hahah...SNORT!

Sam laughs like Mommy. There's nothing we can do about it now, but it is soo adorable!  :)   (I am pretty sure that mine isn't quite as adorable as hers...)

And here are some pictures to keep you happy!!

A picture Greg took last night

Foot Monster

haha. I love Samantha's face!

Someone likes acorn squash!

 Happy Halloween!!!

Besties

I miss them.  If I could have Allison and Amanda live in Saint Louis, my life would be complete!  Unfortunately, it doesn't look like either will live here.  Possibly never live here, and that makes me sad! :(

Mizzou-WOW!

My Grandpa, Uncle, Father, whomEVER always used the saying "back in my day...".  After going to Mizzou for the weekend, I can now officially say the same saying...

Back in my day when I attended Mizzou:

• You did not have to pay to park 
• There WERE free tailgating spots
• General admission tickets were $10, maybe $20 for Homecoming (now $69)
• The general admission sat on the hill.  There were no bleachers
• The student section did not have silly wristbands and you did not have to show your ID to get in, you already paid for the tickets...who cared!
• You used to be able to bring friends in easily.
• Televised games were basically once in a blue moon
• Mizzou was worth watching...

We did have a blast, however!  We tailgated before hand ($15 to park). We left before half time because, well, if anyone was watching, you KNOW it was not worth staying ($140 down the drain...).  We finished the night off at a house party on East Campus...wow did that bring back memories!!!  I would love to share what happened, but many may not believe that I ever left the college world. So I am going to leave it to your imagination.  :)

I do have to say that I am rather proud of myself.  I jumped right back into the whole partying before and after a game...maybe it was the atmosphere...

FOUND!

Everyone has heard that dryers eat socks, yes?!  Well, yesterday I was walking into the kitchen, past the washer and dryer, and saw a missing sock.  How long has it been missing you ask?  BEFORE Samantha was born!  It was one of her socks that I washed prior to her birth and it just NOW reappeared.  5+ months later.  Apparently it did not sit well with the dryer.  :)  At least I have the pair back...

Faceplant

While Samantha has mastered sitting up, she has also begun mastering face plants!  She is beginning to reach for things that are out of grasping range and after a few tries ends up falling flat on her face!  She doesn't seem to mind it and she is a good sport.  Sometimes she'll just stay on her stomach and play, and sometimes, if that toy is still out of reach she might fuss.  But she never acts as though she is hurt. I think most of her cries are frustration based.

In other news, Samantha is not really eating bottles.  She would rather eat her solids. I'm honestly considering putting a couple of scoops of formula in her food so that I know she is getting enough caloric intake in a day.

Other than that, there is nothing new to report.  She's a happy camper.  That tooth doesn't seem to be bothering her at the moment.  Either she is getting use to the pain, or its just not moving at the moment.  Either way, she's happy and therefore, I am happy!  :)

Caillou

How do you occupy a teething baby even when Mom's comfort doesn't work?

A little Caillou.  That's how!  She is currently kicking her feet and smiling and laughing as she watches...

Other "Tricks" I've tried:

• Tylenol
• Baby Orajel
• Mommy time
• Ben distraction (works for about 5 minutes)
• Time in her crib (she LOVES her space; just like her Momma)

I know there aren't many who follow this blog, but for those who do, any other ideas?!

Tooth Be Told...

I am not crazy.  Sam is not crabby for no reason.  Baby Orajel is a lifesaver...

Sam is cutting her first tooth.  I went digging in her mouth trying to find it; trying to find a little resolution to her insane behavior.  I'm at ease knowing that this truly is the cause.  Now, little tooth, please cut quickly!

4 pounds until I am at pre baby weight.  9 pounds until I am at my goal weight!  :)  I love Tuesdays!!!

Big Girl

Sam has no interest in being fed like a baby anymore.  I feel as though she is about 1 year ahead of herself in her mind.  She will take it that way when she is ravenous, but other than that, she MUST be sitting up.  What a silly baby.  Other than that silliness, nothing new on our end.  She has been a little crabby, and when not demanding being sat up to be fed, she is refusing the bottle, whining while awake, and actually cries herself to sleep.  :(  I feel so bad for her!!!  I'm not sure if its teething.  She does have other symptoms, such as chewing on EVERYTHING, drooling and the like.  But, it could be months before that little sucker pops through.  It is rather uneventful in the Berger household.  We like it that way!

Competitive

I am a very competitive person. Sometimes its a good thing, and sometimes not so much. My friend, Lizzy, came by today to hang with Sam and I and I was telling her a story. She asked if I was being competitive with Sam. Of course, not being able to lie about it, I admitted to it. I try so hard not to be. Its hard. I want her to be the best she can be, but my goodness, she's only 5 months old. I hide most of it inside of me. I am so proud of her. She is sitting up on her own now, and is getting better and better at controlling her hands. We are going to work on sippy cups so that she can get the idea, and she is right at, if not ahead of where she needs to be.

So, why am I competitive you ask?!

*I blame my mother. ;0) (because OBVIOUSLY its not my fault!)

*As a side note, I want everyone to know that I don't really blame my mother. There is a history between us that is such a learning experience and let's just say its a 'game' we play. :)

She is the best Mom a girl could ask for!!!

Oh, and the best GRANDMA a baby girl could ask for!

Disappointment

Cardinals=Loss

Blues=Loss

Tigers=Loss

What is a girl to do?! I was so stoked about all of the sports last night and was totally disappointed.

The only thing that got me excited last night...Bailey is leaving Grey's and going to Private Practice! WOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Avocados over sweet potatoes?! HUH?!

Babies are funny little beings. Take mine for example. She could jump in her jumperoo for hours. That is unless she is hungry or tired...

Update

Sweet Potatoes = About $1.00/lb

Time alloted to make sweet potatoes = 1 hour 15 minutes

Capturing your baby's first thoughts on sweet potatoes = priceless!

I have found that Sam doesn't like the texture of the sweet potatoes. Its not quite as liquidy as her favorite, the banana. I went ahead and mixed the two, and she didn't seem to notice!! :)

I just made avocado and apples. Later this evening I will be making peaches and peas. She is going to be set on food for quite some time!

This past weekend was an eventful one for us. Friday I went shopping with my Mom for my friend Amanda's baby shower. Who knew how expensive it could be to throw one of those! Phew!

Saturday we went to the First Annual Morgan Ford Street and Music Festival. It wasn't quite like I'd expected, and it wasn't that crowded, but I am thinking thats a good thing, at least for this year! We were able to see Steve Ewing (former lead singer of The Urge). He was pretty amazing. We ended up having a little BBQ and chimenia party afterwards. That was a good time. Greg probably will hate me for posting this but it was so funny! He was out by the barbecuer and said "Ah, this is the American dream..."

Sunday I had the baby shower and Greg and Sam had some bonding time. Then we went out to my parents for dinner.

Over all, a good weekend. Not ready for Monday, but honestly, who ever really is?!