Samson : 11 months

Age : 11 months ... I have to back track a bit, because we've had a pretty busy month!

Height : 31" (ish)

Weight : 22 lbs (ish) ... He feels likes a bag of bricks!

Clothes : 12-18 months

Diapers : Charlie Banana Cloth (Size M), Honest Diapers Size 3, although the next bundle will have size 4 diapers because we're having trouble with night time diapers holding enough.

Eating : So much! He still loves bottles, but we are down to 6 oz/3x a day. Loves all food.

Sleeping : Samson had a bit of sleep regression with his first cold (and his first tooth, but that's for next month's post) so he sleeps 7:30-6:00 right now, but wakes up a a few times a night. It's rough for every one involved. Thankfully, he goes back to sleep easily and naps really well during the day. (And FYI, as of right now, more than halfway to 12 months he's getting back to the awesome sleep that we we're used to).

Pacifiers/Soothies : Loves his MAM pacifiers and we always panic when they all seem to get lost at the same time. He sleeps with his mint blankie at nap time and night time. Thankfully travels pretty well at night now as long as we pack his beloved blankie.

Milestones : Walking around furniture, chatting up a storm even if nobody, including Samson, knows what he is saying (distinguishable words: papa, mama, baba, papa), clapping.

Likes : Playing with other kids, sharing, tickles, playing with Cash, long walks in the stroller, books, all sorts of noisy toys, drinking from straws and cups.

Dislikes : Diaper changes, I'm telling you... it's the end of the world!

Holiday Spirit

The count down to Christmas is on! We've already watched a few of our favorite holiday movies and made a few of our favorite holiday treats, but what we're really excited for this year is Samson! Last year we were anxiously awaiting his arrival and couldn't even imagine what having a little boy crawling around the Christmas tree this year would look like. Samson decided to up the ante a bit for us by reaching a few exciting milestones during this very special season. 

Last Friday, after sustaining an accidental boo-boo courtesy of his furry brother Cash, Samson decided to turn everyone's frown upside down by taking his first steps! I was on the phone with my mom when I set him down, he stood right up and walked straight to me, arms up and ready for a hug!  I'm pretty sure I melted in to a big, proud, emotional momma puddle. 

Walking solo wasn't the only exciting thing Samson had in mind though. This morning, I went to pick him up from his crib after his nap when I noticed his big gummy smile had a little something extra to it... his first tooth! 

We had a few fun props that were left over from a Christmas party we had for the student workers in Aaron's office last week. I thought they would be perfect for our little elf and his trusty side kick. Taking pictures of Samson and Cash is hard enough... add  sparkly hat (or antlers) and it's a whole new struggle. However, the out takes themselves are funny enough, hope you get a kick out of them :)

                                                   

Christmas Wish List

So we have really lucked out in regards to not be bogged down with too many toys or baby things. Part of that might be that Samson is still young, part of that might be that he has a lot of cousins so my mom and dad don't feel obligated to buy him all the things, and part of it might be that I've been trying to adapt the phrase "quality not quantity." Just don't look in the guest room closets... or the attic. Seriously, don't.

It's Samson's first Christmas and he is at such a great age to enjoy it. Opening presents, playing with new toys, and pulling all the ornaments off the tree is all going to be epic fun for our little stinker. We hope Samson grows up to know plenty fun family traditions that really impress on him the magic of Christmas. And since we really, really want to impress on him the absolute JOY that Christmas is really about celebrating the birth of our Savior, we hope that we can keep Santa Claus in check. Something he wants, something he needs, something to wear, something to read. Plus, a few fun extras :)

Lollaland Lollacup - One of the cutest sippy cups I've seen. Samson loves straws now and I think the weighted straw would help since he is always tipping his cup. I love the built in lid for tossing it in the diaper bag.

Footed Pajamas - Samson is about to grow out of his 12 month jammies, we're in need of a 18 month stock up around here. Bonus points for animal feet!

Converse Chuck Taylors - Since Samson is getting ready to walk he needs some shoes for when we are out and about. We just picked these up at the mall this weekend and they are SO cute. I can't wait until he wears them!

Fisher Price Laugh and Learn Phone - I don't know how much longer we can hold out on toys that make noise, Samson loves playing with them when we go down the toy aisle. Plus, maybe he'll stop snatching our iPhones (here's to wishing!)

BabyLit Sherlock Holmes and The Jungle Book -  Books are in surprising short supply around here. BabyLit books are twists on stories that use various subjects like colors, shapes, and sounds to introduce little readers to classic literature. Samson loves playing with books and being read to. These would be great books to add to our collection.

Fisher Price Classic Toy Xylophone - Looks just like the Fisher Price toys I had as a kid! Samson loves playing with Aaron's guitars and I bet he's going to love making some music of his own.

B. Zany Zoo Activity Cube - I have been eyeing this toy for Samson before he was even born. He is the perfect age for it now and is old enough to really like playing with all the different activities.

Imaginarium Stacking Rings - Samson is really getting in to stacking... and knocking things over (and putting things in, taking things out... the boy loves both order and chaos).  I'm trying SO hard to keep our house as free from the onslaught of shiny plastic toys for as long as possible. If there is an option for a wooden toy, sign us up.

I'm hoping we can make something for Samson this year too. This mama loves a good project and I'm pretty sure that Aaron actually enjoys helping with my crazy ideas and plans. I think that would be a fun tradition to establish ... homemade is really special if you ask me. I'm dreaming of finally getting around to making that teepee we've been talking about for a year now. A little something like this one from House of Jade interiors would look great in the playroom.

Playroom : House of Jade Interiors

Samson : 10 months

Age : 10 months

Height : 30" (ish)

Weight : 20 lbs (ish)

Clothes : 12-18 months. We recently went on a shopping spree to replace some of his smaller clothes and I went with the next size up, so they are a bit big on him.

Diapers : Charlie Banana, 1st medium setting. Size 3 Honest diapers.

Eating : 6 oz/4x a day. He loves to have breakfast, lunch, dinner and occasionally snacks with Aaron and I.

Sleeping : 7p-6a. Nap time has been shifting a little bit lately. Some days its a 2 hour nap before lunch time, some days it's an hour nap before lunch and dinner.

Pacifiers/Soothies : MAM pacifiers (down to 1, we keep losing them!) and green blankie at nap time and night time.

Milestones : Crawling, super fast, with his belly off the ground, says "ma-ma" and "pa-pa" now (pretty sure he means puppy), first night being put to sleep by grandma and grandpa when Aaron & I were out of town for my best friend's wedding, started throwing with pretty awesome accuracy, dressed up like a lumbar jack for his first Halloween, and got to eat lasagna for the first time.

Likes : Trying new foods, sharing his toys with Cash, sharing his pacifier with Aaron & I, being outside, throwing, peek-a-boo, shoe strings, tags, furry stuffed animals (or Cash), bath time, Sesame Street.

Dislikes : Playtime interrupted by diaper changes, when the remote gets taken from him, the stairs being barricaded with a baby gate, being prevented from doing anything detrimental to his well-being (Boys!)

Favorites : Month 8 & 9

Non-Slip Socks - When the weather started getting cooler, socks became a more regular outfit staple for our typically barefoot boy. Non-slip socks can make the difference between tiny feet safely walking the perimeter of the room while holding walls/furniture or sliding and crashing down. Samson was in need of a sock upgrade and we made sure to get the slip resistant variety.

Plum Organics Pouches - While I typically make homemade purees and Samson eats a lot of finger food, sometimes nothing can top the convenience of ready made baby food. We always have a pouch in the diaper bag and several stashed in the pantry for any sudden outbursts of hangry. For beginning eaters, squirt food on to a spoon for meal time and the pouch can be resealed and kept in the fridge between meals. For more independent babies the pouch can be given directly to little hands. Simple ingredients, easy to read label. A win.

Nuby Sippy Cup - This was one of the first sippy cups we tried for Samson. While we are getting ready to transition to some hard topped sippy cups and cups with straws now, this was a great introduction sippy cup. We skipped over the first nipple like top and went straight to the spout. It has been dropped and chucked from the high chair and stroller with minimal leaks. I like that it has a cap, so it can be tossed in the diaper bag for on-the-go use. The handles make it easy to use for little hands. Definitely recommend it.

That's Not My Goat - Samson is obsessed with this book. Aaron's family came over several weekends ago and Aaron's grandma brought this for Samson. It was the first time he unwrapped a present, which he went crazy over, and the first time he really cared one bit about a touch-and-feel book. Now it's pretty much the only book he is interested in. His favorite page is a definite tie between the rough nose (velcro hooks) and the fluffy beard (faux fur) which he insists on trying to put in his mouth.

Graco Convertible Car Seat - I didn't like this seat at first. It was easy (for Aaron) to install but, no matter how I adjusted it I just didn't feel like Samson was secure. Now we have the infant inserts removed and the non-rethread harness at level 1 and I finally feel like he is safe when he's in his seat. The seat itself is a great design and Samson loves the built in cup-holder for stashing his stuff. It has a rapid remove cover which I'm sure will come in handy as some point. You're able to machine wash the cover without uninstalling the car seat. Perfect for a messy boy! I did a lot of research online prior to going car seat shopping, but when it came down to it, my top picks (Britax Marathon, Maxi Cosi Pria and Peg Perego Primo Viaggio) were just a little out of budget since we wanted to buy two seats. Maybe not my top pick, but a good contender if you're looking for a budget conscious seat.

Jersey Leggings - Old Navy is a super convenient store for us and we shop there often. They often have great sales and deals (Super Cash) which keeps us going back. These pants fit really well and are super soft and comfortable. I'm not a huge fan of baggy/loose pants on Samson, so these are a good substitute for casual pants for a little boy without crossing the too-tight threshold.  When cooler Indiana weather arrived, I needed an alternative to onesies and rompers for a comfy, no-fuss outfit. We may or may not have these in almost every color.

Summer Infant Silicone Bib - Skip all the other bibs (actually don't skip these if you have a newborn) which are impossible to get clean quickly. After a meal or snack I snap this off Samson, rinse it off in the sink and let it dry. I wash it thoroughly every night after dinner. No seams, no crevices, no stains, no left over mess.

Bright Starts Teething Rings - Although Samson still has NO teeth, he's been teasing us for months. Right now he doesn't seem to have a preference whether these are room temperature or fresh from the fridge. But, I'm sure when he really does start working on teeth he'll really love them. For now, he likes carrying them around and gnawing on the textured surface. Super cheap and cost effective.

Samson : 9 months

Age : 9 months

Height  : 30"

Weight : 20 lbs of love

Clothes : 9 months - 12 months

Diapers : Charlie Banana medium setting, Size 3 Honest diapers

Eating : 6 oz/4x a day, 3 little meals. Favorite foods: peas, black beans, apples, chicken, cheese and pretty much anything we let him feed himself.

Sleeping : 7p-6a, and usually 2 naps in between.

Pacifiers/Soothies : MAM pacis, green blanket when he sleeps.

Milestones : Crawling all over the place, pulling himself up everywhere, taking little steps holding on to furniture, climbing up the stairs, lots of chatter: the only distinguishable things we hear are "dada" and "baba," his first boo-boo (fell and hit his noggin on the sliding glass door), and transitioned into his big boy car seat.

Likes : Feeding himself and concurrently flinging food from his highchair, strings and tags, shutting all the doors, playing with the doorstops, leaves, pulling himself up to look out the window with Cash, and gleefully shouting as Cash barks at the end of the day when dad comes home.

Dislikes : Being still... we've taken a break from weekly pictures for the time being, being protected from major catastrophe like crawling up the stairs, crawling off the couch, etc., and being stuck in his jumper, pack & play or car seat when he'd rather be exploring.

Hello Fall

This week we said goodbye to summer and said hello to fall. In honor of the changing seasons, Samson's nap times have changed and he went from five bottles a day to four, without too much difficulty. However, in a cranky moment pre-naptime on Monday, he head-butted my face and surprised me with a bloody nose. How sweet. He stayed up TWO hours past his bed time on Tuesday, just so he could watch The Voice. By Wednesday, we were ready for an extended morning with Aaron before he had a late evening of travel to Ohio, and then got lucky enough for grandma & grandpa to come by for dinner. Samson was extra sweet for grandpa and fell asleep for him in just a few minutes. Today after Aaron left for work, I ventured out with Samson & Cash to soak up some of this beautiful weather. I picked up a new Toasted Graham Latte from Starbucks and we all went to the park for a walk. I know I say this often, but this is my favorite baby stage yet. Samson is so much fun and he loves exploring, especially with his brother Cash by his side.

Samson : 8 months

Age : 8 months

Height : 28 1/2" (totally guessing)

Weight : 18 lbs (ish)

Clothes : 6-9 months

Diapers : Charlie Banana & Size 3 Honest diapers

Eating : 6.5 oz/5x a day, 2-3 "meals" a day. Loves: puffs, yogurt, apples, bananas, and pumpkin. Hates: spinach.

Sleeping : Goes to sleep at 7:30 p, wakes up at 7:00 a. Some nights he wakes up several times, but on good nights he wakes up once & goes back to sleep easily. Takes a 90 minute nap in the morning and one to two shorter naps in the afternoon. He's getting better about napping in his crib now that we have given him a blanket to snuggle.

Pacifiers/Soothies : MAM pacifiers and a mint green knit blanket at nap time & bed time.

Milestones : Crawling better every day, standing, saying "da-da," "ba-ba," and lots of babble (no ma-ma yet!), pulling himself up to stand from a seated position, napping more often in his crib. Can I get an Amen!?

Likes : Being on the move. Rubbing soft blankets against his face. Snuggling just about anyone, favorites are always mommy & daddy. Playing with Cash and his toys. Trying to chew on everyone's shoes (and feet). Eating food of almost any variety, but finger foods are his favorite... and the messiest. Playing outside in the grass and going on adventures in the stroller.

Dislikes :  Spinach, sometimes I can sneak a tiny bit in to a big bowl of fruit puree. Laying still for diaper changes. Being told "no-no," he obviously just ignores us. Hanging out for long periods on his own when it's obvious that someone should be holding him ;)

31 weeks

32 weeks

33 weeks

34 weeks

Favorites : Month 6 & 7

Happy Baby Happy Puffs - With the exception of the occasional sliver of fresh fruit/veggies I give to Samson when I'm making his baby food, these are the first "solid" he has eaten. At first, he was not interested at all. We gave him a few weeks before we tried them again and it was amazing to see him chew them right up. I sometimes forget that he is always watching and always learning. He likes feeding himself like a big boy, I like that they are natural and organic, Cash likes that he chucks them off the high chair tray at every meal. Winner.

Munchkin Disposable Changing Pads - We were gifted a few boxes of these at various baby showers before Samson was born. Our diaper bag has a built-in changing pad, which until recently we used for all our out of the house diaper changes. I got a sweet new mom car and have a special spot in the back of the "trunk" that is dedicated to on-the-go diaper changes. I have these stashed with an back-up supply of diapers & wipes so that I am always prepared. These are so handy and help keep things nice & clean.

Infantino Cow Teether - We all know and love Sophie the Giraffe, but this cow is just as fun! It's soft and squeeky, just like the teether by Vulli. As far as I can tell, Samson is nowhere near getting any teeth, but he loves chewing on these teether toys. It's a bit less expensive than Sophie, and if you'd rather, there are other animals to choose from.

MAM Night Pacifiers - Glow in the dark pacifiers. Life savers. Almost all of of middle of the night wake up calls are due to a lost pacifier. We've learned to keep a few pacifiers in the nursery just in case, but when the lights are out, we need all the help we can get. Even if you have to get on your hands and knees and dig for it under the crib in the middle of the night to retrieve it. Most brands have them, but these are Samson's favorite pacifiers.

Old Navy Jammies - These are hands down our favorite pajamas right now. Samson is tall and slim and these manage to fit him really well. He's wearing the 6-9 month size right now and still has plenty of room to grow in them. The fabric is really soft and breathable, which helps our sweaty little guy from getting too hot. They stand up nicely to stains and stain remover (LOTS of experience here). They have built in mittens, which are awesome for newborns, but I'd imagine they would be nice for older babies too in cooler weather. The down side is all the snaps. Heavens, I'm getting good at snapping while Samson wiggles and rolls, but would a zipper wouldn't hurt.

The Honest Company Diapers - We use cloth diapers all day long, but we love having disposable diapers on hand too. We recently switched to Honest Co. diapers and we have been really happy with them. Samson wears a disposable diaper to bed every night, we keep a few in the diaper bag and always have an emergency stash in the car. They are super absorbent and they hold in as much odor as any other diaper. We love that they are made with safe/gentle products, which compliment our cloth diaper routine really well. They are reasonably priced when compared to other name brand diapers, they are super cute and they are delivered straight to our door ya'll. Love them.

O Ball Rattle & Roll Car - A gift from his cousin Annalyn, this car is one of Samson's toys. It's easy for him to pick up and play with. It makes lots of fun noises, the best sounds of course come when it's thrown from his high chair or accidentally smacks it against mommy or daddy's face. Wild child.

Little Blue Truck - I love reading this book to Samson. Plenty of rhyming and animal noises keep him slightly more interested in listening to me read than gumming on the pages. However, it's a board book and it can definitely stand up to his drooling and toothless-chewing. Plus, it teaches valuable life lessons like how you shouldn't be a jerk. Hopefully, he listens. We're trying to raise a Godly little boy here guys.

Samson : 7 months

As of last week, Samson is actually 8 months old. In true procrastinator style, I wrote this update a little more than a month ago & then took the next 6 weeks to add the pictures. Hopefully, I won't wait another month to get caught up on things, because Samson is doing some pretty amazing things that need to be documented!

Age : 7 months

Height : 28" (this is a guess!)

Weight : 17 1/2 lbs (ish)

Clothes : 3-6 months & 6-9 months 

Diapers : Charlie Banana cloth diapers and Honest Co. disposable diapers in size 3.

Eating : 6.5 oz/5x a day… and anything he can get in his mouth. Usually has 2 “meals” of about 2.5 oz of homemade fruit/veggie purees a day and some puffs to snack on.

Sleeping : Not nearly as awesome as before. Still goes down at 7:30, but wakes up a few times before Aaron & I go to bed and then usually once more before we wake up. A nice long nap in the morning is followed by a shorter one in the early afternoon. Periodically, he takes a mini-nap about the time Aaron gets home from work. It is next to impossible to get him to nap in his crib though... so he usually ends up relaxing in our bed while I read or check on some blogs. 

Pacifiers : Back to the MAM pacifiers because he loves holding on to the little button on the front. Side note: if you are the parent of an infant who likes to chuck their pacifier out the side of the crib in the middle of the night, get some glow in the dark pacifiers, they are life savers!

Likes : Snuggling mommy and daddy. Eating in any capacity. Long walks in the stroller. A breeze in his hair. Taking toys out of his toy basket and putting them back in (he does this all.day.long). Playing with Cash. Playing with Cash's toys. Crawling every where, specifically under things like his crib and the coffee table. Cords and outlets (scary). Playing with mommy's hair and daddy's beard. Bath time in the big boy tub. 

Dislikes : Other babies, birds, tasting Cash's dog toys (so gross), when momma can't keep it together & make his bottles right this second, being dressed and being changed because he's being held back from crawling all over the place, loud noises when he's tired (this includes laughing), and ever since he started taking baths in the big bath tub, the first 2 minutes of bath time typically elicit some big cries.

26 weeks

27 weeks

28 weeks

29 weeks

A baby in a bow tie

Becoming a six month old is a big deal. Samson can check off all the boxes on the long list of accomplishments the pediatrician will tell you to watch for. We are so proud of every milestone he reaches & we gladly cheer him on & coax him to the next one. However, I'm still in total disbelief that we are halfway to having a one year old! It feels as if Samson has been a part of our lives forever, but it also just feels like he just got here! Time just blurs together, managing to both crawl & speed by in the blink of an eye. But, I wanted to pause it for just a moment & capture some of the sweetness to hold on to. In honor of his half birthday I snapped some pictures of Samson, aka Sam, aka SamBam, aka SammerJammer, aka Baby Bear, aka Squirrel (he has daddy to thank for thank one), aka Cash's brother, aka he cutest baby who ever lived. Without further adieu...

Sweet little birthmark on his back & his fluffy cloth diaper bum.

And just in case you think you can turn your back on your baby for even a second...

Reality: can't even put him down without Cash being right next to him.

Favorites : Month 4 & 5

Fox – Stuffed animals are definitely Samson’s favorite toys at the moment. I honestly think it’s because they mimic Cash’s fur but are less likely to move away when he starts chewing on them. This fox was a gift from my friend Holli, and Samson has loved it for months. The black and white face provide ample amounts of contrast, while it’s life sized shape have proven to be the perfect cuddle size. It’s so sweet looking and is a nice compliment to his nursery full of moose.

Fresh Baby Trays – So far, I’ve made all of the fruits and veggies that Samson has eaten. I assure you it isn’t as daunting as it may seem. I just put the prepared food in my regular blender (not a baby bullet, not a Ninja, not a Vitamix… just a plain old Oster brand blender) and then pour it in these trays, cover and put them in the freezer. Once the food is frozen, I put it in a labeled Ziploc bag and put it back in the freezer. I can’t take credit for discovering these, I just happened to be visiting my brother & sister-in-law at their new home a few months ago when she sent these home with me. However, I really enjoy using them. There is no need for measuring or precision pouring, I just dump the food in the middle & use a rubber spatula (or scraper if that’s what you call them) to spread the food into all of the cubes. So easy!

Sunglasses – Protecting little eyes from UV radiation, assisting stroller naps and looking cool at the same time. Fantastic. Get them in every color. ;)

Hello Ninja– I love reading to Samson and so far all he loves is gnawing on the books, but this was a fun book to add to our (still measly) collection. We often referred to Samson-in-utero as a little ninja because of the quick kicks and jabs he would deliver and also because of our growing fascination with the TV show American Ninja Warrior, so now it’s fun to help him become accustomed to the ninja ways of life. This book moonlights as a bedtime story, so it’s almost always on our reading list.

Oball Teether – I’m really drawn to this brand. I love the bright colors that they use and the little beads that they use make the coolest (least annoying) noise. While these keys don’t have the brands token beads, the do have bright colors and cool textures for Samson to gnaw on and the key ring seems to be the right size and shape for his little hands. So far there are no signs of teeth, but everything goes in his mouth anyways. Samson gives them bonus points for making a cool sound when he drops them from the highchair tray twenty times at dinner.

Jumperoo – Hands down one of the most used baby items we own. We have a smaller doorway jumper that is easy to move around, but for day-to-day use this one is definitely our favorite. Besides being great for jumping, it has lots for Samson to look at and play with. We usually don’t turn the sound on, because he seems to like it just fine without it and the days of quiet play are truly numbered when you have a boy. Downsides : big size makes it more difficult to move from room to room and it takes up a great-deal of floor space.

B. One Two Squeeze Blocks – Samson was really starting to take an interest in the wooden blocks that my friend Rachel had made for him, however, since he’s still a little guy, I cringed every time he accidentally dropped one on his face or poked himself in the eye with sharp corner. These soft blocks were the perfect solution. They are the perfect size for little fingers and all 6 sides of each block have a raised image for exploring. They make a small squeak for interest, but not enough to be confused as a dog toy, which is an important quality in our house.

Boon Highchair – I know there are a hundred different highchairs out there to choose from, and honestly, I’m not sure you can go wrong with any of them. I do love our highchair though. It is SO easy to clean (zero crevices or hard to reach places). It’s easy to adjust the height (it has a pneumatic lift, like a hair dressers chair, but easier). It’s on easy-to-glide wheels and it has a one-step brake. Plus, it looks like it belongs to the Jetson’s. Win.