The Bennett Baby Blog

Helping around the house

2009-10-17T20:02:00.005-05:00

So Sam quit his job that he had at his poppa's office because he now goes to school two days a week. Since he has more free time, he is starting to help around the house. Here are three pictures. One is Sam learning to cook, one is him doing laundry and the last one is Sam off to school. Now that he is one year old, he's gotta grow up and take some responsibility around the house.

All kidding aside, he actually loves to stir things. He wants nothing else but to watch Amanda cook when she is in the kitchen.

Sam's First Puddle

2009-09-24T14:54:00.001-05:00

After all of this rain, you knew it would happen.

Sam is now off-road!

2009-08-24T20:35:00.005-05:00

Only a year old and already has a set of wheels. Thanks to BeeBee, Grandpa and Aunt Jen on making him mobile!

Sam's First Birthday!

2009-08-11T21:54:00.010-05:00

Can you believe it? One year has already flown by! This time last year I posted this pic and now one year later, we have a boy that is VERY active, but a whole lot of fun and has filled our lives with such joy and happiness to the point to where it is almost unreal. Just look at this sweet boy! He runs, he laughs, he is very curious. He cries, he squeals, he fights naptime. :) No matter how good, or how not so good he acts, I think it is all worth it when I see him. Sometimes when I come home, I'm not able to open the door because he is so excited to see me and won't let me in because he is pushing on the door to come meet me. I am one of the proudest fathers you could ever find! I'm torn sometimes because I want him to stay exactly how he is and never change but then he'll change and I'll think no now I want him to stay like this and never change, and so on and so on. Everyday I'm so thankful for him.

I love you Sam! Happy Birthday!

Today Amanda and I were both off work so we were able to spend the entire day with him. Started out taking him to his Aunt Jen's work while we went to a doctor's visit. Then met Aunt Jen, BeeBee, Grandpa and Memaw for lunch at Cracker Barrel. There he had a birthday cupcake provided by BeeBee and Grandpa. He LOVED the icing! We left there and went back home to try and get a nap in before going to his one year checkup. His regular doctor is on leave so we were referred to a new doctor. The wait was forever it seemed but we finally was able to see Dr. J. (no not the basketball star) He answered all of our questions. He said Sam looked like a good and healthy boy. He weighed 27 lbs (can't remember the ounces) and about 31 inches long and still in the upper percentile for height/weight for his age. The bad news was he had to get several shots. I held down his arms while a nurse held down his legs. She commented on how strong he was because she had a very hard time keeping his legs still. So after the two shots and the prick on the finger, they warned us that he would try and eat the bandaids. Didn't think much of it until we were walking out and he had pulled the one off his finger and was chewing on it. I fished it out of his mouth. When we arrived home, he was chewing on another one so we had to pull the third one off. So now we were back home for another quick nap before meeting NeeNee and Papa for supper at a local deli. Then our last appointment was our meeting at church. We tried to get him tired by letting him run around before the meeting started but all it did was get his momma and me tired from chasing him around. After the meeting, several of our friends at church gave him gifts, all which were very nice.

We ended the night like always, a good bottle of formula and a good night kiss. Sam partied hard and all three of us were tired. Two of us have already gone to bed. I'll join them right after this statement. Good night!

Sam and Jack

2009-08-03T16:05:00.003-05:00

Sam has a new cousin and we are all very excited. Jack was born on 7/20 at 6:49pm. Here are some pictures for your viewing pleasure.

Summer fun

2009-07-28T13:39:00.003-05:00

Sam loves the grass! When he was first introduced to grass, he hated it! He would immediately start crying whenever we would put him down in it. Now he'll run as fast as his little legs will take him while trying to cover every inch of the yard. We try not to let him get in the driveway. He doesn't seem to mind the gravel but he always tries to eat it. I just so happen to get a good shot of him running around one early Saturday morning in the backyard. I just wish he was this happy whenever we would try and put him down to sleep. :)

Promise we'll start blogging again soon!

2009-07-08T14:15:00.001-05:00

Ok, so it has been almost 2 months since the last blog! Sorry about that. Since our last blog, Sam has started to walk. He's getting pretty good at it and only falls down when he gets to going too fast. Also during our blogging silence, he has been to the pool and LOVED it. Amanda described it as that he was going to burst because he was so excited. One thing that Amanda and I have been trying to do is teach him no. He has gotten into the habit of turning off the TV while someone is watching it. The first time I told him no, he ignored me. The second time I did it, I dropped my voice as low as I could and said it again. He looked at me and looked at me, then started crying. But he is a really good baby. He'll need to be on his best behavior come December because he'll have a little brother/sister that will be looking up to him.

I'll make a bigger post about that news in about two weeks. We'll go to the doctor to find if it is a boy or girl. The baby will be due during the first week of December. So we'll start blogging again here soon because we'll have two babies to blog about!

**The picture is of me and Sam on Father's day!

--
Scott

Just another day at the office

2009-05-28T10:06:00.004-05:00

I am very blessed to be able to work two days a week at my Dad's office and bring Sam with me. I thought everyone might enjoy seeing pictures of Sam (and my Dad) hard at work.

9 Months

2009-05-14T12:05:00.001-05:00

I still can't believe he is 9 months old! He just had his doctor's appointment this morning and everything checked out. He currently weighs 24lbs and 10 1/2 oz and he is 28 3/4 inches tall. He had a couple of shots and was tested for iron. So he's looking great! Right now at home, he crawls anywhere and everywhere you don't want him to go. He LOVES the kitchen. When we shut the door to block him from crawling in there, he just sits at the door and pouts. When he does get in the kitchen, he loves to go to the pantry and open the door, the refrigerator, or anywhere we keep the pans/pots/bowls. If he isn't in the kitchen, he goes to the door in our den that leads outside and like to look out to the backyard.

He can now feed himself cereal and small pieces of fruit. He loves to be outside and is very interested in cars as they drive by. About the only other thing I can think of that he now does since our last update is he is working on his third tooth.

Hopefully we'll get his 9 month pics taken soon and I'll put them up when that happens. We're getting into the busy summer months!

--
Scott

2009-05-11T21:25:00.002-05:00

In honor of Sam's 9 month birthday today I thought I would finally post his Easter pictures. Enjoy!

First Posted Video

2009-04-17T21:12:00.004-05:00

Ok, so we have several videos of Sam doing some of the cutest things you could ever imagine. Finally, I was able to get one of them edited and on the computer to where I could post it. Now that I have a system in place, hopefully more videos will start to creep into the blog.

Enjoy! By the way, the creepy laugh is me. For some reason, Sam thinks it is funny.

Baby Einstein

2009-04-14T20:15:00.002-05:00

Yes, we know our child is a genius but I'm not posting about that. :)

For Easter, the Easter Bunny (a.k.a Mommy) bought Sam his first DVD, which is Baby Einstein: Baby da Vinci: From Head to Toe and Sam loves it! It is the only time where he will sit still and focus on something for that long of a time. In some parts, it even makes him laugh out loud! Tonight I just sat and watched him watching the DVD in his exersaucer (not sure how you spell that :D) Anyway here is a picture of our baby watching monkey puppets and little toddlers dancing to music.

This is probably more his style than what he is used to. Usually he watches Law and Order, NCIS or an occasional cooking show.

Sam's Dad

8 Months

2009-04-11T18:53:00.002-05:00

Today we celebrate Sam being 8 months old! It's hard to believe it has been 8 months already. This week, he has learned to pull himself up to a standing position. So now we have to watch him because he'll stand up but then try and move but ends up back on the floor. Also, he has learned how to shut a door. He'll army crawl his way over to the door in our den and will push the door until it shuts. He just looks so amazed when it moves. Funny thing, Amanda was in the laundry room which is off of the kitchen and right next to the den doorway. Sam crawled over to it and shut the door. Good thing that door doesn't lock. :)

So to celebrate, we gave Sam a bath. We figure 8 months was long enough! (As you know I'm only kidding. We do bathe our baby regularly)

Here comes trouble ...

2009-04-04T15:16:00.002-05:00

Yes, Sam did both of things all on his own. His parents really should watch him more closely :)

Moving

2009-03-31T11:37:00.004-05:00

Amanda and I watched the other day Sam get on all fours but just couldn't quite figure out how to get all four limbs working to start crawling. But that still doesn't prevent him from moving around. He is pretty fast on the floor with his version of traveling. (I'll try to get a video soon) He loves to get in the corners now and loves going to the kitchen. He tries to go behind the couch or entertainment center as well. So basically any place we do not want him to go, he goes. :)

Here he is on the floor at church. His buddy Derek gave him a hat to wear for the picture.

Curious.....

2009-03-24T14:02:00.003-05:00

He's not crawling yet but just pulls himself with his arms. He wiggled over to the entrainment center and thought he would see what junk we keep in there. Time to child proof the cabinets now....

Sorry if it isn't a clear picture, took it with my phone.

Family

2009-03-20T13:52:00.003-05:00

I love these pictures of Sam with his two Great-Granddads. These were taken a couple of weeks apart on their birthdays.

Sam and Granddad Hunter

Sam and Pop-Pop

About to crawl

2009-03-11T19:18:00.002-05:00

So I watched Sam roll around in the floor this evening before we're about to eat. He loves to roll around and be free! He will get on his stomach and sort of scoot to get around or worm is way forward moving one little inch at a time. Well tonight he finally made it to his hands and knees several times. Yep. I say in less than two weeks he'll be ripping across the floor.

Little over 6 Months!

2009-03-01T21:22:00.003-06:00

Ok, so he's 6 months and 2 weeks old. But his doctor's visit went well, besides the shots! The Doctor said he is average weight.....of a 10 month old. :) Weighing in at 22 lbs! So to celebrate, we bought a new car seat for him. That's because he had already passed the limit of his first one.

I've added new pictures to the slide show but here are some for you here!

2009-02-13T17:00:00.004-06:00

Happy Valentine's Day!

6 months!

2009-02-12T11:24:00.004-06:00

After politely suggesting to Scott for several weeks that he really should update the blog, I have decided to take matters into my own hands. I know we have many (about 10) dedicated readers and they deserve a new blog!!

Wow 6 months old!!! It really is hard to believe. I am not really a writer so I will add some recent pictures for your reviewing pleasure. Maybe this will encourage Daddy to add a new post soon :)

4 Months/Merry Christmas!

2008-12-24T10:55:00.004-06:00

I'm behind on blogging...lots to put in here so here we go!

Sam saw his doctor again for his 4 month checkup. He now weighs 18lbs but had an ear infection. The infection really didn't seem to bother him because he was still all smiles and a few laughs while he had it. He loved his medicine! I'm sure that will change in time. :) But as of today, his ear infection is gone and he is getting ready for Santa to come tonight. He survived my dad's extended family Christmas that we hosted. He worked the room and seemed to enjoy all of the people at our house. He was tired at the end of the evening but no major meltdowns. He seems to be a very social baby.

We also took Sam to go see Santa. He had a big smile for the picture and had fun at the mall the small amount of time we were there. After that, we went over to Chili's for supper. The waitress noted how good Sam was behaving because he was just sitting in his car seat staring at the walls and lights around him. She even said he is the cutest baby she has ever seen (even cuter than her daughter) :) Also, Amanda took Sam to Opry Mills for some Xmas shopping. A lady also told Amanda how cute he was and even took a picture of him with her camera phone. She said her mom wouldn't believe how cute he was so she just had to take a picture. I think soon we'll have to disguise Sam with a wig and sunglasses so we don't get harassed by strangers. :) (just kidding) Of course, Sam in a wig would be cute.

I've added a bunch of his 4 month pictures to the slideshow but didn't announce it. So I'm also putting a bunch of them here in this post as well.

Finally, to everyone! Merry Christmas! Hope your holiday is spent with friends and family that you love. Amanda and I can't wait to have the first of many Christmases with Sam.

Love, Scott, Amanda and Sam

Public Announcement!

2008-11-24T20:07:00.003-06:00

Sam would like to tell everyone in the Tennessee area that he thinks it'll be a cold winter so be sure to wear a hat and gloves along with your coat!

What a Bad Call!

2008-11-18T21:54:00.003-06:00

So a little over 3 months and Sam has already begun to figure out when the refs make a bad call. This was during the first half of the Titans/Jags game.

It's a good thing the 2nd half of the game was better than the 1st half!

3 Months

2008-11-12T08:56:00.002-06:00

So Sam turned 3 months yesterday. Daddy had the day off so he was able to spend the entire day with the little man. He has a cold so he slept a lot during the day but the times he wasn't sleeping, we all were playing.

On Monday, his Papa weighed himself and then weighed himself again holding Sam. Not as accurate as the doctor's scale but there was close to a 17 lbs difference! That means he has gained almost 4 lbs since last month! His next doctor's appointment is in December so can't wait to see what he weighs in at then.

Many of you have asked to see Halloween pictures. Well all that we have are not very good of him. That's because he really doesn't like his costume so whenever we put him in it and start taking pictures, he wiggles and starts crying. We might try again and if we get a good shot, then I'll post it.

Go Titans!

2008-10-27T14:12:00.002-05:00

Sam wanted me to tell everyone that he is ready to go for tonight's game. He is ready and can't wait to cheer as loud as he can for the Titans. Go Titans!!

Added more pictures

2008-10-20T07:28:00.002-05:00

Just added more pics to the slide show. I know, I know, I haven't updated it like I should. Some of the new pics are of his trip to Summertown, TN to see family and of his "official" 2 month pictures that were taken by his aunt Kate.

Enjoy!

My fat baby loves to eat!!

2008-10-13T11:27:00.003-05:00

We went to the doctor today for Sam's two month checkup. As of today, Sam is 23 inches long and weighs 13 lbs and 5 1/2 oz! Dr. Will says that he is in the 90% percentile as far as weight. :D Not everything was fun at the doctor though. Sam had to get 4 shots and drink some medicine. He liked drinking the medicine and the shots.....not so much. But he's a trooper and should be back to his happy self and will forget about those shots.

***Adding a pic to this to show you how much he as "filled out" :)

On the farm

2008-10-12T19:20:00.003-05:00

Spent Saturday down in Summertown, TN visiting my mom's side of the family. This was the first time my cousins met Sam and for others, they hadn't seen him since he was born. He's gained a little weight since then :)

Anyway, one of my favorite pictures of the day. My grandfather with his great-grandson on the tractor. Before I know it, he'll be able to reach the pedals. :)

World Domination....One step at a time

2008-09-26T15:19:00.004-05:00

Ok, so I don't think Sam is like Stewie Griffin and trying to take over the world, but he is taking over the house. There is something baby related in almost every room now. :)

Take for example the other morning, Amanda and I were up and getting ready to leave and I found Sam like this.

I think he likes my spot on the bed. Guess I'll go sleep on the couch. :)

P.S. Wow he is sure a wild sleeper, just look what he did to the covers. :) Also if you don't know already, you can click on the pictures and it will magnify them.

Double Digits

2008-09-23T08:59:00.002-05:00

Sam has been eating a lot lately and we can tell. While at work, Amanda went over to Dr. Will's office to see if we could weigh Sam since yesterday was his 6 week old mark. He weighted in at 10 lbs and 6 oz. Several family/friends who have visited with us commented on how much he has grown in just the past week. I'll add a pic of him today when I get home. He is starting to get a little chubby. :)

Speaking of visitors, his great-grandparents were in town and was able to come see him. (Grandmom and Granddad Hunter) I hate to say he wasn't on his best behavior. He was a bit cranky because he was hungry. But Grandmom fed him and he calmed down. Hopefully here soon we can introduce him to the rest of the family and more of our friends.

Daddy has to make changes

2008-09-20T16:37:00.005-05:00

Well I knew this would happen and today was the day. I had a great car audio system but now it is more practical to have more room in the trunk so out it came. Here are the before and after shots.

But I'd do anything for this little guy. (notice the shirt, it says I'm in charge around here)

Still a Featherweight

2008-09-11T11:33:00.003-05:00

So we took Sam to go see Dr. Will for his one month checkup. They took his vitals and then started measuring. We could tell he has grown but we didn't know how much. Just two weeks ago, he was 6 lbs and 7 oz. Today, he is 8 lbs and 9 1/2 oz! But he is still small for his age. He is in the 25th percentile range for weight and height. He had one shot today and he did not like it at all but then again who does right? After a few seconds of screaming, he was over it. Dr. Will did say he should start sleeping through the night in the next few weeks.

So he is healthy and as the doctor pointed out, perfect. And of course that is what his papa says all the time. :) Momma and Sam went on to work for a few hours and Daddy had to make the long trip to the office to get his day started.

Still can't believe it has been a month already.....

Love,
Sam's Dad

Say Cheese!

2008-09-08T09:33:00.003-05:00

Friday Sam had his first day at work. That's right, I said work. I run a tight ship and everyone has to earn their keep. :) Well Amanda probably did more work than Sam did. But soon, Amanda will start working at her Dad's office to help out. I'm sure Sam will contribute any way he can.

Saturday Aunt Kate stopped by with her camera. So Sam went through his first "official" photo shoot. He was a natural! She was able to get some great shots of him doing many different faces. :) When I get the chance, I'll try to add some to the slide show. Here is one of my favorites.

Later in the day, BeBe (Scott's Mom), Grandpa (Scott's Dad), and Aunt Jen came over to hang out with us.

Sunday was a milestone as well! It was Sam's first Titans game. He cheered along with Mommy and Daddy during the first half. I'd like to mention that the Titans didn't score until Sam put on his Titans bib. We're hoping he'll be a good luck charm for the team. :) Anyway, Papa (Amanda's dad) came over and watched the rest of the game with us. NeeNee (Amanda's Mom) also came by and got Sam to try out his workout pad. She put him on his stomach and after some grunting and squirming, flipped over to his back!

We will go see the doctor for his 1 month checkup. He is getting bigger everyday and every week I notice something new about him that I didn't notice before. Great stuff.

Love,
Sam's Dad

Belly Button

2008-08-27T14:33:00.002-05:00

So I was holding Sam yesterday and all he had on was a diaper because momma was in the middle of changing his clothes. His chest was up against mine but then after a few minutes, I started to cradle him. Then I felt something funny on my arm. It was his cord. It fell off! It was a very exciting day! That thing was ugly looking.

Just thought I'd share the news.

Sam's Dad

2 weeks

2008-08-25T13:37:00.003-05:00

Well, can you believe it has been two weeks since Sam was born? These weeks have flown by! Anyway, just to give you an update on how everyone is doing. Sam had his 2 week appointment today. He weighed in at 6 lbs and 7 oz. and is 20 7/8 inches long. So he has grown almost 2 inches and gained 5 oz since coming home. He was very alert today all during the doctor's visit. He wasn't fussy at all and was a very good boy.

Amanda had a check up as well. She is doing great and she'll need to go back for one more visit.

Everyday is a learning experience with Sam. Amanda and I are tired but we are doing great!

Also, yesterday was a first. It was the first time Sam went to church! We were quite popular after service because everyone wanted to come and see the little guy. He sat in his car seat the entire time and slept through church. Afterwards, he went over to his NeeNee and Papa's house for lunch. After lunch, he slept. :) I think that was the most traveling he has done in one day so far. Next week, all of Amanda's family gets to meet Sam for the first time. He looks really excited.

Can't wait to see what this week will bring.

Love,
Sam's dad

Added Slideshow

2008-08-18T21:17:00.002-05:00

Finally got the slideshow to work! It is off to the right. I have pictures of Sam and a lot of people who came to visit Sam. Enjoy!

It's been a week!

2008-08-18T20:04:00.003-05:00

Alright. One week "under the belt" I guess you could say. Here is a run down of what has been going on at the Bennett house. As you know, we came home Thursday. Grandparents have been over everyday because they can't get enough of the little man. We've had several visitors but had to put an end to that for awhile so Amanda can rest. She had to go back to the hospital on Saturday because of high blood pressure, horrible headaches and she hadn't been able to eat anything in 36 hours. So after 6 hours at the hospital, they were able to get her blood pressure down and gave her medicine for the rest. She is now eating and feeling better. Her blood pressure is now a lot lower than what it was on Saturday.

Sam had his first doctor's appointment today. He measured in at 20 inches and 6 lbs and 4 1/2 oz. So he is growing!

We've been so grateful for friends and family coming to stay with us (even overnight, thanks NeeNee!), cooking some very tasty meals, and just helping with chores around the house. Tomorrow is my last day off and I'll be going back to the real world on Wednesday. I'm thankful for the time I've been able to spend with him so far. I'm tired, but it is all worth it. :)

Here are some new pics of the little guy. Enjoy!

Love Scott, Amanda and Sam

Good to be home

2008-08-15T11:43:00.003-05:00

Well we made it home yesterday and we're getting accustomed to living with the three of us in the house. NeeNee, Doc, BeBe and Grandpa all came over to see how Sam (and the parents) were doing. I took a walk with my boy outside to meet our neighbors. The night was something to remember. :) We were up at 11, 2 am, 5am and then 7 am.

Currently, as I write this, he is sitting in his bouncy seat just sleeping away. Here are some pictures of him in his car seat and one that I just took a few minutes ago.

Coming home!

2008-08-13T21:55:00.004-05:00

I'm really tired so I'll make this short. We are coming home tomorrow (Aug. 14) We can't wait to be home with our boy! We've had a lot of visitors and lots and lots of pictures. Here are some pictures I've uploaded to my Facebook page. Enjoy!

http://www.new.facebook.com/album.php?aid=54010&l=f4d47&id=599996994

I promise I'll write more about our experience here later in the week and I'll actually post more pictures here.

Love,

Sam's Dad :)

Introducing.....

2008-08-11T14:41:00.001-05:00

Introducing Samuel James

He was born via C-section at 11:25 and is 6 lbs and 5 ½ oz and 19 inches long. All the nurses have called him handsome and he is looking great. Amanda is currently in recovery and will be out in a room soon but she is doing great.

Still no baby

2008-08-11T10:30:00.001-05:00

Well the doctor has determined that Amanda will need to have a C section. They said Sam is trying to go down the birth canal but it looks like he can't fit. So as of now, we've have scheduled a C section @ 11:00 am. I will be away from the laptop for a few hours while I'm with Amanda and once Sam is born, I'll follow him around. I'll post again as soon as I can. (and probably with pictures!)

Update 5:50 a.m.

2008-08-11T05:48:00.002-05:00

NeeNee arrived at 5. All is going well. Amanda had the epidural & Aunt Kate has
arrived. Now it's just "waiting on Sam!" He's already calling the shots!
[Actually NeeNee is writing this...Scott is now awake, but he got a decent
amount of sleep...He'll be the alert one!]

Baby Alert!!

2008-08-10T23:30:00.002-05:00

Ok, well Amanda started to have contractions today so we called the doctor and she said to come on in. So after an hour in Triage, we are now in a room. Currently (11:30) Amanda is dilated to 2 and 1/2 and her contractions are averaging 4 minutes apart. So Amanda is watching TV and I've settled in on a my "bed." So starts the waiting game.....

Updates will come as they happen (as long as I'm awake!)

:)

Soon to be a proud papa!

Maybe Next Week?

2008-08-05T14:01:00.002-05:00

No change from last doctor's visit. Everything still looks good. He still may need to come early but that decision will be made next week. Speaking of next week, we'll have more ultrasound pics and will probably have a lot more info to post about.

Amanda is still feeling good and not having any major problems. This past Sunday, she was bowling, playing skiball, playing tennis, and even boxing. :) Of course it was all on the Nintendo Wii but she still had to do a lot of moving.

I'm sure this week will fly by and next week will be here before we know it!

Hope everyone is well,
Sam's dad :)

One more down, two more to go!

2008-07-29T12:23:00.002-05:00

Had another doctor visit today. Everything still looks great. There is a chance that he may come early but the final decision will be made on the 12th.

In other news, Amanda's last day is Thursday with her current job. She'll have some time to rest and maybe get a few projects done before Sam comes. As for me, my goal was to finish school before our first baby and it looks like I finished with a few weeks to spare!

A lot of changes in the Bennett household this week! Stay tuned for more!

Sam's dad

He's Already Above Average!

2008-07-22T11:19:00.002-05:00

Just got back from seeing the doctor. Amanda had another ultrasound and the tech measured his head, arms, legs and body. They say he is around 6 lbs and 13 oz! It didn't sound that big to me until the ultrasound tech said babies on average gain 1/2 lbs every week! We still have 4 weeks to go so he has the potential of being a big baby! He is currently in the 78th percentile so as far as weight goes, he is above average for his age. We do have pictures but they are not as detailed as before. I'll add one or two to this post once I get them scanned in. Anyway, we've talked about options and getting a plan together in case he gets too big before the 19th.

In other news, we are almost done with the nursery. All that is left is small decorating details that Amanda is in charge of. Once she is done, I will also post pictures.

We have appointments every Tuesday until Sam arrives. I'll keep posting every week now until the exciting arrival of our little man. So stay tuned!

Hope everyone who reads this is doing well.

Love,
Sam's Dad :)

NeeNee writes….

2008-07-03T18:30:00.004-05:00

Grandma Jeanie wants to help out with the latest update….Might as well get used to helping out as a grandmother! I don’t see how Scott could possibly find time to write.
He is busy finishing classes to get his degree, so we hope to be celebrating that this summer! He’s gotten a great promotion at work, but he’s continuing to do his current job as he starts training and doing his new job. I’m sure that’s a little stressful, particularly since he now takes call 24-7!

Amanda is feeling pretty well, but starting to deal with some ankle-swelling and just the awkwardness of a “tummy full of baby”! The doctor has suggested that Sam is a pretty good sized little guy. Amanda’s job in international adoption continues to be stressful, but she’s also had a summer full of social activities. Two friends have married and she was a bridesmaid in one wedding. That event also had the stress factor of her dress arriving just 4 days before the wedding! But that had a happy ending…not only for the bride and groom, but also for the bridesmaids. (See photo)

Amanda & Scott also have their house on the market and had to get it ready to show…and now keep it that way! It’s been 4 months, so everyone is wondering where mom, dad, and baby will be sleeping. In the meantime, all the wonderful baby gifts are being stored in Amanda’s old bedroom in our house.

All four grandparents are first-timers! We are all experiencing the anxious anticipation. We’ve all been told many times--by those who know--how absolutely wonderful it is to be a grandparent. So Lonnie, Beverly, David and I all say….”Bring it on!”

In the meantime, we’ll be gathering on July 4th to celebrate Amanda’s birthday. We’ll be watching fireworks and remembering the birth of little “Mandy”. But just as it says on the plates and napkins I bought for the party…..”30---the party continues!”

Way too much!

2008-06-09T16:13:00.002-05:00

Since my last entry, we've seen the doctor again. We were able to hear the heartbeat again and it's just thumpin' away! Our doctor still says everything is looks great with Sam and Amanda! She is starting to get tired again but she is still growing a baby so I expect her to be that way. :)

So far we've had baby showers from my side of our family, Amanda's office, and even a mini shower when we visited friends that live in Bowling Green one evening. I know of at least two more that we will have for Sam. I just have to say we know some of the most generous people out there! It's all been great and hopefully we'll get to use all of what we have so far. If Sam turns out the be a big boy when he arrives, we might not have the chance to use some of the newborn clothes :(

Here soon I hope to have pictures of some of the showers and Amanda is scheduled to have at least one more ultrasound. I'll be sure to post that one.

Hope all who read this are well,

Sam's dad

Knock, knock.....

2008-04-30T15:31:00.003-05:00

Amanda just had her 24 week check up and everything still looks great! Sam's heartbeat is still strong and he is kicking! The doctor checked Amanda out and she is also doing well. Time is flying by and he'll be out before we know it.

Last night, Amanda was feeling Sam move around and kick/punch/elbow. She kept trying to get me to feel it but whenever I would put my hand on her stomach, he'd stop. Finally, after a few minutes I was able to feel him. It is amazing to feel him "knocking" around in there. Things like that is what makes me want to see him even more.

I feel bad for not having any pictures so here are some someone sent me the other day. They come from a book that was found on Amazon.com

They are some nice tips to have for first time parents. :) Enjoy.

Sam's dad

Introducing.......

2008-04-04T20:01:00.008-05:00

I Samuel 1: 20

"20 So in the course of time Hannah conceived and gave birth to a son. She named him Samuel, saying, "Because I asked the LORD for him.'"

It is with great joy and happiness that I announce this. Today we were told the news that our baby is a boy! It was amazing to see him still in the womb wiggling around, tossing and turning, kicking and I think even doing a little dancing. He gets that from me ya' know. As we watched the ultrasound, we could see details of fingers and toes, arms and legs, and of course as the ultrasound tech put it, the "boy parts." Anyway, he is currently about 11 inches long and 1lbs and 2 oz. The doctor says he is a little big for his age so if he continues to be that way, they might need to take the baby earlier than Aug 19 but he is healthy and looked to be an active baby!

Amanda and I plan to name him Samuel James and will call him Sam. Samuel because of these three reasons. He is an answer to our prayers. Amanda has always liked the name and, Sam was an uncle of mine that I was close to growing up that I admired so I like the name too. The reason we chose James is because both of our grandfathers, who have passed on, were named James.

Amanda's mom and sister were in the room at the doctor's visit. Afterwards, we met my parents and my sister for lunch. Then we spent the rest of the day e-mailing, calling and visiting others to tell them the news! Today has been a great day!

Below are pictures of the little man. We hope you enjoy them.

Love,
Sam's dad :)

Countin' the Votes!

2008-04-03T21:02:00.000-05:00

Alright. As long as the baby cooperates we should find out if we're having a boy or girl less than 12 hours from now! I haven't officially counted all of the votes but from the posts on here and from all of the conversations from friends and family, it looks like more people think it'll be a boy rather than a girl.

Also Amanda keeps having the same dream that it's a boy. I'll update the blog as soon as we get home along and I'll post the latest pics!

16 weeks

2008-03-06T10:32:00.000-06:00

Well Amanda just left her doctor's appointment. Sorry, no pictures this time. The nurse took her vitals and then listened for the baby's heartbeat (which was very strong). Then the doctor came in, asked a few questions and that was it. So both momma and baby are still doing great!

The next time we blog about a doctor's appointment, we'll find out if it is a boy or girl! So make your bets! Voice your predictions! You have a 50% chance of getting it right!

Also, I've edited the blog so anyone can put a comment but it will be moderated. Since that is the case, it won't show up until Amanda and I have approved it. :) So please feel free to post a comment!

Crib and Dresser

2008-03-02T15:10:00.000-06:00

Our first big purchase for the baby happened this weekend. Amanda found a crib and dresser on Craigslist.org. It was a great deal. Now we just need to find a place to store it until the baby's room is ready. :)

Here are some pics of what we got. *Note, this isn't the actual crib and dresser but just some pics I found online of the same make/model

12 Weeks!

2008-02-08T19:07:00.001-06:00

So, what has 2 arms, 2 legs and likes to jump up and down?

OUR BABY!

Amanda went for her 12 week update and they did an ultrasound. As you can see, our baby no longer looks like a little oval shaped blurb in the picture. You can see the head and legs. Amanda said the baby was jumping around and pretty active. Amanda's mom was with her since I was in Atlanta for training. Hopefully this will be the only appointment I miss. So coming up next will be a 16 week checkup and then during week 20, we'll find out if our baby is a boy or girl!

8 Weeks!

2008-01-10T13:05:00.000-06:00

Well, with another doctor's visit under our belt, everything looks great! Had another ultrasound and the baby we saw the baby wiggle and the tech pointed out the arm and leg nubs! We have nubs! It's not a very clear picture so I won't post it. But the baby looks to be about twice the size of the first pic. Our next ultrasound will be around weeks 18 - 20 and we'll see if the baby is a boy or girl.

Exciting stuff!

First Sighting......

2008-01-08T20:26:00.000-06:00

Here is a look at our baby almost 7 weeks old!

Telling Amanda's Parents

2008-01-08T20:12:00.000-06:00

It's Christmas Eve and Amanda's parents and siblings are all over at the house celebrating her mom's birthday. Amanda made a tasty pot of vegetable soup and some yummy desserts. After we had eaten, it was time for presents. We laughed over the funny cards and watched the opening of all of her gifts. The last one was from us and we told her parents that it would be something they both would enjoy. Once her mom opened the box, both bibs were in sight. The picture is right after the present was opened.

Telling Scott's Parents

2007-12-28T19:11:00.000-06:00

A few weeks have gone by and we still hadn't told our parents yet. Not because we didn't want to but we had a plan to surprise them with the news. On December 22, we were at my parents house to celebrate my sister's birthday and to have our Christmas time together. Amanda had found bibs that said "I love Grandma" and "I love Grandpa" so we wrapped the bibs in little boxes to be given to my Mom and Dad. We told them it was a together gift so they needed to open the boxes at the same time. I think the picture says it all....

The Test Results

2007-12-28T18:32:00.000-06:00

Sitting at my computer one morning checking e-mail I heard come from the bathroom, "Honey, can you come in here?" I didn't think much of it because I usually get this call when she finds a cricket in the bathroom but as I replayed her request in my head, I noticed something different about the request and how she said it. When I got to the bathroom, Amanda was staring at a white plastic strip laid out on the toilet tank. She wanted me to look at the pregnancy test to get a second opinion and to prove that she isn't reading it wrong. I looked at the strip, then looked at the box and then looked at her. Yep, we're having a baby!