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Sam
I am 27 years old and am blessed to have my husband Brady, as my partner and best friend. We have two children, Parker and Piper, our little yorkie. We are constantly amazed by the joy they bring into our lives and can't wait to see what tomorrow brings!
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Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Thanksgiving Recap

Ok, so I am super, super, super late with these posts. I thought about not posting at all, but in reality, I post for myself and to have a online record of milestone's in Parker's life. I just feel so blessed that I have such an amazing little family with an incredible extended family.

This past Thanksgiving we visited Brady's family in Mankato and my family went to Dallas to see my brother. I was reminded of how fun it is to see Parker grow up and inherit traits of different family members. I love that he thinks before he speaks like his daddy (for all of you wondering...yes, I am aware that I do not always do that:), and has the beginnings of a sense of humor like GDawg and Uncle Landon. I hope that he inherits his grammy Deb's and grandpa Marvin's work ethic and his gram gram Kim's heart. He will also hopefully get Uncle Cortney and Uncle Landon's smarts (ok, and maybe know how to have fun like they do, but not too much fun:). I can't wait to watch him grow into a little person! I am so blessed and pray every day that we can make a positive impact on the person he becomes!

This is a picture taken right before Thanksgiving of Parker's new high chair. Papa George and GG refinished George's high chair from when he was a baby...how neat!
All of us at the farm!






At the K-State/North Texas game in Dallas.










Friday, November 12, 2010

Happy Halloween!

What is the only day of the year that you can dress like an idiot and not feel like an idiot...Halloween! I love dressing up! For four years, Brady and I, and most of our friends, had the privilege of dressing in random costumes and outfits for a number of date parties...how I miss those days! I have decided that I am now going to use Halloween, and my desire to be a fun parent, as my excuse to dress up with Parker. From now on, we are going to have a yearly family theme--do you think he will still let me do this when he is in middle school?

My first idea was to go as the Wizard of Oz. I was going to be Dorothy, Brady the Scarecrow, Parker the Lion, and Piper Toto. Well, because I do not have time to make a costume--eh, ok, so maybe I don't have the talent either-- I went on a hunt for a Dorothy costume. That is when I discovered that the only Dorothy costumes under $40 are slutty. I don't understand the need for women to use Halloween as an excuse to dress slutty--sorry, sorry, that is an entirely different topic. Because of this, and the fact that I had waited until the last minute, I had to find something that was fast and easy. So.....we went as bananas and Parker was our monkey! I waited so long that I had to buy a kids costume for myself, but it worked out pretty well!


Brady is such a good sport!

No more pictures, mom!


Parker and my friend, Andrea's son, Cayman. So cute!

At my friend, Erika's halloween party!




We had such a fun Halloween and next year, I know I need to start thinking of ideas in September!



Friday, November 5, 2010

Parker's Birthday!

Our little bug is ONE (ok, you caught me, now he is 13 months, but lets pretend I posted these sooner)! For Parker's birthday, we knew we had to include either football or golf in the theme. He is his father's child and those are his two favorite things. Golf won! He carries his little putter all over the house and says, "ga cub" which we take to mean, golf club. Plus, I was pretty excited to use a play on words with a "hole-in-ONE" party!

Here is his invitation...
Because this was a golf party, I couldn't resist using tee flags everywhere (including with his initials on the front porch).

Here is his sand trap...:) And his cake, and golf ball cookies...I wanted Parker to wear his little golf outfit, but it was colder than I expected. Here, he is playing with golf clubs out of the party favor sets!I bought Parker a little smash cake for him to dive into--and he did. I decided to buy chocolate because if I like chocolate cake, Parker will too, right? Wrong, he does not like chocolate cake! He did like the frosting though!Sooo, right before it was time to blow out the candles, I lost the "1" candle. We had to use a votive (it was all I had). I later discovered the birthday candle in the refrigerator. Let's just call it "mommy brain."Pretty good...eh?Want some?

Yes, I am that parent that left my child in only his diaper for the rest of the day...what can I say? Plus, he looked so much more comfortable to open presents.

This chair was one of his first gifts and he loved it so much he decided to stay there to open the rest!


If you haven't already guessed, Parker loves balls. He had to show everyone his new baseballs grammy gave him!


And yes, I am raising a ham. I wonder where he gets that from? :)



We spent a good portion of the day saying "no no" everytime Parker got near the party favors for the kids--as you can see from the earlier picture, we are still working on no.

It was a wonderful day and I feel so blessed to have such wonderful family and friends who came and helped us celebrate! Parker has brought more joy to Brady and I in the last year than we ever could have imagined! Happy Birthday Baby Bug!

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

R.I.P. B.C.

I am small chested. There, I've said it. I would be embarrassed for anyone to read this if it were not glaringly obvious the minute you met me. However, for almost a year, I had a chest. I finally filled a B-cup...hooray!! I was beginning to like my new shape and was amazed how much easier it was to find clothes that fit right. I was loving the benefits of breastfeeding.

Around a month ago, I stopped pumping and feeding altogether. For a while, I still had a chest. And then it happened. One morning last week, I woke up and they were gone. Not just gone, but smaller than they were before. Is that possible?!?! And so, I bid farewell to my chest.

Rest In Peace Big Chest, Rest In Peace.

Monday, October 25, 2010

Here's what happened since you last saw me!




A lot has happened in the last couple of months! It is amazing how fast babies grow and change! Here are a few of Parker's latest changes:


(Parker eating chocolate for the first time--he grabbed my cake when I wasn't looking!)


Talking, talking, talking--Parker has always been a little talker (I wonder where he gets that from...) but now he is saying all sorts of words: ball (his first word), dog, car, bye bye, hi, momma, dadda, yellow, no no, and his latest...Piper (this sounds a lot more like bi ba, but we know what he means). He is saying a lot in between those words, but we are still getting lost in translation! (This is Parker and Piper waiting for Daddy to come home...Parker's favorite word is dog!)

  • He's using a toothbrush!-We started brushing Parker's tooth right after it first came in around 8 months, but now he has five teeth and loves to brush them every night!


  • Walking!--Parker is officially a walker (tear). My baby is growing up right before my eyes!! He took his first steps at 11 months and nows prefers walking over crawling.



  • Lifting up the toilet seat--I can't believe I am including this one, but it kind of has a huge impact on the way we operate. Before, I could let him play on the bathroom floor while I showered and not worry. No longer, he can now lift it up-touch the water-and then drop it down, usually on his hand. He has also started flushing! (This picture is not of him lifting the toilet seat, but instead is probably why he has so much fun in the bathroom!)


  • No more bottles--At around 10 months, he stopped using bottles and now only using sippy cups. He have been practicing with big-boy cups sans lid, but we still have mastered that yet.



  • He has learned to love football--I am not kidding...my son jumps up and down yelling, "football, football," anytime football comes on tv. Needless to say, he has gone to all of the home K-State games and loves them!(This is a picture of Parker and Daddy concentrating on the action on the field at a home K-State game.)





  • And the big one...He turned ONE!!!--I can't believe it! My babycenter.com e-mails now say, your toddler this week...I have a toddler, holy cow! It has gone by so fast! He now faces forward in his carseat, drinks whole milk, and tests limits:). He had a big birthday bash, but I will post all of those pictures on a different post!


Monday, August 9, 2010

MAMA!!

Parker finally said mama!!  I have waited so long to hear this word and was beat out by dada, dog, car, and ball...however, he said it and looked right at me!!  Love!

Monday, July 5, 2010

How time flies!!



Warning! This post is slightly cheesy!! Almost nine years ago, I met my best friend; two years ago, I married him. Brady was the first boy I met in Manhattan (well, at least the first boy I can remember:). We had both just joined greek houses and were at a joint event for both of our houses--ok, ok, it was a keg race (don't tell Parker) and I had had one beer over my limit (yes, that means one beer). If you know me at all, you know this means I was extremely talkative. I had a crush on Brady from the minute I laid eyes on him and went right up and introduced myself. After that, I told everyone I met that, "I was a big fan of Brady's!" "Barn Party" 2003





From that point on we spent a year and a half dancing around the idea of dating. Brady was the boy I couldn't admit I needed and I was the girl who wouldn't kiss him. I finally came to my senses and asked him to our formal our sophomore year-I know what you are thinking, and yes, it wasn't until he stopped chasing me that I finally realized I wanted him. From that moment on, we were inseparable.



Two years ago, on the first happiest day of my life, I became his wife. I am so blessed. And then, nine months ago on the second happiest day of my life, I became the mother of his child--brady's little mini-me. I know that this post is super cheesy, but I was feeling a little nostalgic and wanted to say a big thank you to my husband....you are the best!


I just wanted a chance to say how happy I am to have such a wonderful husband (seriously, who else would put up with my neurotic behavior!)

Wednesday, June 23, 2010

"Mom, the puppy's in the tub!"

Apparently Piper is warming up to Parker. She hates taking a bath, but evidently, Parker makes it look fun. And yes, I am that mom that got my camera so I could take a picture before I took the dog out of the tub (don't worry, Brady was watching the kids:)!




Tuesday, June 22, 2010

Have Pump Will Travel

For the last year, I have spent 36 to72 hours a month travelling back and forth to DC to the Charles G Koch Foundation Headquarters. I love to travel, but I picked the worst time to spend so much time on a plane. From June to October, I was huge. Trying to fit my over sized belly into the tiny little seats-not to mention being asked by every flight attendant not to go into labor-was hilarious.





Once I got rid of the belly, I gained a pump. Awww, the pump--my new best friend. I have become an extremely efficient packer--you have to be when the pump takes up half of your carry on. I have also become very resourceful when it comes to pumping in the airport. Here are a few tips I have learned...



1. Take your pump and milk out before you send your bag through security; it will save you time and headaches.

2. Store your milk in bottles; they will make you open all of your milk containers for tests and the bags sometimes make a mess.

3. Your best option when pumping in an airport is a family bathroom, but don't be surprised if you get dirty looks when you come out of the family bathroom alone. Seriously, I wanted to walk out holding my milk in the air a few times.

4. Your second best option is a bathroom with an outlet in a secluded area--hard to find, but worth it to look.

5. The worst option, but usually the only one available is to pump at the sink. Bring a cardigan; you can put it on backwards to cover the pumps, but everyone will still know what you are doing. Also, surprisingly enough, people will talk to you more while you are half naked, producing food than if you were to run straight into them.

Monday, May 24, 2010

Lessons I've learned so far...

A year ago, I was ending one job to begin another...I was also almost six months pregnant. At the time, people thought I was crazy for starting a new job mid-pregnancy. I kind of was, but it was the best decision I could have made for both me and my family. It was at this time that I made an assumption about a lesson I thought would come in the future...if you are happy at work, you will be happier at home. This lesson is true. I learned a few other lessons while pregnant (ex. If you put your hand on your belly while you are trying to get something you want, you will inevitably get it:), but I have learned even more lessons now that I am a mom. These are in no particular order.

1. Hearing your child giggle can always make a bad mood better...always.
2. You will never love your husband more than when he is trying to get your son to say "mommy"
3. Your house will never again be quite as clean as you would like...ever...
4. You hope that saying that a dog's mouth is cleaner than yours is true when you catch the puppy french kissing her new little brother.
5. Sometimes parking away from the door, but close to a cart rack is worth the extra walk.
6. If you wear black, be prepared to get a white, spit-up stain on it.
7. If you wear white, be prepared to get a stain, any stain.
8. Your mom was right...doesn't really matter what you are talking about, she probably was.
9. It is ok to think that your baby is the cutest.
10.You know what is best for you and your baby. Whether it is how long to breastfeed or when to start solids, you will figure it out.
11. You hear about blow-outs and think it won't happen to you...it will.
12. You will always have a blow-out when you forget to pack a change of clothes.
13. In church, the baby will always start talking when it is time for the sermon.

These are definitely not all, but they are some of my favorites! Motherhood is the most amazing experience!

Wednesday, May 5, 2010

Just add mom to the list...

I am a mom now; that is my number one priority. However, I am still Sam...the person who loves to be busy and wants to be involved and feels better when she has her hand in at least a couple of projects. Right now, I am struggling with trying to be both. Last night I went to my first Junior League meeting, and I am really excited to join, but the second it went over the time I had allotted for it in my head, I almost had a panic attack. I couldn't stop thinking about Parker and how I was going to miss feeding him before he went to bed. I felt terrible because my friend drove and had to leave right away after so that I could get home. I just don't want to miss anything or any time with Parker, but I also want to be more than just mom.

I have always known that when I had kids I wanted them to feel like the most important part of my life, but that I also wanted to continue to be involved in various activities. Not only to set an example, but also to show them that I am a whole person. I had no idea how hard this was going to be. This week I have a meeting every night and have gone into a bit of a panic mode every time someone mentions any extra time that cuts into Parker time. I don't know how to balance this. It probably doesn't help that I have been to DC for three days every two weeks for the last month and a half and will continue until the end of May. I just don't want to miss anything and am learning that is not always possible. Everyone says it will get better and I know it will, but I just hope that starts soon!

Tuesday, April 20, 2010

Hate to be away from Parker

Last week I had to go to DC again for work. Unfortunately, I will be going every other week until the end of May, boo. When I took my first trip for work last summer, I remember going crazy because I missed Piper and Brady. Brady made fun of me because he knew that if I was going this crazy over a dog, I would be a wreck when the bug came...he was right. I had to be away for two nights and it was awful, and I got through it, but not without making a fool out of myself a few times.

Just so you know, it is ok to have your mom hold up the phone to your baby's ear so you can talk to him while walking around in Georgetown. Yes, I was the one going..."hi baby, mommy misses you!" "I can't wait to see you!" "Is that the puppy? Is the puppy giving you kisses?" And to answer the question you are all thinking, yes, sometimes Piper kisses Parker on the mouth before we can stop her. She is a bad dog.

I also used the same obnoxious voice while going to the bathroom at work. Hey, I had to find time to check in at some point!

So to wrap up this pointlessly long post....this was not the first time I had to be away, but it was the longest and I learned that coming home and seeing his face light up makes it all worth it!

Wednesday, April 7, 2010

Parker's baptism

Parker was baptised, yay!! I have been so excited for this day to come...this is the second time we have tried to get Parker baptised...the first was the weekend after Christmas and it snowed so much that Brady's family couldn't get here. So, we thought we would have it in March; no snow, right? Wrong. It snowed a ton on Friday and Saturday and I was so afraid that we were either going to have to cancel it or Brady's family would not be able to be there to see it! Instead, it turned out to be a beautiful day and many of our family and friends were there to share it with us! We are so blessed to have so many people who care about our little bug!
This is right after Bruer took Parker's plug...we should probably ween him from it anyway!
!




Our trip to Phoenix


In the land of retirement, there is only one place to go...Arizona. Brady and I both have grandparents who live near Phoenix now, so we decided to take advantage of awesomely low rates and take the Bug for a little visit. We had so much fun, and it was great to see family!
! Although our trip was wonderful, I did learn a couple of things...
1. Always have multiple changes of clothes and a changing pad in your diaper bag...Parker had a blowout right after taking off on both flights and on the second one, there was no changing table so we had to put the pad on the toilet! Thank goodness for toilet seats!
2. Breastfeeding on a plane is not really in public. I have decided that breastfeeding on the plane is so much easier than pumping in an airport bathroom right before. Plus, if you cover, no one can really see you.
3. No matter how bad you think it is, it can always be worse...Parker had pretty much, the worst blowout I have ever seen while we were eating in Scottsdale. Wow...that is all I can say...wow...
4. Old women have a way of making your son seem like a little player...we saw many many old women over the weekend (it's Arizona) and every time one of them starting talking to Parker, he would bat his little eyelashes and start smiling and talking to them!
5. Umbrella strollers are under-rated....this was a lifesaver. So much better than the giant stroller we took the first time!
Travelling is definitely getting easier, and I am so glad that we started so soon!

Monday, March 1, 2010

Update on the crinkle toys...

After my last post, Raven sent me a note regarding the crinkle toy I was talking about. She makes them for $3.75 and can even do K-State (or KU...) prints. Here is her website www.etsy.com/shop/shopspottedelephant. Thanks so much Raven!

Sunday, February 21, 2010

Oh so big!

Parker is growing up so fast! it seems like he does something new everyday! Most recently we tried solid food for the first time. Well, I guess when I say solid, I really mean rice cereal which is kind of like thick milk, but we use a spoon so it counts! I am not sure whether Parker actually ate any of it or not, but it was highly entertaining to watch him try! He especially liked the spoon and would get angry every time we took it away...he even tried feeding himself a few times!















Parker's other new favorite thing is his Valentine's Day gift he received from Brady and I. We got him this fabric covered paper that makes crinkle sounds when he plays with it. I know this sounds lame, but it is the best $5 I have ever spent. He loves this thing! I need to go back to the boutique I bought it at and find the name. Just a word of warning to all having babies...this will be part of every shower gift I give from here on out!