A Surprise from "Southern"

When Sam and I got home from school today, there was a package waiting on the door step...addressed to Sam...from Hattiesburg, Mississippi!  A piece of my heart will always lie there, and fond memories of my college years flooded back to me.  When Sam and I opened the box, we found this:

Sam really loved the bow!  Inside this brightly colored package was Sam's very first Southern Miss attire!  A 6-9 month sleeper (that totally fits him now) with a Golden Eagle on it.  Here's my lil' eagle in his new duds, and I could not have asked for a better modeling pose...

I love me some Golden Eagles!  Thank you to dj, Uncle Wayne, and Amelia for a perfect surprise.  You have truly made our day :)

Dedicated to Him

On February 20th at WOC, Sam was dedicated to the Lord.  Other than a cute outfit and an annointing with oil, that's about all this event had to do with Sam.  He had no choice in this matter.  This decision had everything to do with us, his parents, and a commitment we have made in our parenting style.  We have committed to raising Sam in a home that honors Jesus.  We will read the Bible to him and make sure he stays involved in church.  We will teach him to pray and trust in the Lord in word and in deed.  By these efforts and the grace of God, we believe that one day Sam will make the decision for himself to follow Jesus.  As Michael put it his letter he wrote to Sam, "There will come a day when an act of obedience will replace God's grace," and it is our hope that we will have given him all the information and experience he needs to choose Jesus when that day comes.

Thankfully, Michael and I will have help in the task of raising up a godly son.  Our family joined us to show their support.  They too, are dedicated to guiding Sam in his tiny walk with the Lord.  We are truly grateful for their love and experience.  And, to our friends who could not be there, we thank you for your encouragement and prayer as well.  We are such a blessed family.  And now, some photos...

Each family sat at a table in New Harvest Sanctuary.

This photo makes me laugh every time.  What a face, Sam!

The fam...showing their support.  Thank you!

My handsome boys.

A prayer for blessings from Pastor Allen

Samuel's "Salvation Squad"

4-Month Old Checkup

Here are the stats from Sam's 4 month checkup today...

We started bright and early this morning at the Vanderbuilt Eye Center where Sam was given the "thumbs up" on his vision.  He is tracking much better and both eyes are working together.  And, Sam's blocked tear duct seems to have healed itself.  Last Monday (Valentine's Day) his eye miraculously cleared up and we haven't had any problems since.  After four months, I can finally say, "Thank you Jesus for healing my boy!"

Next up, Dr. Sam's office for checkup and shots.  He weighed in at 17lbs. 8oz. and was 28 inches long.  That puts him in the 90th percentile in weight and off the top of the chart in height.  I think the Doc wanted to "counsel" me on his weight being too high until he charted his height.  Then, he didn't say anything else about it.  He tested negative for strep, which I just had last week.  But, he did seem to have a mild ear infection which I didn't even suspect.  He had no temperature, no fussiness, no nothing.  He doesn't get worked up about anything it seems.  He got a shot in each leg and only cried for a few seconds.  He is truly the bravest boy I know.  Now, it's home for a nap!

Valentine's Day for a Freckle-Faced Girl

I grew up a freckle-faced girl.  I had red hair that I begged my mother to get permed, which just meant I had frizzy red hair.  Sixth grade had barely begun when I added a mouthful of braces to the mix.  I wasn't exactly Valentine material.  I watched as my friends got flowers and chocolates and stuffed teddy bears from their boyfriends, and I wondered...has cupid totally skipped me?

But, as with all ugly ducklings with nowhere to go but up, time passed; things changed.  I ditched the braces for a straight row of pearly whites.  I bought a Chi flat iron that changed my life.   And, my freckles faded (or maybe I just found some great consealer.) And now, this freckle-faced girl looks forward to Valentine's Day, especially this Valentine's Day.

I started the day off with a special message on the mirror to my main Valentine.  His big nursing school test was scheduled for Valentine's Day, and I wanted to encourage him and make sure he knew he was loved.  It looked a little something like this...

My sweety and I don't really like to go out to eat on Valentine's Day, so we usually get carryout pizza and stay home.  Keeping with tradition, I stopped by Papa Murphy's for a deep dish and dessert.  When I arrived at home and opened up the refridgerator, I found this...

Hidden amond the Dale's sauce and ketchup was my homeade, hand-dipped edible bouquet!  Pretty creative huh!

And, my little Valentine made a declaration about who he was choosing as his first Valentine...me!  That shirt clearly reads, "I (heart) Mommy."  I love you too, Sam.

Not too shabby for a freckle-faced girl, huh!

Dinky Bibs

There are certain things in life one must take a stand on...a boycott of sorts.  For me a short list of those things would be:

Watered Chestnuts (it's a texture thing)

The Indian Food restaurant my dad likes in Nashville (enough curry to kill an army)

Shelbyville's Walmart (just plain ridiculous)

....and now, those dinky little baby bibs!

We were blessed to receive just about everything we needed to welcome a new baby from our friends and family members before Sam was even born.  Among the overwhelming list of supplies needed for a baby was, of course, baby bibs.  We got all kinds.  The ones with funny sayings on them, the waterproof kind, even some supporting Mississippi State (thanks again JJ).  

I have now had a chance to try them all out and made the conclusion that 98% of bibs today do not meet the needs of the mommy or the baby, at least not my baby.  Now, I know we are teething, but all this drool cannot be handled with these dinky little bibs.  My son needs a bib that could double as a shower curtain!  There is no excuse for soaking seven dinky bibs a day!  No wonder the daycare girls are always reminding me to, "Send more bibs, please."  They are probably starting to think my son is half-shark and cutting three rows of teeth at a time from all this drool they are constantly mopping up!

Here is an example of a dinky bib.  Sam can soak this one in minutes.  Anything that doesn't reach to about his waist doesn't stand a chance of making it through the hour.

Now there are some great bibs out there, but they are much harder to find.  Like this pullover bib below, for example, is awesome.  It fits like a t-shirt around the neck and hangs to his knees.  I think it may have been meant as a sort of prank baby gift and it reads, "I (heart) Take Out," but it is by far my favorite bib we own!  Notice all the drool streaming down the front of the bib.  Maybe he is part shark...

I learn something new all the time about this motherhood thing, and I now have a veteran perspective on bibs:  BUY THEM BIG!

Sam Snapshot: 4 months

Sam turned 4 months old today.  I was still on maternity leave when he turned a month old.  His second month birthday was on a Saturday.  We had a snow day on his third month birthday and went sledding at CedarRock.  And now, another snow day has allowed me to celebrate this day with him as well!  I am blessed.  Here is a list of events/achievements up to this point:

• He is definitely teething (post about Dinky Bibs to come)
• He can roll all the way over on his side and balance there.  I think he hasn't rolled all the way over to his belly yet because he hates tummy time.
• He "talks" to Daddy on the phone when he is out of town.  Michael asks him a question on speakerphone and he grabs the phone and answers back in gibberish.
• He totally loves his circus-saucer, could play in it for hours.
• His laugh is the sweetest sound in any language.
• He just might be the happiest most laid-back baby I know.  
• Oh, and goopy blocked tear duct? Yeah, we still have that too :(

Here's a picture of him reaching for his toys in one of his play gyms... Gosh, I love that kid.

Hello Sunshine!

This has been an epic winter in middle Tennessee.  A total of 12 inches of snow has been recorded in Shelbyville since December 1, 2010 through today.  The average snow fall for middle Tennessee is 9 inches.  Five snow storms have come through the area this winter.  We have already used 7 of our 11 snow days allotted in the teacher calendar this year.  To say the least, it has been a cold and snowy winter.

However, we were given the gift of sunshine this weekend in these parts!  The sun came out, the temperature was a moderate 62 degrees, and the park was calling our name.  So, we met up with Anamana (Aunt Amanda) and Kayden and ventured out to the park. The swings, the monkey bars, the skate park, we did it all and enjoyed every minute.  Here are some photos to capture this beautiful day...because next week, they are calling for more snow!