4 Months ( a little late)

We have been busy over here!

Sam was baptized on the 25th and we had family in town to celebrate. We then packed up what felt like the whole house to spend Thanksgiving in Fitzpatrick. Sam also had his 4 month check up on the 3rd where he literally measured off the chart with his height! We expected the long legs, but we were completely caught off guard when the Dr. told us Sam had bronchitis and an ear infection! I stayed home with him the next day and by the end of day I was feeling funny...went to the Doctor yesterday, "Well Ma'am you have walking pneumonia". WONDERFUL! Only a matter of time before tayphil joins me....

On a brighter note, Sam is laughing (at his Dad constantly), rolling over, sleeping 10+ hours a night, eating cereal and just yesterday he reached out for Lola, petted her and then the biggest smile came over him followed by the cutest giggle I have ever heard! Be still my heart!

A little recap of the last several weeks:

Wedding China and silverware, my Grandmothers silver goblets and pitcher
filled with blue Hydrangeas and Babies Breath and vintage acorn salt shakers.

Sam could barely get one arm in the gown I wore, so we had this sweet one made.
Taylor was a good sport, but drew the line when I tried for the bonnet :)

Sam's first Thanksgiving!

his shoes lasted all of 10 minutes

sick baby :(

This is the one, Mom!

does not get any better than this!

what a difference!

'Round Here...

These past 2 months have been crazy! Sam is growing like a weed and has been sleeping in his crib the last 2 weeks! It has been great, but I will admit to falling asleep watching him on the baby monitor :) He is like a little Houdini, turning in complete circles and waking up on the complete opposite side of the crib. I am at a loss on how he can maneuver in such ways.

Sam 1 week-3 months

We went to St George Island in the middle of October. Sam did not see a whole lot of beach action, but it was a great break!

Roll Tide! 

This was Taylor's outfit when he was a baby :)

And lastly,
  I said goodbye to my sweet family at Marjorie Johnston and Co and have joined the team at Signature Homes. A bitter sweet decision, but excited to see what is in store for the future!

missing Ivey and Sumner in this picture!

Loves of Lately : : Baby Edition

When I first found out I was expecting I thought I will never be prepared or have everything I need to keep Sam healthy and happy.  I am by no means saying I have this whole thing figured out, but I have found some products that make life a little easier for baby and mommy.

1.  FirstYear App: It has been so great. It keeps track of feedings, weight gain and everything in between.

2. Skip Hop Changing Station: A diaper bag all rolled into one! Throw it in your purse and your good to go. 

3. Bobby Changing Pad Liners: These are so great to have on hand. Diaper changing gets messy (especially if you have a bouncing baby boy!) and these liners simply lay on top and can be thrown in the wash much quicker than having to remove the whole changing pad cover every time there is a little mess :) 

4. SwaddleMe: If you struggle with swaddling like I do, these guys are amazing! Sam sleeps great in these and they help calm him down if  he gets in a mood. 

5. Munchkin Microwave Sterilizer: Quick and easy bottle sterilizer that won't break the bank!

6. Mr. Brown's Deluxe Electric Bottle Warmer: this bottle warmer warms bottles and gives you the peace of mind that it is the correct temp!

7. Pee-Pee Teepees: Hilarious name and I am pretty sure my mom got these for me as a joke, but they have prevented several casualties. 

Sam is 1 Month Old!

Well now I know why people say "they grow up way too fast!".

Sam is well over 10 lbs now and has grown over an inch since he was born! I really think it happened over night because all of a sudden he was out of his newborn clothes and into 3 month clothes (what?!?). His little eyes follow us around the room and he loves music! In the mornings we sing along to Van Morrison, The Band, The Black Keys, Avett Brothers...etc. Sam will appreciate good music and not whatever Miley Cyrus chooses to do with a foam finger.

mixed emotions after he finished eating 

what happens when left alone with Dad... 

ROLL TIDE!

focused in on tayphill's shirt

my little angel baby is 1 month!

Sam 2 and 3 weeks

Weeks 2 and 3 have flown by! Sam has passed his birth weight, is about a half inch longer and is much more alert now that we are jaundice free. He makes some of the most hilarious faces and is the LOUDEST eater. He hates a wet diaper and will let you know it! He is eating every 3 hours during the day and has gone as long as 5 hours between feedings at night.  He has a favorite paci and is a sucker for a soft blanket.

one of his many sleeping positions

walking to our neighborhood cvs!

Sleeping in his stroller indoors....sometimes you just do what works.

Loving his activity mat!

sweet tayphill sent me out last night with my sisters and a couple of  friends. I had my first cocktail in 10+ months!
strawberry mojito at Jensei is so great.

 I still can't believe this little man is mine.
 I look at Sam and see Taylor and that makes my heart smile. God is so so good.

1 week and not happy about it! 

a much happier 2 week old 

3 weeks

Our 1st week with Sam

It is hard to believe Sam is over a week old! He has been such a good baby so far and looks more like Taylor every day :)

We had his first Doctor's appointment this past Monday and the Doc recommended we put him on photo therapy lights for his jaundice. After 2 days/nights of him being on the lights, his billirubin levels were down low enough he was able to be free!

Taylor has been absolutely amazing with Sam. In the hospital Taylor was such a natural. He knew how to sooth and comfort Sam immediately. There is something so wonderful seeing a man take such pride in his newborn son.

My Mom was here for Sam's first week and can I just say I could not have done it without her! She cooked, cleaned, did laundry, took care of the dogs and even managed to get some good cuddle time in with Sam. I feel so much closer to my Mom after this past week. My Mom always made being a mother look so effortless and easy. I can now say the motherhood thing is HARD. My Mom is just a pro. I want to go around hugging every Mom I see... especially if they chose to breastfeed- that alone deserves an award.

So Mom, thank you a million times for being so wonderful. I am so blessed to have you as a role model and Sam is so fortunate to have you as his Gran Jan :)

Sam's first week:

our 1st moments with Sam :)

Making faces at each other

Taylor's mini me 

father and son

ready to go home!

puppies checking out Sam

loving the mama-roo

Sam's Nursery Start to Finish

If you have ever been pregnant you know that the last couple weeks consist of cleaning, laundering and making sure you have everything ready for the arrival of baby. I have just about emptied my first bottle of Dreft detergent with all the washing we've been doing. Taylor has been escorting me around town to make sure we have every last detail checked off, and I am finally feeling ready for our little man. I can't wait for ya'll to see his completed nursery. Taylor and I both find ourselves spending time in there or just opening the door to take a peak.

Take a look at Baby Sam's Nursery!  

Start to finish:

First, we had to move Taylor's office.

Here is our clean slate:

Then we added the dresser and crib from ikea. See the blog post on our trip here

We then added the rug which I think makes the room. It adds just enough color without being overpowering. 

We filled the walls with art from an assortment of etsy shops framed in ikea frames, and the paper mache giraffe from Dwell Studio. The apothecary lamp was a great find from Lamps Plus-available in almost any custom color you can imagine!  I also replaced the original knobs with polished nickel rings...sooo much better!

Bedding from Serena and Lily

Love his little bookshelf-it is the perfect size and will still allow for the 

glider to tuck perfectly into the corner.

Looks like I have my very own drapery installer!

Probably my best find was the linen drapery from ikea (2 panels for $25!).  I did have to invest some money into having them lined (blackout is the only way to go for a nursery) and purchasing the solid iron hardware. 

I got mine locally, but you can order it from here.

And here we are today! We have the glider in place from Ballard, the "s." pillow and the pouf from etsy, and the brass floor lamp from Robert Abbey. 

His bookshelves are a work in progress, but for now this is what we've got. And yes, that white box is a speaker. Taylor's most recent tech purchase have been these sonos speakers.  At first I was hesitant, but I have loved having them around the house 

(especially great for football season :)

another look:

some of my best organization can be found in these 3 drawers. I am HOPING I have everything I need at my fingertips while changing Sam...including these hilarious pee pee tee pees.

Now all we have to do is wait on our little man to get here!