2017 Summer Highlights!

Since I go back to work on Tuesday, I thought it would be fun to do a blog post highlighting our summer!  The last two months have been really busy, but we won’t soon forget all the memories we made!

The first major event of the summer was Sammy turning one!  I am not a party planner and probably spent way too much time organizing his first birthday bash, but it was so worth it!  We ended up celebrating his birthday not once, not twice, but THREE times!  He had a lot of family that wanted to be involved, so we had a party here in Orem, one in PA, and one in Idaho.  I hope Sammy knows how loved he is!

Sammy's favorite thing about celebrating was the cake! Three cakes all to himself... what more could he ask for? He would eat cake everyday if we let him! 

  

  

The second major event of the summer was our two week trip to PA.  It was really awesome because Sammy recognized my family right off the bat! Thanks FaceTime!  He LOVED all the attention so much that he had a really hard time when we came home.  He was super clingy and refused to play or do anything by himself.  I enjoyed this trip a lot because I felt like we got good quality time with everyone that we wanted to see.  It’s always hard to leave, but coming back wasn’t as difficult as it’s been in the past.  I’m incredibly grateful for Bruno and his family for making Utah my home.  I NEVER wanted to live here, but it’s been such a great place for us, especially since our family, friends, and my job here are amazing! 

Watching Grandma with her horse!  

Swimming in Kimmy's parents' pool!

Hershey Park Happy! Sammy wasn't a huge fan of the rides, except the Coal Cracker - but only because he wanted to get in the water.  

He's a miniature!  He'll probably be a Hershey Kiss the next time we get to go!

We had such a blast this day.  I love amusement parks, so I especially loved getting on the new roller coasters that have been added since I was last here. 

Our quick trip to Palmyra, New York!

Trying to keep up with Sammy on top of Hill Commorah!

Again, trying to keep with him... this time in The Sacred Grove.

Some other summer highlights:

Bruno and I made a goal to go to the temple more often now that Sammy is older and I’m more comfortable leaving him for a little while.  I wanted to post this because we went to two very different temples recently!  It was kind of cool to go to Payson, Utah one month and then go all the way to Palmyra, NY the next!  I’m glad we made the trip to NY while we were back east.  I knew Bruno would enjoy all the church history there!

 

I feel like we never get to go swimming as much as I hope to, but we still got to go a few times.  Sammy really loves being in the water, so I think swim lessons are in the near future.

                  

  

While he loves being in the pool, he does NOT love splash pads. At all!

Orem Summerfest is a tradition we always look forward to!  Sammy was in his first parade, although he didn’t really enjoy it and fell asleep shortly after it started.

                                  

Another first for Sammy was the zoo!  We went with my NWA friends – Kelsey, Chelsea, and her baby Natalie!  I can’t say enough about Kelsey & Chelsea.  Working with them was so fun and it just hasn’t been the same since they left!  I hate that they both had to move, but so happy about where life is taking them. 

             

   

Bruno and I celebrated 4 years of marriage!  I feel like it’s more of an accomplishment for him because he has to put up with me. :P When I try to think about what we’ve done in the last year, the only thing I can think of is that we kept Sammy alive and well. Ha!  This last year has definitely revolved around him and I wouldn’t have it any other way.   Bruno finished another year of school and is so close to being done!  This next year will be exciting because he will graduate and hopefully find a teaching job for the 2018-19 school year.  We are keeping our fingers crossed that he’ll be able to find something in Utah so we can still live in the area.  Anyway, I am so excited for him.  I feel like a lot will change by next summer, but I’m really looking forward to see how it all pans out!

                     

 

I cut my hair!  I donated my hair once three years ago and decided I wanted to donate as often as I could.  I guess my next cut will be in 2020!  I also want to put a plug in for Children With Hair Loss.  This is an awesome organization because they don't charge families for hair pieces.  The certificate and cute tee shirt were an added bonus! I highly recommend donating your hair to them!

Sammy turned 13 months!  I'm still stuck on doing monthly pictures!  I don't think I'll be able to stop anytime soon because he is growing so fast and we can hardly keep up!  I think we've seen the most growth between 12-13 months because he is starting to imitate us a lot more and is learning how to do new things every day.  We are so proud of him!

I have enjoyed my time home this summer and it's going to be a hard transition when I can't be with Bruno and Sammy all day!  But, I'm grateful to have a job I enjoy and one that gives me good vacation time in the summer and throughout the year!

One Year!

I have a ONE YEAR old son! What?!  It still feels so surreal to think that I have a child of my own.  He has brought us more joy than I ever thought possible and I couldn’t be more grateful that Bruno & I get to be his parents.  This past year, with all of its ups & downs, has seriously been a dream.  Motherhood is such a precious calling and I do my best to embrace every moment.  Sammy – I love you more than my heart can bear!  Thank you for making me a mother earth side.  You are truly one in a million.

This last month has been really awesome because I’ve been able to enjoy summer at home.  I love it so much, even though being a stay at home mom can sometimes be just as hard as working.  I have a bad habit of measuring success based off of productivity.  At school, there are always a million things to finish, so I usually feel really good when I’m able to throw away a completed to-do list.  At home, I’m good at giving myself extra chores or random projects around the house so that I can still feel a sense of accomplishment.  Even before Sammy, I rarely got bored during the summer.  With Sammy, however, I sometimes struggle just to get regular house work done, let alone anything extra.  Yet, when I reflect on the day and think about how much Sammy & I did together, I realize it was still time well spent.  I’m learning that, for me, I shouldn't measure success based off how many things I cross off my to-do list.  I need to measure it by the quality of my time with others, especially my family.  So, I’m making a goal to be more “in the moment” instead of worrying so much about the number of things I finish.  This might be an ongoing battle, but at least I’m starting somewhere, right? Can anyone else relate or is this just me?  Maybe I was just feeling this way because I was so nervous about his party. 

Anyway – I was not expecting to rant about that!  Here are some fun things about Sammy at one year:

First and foremost, he LOVES finding trouble.  He knows what things are off limits, but he will push his boundaries.  For instance, he’ll walk to the entertainment center, look back and smile at us, and shake his head no.  It’s really cute and kind of frustrating at the same time.  Thankfully, he’s still pretty good at listening, so if I ask him to come to me, he usually will.  (I love that he knows his name and will come when he’s called, even if he’s not in the same room.) He’s also really smart and good at finding things we hide. 

He finally started waving hello & goodbye!  Just a couple weeks ago, we were saying goodbye to my mother-in-law and he just randomly started waving back.  I’ve been working on this for a while, so it melted my heart when he finally got it!

He initiates and likes giving high fives. He smiles and giggles when we play along and give him a high five back.  In this picture, he's wanting a high ten!

He officially transitioned out of the baby carrier and is now in a bigger car seat!   

He finally learned how to drink through a straw!  This is another big milestone because it's taken lots of practice.  

He weighs 26 pounds & wears anything from 18-24 month clothing.  He’s still in size four diapers and still has 8 teeth.  We’re waiting for molars to start coming in any day. 

This month he decided to ditched the pacifier completely.  He only used them for the transition from our arms to the crib – so only like 5 seconds every night so I’m not surprised that he stopped altogether on his own.  I’m happy this isn’t a battle we’ll have to fight!

He’s becoming much more snuggly now, especially when he’s tired.  I love it!!  I rock him to sleep every night and it’s the sweetest time of day.  He’ll snuggle up to me and I’ll read him a chapter from the Book of Mormon as he’s falling asleep.  Bruno and I are getting better at remembering to include him when we say nightly prayers and Sammy will sometimes (with lots of encouraging) fold his arms!  He’s starting to become very observant and will occasionally try to imitate what he sees.  It’s fun and kind of scary!      

He babbles all day long, but hasn’t picked up any new words (other than mama & dada, and sometimes papa).  He can say hi & hey, but I doubt he really means it.  I feel like he’s starting to understand a lot though – even words in Spanish, like, beso (kiss)!

His walking continues to get better and better.  He’s starting to pick up his pace and he can walk while holding something in his hand.  He’s still not able to stand up independently, but that’s okay. 

He continues to eat just about anything we put in front of him.  He doesn't really like watermelon or potatoes right now.  I also think we are about done with baby food.  I can’t blame him – it has to be disgusting after having tried so much “real” food!  He does let us know when he’s finished and when he wants water.  He LOVES water!  We’ll probably start transitioning him to whole milk soon, but it makes me really nervous!

We had his first birthday party yesterday and it was a success!  It was everything I hoped and more.  We are blessed with amazing family and friends!  More pictures will be on Facebook soon!

In a nutshell, Sammy loves balls, music, bath toys, and anything that lights up.  He loves shutting doors, climbing on stairs, and walking around the house causing havoc.  He’s just a typical toddler now, which is so crazy to think about!

One last thing – he is SUCH a daddy’s boy!  He gets really sad when Bruno leaves the house.  It melts & breaks my heart at the same time!  I love the bond that they have.  Since it’s also Father’s Day today, I’ll end by giving Bruno a quick shout out…

Some people may or may not know that Bruno’s dad has never been involved in his life.  It’s really sad because I actually think his dad missed out more than Bruno.  His dad will never know what an amazing guy he is.  Bruno always said that he wasn’t going to be anything like his dad and I know he will never fall short of his word.  He is involved in every aspect of Sammy’s life – from scheduling doctor appointments to helping with his birthday party.  I appreciate everything that he does for us.  He is the best father I could have ever wanted for my children.  I’m sorry, Bruno, that you have to share your special day yet again. Haha! (He also shares his birthday with his sister.)  But we will do something special for you tomorrow!  Happy second Father’s Day!

It's been fun to do these monthly posts, but I'm excited to blog more randomly now instead of monthly.  Even though his first birthday has come and is quickly going, we still have lots to look forward to – especially our trip to PA next week!  He'll be spoiled with another party in a couple weeks! 

Thank you, Sammy, for changing our lives for the better one year ago!  We love you more than we’ll ever be able to express!  Happy first birthday!

11 Months!!

This bugger never sits still for pictures anymore, so we didn't get as many as we normally do. And trying to get a picture with the monthly sticker is a joke!  He’s such a monkey, so this one was perfect. ;)

In one month I’m going to have a ONE year old! What?!?!  This year has been one exciting adventure and I can’t wait to see what summer has in store for us.  I’m definitely looking forward to being a stay at home mom for two months!  We’ve enjoyed every stage, but it seems like Sammy just gets more and more fun.  He is discovering new tricks all the time and he’s constantly doing something to make us laugh.  He also makes us extremely proud because he’s so stinking smart!   

   

Some stats – I’m not sure what he weighs, but I’m sure it’s more than 24lbs.  He’s still in size four diapers and still has eight teeth.  We think he’s getting some molars, but who knows when they’ll actually break through.  He is currently fighting a cold and an ear infection, but otherwise he’s doing great!  He’s mostly in 12-18 month clothing now.  I just pulled out new clothes and I didn’t feel an ounce of sadness while putting away his winter stuff!  Hello summer!!

Sammy is officially walking!  I noticed a couple of weeks ago that Bruno and I kind of stopped hovering over him when he decides to take off.  He’s starting to roam a little more freely now and we aren’t as panicked about it.  He’s good at catching himself if he falls and he knows how to get back up after he finds a couch or something to grab onto.  Even though we have to keep an even closer eye on him, I’m so proud!  It’s crazy to think that he took his first steps at 9 months old!  Way, way younger than I anticipated.

Speaking of walking, he’s starting to get comfortable at church.  Bruno and I always joke that he’s going to run to the stand one of these days when we aren’t looking.  Anyway, last Sunday, he decided he didn’t want to sit with us anymore, so we let him walk off just to see where he’d go.  He didn’t even go very far – just to the pew behind us.  He sat with Grandma Sission (the grandma of our twin friends – Jacen & Owen).  I was shocked that he sat on her lap almost the whole time!  Why can’t he sit with us?? I guess we aren’t cool enough anymore…

His all time favorite thing to do is climb the stairs.  We are lucky we have a door to get to them otherwise he’d be on them ALL the time!  When he wants to go upstairs, he’ll walk to the door and start pounding on it.  He gets so excited and will start laughing hysterically when we open it for him.

His second most favorite thing to do is open the kitchen and/or bathroom cabinets.  The only things he pulls out are the kitchen towels, so that’s good!  He mostly just loves listening to himself open and close the doors.

He still loves bath time and recently discovered how to stand up in the tub.  He thinks he’s big enough to help himself out when he’s done.

He gives high fives, but still doesn’t wave yet.  Sign language is a work in progress.  He just looks at me weird when I try. 

His favorite food continues to be pasta, but he also likes dirt and grass. Yikes!

I finally put away his swing and jumper.  He seriously used his swing until he decided to try crawling out of it, which was only a couple of weeks ago.  It was the best thing we (Grandma Stockham) got him!  It’s been well used over the last ten months.  He hated his jumper once he learned how to walk, so that didn’t last quite as long, but was still nice to have! 

Overall, Sammy is a feisty, determined little guy.  Nothing will get in his way of what he wants.  He laughs when we tell him no.  He is very vocal and will make sure you know how he’ll feeling.  I love that he’s so chatty and wants to be involved.  I've mentioned before that he likes to be home, but he’s finally warming up to other places and people.  I’m going to soak up and cherish every moment I have before my baby is a whole year old!

Since this is a family blog, I have to talk about Bruno for a second!  He finished his last official semester before student teaching!  He student teaches in the fall and then he’ll have his degree and he’ll be able to walk next spring!  He’s taking some summer classes so that he can get something called a Social Studies Composite.  He doesn’t have to have it, but it will make him more marketable because he’ll be able to teach more subjects.  I am so proud of him.  He is the best student, father, and husband!  I enjoy our lives now, but it’ll be exciting to see where life takes us in the next year or so. 

And as for me, I have more half days of school than full days. I’m excited for our summer plans, especially Sammy’s birthday and spending time in PA.  I’m just excited to be able to do a lot more this year since I won’t be 8+ months pregnant or in recovery. ;) 

10 Months!

In just TWO months, Sammy will have been with us for a whole year!!  I’m actually really excited about his first birthday now that I’ve started planning his party.  I think it will be fun.  I’m so anxious for summer!  Only 5 more weeks of school!   

Sammy is 24 pounds.  He is wearing anywhere from 9-18 month clothing, depending on the outfit.  He’s still in size 4 diapers and he sleeps 12 hours a night, which is heavenly!

He has 8 teeth! Four on top, four on bottom.  I’m finally brave enough to give him more “real” food.

Speaking of food, he LOVES noodles (like his mama), avocado, chicken, and all kinds of fruit.  He’s not a picky eater.  He is getting better at eating finger food, but we're still working on that pincer grasp. ;)

He knows the word “clap” and he will almost always clap on demand.  I’m still trying to teach him how to wave and give high fives.

He loves peek-a-boo, playing with the remotes, and listening to me blow the whistle on my school badge.  He likes reading books…aka flipping through the pages and putting them in his mouth.  It still makes my teacher heart happy. :D 

He loves bath time and has discovered he can stand up in the tub-yikes!  He also loves music and I’m hoping to get him into a class this summer.

His changing table is beside his window and he recently discovered he can open the curtain to look outside.  He laughs when the dog comes up to the window to say hi.  I really think he’s going to be a dog lover!

He HATES his jumper, which is kind of funny because it used to be his favorite thing.  It’s really interesting to watch his personality change as he grows and is able to do more.   

 He always has to be on the move!  How I haven’t lost the rest of my pregnancy weight chasing him around, I’m not sure.  He’s officially crawling (not army crawling anymore) and getting into everything.  He’s VERY curious.  It’s so funny when he starts going on his own because he’ll look back at us to see if we are watching and then he’ll give the most mischievous smile. 

Much to my dismay, we hit the stage where he loves to empty out all his toys and make a huge mess everywhere.  How do I teach him that it’s as equally fun to put them all back? ;)

He’s not officially walking, but I don’t think it’ll be very long!  He can walk a good 12-15 steps before loosing his balance.  Last month, I posted that he doesn’t walk unless we initiate it and he's walking back and fourth between us.  Now, he is not afraid to stand up and start going on his own.  He is very determined to figure it out and he doesn’t let a fall stop him from getting back up and going again. 

He still really only says mama, dada, & papa.  (Bruno prefers papa, but we call him daddy too.)  He does say nana, so we’re taking that to mean nona…aka grandma.  He also says the “k” sound, so my brother thinks he’s trying to say Jake. Haha

He had his first illness, other than a cold.  About a month ago, he developed a pretty bad cough.  We didn’t think too much of it since he didn’t have a fever or any other symptoms and he was still his happy self.  His check-up was coming up, so we figured we’d wait until then to see what the doctor said.  We found out that he had an ear infection and bronchitis.  We felt bad for taking it so lightly, but luckily it didn’t take long for him to get better.

Even though he keeps us on our toes and cannot be left alone for a second, we love the personality he is developing.  We have a lot of fun with him and I can’t wait to see what summer has in store for us.

On another note, it’s hard to believe that it’s been two years (yesterday) since I miscarried.  I enjoyed writing this particular blog because it gave me a chance to reflect and realize how far we’ve come since then.  I’m extremely grateful for Sammy and the opportunity I’ve been given to be his mother.  I’m also grateful for my angel baby and I’m sure they are looking over Sammy and our family.  

Nine Months!

In three short months, Sammy will be one!  Ahh! I wish I could put this year on repeat and live it all one more time!   

Sammy at Nine Months:

I just have to start off with my FAVORITE milestone ever.  Sammy is officially giving kisses on demand and at random.  There is absolutely nothing better than a slobbery, open mouth kiss from your baby, especially when you ask for it!  The best part is that he’ll respond when you ask for a kiss OR when you ask for a beso, which means kiss in Spanish.

I've already mentioned this on Facebook, but the best news we received this month is that we don't need to worry about his heart murmur.  The ultra sound went exactly like we planned and the doctor was really surprised that Sammy didn't have to be sedated.  I knew my instincts were right. ;) 

He weighs 23 lbs. & is 29 inches long.  In height, he went from the 23^rd percentile to the 79^th, so that made me feel better.  The doctor said he doesn’t think they measured him correctly last time. 

At nine months old, he had six teeth!!  (He’s gotten two more since then.)

He is army crawling everywhere now.  He can crawl on his hands and knees, but he doesn’t go very far.  I’m still okay with this!  We have to be really careful because he loves to get into cords and he always tries to stop at the outlets. (Baby proofing is on my spring break to-do list.) 

He took his first steps this month!  Right now, he can take about 7-10 steps without falling.  He doesn’t really try to walk without us yet.  He’ll walk from end to end on the edge of the couch and will sometimes get really frustrated because he can’t just let go and take off.

In my last blog, I mentioned that he wasn’t pulling himself up yet.  Well, he is now! As a result, we’ve lowered his mattress.  He used to love to sit and play in his crib, but now he'd rather hold on to the sides and walk all around. 

He’s in size 4 diapers and still wearing 6-9 month clothes.  He is moving into 9-12 month stuff though. 

He’s awesome at getting dressed!  When I put a onesie on him, he knows exactly where to put his arms and can put them through the sleeves on his own.  It might be normal at this age, but it still impresses me every time!

He loves shaking his head no.  We asked him once if he wanted to go to Nona’s and he started shaking his head no. haha! The timing of it was really funny.  But, we know he loves his nona! 

He is also a good imitator.  If we shake our head, he’ll shake his.  If we say certain sounds, he’ll repeat them.  He’ll repeat “mama” and “dada” and will sometimes say them on his own as well.  We are trying to teach him some signs, but I’m not sure if he’s understanding them or not. 

His absolute FAVORITE song is This Wheels on the Bus.  He will usually give the biggest smile and will even start giggling as soon as I start singing it to him.  If he’s ever fussy during a diaper change or just upset in general, that song is enough to temporarily calm him.  He loves being sung to, so I sing a lot.  He’s going to grow up thinking life is a musical!  It’s a good thing he doesn’t know or care about how terrible mama’s voice is.  ;)

We’ve noticed that he’s attracted to things that are red, so maybe that will become his favorite color.

Recently, he’s developed a little temper.  He will make a whiny scream when he really wants something and it drives Bruno and I crazy!  We are working on it… Bruno’s mom is really good at teaching him how to be nice, so I’m learning from her. J 

He is very much a home body.  He is happiest when he’s home or in a familiar place, like Grandma Clarke’s (Bruno’s grandma) or Nona’s (Bruno’s mom).  When he’s around people he doesn’t know well, he gets pretty shy.  He won’t smile or be very social.  He’ll still let other people hold him, but he usually doesn’t react or get excited like he does at home. 

We are currently trying to teach him to clap, wave, and give high fives… it’s still a work in progress.

In other news, Bruno got his student teaching assignment this week!  He’ll be teaching at a middle school up in Alpine.  He’s heard tons of good things about the school and students there, so he’s really excited.  We are starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel!

Eight Months!

Samuel Rey at 8 Months! 

It feels like we’ve known Sammy for as long as we can remember, so 8 months actually isn’t sounding very old to me.  It could be because he’s not very mobile yet.  I’m not complaining!  I’m enjoying my clean house while I still can.J He so badly wants to crawl and walk, but he still has a ways to go.  He can scoot himself when he wants to get down from your lap and he’s really good at standing while holding on to something.  He wants to pull himself up, but that’s a working progress as well.  It won’t be long before we have to move his mattress down, though!

Sammy had his first Valentine this week – of course it was his mama. ;)  He actually spent part of Valentine’s Day at the doctor’s.  He’s been coughing a lot recently, so we wanted to make sure it wasn’t anything serious.  He was fine, but that was the first time we’ve taken him in for something other than a check-up.  Eight months of no unexpected doctor visits seems like a pretty good run to me.  J After that, my mother-in-law brought him to my school during my class party.  I didn’t tell my kids he was coming, so it was a fun surprise.  They think it’s such a treat when he visits! (They kindly reminded me that I needed to update my pictures on my desk. haha)  

We got him a walker yesterday, but he doesn’t how to use it yet.  He likes to play with the gadgets on front of it, though, so it was still a hit!

His favorite food is avocado.  He also likes sucking on limes and lemons! 

He has four teeth and we think he’s getting a second top tooth.  He’s been teething like CRAZY!  The best part is that it doesn’t bother him or make him extra fussy.  He remains as happy as can be, while putting everything in his mouth.  His pediatrician suggested we go see a dentist and start brushing every night.

He is still sleeping 12 hours a night and hardly fusses when we put him down.  I am now an avid believer in the cry it out method.  It was the hardest, most emotional thing we’ve done so far, but the benefits have been amazing -- for all of us.  

When he went to the cardiologist a week and a half ago, he was 21 lbs. 4 oz.  I don’t remember how tall he was.  I just know he’s on the short side… Poor kid.  Speaking of the cardiologist, our next appointment is in a couple weeks, so I'll keep everyone posted.  We are going to try to do the ultra sound without having to sedate him, so I REALLY hope Sammy can be calm and hold still long enough for them to get what they need.  This picture was from the first test they did. They hooked him up to a bunch of cords.  He got mad because they wouldn't let him chew on them. ;) 

He’s in size 4 diapers and still wearing 6-9 month clothing.

He had his first hair cut this month!  I thought I was going to cry, but I did okay. J He’s still as cute as ever.  He also had his first super bowl! He got to "play" with his twin friend, Owen.  Jacen wasn't feeling well so he stayed with his grandma.  Oh, and "playing" with other babies consists of grabbing each other's face.

He loves playing with tags and anything that he can put in his mouth.   He also still loves his jumperoo and playing independently in his crib. 

We've started putting him in the cart now when we go shopping and he really enjoys the new view.  I have a feeling we'll be ditching the carrier and getting a new car seat soon.  (When we shop, Bruno always looks at boy clothing while I look at new toys.) 

Grandma & Grandpa Clarke are in Texas and I think he misses them!  Okay, maybe he doesn’t know the difference, but we miss them!  Grandma was really good at giving him back rubs!  

At 8 months old, my breastfeeding journey has come to an end.  It makes me really sad because he still wants to nurse, but I just don’t have the supply anymore to satisfy him.  I ended up giving my frozen supply away to a baby that needed it more than Sammy, so he is officially finished with breast milk.  After he bit me twice, it was kind of a done deal!  I admire mamas who can nurse with teething babies!

He loves when we babble with him… it’s like he can understand us.  Sometimes, he mimics sounds back or he just gets overly excited.  He also enjoys peek-a-boo and throwing things on the floor and demanding we pick them up so he can continue the cycle a million times.  I love it! 

I’m stuck between wanting him to stay a baby and wanting him to grow and discover new things!