I realize that I'm ridiculous...

I know what you're thinking..."Why does this girl have New Year's paraphanalia up when it's one day away?" I give you 3 reasons:


1. I had cute pics of Sam and that's pretty much all it takes for me to do something like this. There is, however, a purpose. We gave our parents calendars for Christmas. Each month we're sending them pictures to put on their calendars so that they will always have current pictures of Sam while also having a growth chart of sorts. Guess which pictures are going in the January slots.


2. I plan on leaving this up throughout January. It is the first month of 2009.


3. I'm a former teacher, and things like this give me a pleasure I can't explain.


On to the massive Christmas update...


How was Sam's first Christmas? Suffice it to say that he received every single toy that is 6 months and up, and then we topped it off with a few more that he won't use for months. (maybe years) We had way more fun than he did, but I guess that's okay. We now need a new house with 4 more bedrooms so that we can store all of his loot. Would anybody like to buy our house for way more than we paid for it? I'm kidding...sort of.



We spent Christmas in Jackson this year, and it was really nice. My parents and older brother came down Christmas Eve, so we had a house full on Christmas day. It seems as though Sam really digs his super-cool new ride:





A souped up little red wagon.

This isn't the little red wagon like I had when I was little. It has seat backs, seatbelts, and the all-so-important, sippy cup holder. Give Sam a ring on his new Fisher Price phone, and he'll swing by and pick you up.


If a wagon wasn't enough, he also got this:





He'll whip this out when he really wants to impress the pre-school crowd. However, all he wants to do with it now is this:






The reason you buy a tricycle is to play with the pedals, right?

Other pictures from the day...

We went to Greenville on Sunday and visited Mama Rubye and more of Anthony's family. I also included those pictures on the slide show.


What did I get for Christmas?


Wii-knee.


That's right, I got a Wii and a Wii fit. I was so surprised; I mentioned one day forever ago that I thought they were neat, and Anthony actually remembered. I absolutely love it, especially the Wii fit. I've done the yoga and the balance games so much that I'm physically sore, but I guess that's kind of the point. I hope to sport a rockin' six-pack by spring. Don't hold your breath, though.


Anthony is enjoying it just as much as I am. As a matter of fact, he's played at least 18 holes of golf as I've typed this.


More Sam updates later...he's done too much lately to write in one post.

Merry Christmas

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Let me explain...

I'm sure a lot of you are familiar with the Jib Jab political satires, and you've probably seen the "Elf Yourself" versions, too. While checking out some friends' blogs the other day, I clicked on a link that had a parody of "The Twelve Days of Christmas." Sam was fascinated--completely and totally enthralled. Soooooo, today I decided to give Jib Jab a try in hopes that he would like it just as well. (Of course, I did this while Sam was napping even though I should have been sleeping myself. My bookclub had our Christmas party last night, and I can't say that drinking 3/4ths a bottle of wine by yourself is the smartest idea. My mom is definitely going to have something to say to me when she reads this.) I'm happy to say that it was a success, and I think it's hilarious. Even if no one else thinks it's funny, I know our parents will. (Except for the part when I admitted how much wine I had--sorry mom.) If you're interested, just google Jib Jab, and follow the directions for uploading a picture. It's super easy. They even have different dances your elves can do. I went with the classic, but I had a hard time deciding--the disco and Charleston versions are equally cute. Anyway, Merry Christmas!

No bows and ribbons this year...

I'm not sure if this counts as crawling, but it's pretty close. Sam has definitely figured out how to get around, and his newfound mobility is keeping me hopping. Understandably, he heads directly to the Christmas tree when I put him down on the floor. I suppose he just can't pass up all of the choking hazards that accompany a bauble-trimmed tree.

Once getting to the tree, he goes for one of the following:

1) An ornament that is low enough for him to reach (and try to eat.)
2) Lights that are low enough for him to reach (and try to eat.)
3) Ribbons on packages which he rips off and...tries to eat.

Our Christmas packages will apparently have a minimalist look to them this year; Sam keeps tearing off all of the bows and ribbons, and I'm tired of redoing them.

Samma Claus?

Yesterday we took Sam to meet Santa. I warned you that I have an inordinate amount of Christmas clothing for the kid. We decided that since he was meeting Santa, that it was only appropriate that he wear his own Santa suit. You don't see a Santa sitting in another Santa's lap that often. At least I hope not...

That's the best picture I have... Since it was a real photographer taking the pictures, I'm hoping hers turn out better than mine.

Here's a better shot of Samma:

And yes, his belly does shake like a bowl full of jelly. Literally.

With his great-grandmother

He's making a list, and he's checking it twice!

Catching up...

First of all, Sam and I want to wish a happy birthday to a sweet husband and father. I've spent the morning working on a birthday cake, and I'm praying that it tastes okay. Let's just say that as of right now it looks a little suspect. If it has chocolate and caramel, it can't be that bad, can it?

We spent last Wednesday through Saturday at my parents' house, and we really enjoyed getting to see them. I'm sure they probably enjoyed it more now that Sam is here. Thanksgiving was celebrated at my aunt's house in Tupelo, and Sam was introduced to lots of great-aunts, great-uncles, and even a great-great-aunt. I've put together a slide show with pics from our visit. He was really good; I don't think I could have asked for a better day for him.

We headed back to Senatobia that night, and Friday morning my mother and I got up at 4:30 to go shopping. Yes, that's correct--4:30. I would usually need my mom to get me up, but since Sam is now cutting his top two teeth, his sleep schedule is certainly not the best. I just happened to get up with him at 4:30, and thought, "Why bother going back to sleep?" It's amazing how little sleep I can get by on these days. Anyway, we did get a lot done. We were in Memphis by 6:45 and spent the morning in Macy's until the other stores opened up. Since we went to an outdoor shopping center, the crowds really weren't that bad. I'm sure the economy also had a lot to do with crowd control. Sam spent the day with Anthony, my dad, and my oldest brother, and they watched plenty of football. I guess his first egg bowl experience wasn't the best. Anthony was completely worn out by the time we got home. He's probably glad to be at work today.

We came back to Jackson on Saturday and promptly put up our tree. I'm all about getting a tree up as soon as humanly possible. We even have a few gifts wrapped, which Sam has definitely noticed. He's scooting around a lot these days and struggling to figure out how to crawl. His little fat legs get tangled up, so he can't always get everything coordinated. However, he does find a way to get into things. It makes me nervous. Saturday night I was putting up a garland in our house. I looked down at the floor to check on Sam and this is what I saw...

I swear, I didn't pose him. I'm contemplating using one of these as our Christmas card picture, but I can't decide.

And FYI, I have an OBNOXIOUS, and I mean OBNOXIOUS amount of Christmas clothing for the kid. I even have one of those corny Santa suits. I can't wait to see what he looks like in it.

Brothers, books, and Bono

So, Laura M. has tagged me with the Kreativ Blogger award...I'm not quite sure what that means exactly; I don't think I'm necessarily a "kreativ" blogger, but whatever. (I appreciate that she thinks so, though.) I'm supposed to write down 6 things that are interesting about myself. If you are a blogstalker like me, you've already seen this post on other people's pages.


I'll have Sam updates, later--I promise.


1. I have two brothers...I know it doesn't sound too interesting, but a lot of people don't know that I have two siblings. I am the middle child, and my older brother is ten years older than I am. My younger brother is five years younger. We are VERY spread out in age. If you're doing the math, my older brother and younger brother are fifteen years apart. Can you imagine being fifteen years old and being told that you have a sibling on the way? One word--embarrassing.


2. I genuinely love sports, especially high school and college events. Given, I didn't have much of a choice with 2 brothers and a father who was a collegiate football player. I also didn't do myself any favors by marrying a complete and total sports freak, but I secretly love the fact that our worlds kind of revolve around sporting schedules. For example:
A) Anthony and I became somewhat of a couple at the 1998 College World Series.
B) Weddings (and a lot of party invites) are scheduled around football, basketball, and baseball games.
C) Saturday mornings are spent in front of ESPN's Gameday inhaling donuts. Saturday afternoons and nights are spent with friends while watching football and inhaling beer.


I would really like to see Oklahoma State win tomorrow night. I love underdogs, and I'm still sad that Texas Tech lost.


3. My husband proposed to me by painting "Will You Marry Me?" on the wall in the house that he had just bought. (We still live in this house.) I'll be sad whenever we do have to move. It's easily one of the sweetest things he's ever done.


4. I absolutely, positively LOVE U2. I've seen them in concert twice, and I hope to see them many more times. (Bono's wife's name is Ali. Coincidence? I think not.)


5. I love film and literature that have science fiction or fantasy elements. Like my friend Katie, I love vampires. (And we both liked them waaaayyyy before Twilight.) I own every season of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and every season of Angel. I've read most Harry Potter books at least 5 times each. (I'm not exaggerating.) I've read The Hobbit and the entire Lord of the Rings trilogy, and I adored all of C.S. Lewis when I was little. I also like all of the original Star Wars movies, and I will watch Indiana Jones whenever it's on. The Neverending Story is another favorite, but it scared me to death when I was young. I do like the Twilight books, too.


6. I love to read. The smell of a bookstore is one of my favorite things, and I love the raw sense of promise in every book that I begin. I'm also in a book club. Sounds nerdy, I know, but we have a great time. I was invited by a friend to be a part, and I'm so glad I accepted. We started in May. Each month someone picks a new book, and then we meet to drink wine, eat, and discuss the book. Sometimes more drinking than discussing goes on, but we don't care. I've met so many lovely people that I never would have known, and it's great fun. I highly suggest starting one.


Our book for this month is The Road, by Cormac McCarthy. I'll let you know what I think.

P.S. Go Auburn Tigers and Oklahoma State Cowboys. Like I said, I like the underdogs.

I tag Katie. (maybe you'll feel guilty enough to do this if 2 of us tag you)

Just feeling the need to take advantage of naptime...

Not a whole lot to report on the Sam-front. His two little teeth are growing more everyday...It's weird to think that my child has teeth. For such a long time he just looked like a little old man without dentures. He has also discovered how to click his tongue on the roof of his mouth, and he's quite pleased with himself. He loves it when you click back. Eventually, I'm going to catch all of this action on film, but for right now I'm just posting a quick pic. (Read--I'm satisfying the grandparents.)





Sam loves to be up high. He also loves our cat and dog; maybe he will be a mountain-climbing veterinarian. Is there a need for such an occupation?

For those of you who don't like people who jump to Christmas rather than enjoy Thanksgiving, be warned. I'm about to get festive with my blog, and it's not going to be with turkeys. I am a self-professed Christmas junkie. I never fill out these little questionnaires, but it's about Christmas, so I'm indulging. Sue me.

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Gift bags are infinitely easier, but I love to wrap. If I wrap as I buy, it's usually not a problem. I not only wrap all of our gifts at my household, but I also "get to wrap" all of my father's gifts for my mother. He likes to act as if it's some privilege, but we all know it's because he can't/won't do it himself. Oh, the joys of being the only girl in the family.

2. Real tree or artificial? REAL! Anthony and buy it the day we get back from Thanksgiving holidays. I love to have all of my other decorations up a few days before Thanksgiving, and I save the tree for last. I can't wait to see how Sam likes the lights.

3. When do you put up the tree? See above.

4. When do you take the tree down? Hmmm...there's no set day. A couple of days after Christmas?

5. Do you like eggnog? I had honestly never had it until a few years ago, but Anthony's mom makes homemade eggnog, and it's really good. I think her mother used to do it, so Mary Pryor continues the tradition.

6. Favorite gift received as a child? Long story--brace yourself. When I was in the 2nd grade, I wanted a trampoline. In all the excitement Christmas morning, I completely forgot that it was one of my biggest requests. My parents pointed out that Santa had left me a note on the front door. The note had a little poem on it, and the poem directed me and my little brother to follow the yarn that was attached to the note. The yarn looped all around the front of the house and then led to the backyard. Of course, it was attached to the trampoline. I was beyond thrilled. Years later, I found out that my parents had to keep the trampoline at our neighbors' house down the road, and my oldest brother, Brent, and my dad had to walk it down Christmas Eve after Blake and I had gone to bed. I'm sure Brent was thrilled. What high school junior wouldn't be?

I think the neatest part of the trampoline experience was that Santa had taken the time to write me a personal note.

7. Hardest person to buy for? Anthony. He never really wants or needs anything, and I just never feel that I can find the "right" gift. If I could actually deliver his fantasy gift, it would be a national championship for the Bulldogs before we're too old to care. That's one tall order.

A boy can dream.

8. Easiest person to buy for? My mom...She never buys for herself, so it's easy to find stuff that she would never buy on her own. (Her unselfishness wasn't passed to me; I have no problem buying for myself.)

9. Do you have a nativity scene? Yes, we have two. One of them is a very nice one that we put out on a sofa table. The other is a child's nativity set. Funny story about that one--Mary Pryor gave it to us last year when I was pregnant. She then admitted that she had bought it before we were even married.

10. Mail or e-mail Christmas cards? Mail.

11. Worst Christmas gift? I don't think I've gotten one...

12. Favorite Christmas movie? Charlie Brown's Christmas. I have the soundtrack, and it's my favorite. Also, my dog's name is Linus, and my cat's name is Lucy...Understand?

13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? I'll buy a few things before Dec., but I love to powershop in the middle of the chaos. My mom and I used to go to Memphis on Christmas Eve to finish up shopping. You wouldn't believe the deals you can get.

14. Have you ever recycled a present? I don't think so. Is that considered "green"?

15. Lights on the tree? Oh, yes! We do white lights, but when I was little, we had those super-cool, old-school colored ones. You know, the ones with the big bulbs.

16. Favorite Christmas songs?
Religious--"It Came Upon a Midnight Clear," "O Holy Night," and "O Come All Ye Faithful."
Secular--It's a tie--Nat King Cole's "The Christmas Song" and Judy Garland's "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" Ooooo, and John Lennon's "So This is Christmas."

17. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer? Yes, but I'll spare you.

18. Travel or stay home? We are all over the state of Mississippi. I think we'll be home most of the time this year, though.

19. Angel or star on the treetop? Star. I don't think I've ever had an angel on top.

20. Open presents on Christmas Eve or Day? Both. We open one Christmas Eve and the rest on Christmas Day.

21. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Fudge and trash. It's great for the diet.

22. Most annoying thing about this time of year? Having to run around so much that you don't get to really enjoy the time with your family and friends.

23. Favorite ornament or theme? No theme. I love our honeymoon car ornament, and I just bought Sam's first Christmas ornament.

24. Favorite for Christmas dinner? We always do Christmas lunch, so dinner is all the yummy leftovers.

25. What do you want for Christmas this year? I'm still working on that. I should probably hurry, though.

Question...

Is it bad that I sing Justin Timberlake's "Sexy Back" to Sam, and he thinks it's funny? I change the words--"I'm bringing Sam back, and all those boys don't know how to act..."

Just wondering.

For anyone who needs a laugh...

Sorry to disappoint, but I don' t have any new pictures. I do, however, have an embarrassing story to tell. Feel free to laugh at my expense.

Tuesday morning I woke up, voted, packed up the car, and got on the road. My car was loaded with my own clothes, Sam's clothes, diapers, bottles, etc., and Linus. I was quite the sight. I was on my way to Senatobia for a very quick visit with my parents. On my way out of Jackson, I decided to stop at Chik-Fil-A in Madison for some yummy chicken minis. All of my work cohorts know about my relationship with the chicken mini--especially when I was pregnant. I'm pretty sure that chicken minis account for Sam's birth weight.

For those of you not familiar with the Chik-Fil-A drive-through system, let me enlighten you. The drive-through wraps all around the building, and while waiting in line, it's possible that you can get hit by cars pulling out of parking places between the building and the line. (Anthony is cringing right now; he HATES "driving stories.") Anyway, I'm about to be the next car to give my order when I see this lady get in her car...I'm right behind her. The whole time I'm thinking, "She's about to hit me; she's about to hit me"...she did. I laid on my horn, but it didn't matter. She slams into my driver's side back door. So here I am, in the parking lot of Chik-fil-a, car packed to the gills, dog going crazy, you name it. I get out and check on Sam, and all seems well. We then have to wait on the police to get there. Grreeeeaattt...

The policewoman shows up, (fairly quickly--yay for Madison police!) takes our information, and assesses the damage to my car. I truly felt sorry for the girl who hit me. She was a babysitter, and she wasn't even in her own car. Anyway, the policewoman asks me if I want to have anyone check out Sam.

Me: Should I?

Her: It's up to you...how old is he?

Me: Almost six months.

Her: Again, it's up to you. We just have to ask you for protocol's sake.

I'm thinking to myself, "I'm sure he's fine, but what if I don't get him checked and something is wrong?" Typical nervous mother.

Me: Okay, maybe someone should just check to be sure. I'm 99% sure he's fine, though.

She puts in a call to her headquarters, and the next thing I know, there is a huge fire truck and ambulance pulling into Chik-Fil-A WITH SIRENS ON. Highly, highly, embarrassing. To top it off, several of my old students were going in and out.

"Hey, Mrs. Sherman. What's wrong?"

Geez...

The paramedics get out and check Sam. Even more people start staring. His vitals are fine, and we're told we can go. I sign the papers and get out of there as soon as possible.

Without my breakfast.

This is the post that never ends...

Brace yourself...we've been very, very, busy the past few days. This may be the longest blog post ever. I'm afraid if I wait to post until later, even more stuff will need to be documented, and then I'll be in a huge, blog, log-jam. Ridiculous, I know. Anyway, I'll try to go in order.

1) Sam has teeth. I've been meaning to post this forever, and I've yet to catch a picture of them, but they are definitely present. His two lower central incisors popped up about 3 weeks ago. It's pretty cute.

2) Hoppy Halloween! Sam was a super-cute frog. We took Sam to Starkville this weekend for his first MSU game, so Halloween was spent in "Vegas." Since he's way too young to trick-or-treat, we strolled him around campus in his costume. He was getting a lot of looks, that's for sure.

About the pictures of Sam in the tree... (the tree frog, get it?)--I swear, we're holding him there. If you look closely, you can see our hands.

3) As I mentioned earlier, we took Sam to Starkville this weekend. We drove up Friday night, and stayed with Anthony's cousin, George Sherman. For all of you MSU alumni, yes, we stayed with "George Sherman, George Sherman, George Sherman's got you looking good." Or if you prefer, "Get the look, that gets the look." I hope these jingles are now stuck in your head. Anyway, Sam got to hang out with some of his relatives, Marguerite, Olivia, and Joseph Portera. (George's grandchildren)

George, Joseph, Marguerite, Olivia, and Sam. Sam is really interested in Marguerite's biscuit. I don't think anyone is surprised.

4) Gameday--Overall, I think Sam did remarkably well. The only reason we took him in is that we could get into the skybox with Joe and Mary Pryor. That helped matters quite a bit. The constant noise didn't bother him too much, and he even ignored most of the cowbells. The bursts of noise when we actually did something good were probably what scared him most, but he was a trooper. We were able to see one of my Madison Central dance team girls who is now on the team at MSU, and I took a picure of her and Sam. HILARIOUS. He was soooo tired. I love the look on his face:

He looks thrilled, right? Poor thing...Can you tell we got to campus right when he usually naps?

Other pictures from the day:

He was honestly more interested in the band than anything else.

We'll have to time our arrival better next year. I thought he would sleep in his stroller, but I obviously have no idea what I'm talking about. Contrary to the look on his face in half of the pictures, he really didn't fuss.

Puppy Love

Our dog, Linus, was the subject of much speculation before Sam's arrival. He's a Boston Terrier, and these dogs are notoriously hyper. We love him dearly, but many of our visitors don't particularly care for him. The second strangers walk into the house he goes into a frenzied jumping and licking attack. He means well, but not everyone enjoys his exuberance. Anyway, we were a little concerned about how he would feel about a new person in his house. Turns out we had nothing to worry about. He LOVES Sam. He's become even more protective of us since Sam's debut, and he gets very upset when Sam cries. More importantly, Sam LOVES Linus. I know this sounds ridiculous, but it's true. He watches Linus' every move and laughs at everything he does.

We captured some of this lovefest last night. The video below may be a little hard for some people to watch. (I know my dad and Anthony's grandmother won't be able to stand it.) I PROMISE--we washed Sam's hands thoroughly afterwards; we're not completely insane.

Also, Anthony's good friend Beth Hoskins flew into town this weekend, and they were able to round up a crew for a small reunion. Anthony and Beth both graduated from Prep, and they have been great friends ever since. Anthony was able to spend some time with Beth, her son Will, Mack, (Sam's godfather) and Mack's daughter, Madison.

Sam and Beth

Anthony, Sam, Beth, and Will

Beth, Will, and Madison

Thanks to Mack for the pictures!

It's The Great Pumpkin, Sam Sherman!

Sooooo.....Last Friday we took Sam with us to pick out some pumpkins and took advantage of the scenery for some quick pics. He was more interested in the cars passing by, but I think we came out with some pretty cute shots. We then went downtown for a few hours to attend a small Octoberfest, and he was great. All in all he's a pretty laid-back kid. I'm hoping this pattern continues.

Anthony flew out to West Virginia for work yesterday, so we're bunking at the Shermans for a few days. I won't see him until Sunday because I'm taking a girls' trip this weekend, which I am very excited about. (Clarification--I'm excited about the trip. I'm not excited about going a week before seeing my husband.) We were supposed to go the weekend of Hurricane Gustav, but since the plan was to shop in New Orleans, that obviously didn't pan out. We've rescheduled, and I'm headed to the Pelican State on Friday.

Sam is officially 5 months old today, so consider these his 5 month pictures.

Many thanks...and a hungry hippo

First of all, I want to thank all of you who have called, texted, or e-mailed us. Your thoughts and prayers have certainly helped, and we are most appreciative. Anthony's grandfather was a wonderful person, and I'm not sure that I can do justice to just how great he was. Having lost the only grandfather I knew when I was in the fourth grade, Popi was a wonderful reminder of just how lovely grandparents are. He was a warm, welcoming presence, and he will definitely be missed. Anthony and I have discussed at length how much we have to live up to; it's a challenge I hope we can meet.

In an on-going effort to cheer up our family, we videoed a little of feeding time tonight. Sam is eating some cereal at his nighttime meal, and it's quite funny. He makes hysterical faces like this:

It's like feeding a bird...a very, very, hungry bird. I'm also posting video. Be warned...when Sam eats, it's not the most appetizing thing to watch.

Question--When you become a parent, does your obnoxious factor automatically rachet up? I feel that this is something they should tell you in those parenting classes. (Which didn't help us at all. We skipped the one about c-sections because we didn't think we needed it...figures.) Anyway, after they give you breathing exercises and all that mojo, I think they should bring out a chart that shows the level of parental obnoxiousness sky-rocketing after a child's birth.

Something like this:

And now, the video.

Can you find Sam?

You may be wondering why I have put together a really strange slideshow...What do all these things have in common you may ask? Well, they're all big--just like Sam. We went to the doctor for our 4 month check-up yesterday. We were actually a week behind schedule because of his sickness last week. Our pediatrician said that Sam looks great, and even though he's huge, he's proportionate. I was so glad; the thought of denying that kid food scares me. Anyway, At 4 months (and one week) Sam weighs 20 lbs. 8 oz. That is not a typo. 20.8--my back may never recover. That puts him above the 95th percentile for height, and way above the 95th for weight. (This surprised no one in our family.) In honor of Mr. Buddha's enormity, I put together a Where's Waldo-esque collage. See if you can find Sam. I at least hope you don't get him mixed up with Jabba the Hutt.

Visit to Mama Rubye and Popi's house

If you don't know me, you don't know that my husband is 1/2 Lebanese. In college he was referred to as the "Lebanese Love Machine." Don't get any ideas--the nickname was sarcastically intended (whatever he may think). Anyway, both of his grandparents are first-generation Lebanese Americans, which makes Sam 1/4 Lebanese. Their heritage is really important to them, and we hope that Sam will grow to appreciate all that it entails. We drove to Greenville, MS, on Saturday so that Sam could hang out with his great-grandparents, and so that Anthony could get his fill of Lebanese food.

If you haven't had kibbi before, I highly recommend it, and Anthony's grandmother, Mama Rubye makes the best. There is also a raw variety that I have dared to eat, and it's really good...you just have to get over the fact that you're eating raw meat. Think of it as steak tartar, and you won't feel so crazy. Everytime I eat it raw I have a small panic attack and imagine that I'm going to get mad cow disease. If I start acting crazy in a few years, you'll know why.


I found this hysterical onesie at cafepress.com, and I had to buy it. If you can't tell, it says "Lebanese Cutie." The website has stuff for just about every nationality under the sun; I was amazed.

I've also posted a slideshow of recent pictures and pictures from that weekend. Sam looks humongous sitting in Mama Rubye's lap. I laugh everytime I look at those pictures. We go for our 4 month check-up tomorrow. Ought to be interesting...

Busy, busy, week

The past week or so has been really busy at our household, and I haven't had a chance to update the blog. I'm sure some of you are sitting on pins and needles, right?

Last week we had the Viking golf tournament, and this week Sam had his 4 month pictures taken by Alison Muirhead, and we were supposed to have his 4 month checkup today. However, yesterday he developed a fever, so we took him to the doctor. Unfortunately, Sam is sick for the first time; it was really sad yesterday. Cranky, cranky, cranky...fever of 102, and a refusal to be put down. He's apparently developed the first (of many, I'm sure) ear infections. He's feeling much better this morning. The fever is down, and so far I'm allowed to put him down on his own.

As I mentioned earlier, last week was all about the Viking golf tournament. We spent several days going out there, and it was a lot of fun. I hate watching golf--I think it's the equivalent of watching grass grow, but when your father-in-law can get you into the air-conditioned, catered hospitality tent, I'm all about it. Seriously, even if you don't like golf, it's a really neat event-especially the cooking demonstrations. I got to watch Guy Fieri and Cat Cora, and then Joe introduced us to them after the demos. It really was pretty fun. Sam enjoyed the hospitality tent, also, and I know that his grandparents loved showing him off. I've attached pictures above.

Apparently, Sam got hungry by the end of the day, so he decided to eat the Culinary Institute brochure.

2 things:

Number 1--the pictures of me in the orange dress-I know I look huge; I swear I've lost my baby weight. No really, I swear.

Number 2--The Office starts tonight...Yay! I love Jim Halpert.

Tailgate Trauma

This weekend Anthony and I headed to Starkville to watch our Bulldogs take on Auburn. I hoped that I would be good luck. Last year one of the only home games I made it to was the Alabama game, and since we won, I was sure that I was the reason. (Makes perfect sense, right?) We arrived at our tailgate around 12:00, only to find that some other people had decided that they wanted our spot, unapologetically took down our tent, and leaned it against a tree. Can you believe people? Not a good start...I don't think I've seen Anthony that mad in a long time. There aren't many things that get under his skin, but you just don't touch the man's tailgate. Needless to say, things weren't off to the best start.

It turned out to be a beautiful day, except that it was hot as blazes. A lot of our friends asked about Sam, but I'm glad we didn't take him. I'm pretty sure he would have been miserably hot. I'm thinking he will make his official gameday debut at the Kentucky game. It will be much cooler, and I think he'll be happier bundled up rather than sticking to his stroller. Regardless, we had a great time despite the final score, and I'm still trying to catch up on lost sleep.

Since Sam wasn't with us, and I know our family would like an update of him--let's face it, they don't really care about Anthony and me anymore--I've attached a video of Joe playing patty-cake with him. It's pretty cute.

What I did at Grandy and Mimi's

This past weekend I was supposed to have gone on a trip to Baton Rouge and New Orleans with a good friend of mine. Gustav had different plans. Instead of enjoying a few nights out, eating wonderful food, and shopping until my feet hurt, I was forced to make other plans. Anthony was headed to Starkville, so I headed home. I was planning on shopping on Magazine, but Memphis will do in a pinch. Sam and I shopped all day Saturday; he helped me pick out some cute dresses and a great pair of jeans. Joe claims that Sam has his Papa's fashion sense...we shall see. All in all, the weekend turned out okay. As we packed up on Sunday, Sam was getting a little cranky, so Dad took him outside. (The kid LOVES being outdoors.) This is what I found when I came out after them.


Don't call child services...I am not Brittney Spears, and I promise the mower wasn't on.

Sam's Christening

On Saturday, August 30, 2008, Sam was christened at Saint James Episcopal Church in Jackson, MS. We were very fortunate to have several of our family members in attendance, including Sam's new godparents Jennifer Antonio and Mack Heidelberg. Jennifer is Anthony's first cousin, and Mack is a longtime friend. We are so pleased to have them be such a big part of Sam's life, and I think they will each be such wonderful influences.

Sam was actually pretty good; he slept through most of the process, and he only briefly protested when the water was poured on his head. Overall, it was a successful day. (Except for the bulldogs embarrassing loss--we won't talk about that now since my husband is just now beginning to get over the sting.)


I've posted a slideshow so that you can see a little of our day.

Make a Smilebox slideshow

We're now sitting around trying to enjoy a Gustav-filled Labor Day. I hope that our friends and family on the coast and in Louisiana come out of this unfortunate situation unscathed. We are thinking of you.

Head, shoulders, knees, and...

Lots of fun stuff has happened this week; I was going to wait a little while longer to post these, but I couldn't resist. This week Sam has...












discovered his toes... (hence, the post title)

figured out that he doesn't have to sleep in the same position all night long...

AND

If you're easily bored, don't click on the video.

I realize that not everyone finds our child as fascinating as we do. I also realize that we have friends and family that want to be a part of his every move. Sam may not be sleeping through the night, (although we did make it 6 hrs. straight last night-too bad they're not the same 6 hrs. I sleep...) but he is making real progress as far as holding his head up goes. Tummy time is getting a little bit easier for him. If you're interested, or if you just need your daily Sam-fix, here you go.

Is anybody else's husband "deaf"?

So we're in the process of getting Sam to sleep through the night. For some reason our 18lb. 3-month-old (yes, you read correctly--18lbs) still thinks he needs to snack during the night. I know, I know...we're getting very close to letting him cry it out. Anyway, during the week, I handle all the middle of the night and early morning feedings. It's only fair--Anthony has to go to work. However, I really look forward to the weekends so that I can get a little relief from my better half. Picture this...we had our friends, Tara and Clay Holder stay with us this Saturday night. Tara is 26 wks. pregnant. In an effort to avoid terrifying them, I told Anthony that since he was in charge of weekend feedings, he would need to snag Sam before he went into a full-on, middle-of-the-night, why-aren't-you-people-feeding-me-meltdown. Anthony responded, "I'll try." (What does that mean, anyway? Does he "try" to go to MSU football games? Something here doesn't add up...) Sure enough, Sambo decides he's ready for a 1:00 snack. I nudge; I call his name...nothing. The husband doesn't move. I very sweetly (pick up on sarcasm here) stomp out of the room to get the sweet babe and feed him. Back into the crib he goes. 5:00 rolls round...Anthony doesn't hear him, AGAIN. Needless to say, I was not very sweet to my husband this morning.

I don't think he'll have a hearing problem next weekend.

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