Birthday Gifts

Samuel has been having a ton of fun exploring and playing with all his new birthday presents. It is amazing to watch him as he discovers things for the first time. He is truly amazed at how things work and at the fact that he can make them work. It is so fun to watch him as he is going through this "absorbing the world" phase.

He is also becoming more aware of the things around him. When we change something (the set up of our room) he looks around and seems confused for awhile. Everytime we go out now, he is pointing to things and looking to us to explain what they are. This is especially true if we are anywhere with fans (which is pretty much everywhere this time of year). Whenever we get him up from a nap of in the morning he points at his shelf and signs please to us. When we take him over he usually grabs a toy (often the stuffed monkey) and is so excited when he gets to take it.

Samuel has also started the wonderful "scream when I am frustrated" or "scream when you aren't doing what I want" stage! Oh the joys of parenthood! Since neither of us handle whiney children well (me more so) we are trying so hard to teach him what to say or do instead. This often leaves both of us frustrated, but he is seeming to understand. Don't get me wrong, he still screams. We are also trying to ignore it if it continues or he is just angry. I think we will invest in earplugs! Hopefully this stage will pass soon!

No More Parties

Well, it's official...we are finished celebrating Samuel's birthday! Yesterday we had his last birthday party here in Seattle. We rented the small pavilion at Martha Lake Park and had about 20 people come and celebrate with us. Good times! Samuel still didn't enjoy the cake. I have to say he did last much longer yesterday than any of his previous attempts, but as soon as it got messy he wanted out. Oh well, I guess he doesn't have mommy's sweet tooth (yet)! Everyone here is aware that Samuel loves Elmo! He recieved multiple Elmo themed gifts, all of which he was delighted with. He also recieved his first basketball hoop thanks to his friend Jocie! We put it together shortly after we got home and he had it figured out pretty quickly. I will post a video on the website later this week. Apparently the party tuckered him out, he was asleep for the night by 6:15! It's hard being one!

Happy Birthday Samuel!

Wow! We can hardly believe it has already been a full year. Today Samuel officially turns 1!

He decided to sleep in a bit on his birthday and woke up to mommy and daddy singing Happy Birthday! We decided to take him out for breakfast at the Sugar Shack. He ate a pancake, some eggs and a little bit of hashbrowns. We then went to Target to find him a pair of tennis shoes he can wear when playing outside. We also looked at lots of Elmo toys and some Duplo Quatro blocks. After his party this weekend he can go and pick out some extra toys! After Target Samuel decided it was time for a nap and is currently sound asleep upstairs. Once he wakes up the fun can continue!

As for stats, we will have to weigh and measure Samuel when he wakes up. We will let everyone know where he weighs in at!
Samuel completes his first year with a ton of milestones. He is walking like a pro now, even running at times! He has eight teeth and knows how to use them well. He eats pretty much anything he wants now. He has refused baby food for a week or so now, I guess he doesn't want to be referred to as a baby anymore. He does love pasta and cheese, but is venturing out and willing to try more foods now. His sign language has started to really grow. Currently he knows more, please, eat, and milk. He is so cute to watch when he really wants something. He will go through his repertoire of signs until he figures out the right one and you give him what he wants! He has also picked up on the beauty of cell phones and will hold multiple toys up to his ear and walk around the house pretending to talk to someone! Very cute! I am sure there are many more I am forgetting to share, he is an amazing little boy.

Well, I better get back to the birthday boy! Celebrate with us today...eat some cake (at least I am giving you an excuse)!

We're Back!

What a busy couple of weeks! As many of you know we spent nearly the entire month of June in Michigan. We had a great time celebrating Erin and Scott's wedding and Samuel's first birthday. We were able to catch up with friends and spend time with family.

Samuel and I left on the 6th for Lansing. Thursday morning we headed up to Mackinaw Island for Erin and Scott's wedding. The wedding was beautiful. Samuel loved the horses (even though he couldn't touch them) and I loved the wonderful Michigan sunshine! We took a horse and carriage ride (way to long), walked a ton and played with Samuel's cousins, Morgan and Addison. We were in Mackinaw until Sunday afternoon then headed back to Lansing.

Monday through Thursday we spent in Coldwater with my family. We took a day trip up to Grand Rapids to have Samuel's first year pictures and Michael's (Jenn's brother) senior pictures taken. They all came out wonderfully thanks to Heather! The rest of the week we spent lazily around the pool and shopping for wedding things! Mike flew in late Thursday night after finishing up his school year (teaching).

Friday morning, Samuel and I headed up to Lansing to see daddy! Samuel gets so excited when daddy is around. He missed him tons and was very happy to see him. Friday night we celebrated Erin and Scotts marriage at the Sheraton in Lansing. Samuel loved dancing and spent most of the dinner hour entertaining people with his cuteness. After dinner, we were able to take Samuel back to Gram's (Mike's mom) and Mike and I were able to go back to enjoy the party!

Saturday started the madness of celebrating. We started with a Bridal shower for my sister, Angie, who is getting married in October. We then had Samuel's birthday with my family. Samuel loved the pool and the food, but hated his birthday cake. Lot of crying until his hands were cleaned off and he could go play! Sunday we celebrated his birthday in Lansing with Mike's family and some of our Grand Rapids friends. Ditto on the cake!

On Tuesday, we took a trip up to Grand Rapids to meet with our new realtor. Our house is back on the market and will hopefully sell this time. Please keep us in your prayers! Tuesday evening we were able to catch up with our old small group. The kids had a great time playing at millennium park and it was so nice and relaxing to sit and share with friends!

Mike flew back Thursday morning and I spend Friday, Saturday and Sunday at a doula training. I am really excited about the possiblibies and am trying to get things aligned here so I can start attending some births. I will keep everyone updated as things start to happen.

I know a whirlwind huh?! We are glad to be back into the routine and predictably of life again. We are finally adjusted back to a normal sleep routine and are enjoying the beautiful weather we brought back to Seattle with us. We definitely miss everyone back home and can't wait to do it all over again in October!

Books

Samuel has been very into books lately. He loves sitting and looking at them and will even sit and let you read to him for several minutes. He does have his favorites: So Big (Elmo), Brown Bear, Brown Bear and Touch and Feel Farm. I guess having two teachers for parents has something to do with it.

Cute Pictures

I know it has been awhile since a post and I honestly don't have a very good excuse.

Samuel and I are packing our bags to head to Michigan on Wednesday. We will be there until the 26th. We will have lots to do and lots of people to visit and are really looking forward to the great weather! Mike will be joining us on the 16th. He has to finish out school and didn't want to miss too many classes.

While we are in Michigan we will be celebrating Samuel's 1st birthday. It is crazy to think that he is already a year old. Before I know it we will be sending off to Kindergarten! These are a few pictures either Craig or I took of him the other day. Just playing around and having fun with the camera!

See you soon!

Girls Night

Tonight I am going on my first real "girls night" since Samuel has been born. We are going to a hotel downtown for the evening and are going to enjoy happy hour, dinner, and great girl bonding! I will also get a full nights sleep (also a first)!

Although I am very excited about going, there is fear and sadness in the event. It will be the first night that I spend away from Samuel. The first night that daddy is fully in charge! A realization that Samuel doesn't need me all the time. I wonder how many times I will wake up thinking I hear him moving and crying. I am sure we will all survive.

Update...

Not much going on here right now. We are actually enjoying moving at a slower pace for awhile. Soon enough we will be back at 'em again. Samuel and I leave for Michigan in 15 days (not that we are counting) for a nice long 2 1/2 week break there. I am looking forward to spending lots of time with family and friends. I am in the process of planning lots of 1st birthday parties for the little dude. I can't believe he is going to be a year old!

Mike is in his summer trimester at school. The nice thing is that he only has two classes that meet weekly this term. His other two are what they call intensives. They meet all evening Friday and all day Saturday twice during the summer. He has already finished one and has one more at the end of June. We are planning some camping trips for the summer and time to get away and enjoy the beautiful state we live in.

Right now, life just seems to be going along pretty well!

Zoo Trip

Since the weather has been so beautiful here we are taking advantage of it. Jocie got to spend the day with us today because her dad was in class, so we went to the zoo. A new exhibit was opening, actually it is an indoor hands on place. It was cool, but very crowded. Both kids seem to enjoy it though. They were able to crawl around, bang on drums, climb, go through tunnels and play in dirt. Samuel decided that he was hungry and much to mom's constant reminder that dirt doesn't taste good, he had to learn himself!

Walking?

Well, Samuel has officially taken intentional steps. About a week ago, Samuel discovered that his legs could take him places. He was very interested in standing up and walking around holding mom and dad's hands. Occasionally, we would let go and he would "take" a step as he fell into something. Last Saturday night, Samuel did take three intentional steps before he landed on the ottoman. It was very exciting. Sunday we were at the park and he took seven consecutive steps. That one we did get on video. Then today when Mike got home he took 17 steps across the room to him! We hurried for the camera, but after that he would only do about 8. He is very excited about this new skill. When we stand him up he gets so excited he generally falls before he even starts. He also cheers for himself when he does fall! I did put two videos on the website for you to check out. Since he still prefers crawling over walking, I guess he is not an official walker, but well on his way!

http://homepage.mac.com/clarkm34/Menu20.html

Mother's Day

We had a great day yesterday. Mike took Samuel in the morning so I could sleep in! It is amazing what a little uninterrupted sleep can do. At noon we met my Mosaic group at Greenlake Bar and Grill for brunch. They were giving all mothers a free meal! We then had a Starbucks treat for desert and went to play in the park. The weather was beautiful and the kids had a great time. We got home about 3:00 and both Samuel and I took a much needed rest! The evening ended with the Survivor Finale! What a great day! Oh, Samuel and Mike are also treating me to a day at the spa!

Just In Time for Mother's Day!

Samuel has finally decided to say mama. Ok, so the situation was not the best, but it was heard clear as day!

I finally was able to get back to the YMCA this morning and dropped him off in the kids area. He has been having some separation anxiety so I wasn't sure how it would go. When I left, he was content playing with an Elmo toy. About half hour later I heard "Jenn Clark could you please report to the Kid's Corner" When I was about half way down the hall, I heard him. By the time I got there he was pretty desperate. He was sitting on a girls lap, tears and snot flowing. I quickly went in and on my way over to him, we made eye contact. He took a break in the screaming and said "mama" as he reached for me! I was so excited I didn't care that he wiped his nose on my shoulder as he snuggled in. Just in time for Mother's Day!

Hopefully next time we hear it we wouldn't have such a traumatic experience. It is nice to know that they do know who you are though!

Golden Gardens

Today we tried out a new park on the Puget Sound called Golden Gardens. We had a beautiful view of the Olympics. We decided to pack a picnic lunch and spend some time playing. As always, Samuel loved the swings. There was also a beach with great sand that we were able to play in. By the end of it, Samuel had sand everywhere! Definalty a park we will be back to this summer.

Naked Baby

This picture was taken awhile ago, but forgotten about. I know someday Samuel will kill us for this, but for now it is pretty cute. Samuel loves his bath time! He also loves crawling around naked both before and after! Yes, we have had a few accidents on the floor! Here he is trying to get away from getting pajamas on!

Big Boy

As you can see, Samuel is becoming a very independent eater! He can eat just about anything now and is very interested in what we are eating. He will still eat some pureed foods, but generally is in a very "do it myself" mood. Here he is eating lunch. He has a grilled cheese sandwich, cheese cubes, grapes and bananas. He also loves his sippy cup, but still needs a bit of help with the mechanics of it! It is nice that he can eat off our plates now!

Our First Hike

We all went on our first family hike today. The last time we went out was the day we went into labor. Since it had been nine months, we now live in a beautiful state full of great hikes and the weather hit 70, we decided to get out and get moving. We found a trail about 45 minutes from our house. Wallace Falls and Wallace Falls National Park are part of the Cascades. The trail has three destination points, lower, middle and upper falls. It ranges in distance from 4 miles to 6 miles and elevation from 807 feet to over 1600 feet. We decided to go only as far as the lower falls for our first hike.


Samuel loved the hike, I would too if someone carried me the whole way. He thought he was pretty hot stuff riding way up on mom and dad's backs. He spent most of his time looking around, talking and clapping! We took plenty of time to stop and enjoy some of the great views and took a pit stop at the lower falls to refuel with water, nuts and toast (Samuel of course!). We decided that we would have to make this a more frequent affair if we wanted to see the state while we were here.
Mike, Bailey and I were exhausted by the time we were finished. Yes, Samuel was tired too!

Trouble

Guess what someone has learned to do? Yes, Samuel has figured out drawers and cabinets. He is now officially into everything. Luckily, most of the cabinets are safe for him to be in, so we let him explore. It is always a new surprise mess! Bad news is that we have yet to find a latch system that works with the cabinets. They way the cabinets are designed where typical systems would screw in, the wood is so thin it will crack! Don't worry, we always have a very close eye on him!

Happy Easter

We had a pretty good Easter weekend. On Saturday, Samuel went to the Lynnwood egg hunt. They had different sections for different age groups. Samuel was in the 0-2 years old group. He loved it. We put him down and he would quickly crawl to an egg, pick it up, try to eat it and head to the next! He found six eggs in all! We then headed over to Target so Samuel could pick out his basket. He chose Elmo! He loves it. We also got plastic eggs that he carries around in his Elmo basket!

Sunday, we were invited down to Jon and Annie's parents for Easter dinner. It was a fantastic dinner and great time to meet new people and share a meal. Samuel did very well in church, actually slept most of the service! He then was able to explore around and very "un baby-proofed" house. The weather turned out to be pretty nice so we did get to be outside for a bit. Although we all missed being with family on Easter, we were able to celebrate this special day together!

More Spring Break

Ok, today is the last posting of Spring Break pictures. I just keep finding cute pictures that I want to share with everyone. Samuel loved the swings on Spring Break. He would smile and laugh as long as you kept pushing. He even would try to crawl across the hot sand to get to them. Daddy said that we might have to find one for him to have at home.


The reason we were in Florida in the first place was to watch Uncle Mike play baseball. Samuel didn't quite follow the games, but thought the batters on deck warming up were hilarious. We are sure he thought they were nuts for swinging so much and not hitting anything! This is a picture of Samuel and his Uncle Mike before the big Red and White game. I think they like each other just a little bit.


Uncle Mike earned lots of bonus points in Samuel's mind when he let him play in the bucket of balls. He thought he was pretty hot stuff!

The rest of our pictures are posted on the website. The link is to the right!

Swimming

Samuel loved to pool on Spring Break. He would watch anyone in the pool and was always eager to go in. He loved this float at the beginning of break, but realized it was too hard to splash. He was definitely not afraid to get his face wet. He even went under water a few times. Now at home the bathtub just doesn't compare!

Florida

Samuel and I just got back from a 10 day vacation in Florida. I loved the warm weather and sun and Samuel loved the water and the sand. We joined Nana and Papa and spent the first part of our vacation in Lakeland watching Uncle Mike play baseball. We then spent our last 4 days in Orlando. Most days you could find us by (or in) the pool. Samuel loved splashing and didn't seem to mind the water in his face. He was quite the ham. More pictures will be posted on our homepage soon.

Haircut!

Samuel got his first official haircut about a week ago. Nana trimmed it when she was here in February, but he was getting a bit shaggy. His hair was down over his ears and curling up over his collar. We decided it was time. We took him to Hair Masters for a trim. Daddy got one too! Samuel sat on my lap and did great. He was interested in the lady's scissors and comb, but was content to hold a different comb while she cut. He even allowed the razor on the back or his neck. Now he is a clean cut, handsome little dude!

Sweet Dreams

The other day I heard a very strange noise coming across the monitor. I decided I better check it out. This is what I found. Samuel must have been having a great dream. He would smile then laugh every few moments. I decided to grab the camera and risk waking him up to get the picture. I got a great picture and he continued to sleep!

Gymboree

Each Wednesday Samuel gets to go to Gymboree class. He loves it. It is a chance for him to go and explore anything he can get into (lately that is quite a bit). He loves all the songs and most of the activities. He has developed a fear of the parachute activity at the end. Usually he gets to stand back with mom and watch or go under the parachute on mom's lap. It has been a great chance for us to get out and do something that Samuel loves.

Going through the tunnel is tons of fun!

Climbing up the incline! Great practice for the stairs!

Here is Samuel trying to escape off the parachute!