Sharing

Samuel and Bailey are learning to share! Bailey takes a lick then Samuel gets one! No, we didn't let him do this over and over, but it did serve its purpose once of getting a good picture. Bailey did not act to pleased about it, but once Samuel put the bone down Bailey gave him kisses!


By the way, Samuel is standing there unsupported! Mom's hands are close in case of a spill, but he is pretty steady!

Mmmmm Banana

Samuel loves to eat! I guess most of you already knew that...
He enjoys rice cereal, oatmeal, bananas, sweet potatoes and carrots. The only thing we have tried that he doesn't enjoy are green beans. He makes some pretty disgusting faces and spits them out. He also had a diaper rash after eating them so we have taken them away for now. We will start peas next and then add another fruit! So far, so good.

Daddy was eating a banana this morning and Samuel was very interested. We broke off a piece and put it in this baby safe chewer thingy! It is a net that allows babies to eat food that is not pureed. It supposable teaches them to chew without allowing them to choke! Although it took him a minute to figure it out, he loved the banana!

A Tooth!

Well the tooth has finally broken through! Samuel is very interested in his new tooth. He is constantly biting his fingers and apparently tongue (as see in this picture)! Eating has also become a bit more challenging! Just something new to get use to. Although he is a bit crankier than normal, it is still tolerable! No more toothless grins...

Ready to Move!

Samuel is getting closer and closer to crawling each day. When we sit him down, he quickly gets to his stomach and then up on all fours. He rocks back and forth and ends up scooting himself backwards each time. This quickly leads to frustration at not getting to where he wants to go. Quite the ordeal! Although I am amazed at his strength and coordination I am not sure I am ready for him to be mobile yet!

Tooth update...the two bottom teeth look pretty sore. They have not broken through the skin yet, but look like the will any day. He has been a bit fussy and is constantly chewing things, but overall tolerable! We will get a picture as soon as they arrive.

Bath Time

Samuel loves his bath time. We have made it part of our bedtime routine (cereal, bath, lotion, books, bottle, bed) and he is thrilled. He is big into splashing and looses about half the water in his tub by the time he is done. Two nights ago, daddy got to do the bed time routine and discovered that Samuel now has enough hair to do the classic mohawk! To say the least, we have a clean kid!

Jocie's Back

Samuel was so excited to have Jocie here to play today. The Mars Hill semester has started back up so Jocie is back over twice a week to play. It was amazing to see how much both of them grew up over the past month. Both are sitting up pretty easily now, both are getting up on all fours and rocking and both love to eat ( I guess some things never change)! Jocie also has two teeth that have broken through. Samuel is still waiting! Both Samuel and Jocie have also sparked a new interest in each other. They are very curious and are constantly grabbing at each other's ears, eyes, nose and clothes. I feel like a referee making sure there are not unfair eye jabs or hair pulls! Oh! What Fun!

Go Bears!

Samuel spent the morning counting his money in hopes that he can somehow manage to scrap up enough to go to the Bears vs. Seahawks game next weekend. The Seahawks are doing their job by winning today, despite Alexander being injured, but the Bears have to hold up their end of the deal tomorrow. If so, Daddy promised to have every computer he knows and every phone he can manage working trying to get tickets that are promised to sell out very quickly. Guess we will have to wait and see. You can bet that tomorrow afternoon Samuel and mommy will be in their Bears outfits cheering them on (Daddy will be on the cell phone listening as he is trying to sell some cars!)! GO BEARS!

Staying Inside

SEATTLE, Washington (AP) -- After 26 consecutive days of measurable rain, Seattle is closing in on a record so dismal even forecasters in this city famous for its gray skies are complaining.
With more wet weather predicted over the next several days, Seattle may soon break a record set in 1953. The city saw 33 consecutive days of measurable precipitation then -- the most since the National Weather Service office there started tracking rainfall in 1931.
Though Seattle is famous for its rain, the city's average annual rainfall from 1970 to 2000 was 37.07 inches, compared to 49.71 inches for New York City

I guess we will have to continue to play inside!

Play Time

Samuel loves his toys from Christmas. Here he is playing with the Peek-a-Boo blocks. He enjoys when mom dumps them out and he can play with the container!

Check out the website for Christmas pictures and a new video of Samuel!

Healthy Boy

Well, Samuel had his 6 month check up the other day and was released with a clean bill of health. He has slowed down in his growth a bit. 7th percentile for weight at 19 lbs and 80th percentile for height at 27 1/2 inches. He is estimated to be about 6'2" (not a big surprise). Doctor seemed very happy with his overall development. He said to expect crawling, standing up, lots more babbling and curiosity over the next few months!

Samuel has started the backwards crawl thing. He pulls himself up pretty well, but ends up scooting backwards and looking at us like it is our fault! He turns himself all the way around to reach anything he wants now. He has also developed a bit of stubbornness (not sure where he got that?) when we take something away. It has also been harder to distract him since he realizes the toy you took is probably behind your back! Time to get creative!

Sweet Potatoes

Samuel has discovered real food! We started our adventure into big boy food last night. Samuel has been very interested in what we are eating all the time. He often reaches for food and even opens his mouth when we take a bite. Since he has been great with rice cereal, we decided to mix it up and add some sweet potatoes.

Yesterday, I boiled a whole sweet potato and pureed it. We got him all ready in his chair and started the video camera. He willingly opened his mouth and took the first bite. Was he in for a shock... sweet potatoes taste nothing like rice cereal. He just sat there with it in his mouth looking back and forth from Mike to me. He finally swallowed it, but the confused look remained. It took him several bites to warm up to it, but then we couldn't get it in fast enough. He ate every bite we gave him and would have taken more if we let him. Since this was the first time his stomach has had any real food we decided starting small was smart.

The only problem...he was not real pleased with rice cereal this morning!

6 Months Old

Happy 6 month birthday Samuel!
Wow! We can hardly believe he is already six months old. It seems like Samuel has been in our lives forever. Actually, we have forgot what life was like before him (movies, dates, sleeping 8 hours). Although parenthood has been a new road for us, we have loved every minute of it. Yes, even the sleepless nights, the poopy diapers and the inconvenience of carseats and strollers. We could not imagine our lives any other way. Samuel has been such a blessing to us. His (still) toothless smile and contagious laughter, his drooling and spitting trick and the sparkle in his eyes leaves us amazed that he is really here and he is really ours. It has been amazing to watch him grow and develop his own personality for the last six months. At this rate, we are really in for it over the next six months! I guess we are in for the adventure!

Happy Half Birthday Buddy!

Christmas

We had a wonderful holiday. Although we did a lot of traveling, we had a chance to relax and catch up with family and friends. Here are a few pictures from Christmas. Samuel loved all the attention and tissue paper.

Samuel got an Infant/Toddler Leap Pad from Santa!

This is his new phone. It does letters, numbers and songs.

Samuel's new trick...eating tissue paper. He is really fast!

A new monkey!!

Samuel and Addison!

You can see all the Christmas picures at the website!

Packing

Samuel was a great big help the last two days as we are trying to pack. He loved riding to and from the laundry room in the basket. He would sit up, hold on and laugh hysterically. He seemed to enjoy the warm "fresh out of the dryer" laundry best!

We are all packed and eager to head to the airport tomorrow morning. We are planning on leaving the house at 4:30am! in order to get to the airport the recommended three hours before departure. There is no way I am missing this plane! If all goes according to plan, we should arrive in Chicago tomorrow afternoon!

We are looking forward to seeing you all very soon!

Christmas Plans

For all our Grand Rapids friends....
We will be in GR for a short time over break.
In order to see as many people as we can, we are going to be at the
Panera Bread on 44th and Kenowa from 2:00-5:00pm on
Wednesday, December 28th.
We will be upstairs by the fireplace.
We would love to see anyone that has a quick minute to stop by.
If not, we totally understand the mad rush of the holiday season.
Hope to see you there!

Look at me!

Samuel is getting pretty comfortable sitting up now. He does still have a pretty round bum and will fall over pretty easily, especially if he get really excited! He does reach for toys and will pull himself back up to sitting after grabbing it! We generally will put him down with his Boppy or with pillows around him and let him go. He thinks it is pretty funny to fall over!

He is also pulling a famous baby stunt, wants to play with anything but the toys he is given. Some of his toys are kept in a basket in the living room, he takes the toys out and plays with the basket. I am sure over Christmas he will love the wrapping paper and the boxes! I guess that makes him pretty easy to please!

Family Time

Today was Mike's first day off both work and school, so we played! First, we took Samuel to the zoo for the first time. Since it was rainy and cold we only saw about half the exhibits. We did see lions, tigers, monkeys, elephants, hippos and a giraffe. Samuel did really well. He watched the animals as they moved and even smiled at a few.


Next, we went to the mall to eat lunch and see Santa. Samuel sat in a big boy high chair and played very well while we ate. He even tried to pay the bill, they wouldn't take his credit card!


Finally, we made the much awaited stop to see Santa. He loved Santa. He was very intrigued by both his hat and glasses. We had a hard time getting a picture because Samuel wanted to look at Santa not the camera. After four tries we managed to capture a decent one. All in all we had a great day as a family.



For more pictures of the zoo and Samuels Santa visit, check out the website
http://homepage.mac.com/clarkm34/Menu20.html

Sleepy

Since Mike is now off school for the next four weeks and has more time at home we decided to become a bit tougher with Samuel and his sleeping habits. He has always been a good sleeper, but prefers to be in our bed cuddled next to mom! Since I don't get a decent nights sleep with him next to me, you can imagine that this routine is not working out so well. Starting yesterday, as soon as Samuel starts to show us he is tired, we wrap him up, give him his blanket and binky and lay him down. So far we are 3 for 4!! He does fuss a bit, but generally calms down and is asleep within a few minutes. He does seem to wake up more often, but only requires help finding a lost bink or a few pats to drift back off to dreamland. Although we know that the holidays and being in Michigan may destroy the entire plan, we are pretty happy that he continues to sleep well! Sleep Tight!

Beauty

Wow! Although the weather here has been a bit on the cold side (so the natives say), it has been beautiful. Despite the horror stories we heard about all the rain, the last week or so it has been clear skies. Everyday as we head to the highway, we see a beautiful sight of one of the mountain ranges. Further down the highway, we round a bend and POW, Mt. Rainier towers beautifully in front of us. Mike nearly drives off the road each time we make that turn! It is a beautiful view to experience. Although I miss the snow and am eager to head back to Michigan for a white Christmas, I can't help but love the view here!

Keeping Warm

We have had a few sad days here in the Clark household. Samuel is officially into some of his 6-9 month clothing. I had a really hard time coming to terms with the fact that he is moved up yet another size. It seems like just yesterday we were dressing him in all his 0-3 months clothes and laughing about how big they were on him. Today he woke up in a 9 month sleeper that even appears to be a little on the shorter side! So sad!

Although I am saddened by how quickly he is growing, I am amazed by my little dude. He is developing into such a great and fun little boy. He is so amazed by new things. He gets pretty excited when he realizes that he has been sitting up for a couple of seconds and smiles, which is quickly followed by either arm waving or kicking which sends him tumbling over. He then laughs and tries to figure out how to get back up.

I am amazed daily with how much joy he brings to my life. I always knew I wanted to have kids and thought I would enjoy being a mom, but now I cannot image my life any other way. I never realized how much joy one little bundle could bring. His smile, which is pretty standard, takes away any fear, anxiety and sadness and fills me with hope, love and a desire to keep going. It's amazing what a toothless grin can do to your heart!

Bubbles

Samuel loves his bath time. Today was the first time he has ever been able to sit up in it which adds a whole element of excitement. He loves being lathered up but would prefer not to be rinsed off! We are also apt to see some of his attitude emerge when it is time to come out and he isn't quite ready! I am sure this is only a glimpse as to what he will be like in a year or so! Yeah parenthood!

Party Time

Last night we had our first official Christmas party. Mars Hill hosted a get together at the Best Western downtown. We all got dressed up and went out for the evening. We had appetizer, desert, punch and coffee. We also sang some traditional Christmas carols and decorated ornaments. Samuel did very well until the music started. He has been startling easily over the past week and we think between the noise and light he had enough. Whenever the music started he would look at Mike or I am end up screaming. We decided the lobby was a much better place to be! By the end of the night we were all exhausted and ready to climb into bed. Let the holiday season begin!!

Family

Samuel is such a camera ham! Of course we don't mind one bit!
Learning how to sit up. Yes that's mom's hand, she thinks she needs to catch me!

Cuddle time with mommy!

Chillin' with daddy! Go Spartans!

Warm Thoughts and Wedding Bells

The whole gang overlooking Seattle from Queen Anne hill!

Sending warm thoughts to all those back in the Midwest. From the looks of it you are all receiving tons of snow...maybe a snow day! Here the weather is a bit different. Yesterday and for the next 4-5 days it is sunny and mild. We were out shopping yesterday in long sleeves and vests! It does get a bit chilly at night, but nothing compared to what we are use to. I think we will be in for a shock when we are home over Christmas!

Samuel and I are doing all the last minute things before Christmas. We are decorating a tree, making cookies and shopping! He is such a help with it all! He wants to pull all the lights and decorations off the tree, eat all the cookies and thinks he needs to be the center of attention in all the stores. Thankfully he is cute and people comment on that,not how loud he can be! Yesterday he and I went to the outlets and spent the money daddy made. We found lots of great things for everyone! You will have to wait and see!


If you haven't already heard...Angie and Caleb are engaged. Wedding plans are in the making. He asked her to marry him this past Wednesday (her birthday). They are planning an October 2006 wedding! Yeah...a party! Samuel is hoping he will be able to walk by then so he can dance the night away. Congrats Aunt Angie and (Uncle to be) Caleb!!

Happy Birthday

Today is Aunt Angie's birthday. When she was here for Thanksgiving we went to Tony Romas to celebrate. She loves cheesecake, but did share with us. We hope she has a fantastic day.


Also we have to wish a belated birthday to Uncle Mike. His birthday was last Wednesday (November 30). He is 17 now! For his birthday we went to Buca de Beppo's. He had candles, singing and ice cream...which he didn't share!

Snow?

Well this is what we woke up to today. This is a picture off our back deck. Someone told me it didn't snow much here in Washington. Since this is our second day with considerable snowfall, I am beginning to doubt them. Luckily it is not enough that we are having to shovel yet! Samuel thought it was great. He reached out for it and was pretty confused when it melted before he could open his hand to see it. Bailey thinks she is back at home. She has been playing out in the yard and running through it.

Today we will continue to unpack the remaining boxes. Hopefully today is the last. We are still looking for a dining room table, hopefully we will find one cheap on craigslist.org. We then should be pretty set. I promise to get pictures posted soon! Hope all is well with everyone!

Play Date

Samuel is loving all the extra space in the new house (so are mom and dad). We are getting the last couple of rooms set and final boxes unpacked. Today we made a trip to Ikea, my favorite store. We found some cheap shelves for Samuel's room that I am going to attempt to stain in order to match his furniture. We also found some rugs for the hardwood floors and shoe racks. Mike's favorite purchase was his new chair. He has been looking at a chair at Ikea for over three years. I found one in the "As Is" section marked down over $100. We think it was only returned because there is no visible damage. All we had to get was the pad. He is thrilled. I am wondering if he will ever venture out of it.


Last night, Samuel had his friend Roxy over! Roxy's mom and I are in the same Tuesday night group. Roxy will be nine months old this month and is very mobile. I am beginning to see what I am in for in a few months. Anyway, the two love playing together. Samuel just stares at Roxy as she moves about. Roxy is very interested in Samuel's eyes and nose, good thing he doesn't seem to mind. Next week, Samuel will visit Roxy so Mike and I can have a date night! What's that?

Playing Around

Yes, I know it has been awhile since I posted last...we have been a bit busy. Over the past week, we moved, my family was here for Thanksgiving, we moved, I had the flu and did I mention we moved! We are now officially in our house and are loving it. We still have plenty of boxes to unpack and more rooms to set up, but it is slowly feeling like home. It is so much better than the apartment. I will take some pictures and post them soon.

As for everything else, Mike continues to slave away at work and at school. November was a tough month in car sales so we are hoping December will be much better. School is winding down...two weeks left. Two weeks means lots of papers and finals to finish up! Mike will be plenty busy. I have been doing most of the moving, so am feeling a bit overwhelmed by boxes at this point. It is so nice to have space again though. I have a kitchen that more than one person can fit in at a time and Samuel doesn't have to share his room with the computer anymore. Speaking of Samuel, he continues to do well. He still is hanging on to his winter cold. Doctor says not to worry so I am trying not too. He doesn't act sick at all, just coughing. He has realized he has vocal cords and uses them often! Rolling from one side of the room to the other is also a new trick he thinks is great!

I will post Thanksgiving pictures and some snow pictures in the next couple of days. Yes, I said snow. We had our first snowfall today, actually sticking to the ground. People are rushing off to the stores and gas stations in case everything shuts down! It is an entirely different world!

Jenn

Talking to Nana

One of the hardest parts about living in Seattle is being away from our families. Although we try to talk on the phone often, I update using this blog and the website and Samuel and I travel back as often as possible, it just isn't enough. Mike and I wrestle with the thought of Samuel having to be away from all his family for the first three years of his life. We often question God about the direction we feel He has chosen for us to follow. Yet, at the end of the day we know we will be heading back to Michigan soon and by living a life lead by God, Samuel will learn the value of following his heart when the time comes. As parents we want to support our children in taking risks in order to live life fully. We feel that it would be impossible for us to do so if we do not do so ourselves.

With that being said, we are trying to come up with ways for Samuel to know his extended family even though they are states and states away. We will be making videos over Christmas of each family member that he can then watch on the computer, we have started a scrapbook of people who love him and will read it often, we even have a talking picture frame. Shortly after moving here, Samuel received a package from his Nana (Jenn's mom). In it was a picture frame with a picture of the two of them and a button to push. When pushed it simply says "Hi Samuel! This is Nana. I hope you're being a good boy. I sure miss you. We'll see you soon. I love you." It still brings tears to my eyes. Anyway, each day we play this for Samuel, sometimes multiple times. At first he would just stare at it and then look away, but now it is a different story. He often reaches out for it, grabs it and trys to eat it (we call it kissing Nana). There is always a smile on his face.

It is amazing to watch him interact with the picture and voice. Although it is by no means a substitute for the real interaction we desire him to have, it will have to make due for now. I am eager to see him respond to his Nana over Thanksgiving after being away for nearly six weeks. I truly believe he is capable of making the connection with her voice and the picture. I guess we will have to wait and see. Until then we will keep pushing the button.

Independence

As you can see, Samuel is becoming more and more independent. He tries so desperately to hold his own bottle now, but needs some more practice. He loves grabbing it and getting it into his mouth, but is still baffled when he throws his arms around and the bottle goes flying. He is also starting to show a bit of his stubbornness (just like mom!). He is very impatient when it comes to his food and how quickly you can get it ready when he is hungry. We are really enjoying his personality!

additionally, we are hoping to get into the house tomorrow or Tuesday. We are only waiting on the last pieces of paperwork and then scheduling a time when we can all meet to sign the lease. I have been busy packing boxes and bins to move over once we get the key. We are all really excited to be in a bigger and better place. Bailey is thrilled to have a yard again that she can play in without having to be on a leash! I am sure Samuel will appreciate all the open space and clean carpet when he begins his crawling adventures soon! I will post pictures soon!

Friends Forever

As you can see, Samuel and Jocie love spending time together. I always know I am in for a real treat when I have to two of them. It is amazing to watch them grow together. One day Jocie is reaching out and grabbing things and the next Samuel is doing the same. They are becoming much more interactive with one another now. They are definatly aware that the other is there and will often times reach out and grab each others clothing. Lots of smiles and cooing too! Luckily they are both still pretty immobile! I can only imagine the fun we can have then they are both crawling in opposite directions!