Mother's Day

From time to time when Ben and I are sitting we ask each other can you believe were parents, and you are a father and I am a mother, and we both still can't believe its real. It is so sureal that I am a mother, and on Sunday I couldn't believe that Ben and Sam were celebrating me. I am still amazed that Shawnee Mission let me leave with this adorable boy, but I am so lucky they did. This mothers day was near perfect, with Ben and Sam making me feel like a queen, Ben's mom was here to celebrate the only thing missing was my mother, but we were able to Skype with her in the morning and that made it as close to great as possible. Mother's day really allowed me a moment to reflect and soak in how lucky I am to have these two amazing men in my life. I was never the kind of girl that thought a smile from a child could melt your heart or that when your child cries it would bring you to tears, but they do and I wouldn't change it for the world. Samuel has changed me more than I ever imagined and he has helped me grow each day. Being a mother while challenging is the best thing I have ever done, and now I understand why people kept pushing us to have a child.

Three generations - Jeannette, Ben and Samuel

Hanging out at home with Samuel and Ben playing games all day is my new version of a perfect day.

Doesn't that smile just melt your heart? I used to think I was going to be the disciplinarian but if Samuel flashes one of these I think I could be in for trouble.

This week was another new adventure. Samuel wasn't sleeping very well (not that he was ever great at it) so we went to see our pediatrician, and got some exciting news. Samuel is teething!! He is getting his 2 bottom teeth and they should pop through in the next few weeks. However this is why he may be having difficulty sleeping, but at least we have an answer. Samuel also weighed 17lbs this week, gaining almost an ounce a day! Here is Samuel chewing on a frozen toothbrush to help with his teething, a trick my mom did with me. I think the bristles and cold feel good on his gums. Here he is chomping down.

Happy Birthday Grandma

Happy Birthday Grandma!

We wish we could be there to celebrate with you, but wanted you to know we were thinking of you and love you more than all the stars in the sky!

We hope to see you VERY VERY soon.

Samuel

Jet Setter

This past week Ben, Samuel and I took our first family vacation. While this was a work vacation we were able to do a ton of things just the three of us. Before leaving I talked to friends and family about what the "must" haves were for our trip. Thank you to everyone, as it was a perfect trip and we had all the things we needed. Our trip started at 7:25 am which was the normal time Sam wakes up and thought this could be interesting getting him off of his schedule from the get go. However he was a perfect angel. He slept on all 4 flights and people on each flight couldn't believe how well behaved he was. One woman on our 1st leg sat up after the flight and was shocked to see a baby sitting behind her. The vibrations of the plane put the little guy to bed, and no ear problems going up or coming down. Here we are sitting together on the flight.

Once we got to the Bahamas Sam woke up and was bright eyed for almost the entire trip. He seemed to love all of the colors and couldn't stop looking around him. We brought his stroller and this was the 1st time we had used it without the car seat and he seemed to really like it. We also used his carrier a lot so that he could see out as we toured the grounds.

We spent the rest of the trip on the beach and in the pool. Sam really liked to be carried out in the water as long as it didn't go above his neck. This is the biggest bath tub he has ever seen and just wanted to hang out. He liked it when Ben would take him out and spin him around, and have him lay on his back in the water. The pictures don't do it justice, but seeing and touching sand was very interesting for him, he was fascinated with it, and couldn't seem to figure it out.

The water definitely tired him out, because as soon as we would pull him out of the water and lay him on his towel he would pass out. Here is him in his stroller which was perfect to have him sleep in by the pool.

In addition to all of these new adventures, Sam had his 1st non-family or friend babysitter. Miss Eunise was amazing, Sam loved her and was such a great experience. She watched Sam on three different occasions and each time we came back he was asleep or smiling/laughing with her. It definitely gave us confidence to start having a babysitter at home from time to time.

Everyone from work loved Sam and he was passed around all week, and he loved being the only gig in town. They also had a professional photographer there that got some great pictures of us. Each time he met someone he would be very serious for the first few minutes, being his typical "shy guy" but then once he felt comfortable he broke out the smiles. It was so fun to see him interacting with others. Even the hotel staff got involved. Each day we ate at a breakfast buffet and I would carry Sam around with me while I got my food, so he could see everything, he LOVED looking at the colors of the fruit! But on the 1st day while we were getting our food he spit up and it got on the floor. I ran to get a towel and when I came back the staff was cleaning it for us. This started us talking, they met Sam and we got to know a lot of the staff and for the rest of the week when we came in, they all smiled and said the Gerber Baby has arrived. His chubby cheeks are impossible not to love. Overall, this was a perfect first vacation for our family and we can't wait to do more and go back to Atlantis when he is bigger and can enjoy all of the water slides and activities. We definitely want to take advantage of it while we can, I can't imagine when he is walking and we try to fly, that will be an adventure. Here are more pictures from our trip.

1st moments of Sam and dad in the pool

1st Picture of Samuel in a swimsuit

Sam and Dad washing off the sand, and Sam shocked when the shower got him right in the face!

Sam playing with his telephone during the rain on Monday afternoon

Samuel in the ocean for the 1st time

Last, I wanted to include a picture from today, Sam was in his first 5k today and it was really cute. We went out to support some friends and a great cause and Sam even beat his mom on the race!

4-months and then some....

Samuel is 4 months and 10 days old. I apologize that it is just tonight that I am updating our blog but we were on our trip to the Bahamas. More to come in another post about our great adventure! Last week before we left Samuel had his 4-month appointment. This is the point that they hope your child has doubled his birth weight as a major milestone. Well as everyone guessed it Sam not only achieved but surpassed that. He weighed 16lbs, WOW!! That wasn't the end of it, Samuel is 25.5 inches long and his head circumference was 17 inches. He is still in the 75% for his weight, now there for his height and in the 50% for his head which really amazed me, I thought for sure those big cheeks and triple chin contributed more to his weight than it did. He also had 2 more shots which we were prepared for, I had given him Tylenol before we went in and it really helped. He still cried but after a few minutes he went into his car seat and passed out for an hour and woke up his happy old self.

The pediatrician told us Sam is right on track and clearly eating well. I was hopeful at this appointment she would tell us that we could begin to add some rice cereal to his menu options but no such luck. She feels because he is doing so well with his weight and health she would like us to put it off as long as possible, or until 6 months. I know it is an old wives tale, but I was hopeful that the rice cereal would help Samuel sleep a little better. He is still waking up for 2 feedings a night and sometimes wakes up one additional time. Samuel has yet to sleep through the night, even Sandra Bullock said today in People magazine Louie has slept through the night twice and he is a month younger than Sam! I know I need to be patient and it will come with time.

On the sleep note she told us Sam has now entered the age of learning and can begin to associate certain things and events (ex. if he cries and we answer, he will learn to cry more so we come quicker) so when he wakes at night if it is not time to feed, we are supposed to let him cry (for as long as we can handle it.) She promised if we are strict about it he should fall into a pattern quickly. Now that we are back from our trip we are going to begin trying it, and see what happens. I pray that he learns quickly and that my heart can endure these few days. We also hope it works quickly because Ben's mother is coming (but just in case we told her to bring some ear plugs to get through the nights.)

Overall all is good with Samuel and the rest of the Levy's. I will try and get pictures and info up about our trip this weekend.

Bitter Sweet

This week was the beginning of the end or as I am trying to look at it, a new beginning. I went back to work this week. While I don't think I have done anything harder in my life I did in fact leave Samuel with a good friend of mine. Erica is one of the best mothers I know, and I trust her completely which made leaving Sam even possible, but no less difficult. She almost had to push me out the door, with a box of tissue just so I would go to work. The days were actually pretty good, it felt good to challenge myself in a work environment again. With all of that, I still texted Erica all the time. From what she said Samuel was an angel, here is a picture of him with Luke one of her sons. He loves her boys!!

Her boys played with Sam, told him stories and truly entertained him for the entire time! Ever since Sam was with them he has begun talking more and more. Sam has always been a good babbler but it has been taken to the next level since he listened to Luke and Jack. Even with how difficult it was, I am so lucky to have 7 more weeks to actually bridge back into full-time work which is such a blessing. I am hoping and believing that with each passing day I work it will get a little easier.

During my time at home we have been doing LOTS of tummy time. Now that Sam can roll over back to his stomach he wants to be there all the time and he has begun to reach out for things especially on his gym mat (depth perception is not a skill we have learned yet) and really lift up. I try to hold things out for him to look at and grab, but what he really likes is to look at pictures in his books, here he is looking at Little Red Riding Hood.

Then this weekend we made our 1st trip up to Omaha. We had a great time. Samuel was able to meet so many of mom and dads friends, and see the city where his Dad grew up. Sam was a perfect little guy all weekend even with moving his schedule. It was so fun to watch him see all of these new places and people, it seemed like with each new place his eyes got bigger and bigger. We were also curious how Sam would sleep in a new place and he did great. Both nights he fell asleep on his own right on schedule! And just like our last trip he slept almost the entire car ride. Looks like we have a good little traveler which is good for mom and dad since we love to travel. Here is Sam in his finest digs for our friends wedding, being a ladies man!

And me with my little man.

Tootsie Roll

Samuel rolled over today, not from his stomach to his back but from his back to his stomach and then back. It all started a week or so ago when Sam began trying to reach his pacifier with his mouth when it would fall out. Since half the time he has his pacifier he is swaddled he is trying to find other ways to get the pacifier with no hands (not that he could get it if his hands were free.) This went on for a little while and then he realized that turning like that was kinda fun, and so he did it more often, and then today it happened. I was sending some emails while Sam played in his activity gym and his pacifier must have fallen out, but he was preoccupied with all of the other gadgets in his gym. Then he tried to see other gadgets and slowly worked his way over. It was so cute, because he seemed very surprise that he was now on his stomach with no help. Then after a few minutes he turned back to his back and then back again. He is my tootsie roll. I always feel better when Ben sees it too so that I know it happened, and when Ben came in from mowing the yard tonight he did it again. So for now we have a little roller or a tootsie roll.

Kansas City has been having some great weather and we are definitely trying to take advantage of it. Taking lots of walks outside and on Sunday Sam sat with me outside as I pulled weeds. It is so great to be able to get outside more, and he seems to really like it. But with the warm weather I have had to start putting shoes on the little guy, yes for the last few months if he went outside he always had socks on but rarely shoes especially if he was going to stay in his car seat. The warm bundle always kept him warm without needing the shoes. Here is a picture with him in shoes, it really makes him look like a big kid! He is also wearing his wrist rattles which currently only serve as another item for him to put in his mouth.

Good-Bye Friend....Thanks for the Ride

This weekend we had to say good-bye to Samuel's favorite sleeping place, his swing. In the past we didn't always buckle him in because he didn't move around, but in the last few weeks he has become a moving machine. Due to all the movement we began buckling him in, but when he is swaddled the buckle doesn't fit, yes its true a 3.5 month old does not fit in his swing! We were only using the swing for naps these days but during his 3rd nap on Thursday I came in and saw what no mother ever wants to see. No he was still in his swing, but in a very different position than I had left him. That was all we needed to put an end to our naps in the swing. He is doing okay taking his naps in his crib, but it is definitely a change. Here is a picture of Samuel only 6-days old in his swing (hasn't he changed, he was so tan and his hair was so dark!)
Samuel's 3-month pictures were on Wednesday and we can't wait to see how they turn out. Ben has been sick for almost a week and on Wednesday Sam began to show signs of being sick as well. While Julie was at the house, Sam did not smile, frown, cry or pretty much do anything. He was so lathargic, we think Julie could have done anything and he would have just sat there. While the pictures won't show the smiles we see each day, it definitely will document his 1st cold.

The this weekend we had our 1st Easter together, and while it was just the 3 of us and we miss our families so much on holidays it was a great day. Samuel was a perfect angel at mass, and so content during the day. It was such a gorgeous day we tried to spend time outside. He loves being outside and just looking around. He gets big smiles when the wind blows across his face.

And today marks 10 days until I have to go back to work. When I started my maternity leave I felt like it was going to be such a long time before I had to go back, but it has truly gone by in the blink of an eye. Each time I start to think about it my heart races a little bit, and I hold Samuel just a little bit tighter. While I only have to go back for 2 days a week until June, missing just a few days with him seems awful. But I know many mothers (mine included) had to go back to work and it didn't change a thing. I look forward to reading more than nursery rhymes and children's stories, and having the challenges work brings. The balance will come with time and we are so thankful that until Ben is done with school a good friend and Ben's mom will be here to help!

Samuel in his Easter Best!

Sam and I outside the house, and as usual he has his hands in his mouth.