For Aunt Karen

Hey Karen, I just wanted you to see a picture of Sammi in the adorable outfit you sent her.  The crocheted sandal booties just kill me!  Thank you!

Love,
Nin

FAQ

Lots of people have asked if I made Sammi's blessing dress.  I did not.  I wish I could say I was that talented, but alas, I am not.  The good news is you can have one just like it!  We got it online from White Elegance.  Grandma and Grandpa J were so nice to give her such a beautiful dress.  It's hard to find blessing dresses, especially outside of Utah.  Pretty much all of them have crosses on them and start at size 6 months...I'm guessing for the whole Christening thing.  I guess that's cool if you're into infant baptism 'n' stuff.

The headband, you ask?  I didn't make it, but my good friend Natalie did.

The bracelet and pacifier clip?  I did make those...when I was craft happy before little S was born.

The bib?  Oh, the bib...my sweet Taiwanese visiting teaching partner Sister Chen made that for Sammi.  She was SO excited about it and worked very hard on it so that she could wear it for her blessing.  She asked me many times if I would send her a picture with Sammi wearing it, so I will have to remember to do that.  I have to guiltily admit that she didn't wear it for her actual blessing, but she wore it for a picture afterward...and that is the picture at the top of the blog and it's the one where we all looked the best.  I sincerely do appreciate Sister Chen working so hard and being so sweet.

And the baby girl?  Yes, I made her. :)

Sammi's Blessing Day

Here are the pictures of Sammi's blessing day.  There is something so special about your baby's blessing day, and this was no exception.  Ben gave her a beautiful blessing, and she looked so beautiful in her white dress.  We feel so blessed to have this sweet little girl in our family.  We love you Samantha May!

Our little family of four

We tried to take some pictures when we got home, but E would have none of that.

The grandparents and aunts and uncles

Grandma and Grandpa J with Sammi

The three generations

The aunts

The uncles

Our little sweetie in her beautiful dress

It's hard being so beautiful all day

Company

We were lucky enough to have two sets of grandparents come visit for Sammi's blessing last week during Ben's week off.  And, we were lucky enough to have them at two separate times!  First, we had Grandpa Tom and Grandma Dixy.  We picked them up from the airport and went to Schmidt's where they were super impressed with the 1/2 lb. cream puffs that are the specialty there.  We then decided to be completely spontaneous and tried to win some tickets to Wicked at the drawing they were holding outside the Ohio Theatre.   We didn't win, but they offered everyone who entered the drawing discounted tickets.  So we decided to go for it.  We rushed home, left E and Sammi with our trustworthy friends and rushed back to the theater in time for the show.  It was awesome.  I was so glad to finally get to see the show I've heard so much about.

The next morning, I dropped Grandpa Tom and Grandma Dixy off at school so that they could meet Ben for a suture workshop.  From there they went directly to Washington D.C. to the Glenn Beck rally.  That didn't sound like much fun to me, especially with two small children, so I opted to stay behind.  We passed the time with some friends and even got chicken nuggets for dinner one night.  I also watched quite a bit of Food Network.  I heart it.

The rally-goers returned just after midnight on Saturday night, and Grandma Dixy left really early the next morning.  Grandpa Tom stayed for three more days.  Those days were filled with a visit to the train tracks by our house, a small fishing trip, a Reds game (for Tom and Ben), a trip to the Bunny Fountains, Texas Roadhouse, Jeni's Ice Cream, and a very short round of Frisbee-golf, aka Frolf.  It was a lot of fun, and I don't think we could've packed much more in!

Just a few days later, Grandma and Grandpa J, Nat, Brad, and Steph arrived for their visit.  They arrived late at night, so they didn't get to see E the first night, but they got to meet Sammi for the first time and fell in love with her. (How could you not?)  We got up pretty early the next morning to drive to Cleveland to pick up Uncle Scott and head directly to our train excursion on the Cuyahoga Valley Railroad.  E was so excited about this.  See picture below.

He was thrilled to death to be on a real live train.  It was a three-hour round trip and he was awake for two of the three hours.  Every time he heard the train whistle, he would turn to me and say "Mommy, what sound?"  quickly followed by "It's not moving yet...nope, not yet."  The ultimate, though, was wearing his train shirt while playing with his trains ON a train...a train car named Emerson, no less.  You'd have thought we'd be all train-ed out by the end of the day but we were not.

a thrilled little boy

Happiness :)

Having these pictures in the order they're in makes it appear that there are two baby Sammis, but I assure you, we only have one.

Proof that we got to ride on the car named Emerson.  How cool is that?

After our train ride we drove to Kirtland and got there just in time to get a tour of the Kirtland Temple and the church-owned site as well.  Afterward, we went in search of some dinner and went to a 50's Diner.  They had really good milkshakes and HUGE hamburgers.  Then we drove all the way home and got there around 12:30 a.m.  Then we had Sammi's wonderful blessing day (it deserves its own post, so it will follow.)

On Monday, we headed to COSI to check out the Titanic Exhibit, then hurried to City BBQ and Graeter's before we had to drop Uncle Scott off at the airport.  We hung out for a couple more hours at our house and let everyone get more time with E "paying trains" and cuddling with Sammi, and then suddenly it was time for them to go. :(  We went out to the front porch and waved goodbye as the rest of the fam left for the airport.  Tears ensued, and the long-awaited trip was over.  We had so much fun and were so glad to have all my siblings here.  (But we missed having Ashley!)

I hate it when family has to leave, or we have to leave family.  It's the worst.  But at least we have Christmas to look forward to, and maybe even a trip in October for me and the kids.  Thanks again for coming!  We love you.

Four Happies, One Sad

I'll start with the sad. My family left yesterday. They came out for Sammi's blessing and we had a great time. My only complaint was that the time went by way too fast! I will post pictures from their visit and Sammi's big day shortly. You'd think I'd be able to say goodbye without tears by now, but I can't. So cry I did. For a long time.

Luckily though, I have my own precious little family right here in Columbus to cheer me up. They each did such nice things for me after my family left.

1. Just mere hours after my family left, Ben bought our plane tickets home for Christmas so I have something to look forward to. Hooray!

2. Sammi slept through the night for the first time, at only 6 weeks old! Such a good girl just like her big brother.

3. Emerson said his first prayer all by himself at breakfast this morning. I want to write it down so I don't forget.

"Fadder, tank you breakfast, cheerios, bagel, orange, milk...hmm....let's see...Fadder tank you golden grahams and breakfast. Fadder, Amen." (Followed quickly by a very pleased look on his face.) Let me also say that he didn't have all these things for breakfast. I think he was trying to think of everything he's ever had for breakfast.

4. This one wasn't specifically for me, other than the fact that it made me smile. He had a huge scenario going with his trains, and this is how it went down:

"Gordon! No touching Clarabel! Time-out. Better go to time-out." Walks Gordon over to the corner while looking him straight in the face. "No touching Clarabel, Gordon. Sit in the corner." Takes a few steps, turns around, and points his finger sternly at Gordon. "You stay in the corner Gordon. I will set the timer." Sets the timer. 5 seconds go by. "Ok Gordon, no touching Clarabel. Tell me sorry." Drives Gordon on the tracks over to Thomas, who is pulling Annie and Clarabel. "I'm sorry Thomas, touching Clarabel. Give me a hug. Ohhh!" Pushes trains together and leans their heads together to hug. "Love you Thomas. See you next time! See you next train!"

Cincinnati

It has taken me forever to get around to posting about our trip to Cincinnati, but here it is. We went to the Reds game and it was so freakin' hot. The kids were troopers though and E was happy to have his BFFs Taylee and Mathis there.

Normally I'm opposed to pictures with mascots, but a baseball woman seemed less creepy than some, so I obliged.

It was so hot. We were all dripping with sweat. We thought it might cool down once the sun went down. We were wrong. We stuck it out til the end so we could see the fireworks and E was "kinda nervous" during them.

We stayed in a hotel overnight for fun and made a little weekend trip out of it. We got up the next morning and Ben took E swimmumum and then we headed off to EnterTRAINment Junction. Too bad we don't have a little boy who loves trains...
I think it was almost a spiritual experience for him when we walked in. There were SO MANY trains for him to look at that he couldn't even speak. His mouth just hung open as he tried to take it all in. It really was cool, even for people who aren't quite as passionate about trains as our E.
They had a little train-themed play area that E enjoyed as well. There may have been a tantrum when we had to leave that part.
But all was well as soon as he realized he got to ride Thomas! Ok, if we're being technical here, he rode Clarabel, one of Thomas's coaches. But Thomas pulled them around the track, and it was thrilling.



It was a fabulous little trip for us all, and I think that the money we spent to get into EnterTRAINment Junction was some of the best we've ever spent. We had one happy boy.

One Month

Height: 21 inches (50%)

Weight: 9 lbs. 3 oz. (50%)

Head Circumference: 37 cm (50%)

Sammi, today you are one month old. You've accomplished a lot for a one-month-old. To name a few:

*You can open your eyes for more than a few minutes
*You can sleep
*You can eat
*You have regulated your messy diapers a little better so you aren't constantly pooping in quarter-sized amounts. Good job!
*You've survived a kick and hit from your brother
*You SMILED! (On purpose or not, I don't care)
*You laugh in your sleep (What are you dreaming about?)
*You have successfully won the heart of every person you meet
*You are so stinkin' cute. Observe picture below:
*Probably the best thing you do is exert your powers of coziness over everyone who holds you. No one has successfully escaped your cozy clutches and has remained awake once you are placed upon their chest. And you don't even have to try hard.
We love you, little girl!

Comparisons

A few people have told me that Sammi really looks like Emerson. For some reason, I don't see it. Maybe I can understand my Dad's inability to see my resemblance to my mom a little bit better now that I have my own kids. :) But, I digress. I was looking at old pictures of Emerson, and I think they actually do look alike. What do you think?

Emerson

Samantha

Then, there's this picture. It reminded me of one I posted recently.

My big brother Scott and me

Emerson and Samantha

Do you see it? A little mischievous smile on both of the boys' faces...a slight look of panic on the innocent baby girls' faces. It's a wonder I survived, but I'm holding out hope that Sammi will too.

Getting Used to Bebe Sister

We've been doing well (for the most part) getting used to Bebe sister around here.

We've played choo-choo trains with the laundry basket

E helped Daddy wash the car when the girls needed a break

Played some more trains. (I wish I could see inside that little mind to figure out the scenario going on here.)

Stared at this sweet little face LOTS

Cheered her on when she found her fingers (I love that E is a thumbsucker, so I wouldn't mind if Sammi was too. They're going to need braces anyway.)

Taken a 15-second turn holding her

Cheered her on even more when her thumb accidentally wandered to her mouth

And spent some quality time, Sammi style.

However, the status of Sammi's safety around E has changed. I knew it was only a matter of time before something happened, and last night, it did. I was in the middle of changing her diaper when we were getting ready to go on a walk and he walked by and said "kick" and kicked her on the side of the head. (In reality it wasn't a very hard kick, but at the time it seemed that way.) I was shocked and furious all at the same time. Luckily Sammi didn't cry for too long and she was ok, but I made sure E felt bad. He spent a LONG time in time-out sobbing, then we had a talk about how we never ever hit baby sister. Did I mention I was furious? My mind was completely boggled. I have no idea where that came from, and I'm not sure what to do if (when) it happens again. Not one of the happier moments we've had together. But for the most part, we're doing fine.

Chatterbox

E has been making me laugh so much lately. Some more of my favorites:

When I went to get him out of his crib, I was wearing a purple nightgown and when he saw it he said "Oh! Pretty dress Mommy!"

"Mommy! You a princess. I'm a prince! Bebe sister a prince."

Me: "No! Baby sister is a princess, because she's a girl!"

"Nooooo! Not a prince! Bebe sister a princess."

While Skypeing with my family, he yelled "No touching Merson, Mommy. No touching." I think he learned that one from nursery.

Anytime he falls down he says "I'm okay, I'm okay." Or "Don't worry, I'm fine."

Oh E, we love you to pieces.

5th Anniversary

Happy Anniversary, hon! I can't believe we're still here 5 years and 2 kids later. :) I love you and look forward to many more.

Kinda Nervous

Emerson has picked up some funny phrases lately. I'm sure he's heard them from me, but it's weird hearing them come out of his little two-year-old mouth. :)

When I pulled out a new pair of shoes for him to wear he melted into a puddle on the floor and would not even entertain the idea for a second. So we let the shoes just kind of sit around the whole week so he could get used to seeing them around without having to actually wear them. I was able to put them on yesterday morning, no problem.

But then...this morning while getting him ready for church I pulled out a new pair of Sunday shoes that I had purchased a few months ago and he let out a scream and immediately grabbed Beah, stuck his thumb in and said "No Mommy! Kinda nervous!" "You're nervous?" I asked. "Yeah, kinda nervous." That was my mistake. Two pairs of new shoes for a boy this size in one week was not a good idea. It would've caused me to weep too...but with joy instead of fear.

He also says "Ree frustrated." (Really frustrated) when his trains aren't cooperating.

"Ree heavy" (really heavy) can mean something is actually heavy or just that he's holding lots of things or something big and unwieldy.

As I mentioned before, he has also enjoyed singing lately. When I got up with Sammi last night around 3:00 a.m. I heard him singing "Wheels on the Bus" to her to try to comfort her. I've also heard him say while half asleep "Don't worry. Don't worry." when she starts fussing in the night. I hope he keeps trying to comfort her and doesn't just get "ree frustrated" when she cries.

2 Weeks Old!

So everyone says that time flies with your second child. It's true. I feel like if I leave her for a second, she's already grown and her little cheeks have filled out a little more. This is the constant internal battle I've been having: I have a precious 2-year-old boy whom I love. I have a precious 2-week-old whom I love. How do I savor every precious quickly-passing moment with my newborn and still show my two-year-old that I love him even though I now have to split the time that used to be exclusively his? I'll let you know if I ever figure it out...but don't hold your breath. Maybe some advice from you more experienced moms?

Some events of the past week:

Mommy and Grandma J thought Sammi would fit perfectly in Emerson's "shinner" (stroller). She did. But we tried this while Emerson was having his nap so he wouldn't try it himself.
Remember the savoring part? Well Grandma J and I would take turns every day having Sammi sleep on our chests for our afternoon naps during Emerson's nap. This is one cozy girl.
Something I'm savoring a little less is the fact that my baby girl poops every 10 minutes. Seriously. But she only poops quarter-sized amounts. So here's my other major internal battle: Do I change her right away or let her finish? My solution right now is to slather her little bottom with Desitin each time I change her and then wait a reasonable amount of time to change her...you know, just so we don't go broke from buying diapers. But she insists on going either right while I'm changing her or right after I've gotten her onesie snapped up. Oh yeah, and then every ten-minute interval in between. Silly girl.

Emerson has paid a little more attention to "bebe sister". He even offered her a train to play with. She tried her best to play, but he eventually gave up and asked Mom and Grandma instead.
Then he wanted to lay by her. So I let him and he was thrilled...for about 30 seconds and then he ripped his arm out from under her. But she's a tough little cookie.

Baby girl's umbilical stump finally fell off so she got her first real bath and LOVED it. She totally relaxed and fell asleep during the 5 minute event.

She really liked being cozy with mom afterward.
And then there's Emerson. My charming, silly, and sometimes aggravating two-year-old. Baby sister brought him Buzz and Woody as a peace offering when she was born and he has loved them. Especially since Grandma J brought him the Toy Story movies as a special surprise. He's run around the house flying them both yelling "Aye-aye-ond!" (To infinity and beyond!) He has some cute little cowboy boots that we were trying to convince him to wear to be like Woody but he refused and threw an all-out tantrum while collapsing with spaghetti body on the floor. Awesome. So we compromised and Buzz and Woody walked around in the boots. He likes to make them hug each other and says "Oh" in a heartwarming way. He does that when he hugs people too. It's nice that he does because otherwise you don't always know when he's hugging you because he only uses his arms about half the time to actually embrace you.
Emerson has loved singing the song "Here We Are Together" but he says "pogether". I love that he requests this song so often. He laces his chubby little fingers together and then proceeds to name anything and everything he can see. Did you know that we have "Merson" (Emerson), washcloth, milk, blue car, curtains, window, "shinner" (stroller), "nganger" (water), and about 5 grandmas in our family? Mom and Dad only make the cut about 25% of the time.

He also loves "If You Chance to Meet a Frown". His favorite parts to sing are "Smiyo" (smile) and "whiyo" (while).

The kids are in the same room together, and it's been working out pretty well. They don't bother each other at all so far. But the other morning Emerson was awake in his crib and Sammi was just starting to wake up and fuss a little bit. I could hear Emerson saying "It's ok Bebe Sister. Don't cry. It's ok." He has such a tender little heart.

Last of all, I was so sad to see this week end not only because it means my baby girl is getting bigger, but also because I had to say goodbye to my wonderful mom. I knew it was coming and I was dreading the day even though she got to spend 3 whole weeks with us. The time flew by and we didn't even get sick of each other. I know that Dad and my other siblings missed her a lot though and I appreciate them sacrificing so she could come and help me. She cleaned, she cooked, she shopped, and she got up with Emerson in the mornings so I could sleep a little longer. It was so fun to have her come before Sammi was born because we got to do some fun things beforehand and she took such good care of E while I was in the hospital. I honestly don't know what I would've done without her after Sammi was born though! She was E's best buddy and he was really sad he couldn't go on the airplane with her. About halfway home he said "Grandma gone. Go on the airplane." I think he was lonely and bored without her when we got home, but it was very smart of her to leave one last present for him to open after she left.

I may or may not have bawled all the way home from the airport, just like I always do when I have to leave my family, but I guess I have to start being the mother of two sometime. Here goes.