It is inevitable that Sam and I have our own little world. We spend all of our time together. There are dances when we hear music, ways to drive toy cars, and laughing when Dance Elmo! sings. Above all else, I am the one who knows how to read books to Sam.
Yesterday, Eric and I were in the office and Sam came in with his little copy of Brown Bear, Brown Bear. I could sing-song that book in my sleep. He gave it to Eric, excited to hear it. Eric opened it up and read the first page. Sam was unimpressed. In the middle of the second page, Sam simply took the book away and brought it to me.
I felt a little bad for Eric, but there was a book to read. I opened it up and started reading it as I usually do. With a completely straight face, Sam slowly swiveled his head and looked at Eric pointedly. He then turned back to me and listened to the rest of the book.
If his language skills were up to par, I know he would have asserted, "And THAT, Dad, is how you read this book!"
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
Samuel and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day
Being a stay-at-home mom is honestly the most fun I have ever had. I love waking up with Sam and spending every day with him. Most of the time.
In the last 24 hours, Sam has broken a teacup and a votive holder. I got lost on the way to the play gym this morning and we ended up missing it. Our yard is nothing but mud and we can't play outside.
Sam fed his lunch to Dee Dee while I did the dishes. Then he got the top off of his sippy cup and dumped milk all over himself and the padded kitchen chair. He screamed when I cleaned him up, mostly because he was still hungry. Dee Dee, on the other hand, was full.
His diaper leaked. He dumped out the contents of my wallet. He stuck his hand in the dog's water dish.
While I drove around like a crazy person looking for the gym, Sam fell asleep in the car. That meant a very late nap and about 45 minutes of crying before he finally fell asleep ten minutes ago.
He is now resting, but I know that if he could, he would offer something along the lines of this:
In the last 24 hours, Sam has broken a teacup and a votive holder. I got lost on the way to the play gym this morning and we ended up missing it. Our yard is nothing but mud and we can't play outside.
Sam fed his lunch to Dee Dee while I did the dishes. Then he got the top off of his sippy cup and dumped milk all over himself and the padded kitchen chair. He screamed when I cleaned him up, mostly because he was still hungry. Dee Dee, on the other hand, was full.
His diaper leaked. He dumped out the contents of my wallet. He stuck his hand in the dog's water dish.
While I drove around like a crazy person looking for the gym, Sam fell asleep in the car. That meant a very late nap and about 45 minutes of crying before he finally fell asleep ten minutes ago.
He is now resting, but I know that if he could, he would offer something along the lines of this:
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
A Sam By Any Other Name
Like most of the other girls/women I know, I have had an ongoing list of names I'd like to use for future children. Kourtney and Katie can attest to my horrible, HORRIBLE name choices from elementary school. My Cabbage Patch dolls were named Amaryllah Daisy and Savannah Marigold. Beautiful!
Eric and I loved so many of the girl's names we were considering. Girl names are easy to love! Finding a name for a boy is much harder. Shortly after we were married, we were discussing names while on a long car trip. We decided that we loved the name Jacob, nickname Jake, even though it was so popular. (Eric now denies this conversation ever took place and claims he never liked the name Jake. But it happened. He liked it. And now everyone knows.)
After my pregnancy was confirmed, we knew our choice for a girl name right away. While on a car trip (where are we always going?), we went through the boy's section of a baby name book. I literally read every name out loud and crossed off the ones we didn't like. We only made it to the C's, and all the names were crossed off. We gave up.
When I was in middle school, my friend Johanna had a little brother named Samuel. He was always called Samuel, never Sam, and even at 10 years old I thought it was such a nice, solid name. It was a favorite of mine but I thought that overall, it was too plain.
I don't remember announcing it as THE name, but I know I bounced it off of Eric and our families. My brother-in-law, Mike, was the only one in my family to believe we were having a boy. The rest of us insisted it was a girl! A week before my ultrasound, we visited my sister's family in Rochester. I remember walking away, and him saying, "Bye, Em." After a five second pause, he shouted, "And bye, Sam!"
The day of our ultrasound, we were so excited. Eric and I bounced around in the waiting room, hardly able to contain ourselves. Finally, I was laying on the table and the ultrasound tech got her machine ready. We assured her we DID want to know the gender, and she placed the paddle on my stomach. There, on the screen in front of me, was my baby's face. The first thought in my head, upon seeing the face of our little miracle, was, "Hi, Sam!" I didn't need her to go any further with the ultrasound to confirm what I already knew.
He was healthy, he was our son, and he was Sam.
Eric and I loved so many of the girl's names we were considering. Girl names are easy to love! Finding a name for a boy is much harder. Shortly after we were married, we were discussing names while on a long car trip. We decided that we loved the name Jacob, nickname Jake, even though it was so popular. (Eric now denies this conversation ever took place and claims he never liked the name Jake. But it happened. He liked it. And now everyone knows.)
After my pregnancy was confirmed, we knew our choice for a girl name right away. While on a car trip (where are we always going?), we went through the boy's section of a baby name book. I literally read every name out loud and crossed off the ones we didn't like. We only made it to the C's, and all the names were crossed off. We gave up.
When I was in middle school, my friend Johanna had a little brother named Samuel. He was always called Samuel, never Sam, and even at 10 years old I thought it was such a nice, solid name. It was a favorite of mine but I thought that overall, it was too plain.
I don't remember announcing it as THE name, but I know I bounced it off of Eric and our families. My brother-in-law, Mike, was the only one in my family to believe we were having a boy. The rest of us insisted it was a girl! A week before my ultrasound, we visited my sister's family in Rochester. I remember walking away, and him saying, "Bye, Em." After a five second pause, he shouted, "And bye, Sam!"
The day of our ultrasound, we were so excited. Eric and I bounced around in the waiting room, hardly able to contain ourselves. Finally, I was laying on the table and the ultrasound tech got her machine ready. We assured her we DID want to know the gender, and she placed the paddle on my stomach. There, on the screen in front of me, was my baby's face. The first thought in my head, upon seeing the face of our little miracle, was, "Hi, Sam!" I didn't need her to go any further with the ultrasound to confirm what I already knew.
He was healthy, he was our son, and he was Sam.
Monday, September 17, 2007
Goodbye, Highchair
A few weeks ago, I recklessly promised to lend Sam's highchair to a friend (see Baby Hebert at right). It won't be needed for some time, but I thought I should try to get Sam used to eating without it.
Watching his chair leave the kitchen was heartbreaking for Sam. He panicked, running after me, crying and trying to hang on to it. I finally wrestled it out into the garage, where it waits to be scrubbed and passed on to another little eater.
Neither of us needed to worry. I put out a Halloween placemat (praise God for fall!) and showed Sam to his new spot at the end of our kitchen table. He didn't bat an eye. When food is being served, he asks few questions.
There he sat, happily eating chicken nuggets and peas off of an elephant plate. I use his meal times to take care of dishes, and in that ten minutes I had forgotten about his new location. I turned around and was shocked to see a little boy at my kitchen table. No more baby stuff needed!
Friday, September 14, 2007
Books on Wheels
I love books.
No, really. I LOVE books. I love everything about them. I love the way they feel in my hands. I love the soft hum of the lights in the library. I love the smell of new paper at the bookstore. I love to find an undiscovered gem in the bargain section. I love to read my favorites over and over again.
I have loved to read my entire life. When I was two, at bedtime my mom would tell me to go pick out only THREE books to read. I would come out of my room, pushing my doll stroller, stuffed full with every book I owned.
Once I was reading for myself, I read all the time. I read while I ate, while I watched TV, while I took a bath. I distinctly remember reading as I walked home from elementary school on Fridays (library day). My dad loves to remind me that I used to jump on my bike and go for a ride with a book propped open on the handlebars.
I am so happy that Sam shares my obsession with books. He loves them! We read for entire afternoons. Balls, trucks, and blocks are great, but he would rather read than do anything else. I laughed when I saw that Sam has already started reading while on wheels - just like his mom!
No, really. I LOVE books. I love everything about them. I love the way they feel in my hands. I love the soft hum of the lights in the library. I love the smell of new paper at the bookstore. I love to find an undiscovered gem in the bargain section. I love to read my favorites over and over again.
I have loved to read my entire life. When I was two, at bedtime my mom would tell me to go pick out only THREE books to read. I would come out of my room, pushing my doll stroller, stuffed full with every book I owned.
Once I was reading for myself, I read all the time. I read while I ate, while I watched TV, while I took a bath. I distinctly remember reading as I walked home from elementary school on Fridays (library day). My dad loves to remind me that I used to jump on my bike and go for a ride with a book propped open on the handlebars.
I am so happy that Sam shares my obsession with books. He loves them! We read for entire afternoons. Balls, trucks, and blocks are great, but he would rather read than do anything else. I laughed when I saw that Sam has already started reading while on wheels - just like his mom!
Thursday, September 13, 2007
The Doctor's Office
Sam had his 18-month checkup this morning. He was at or above the 95th percentile for height, weight, and head size. He is a huge kid!
Before the exam, I told the nurse I had some concerns about Sam's language development. I went into detail about his lack of interest in talking. I really believe it is due to my ability to know what he wants without him having to ask for it. He doesn't have much incentive to talk. Anyway, the nurse made a note on his chart about my concerns and then we took him out to be weighed. While Sam was on the scale, the nurse handed him a sticker. With a huge smile, he turned to her, and said, "Oh, TANK you!"
He can be so annoying.
After the appointment, we were walking to our car when a large Red Cross van/bus parked in front of the doors. Sam loves anything with wheels and simply refused to keep walking. I saw that the driver was going to help his passenger out, so I tried to get Sam on his way so he wouldn't be staring. It was no use. When the side doors opened and the big ramp came out, his eyes were huge and he couldn't stop staring. Then, an elderly woman in a wheelchair was secured onto the ramp. She saw her rapt audience and smiled and waved like a parade float princess as she was lowered to the sidewalk. Sam was just thrilled. After the driver drove away, waving at Sam, he looked up at me with the happiest smile I've ever seen.
Even with the shots, he had a fantastic morning.
Before the exam, I told the nurse I had some concerns about Sam's language development. I went into detail about his lack of interest in talking. I really believe it is due to my ability to know what he wants without him having to ask for it. He doesn't have much incentive to talk. Anyway, the nurse made a note on his chart about my concerns and then we took him out to be weighed. While Sam was on the scale, the nurse handed him a sticker. With a huge smile, he turned to her, and said, "Oh, TANK you!"
He can be so annoying.
After the appointment, we were walking to our car when a large Red Cross van/bus parked in front of the doors. Sam loves anything with wheels and simply refused to keep walking. I saw that the driver was going to help his passenger out, so I tried to get Sam on his way so he wouldn't be staring. It was no use. When the side doors opened and the big ramp came out, his eyes were huge and he couldn't stop staring. Then, an elderly woman in a wheelchair was secured onto the ramp. She saw her rapt audience and smiled and waved like a parade float princess as she was lowered to the sidewalk. Sam was just thrilled. After the driver drove away, waving at Sam, he looked up at me with the happiest smile I've ever seen.
Even with the shots, he had a fantastic morning.
Monday, September 10, 2007
It's A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood
Is there any time in the year more beautiful than autumn? The crisp air and crunchy leaves have been calling both me and Sam outside for hours on end. The past two mornings have found us going for a walk around the block.
Such a short distance doesn't seem impressive unless it's seen through the eyes of a one-year-old. Sam's little legs have gotten tired on both of our walks and he welcomed being lifted into my arms.
When he is walking, he zigzags across the sidewalk, picking up sticks and leaves. Every few houses he breaks into an awkward run, zooming down the concrete. Sometimes he turns around and tries his hand at the Moonwalk.
He gazes up at the towering trees and knocks on the metal of the lightposts. He carefully touches the fluffy dandelion heads. He makes a break for every house with a gated fence, hoping to find a dog. By the time we get home, his cheeks and nose are red and he settles down for a long, snuggly nap.
Happy fall!
Such a short distance doesn't seem impressive unless it's seen through the eyes of a one-year-old. Sam's little legs have gotten tired on both of our walks and he welcomed being lifted into my arms.
When he is walking, he zigzags across the sidewalk, picking up sticks and leaves. Every few houses he breaks into an awkward run, zooming down the concrete. Sometimes he turns around and tries his hand at the Moonwalk.
He gazes up at the towering trees and knocks on the metal of the lightposts. He carefully touches the fluffy dandelion heads. He makes a break for every house with a gated fence, hoping to find a dog. By the time we get home, his cheeks and nose are red and he settles down for a long, snuggly nap.
Happy fall!
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