Here is our champion dunker showing off his amazing dunking abilities 😉
Author Archives: Caitlin
Summer Swimming
Summer is finally here and we’ve been hitting the pool. On Thursday, we went to the pool with my friend Deirdre and her daughter Evelyn.
When we got there we saw our friends from playgroup: Nicole and her daughter Lucy.
The babies had fun hanging out on their blanket trying to get as many of each other’s toys as possible while the moms got to relax (kind of ).
Then on Friday we decided to hop over to the pool and try out Sam’s awesome floaty. I think Sam likes being in the water but he kind of zones out. I was trying with all my might to get a smile out of him, but all I got was this…
And he was clearly tired out by the time we left!
8 months!
Sam is 8 months old today! We are having so much fun with him these days. Other than some crankiness due to a recent summer cold, Sam is a happy, easy-going guy.
* Weight: about 21 lbs. We don’t go back in for a check-up until next week but I weighed Sam while we were in California and he came in at 21 pounds. Can’t wait to see what his official measurements are next month. We just moved him into the Britax car seat because he outgrew his Graco Snug Ride.
* Sam can now roll over both ways! He has been able to roll over from his front to his back since he was 4 months old but hasn’t really shown any interest in rolling onto his tummy until recently. And apparently Sam likes to keep this new little trick a secret from us. Ben set Sam down on his back and went into the other room. When he came back a minute later, Sam was on his tummy. Then when we were in California, he apparently showed off his trick several times for his grandparents who were babysitting while Ben and I were out at a wedding.
* Babbling is Sam’s new favorite noise (much preferable to screaming). At first he just babbled while he had food in his mouth but has since learned to babble all of the time. His noises are generally baba, gaga, dada, jaja, or some combination. I’m still waiting for him to say “mama!” Of course the only time he comes close is when he is crying!
* Although he can’t pull himself up, he does love to stand. He has recently learned how to hold himself up on furniture (or us) and has even surprised himself by letting go and not immediately falling over. I love seeing the proud, and simultaneously tentative, look on his face when he is standing.
* I started teaching Sam sign language this week. He definitely isn’t signing back yet but he does seem to get a kick out of me signing to him. His favorites are nap and bye-bye. Whenever I sign milk he is usually crying and I think he is wondering why I am signing and not just giving him the bottle!
* Sam is really able to show us what he likes and doesn’t like these days. If he is happy he shows us with big smiles and laughter. But if you are doing something he doesn’t want you to do, watch out! He can turn on the waterworks at the drop of a hat! But he is pretty easy to placate–usually just standing him up does the trick.
* He loves to play with all of his toys, and many things that are not his toys. Favorites include Ben’s blackberry, the remote control and car keys. Right now he is playing guitar with Daddy!
* Sam is my little snuggle bug. Lately he rests his head on my shoulder when he is feeling tired or shy and I absolutely love it. He also likes to lean in when we kiss him.
* We have a good sleeper! He is sleeping from about 8 pm to 7:30 or 8 in the morning. He naps from 10 to 11:30 and 2:30 to 4:30. He falls asleep really quickly and with no fuss. He always sleeps in his sleep sack and at night we turn on a fan and pull down the black out shades to ensure he sleeps in as long as possible! He might be a morning person, but his parents definitely are not!
Ready, Set… Go?
Sam is ready to crawl. Except that he isn’t.
Poor guy. He gets up on his hands and tries to go, but he just ends up kicking his legs.
And often ends up going backwards.
Sometimes he finds something fun to do without moving forward.
And sometimes he gets frustrated.
But I know he’ll figure it out soon enough. For now I am enjoying not having to baby-proof the house. Here’s a quick video of Sam staring down a new toy that he’d really like to be able to get to!
Sam’s New Schedule
Here is Sam’s new “big boy” schedule. He switched to 2 naps at 6 months. Thanks Ellie for helping me figure this out!
7:30 Wake up, have 8 oz bottle
Crazy play time with Dad
9:00 Eat breakfast
10:00 Nap time!
11:30 Wake up (Mon: swim class/ Tues: playgroup)
12:00 Have 8 oz bottle
12:30 Eat lunch
2:30 Nap #2
4:30 Wake up, have 8 oz bottle
Go running!
(Speaking of, I am running my next 5K on June 5th. Please consider making a donation to Susan G. Komen!)
6:00 Eat dinner
7:30 Get ready for bed, read books with Dad and have last bottle (6 oz)
7:45 Turn on fan, pull down black out shades, and down for the night
Messy!
Sam recently started finger foods.
And bananas:
He is such a mess:
And the mess goes all the way up the arm…
Clean up can be tough.
But luckily, Henry’s a great vaccuum cleaner.
He waits patiently on his bed while Sam eats his meal.
(A little less patiently when he hears the “plop” from another piece of food hitting the ground.)
I don’t even need to vacuum…just kidding! (kind of.)
Run, Caitlin, Run
Last weekend I ran my first race ever. It was the 2010 National Police Week 5K. My friend Angie, who is an actual runner, ran with me. In fact, running this race was her idea. Twenty two years ago her uncle, a policeman, was killed in the line of duty. We ran in his memory.
And we’re off! There I am in the lead!
Not really…Here I am! (white top, pink shorts)
I am not a fast runner, but I ran the 3 miles almost 8 minutes faster than I did in practice! I am sure that running without Sam in his jogging stroller helped. As did a little healthy competition–being passed by a middle aged man carrying a 5 foot flag pole really made me step up my game.
But the best motivation was my cheering squad!
Dairy Delivered
Gross! I just recently learned what goes on with egg laying hens. You really don’t want to know. (But in case you do, you can see it here.) I was in a real bind because I LOVE eggs! As much as I admire those who can be vegans, I don’t think I am up for the challenge. And I knew from my friend Angie that eggs labeled “cage-free” or “free-range” weren’t any better.
But as luck would have it, the same day that I saw that video, a friend of mine asked if I was interested in having dairy products delivered from a local farm (Seriously, it was the same day. How weird is that??).
So here’s the deal. Every other week, you set out a cooler and the dairy delivery fairy sneaks over in the dark of night to deliver all the dairy products your heart desires. Or all of the dairy items that you ordered online that week. And because it is from a small, local dairy farm that you can tour yourself (my friend and her daughter did just that), you know all the nastiness that was going on in that video is not going on here!
Our dairy farm is called South Mountain Creamery, so if you are in the DMV area you should check it out. The delivery fee is $3.75 so if you split it with someone, as Ann and I do, it is pretty reasonable. And all the dairy products are priced at about what they would be in the store. And the best part might be the adorable packaging…
Mother’s Day Mahem
For my first Mother’s Day as a mother, Sam and Ben took me out for a delicious brunch at Columbia Firehouse.
And then all hell broke loose.
Well, that might be a slight exaggeration. But really, Sam is no longer the best dining-out companion. Gone are the days when he would sit in his car seat contentedly playing with a toy.
Actually, for most of the brunch Sam was completely happy, he was just screaming nonstop. He screamed in the restaurant, he screamed in the car, he screamed at the grocery store, and he screamed at home. My ears hurt. Shhh!
So my first Mother’s Day was not quite the idyllic day I was picturing, but it was still wonderful. I got to hang out with my two favorite people in the entire world. (And I got to sleep until 9!)
A Tree
Last Friday, we were honored to be a part of something truly special.
When Ben was younger, he was friends with a boy named Graham. Graham had a heart condition and died when he was just a little boy. Ben and his family have remained close with Graham’s family over the years. When we found out we were having a little boy, we wanted to honor Graham’s memory. We named Sam after Graham, whose first name was actually Samuel.
Last Friday a cherry tree was planted on the national mall in Graham’s honor (a kind gift from friends of Graham’s parents). Graham’s parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends flew out to DC for the occasion.
After several touching and moving words about Graham, the tree was planted. Everyone took turns shoveling dirt around Graham’s tree. Here his mother Claudia, his father David, and his sister Eliza take their turn.
We wanted Sam to take part in this as well.
We feel honored to have been able to name Sam after such a wonderful child who left this world way too soon. We cherish the friendship with his family and know it will continue throughout our lives.
