taking it back w/ us.

This is Carrol, Ralph and my Aunt Carol...
And here we are, the traveling buddies. We had a fun time, but we're ready for Brian to get home!

Snow Day

2009-03-02T10:59:00.000-08:00

Today we woke up to another snow day! So pretty and so fun! One thing we realize though - we do NOT own snow clothes. Anyway, we loved getting out in the snow for a bit and wanted to share some pics. The video was taken after breakfast. I can't get enough of hearing Samuel say, "Pease!" when he wants something. Makes it hard to say no!

Here he is contemplating whether or not he wants to dive in or hang back. Oh, he dove...too bad I had put the camera away b/c he was a snowy, wet, white MESS from head to toe!
He really wanted to take duckie and the bubble blower outside with him. I hope everyone who had snow enjoyed a nice day at home sipping hot cocoa w/ loved ones!

Valentine's Blog Swap Gift

2009-02-02T17:18:00.001-08:00

Well, I was lucky enough to have Mrs. Denise Logan "draw" my name. I was so excited to get my package this afternoon. When I started ripping the box open, this is what I saw and I literally said, "Ooo, la, la": Denise gave me this cool red lip gloss in the lip shaped container. I immediately tried some on and loved it. Samuel had big red lips marked on his cheek soon after. I also received the gift that keeps on giving....a $15 gift card to Victoria's Secret. Just in time to shop for something spicy for Valentine's day (sorry if you are reading this Dad V). Denise, I LOVED my gift - thank you so MUCH!

Road Trip to Dolly's

2009-01-30T17:08:00.001-08:00

What a fun past few days Samuel and I had at the Seckman home! We arrived on Wednesday afternoon and stayed until Friday. We had a nice dinner with Leland's sweet grandparents on Thursday night and then came home to put the boys to bed. Well, my boy was wired from all the excitement as you can tell in the below video shot around 9:30 pm (he finally fell asleep at 10:15pm!). On Thursday Dolly and I went to some really cute boutiques and treated the kiddos to some clothes for the fall (all on sale!). Next we had lunch at Magnolia's which is always a treat. From there we headed back home and I made dinner for Leland and Dolly since I wasn't in town to bring one over when Michael was first born. Leland kept the boys for the tired moms to see a late movie (bride wars) and it was really cute.

On Friday we did some more bargain shopping before Samuel and I packed up and headed home. We had a great time and Samuel adores his Auntie Dolly. He started saying her name within the first few hours we arrived and he is still asking for her! Thanks for the good times, Dolly! You are always a wonderful hostess!

Here is my wired boy on video (he was eating oatmeal so excuse the dirty face; I grabbed my camera mid-feed):

I could not WAIT to get a hold of this little love bug - what a doll! He loves to cuddle and has plenty of takers.

Dolly and her sweet boy. She is obviously so in love and how could she not be! This baby loves his mama! Notice the hint of auburn in his hair - cute.
On Thursday, Leland was nice enough to babysit for us to go see a 9:50 pm showing of Bride Wars. The boys were in bed, so this was the extent of his duty for the night (monitor gazing). Still, we definitely appreciated it and had a fun night out. Thanks Leland! The funny thing is we were late to the movie so Dolly went in to get seats while I hit the restroom. I told her just to wave to me so I could find her in the theatre - hahahaha. We were literally the only two people in the movie.

This wood carving looks like an old wise man with a long flowing beard/mustache. For some reason, Samuel thought it favored Brian because he'd touch it and say "Daddy"...

Here are the two buddies. Samuel is in position to go in for a kiss. He loved baby Michael and said "baby" about a hundred times during our stay.Samuel sharing some love....
And last but not least, here we are getting a self portrait since we forgot to get any pictures of the two of us (notice Dolly's little admirer in the corner). It was such a fun get away making memories with each other and our boys. Many more to come I'm sure!

Viva Las Vegas

2009-01-20T07:46:00.001-08:00

Brian and I just returned from his sales meeting in Vegas. I had never been and I really loved it! Lots of fun things to do and great people watching - holy cow there are some interesting people in Vegas. The highlight of the trip was that Brian won Rep of the Year and was honored for all his hard work. He definitely earned it and I was so proud of him. Here are some pictures from the trip:

This was the view from our window. It was so beautiful and quiet (we were 30 min outside of the city).
This is when Brian had to give his speech after winning his award. Bless his heart, he couldn't get through it because he choked up thanking me! It was very touching! (Thanks to the V's for my Christmas present - purple dress)

Again, getting his speech out...

After the ceremony we drove into Vegas. Here is the largest chocolate fountain (it started in the ceiling). I really wanted to taste it, but the line was too long.

This was during the water show outside of the Bialogio (sp?) hotel. It was really cool!

More of the water show...

I had to beg and plead to get the group on this roller coaster with me and it worked! The girls went first and then Brian and the guys hopped on with me. It was definitely a thrill. It even went through part of the New York, New York hotel.

More of the sights...

There was so much to see I could have taken a million pictures, but I had to stop somewhere. It was a great trip, but we were so happy to get home and see sweet Samuel! A special thank you to Mimi and Papa for taking such wonderful care of our boy!

Thirsty Bear

2009-01-13T07:42:00.000-08:00

Christmas Recap

2008-12-29T07:07:00.001-08:00

Here is a recap in pictures starting with Christmas Eve. We had a wonderful Christmas and kept very busy visiting family and hosting get togethers. Of course Samuel made it extra special - the magic of Christmas through a child's eyes is something I look forward to experiencing every year!

Here is Samuel on our drive to Advance, NC for a Christmas Eve celebration with a lot of my relatives (mom's side).

We stopped for lunch to visit with more family and introduce them to Samuel. It was nice to see everyone one again (Aunt Carol, Ralph and Carrol).Here here we are with my mom and grandmother. Samuel wanted to PLAY, not take pictures.Here are just a few of my family. There are about 35 of us (or more) and it always makes for FUN reunions. Although this year is bittersweet without my grandfather who passed away in June. We all miss him!
Christmas morning - our little guy fresh from the crib checking out the goods.He loved his ball and kept pointing to it saying, "ball, ball ball"... He also loved the cool chair Mum mum and Pup pup gave him! Thank you guys.

Here he is testing out the chair. He loves climbing in and out of it and sitting in it when we are in the recliner.

Story time in his new chair...

Henry and Samuel enjoyed the great weather on Christmas day. They played with bubbles, balls and opened more gifts.

After a busy day and warm bath, Samuel took a load off...all he needs now is a remote:).

Friday we had my mom, step-dad, brother and his girlfriend over for dinner. We had a nice visit.

Samuel loved his new rocking horse from Mimi and Papa - as you can tell by his expression!

Christmas Update

2008-12-22T11:23:00.000-08:00

Wow, I think this has been the busiest December we've ever had! Christmas parties to attend and host, family functions, playgroup celebrations and so much food everywhere! This past weekend we had a great time joining all the other last minute people in the shopping frenzy. The mall was packed and the people were more like a colorful blur as they sped in every direction loaded up with bags.
On Sunday my dad and stepmom came over for lunch and we had a nice visit. Of course Samuel had lots of attention and loved doing his "tricks" for everyone and getting lots of claps and praise. It was too short, but we enjoyed the time we had.

On Sunday night we decide to bundle up and head to Meadows for the train/lights! It was about an hour drive, but well worth it. A lot of people had the same idea because we had to wait in traffic just to park for about 40 minutes. Then we had another line for the train, but it went fairly quick and in the meantime we sipped hot chocolate and looked at the amazing lights. It was SO FUN to watch Samuel take everything in on the train ride. He was truly in AWE as you can see in the pictures. It almost made me tear up just seeing the wonder and amazement on his little face. Although we didn't make it home until 10pm, it was a blast!

Here is a picture of some of the lights - I think this was a jack in the box.
Samuel's mouth is literally opened in awe as he is staring at the lights!!

He did not want to turn and look at the camera here - just let him see the lights people!
Papa and Mimi joined us in the fun since they live only 15 minutes from the show. They had as much fun as Samuel.
This is just a random picture of Samuel doing one of his new favorite things - scribbling! I am not the type of mom who wants her frig free of clutter and magnets - I already have his first "drawing" hung with pride.

More pics from Samuel's 1 year picture session

2008-12-15T07:29:00.000-08:00

Here are a few more pics from Samuel's 1 year photo session. We picked out 25, but these were some of our favorites...

My Blogswap Gift!

2008-12-13T06:00:00.000-08:00

My blogswap gift arrived late yesterday afternoon as Brian and I were about to head to a Christmas party. Although we were already a bit late, I HAD to rip open the box and see its contents. Mrs. Jan "Jenius" Reber had my name and did an incredible job picking out so many adorable, festive items to bring a little Christmas cheer. First, I opened the cute round box to find four winter Christmas mugs (and you know I love my hot drinks!). Next, I found a container of YUMMY looking hot chocolate which will be enjoyed in my Christmas mugs very soon. Mrs. Reber also added some tea and cute holly Christmas towels (I needed some of these). To top it all off, I received some of Mrs. Reber's delicious sugar nuts - they almost did not make it into the picture because Brian was devouring them. Oh, and one last surprise - the kid's Christmas video that none other than Mrs. Darla Reber Seckman stars as a little girl. Samuel is going to grow up thinking his "Auntie" Dolly is a star!

Thank you so much, Mrs. Reber, for the thoughtful, useful and fun gifts!! I love them all!

Happy Thanksgiving

2008-11-30T18:40:00.001-08:00

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving! We drove up to PA last Wednesday to spend the holiday with Samuel's Mum mum and Pup pup. We had a wonderful time and Brian's parents were gracious hosts as always. They spoiled us with all sorts of yummy foods throughout our stay and we had fun playing Scrabble and Uno once Samuel went to bed. We actually celebrated Christmas during our time together so we fit a lot in. Samuel visited all the neighbors and even felt his first snowball. Thank you for a wonderful visit, Mum mum and Pup pup!!

Below are a few pictures of our time together:

Here are Mum mum and Samuel getting a little cuddle in before we headed out to dinner.
Samuel got into opening gifts. Mostly he enjoyed pulling off the bows and trying to put them on the tree (his own version of a Christmas ornament).
A very sneaky look here ... Notice Nittany in the background - they were fast friends.

Bonding with Pup pup - they had a great time together!

Puppy Party

2008-11-09T12:55:00.000-08:00

Here is a slideshow that tells the story of Samuel's birthday party. The birthday boy started out overwhelmed, but warmed up in time. His favorite part was listening to everyone sing "Happy Birthday" to him. His grin was ear to ear. Today, we are exhausted, but it was well worth it!

Happy 1st Birthday, Samuel!!

2008-11-08T05:41:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday to our sweet little boy! One year ago today we held our little blond baby and heard that cute little cat cry that melted our hearts. The past 12 months our hearts and lives have never been so full. Samuel, we've loved watching you learn new things, say new words and grow into a toddler (although you'll always be my baby!). There is nothing more wonderful than walking into your room in the mornings to see you standing in your crib with a huge excited grin ready to conquer the day. You bring so much joy and we love you to death! Have a wonderful birthday sweet boy!! Love, Mom & Dad

Happy Birthday, Mom!

2008-11-04T12:41:00.000-08:00

Today Samuel and I made a special trip downtown to visit with the birthday girl. We had a yummy lunch at Seaboard 18. It was quite fancy for a one year old, but Samuel did great. Next we headed to Logan's to see all of the Christmas decorations. It was beautiful! I think Samuel would have jumped in the Christmas trees had we let him. His pointer finger was going nuts as he "talked" to all the cool ornaments. We tried to get pictures at Logan's, but it was seriously impossible to get Samuel to look at the camera long enough. Who could blame him with all the sights to see?! We ended the visit at my mom's office where she had a blast showing off her grandson. Everyone stole a squeeze or kiss from Samuel and he was happy to oblige. Happy Birthday, Mom! Thank you for for being a wonderful mother and grandmother. Samuel and I are blessed to have you in our lives!

Here he is definitely thinking, "What should I get into first?"...

He decided to make himself useful and type up a memo. Notice the gorgeous roses sent by my step-dad - nice touch!

Samuel was intrigued by this fake puppy my mom keeps out for young visitors.

What does the chicken say?

2008-11-01T14:55:00.000-07:00

Fun Stuff

2008-10-31T17:25:00.001-07:00

We really got some mileage out of the cow costume this week. Tuesday the kids dressed up for Kindermusic and it was a lot of fun. Samuel even had a surprise visit from Daddy which made his day! He could not stop saying "Daddy" and pointing to him.
I've been practicing the animal sounds with Samuel in hopes he'd have a "Moo" down by Halloween, but to no avail. However, he did get the chicken sound down. We'll ask him what the chicken says and he'll say, "bock, bock, bock" - too cute.

Here is Samuel with his rooster friend, Sawyer, at Kindermusic.

Avery and Samuel always have fun in class beating the drums, shaking the shakers and pulling up on everything in sight.

Miss Dree obviously has a captive audience. These boys stare at her like she's an angel. She is great with kids!

Samuel and his surprise visitor...

Samuel and Avery always take time out to explore the premises. Here's my little cow making sure we are all still watching him.

Here we are tonight before meeting up with our playgroup to circle the neighborhood. There were TONS of kids which made for a fun time.

Samuel quickly got the system down....look cute, get candy. We let him work his magic and later consumed the profits.

It was way too chaotic to get everyone together for a group photo. This was our best effort!

Dad V's 70th celebration and a Fall Festival with friends

2008-10-26T17:32:00.000-07:00

This was a fun weekend! Brian's family flew in for my father-in-law's 70th birthday and to celebrate Samuel's birthday 2 weeks early. Dad V's best friend, Bud, also spent the weekend with us. He drove down from MD and the old friends had a lot of fun catching up and sharing stories from their 54 years of friendship. Samuel hit the jackpot with lots of adorable outfits (even a Penn State outfit) and some cute toys. I hope the birthday boys felt very special and loved. It was a great weekend! I'll share the weekend through the following picture captions.

Here is Samuel before we went out to dinner Thursday night wearing the Boston Red Sox hat his Aunt Lynnie gave him. I love the baseball on top of the hat--too cute! Here we all are at the Angus Barn. This is one of our favorites, so we officially celebrated Dad V's big birthday here. We even went around sharing things we loved about the birthday boy--his affirmation love tank was overflowing.

That's some candle!!
Here are the birthday boys with their cake...Samuel is wearing his Penn State gear for the big game later that night (they won).

We loved having our good friends and neighbors over to celebrate with us. Henry and Samuel had a blast taking turns in the wagon. Henry loved pushing Samuel around as fast as he could. Here is Samuel with his first little cake...he was hesitant at first, but it didn't take too long...

I think someone warmed up! He had cake and frosting from head to toe, but it was well worth it!

Once we said goodbye to the V's, we got ready for an outing with our good friends, Tom, Merritt and Winnie. We dressed the kids up and headed to our church Fall Festival. Below is my cute little chocolate milk cow before we headed out. Be on the lookout for many more cow pics as we are dressing up for Kindermusic on Tuesday and Halloween on Friday.

Winnie is the precious little bumble bee. These buddies were true sports with the costumes...no complaining!The pony rides were a hit! The kids loved them...look at that little happy face. He cried to get back on the ponies once his ride was over.

I had to laugh at this picture. It looks like Winnie's saying, "Come on, Samuel, look at the camera!" and Samuel is looking at her hand on his arm like, "Watch it, sister."

A special visit and an early birthday toy!

2008-10-20T18:27:00.000-07:00

This was a very special weekend! One of my best friends, Dolly, had a beautiful baby boy named Michael. There have been several posts on his arrival, but I'm sure no one gets tired of seeing new pictures of a precious newborn. I drove up to VA on Sunday to visit the new arrival and it was definitely worth the trip. Michael has the sweetest little features and is just ADORABLE! He seemed so laidback too--just like his mommy & daddy. Dolly and Leland looked great for not having much sleep in the last few days. They are already such sweet, adoring parents...Michael is a very blessed boy!

Look at this proud mommy admiring her baby boy. Already such a priceless bond!

Sorry, Dolly, I think you thought I was getting both of you in this picture, but Michael is the true star of the show. Look at this little face--could he be any cuter, seriously!?!?!
So peaceful...I never heard him cry once!
It was very sentimental seeing Dolly with her new baby....I loved thinking of all the deep talks we had about our future husbands, kids, life and it was so wonderful to see how God has blessed her. I can't wait for Samuel to meet his new buddy!

Samuel will be one year old in a few weeks, but we could not wait to give him his new toy. It was a hit as you can tell in the videos.

Women's Retreat

2008-10-14T17:25:00.000-07:00

For the past 4 years I have been in a monthly Women's Bible Study with some neat girls who love the Lord. This year we decided to get away for a weekend retreat in Boone, NC. We stayed in a cozy log cabin nestled deep in the mountains. Our teacher, Debbie, broke out the study into 4 sessions beginning on Friday night and continuing through Sunday. We always learn so much from Debbie who truly uses her spiritual gift of teaching to enrich lives.
On Saturday we headed out to experience some local flare. Our first stop was a music festival complete with bluegrass, all sorts of crafts and naturally lots of BBQ, fried dough, cakes and pies. It was like another world where time goes a little slower and instead of traffic you hear the whistling of a harmonica and the strum of the banjo. After we sampled the country side of things we headed to what any girl would find on a trip--OUTLETS! We all find some bargains then made our last shopping stop in downtown Boone. The cute specialty shops were so fun to browse especially because it was a beautiful Fall day and the leaves were gorgeous. We had a fun time, but were all ready to get back to our munchkins! I have to give kudos to all 9 dads who took wonderful care of the kids. Brian and Samuel had a great time going out to eat, riding on the golf cart and taking walks.

Below are the girls doing what girls do best...gathering in the kitchen around food! Merritt is a diehard Penn State fan, so she had to watch some of the big game (and they won!).
Here are Merritt and I at the festival.

Bluegrass at it's finest! The little kids would even get on stage and dance.
Here we all are on Sunday right before we finished up the study and headed home. Great memories!

Happy 11 Month Birthday and check out my leaky-free eye!

2008-10-08T17:59:00.000-07:00

Today Samuel is 11 months old. I think I'm going to pass out when I actually do his 1 year post because it's gone by in a blink. He is still a little peanut, but he is fitting into his 12 month clothes for the most part. His favorite pastimes include stair climbing, waving/saying "bye-bye" and pointing to Brian while saying "Da-Da". Occasionally he'll say "Ma-Ma", but he really likes the b & d consonants. He loves airplanes and playing "get you". He'll squeal and take off, giggling the whole time. Recently he decided baby food is not for him. He'll tolerate it sometimes, but he would much rather eat finger foods. His favorites are asparagus, peas, bananas, peaches and top of the list of course are Cheerios. Meal times are always a messy experience, but fun!

Recently he started going to Kindermusic and he really likes it. He loves the other babies in the class and shows it by patting them on the head and then putting his forehead up to theirs.
Soooo, that is a little 11-month update. We are amazed at how much joy this little guy has brought into our lives!

Below he is really showing off the new and improved eye--he even raised his eyebrow for a clear shot.
Here is another shot taken today. Thank the Lord the surgery worked!

2 Showers and a surgery (not in that order)

2008-10-02T17:19:00.000-07:00

I am finally blogging about last weekend and what a weekend it was! It started out at 5:00am Friday morning when we woke up dreading what was ahead -- Samuel's tear duct procedure. We went in his room thinking we could gently put him in the carseat at 5:15am and let him sleep on the way to the hospital. Nope...as soon as the door opened up popped two glazed eyes and a sleepy smile.
When we arrived at the hospital a few minutes later, Samuel had fun flirting with a 14 month old girl who was having the procedure after him. Once they called us back, the nurses ate him up. They told us he'd come back with lots of lipstick on his little head. He warmed up to them eventually. We did tear up when they took him back, but we knew he was in good hands. The following pictures were taken with Brian's phone while we were waiting for the nurse.

Here he is in his little hospital gown and a stamp above the eye that would have the surgery. Again, happy as can be for being up so early and in a new environment!

Here he is checking out his socks. And, Voila! Here he is 45 minutes after the surgery as happy as can be. Friends who have had this done said he would be knocked out by the time he got in the car to ride home. Well, over an hour later he was playing as hard as he could. The surgery only lasted 10 minutes and the results are priceless. His eye is now perfect with no more leaks or crust. I took a picture to show the true "after" today, but my camera battery died so I'll do another post later.
Then started the shower mania. For months a few of us have been planning a double surprise shower for Natalie and Jessica. Well, they thought they were going to the other one's surprise shower and found out it was a double one for both. It was a lot of fun and they both received some really nice things. Oh, and both are having their second little boys.

We had a brunch theme with lots of yummy comfort foods. The cake was as tasty as it was cute.
Here are the girls playing one of the games....
One hour after cleaning up from Jess/Natalie's shower, I headed to VA to attend Dolly's final shower. I missed her Charlotte shower b/c Brian was too sick to keep Samuel, so this was my way of making it up to her. We had a lot of fun staying up late talking and going through her adorable baby things. I loved seeing her precious nursery in person too.

Here she is with a nifty contraption her sister-in-law, Joy, gave her. A bib/paci combo. Dolly wanted to test it out for Michael.

She received so many cute items including lots of personalized gifts which were adorable.
It looks like I'm just putting my hand on her belly with no bump, but I promise it's there. Dolly has heard it throughout her entire pregnancy, but it's true, she wears pregnancy extremely well! Now, the countdown has REALLY begun...only two weeks give or take!

Samuel's Dedication Day and a visit from Pup-pup!

2008-09-21T13:45:00.000-07:00

We had a wonderful, packed weekend. My father-in-law flew in for four days and we had a great time as always. Samuel took to him very quickly and the pair made some cute memories.

Also, we were finally able to dedicate Samuel at our home church. They only have one dedication a year, so today was finally the big day! With 40 kids, all their families and only 15 minutes between services to actually do the program, it was a bit chaotic. Still, it was very special to dedicate Samuel to the Lord and vow to raise him as we feel God would be pleased.

Below is a family shot right before the dedication began. Samuel was a very happy boy despite missing his morning nap!

Here is Samuel with his Pup pup. They had a great time making memories.
Here is a shot of the boys before the dedication...
Grandpa and Mimi were there for the big occasion as well...
Here is a sweet picture (although a big close) of Samuel during the program...he was a good listener:).
The slideshow was fun to watch. He was 2 days old in the first picture, 5 1/2 months in the second and 7 months in the last. Please ignore the wings on the other screens...it goes with the series the pastor recently started.

Happy 10 Month Birthday!!

2008-09-08T12:57:00.000-07:00

Today is Samuel's 10 month birthday! I really have a hard time grasping how fast the last 10 months have flown by and how life changing they have been. It has been the greatest joy to watch our little boy learn new things, give affection and capture our hearts more and more each day. It's so neat to watch his unique personality traits surface. He is a fun loving, tenderhearted baby who knows what he likes and doesn't:). It's going by so quickly so we are just enjoying the ride and all the wonderful moments. Here is a little video from this morning....

Samuel's First Haircut!

2008-09-01T12:23:00.000-07:00

Today was a big day for the little guy. He has been flirting with a baby mullet for a few weeks, but I wasn't quite ready to take the first haircut plunge. Well, today was the day. We took him to Snip-it's for a very simple trim, just a little off the back and sides. He thought everything was really cool up until about the second snip...then it was a different story.

Here he is settling into his chair, checking himself out in the mirror.

This picture is funny blown up because he is realizing he does NOT like this lady messing with him. I don't think he was keen on the cape either.

No question...this is NOT a happy boy and haircuts are for the birds! MUCH better--let's finish this up in mama's arms. He still didn't like being messed with...
Here is he--mullet free! You can't tell any difference in the front, but his little cut looks quite handsome. He wasn't ready to give any smiles, but was relieved the deed was done. We have a little "My First Haircut" certificate and a lock of blond hair. Another first for the baby book!

A Visit from Uncle Wes and Grandpa

2008-08-24T17:15:00.000-07:00

We had a busy, fun weekend! On Friday night my mom babysat for us to go on a much needed date night. We had a great time and after dinner ended up at Babies R Us to use a coupon for 20% off a new carseat for Samuel. They didn't have the one we wanted in stock so we'll pick it up later this week.

On Saturday we had a special visit from my dad and brother. It was a beautiful night so we grilled out. They had a blast playing with Samuel and Samuel warmed up really quickly to them as well. Everytime Wesley would look at him, he'd grin or laugh. He was totally fascinated with my dad's beard too.

My dad is a gifted musician and he always plays the guitar for Samuel. It was amazing how much Samuel took to the music. Notice how he was looking up at him in awe. He stared at him through the entire song.
Okay, I had to post this picture...my brother is very awkward with babies, but Samuel is a little older, so they are bonding. Still, check out Wesley's expression as Samuel gives him a once over. There we go--a SMILE! I knew he'd win your heart!

For those who do not know my dad, he is Harley loving dude. So, when I found out we were having a boy, my dad sent Samuel some much needed Harley paraphernalia. Below he is wearing the onesie my dad sent and I had to snap a picture of them both in Harley gear. Notice Samuel's shirt says, "Born to be Wild" which is exactly what he looks like in the pic. Actually, he is just talking away.

Gymboree class and more

2008-08-20T17:25:00.000-07:00

Wednesday is Gymboree Day. Samuel loves the class and REALLY loves "Gymbo" the clown. We have a mini one at home so he thinks the big one is really his. The class has lots of stimulating activities and Samuel loves playing with the kids. His favorite part is the bubbles and the parachute at the end. I couldn't get great pictures of that though. Here are a few shots of yesterday's class:

Here is Samuel trying to share a ball with his buddy Elijah. Everytime Gymbo comes by to give hugs, Samuel hugs him back and doesn't want to let go. I have to say that having a Gymbo in our home sort of gives me the creeps. One morning Brian set it right by my face so it was the first thing I saw upon waking up---not cool!
He even loves the painted Gymbo....

As you can probably tell, I recently learned how to upload videos, so I am going a little nuts with it--forgive me.

This video below is of Samuel w/ his new toy--he loves this thing, especially smacking it:). Sorry it's sideways.

Samuel finds a friend!!

2008-08-14T11:05:00.001-07:00

I can't believe he's NINE months!

2008-08-12T11:03:00.001-07:00

Time is flying by so quickly! Last Friday, Samuel turned 9 months old. It's hard to believe he'll actually be a year old in 3 months. It's been such a joy to watch him learn and grow as we learn and grow as parents. He is doing a crossover between an army crawl/real crawl and he is unstoppable these days. His poor arms and legs get red from all the moving and grooving he does. He is learning his off limit areas and objects in the house. He'll crawl over to them and I'll say, "Samuel" and he'll look at me and then go as fast as he can to the object before I get to him. Now when we say, "no touch", he makes this growl like sound. We can't help but crack up. He is also exploring in the mealtime arena. He loves to feed himself bite size foods, but he really wants control of the spoon. He sticks it in the baby food and then up to his mouth. I just let him go sometimes to see what he does--it's a terrible mess, but he is so proud of himself for his accomplishment. He is definitely a very sweet little boy who loves to explore! We're having so much fun seeing his personality emerge!

It seems like just yesterday, Samuel was a newborn all swaddled up and ready to leave the hospital (with his eager beaver, clueless parents:)...

Here he is below on his actual 9 month b-day...
This was taken yesterday when he got up from his nap all smiley and happy not knowing it was time for his check up and shots!
Again, so happy to get up from his nap (still in his sleepsack). Just to give you an heads up on his eye, we are going to have to surgery to open his tearduct. If one more person asks me if he has pink eye I'm going to scream. This was on his way out from the appt...he was mostly just tired b/c it was past naptime. Notice he is trying to escape the stroller which he usually loves.
This video is of Mr. Independent trying to feed himself. Like I said, independence can be a messy thing!

20 Random Facts About Me

2008-07-28T11:47:00.000-07:00

A lot of friends are doing a top 25 list of random facts. I made it to 20, but need to get some sleep, so I'll stop there!

*I forgot one that I'm now adding: When I was little, I loved my bus driver and every day when I would get off the bus I'd give her a hug and kiss. One day I was excited to tell her goodbye and I stood up before the bus came to a complete stop. I was thrown to the front of the bus and busted my lip.

1. I go through the Dunkin Doughnuts drive through so often, they call me by my first name.
Although Karen has only one front tooth, she makes a mean caramel coffee!

2. When Samuel was born I started really getting into routines, so much so that I
even began wearing the same pink sweatshirt every time I nursed.

3. When I go for walks, I have a habit of waving to neighbors too early or speaking
to them when they are too far to hear. It makes for a more awkward encounter once
you actually catch up to them. My husband picks on me about this all the time.
Now he says, "Wait, wait, wait...GO!" It's really hard for me because I don't
want them to think I'm being snotty.

4. I made friends at my local Harris Teeter. They were so nice and I swore I'd never
switch stores because of my loyalty. Well, flash forward to a new baby and a new
HT less than 40 seconds away and so long loyalty. I always felt bad for ditching
them. Then one day my nightmare came true. One of them showed up at my new HT and
caught me--I felt so ashamed!

5. I have a hard time ending a phone conversation. I now have several phrases down
that are good closers.

6. I wish my love language was something besides quality time! It seems easier to
have touch or affirmation be the top LL because it takes less time.

7. I made Brian read The Five Love Languages and the temperament book before we were
married. He's never been so self aware:).

8. I love amusement parks and fairs...everything about them. I love the thrill of
the rides and the fattening greasy flavor of the food. Three years ago I took
Brian to his first fair and lets just say he will joining me no more. He saw a
man sweeping, smoking and making our fried blooming onion all at the same time.
He also couldn't believe I'd ride things that are supported
by rusty metal.

9. I am a scary movie junkie! From the time I was 12 I would watch horror films with
my dad and to this day I love the shock of scary things which brings me to #10.

10. When I am startled whether it be from a scary movie or someone pulling out in
front of me, etc.., my body always has the same reaction. My armpits get very
tingly and itchy. I try to not scratch them b/c it's embarrassing, but I have
too!

11. It makes me cry to see kids bullied. One time I was in Target and there were 3
stock boys working. One of them was a little slow and the other two were teasing
him terribly. It made me so angry I finally said, "How would you like it if
someone treated you that way? You should be ashamed of yourself!"

12. I have an extremely crooked left big toe. I also have a brown mole on the tip of
my nose. When I worked at Billy Joe's people used to always tell me I had
chocolate on my nose.

13. I was a terrible big sister and started feeling guilty about it once I left for
college. I have spent the last 14 years apologizing to Wesley for being so
bratty. If you are reading this, Wes, I'm still sorry!!

14. In high school I skipped school with a friend and went shopping. While we were
in a store our PRINCIPAL made a stop at the same store and caught us in line. We
were in big trouble--be sure your sins will find you out!

15. My freshman year of college I was still majorly stuck on Disney (SO
EMBARRASSING!). I had mickey mouse sheets, notebooks and pencils. However, that
doesn't even compare to the fact that I carried a SYLVESTER the cat water bottle
with me at ALL times(Rachel, you gave me that water bottle and I did love it!).
Finally Mary hid sylvester in the
ceiling from me and gave me a much needed makeover--still owe you for that one,
Mary!

16. I was holding my sweet grandmother's hand when she went to be with the Lord. It
was 4a.m. and I told her it was okay if she was ready to go to heaven. She took
two more breaths and did just that. My heart still aches for her!

17. This is so embarrassing, but when I was a teen, I thought my calling was to be a
HAND MODEL!! I would only clean or do dishes with rubber clothes as to not
damage my assets. (Thanks, Mom, for being supportive even thougth I was nuts!)

18. I tried out to be a cheerleader my Junior year and made the squad even though I
could not do a cartwheel or split (still can't).

19. Brian and I got engaged on August 31, 2002; however, it would have been sooner.
I found out he was going to propose while we were in CA earlier in the summer
and I told him if he was planning on doing it, NOT to because I wasn't ready.
When our trip to CA came, I WAS actually ready and so sad he didn't ask me. On
our last night there we went to meet up with some of his old CA friends for
dinner. Right before we went in he told me that it was supposed to be a surprise
engagement dinner:(.

20. I'm a very good listener.

Okay, that is it---I'm getting tired, but it was fun to write this list!

Baby Shower, Reunion and lots of fun!

2008-07-22T15:27:00.000-07:00

What an incredible couple of days! On Friday, Samuel and I arrived in Lynchburg, VA for 5 days with my best friends and their kids for our annual reunion and a shower for our dear Dolly. It was SO FUN to watch our kids play together while we played together!:) The first night we had a pizza party at the Reber's and then prepped for Dolly's big day. The shower was so much fun and we really enjoyed spoiling Dolly. Saturday night we went to a local favorite--Osaka's for dinner and met up with some more of our old college friends--Joel, Joy and their new baby, Jett. Sunday night Dolly and Leland hosted a fun cookout with family and friends. It was fun to have the babies together and just catch up for a few hours. We had another dinner party on Monday night at the lovely Johnson home. It was a great few days. Thanks to everyone who made our time in VA so nice. A special thank you to Dawn, Dolly and the Reber family for hosting us all!

Below are tons of pictures, starting with Dolly's shower. Here are Mary and Teecy about to hang the balloons--sorry, Teec, I didn't notice your eye were shut until I downloaded the picture.
We served a plated lunch of chicken, tuna and egg salad with cheese, fruit and bread. Dawn ordered the chocolate on chocolate cake which was also a hit.
Here is Dolly with Caroline, Annabelle and Lola-Reese. They loved watching her open gifts.
Dolly received so many nice things! Little Michael is set!
Could she be ANY CUTER? Talk about a HOT MAMA!

15 years of friendship....What can I say? I love knowing no matter how far apart our lives geographically take us, we can aways count of one another for anything.
I look forward to a lifetime of friendship with you girls! Samuel and Roy Austin had a little time to play together.

Mary and I took the kiddos to Liberty for a little tour of our old stomping grounds. What numerous memories we've made on that campus! It was surreal thinking back to when we were college kids as we strolled our own kids through the buildings.

Future LU students.... If they attend Liberty, Samuel and Dolly-Jane will start the same year! Is there are future for these two? Time will tell:).
More bonding....
After a crazy, fun-filled, active five days, this boy was T-I-R-E-D! He was such a good boy during our trip. I admit I was a little nervous going without Brian for so long, but it was actually uneventful--thank goodness!

The following videos were taken during the trip and we figured family would especially enjoy seeing them. The first two feature Samuel babbling. He can say babababa, mamamama, and dadadada, but his obvious word of choice is captured in the videos.

This last video features my friend, Kim Handy, making Samuel giggle--he loved her!

Happy Birthday Brian and more updates...

2008-07-09T17:25:00.001-07:00

Happy Birthday, Brian!! Well today my sweet husband celebrated another year of life. He is a wonderful husband and father and we love him dearly. I appreciate how hard Brian works at every thing he does. This guy does not have a half-hearted bone in his body. We love you, Brian!
To remind him of his big day, I sang "Happy Birthday" (Marilyn Monroe breathy version) each time we spoke on the phone. That gave him a good laugh during a busy work day! We had a nice dinner tonight at one of our fav's--Bonefish Grill. After that we came home and I gave Brian his gifts and birthday cake. We are about to devour it.:) Yep, that's right, we have double the dessert! Our dear friend and neighbor, Jessica, made Brian a homemade cheesecake for his birthday. She is a GEM! Two weeks ago she brought over homemade apple crisp. She is an OUTSTANDING cook and we reap the benefits. We love you, Jessica!
Below is a picture of my sweet Samuel on his 8 month birthday taken yesterday--where has the time gone? When I rock him at night and he cuddles up to me I just close my eyes and try to freeze the moment....I know he is growing up so fast.
This picture was taken tonight as we played. He gets tickled at the funniest things, like a strange sound we make or when we play peek-a-boo. It's so fun to hear him laugh!
"Don't worry, Dad, I have these nifty handles to hang on too."
Today Samuel had an allergic reaction to something (not sure exactly what). I snapped this pic for the doctor even though it's hard to really see the severity of it. He's had these reactions a handful of times and they are so random. We did find out he is allergic to milk.

Below are some pictures from a play date with Jessica and Henry. When I first brought Samuel home, Henry wasn't so sure of him because Henry had always been my buddy and here I have this new little guy in my life. However, we've pushed through the growing pains and there is enough love for all! Henry is still my buddy!

Here are the two buddies posing nicely.... (check out Samuel's bottom teeth!)

Samuel: You sure are big and cool!

Henry: I like you, little dude, but you're embarrassing me!
Samuel: Seriously, I can't believe I'll be as big as you one day!

Henry: Don't worry, I'll show you the ropes.

Samuel: I like your nose (he LOVES noses).
Henry: Let's PLAY!

Friends forever....

God Bless America!!

2008-07-05T08:08:00.000-07:00

Hope everyone is having a fabulous 4th of July weekend! We spent the day at my mom's house and had a good ole fashion BBQ with all the fixin's:). We are going to relax today and tomorrow and have friends over for another cookout. It's so nice to have a long weekend with the family. Here are some snapshots from yesterday:

Here we are on the porch before leaving for my mom's. Samuel was all smiles.

Yes, I did coordinate our outfits the night before to show off some red, white and blue for America's big day! Notice my mom in the door reflection trying to get Samuel to look at the camera--hilarious!
Here is Samuel practicing his steps. He LOVES to stand. When we try to put him down in a sitting position he stretches his legs out to stand--so funny.
This below picture is classic! I had just put Samuel down for a nap and came down to see my step-dad and Brian snoozing away. Notice their neck pillows and how their ankles are crossed the same way. I had to laugh! With all three boys in peaceful slumber, my mom and I snuck out for some 4th of July shopping! Of course we found lots of goodies for Samuel.
Samuel loves Mimi's dogs. He squeals at them and tries to grab them (poor dogs!). Here he is mid-grab.

Again, Happy 4th of July weekend everyone!!

Swingtown--Let's get it off the air!

2008-06-16T09:31:00.000-07:00

A pastor friend of mine brought this to my attention and I was appalled! He copied an excerpt that is on the bottom of this post of a new show entitled, Swingtown. You may be like me and haven’t heard of it.

This show glamorizes open sex, porn, drug use and rips at the core of the institution of marriage. As a new mom it upsets me even more to see what is bombarding our children today.

Please contact your local station manager and let him know how you feel!

From Swingtown 1st show….
“Last Thursday CBS premiered a new summer program, “Swingtown” which is being touted by the network as “intriguing, summer fun”.
“There is nothing “fun” about the show - rather it is repugnant and destructive and one of the worst, if not the worst, show we’ve seen on network television. “Swingtown”, set in 1976, portrays “open marriage” and group sex as not only commonplace, but also as a boost for marital intimacy. And it ignores the facts regarding the addictive, damaging impact of pornography and gives the message that porn use, even by young boys, is no big deal.
The show opens with Tom, a married commercial pilot, bringing home a young stewardess to engage in group sex with his wife, Trina. The three are shown in bed together, as he has sex with the stewardess.
Another scene is of two boys approximately 13 years old. One of the boys finds a large box of his father’s porn magazines in the basement and they are shown ogling copies of Penthouse. When the father catches them with a magazine, he simply tells his son and the son’s friend,”Don’t let your mother catch you with this. She’ll have a coronary on the spot.” He then proceeds to hand the magazine back to his young son with a pat on the head.”

Happy Father's Day!

2008-06-15T15:20:00.001-07:00

Happy Father's Day to all of the daddy's out there! We had a nice weekend and made sure the dad in our house felt loved. We spent some time at the pool, ate some yummy food and gave Brian some gifts. Samuel definitely loves his Papa and I'm thankful to have such a great partner to raise our little fellow. Below is a recap of our day!

We took Samuel to the pool for the first time this week and he loved it! However, he did NOT love the sunglasses we got him (except to chew on)!
Here our the boys in the pool today. It was so bright that I took tons of pictures in hopes we'd get a good one since I had no idea what I was snapping.
I finally got him to put the glasses on (crooked, but oh well) long enough for a quick snapshot. They were off as soon as he could get to them.
For Father's Day and other special occasions I like to make Brian's favorite dish. This cannelloni recipe was passed down from his Italian grandmother. As soon as we were married I got a copy! It's very time consuming, but well worth it. For dessert we had Brian's fav, Cherry cream cheese pie. I think the V's need a few extra trips to the pool to work all this off!!
Samuel loves to stand and although he gets wobbly after a short time, he is starting to hold himself up for short periods. I was excited he balanced long enough for me to get this picture.

A special Happy Father's Day to our dad's as well. We love you and are so grateful for all the years you invested in our lives (and continue too).

Update and a Fun Family Visit

2008-06-10T09:07:00.000-07:00

First of all I wanted to thank all of you who prayed for and inquired about my grandfather. He passed away Sunday a week ago in Hospice surrounded by family. It's been a rough week and we'll miss him dearly. We are so thankful he is with the Lord and we are holding on to that!

Brian's parents and sister came for a visit last Thursday/Friday and we have had a blast with them! Of course Samuel was the focal point and everyone enjoyed playing with him. We grilled out, shopped and attended Henry's 2nd birthday party (Samuel's buddy). The V's little dog, Nittany, was a hit with Samuel. He giggled every time Nittany came near him. Poor dog though--Samuel's "playing" included ear pulling and his version of a hug which is trying to grab Nittany with both hands. I captured some of Samuel's moments with Nittany below. The V's leave tomorrow and we'll miss them. We've had a lot of fun together and they've been a big help!

Below is a family shot. Notice Samuel checking out Nittany and Nittany nervously looking behind to make sure his hair does not get pulled again.
Here is Samuel just up from a nap, still in his sleep sack having a ball petting Nittany.
Below is Samuel's new face--he gets so excited his whole face smiles and he wrinkles up his little nose and squeals.
Here is Auntie Lynnie with a very sleepy boy--he loves that thumb!
Samuel loves to be toted on daddy's shoulders, tossed in the air, tickled or just anything that involves a thrill and movement. He is constant motion and there is never a dull moment. He is doing new things practically everyday and I can't get enough of this little guy!

5 year anniversary, 2 teeth and 1 trip to the beach!

2008-06-01T10:52:00.001-07:00

As you can see from the title, we had a lot going on this weekend! Brian and I decided to celebrate our 5 year anniversary at Carolina beach. We arrived around 1pm on Friday and Samuel was not a happy boy! His nose was running like crazy, he was sneezing and just feeling lousy. He was very tired, but was not able to sleep for being uncomfortable. We were sure the weekend was going to be a rough one. In the afternoon, he perked up a little so we took him to the beach. He was very inquisitive as he is about everything. He could not understand what all this new stuff was, but he was going to try to find out! He liked having his toes in the water and just stared at the ocean and sand for a long time. I can't imagine seeing this grand sight for the first time! We took a long walk on the beach and then came in for some playtime. As Samuel and Brian were playing, Samuel gnawed on Brian's nose and I heard a yelp. This is how we discovered why our boy was feeling icky--his two bottom teeth came in!! We could see the white tops and feel the rough edges. We couldn't believe our baby was cutting teeth! Later that evening we ordered dinner in and sat on the deck with the ocean as our backdrop--it was very relaxing. Saturday we went to the park and had a nice day before heading to downtown Wilmington for dinner. We walked along the riverfront and Samuel soaked in all the new sights and sounds. Oh, and over the course of the weekend we played 28 games of backgammon (20 of which I won--sorry BJV!) It was a great weekend!!

Samuel taking in the ocean--not sure what to think at this point so he sucks his fingers as he ponders it all.
He liked getting his toes wet....
This is when we discovered he got his first 2 teeth in!!
Here we are on the front porch of the Pilot House after dinner--it was yummy! Here is a picture from our wedding day. I can't believe how quickly the last five years have gone by. I remember our wedding day like yesterday! The best memory was walking down the aisle to Brian knowing we were going to be lifelong partners. I remember butterflies in my stomach thinking about where life would take us and knowing there was no one else I'd want to have by my side. Five years later, I feel the same way--Happy Anniversary, Brian!!

Stadium Food and James Taylor

2008-05-29T06:36:00.000-07:00

Last night, Brian and I had a much needed date night! Mimi came over around 4 to take care of Samuel for us while we went to the James Taylor concert. It was a blast! I think we were ready for a little get away because we arrived TWO hours early for the concert. We felt like the Grizwalds entering Wally World because the place was so bare. We were the 4th car to arrive so we just hung out and talked until the doors opened. Before I get into the concert let me explain why "stadium food" is in the title. I LOVE stadium food--I love fair food, amusement park food, sporting event food, you name it. So, first things first, we hit the food. I had a yummy, messy BBQ chicken sandwich. We sat in our sits and as I went to take the first bite, my frozen fingers (it was cold last night) flipped over the container and BBQ went EVERYWHERE...the floor, sit, and in Brian's drink. Brian was a trooper and hooked me up with some chicken tenders/fries (less messy). The concert was a lot of fun. We were on the 11th row, so we really got a great view of everything. It was a fun night out!
The last two pics are of Samuel in his new fun place--the laundry basket! A friend at gymboree class told me her little one loves hanging out in her laundry basket and it was how she learned to pull up. Now when she needs a little time to get dinner ready, etc... she puts her little one down in the basket (on the carpet so if it tips over, it's still soft). I tried it with Samuel and he loved it.

Cookouts and Park Fun!

2008-05-26T15:44:00.000-07:00

We had a wonderful Memorial Day weekend and hope you did too! We had 3 cookouts. Saturday night our friends Rob, Elizabeth and their little guy, Ben, came over for some cheeseburgers with all the fixings. It was a lot of fun. Sunday we spent with my mom and step-dad and enjoyed the awesome weather and more yummy food. And, today, we had family time running errands and relaxing. We are going to throw something on the grill for one more cookout to round out the weekend.

I have to say my favorite part of the weekend was taking Samuel to the park to "play" for the first time. He's been to parks, but never as an active participant. We put him in the swing with us and he had a ball!! I have about 20 smiley pictures of his adventure.

Next it's slide time!! Here we are getting ready to take the plunge.
As you can see below, he isn't one bit afraid--looks like we have a little thrill seeker in the making on our hands (just like his mommy who loves roller coasters and anything that makes my stomach do a flip).
And, I must not forget to thank all of our veterans for their sacrifice and commitment to our country. A special thank you to my father-in-law who served our country proudly in the United States Navy!!

A Very Special Visit

2008-05-18T15:13:00.001-07:00

Today, Samuel, Brian and I headed to W-S to visit my sweet grandparents. For those who do not know, my grandfather (Pop) is very sick. He has been in remission for 9 years, then his cancer returned last May and it has been a battle ever since. He is now dependent on dialysis and they have told him the future seems bleak. However, we serve a God of miracles and we are praying for one. Even if the Lord takes Pop, we are thankful for every day we have him here on earth. Thank you everyone who has kept Pop in your prayers--I told him what great friends I have and he was so appreciative. All that to say, we knew just the medicine to cheer Pop up--enter Mr. Personality. Our little guy's personality has come into full bloom in his 6 month of life. He is very active and social, yet he is also my favorite little cuddlebug. He will smile and 'talk' to anyone (even the green light on his monitor and his toys). So, we knew a little visit to W-S would spread some cheer and it did just that! As soon as we sat Samuel down beside Pop on his hospital bed, he LOVED interacting with his great grandfather. He would seriously burst out in giggles everytime Pop looked at him and smiled. We were all rolling at the cute sight. It was a joyful visit and we are so happy we were able to spend quality time with Pop and Grandma Ray.
Below is Samuel smiling at Pop--just one of the 20 pictures I took:).
Okay, this little face is his new thing...he wrinkles up his nose and makes this funny sound. So funny.
Samuel gives Grandma Ray some loving too. She loved her time with him.
Again, thank you for the prayers and I'll keep you posted on Pop's condition!

Red Sox Baby

2008-05-17T07:30:00.001-07:00

This is what Samuel thinks of the Yankees! Brian was so excited to finally put his boy in this T-shirt.
Brian attended the University of New Hampshire and became a huge Red Sox fan after going to tons of games in Boston. He was so excited they won the World Series the year Samuel was born. He even ordered a few baby Red Sox items before Samuel's arrival. Well, he has been waiting 6 months to bust out this little T-shirt and today's the day! We had a little photo session this morning. I think my baby is destined to be a Carolina basketball, Red Sox baseball and anything to do with golf fan!

Happy Mother's Day!!

2008-05-11T08:11:00.001-07:00

The weekend started out rough when on Saturday morning I had to take Samuel to the doctor due to some sores bleeding on his neck. He just has very sensitive skin, so we got some strong ointment for all his red patches--poor thing. But, we did have a fun time Saturday night. My mom, step-dad and brother came over for a cookout. Samuel never touched the ground as he was passed around and loved by all. As you can see in this first picture--Mimi was in grammy heaven!! Happy Mother's Day to my sweet mom! Thank you for being a great example of a loving, nurturing mom. I hope to follow your footsteps! Happy Mother's Day to sweet Mum Mum too!
Here is my step-dad, Drex, playing around with Samuel. Okay, I had to snap a picture of this. My brother is very awkward with babies, but my mom put Samuel on Wesley so he HAD to hold him. I could tell Wes was very uncomfortable, but he loosened up once Samuel gave him a hilarious look as if to say, "What's up, Dude? We're cool!"
Brian did a great job making me feel loved on my first Mother's Day. He made me a yummy breakfast and gave me a cute outfit and my favorite flowers--hydrangeas. I received a few sweet cards too. On this first Mother's Day, I have to say that this sweet baby boy has stolen my heart forever and I am so overjoyed and thankful to be his mama.

And Away We Grow!

2008-05-03T07:58:00.001-07:00

Samuel has LOVED his rice cereal, so we decided to spice things up by adding sweet potatoes to his diet. Well in this picture he is politely smiling because he doesn't like them! He holds it in his mouth with a worried look before swallowing. I had to grab the camera to capture his sweet potato moment---I just wanted to kiss that little dirty face to pieces! Here he is at play. Everything goes directly in the mouth and once he gets bored he flips over to see the world from a different view. He is getting so big!
Our little guy turns 6 months next week and it's so hard to believe! He has been such a joy and keeps getting sweeter all the time. He is becoming more and more independent these days. He is sitting up for long periods of time and even has his favorite book. Everytime I get out "That's Not My Truck", he giggles! The book has thick pages so Samuel likes the turn the pages himself. He has also discovered the phone--he gets the biggest grin when he sees it (and of course the remote control). This past week our neighbor, Henry, waved at him and he waved back! I've only got him to do it one other time since, but it melts me. He is curious about everything and I can tell as soon as he starts crawling he is outta here! He has places to go and things to explore....it will be fun and tiring I'm sure!

Great Weekend!

2008-04-28T08:46:00.000-07:00

Samuel and Dolly Jane finally meet! Dolly Jane is Mary's daughter (one of my best friends from college) and we had so much fun catching up and letting our little ones play. The main purpose of the reunion was to hear Roscoe (Mary's hubby) speak at Liberty and receive the Church Planter of the Year award. Roscoe did amazing and we were so proud of him. I did not have my camera to capture the moment though:(. Below captures the relaxation we experienced at Leland's farm. Brian LOVED fishing with the guys and actually caught two with Roscoe. Dolly loved having some qt with the kiddos this weekend. She is looking so cute and is a gorgeous pregnant girl.
Here Leland is concentrating on his hook. He was a sport letting us stay at his house and enjoy his pond.
Samuel was such a sport over the weekend. He enjoyed the attention and scenery.
Look at this little doll!! Dolly Jane had a blast in the jumperoo and was such a happy girl over the weekend. Do you guys like the headband she's wearing? Mary makes them! She has them in all different sizes and colors and they are ADORABLE!!! Let me know if you want to purchase one of her unique, adorable headbands.
This was the last shot of the weekend. Mary's face is due to the fact that they were supposed to leave a little earlier, so they had to book it.

We had such a wonderful weekend!! Roscoe was honored at Liberty with the Church Planter of the Year award and asked to speak for the ministry chapel. He did an incredible job. Everyone was all ears soaking in his wisdom on the subject. It's amazing to see how God has blessed their ministry over the years and continues to bless. Mary used to tell me her dream of planting churches in New York one day and then she met and married a man with the same vision (God was obviously in the planning!). They have encountered some bumps in the road, but they continued to press forward and now have over 200 members and are thriving in all areas. Mary is the BEST pastor's wife. She helps with the youth ministry, leads worship and is a priceless encourager all while raising her two beautiful girls with excellence. Roscoe is a phenomenal speaker whose wisdom and heart for the Lord is evident to all who meet him. All that to say, it was so neat to see their efforts honored where it all began!

This was Samuel's first long weekend away from home so we were hoping for the best. Although the car ride there and back was not his favorite thing, he was a trooper! He slept great and went with the flow all weekend long. We had a wonderful time staying at Dolly and Leland's lovely home. One highlight was having an amazing breakfast at the Reber home while catching up with everyone like old times. The girls and kids had fun chatting at Leland's farm while the boys fished. Of course the girls stayed up late talking and taking advantage of our time together. We are so blessed that we are able to see each other a few times a year despite the miles between us. All in all it was a wonderful weekend!

A Wet Walk and Baby Signs

2008-04-22T14:25:00.001-07:00

Brian took advantage of the photo op...I'm sure the neighbors got a good laugh watching me walk in the tsunami.
"What's the big deal? I'm dry!"

Today was a busy one! First we had baby sign class (the pictures are out of order). I know--he IS a little young for it, but they said it was for 5 month olds on. My friend, Jenna, and I decided to give it try and it was a lot of fun. When they brought out "Beebo" the signing bear, Samuel squealed out in delight. It was really sweet. The class is really for the moms to learn the signs and teach the kiddos. Poor little guy was SO tired after the class because it was right during his usual morning nap.

Later in the day I decide to get Samuel out for a walk. It looked gorgeous out, so what's the harm? Well, about 1 MILE out I'm still seeing only sunny skies UNTIL I look behind me to see the black storm clouds following us. So, I turn around and took two steps then one drop, two and the heavens opened up and the rain came. Oh yes, I had my cell phone, but it had just died. When I arrived back home I was drenched, but thankfully Samuel was happy and dry:).

A Visit from Pop-Pop

2008-04-20T15:20:00.000-07:00

Look at the grin on Dad V--Can't you just tell he is full of the dickens?? Three generations of Vallecorse men...

I have exceptional in-laws. When I prayed for my future husband, God was kind enough to also bless me with a mother-in-law who is as sweet as apple pie, a sister-in-law who is a blast to be around and a father-in-law who is truly one of a kind. Dad V (which is what I affectionately call him) is the type of person you may only meet once, but you are sure to never forget. He is the friendliest person I have ever met. Once about a year ago he came down for a visit and Brian had to work and I was in my office working. Well, it had been a few hours without social contact and I knew Dad V was desperate for conversation when I looked out my window to see him IN the FedEx truck talking with the driver about moving to NC one day. He makes friends at the grocery store, bank and just about anywhere. Needless to say, he is a lot of fun to have around.

He spent this weekend loving on Samuel and soaking in the time they had together. As you probably know by his blog comments--he is one proud Pop-Pop! Thanks for coming down to visit us, Dad V--we love having you (and we missed you Mom V)!

Bring on the rice cereal!!

2008-04-11T13:51:00.000-07:00

Well, it's official, our baby is growing up!! It's sweet, cute and sad all at the same time. We decided to have the ceremonial rice cereal first feeding today because Samuel is constantly staring at us when we eat. The other day I put a spoon full of food in my mouth and he watched it go in and then put his hand on my mouth as if to ask, "where'd it go"!? So, we figured he was more than ready for some solids. From the first bite he was hooked! He kept trying to take over the spoon and feed himself. It was a messy experience, but I can't blame all of it on Samuel...several times the runny cereal ran right off the spoon and onto Samuel and the highchair. Our baby is an eater like his mama and daddy for sure!

Ireland or BUST!

2008-04-04T05:54:00.000-07:00

Dolly and Leland just left with Brian to head to the airport for their big trip to Ireland! Since Dolly wasn't able to get a picture of them leaving, I picked up where she left off. They were SO excited for their big trip. Since mama is probably going to be hungry on the plane, I made her some shamrock cookies to munch on. Can't wait for them to return with pictures of Ireland and all their traveling stories. Luck of the Irish! Top of the mornin' to ya!

Food, Fun, Friends and Family

2008-03-30T15:27:00.001-07:00

We had a busy, but fun weekend. First Samuel and I had a playdate with some friends (first picture). We all discovered we were pregnant and due within a week of each other. From the left to right the babies are Samuel, Winnie, Presley and Sam. Sam arrived first, 2 weeks later Samuel arrived, and the next week Winnie and Presley made their grand entrance. It's been fun watching our little ones grow up over the last 5 months and taking notes from one another. We decided to get together at Courtney's house (Sam's mom) on Saturday for lunch. We had fun letting the babies study each other. Next, Brian prepped for another yummy Italian meal. He made his famous Chicken Parm (my college friends can attest to how delicious it is) for our friends Merritt and Tom. We had a great time with them. Below is Brian testing his creation (or pretending to for the sake of the blog photo op:).
Here we are with Merritt and Winnie. Samuel is blowing bubbles and Winnie is checking out the TV. We always thought Merritt would have the active baby because she is so active and Winnie was so active in the womb while Samuel was calm in the womb. However, once they arrived we quickly figured out how different their personalities actually are! We call Winnie "Sleeping Beauty" and Samuel "The Young and the Restless"....although he is sleeping much better these days.
We had so much fun getting these pictures of the kiddos. They were holding hands the whole time. Look at them sporting the overalls.
Then on Sunday my dear ole Pop turned 51. We had him (and his wife, Denise) over for his birthday lunch and Brian made none other than Chicken Parm--yep, twice in a row, but I'm not complaining! Here is my dad blowing out his candle.
Here you see Grandpappy having some quality time with his grandson. Samuel is obviously pretty fond of him by the huge grin on his face!!

4th Month Pictures

2008-03-28T12:52:00.001-07:00

We had such a fun time getting Samuel's 4 month pictures. He was quite a ham during the shoot and it was cracking us up. Some of the proofs were hilarious because he is moving like mad man and they are all action shots. She tried to get pictures of him spread out on a boppy type pillow, but he pulled himself up and off the pillow within 2 seconds and his chubby legs were dangling in the air. Normally I would not wear a hoodie for pictures, but I wasn't supposed to be in them. She just snapped a few in-action shots. Enjoy the pics!

Happy Easter!

2008-03-21T08:58:00.001-07:00

Should I eat the bunny.... Hug the bunny....
Worry about the bunny...Look cute with the bunny...

Okay, really mom? Let's end this photo session.

Here is Samuel in his Easter outfit with his Easter bunny. He LOVES this bunny. Brian got it for him the day before he was born as a "welcome to the world" gift and he loves it. We keep it in his crib and when I put him down to sleep he always smiles at it first thing. And, when he gets up from sleep I see him in the monitor smiling at the bunny and trying to make his way to the top of the crib to get it.
We are going to the Good Friday service at our church tonight at 6pm, so we broke out the Easter outfit early. I hope everyone has a wonderful Easter weekend with loved ones while celebrating the death/resurrection of Christ!

Samuel's 4 Month Appt...

2008-03-11T10:06:00.000-07:00

Sweet Samuel getting up from his nap just in time for his check-up. Little does he know that shots are in his near future....poor baby! Here he is with daddy right before his shots. He's sucking his fingers with that worried look like he knows something's up!
Here he is right after the shots. He cried, but not for long. I think it was harder on us!
Look at that sad little face!! We put him in his comfy PJ's for the rest of the day.
This picture has nothing to do w/ his check-up. We put together his Jumperoo and the first time we put him in it, he was backwards. Too funny to not grab the camera!

Today we had Samuel's 4 month check-up. I can't believe my little guy is already 4 months old! It's been so fun watching him grow and develop over the last few months and although we know there is much to look forward to, sometimes we want to slow the time down. Samuel's little personality is evolving more and more! He loves when we read, talk and sing to him and let's us know with his cute squeaks and coos. He has started mimicking things too. When you stick your tongue out at him he pokes his little tongue out right back at you. He LOVES this game now! Everytime I go to pick him up out of the crib from a nap he grins and sticks his tongue out--it melts me! He has started giggling too. Mostly when we tickle him and sometimes just when he thinks sometime is funny like when I kiss his hand over and over. He is hitting all his milestones well and even tries to sit up (although he can't quite yet). He sometimes grabs the toys dangling from his mobile gym and uses them as leverage to try pull himself up. It's hilarious to watch. He recently decided baths were not his favorite thing, so he tries sooo hard to pull up and out of it. He has rolled over a few times, but he then finds himself stuck on his back and is not happy. We have to intervene at that point! He weighed in today at 14.6 pounds. He is eating well and loves to play with my hand during feedings. Enjoy the pictures!

I did it!

2008-02-25T11:10:00.001-08:00

Here we are--in and out of the store in record time with no meltdown! Mission accomplished!
Ah..the fruits of my labor--Groceries and Samuel, get it?!
Just a cute picture I had to throw in--His Auntie Lynnie got him this cute number.

First of all, we had a rough night last night. Samuel's sleep monitor that sets off an alarm if it senses no breathing in 20 seconds, went off at 12:30am because Samuel had worked his way to the bottom of the crib off the sensor. Well, he didn't go back to sleep until 3:30am! Brian in the meantime tells me, "you need to nap when he naps tomorrow instead of blogging:)"...well, easier said than done! I have a hard time napping during the day lately anyway.

Today was a BIG day....I know this is going to sound crazy to you veteran mom's, but one of my fears has been taking Samuel to the grocery store. I think it has to do with the fact that he hated his carseat for so long coupled with his acid reflux fussiness--grocery shopping just seemed like torture. However, a Harris Teeter just opened literally less than 1/2 mile from my house, so I decided it was time to tackle this little fear. I'm happy to say, all went SUPER! Granted, I was speeding through the grocery store with wreckless abandon, but he did great. He probably felt queasy from my lightning speed throughout the store, but he didn't show it! So, I decided to get a picture to mark the occasion and I have to say--it was embarrassing to ask the bagger take the picture. I told him it was our first trip just the two of us to the grocery store---I don't think he really cared! It's so nice having the store so close because within one hour I was able to feed/change Samuel, get groceries and put dinner in the crockpot before my little guy's nap.

Sleepy Baby, Happy Parents

2008-02-10T07:18:00.000-08:00

Last night was a big night in the V household. Let me first explain that our little guy doesn't sleep on the go--not in his car seat on drives or in unfamiliar places. Therefore, when we go out he is bound to miss a nap (well, he'll take a catnap in mom's arms, but that's the extent of it). So, last night at church Samuel slept in my arms maybe 20 minutes which means he only had 20 min of sleep between 4:30 and when we put him to bed at 9:00. The above picture is Samuel SOOOOO tired (notice the sweet little tear in his eye). I love that he is a thumbsucker b/c I think it's so sweet that he loves that little thumb and goes for it when he's tired or upset. Anyway, all that to say---he slept from 9:00pm straight through until 6:35am!!!!!! We are soooo excited and I even made Brian go make sure he was breathing around 5:00am. We are so thankful to God that the acid reflux medicine he is now on is working. He still has some of the reflux, but the major pain he was in is mostly gone with an occasional flare up. Here's hoping this sleeping through the night gig lasts!

2008-02-05T12:50:00.000-08:00

Samuel's first Superbowl! We have to turn his head from the TV b/c he loves to stare at it already!

Notice Samuel's grip on the tub--he grabs the edge every time he gets in the bathtub, but eventually he has fun...

Here he is enjoying bath time a little more...

Samuel found his thumb and loves it.

He's tolerating his car seat better--although we haven't driven over 30 minutes with him yet!

Here are a few random pictures from the last few days. We are hanging in there. Samuel is on his third round of new meds for acid reflux and so far we aren't seeing relief for the little guy. He has silent reflux so he doesn't spit up a lot, he just swallows it back down all the time and it burns. It's hard to see him in pain. He wakes up a lot during naps, etc...because of the reflux so we are praying he outgrows it soon! Besides that he is a happy boy and gives lots of smiles and coos. He loves "standing" like in the first picture. You can tell he thinks he is such a big boy when he does it...it's cute!

2008-01-27T16:09:00.000-08:00

Samuel loves talking to himself in the mirror on his swing...he thinks he found a new playmate! What you talkin' 'bout, Willis? Samuel's first snow! I was holding him and taking the picture because Brian was out of town.

Samuel is almost 3 months old now and we cannot believe it! I love this age because he is sleeping better and because his little personality comes through more and more each day. I think my lips are permanently puckered from kissing his head so much. Could be why he is losing his hair! Brian was in CA for five days and boy did we miss him! Samuel had a few rough nights with his reflux pain and it was nerve wracking not having another set of hands to help out. We had a little snow storm while he was gone too. It was so beautiful to see snow falling, but a little claustrophobic at the same time because I didn't want to get out in the bad weather with Samuel. It was fun to see the ground WHITE though since that is a rare occasion here.

Samuel had his 2 month check up a few weeks ago (it was a little later than 8 weeks). He weighed in at 12.5 lbs, so he has some chub on him. He is getting more interested in trying to roll over. He has accomplished it twice--once last night. He grunted and strained so hard to move his little body over, then when he did his arm was stuck under his belly and he couldn't get it out. He is still working out the roll over kinks. He has been liking his car seat better too. Although last time I said that he decided he hated it again, so by my next post that could be the story. We were thankful for some peaceful outings last weekend though!

2008-01-08T13:41:00.001-08:00

Chris Farley Smile!

Happy Boy!

Which Way to Fenway?

Today Samuel is two months old! Time is flying by too fast. We are having fun with him and love seeing his spirited personality emerge. He still doesn't like his carseat which is difficult. We are hoping one day he will learn to love it--soon! He loves to be talked to and will coo at anyone willing to give him some attention. On a side note, my husband never really got into blogging, but I think he loves to read them now. He will ask me what is going on in the blog world and then the other day he yelled for me to come to the nursery for a blog photo op (the Fenway pic). He knew a good blog moment when he saw it. So, I've made a believer out of him:). Brian's a huge Red Sox fan, so he cannot wait to take Samuel to Fenway Park.

Dress up with Samuel

2008-01-01T09:28:00.001-08:00

Sometimes I have too much fun playing dress up with my little man. Here are some pictures in his Christmas outfit, puppy outfit and his preppy New Year's Eve party outfit. We had a fun Christmas with the V's in town. We went to the Christmas Eve service at our church, ate lots of good food made by my incredible cook husband and his sister, and just soaked in Samuel's first Christmas. Last night we went to a New Year's Eve party at our neighbor's house and it was a lot of fun. Samuel was the show stopper as he was passed around all night and loved cooing and smiling at everyone. When we left all the guests circled around him to get one more smile...which he unselfishly gave! However, mom and dad paid the price of his social night because he would not settle down for sleep until after midnight.

We are enjoying are little boy and finally believe all the people who said "it gets easier around 8 weeks"... We thought they just wanted to have something encouraging to say, but low and behold over the last 5 days our boy has slept better and even seems to have less pain from acid reflux. Oh, and he would NOT got in the carseat so cabin fever was settling in for mom, but he is even doing better with that--thank goodness! Hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and New Years!

Ready for the Cold!

2007-12-19T09:56:00.000-08:00

I had to post this picture because he looked so snuggly! I hope I'm not an obnoxious first time mom posting all these pictures, but I seriously have my camera around my neck most of the day capturing cute photo ops, so I wanted to share. We are learning a lot in our crash course of first-time parenting and here are a few of those things:
1. The inventor of the Baby Bjourn is a genius and if I ever meet this genius I'm giving him/her a huge bear hug.
2. Every baby is different and for all the books I've read and advice I've been given, I have to remember that no baby does the same thing the same way as the next baby. Therefore, I have to respect Samuel for the little individual he is (all the while hoping/fasting/praying he will sleep through the night SOON).
3. Sleep when the baby sleeps, which I rarely do so by the time his bed time comes along I'm practically sleep walking.
4. Remind myself to get all the cuddles in now because he'll never be this little and cuddly again.

Okay, we've learned more, but Samuel is crying so that will have to end this post!

First Christmas!

2007-12-16T07:39:00.000-08:00

We've had a fun December decorating and shopping for our first Christmas with Samuel. He is a very alert little boy and his eyes get sooo wide when he is looking around taking everything in. He loves looking at the Christmas lights! We have been rotating his Christmas outfits to get a lot of use out of them before Christmas and he even seems to like his Santa hat. It's exciting to know all of this is new to him and he will only continue to learn and grow. We celebrated Christmas with some of my family last night and will celebrate with Brian's family next weekend. It's a very special Christmas with a new little family member!

2007-12-03T10:49:00.000-08:00

Our neighbor did a family photo shoot when Samuel was just shy of 2 weeks old and here are two of the pictures. The shoot was hilarious because it ran into Samuel's meal time and he was not happy! Still we were able to capture some precious memories and we are thankful for that. We are enjoying our little guy and starting to recognize what his different cries mean which is helpful. He is a great eater and weighed in at 9lbs/14oz last Friday. Poor guy has an ear infection right now though and is on antibiotics in only his 3rd week of life. He is hanging in there and hopefully will be feeling better soon. We have gotten out a few times with him and it's been smoother than our first outing to Danny's BBQ. We have not forgotten the pacifier again!

Samuel's First Real Bath

2007-11-24T12:44:00.001-08:00

Samuel did NOT like his first full bath experience!

"Help me, mom!"

Safe at last!

We gave Samuel his first real bath this afternoon and it was quite traumatic for the little fellow. After being dried off in his froggy towel he was so snugly in our arms---it was precious! Plus he smelled sooo clean and nice like the Johnson's bedtime lotion that we wanted to eat him up. He is now 2 weeks and 2 days old and weighs 8lbs and 8oz. He is a healthy baby boy and a great eater! Although we are still very exhausted from the lack of sleep, Samuel is a very good baby and allows us bits and pieces of rest now and then:). We've enjoyed lots of visitors and family in the past 2 weeks and I think we are getting chubby from all the yummy food we are receiving! Brian has been off work the past few days and it has been so nice to have family time just the three of us. He has picked up Dunkin Donuts for me the past few mornings which is a bad habit I got into while pregnant--I craved doughnuts and still do!

2007-11-21T05:50:00.000-08:00

Things have been quite busy in our household over the last 13 days. We are learning more and more about our little guy and getting into more of a routine. He is such a joy and we are thankful for a healthy, happy baby.

We had our first dinner date with him last Friday to Danny's BBQ. However, it did not go as well as we'd hoped--mostly due to the fact that mom and dad forgot his pacifier so after getting drinks Samuel woke up and was not happy. Therefore, Dad drove around the parking lot while my inlaws and I had dinner. Then I was flustered trying to get out of the restaurant and knocked over a ceramic pig shattering it in hundreds of pieces on my way out. Oh well, live and learn!

Samuel James

2007-11-12T15:04:00.000-08:00

Our little guy is finally here!! I'm a little delirious right now so this post will be short, but we are just so happy to have Samuel in our lives. He is such a sweet baby and although we are utterly exhausted it is so worth it when it's because of him! Labor and delivery went well except my first epidural didn't take so six hours later I had another one that was HEAVEN! We had to laugh when we arrived home because we thought we were oh so prepared and realized we had no newborn diapers and the smallest clothes we had were 0-3 (not newborn). So, we did some quick shopping. We've had lots of help which has been great. Tons of meals coming in and my mom has been a lifesaver! This parenting/feeding thing is definitely not for the faint of heart, but I guess that is why God made babies so adorable--because they are so worth it!

No room at the inn!

2007-11-07T07:28:00.000-08:00

Hi Everyone,
I thought this would be a blog filled with pictures of our new baby or at least I thought I'd be in labor by now, but NOPE to both! We were supposed to check into the hospital last night, but they had no birthing rooms empty and told us to be on call. Well, the call never came so I called this morning and they said they are still completely full so I should go to lunch or shopping and enjoy my day because it could be tonight or tomorrow before we are checked in. It's kind of funny since I've told everyone that we were having peanut today and now we are at home watching TV eating doughnuts:). I don't mind though because I'm hoping it gives my body an extra day to do some of this on its own! And, the baby gets more cook time. So, hopefully my next post will be pictures of the baby, but I have no idea what day he'll be here now. It's a waiting game!

Officially Overdue

2007-11-04T15:36:00.000-08:00

This is my last prego picture (taken at 40 weeks/2 days) because one way or another by this Wednesday our little guy will be here. I need to update my poll because I think he is going to pass all the dates (sorry Dad V, Mom, and Teecy--they all had birthdays that were on the poll). We have nested every weekend since my 35th week. I really don't think there is more I can do to get ready! Today I actually washed/dried/packed all the clothes I wanted to take to goodwill. I've vacuumed my house so many times in the last month I can't count and every weekend I do a frig purging to make room for the meals my sweet friends have volunteered to bring over. We put together the bouncy seat, diaper pail, pack-n-play, and gym and the batteries are in place. I even scattered some of these items in different rooms since I really don't know where I'll be using them. I've read so many baby books that I think I'm more confused than ever, but we'll figure it out. My bag & peanut's have been packed for a month and I've taken his little outfits from the bag and "played" with them a million times. I've started stocking up in ridiculous quantities on items such as paper towels, toilet paper and dish detergent like we will never be able to go to grocery store again. It's so funny how nervous energy can make you do crazy things! I know that no matter how much we nest/prepare that real life experience is going to be the best education we will receive.

So, in two days we will check into the hospital and by Wednesday night our little son will be in our arms! It is such a surreal feeling. I think I've said to my hubby 50 times this weekend, "can you believe on Wednesday or sooner we'll meet our son!!?!?!" And, then I go on to probe him to share his deepest feelings on the matter:). We are so overjoyed, scared out of our minds, giddy, nervous, excited and just sort of oblivious to what having a baby will really be like. Over the last 40 1/2 weeks I've felt like I've been preparing for the biggest exam of my life and it will be time to use every bit of advice and book knowledge on Wednesday. Except this exam is one that will last a lifetime. I'm sure we will make our fair share of mistakes along the way, but thankfully we will get many second chances as we stumble through this new thing called parenthood. And, it is all worth it to have our sweet little boy in our lives. Thank you all for keeping us in your prayers. We will be so excited to introduce you to our little boy in a few days!!

Fully roasted, but no peanut

2007-10-30T09:27:00.000-07:00

Well, I just had my 40th week check up today and we are a little sad. No new progress in the south, so I have an induction scheduled for next Wednesday, November 7th. We would check in Tuesday night and by Wednesday night peanut will have a real name! There is a 50/50 chance for a C-section with an induction, so we are praying for peanut to arrive on his own. Here lately every Friday when we go out we say, "this is probably our last date night without a baby" and every Friday night we are wrong! So, this Friday night we KNOW it will be the last one before peanut arrives.
We will keep everyone posted if anything new progresses. We have one more doctor's appt on Monday to check everything out so we'll see how that goes. I'll plan to bring my laptop to the hospital to share the good news with pictures of our sweet little guy.
Thanks for your prayers blogger fans!

And Away We Grow!!

2007-10-19T09:28:00.001-07:00

I am now 38 weeks and 2 days! The top picture is my 38th week and the bottom is my 37th...I've dropped! This pregnancy has flown by in some ways and poked by in others. All in all, it has been a fun pregnancy and I have no complaints. The sleeping issue has finally be resolved since I discovered our couch is a much better option for sleeping these days than the bed. If I had my guess I'd say peanut will arrive before his due date, but we'll see! We finally got the carseat in yesterday and it was our last big thing to accomplish. We still need to assemble the diaper pail thing, but at least it's not essential. I cannot believe all the items you need for something so tiny! I know the real fact of the matter is that 1/2 the things are for the parents use. Thank goodness for new inventions to help with sleeping, diaper smells and feeding!

We are getting very excited to meet our little boy for the first time. We cannot wait to see his little face and hold him. It's such a surreal feeling knowing that he'll be here within days or at least not passed Nov. 10 which is the latest they'll let us go. We appreciate all the prayers and will keep you posted with this little guy decides to meet the world!

Priceless...

2007-10-05T18:33:00.001-07:00

A Labor of Love

Memaw and I weeks after her diagnosis

Anyone who knows me at all, knows the deep relationship my grandmother (Memaw) and I shared throughout my life. Memaw was a constant in my life amid everything else that seemed to change. She was there for school lunches, plays, homecoming, college, graduations and my wedding. Truly, she was a gift from God and I'm so thankful for the 29 years my life was blessed with her in it.

Tragically in 2005, Memaw was shockingly diagnosed with a cancerous brain tumor and given less than six months to live. We savored every moment we had together with visits, calls, and heart-to-hearts I will never forget. Memaw was an avid writer and had many pen pals. A holiday never passed without one of her festive cards gracing my mailbox or just a letter detailing what was happening on the homefront. For my 29th birthday, I received my most prized letter from Memaw. The envelope adorned her notorious smiley stickers and sweet sayings as if it were no different from any letter she’d sent me. But, as I opened it, I knew that it was. It was her good bye, her final letter to me. She knew the tumor was growing and in time she would not be able to write at all, so she seized this opportunity to put on paper her final thoughts, advice and undying love for me in one very special letter.

For 20 minutes I read her recap of our past 29 years together as one of the closest grandmother/granddaughter relationships I’ve ever known. She talked about my childhood all the way up to my wedding day and beyond. She gave me life advice for my future and ended the letter – my last letter from her with, “Continue to live God’s way and He’ll bless you. Wear your seatbelt and know your notes, letters and cards are kept in a special place. Love you darling, Memaw” In the days following her death, I found her “special place” in a dresser drawer—it was a box containing every letter I’d written her from the time I was 2 years old.

Now, let me explain the quilt picture above. Two days before Memaw passed away peacefully at the Hospice House, I was looking through drawers in her home just to hold on to anything that was hers. It was then I found a bag with blue quilt squares with different images quilted on each one. All it needed was to be sewn together for completion and I knew exactly what it was. Memaw had started a baby blanket for me and it was for a baby boy!!! It was a project she knew she would never finish before she passed away, but she got as far as she could. By this point Memaw was breathing heavily and not responding (talking, etc...). Yet, during my visit with her the next day when I whispered to her that I found the blanket and I would make sure my mom finished it on her behalf I noticed that she paused in her breathing as if she were intently taking in my every word. I'm so glad I was able to let her know I found her priceless treasure.

Today, my mom brought me the final precious product seen above. It is so neat that she was able to finish where Memaw left off and "peanut" will always know the love that was put into his blanket from both Memaw and my mom. Of course I've shed more than a few tears looking at the blanket knowing how proud Memaw would be of it. I cannot wait to wrap him up in the blanket at the hospital and know that a piece of my grandmother is there with us!

Different Shower, Same Dress

2007-09-23T17:08:00.001-07:00

My mom the lovely hostess...

Dolly has now officially been at all of my baby showers--what a trooper

Dolly, it's okay that you love shower food!

A few of my aunts and cousins...

Yummy cake!

This past weekend my mom threw me a family shower. It was so nice to visit with my aunts, cousins and grandmother all the while indulging in yummy shower food. We had a nice afternoon and I received a lot of nice gifts. Dolly and Leland were going to fly out of Raleigh on Sunday morning so they spent Saturday night with us. They made it for the tail end of the shower which was fun. This was my last shower, so now we just wait for this little guy to make his grand entrance! Oh, and I am wearing the same dress as my last shower a week ago...I mean I have 5 1/2 weeks left so I'm not investing in more maternity clothes!

Baby Shower

2007-09-16T15:54:00.000-07:00

Here are the two proud grandma's!

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Some of the guests...

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Dolly was so sweet to come down from VA to be at my shower.

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Heather, Amy, Merritt and Jessica--the shower planning girls (oh, and Amanda but she is on her way home from South Africa). They made everything so nice for my shower. I loved everything about it!

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My friend Jenna made the awesome cake...obviously mom and peanut loved it!

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Somehow Brian always manages to make it to the tail end of the showers and usually is caught around the food table.

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Jenna's cake creation...pound cake with raspberries and cream cheese frosting!

This past weekend I had a baby shower hosted by some of my close friends here in Raleigh. I was blown away with all the details that made it so special. It was a 1:00pm luncheon and the food was incredible...I've never seen such a spread!! Luckily I went home with a lot of the extras so I'm still reaping the rewards of their cooking abilities. The decorations were so cute and classy too. They even had my favorite flowers, blue hydrangeas, displayed in teapots around Jessica's house. The favors were adorable little personalized tea boxes. I loved all the games, the guests, the food and the gifts! I felt so loved and overwhelmed with everyone's generosity and the time/effort the girls put into my shower. Thank you so much!!

Peanut has a real nursery!

2007-09-16T15:39:00.000-07:00

Finally, our little guy has a room that is almost complete. For all who know my husband, the theme is obvious---GOLF. We had fun getting his room all ready and we were very happy with how the golf painting turned out. She also put little bees over the windows because our bedding has bees on it (golf bedding is non-existent!). Be on the lookout for a new post about peanut's shower!

A Taste of the South for my Northern Sister-In-Law

2007-09-07T15:19:00.000-07:00

Oh, where do I even begin in describing my sister-in-law? She is truly one of a kind in so many ways. She's hilarious, completely impulsive, always up for a good time, extremely ambitious and a female version of her dear father. For those of you who do not know the story, the weekend I met Brian at my friend Brett's wedding, Lynnie marched up to me at the rehearsal dinner and asked if I'd be interested in marrying her brother because she could see herself spending holidays with me. Little did any of us know that two years later I would indeed be marrying her brother.
Another tidbit about Lynnie is that she is a proud Northerner through and through! She loves the blizzards, accents, cable knit sweaters and of course the beauty of New England. However, after living in Boston, CT, and NJ for almost two decades, Lynnie decided it was time to hit the South and so she moved to our neck of the woods. Bless her Northern heart....she just happened to pick the hottest summer on record in NC to join the ranks of those of us stowed away in our air conditioned homes until mid-September. She was a trooper (well, she did have her raving fits about the heat now and again) and decided she was going to give the South her all. Over the last eight weeks I've tried my best to make her a Southern belle. I couldn't wait to introduce her to the simple joys of sweet tea and good 'ole Danny's BBQ. She never caved. However, today I was able to convince her to join me at one of the cutest tearooms in the area. She was a real sport even agreeing to play dress up in the feathery hats and colorful boas. After sipping on tea, nibbling on scones and lots of lively conversation I believe Lynnie truly enjoyed her taste of the South. We had a great time!

One thing I must note, however...in two weeks my dear sister-in-law is moving back North to Massachusetts after only 2 1/2 months "roughin" it in the South. Again, this deserves another, "Bless her little Northern heart"....

Mom and Dad V are mending nicely

2007-09-01T06:05:00.000-07:00

In my blog entitled, "Papa's Gotta Brand New Hip" I explained how my sweet father-in-law (Dad V) had hip replacement surgery a few weeks ago. Well, here is an update--he is doing GREAT! It was a very rough week post surgery for him (and for me when I had to give him shots!) but he says it is all worth it. After only 10 days with the new hip he flew back to PA on only one crutch! The surgeon is going to feature him on the video they send patients to watch before surgery. Dad V is a character so I'm sure he'll add some spice to it! He has his ole spark back and we are thrilled. He started driving again about 3 weeks after surgery and is 100% now--actually better than before!
Now, on to Mom V (my mother-in-law)who had her gallbladder removed yesterday. She was sent home after being in the hospital for greater part of the day because it was outpatient surgery. Although she's in pain today, she is mending nicely. Dad V is doing his best as her Florence Nightingale. We are just thankful all the surgeries are over and successful. Now they will be feeling spunky by the time they come down in Oct/Nov to meet their first grandchild!

Sneak Preview!

2007-08-17T06:19:00.000-07:00

Yesterday Brian and I had our 3D ultrasound and it was amazing to watch our little guy wink, swallow and wiggle around. We could have watched the screen all day, but alas, it was over in about 30 minutes. Luckily we have some great video clips and pictures to gaze at until we see him in person in only 11 weeks. The nurses loved his chubby little cheeks and we can't wait to squeeze them:). He currently weighs in at 3 pounds, 1 ounce. The last picture is my 7 month bump. I'm sure there is a fashion rule against pregnant women wearing busy patterns, but I don't care--it's my most comfy shirt!

Our First Birthing Class

2007-08-10T18:43:00.000-07:00

Brian and I had our first "Preparing for Childbirth" class last night and it was quite an experience! First, we show up empty handed and immediately notice that every other couple did their homework and brought two pillows and a yoga mat. I swore to Brian that no one had informed us about this, but was busted when he pointed out the instructions on our registration form. I do recall thinking when we were walking down the hall to our classroom that maybe we were supposed to bring something besides our giddy selves.

Next, we start the breathing exercises. After the teacher showed the dad's how to lead the mom's using hand motions it was time to shine. We turned to our spouses and let them take the lead. However, my poor husband was flushed and all confused. Instead of putting up the three fingers for the three "hee, hee, hee's" and then closing his fist for an exhale, he kept putting up more fingers until I thought he was waiting for a high five. Poor guy never got it completely right and we were giggling like school kids. All in all it was such a fun night although I don't know how fun it will be in labor and delivery when we realize we did not retain a single thing!

SURPRISE!!

2007-08-08T16:30:00.001-07:00

Brian and I drove to Charlotte last Saturday for Dolly's surprise 30th birthday party. This picture says it all---she was surprised all right! Leland did a great job making sure her 30th was special (and there is more to come because her actual birthday is the 19th). We had Qdoba for dinner and Dolly's sister, Donna, made a mean peanut butter/chocolate cake as well as a key lime pie. We had a blast playing a few rounds of Mafia before the night was over. Happy Early Birthday, Dolly!

Papa's Gotta Brand New Hip!

2007-08-02T19:07:00.000-07:00

Brian's dad (Dad V to me) had total hip replacement on Tuesday. He has been such a trooper and the entire hospital staff is in love with him. Those that know Dad V know that he is a spitfire Italian man full of energy and sparkling personality. Some of the scheduling staff even made a special trip to visit him the day after his surgery! He'll be coming home (our house) tomorrow for 7 days before heading to PA. He'll be running circles around us with his new hip in no time!