Some Man Time

Sunday mornings I go off to work for a bit and it gives Russ a chance to spend some time alone with Sam. Today they went down to the park not far from our house. They made friends with a dog which would not have happened had I been there. I am still trying to learn that "daddy's way" is not always wrong... just different. When pressed Russ promised me the owner said the dog lives with a 15 month old and was very friendly and that is why he was in the park around children. I tend to be much more cautious around strange dogs. I think in that first picture the dog is rearing his head back to take a big bite out of Sams' face. Oh, there I go with my irrational fears again!

Sidewalk chalking

Gerry brought over some sidewalk chalk and for the past two days Sam and Jillian have enjoyed drawing out front. Gerry said the first day they were out there Sam did not want to come in. He really just stays on the driveway and likes to scribble and carry the chalk around. He is at such a fun age :)

Steve the Cat

I am a cat lover which means our house is full of cats. I have rescued cats over the years in our neighborhood and now we are down to 5. At one time we were up to 7! As most of you know we lost Milton this past May. He was a very special animal and we were fortunate he found his way into our lives. He had a rough time in the four short years he was with us but he did have a good home which he took full advantage of! I still miss him daily.

Russ is so tolerant because he is 100% a dog lover. I think the only thing that saves me is Steve. Steve is a dog. He waits at the door for us and is super friendly... always in the way and in the center of the action. Most of the cats hide from Sam especially now that he is up and walking. Not Steve. He follows Sam around and is EXTREMELY tolerant of what I will call "rough petting". We are working on teaching Sam "nice hands" but he doesn't quite grasp it yet:)Here is an example of Sam playing with Steve...

The Beach

We took Sam over to the beach for the first time on Saturday with Grandma and Grandpa. He had a fun day at the beach but not so much fun at the pool. He was very nervous in the pool and never seemed to relax and enjoy it. The ocean was another story. As soon as we put him down he ran straight for the water. He also spent a lot of time just staring out at the water and pointing and chasing the birds. He had a really great day there and we all were in bed early last night! Enjoy the pictures and video and I apologize for the shaky video:)

Elmo Finally Takes a Beating

Gerry brought over an Elmo doll for Sam last week that Jillian had lost interest in. It is actually a "cheering" Elmo that spells out his name and if he falls over he says, "oops" and "thank you" when you pick him up. Sam really loved it! A fun toy idea in theory. Now try to listen to that every day and you will be dreaming about cheering Elmo! After about a week Sam finally did what Russ and I had been secretly hoping to do...

For a good laugh...

I have had a few requests from blog readers (aka family and friends) for me to post the video of Sam laughing at his water table. I guess this could be considered "vintage video". He still thinks it is hysterical to be squirted in the face with water and laughs with such gusto daily.
Enjoy!

Worry Wart

Sam has been sick the past couple of days but today he seemed to feel much better. He had a bit of a cold and his sleeping had been off but today he seems back to normal. I never anticipated the worry that comes along with having a child. I sometime feel as if I am saddled with irrational fears. Here is a conversation last night in bed at 11 o'clock:

Erin: Do you ever worry someone is going to come into our house and take Sam out of his crib?
Russ: (silence)
Erin: You think I am crazy, don't you?
Russ: No, but I do worry about him getting sick.
Erin: Sick? What do you mean sick?
Russ: Never mind.

I made a mental note to add to add that to my list of worries.

I have discussed this with other moms and I know I am not alone. I try not to let it consume me and take away from the joy of mothering Sam:)After I had Sam I called my mom and told her I now understood why she worried about me so much growing up and still to this day. I think she appreciated the call!

Here are some pictures of Sam in an outfit outfit Russ bought for him with his new sneakers...