Head, shoulders, knees and toes! (or nose!)

We have had a rather excited past 24 hours.

In the past 24 hours we have:

• discovered Sam's first tooth!  She had something in her mouth and I went fishing for it, and found a stationary sharp object on her bottom gum.  After removing the loose object in her mouth, I went back in and confirmed it was in fact, A TOOTH!!!!!
• learned where our head is.  I can ask Sam at anytime, no matter what she is doing "Where is your head?", and she'll put both hands on her head and tap it!
• begun to learn where our nose is.  She hasn't quite figured out where it is on her face, but she has grabbed mine when I asked her where her's was!  Twice!  So we are getting there!  :)
• continued our temper tantrums.  :)  Not exciting in a good way, but it still brings a type of excitement!  :)

I hope everyone has a great extended weekend and while you are enjoying the pools and the sunshine and the BBQ's, please remember the true meaning of Memorial Day.

Thank you to all the men and women serving to fight for my freedom!! 

Temper Tantrums

Apparently when the doctor told Greg that Samantha was going to start having temper tantrums now that she is one, that was her version of "permission" to do so.
Its not just a few cries.

No.  Its full on tantrum.  Limp in Mom or Dad's arms.  On the floor, arms and legs flailing.  Mom just better walk away tantrum.

Luckily, they don't last long and ignoring them is the best remedy.  Once she figures out no one is around to pay attention to it, she moves on.

My MIL told me that we can only hope that she gets over them now and is fine when she is 2/3.

Somehow, I don't see this happening.  In fact, I see her mastering this skill in the next couple of years.

Tin Man

Greg and I just finished this mini-series based on "The Wizard of Oz".  With Zooey Deschanel as DG, it is a series to watch.  We truly enjoyed it and thought that it had a few good twists and turns in it.  It did get kinda corny from time to time, but over all we thought it was rather good.

And if you have one of these:












and a membership to this:

then you can watch it on demand at anytime.  In HD.

Time well spent and I highly recommend it to anyone.  (All three, actually!)

Weekend Recap

It was a busy/not so busy weekend. (if that's even possible)

Friday night we headed over to a friend's house for a salad party.  yes, you read that right.  Our lives are rather lame, but we love it!  He grew way too much lettuce in his garden and needed to get rid of some of it before it went bad.  Thus, a salad party.
One might have called it a baby party, though.  I am pretty sure there were 5 babies there.  :)  (two are officially toddlers, I guess. )
We had a blast, and enjoyed our short walk there and home.  We love having friends in the neighborhood.  It makes it feel more like the 'burbs than the city.

Saturday Greg and I were busy with different events.  Samilton and I headed to a baby shower for our future sister in law/aunt.  Haylie Kay will be here before we know it!
Greg headed to shoot trap and bbq with the guys.  "Man Shower", if you will.
We met up in Kirkwood Park for one of Greg's co-worker's birthdays.  Sam LOOOOVED it because she ran around like crazy.  She is definitely running now.  Its amazing how little time that actually takes.

Sunday we were lazy during the day with naps and pool time.  We are in love with our pool. Gotta love the $10 well spent at Target.

We then headed to kickball and then out to the Berger's where we celebrated three birthdays.  Soooo glad May is almost over!  :)

Does sick = bad bed time?

Well, its day 4 of the sickies.  We are basically over it (now just runny nose and stuffy head), but we are crabbier than ever and our bedtime seems to have moved back 3 hours.  yes, you read that right, 3 HOURS!  Two nights ago we put Sam down around 7:15 (normal) and she didn't pass out until 10. EEK!  We went up and cuddled with her after an hour of playing and eventually screaming and then FINALLY some formula (which we are trying to avoid at all costs).  We figured after all those hours of fighting to stay awake really wore her out!  :)
Day 3(Late Night 2):  Super crabby still, so we put her down maybe a 1/2 hour early.  however, she was a much bigger eater today so we figured it should be good to put her down.  I went to workout and Dad stayed in.  Came home, and Dad was upstairs reading her a book and rocking her.  Came down 1/2 hour later and she stayed up until 8:30 when I gave her more food.

Back to today.  Uuber crabby and one tired Momma.  We are going to load her up on food before putting her down in hopes it helps.  We aren't sure of the purpose because she is not necessarily cranky when put down.  In fact, she is HAPPY we put her down.

For all of you who are thinking " put her down and she will tire herself to sleep."   Well, this is NOT my child. She will stay awake for hours until what she wants is given.  She is nosy, stubborn and determined.

Kind of like her Mother...

Well That's Poopie

How is it that when ever Samantha has a poopie diaper, Greg seems to be able to get out of it.

He is either walking out the door...

getting ready...

or just "too busy" to change it.

Lucky guy.

I must learn his ways...

Currently Looking

The cat is out of the bag, as they say.

I am looking for a job.

A  must do your makeup and hair kind of job.

A must leave your slippers at home kind of job.

A must find someone to watch your sweet baby girl kind of job.

I have struggled with this decision and although I know its best for me and who I am, I am going to miss hanging out with my princess everyday.

Sure I stress a lot.  Its not the easiest job in the world.  In fact, I think being a mother is a heck of a lot harder than doing surgery (not speaking by experience, of course).

I'm going to say its in the top 5 hardest jobs out there.

But, the time has come.  I need a new view.

I have to constantly remember that I got to spend the first year of Sam's life at home with her.

That, my friends, is something I am more than proud of!  :)

Our Proposal

Written via request of Jeannett at www.liferearranged.com.  Check her out.  She's awesome!


Background:

Greg and I did not go to the same school together.

We weren't even in the same city.  

We got to know each other in high school because I was dating his best friend.  

The best friend and I didn't make it past our first year of college together.  We were not a match made in Heaven.  

Greg and I met up at a Steak N Shake the first week we were back from our first year of school.  We wanted to catch up. And as they say, the rest is history.

More Background:

Greg and I had never spent a New Year's together.  Every year, the weekend after Christmas is spent in Ohio with my mom's family.  For the 3 years that Greg and I dated, this always fell on New Year's.  

Also, we had talked about getting engaged in the Spring because he didn't have the money to buy me a ring.  I was okay with that.  

However, on Christmas, I was secretly hoping for a ring, and when it didn't come, I was pretty sure he was serious.

The Proposal:

Greg was going to come to Ohio with me the year he proposed, but then his parents planned his graduation party on January 30th. (He graduated in December, so the choices I guess were slim due to his enormous family and the multiple Christmas' they have.)

Needless to say, he didn't come, and to top it off, I couldn't attend his graduation party.

Apparently while at this party, he announced to his guests that he was going to drive the 7+ hours to Ohio to propose to me.

The next day (New Year's Eve), Greg set out on his venture.  I actually talked to him multiple times that day, asking him how his party was, what his plans were for the night, etc.  He did good, real good.  :)  

At about 5 pm EST, there was a knock on my grandparents' door.  Not unusual.  My grandmother is big with the YMCA and she always had people stopping by to give her this and that.  Plus, it was still the holidays.  

Oh, I sure wish all of my readers knew my grandmother.  She's not one for surprises.  And by that I mean, she's not usually surprised.  She answered the door, said "oh, hi Greg. Come on in", and shut the door behind him.  

* Side note:  No one knew he was coming.  Not even my parents.  It SHOULD have been a shock to my grandmother. *

I was in the den watching Little Miss Sunshine with my family.  My Mom was in the kitchen and did a double take.  Was it really Greg?  Did he really drive 7 hours to be here?  Crazy Kid.

He walked down the steps to greet me and I was in shock.  

Questions were asked:

What are you doing here?  

How did I not know you were coming?  

How did you find the address?

Answers were given:

I'm here because I miss you and I want to spend a New Year's with you.  

I wanted to surprise you.  

My mom asked your mom for your grandparents's address to "send them a Christmas card".  (I think they had only met once at this point...maybe.)

So he came under the guise of celebrating with me.  Not a proposal, but a New Year's celebration.  And he wanted to spend it with my family.  Crazy kid.

So, we ate dinner and did our normal family charades (literally) until the big moment.  Silly string went off, poppers went off and blowers were blown.  

Then he said he had a gift for me.  

We had already done the Christmas present thing, so a New Year's present seemed silly.

And then it hit.

He led me upstairs where we could be alone and he got down on one knee and asked me to marry him.  

I said yes.  :)

That night we spent the night in our sleeping bags, in the same room as my sister and parents and drove home together as a newly engaged couple.  :)

The rest, they say, is history!

Mother's Day 2010

First question I was asked this morning was:  Well, did you go into labor this Mother's Day?! 

No, no I did not.  Thank goodness.  :)

Don't get me wrong.  I LOOOVE being Sam's Mommy, but I am NOT ready to be a Mommy to another baby yet.  Give me a year or so!!!

This Mother's Day was as relaxing as it could have been.

Sam was an angel and slept in until 8 (after she got up twice to be rocked back to sleep by Daddy).  Daddy then made us all omelets which were DELICIOUS and we got ready and headed over to my parents for lunch.  We had a bbq lunch which entailed brats, hotdogs, 2 types of salads and angel food cake!  MMMmmm.  :)  We also celebrated my Daddy's birthday!

After lunch we headed to Greg's Grandparents for dinner which entailed pork tenderloin, veggies, fruit salad, Breadsmith rolls, green bean casserole and baked beans!  :)  I also helped myself to homemade chocolate covered strawberries.  I was really hoping for it to be warm enough to take Sam swimming, but it was too chilly for that, so we just admired the pretty pool instead!  

So while we ran around like chickens with our heads cut off, we enjoyed our family time!

Much different than last years!  :) (oh, and my baby is all grown up! *tear*)

A year ago today.

A year ago today we were 4 days past your due date and I was ready for you to come.  I had an induction scheduled for the upcoming Wednesday and was CERTAIN we would have to wait until that day to meet you.

A year ago today I went for a walk with Grandma Lollie, Daddy and Addie.  We just walked around the block but I was exhausted and having contractions.  Contractions that I had felt many a times before while on a walk.  So, I was not surprised to feel them again.

A year ago today the contractions subsided and we moved on to our next event.

A year ago today I was sitting at Grandma and Grandpa Fleischmann's pool side, celebrating Mother's Day, a day that I hoped to celebrate with you out of utero, but instead you chose to stay in just a little while longer to 'brew'.  So I celebrated with your kicks and wiggles.

A year ago today I felt that "gush" that every woman who has experienced their water break felt.  Oh what a feeling.  I remember being afraid to stand up to get Daddy.  Was it going to stop?  Was it going to keep going?  Did my water break or did I just pee my pants (honest to God possibility at that point.)?

A year ago today we finally knew that you were coming.

A year ago today Daddy and I ate dinner as a family of two knowing full well that by the next day we'd be eating dinner as a family of three.

A year ago today, we went home, dropped off your doggie, Finnegan and hit the road to the hospital.

A year ago today we knew that you'd be making your entrance into the world.  Whether you came that night or the next day, you were my Mother's Day present, and I loved you already.

Figured out.

I am 26, almost 27 years old.  Is it sad that I am just now figuring myself out?  Granted this is the me "now".  I'm sure in a few months I am going to have to figure out the me "then".  Oh well. Its worth the struggle and deep reflection.

Now to figure out how to NOT make my husband suffer while doing so... :)

Walking.

We are officially walking.  I guess I should say we are officially teetering.  Its one of the cutest things in the world and I know now that I am in for some trouble.  I have always said that when Samantha starts walking, she will be running.  Its only a matter of time before she's running around the house, yard, mall, store, wherever.  My mother in law made it blatantly clear yesterday while at their house that the first year has been a breeze.  This little princess of mine is going to send me for a whirl wind.

No longer can I sit and play on the computer while my sweet sweet child sits and chews on toys.  No.  That day is over.  I will now be chasing her about the house telling her "no no" and "not over there, Sam".
I know it, and I am ready for it.  I've been preparing myself since before we had kids for this stage.

My favorite stage.

Bring. It. On.