BIRTHDAY ONE

Sam woke up at 3:30 on his birthday morning. Apparently he was so excited to be one that he couldn't help but cry. For a long time.

This has been the best year of our lives. The little boy is standing ALL THE TIME, crawling fastewr than we can imagine, and is interested in everything. 

Tomorrow we will have a birthday party for Sam and a housewarming party for us. 

We are so lucky...

Growing Boy

It is terrible that we don't keep up with this record of Sam's progress. I noticed that it's been two months, probably the biggest two months since we posted last. So, lets see...

- Sam is a crawlin' machine, full speed and especially attracted to sharp / heavy objects and stairs.

- He can say Da Da (which he says about lots of things, not just me), Ma Ma, and Dog. 

-He can identify the lights and the fans, the latter receiving the "swooshing arm motion" as he points at them.

-He waves and points at people, much like John McCain...we're so proud.

-He can walk with assistance and can stand up on his own if he's got something to hold on to...much like a frat guy.

-He loves to be outside, and is almost never fussy once you take him out.

-Sam and Mom completed the Mothers' Day 9k in Boulder last weekend, with Mom doing most of the work.

As always, our love for him grows and grows with each day. My mom said the same thing about me, except for the time between ages 12 and 21 when it sort-of plateaued...

BABY TO BOY

It seems like we are so busy these days. It bothers me because we let slip by some amazing events in Sam's life. Like how he'll say, "MA ma mA MAAA MMMMA MA MA ma ma!" Yet, he doesn't quite say it TO her. 

He is squirmy, likes to sleep in the bed with us (sideways only so he can kick one of us), and is starting to move around. 

Sam is starting to scoot a bit, and is adept at falling forward onto his face. He can stand up OK, and can hang from his hand for 10 or more seconds...only climbers would make their kid do this. 

Last weekend, Sam was sitting on the floor when Olive came up to visit him. He's in the habit of petting her, and this time he got hold of her collar. As Olive moseyed off, Sam held fast. He hit his head on the floor and started to cry, but held on as she dragged him across the floor. Even when mommy got there and picked him up, he was still firmly attached to the collar. I dunno...maybe he'll be a bullrider. 

We have had a busy 2009. We moved to our new home the weekend before Christmas. We spent Christmas in Casper with both families and we were back in Lander for a quiet New Year. I am starting to feel settled in the new house. I will feel completed at home when our old house on McDougall sells. Our new address is 2265 N 2nd St., Lander WY 82520.
Sam is doing well. He is growing like a weed and keeps us on our toes. We is talking more and loves playing with all his toys. He is just a few days away from 8 month sold. Steve and I can not believe how quickly the time has gone. He is amazing!
Enjoy the pictures.
Ellen

New experiences!

I have not posted since the first day I went back to work, 4 months ago. Wow, time gets away from you... I am happy to report that Sam now has his own life. He spends two afternoons a week with friends, one with Suzanne Lilygren and one with Deborah Ellis. We feel very lucky to have such great care for him. It also gives Steve and I time to focus without interruption on whatever we want. It is great!
Sam is changing every day. It is so amazing to watch him learn and discover the world around him. His most recent experience is food. He started eating rice cereal this past weekend. It was fun and messy. We are not sure how much he actually swallowed. He is also making more sounds and mimicking our sounds. Sam and I are going to the local child development center on Friday for his 6 month screening. Of course we know already that he is above average but hearing it never gets old. I will report back with the results.
I am looking forward to Thanksgiving and eating turkey with family. Uncle Matt will be celebrating his first Thanksgiving in the United States in three years with us. We are all looking forward to his dish!!!
Enjoy the new pictures and Sam's BIG, blue eyes.