Happy Birthday Sam! (belated)

One day old

6 months old

1 year old!









Okay, so this is very late because Sam actually turned 1 on September 14th. But we didn't celebrate until September 25th, because on the 14th we were on the road moving here. And I wanted to wait until Mike came home to celebrate, and then it was just so busy we didn't end up celebrating Sam's birthday until a week after Mike came home. Good thing Sam is too young to know the difference! Anyway, how in the world are you already 1 year old, Sam?! This past year had been strange because in a way it went by very slowly, waiting for Mike to come home. But it also somehow went by very fast, and even though I felt like our lives were sort of on hold, my kids just kept right on growing and all of a sudden, Sam is a year old!
I really cannot express how much I love this little guy! He has brought so much joy into our lives and I just look forward to seeing him every day. He loves his sister so much, and she loves him too! I'm so happy to have the opportunity to see them grow up together and to see their bond becoming stronger. What a wonderful gift!


Here are some of the things Sam is doing lately:


He loves to growl like a bear. Anytime he sees a picture of a bear or a stuffed one he growls. In fact, he is going to be a bear for Halloween because of this. He also has a "kitty" sound that he makes when he sees a kitty. It is more high pitched. But for bears (and most other animals, actually) it's a growl.


He loves to play with balls, and can throw pretty good, especially considering he's always in a sitting position when he throws a ball.


He loves toy cars and trucks and anything else he can push along the floor, including big heavy chairs.


He thinks its funny if I puff out my cheek (the one closest to his head) and let him hit my cheek with his head so all the air blows out and makes a funny noise.


He thinks its funny to fall on purpose when we try to get him to stand and walk. He's so close to walking, but whenever we get him to stand up, he'll fall down to his bum (basically sit down) before he's actually lost his balance. Then sometimes, for good measure, he'll even roll backward so he ends up flat on his back. Then he smiles.


Speaking of smiling, he loves to. And he loves to try to get his sister into a giggling match. She's always a willing participant.


He likes exploring all the time. He's always crawling ALL OVER the house, and finding new things to play with. When he goes into a room, he likes to close the door behind him, until he realizes he can't open it again.


I could go on and on about all the things Sam and Avary do every day that bring so much entertainment... and stress, but always joy into every day of my life! I am so thankful to have this chance to be a mother!