Little Angel

Kris and Kecia are over in Eastern Europe right now meeting their new daughter! We are hoping and praying for a quick court date which will hopefully determine how long until she's back here at home with her family!

You NEED to watch this video of the first time they met Kareen (they've named her Mia Kareen). It is the sweetest thing ever!

We already love her so much already!

Bits of May

I love when his jimjams get too small and they turn into knickers!

Favorite time of the day for the little monster

Um what!? No fear from this kid.

King of the Mountain!

So proud of himself.

Guess who's painting my fingernails?

Aunt Mally watched Sam one day while I was at the salon, and discovered he needed a little UV protection.

Sam crawled around Haley's house minding his own business when we found he had thrown up all over and somehow had smeared it all over his face. While we were taking his picture, we discovered he'd slipped a giant ring on his finger. Too funny!

Outside our pediatrician's office there was the prettiest blossoming tree, that we just had to stop and take a picture.

Nora was blessed the beginning of the month, and she looked so beautiful! I loved her little knit dress! Lindey and Corbin had a waffle bar afterward that was deeelicious!

The Mercer family

My two vested boyfriends. Lovey-love them!

I SO wish I had a picture of this story...

Sam is obsessed with the tub, and lately likes to open up the curtain whether anyone is in it or not (he also loves to spit his binkis in there). The other night after Tadd got home from work and I had left to the salon, he was showering and Sam was busy opening up the curtain and playing with the water. Sam kept reaching for the faucet and eventually tipped over into the tub while the shower was running! I guess he just thought it was so funny! So sad I missed that one!

Remember...

...that one time I fell off the face of the blogging planet?

OK, for like 9 days. But still!

Anyway, happy first Mother's Day to me! I'm so, so, so grateful for this little monster, and so thankful for the mother he has helped me to be.

Before church, on our beautifully groomed lawn.

I mean really, how could I not be so excited to see this giggly little face everyday?

'Lev Months

Little bug turns 11 months today!




Some of the things that he's doing lately that thoroughly entertain us.

.Claps his hands
.Giggles when Tadd burps
.Loves swings
.Loves story time
.Makes a specific face (FotoFace) when he sees the orange light on my camera
.Such a curious little boy
.Pulls himself up on anything and everything, and then bounces and dances
.Has become very vocal, and really enjoys screaming (this, I do not enjoy)
.Repeats "hi" and "hey". We also swear he can say "Addie" and "Lyla" on one occasion
.Is exploring table food more and more, and rarely gags now!
.Is cuddling more with us and will often lay his head on our shoulders. It just melts my heart.
.Loves to "baaa"and "roar"
.Crawls like crazy, and walks while holding our hands
.Starting to recognize more words
.Holds his own bottle but will let us snuggle him while he does

We're basically so enamored by him (I make no apologies), so every little thing he does is of course hilarious and adorable.

I'm freakin' out that I'll have a one year old...no more baby...a toddler, a month from today! We are so blessed to have this little healthy dude, who is growing and developing as he should, and I don't wish for it to be any other way, I just wish there was a way to go back in time and truly enjoy and indulge in the earlier stages of his life.

Lessons learned for next time, right?

Dear iPad,

I need one of you. For this app, and this app alone.

My two favorites? The butter cake, and the iPad cake. I'm so clev.

For the Man I Love

I have an incredibly selfless husband. He never asks for anything, and never complains. He also doesn't mind me buying things for Samson or myself. He also has full trust in me that I know what I'm doing with our finances. It helps that he wants nothing to do with them.

For the first time in my ever-loving life, I won a giveaway! Kalli gave away a $55 gift card to CSN Stores, and I WON IT! Bravo me! And random.org!

Tadd mentioned he wouldn't mind a jogging stroller for his birthday in July (shocker...he always tells me he doesn't want anything) and thus began my research. After much questioning and review-reading, I found that the BOB stroller was the most ideal choice. Too dizamn bad they are so fetchin' expensive. So...I moved on.

I bought a Baby Trend jogging stroller at Burlington (to the whistlin' tune of $70), but something just kept me for opening the box and assembling it. Of course, all the while doing this for Tadd. (Do you know me but at all? I hate running. Get me in shape via yoga, ballet, swimming...nothing high impact. My poor achin' cankles.)

I continued searching on KSL, and then *ding* (lightbulb)! I remembered that fabulous CSN Stores website and my ever-lovin' gift card, and bada-bing-bada-boom...a BOB Revolution stroller for less than I've seen on KSL. Let's just say a brand new BOB stroller within the $200 range is just criminal. And the way my twisted brain works, it's actually $70 less than the listing price since I'm returning the other stroller.

Might I also thank that government organization I've been hearing so much about for our glorious tax return that has made this purchase possible.

Happy early birthday, Taddala!

Instagram-it

My new favorite app.

Gamma Sue's Easter egg hunt, glimmer of sun on a gloomy day, Snickers ice cream bar - yuuuuum

"Doctor, please hurry up and give me my shot", "So...I can have my post-shot sucker", still entertained by the exersaucer

Cox Easter egg hunt, watching "dada" play softball (and currently my favorite photo), Addie-girl and me

Get it you iPhone-ers. Let's follow each other. Message me for my username. I'll overload you with Samson pics, I PROMISE!

Happy May! My baby turns ONE next month. I'm freakin' the freak out!

Frenzied Frizz

What do you do when your baby vomiteers on your freshly washed and blown ever-so-rarely-straight hair?

Why, you reach for your drugstore brand (you heard that right) TreSemme Waterless Foam Shampoo!

Hairoin reader, Senora HB, introduced me to this foamy goodness (after I posted about my beloved Pssst Dry Shampoo), so I gave it a try and I give it two thumbs up! I pumped a few dollops of the waterless foam into my hands, and applied/slathered/rubbed/combed into afflicted section of hair. Wallah! No lingering crustiness or smell!

I didn't even blow it dry this time, which I usually do after using this, although it's not entirely necessary. The next morning I just ran the flat iron over it a couple times and...no harm done! Samson will live to see another day (KIDDINGKIDDINGKIDDINGKIDDINGKIDDING).

The Goings-On of Late

Bath times have become a battle. Sure, Sam still absolutely loves his baths. He just loves them more when he's holding the tub stopper in his pudgy little hands.

Don't you hate when you find the deal of the century on KSL for an upholstered king size West Elm headboard and frame and coordinate with the seller to see it later, only to find out a few hours later that she decided to sell it to her MIL?

I'm so bleeping sick of this weather. I'd like to blame it for my son's continous sickness. RSV twice in two months with ear infections each time...a month later - double ear infection, double eye infection, viral infection, cough...10 days later - double ear infection hasn't gone away, gets an antibiotic shot, may need tubes...this is just getting ridiculous.

Tadd and I have an impending date with my friend, Charisse, and her husband, Chris, to play Friends Scene It. All four of us watch Friends every day. At least one episode. It just ends up in the background...or the foreground. Charisse and I text each other Friends' lines all day. Yes, we realize we need help. I'm looking into a 12 step program for us. But of course not before we celebrate Rachel's birthday on May 5th.

I bought a jogging stroller at Burlington, just a basic one to tide us over for now. But I can't get myself to open up the box because I believe (The Secret) that I'm going to come across a killer deal on KSL for a BOB stroller. The Secret. The Secret. The Secret. The Secret. The Secret. (Is it working? Are any of you putting yours on KSL riiiiight now?)

Drew Carey's Improv-a-ganza. That's what we've been up to lately.

Career Day

For Sammy's independently created career day, he chose to come spend some time with mom at the salon. Or rather, Tadd had to rush off to a softball game and I wasn't quite finished with Whitney's hair, so he dropped him off to hang.

We resorted to letting the monster crawl around on the semi-clean, mostly swept floor once sitting on laps just wasn't cutting (har har) it any more.

Chelsea adorned him with a clip so he wouldn't feel left out among the stylists.

He spent a good amount of time at the salon entertaining some ladies up front and people watching. Is he my son, or what?

Question...how much drool is too much before my keyless entry breaks? Sometimes the screaming isn't worth it when I take them away...

Ooohhh double chin! His (dummies).

In other news, Sam likes french fries. Of course.

Swingin' Springin'

I'm so happy our little boy loves swings. Grandma and Papa have swings on their deck, and Sam took to them right away (see below). Of course, what kid doesn't love a good swing sesh?

Since we have an awesome porch, and I have an awesome husband, I hired him to hang a swing to be enjoyed clear until it starts snowing.

Sam may be a mini Tadd in the looks department, but I'm slowly seeing more of me in his personality and preferences. One thing is for certain, he and I enjoy the sun more than most people, and heaven help the person who opens our front door, and shuts it before letting him out into the sunshine.

Happy Easter!

Of all the victories in human history, none is so great, none so universal in its effect, so everlasting in its consequences as the victory of the crucified Lord who came forth in the Resurrection that first Easter morning. - Gordon B. Hinckley

I did end up putting together an Easter basket for Samson, and added a few church books, and of course a stuffed hammerhead shark. Because, why not?

Easter Sunday this year wasn't as I normally remember it, what with chasing around a busy crawler, and fighting to keep him entertained. I guess our attendance is what matters???

After church we had dinner and an egg hunt at Tadd's parents, which is always entertaining!

150 eggs + 10 kids running wild = a typical Sunday (minus the eggs)

Madi is such a great cousin, and always loves to help out with the babies.

Of course the concept was lost on the little tot, but we enjoyed playing along anyway.

Along with a few eggs filled with candy, we also found two eggs labeled "Sam" with a dollar bill stuffed in each of them! Lucky boy!

Look at Steve's lush green grass! If only the lawncare boys at our place had these kind of skills!

My boyfriends

Apparently Bree hit the motherlode and just couldn't carry her basket any longer!

All the kids minus the babies. And Kareen!

Went for another spin in the bad boy.

Seems he's starting to get a hang of this driving thing!

Lacey came up with a brilliant plan this summer. Strap Samson into the car, since he's more than content in there, and man the remote while laying out. Genius!

Happy Birthday to Megan! And Steve!

Egg Hunt & Brunch

My mom hosted an Easter egg hunt and brunch for the kids on Saturday, and it was enjoyed by children and adults.

Each child was given a basket with their own unique egg and there were 11 more just like it hidden in the yard. That's my mom, uhhh Easter Bunny, for you, organization! It was brilliant and made for a lot of fun.

I actually haven't decided yet if I'm going to teach Sam about the Easter Bunny. It seems a titch creepy that a bunny comes traipsing through your home and yard leaving behind, essentially, its droppings (of sorts), and gifts. Random.

I do know that I want to create this activity in the next year or two. I want the focus of Easter to be on the resurrection, for that is what this holiday is about. However, I will also incorporate what Easter has commercially become because who doesn't love a good egg hunt!

But hey! To each, his own!

And...onto the hunt!

Searching the premises for the golden egg. Yes, the golden egg. A yellow chick egg with $10 hidden inside!

Lieutenant Jack hunted for camo print eggs!

Hi Tadds.

Someday there will be a pool whereabouts I'm standing, you just wait!

And look who found the golden egg! I hope she followed through with her spending plans...did you have a lovely lunch, Whit?

Sam with all his loot!

Little Vi Vi.

FotoFace is back!

Dancin' to The Biebs. Addie even jabbers along with Ludacris!

Goofballs!

Best thing I heard all day? Uttered by Jack, "Hey Tadd, do you want to come play with me? You look like you're bored." I heart him.