Merry 1st-5th Christmas!

Yep, you read correctly. This year we celebrated Christmas at 5 places, over the course of 3 days. We were super busy but enjoyed all of the time we spent with our families. Here is a breakdown of each day.

December 23rd: Parris Farm

We spent the day at my parents farm with all of my family. We still had to be careful with Sam, since her RSV was still technically contagious, but it wasn’t that difficult to keep her and my 2 year old nephew Jakob apart with all of the presents. My parents always go way overboard, and we received so many thoughtful gifts, but really we just enjoyed the time with family, especially since this was Sam’s first Christmas celebration. Patrick, Sam, & I  claimed a corner so that we could keep her attention (or at least try) and so that we could video tape her opening all of her gifts. She didn’t really know what to do, but we showed her how to rip the paper, and eventually she got to where she would pull the tissue paper out of some bags. Only problem was that she liked the bags so much, she didn’t even notice some of the toys. lol. We had a fun day of presents, visiting, and playing with the kiddos. 

Parris Family Christmas VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

12-24 Jeff Christmas

Christmas Eve day was spent playing at our house, then we made the trip to spend the evening with Patrick’s family. We got there early so we got to spend some quality time with Mimi while she was cooking dinner, and Patrick’s dad, brother, sister in law, aunt and her boyfriend showed up a few hours later. We had a wonderful home cooked meal, then let Sam open her presents first since it was getting close to her bedtime. We all enjoyed getting to visit, especially since we don’t get to see Jonathan, April,  and aunt as often as we would like. Again, we got so many generous gifts, and are so blessed. As we were leaving Aunt Diane’s boyfriend backed their car into a tree, but thankfully there was no damage. It was a late night, and we didn’t get home until almost 11, but we really enjoyed our time with his family! We got Sam a recordable book from Hallmark, The Night Before Christmas, but hadn’t had a chance to record it yet. So we decided that we would just read it to her as she drifted back to sleep, and then spent some time recording after she was in bed. This is something I want to do for her every year.

Jeff Family Christmas VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

12-25: SNOW, Our first Family Christmas, Mamo’s, Granddads

Christmas morning we woke up to SNOW!!!! It was the first time we had ever had snow on Christmas and it made it feel even more special! We had a nice breakfast together and then opened presents from Santa! Sam was so cute “opening” her gifts. She kept wanting to play with everything before going on to the next gift. At the end, she wanted inside her toybox from us, and loved sitting inside. After we got some trash put away, we got bundled up and went outside to get some pictures. We had a little over 3 inches and it was still falling! Sam seemed to enjoy it, and so did we. After a while, we decided to try and make it over to Mamo’s & Granddads, even though there was a lot of ice on the roads. I don’t know that we would have tried to go if it hadn’t been for the Great-Grandparents, but it was Sam’s first Christmas and I couldn’t imagine not spending it like we had the last 10 Christmas’s. We made it to Mamo’s safe and sound, but were late to dirty Santa. I got to pick the last gift, and Patrick’s mom picked for him so he got some cash. We hated to cut our visit short with Mamo, but knew if we didn’t get to Granddad’s early then we might not make it since the roads were supposed to re-ice over. We spent some time with Granddad and Rosie and the rest of the fam, and visited for a bit, and decided that we would go back to Mamo’s and spend the night in her guest room. I packed a bag of clothes and extra formula, just in case we got snowed in, so I was glad that Mamo didn’t mind the extra company. It was nice to get to spend some extra time with her, we haven’t spent the night up there in a few years. Sam didn’t sleep well, because she likes to roll around and crawl on me when she is in the bed with us, but at least we had a nice warm place to stay, and we were together.

Our Family Christmas! VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

 

Great-Grandparents Christmas! VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

The next day we got up early, thanks to Sammie the squirmier, and had some breakfast with Mamo, Mimi & Granddad who also stayed the night. We visited for a bit, and then decided to make the icy trek home around noon, so that we could avoid the re-icing again. It was fine, except for a patch of road right in the middle, but we made it home just fine. Oh, and sleeping with us wasn’t the only reason Sam was up and squirmy the night before. The day after Christmas, Sam got her first top tooth (#3 total), and just a few short days later, the day before new years eve, she got tooth #4. My sweet baby is growing up!  We also were blessed with a visit from my cousin Brandi this week, who was visiting her parents from Arizona as a surprise Christmas present! I miss her so much, and was so glad that we got to see her while she was in town. She is actually trying to find a job closer to home, and I really hope it happens soon.  I guess that is all for now. I hope you all had a very Merry Christmas!!!

 

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Dear God,

Thank you for everything you do for us. Thank you so much for blessing us with such wonderful family and friends during this blessed season. Thank you for showing us that the reason for the season is your son Jesus Christ, who reminds us of what is really important. Thank you for keeping us safe through the storms, and ice. Thank you for taking care of my mother, because this Christmas wouldn’t have been the same without her. Thank you for letting us have our first Christmas as a family together. Please take care of those who are less fortunate. Please let those who are not able to be with their families, to feel your presence and comfort. Please watch over us all, as I know you always do. Thank you so much for your many blessings. Thank you!

AMEN

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Update on Sam and Mom

I posted about Sam’s 9 month checkup, but we were waiting to get her head circumference rechecked so I thought I would update again. We ended up having to take Sam to the pediatrician on Monday because she had what seemed like a bad cold. While we were there we got the nurse to recheck her head and it was still 47cm, so the doctor is no longer concerned about it growing too fast. Thank God! :) The doctor ran a few tests on Sam, listened to her chest twice, and tested her oxygen output twice, and we found out that she had gotten RSV. It is a fairly common cold virus, but in babies it can cause some respiratory distress. Luckily we got her to the doctor soon enough that all she has needed is come extra TLC from Patrick and me, and a couple of doses of steroids to keep her lungs strong. She hasn't run a fever, has no signs of wheezing, is eating normally, and her ears are clear which are the main concerns with RSV (dehydration, and infection), so she has been very lucky to just have a cough, and a very runny nose. Today she is on day 7 of the virus, and is doing much better. She still has a cough, but her nose looks so much better! She should be completely virus free and no longer contagious by Christmas Day! :)

Sick Sam, still happy as a clam!

Oh and other good news, Sam is officially standing all by herself! (Pictures to come soon!) She started doing it on Monday, and keeps doing it more and more, and for longer periods of time. I can't believe she is really standing, and that soon enough she will be walking too. My baby is growing up so fast!

Mommy and Sammie (taken when I got home from a day of wrapping presents at the farm)

Also a little update on mom. She went back to the orthopedic surgeon on Tuesday. Good news is that they still think that she is healing great and should not need surgery. The not so good news is that she will be out of work for at least 12 weeks now. With her being a teacher and being on her feet most of the time, the doctor didn't think that it would be a good idea for her to go back any sooner. She will have another appointment in January, and I will update you again then. Please continue to keep our family in your prayers.

Sam visiting with her Granna at the farm.

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Dear God,
Thank you for everything that you do for us. Thank you so much for letting my mom not have to have surgery so far, and for giving her the time that she needs off to take care of herself. Thank you for my amazing daddy who has been so caring and amazing in my mother's time of need. Thank you for taking care of my baby girl. I hate that she is sick, but thank you for giving me the intuition to take her to the doctor, and for letting it not be more serious. Thank you so much for the good news regarding her head size, and for reassuring us that she just has a big brain :). Thank you so much for my sisters help to bring Christmas together at my parents farm, and for giving us the opportunity to spend more time together, even if it was while wrapping Christmas presents for 6 hours. Thank you so much for everything you do for us.
AMEN
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Mom had a car accident (Sam 10 months old)

This morning my mom was in a car accident on her way to school. She didn't feel well, and started seeing double and as she was trying to pull over to the side of the road she blacked out. She went off the side of the road, went over a bump in a driveway which caused her van to go airborne, and she landed in a gully going the opposite direction. She was taken by ambulance to Trinity Medical center, and after having an MRI they found that she has two fractured vertebrae.The only other injuries that she suffered were on her neck and chest from the seatbelt, and some bruising on her left arm from hitting the door of the van. She has been admitted to the hospital for observation, so they can try to find out why she blacked out, but also to watch her back after the swelling goes down to see if she may need surgery. Hopefully this fracture will heal on it's own with time and rest. She has been fitted with a back brace, which she joked will go nicely with her immobilizer from her shoulder surgery. Luckily it doesn't seem like she did any more damage to her hurt shoulder. I will try to update as we get more information. We thank God that she wasn't hurt more severely! Please keep her in your prayers!

Sammie visiting her Granna at the hospital.

I joked with momma that if she wanted to see Samantha on her 10 monthday, all she had to do was ask. lol. Unfortunately, I spent most of the day at the hospital but, I was so glad that Patrick was able to take Sam and my two oldest nephews to his parents house for the day, and his mom was off work because of some oral surgery she had earlier in the week. It wall worked out wonderfully, because Patrick was able to keep the boys busy, while Sam's Mimi enjoyed some quality alone time with her granddaughter. :) Thanks again Mimi for letting them all come over, and for helping to take care of my family.

After I knew that mom was stable, and my older sister and her husband were going to stay at the hospital for a while, I had my oldest sister take me back to my inlaws house to pick up the gang. My nephews were supposed to stay with us the next day for our Christmas (we always do a separate Christmas so that we can have them sleep over and hang out with just us) but we thought it would be a good idea if they came home with us that night so that we could keep their minds off of mom and her accident.

We had a wonderful time with the boys. We all made homemade pizza, then we ate, then took Sam's 10 month pictures with her sticker, then opened presents. They seemed to enjoy the stuff we got them. When I got Sam down for the night, we watched movies and played board games until late. Brady fell asleep on the couch before we got to the board game portion of the evening, but he still had a good time. :)



Saturday we took the boys back to the hospital, and had a special visit from Mrs. Hayes, Erin, and her son Grayson. They are such amazing friends, and brought snacks and drinks for my mom, dad,and visitors; and even brought a toy for Sam to play with and a card game for my nephews so they wouldn't get bored. We are so blessed to have people like this in our lives. Saturday night Patrick, Sam and I spent the night at Mimi and Granddads, and even though Sam and I didn't sleep well we were very appreciative of their hospitality and enjoyed our time spent with them. Sunday morning we went back to the hospital and checked on mom again.

Sunday afternoon we went to our friend's daughter Lilly's 1st birthday party. We had a good time, and Sam enjoyed playing with all of Lilly's new toys. Lilly isn't sure what to think of Sam, since she is so quiet and Sam is a bit outspoken, but hopefully they will grow on each other eventually. When we left the party we went and had dinner in the next town over with my friend Linsie and her husband for her 27th birthday! Linsie couldn't look more amazing! She has that gorgeous pregnant glow, and her belly is so adorable! :) I am so excited that she will have her little boy in just a few short months! Linsie and Jeremiah got us some awesome Christmas presents, one of which is a multi purpose spoon which I have used every time I have cooked since I got it! :) I think we really needed to spend some time with our friends and family after mom's accident, to remind us of the positive things in our lives.

Well that is all for now, I should have some updates for you all soon. Please continue to pray for my family as we are hoping for the best outcome possible for this accident.

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Dear God,
Thank you for all that you do for us. Thank you so much for taking care of my mother, and the rest of my family this week. Thank you so much for watching over my mother and letting her continue to be here with us, because while I know that Heaven is a wonderful place, we still need her. Thank you for allowing us to be at the hospital with her, and for watching over all of the kiddos. Thank you for my healthy amazing baby girl, and letting her continue to grow so strong and beautiful. Thank you for family I can count on, and friends that even though they live 2 hours away I know I can count on in an instant. Please continue to help my mother heal. Please let my mother realize that this is your way of telling her to slow down and take care of herself. Please let her be ok, and not have to have surgery, or if she does have to have surgery let it go as smoothly as possible. Please let everything be ok. Thank you so much for all of the many blessings you have bestowed upon my family and friends. You are all powerful,and I know that you have a plan and a purpose for us all.
AMEN
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Christmas Card!!!!

9 month checkup… and other stuff

I am so sorry it has been so long since I updated this thing, but with the holidays and my severe head cold I haven’t had much of a chance to blog. So where should I start.

Last Monday 11/22 Sam had her 9 month checkup and as usual her doctor said she is perfect! She weighs 22lbs 9oz (93%) is 29 1/2 inches long (96%) and her head is 47cm (off the charts!). She had to get the second part of her flu shot, but no immunizations until her 1st birthday, and is doing great!!!

The only concern her pedi has, is that her head is a little above average in size, so she just wants to keep a check on it. Sam's head circ, follows a normal trend, so they aren't terribly worried about it, but sometimes babies that have a sudden growth can indicate tumors, but it is unlikely since Sam is doing so well developmentally. We will go back the week after Christmas just to have her head size rechecked, and hopefully everything is fine and she just has an extra large brain in there, but any thoughts and prayers would be appreciated anyway. :)

I cannot believe how fast she is growing, and how many new things she is doing. She is now sleeping through the night every single night from 8:30pm-7am, and is taking two naps a day in her crib by herself. I didn’t know when it would happen, but after that first nap on her 9 month birthday she has stuck with it. She is trying more and more foods and loves whole wheat ritz crackers and cheddar cheese. She pulls up on everything, and had her first bad head bump last week. It wasn’t really serious, but it did leave a little bruise on her face, which healed and was replaced by a new bruise shortly after when she fell on the baby gate. I’m not ready for a toddling, head bumping baby! She has also started waving, especially to herself in the mirror, and claps on cue. She is just getting so big!

Speaking of exciting things, Patrick and I decided to pay off our car this month. We had 3 years left on our loan, but realized that we could be saving the 5% interest and decided to dip into our savings to cover the loan, and we will just build our emergency fund back up with the money we were paying on the car. We feel so relieved to not have to deal with that bill each month, and now the only debt we have is our mortgage!!!

Sam’s first Thanksgiving was amazing! We had so much fun visiting with our families. Thanksgiving day we went to Mamo’s and had an amazing lunch that she and Linda had prepared, and we all spent a lot of time playing with Sam in the floor . Mamo hasn’t been feeling well, and is having some kidney problems, but is feeling much better and we hope that she will continue to do well. In the afternoon we went to Granddad’s and Grandma Rosie's and spent some time with them and all of the other aunts and uncles on that side of Patrick’s family, and loved getting to catch up with them. Uncle Will brought his dachshund Shadow, who recently had back surgery, and we were so happy to see that he was back to running around and wagging his tail like usual. Friday, I went black Friday shopping with my mom and sister Sarah, and instead of driving to a huge city like we usually do, we stuck around my house, and it was awesome! We got what we needed, no pushing or shoving, and no wait!!! We didn’t wait for more than 5 minutes in a single line, not even at Wal-Mart, where last year I spent over an hour in line, with a very pregnant very numb belly and sore back! lol. Mom did really well, considering she is still recovering from her shoulder surgery and is still wearing a sling until at least mid December. On Saturday we had Thanksgiving at the Parris farm. My mom and dad went all out as usual, and everything was amazing. Everyone came, and we all enjoyed ourselves. We had so much fun watching the kiddos play, and I am really looking forward to Christmas with all of them this year. We got a pretty decent Christmas picture for their card this year, Sam is the only one not looking at the camera, but that’s ok, she’ll get the hang of things eventually. Sunday we spent the day with Patrick’s dad’s sister and Grandmother and it was really nice to get to visit with them for both of their birthdays along with Thanksgiving. Needless to say, we were really really busy!

11/25 VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

11/27 VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

On Tuesday 11/30 Sam went to see Santa at our local mall. She had seen him in Gatlinburg in September, but as I’m sure you remember the pictures she didn’t like him. This time was a totally different story! She sat in his lap, and looked a little scared but didn’t cry. Then when he started talking to her, she looked up at him so intently like she was really listening to what he had to say. I love the picture we got, and am so glad we went. Patrick had taken off work so that I could go to the doctor for my severe head cold, so he got to go and see Sam get her picture taken, and we spent the day cuddling and Christmas shopping. Thankfully, Sam did really well for Patrick and napped most of the time I was at the doctor, and played while I picked up my prescriptions. I am feeling much better, and am so glad that Patrick and Sam haven’t gotten sick.

Today I went and spent some time with my friend Linsie. We haven’t seen each other in a few months, because we live so far away, but we were in need of a date. Linsie found out on 11/17 that she is having a baby boy (Jerry), and we are so incredibly grateful that she and her baby are doing so well and are so healthy! I will be throwing her baby shower in February shortly after Sam’s birthday, and couldn’t be happier for my dear friend who has experienced so much loss, and is finally getting her miracle baby!!! We had a nice lunch at Chick fil a, where the staff was amazing (as soon as we walked one of the ladies went and got us a high chair, and taped down a place mat at a table for us to sit at, complimented Sam several times, and kept coming by to ask if we needed refills. Definitely the best service I’ve ever had at a fast food restaurant. lol), and then went for a shopping trip to Buy Buy Baby. We shopped for a couple of hours, Linsie found some stuff for Jerry, and I found a few things to put up for Sam’s birthday. It was such a nice visit and I can’t wait to do it again.

We have so many things coming up, and I feel like I will never have time to write about them all, but I am so thankful for all of the blessings in our lives. Just in the next few weeks we are making some home improvements, going to my nephew Brady’s first band concert, celebrating some friends birthdays, and most exciting of all spending our first Christmas morning at home with our precious baby girl!!! I will try to keep you all updated as much as possible, and I hope you enjoy hearing about our lives!

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Dear God,

Thank you so much for everything you do for us. Thank you so much for our happy, healthy, smart, beautiful baby girl. She is such a miracle and every time I look at her, I know that she is a blessing from you. Thank you for my amazing husband, who works so hard, and is so driven to do well so that he can provide for our family. Please help him to do well in his work, and in this upcoming spring semester as he goes back to graduate school. Thank you so much for our families and for the time we got to spend with them all this week. We are so blessed to have so much family, and we love them so much. Thank you for watching over me and helping me to feel better, and for letting Patrick be such a great father and allowing him to watch Sam for me this week. Thank you so much for the healthy baby that my friend is carrying, and please continue to watch over her and her son for the rest of their long and happy lives. Thank you for the new pregnancies of other friends of mine (especially T & S), and please help their babies grow strong and healthy so that they will get the chance to be the wonderful parents I know that they will be. Please continue to bless our lives, and watch over us in all that we do.Please continue to remind us that the reason for this beautiful season is your love for us, your son who was born and died for our sins and gives us everlasting life. I am so grateful for everything you have given us, and for the plans that lay ahead.

AMEN

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9 months old!

Can you believe it?! Sam is 9 months old today! She is getting so big, and doing more new things every day! In just one week she started clapping, pulling up on things, at first to her knees now all the way to her feet, she is eating her snacks by herself, and drinking from a Sippy cup, and today she tried her first table food. Not to mention that today was the very first time that she put herself to sleep in her crib for a nap, and it lasted a whole hour!!! I was such a proud momma! :) Before too long she will be my little girl instead of my baby girl. Who am I kidding, she will always be my baby, but you know what I mean. Now with only 92 days until her 1st birthday I am starting to get all weepy and nostalgic about her getting older. I just keep telling myself that each new stage is always my new favorite, and I am going to LOVE not having to buy formula anymore in a few months. lol.

Oh, and a little update. My mom's surgery went well on Monday. She was going in for a repair on a small tear in her shoulder and a bone spur, but ended up having to have the whole rotator cuff repaired also. She has been doing good, but today was the first day that she was in pain. I just hope that it will pass soon, and that she will recover quickly. I know she will do everything she can to get back to holding Samantha as soon as possible.  Thank you all for your thoughts and prayers, I really appreciate them!

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Dear God,

Thank you for everything that you do for us. Thank you for our beautiful, healthy, sweet, amazing baby girl. Thank you for making our family whole with her. Thank you for this wonderful life that you have made us responsible for, we love her so much and can’t believe how incredibly lucky we are. Please be with the families who aren’t so lucky. Please give them comfort and strength when their children are dealing with various ailments, and let them trust in you to take care of them. Thank you so much for taking care of us and for our wonderful families. Thank you for taking care of my mother during her surgery and for helping her to slow down and take time for herself so that she can recover. Thank you for watching over my sister and nephews last week when their house caught fire, and even though there were no smoke alarms, they woke up and got out and are ok. Thank you so much for all of the amazing miracles you perform each and every day, and even for being with us when the answer to our prayers is no. Please be with my friends who are having a tough time right now, who need a little extra guidance. Thank you for everything that you do for us, and all of the many blessings you have bestowed upon us in our every day lives.

AMEN

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Happy Halloween!

Just had to post a picture of Sam’s first time trick or treating! I was so proud of Patrick for making his own costume, including adorable hat! :) Also, my nephews came up to go with us, so I had to post their pictures too!  Brady bought his costume on the way up to our house, and Brandon borrowed an apron and Patrick’s Moe mask. :) We had a blast, and Brandon even decided to spend the night with us so we could watch movies! :)

Wendy (Me), Tinkerbell (Sam), and Peter Pan (Patrick)

Mario (Brady) & Moe the Bartender from The Simpson’s (Brandon)

Nanana & Dadada

That is what Sam is calling us!!! She jabbers all of the time, and if you say "hey" she will say it back, but  all of the sudden today I walked away from the cart in Wal-Mart, Patrick still standing with her, and she started screaming nana nana, I rushed back because 1) she was so loud and  2) I could tell she was calling for me. We said "are you saying mama?" and she said it again! Then we said "can you say dada" and she rattled off dada dada!!! Now whenever one of us leaves the room she calls for us. It happened just that quick! Of course I didn't have my camera at Wal-Mart, but I did get some video of her tonight!

 

Also, she started liking solid snacks on Friday and even got one in her mouth, Saturday she was eating them one after the other, and today she had several cubes of banana and a few yogurt melts. So we are officially on our way to self feeding! I know it takes a while, but this is the first time she has shown a real interest in it. :)

Oh, and we got Sam her very first tooth brush for her two little teeth, and she loved chewing on the bristles. lol.

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Dear God,

Thank you so much for everything you do for us. Thank you for our amazing and precious daughter who gives us so much joy each and every day.We can never thank you enough for the blessings you have given us!

AMEN

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Costumes for a cause:

Our Sunday school class held an event to help with a mission for an orphanage in Ghana. The Jesse Brooks Foundation was the specific one we are working with.  A girl in our class is a professional photographer and donated her time, and only requested a $20 donation per child for pictures of your little one in their Halloween costume. The event was a huge success and we raised enough money to support 2 orphans for an entire year! Not only that, but I got these great photos! Hope you enjoy them. :)

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Dear God,

Thank you so much for everything you do for us. Thank you for this great opportunity for us to contribute to a good cause. Please watch over all of the children in the world, and give us more opportunities to help those in need. Thank you for giving us the means to take care of our healthy, beautiful, amazing daughter, and please help us to help others and to teach her to help others as well.

AMEN

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8 months old!

Samantha turned 8 months old today, she is getting so big!!! It is amazing how much things have changed. We love her so much, and that love just grows more and more each day. She smiles and laughs at us so much, and hates when you take away a toy she is playing with. She is eating her puree’s and shows no interest in regular solids whatsoever. She now weighs 21lbs and is 29 inches long! We will find out more, including her percentiles, at next months checkup. Thankfully she does not have to have one this month which means no shots, except for the flu shot we will take her to get next week. We are spending more time playing and reading and singing with her than we ever got to before, because we have a great routine down, and she loves her routine. My baby is growing up so fast!

She has officially outgrown the sink bathtub and we are only using it for the purpose of taking her monthly pictures now. lol

 

 

 

 

She crawled two whole steps yesterday, and now today she is going after whatever she wants, specifically mail. lol. I just know she is going to be really crawling within the next month or so!

Sammie army crawling to get mail

Also, today we figured out that she loves to watch her daddy try to "juggle" her blocks. :)

Samantha laughing at Patrick while he attempts to juggle

We have also been taking her to the park pretty often and walking around the neighborhood everyday so that she can enjoy the weather while it is still nice.

Sam swinging at the park

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Dear God,

Thank you for everything that you do for us! You have blessed us so much, and we are so grateful. Thank you for giving us a beautiful HEALTHY daughter, who we love more and more each day. Thank you for giving us each other, and for the love that Patrick and I share. Thank you for our wonderful families and for the unconditional love that they give us. Thank you for watching over us, and reassuring us that things will work out they way they should, however that might be. Thank you so much for all that you do in our daily lives, and for loving us.

AMEN

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