Naptime

So for anyone who has been around when Samantha goes down for a nap you know that she hates to sleep. She will fight squirming & crying if anyone tries to help put her to sleep. I think she just wants to be a part of everything, or at least watch everything from a sitting position on her daddy's lap; anything but sleep! We've learned to adjust to about 5-10 minutes of crying before bedtimes & any nap in a bassinet or crib; the only exception being her swing where she can watch the mobile. However... yesterday something INCREDIBLE happened!!
Samantha was on her play mat, batting away at the toys, while I was laying on the ground looking up some recipes on the internet. Suddenly there was no more noise coming from the mat & when I looked over, this is what I found:

Sound asleep! WOW!! This is so NOT typical of Sami!! But I'll take it! A nap & no crying, no fighting! Just sleep! She must have been really tired!
*
In other news it's been getting colder around here. I want to say THANK YOU to Fred & Trish for this great idea!!! I believe it's called a Cuddlebug. It fits into her carrier so that she's still buckled in & then swaddles around her. I LOVE it & she stays so toasty in it!

*
As for everything else...
Thursday: Nichole Kent & her 2 kids (Braden, 3 & Avery, 7 months) & Andrea Geerdes & her son (Anderson, 2 1/2 months) joined Sami & I to go check out pumpkins & get some photos. It was actually rather comical because all 3 of us are still nursing & at one point or another we each had to duck away behind a hay bale! The kids weren't completely into getting their photos taken especially because it was windy; but we did get some good shots.

Nichole buried Braden in the corn kernel "sandbox".

*
Saturday: Well on Saturday we had the privilege of celebrating Trish's birthday with her. Thank you for allowing us to be involved & HAPPY BIRTHDAY! We also finished tiling our bathroom- it looks great!! Thanks Lance!
*
Sunday: Then on Sunday we had dinner with some friends, the Kents & Erin Turley. Sadly Tyler Turley wasn't able to join us but at least Littleton knew they were in capable hands with Tyler working that day. (He's a firefighter.) We truly enjoyed hanging out with you guys & thought dinner was great!
*

Monday: Samantha has really been kicking her legs lately so I thought she might enjoy a walker. My mom had one in storage so we pulled it out & Sami has really enjoyed playing around in it. She can only reach a few of the toys but mostly stares at them & laughs.

Lastly our "pretty lady camo"!

2 weeks & counting...

I want to start by saying HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Madison!!! She turned 9 on Thursday! Madison, we hope you had a fantastic day & we cannot wait to see you next month!!!

*
Next I want to say congratulations to my darling husband for "bringing home the meat!" For our anniversary I gave him a rifle & scope; this is his first pronghorn hunting season with it & he bagged one! Congrats! (The date on the photo is wrong- it was taken 06Oct08)

and a close up


Also here's a photo from August but I'm just now downloading it. Jim Fitzgerald was in town for work & we had the opportunity to meet up with him for dinner.

*
One last congratulations to my cousin Kyle & Melodie on the birth of their son Luke; I can't wait for the photos!!!
*
Now I'll explain the title: 2 weeks left of my unpaid time off of work. As for what comes next... we're still discussing all of our options but will let you know once we do. As for everything else, well it's NHL time again. Sami has now seen the Avs play twice & watched Adam Foote play his 1000th game tonight. Also Lance & I have been spending some quality time tiling a bathroom. (I know we said we were done with the improvement projects but invariably we keep grabbing another one from the idea list every so often.)

*
In Samantha news- she is growing like a weed; 12 pounds, 22.5 inches long, 10 weeks old. She is doing so well at pushing herself up while on her tummy & LOVES tummy time. I've been putting a stuffed animal nearby while she's on her tummy & as Lance says, 'she becomes a chatty Cathey'! She will coo & blubber on for quite some time with the animal!

*
We hope everyone is doing well & Enjoying their fall season!

Sami's new chair!

We found this kid's papasan chair & figured Sami could start using it now. I've seen them at Walmart & Sportsman's Paradise. It's too cute!

Samantha Lyn is now 2 months old!!! We went for her 2 month Dr. appt. & she was particularly unhappy; uncharacteristically so. We finally got her calmed down just when the nurse entered with the needles. Lance held down her legs while I tried to comfort her but once the first needle hit her thigh- she let out a wail. I have never seen her that mad yet in her 2 months of life. After the appointment Lance went back to work & I had the pleasure of staying home to comfort a VERY UNHAPPY little girl. After some tylenol & a good long nap she was back to her normal happy self. Here is her 2 month photo.

My mom saved a couple of my baby outfits & gave them to me for Samantha. I'll have to find a photo of me in this outfit as a little one; but for now here is Samantha sporting it.

Silly girl in the mirror.

This is the 3rd weekend in a row that Lance is out hunting elk. He tells me that next weekend is antelope season- I tell him that he owes me for giving him a month of hunting!
So this leaves me here again, not ready for bed & my daughter asleep. Whenever Lance is gone I seem to go overboard cleaning... I shampooed our couch last night, bleached our doorknobs & cleaned all of our doors as well as windows. I'm finding that during Sami's naps I don't have enough time to pull out any of my hobbies but enough to notice the dirt on the screen door!
*
I'll leave you with some photos... yesterday I put Sami in her swing during a nap & stepped into the next room. When I came back & checked on her she was wide awake & staring at the mobile on the swing just laughing & smiling! This went on for several minutes so I had to get my camera! I am absolutely loving this phase of Samantha's life; she is 8 weeks old today & smiling & laughing. She will be completely serious one moment & the next she breaks into the biggest grin & it just melts my heart & makes a smile spread across my face in return.

*
I can't believe it's the last week of September! Life seems to be getting faster & faster with each year! I do hope everyone out there is doing well & Enjoying their Fall Season.
*
Also here is a photo of myself, Samantha & Dr. Hope Cassell at our 6 week appointment. (Dr. Cassell delivered Samantha. Sorry the photo is yellow- all we had was a cell phone camera.)

Just for fun

My husband is out of town, my little girl is asleep & the house is spotless; so I am watching Pride & Prejudice on TV & decided to update here as well. Whew, for once I feel as though I'm on top of life, even if just for a fleeting moment! I really don't have much to write but here are some photos.
Samantha has been smiling a lot lately & think at times she is trying to laugh! I've tried over & over to get a photo of her smiling but when I get the camera she just fixes on that. Here are a few of my best attempts...

Samantha is really starting to enjoy her baths- at least she is smiling more than crying anymore!

Here is the closest photo I've got to her smiling!

Sami is becoming a little ham with all of her faces!

Just for fun.

Maternity leave is over :(

Well, at least the paid portion that is; I am taking an extra 6 weeks of unpaid time... man we're going to miss that paycheck! Even though I know it has been 6 weeks it still seems like yesterday that Lance & I were staying up late watching a movie & my water broke. I didn't know what was going on so we googled the symptoms & called the dr to see if that was really what it could be. We drove to the hospital knowing for sure they would send us back home but ...'better safe than sorry'. When they told us that we were getting admitted we felt like the floor fell from under us- this was really it!?!? Now, 6 weeks later, I can't even imagine leaving her for 8 hours. My hat is off to all of you who did; that is strength.
*
As for everything else, Lance is going hunting for an extended weekend- bowhunting for elk for those of you keeping tabs.
***
I am writing now a couple of days later... Lance got home last night- no elk...yet. Hurricane Ike went went through the south- all of our family is okay, without power but safe. Well, if I want to get this posted then I'd better do it now, so here's hoping all of you are safe & happy.

Samantha in her Baby Bjorn- she falls asleep in it every time!

Sleeping with mommy.

Visiting with Debbie.

The hunt begins.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY CHRIS!! I have been working on this post for a few days- 3 mins here & 3 there but since today I am going to publish it & today is my brother Chris' birthday I had to start it with a 'shout out to my bro'!

HAPPY 26th BIRTHDAY CHRIS!

*

Today is September 1st- opening day of dove season. The first of many days that Sami & I will be home together while Lance heads out the door during the wee AM hours that should never exist! In the past I would barely open my eyes when Lance would say goodbye. However this time Samantha & I were already awake & actually woke Lance up!

Samantha wore her camo in support of daddy's hunt!

*
Yesterday was the CSU vs. CU game. We went to my parent's house & had a birthday BBQ for my brother Chris; he will be 26 on Wednesday- Happy Birthday Chris! After the BBQ Chris & friends went to the football game while my parents watched Sami so that Lance & I could get some down time. We were going to go home & sleep- we left my folk's house- got home & realized that our house keys were no where to be found- we thought we must have left them in the diaper bag. So we head back to my parent's & once in their driveway we find the house keys in the truck's console (keep in mind it is a 30-40 minute drive one way from my folks to our home.) So instead we ended up watching the latest Die Hard movie with my parent's while Samantha slept. I guess sleep is just not in the cards for us any time soon! :(
*
On Saturday we took Samantha on her first road trip!! Cabelas! Before heading out we stopped by Lance's grandmother's house & Samantha got to meet her 2nd cousins Evelyn & Addison. She is 1 month old & growing like a weed. She is much more alert & we are starting to see smiles! I tell you what, nothing fills my soul more than seeing a smile spread across my little girl's face. (Whatever the reason!) Hopefully summer is wrapping up well for all of you; I can't believe it's already September!

Evelyn, Addison & Samantha

Sami was so small next to the elephant! (At Cabelas)

Her first elk sighting. (At Cabelas)

Since she has been so alert we started playing on this mat- she actually enjoys it.

Sami actually really enjoys tummy time.

4 weeks old.

My 2 precious angels.