Thanksgiving 2009

April, Alan, and Sam
Sunset on the Beach (Hilton Head Island, SC)

















Sam fought hard not to fall asleep, but he finally lost the fight in Grandma's lap. He didn't want to miss a second!

Shoulder-Sized Messes

Sam (and his mom and dad) are thankful that Aunt Amy introduced us to her Baby Bjorn and let us borrow hers (until she needs it for her little one that is on the way!). Sam absolutely loves to be carried in it facing outward so he can enjoy a great view as we walk. The picture above is the one time that he actually fell asleep while I walked with him in the Baby Bjorn---I didn't think it was possible for him to fall asleep in the upright position! This is definitely his preferred mode of transportation over the stroller. The only problem we have is when he needs to poop--and we happen to be carrying him in the Baby Bjorn--there is only one way for the poop to go...and that is UP! It sometimes goes up to his shoulders! Here is a picture of me cleaning him after one of those shoulder-sized messes. Did any of you ever have this problem?

Happy Birthday, Papa!

Dear Papa,
Yesterday was your birthday and I wanted to tell you why I feel so lucky that you are my Papa.

Thank you for being my Papa. Thank you for gently and carefully changing my diapers. You always take your time with me. Thank you for rocking me to sleep at night. Thank you for reading books to me like I really understand them. I'm only 4 1/2 months old and I've already learned about the American Indians and George Washington because of you! I love to watch you eat---it's like magic. Where does the food go when you put it in your mouth? I love it when you talk. Your voice always catches my attention even if there are other people talking in the room and even if I'm eating at mom's cafe. I almost always look to find you when I hear you walk into the room. I also appreciate that you take care of my hair and nails and make sure I'm always well-groomed. Thank you for making my room such a comfortable and cozy place to be. Thank you for taking me to football games, shopping trips, the beach, and for walks. I love it when you put me in that Baby Bjorn and I can go everywere you go and see everything you see. I can tell that you love me and that makes me happy.

I'm so glad you were born so that you could be my Papa. I love you!

Sam

October was a month that was filled with visitors. We enjoyed visits from Amy, Peter, Cooper, Christina, Aunt Kay and her two sons Kyle and Ben, Grandma "Great" and Grandpa "Great" Bakken, Aunt Bev, and Aunt Judy. It has been a busy month and we were so excited for Sam to meet so many of his close family members.

I'm sorry I waited to long to blog about our visitors---so this may be a long blog to make up for it!


Aunt Kay, Kyle and Ben came for a long weekend. It's always fun to reconnect with them. Kyle and Ben are growing so fast---I still can't believe that Kyle is in high school and driving!! Pretty soon, Ben will be also. I work with high schoolers everyday and for some reason, I always remember Kyle and Ben much younger than they are. It just dawned on me during this last visit that they are just like the kids I work with at school each day. Time has really flown by since my stay in Minnesota! Kay and her boys will always be dear to my heart. Thank you for coming all the way from Minnesota to meet little Sam.
Here are some pictures of Kyle and Ben with their new cousin Sam.



























The week after Kay, Kyle, and Ben left, Sam's Great Grandparents and two Aunts on my mom's side flew down from Madison, WI to visit. We were especially excited that Grandma and Grandpa Great could make the trip. I know it was a long and uncomfortable trip filled with flight delays and bad weather---but I hope they all agree it was well worth it. Aunt Bev and Aunt Judy even got their fair share of REALY DIRTY diapers to change. Thanks for those! On a better note, they also got lots of slobbery kisses from their "smoocher" of a grandson. Grandpa Great kept saying, "Yep, he's a smoocher, all right!"

While they were here, we had Sam's Baptism. It was a beautiful morning. Sam was a beautiful baby in is baptismal gown. My parents were concerned that we put Sam in a "dress", but I am glad we did because he was absolutely beautiful in it. He looked like such an angel. Sam didn't cry at all during his Baptism.

We are so blessed to have Sam and be able to teach him about Christ and how to follow Christ in his life. Amy and Peter are Sam's godparents and we are so grateful for them. Does that make Cooper and Sam cousins and "gawd broders" (as our little godson Jack calls it)? We wish they were closer, but thanks to skype, blogging, and telephones we can remain close. I'm thankful for that! I know that we have our entire family to support us as we raise Sam and that means the world to us.

Aunt Amy, Uncle Peter, Cousin Cooper and Christina also paid us a visit all the way from Germany! We miss the days that they could stay with us during their stay. Maybe next time we'll be in a house that will have a guest room! Cooper is growing so fast. We enjoy his kisses and watching him play. It amazes me how he can find enjoyment in the simple things. He still loves to play in the shower at our house. At least he hasn't figured out how to turn the water on, yet--maybe next time!

Christiana and Thomas also came from Germany to visit Georgia last month. She was out exchange student many years ago. I think Christiana enjoyed little Sam so much that she may even want one of her own someday :)

We tried to celebrate Halloween this year by getting Sam dressed up in a cute little costume for his first Halloween. I thought Sam the Sweet Pea had a nice ring to it...so here he is as a pea pod.

So, his first Halloween consisted of one trick-or-treater at the door (we live in a small neighborhood). We didn't even have candy! A quick run to the Dollar General fixed the candy problem. After we gave our candy out (didn't take too long), we decided to try Sam's costume out. He really didn't like his costume, so we were able to keep him in it just long enought to snap a couple of pictures to remember the moment and then quickly take it off of him. He was just happy to be free of his pea pod.



Thank you to all the family and friends who came to visit us this month. We love to see you every chance we get! November holds a trip to Hilton Head to see Aunt Gail, Uncle Tom, Shari Kay and Mark, and Ryan and Tressa. We can't wait!

Amazing Race

September 27, 2009

Alan had an amazing race today! He completed his triathlon well under his goal of 5 1/2 hours. He swam 1.2 miles, biked 56 miles, and ran 13.1 miles in 5 hours and 10 minutes! We are so proud of him :) It always amazes me how he can get out there and run the way he does.

I've been waiting to post this until I got a good picture from the race...but this is all I have. Grandpa Loss has some great pictures from the finish line. Maybe he can email them to me and I'll upload those to the blog (hint hint hint, Dad):)But, for now here is the backside of Sam's Ironman Daddy running in the race. Great job, Alan!

Sam Smiles

September 21, 2009

Sam is really starting to grow! We just got back from our 2 month appointment this morning and I was happy to learn that he is gaining weight (now 10 pounds and 10 ounces) and growing taller (23.5 inches)! Alan and I were excited to hear that he is in the 75th percentile for height...maybe he'll be tall! I knew he was getting some cheeks and growing out of his newborn onsies, but it's a relief to hear from the doctor that he is doing well.

We enjoy listening to his baby talk and making him smile. Today I was playing with him when Alan called and I put the phone up to Sam so Alan could talk to him--wouldn't you know it, Sam starts talking back to Alan! It was perfect! Anyway, I'd love to bottle up those sweet sounds so I won't ever forget them. Sam's baby cooing is the most beautiful sound to my ears. He smiles when we talk to him or play with some of his favorite little toys. He is alert and loves to look around at his surroundings--especially if we take him outside. He is just a joy!


I've now returned to work and we are all adjusting pretty well. It took a while before I could get my mind set on work. During that first week back, I felt like a fish out of water. It has been great to see all my friends at work, but I definitely miss Sam and my naptime! The best part about it, though, is that mom is taking care of Sam while I'm at work. It's so comforting to know that Sam is with someone who loves him! Mom admits that taking care of a baby is more work than she remembered-- but I know she enjoys it when she calls over the weekend to say that she "needs to see Sam" and tells Dad that she wishes I worked 7 days a week!

Alan is looking forward to the Augusta Half Ironman Triathlon this weekend. He's been training for about 2 months, which isn't much considering the intensity and length of the race. It has certainly been a busy summer and difficult for him to fit in the workouts. Sam and I will be cheering him on as he crosses the finish line and I'm sure all his hard work will pay off on race day!

Sam at One Month

I can hardly believe that an entire month has passed. Sam is getting bigger and definititely keeping us on our toes. It seems that just as I think I'm noticing a sleep pattern or an eating pattern--he changes it up on me! One night we'll have a wonderful night of 4-5 hours of sleep in a row and then the very next night he may get up every 2-3 hours. I just never know from night to night. It amazes me how a few extra hours of sleep can make such a huge difference for me (and for Sam). Sleep deprivation has been one of the most difficult parts of motherhood for me. I love to sleep and I'm learning to live with far less sleep than I'm accustomed!

Lately, I see more of Alan's features in Sam. I tend to think "Little Al" would have been an appropriate name for this little guy afterall...but no---we are not changing his name :) Now, his hair is beginning to fall out and he actually has the same hairline as Alan does right now. Like father, like son :)

I would like to say that each day is getting easier and easier for me as I get used to taking care of Sam, but honestly each day is often very different from the one before (probably depending on the amount of sleep we got the night before). Some days I feel like I'm getting the hang of it and other days I don't. On one hand, I feel "cabin fever" and I need to get out of the house more often, but on the other hand, I am not comfortable going places with Sam, yet. I'm always worried he's going to cry and I won't be able to quiet him down or that he will get hungry and I'm not going to find a good place to nurse him. I make at least one trip out of the house each day and this has helped me feel more confident about these silly worries I have. Actually, I've found that Sam kind of likes going in the car and being in new places---so, it's good for both of us to get out of the house each day! What used to be a simple trip to the grocery store is now often my big outing for the day. I hope I get better at this!

Here are a few of the latest pictures I have of Sam. Notice that his eyes are open!

This first one features Sam's favorite pacifier. It's half the size of his face! But it's the only one he is interested in taking. Alan says he looks like Maggie from the Simpsons when he sucks this big green paci :)


You can see that cute little bird face in this picture. He likes to pucker up those beautiful lips!

Meet Baby Samuel

http://www.mywilliamsphoto.com/blog

On July 13th, 2009, Samuel Grady Rogers was born. We had a scheduled c-section because Samuel was in a breech position. Everything went well and we were thrilled to meet our healthy baby boy! He was 7 lbs. 1 oz. and 21 inches long. He came into this world crying and peeing...I guess he already knows that his new world isn't perfect!

We spent two nights in the hospital and were excited to be able to come home a day early. Since we've been home, Alan and I have enjoyed loving on Sam as we learn how to care for him. Each day is different.

During the first week, Sam slept most of the day and night. I'd have to wake him up to feed him, and then he would often fall right back asleep as I was nursing him! Looking back at all the pictures we took of Sam during this first week, I realize that we don't have a single picture of him awake! I spent most of my days and nights nursing him and praying that he was getting enough nourishment from me. He wasn't producing the number of dirty diapers that I had expected...so I worried that he wasn't getting enough. I found myself rejoycing each time I found wet or dirty diapers...and thankfully it now happens on a regular basis :) I never expected to adore this little child so much that I even loved his poopy diapers.

After two weeks, Sam continues to grow and become more and more alert everyday. He amazes us at how strong he is! Last night, when I awoke to nurse him, I found him laying on the opposite end of the cradle -- horizontal! How in the world did he manage to get there? He can't crawl...but he is quite the wiggle worm. He now looks us in the eyes and looks all around when he is awake. It's like he's just taking it all in. Alan says that we are adjusting to him just as much as he is adjusting to us. We are all just trying to figure it all out.

There are so many things that I love about him. My favorite look he makes is what I call his bird mouth. When he gets hungry, his eyes get wide open and he opens his mouth like a bird just waiting for me to deliver his milk. It's so adorable! I also love it when falls asleep while we are holding him. He likes to snuggle up close and he also loves to be rocked. His favorite soothing CD is Nora Jones "Come Away with Me" (one of my all time favorites, too!).

The other night, I went to the grocery store and left Alan with a screaming Sam (evenings are his most fussy time). I felt terrible leaving Alan with the crying baby--but when I arrived home I found Alan and baby Sam peacefully snuggled up with one another. It was the most adorable site.

Alan has been a wonderful Daddy. I love to watch Alan interact with Sam. He is so patient and loving with Sam. When Sam cries, Alan is the one who reminds me to take a deep breath and relax because all babies cry. He has also been so helpful around the house as I've been recovering from my c-section. He never complained about having to do the laundry or the dishes for me when I couldn't do it myself and he I never even had to ask him to do the chores for me! I have to admit, I think Alan really would be a great "Mr. Mom". I'm so lucky to have such wonderful men in my life (now there are 2 -- or I should say 3 to include Buddy)! Alan took time off work when we got home from the hospital and we really enjoyed staying home together with Sam.