My little buddy

Sammy,

This is your daddy. I was just thinking of you today. I am so proud to have such a great little man as my son. You are so cute and funny that I sometimes wonder how you could be my son! I thank God all the time that He saw fit to bless me with a son as special as you and I continue to pray that He will give me the wisdom to raise you to be a man who loves Him. I love you buddy!

Love,
Daddy

simply sammy {in pictures}

[I love this little guy!]

[authentic pouty face...]

the past few months in pictures....

• favorite phrase: "No it's not." or "Mommy did it."
• favorite color: not sure at the moment. maybe orange?
• favorite food: "mashed tatoes"
• favorite book: 'Eat, Cried Little Pig'
• favorite restaurant (if it can be called that): McDonalds
• favorite animal: not one at the moment. we're enjoying reading 'The Very Busy Spider' and making all of the animal sounds.
• favorite snuggle buddy: Mystery - the small velour blanket that had a horse head and tail on it.
• favorite pastime: jumping on the trampoline with Hannah
• favorite person: this would be a tie b/w Mama, Daddy, Hannah & Papa but I'm leaning more towards Hannah :-)
  

Where'd it go?

Hey sweet buddy,
It's been a while since Mommy's written you a letter! Sorry about that! I'm just slow.

Anyway you've been a very busy little boy. You're climbing on top of all of our furniture and jumping down. You can jump off the ground with two feet. You love the trampoline! You follow Hannah around and do everything she does. You're saying more and more words and sentences. All in all, you're growing up too fast!

"Where'd it go?"
"There it is!"
"Come back here!"
"Mama where are you?"
"I'm naked!"
"I like it!"
"Don't like it!"
"'Cuse me Hannah (or Mama or Daddy)"
"Ho! Ho! Ho! Merry Kiss-mas!!"

Your hair is still as blond as ever too! I love it. You got your first haircut a few months ago. Mommy tried trimming it at home but I didn't do a good job so I had to take you to a stylist so they could fix it. They cut off all your cute little curls. But I put them in your baby book so we'll always have them.

We got our Christmas tree last week. Hannah helped pick it out and you love smelling it! You loved decorating it too. It was a little hard for you to hang the ornaments so we had to help you. Everyday you like to turn on the lights and then you walk around looking at all the ornaments. I've finally put more presents underneath and you look at those too. I can't wait to see you when you open all of your gifts.

I'm going to go so I can do some chores while you're napping. I just want to say that I love you very much! You're the cutest little boy in the world!!

Love always,
Mommy

Just a few pictures of what we've been up to lately....

You really enjoyed licking the batter off of the beater when we made Gingerbread Cookies.

You really did not like Santa Claus. You cried when I put you in his lap. Hannah, on the other hand, climbed right up and talked to him. Maybe next year?

Picking out our Christmas tree. I'll put up a picture of it soon.

Finally!!! A good Christmas picture of you guys!!

Such a Big Boy

Hey Monkey!!
I'm sorry I keep taking so long to write you letters! I'm a slacker!! I'm just going to do a quick update and I promise I'll write more often!

Well, summer is just about over and we've been staying home a lot lately. No more gymnastics for Hannah or playgroup for both of you.

We did go to the library yesterday and you guys had a blast. You played with the Dinosaur toys and the puzzles. You both played with the stuffed animals and the puppet theater. You had a blast stacking up the cushions and then knocking them down. You also enjoyed picking out a movie to watch - you got Veggie Tales Heroes of the Bible.

You can do the sign for 'A' and 'B'. We've not been doing sign language lately so I'm going to get us back to that. It's cute watching you do your little signs. We've also started watching 'Baby Einstein's Babies Favorite Places". While watching it you copied what they were saying rather than the sign language. You can say "market" and "florist."

You & Hannah are so sweet together. You play together a lot more and you'll generally do whatever she wants. Sometimes she drives you crazy and you'll yell, "Stop it!" I always laugh when you say that. If I tell either of you that I'm going to get Mr. Sad and spank you, you immediately run and get Mr. Sad for me. Even when it's you I'm threatening to spank!! You are so silly!!!

Some of your new phrases: (sorry if I've repeated any from last time)

• "Be right back." - as you hold up Pointer.
• "Ready get out!" - of the bathtub.
• "I'm done." - using the potty
• "Read it!!" - as you shove a book at me. Your favorite is Moo! Baa! La, La, La!!
• "Candy!!"
• "Drink"
• "Monkers!" - for Monsters, Inc. which you love to watch!!!
• Recently you've started saying, "I get it." and "I did it!! Good job!"

Another awesome development is that you can pee standing up. I went shopping one day and when I got home Daddy showed me how he taught you to stand up and pee pee. We lift the toilet lid and the seat and let you put your feet on the bottom. A few times you've twisted and missed but you do a good job. One day I started to put the potty seat on the toilet and you yelled, "No! Stand up!!" It was sweet. I'm so proud of you.
Today I took you and Hannah to Shoe Show to measure your foot and get the prices on some shoes. You were in heaven!! You certainly have a shoe fetish. You ran up and down the aisles yelling, "Shoes!" while looking at each and every pair. It was hilarious!!

You're still singing, "Tinkle Tinkle Little 'Tar." Only now you sing it really loud and you laugh b/c you know you're making me & Daddy laugh too. It's sweet listening to you sing.

I'm going to go but I will write more often. I love you sweet little buddy!!!

Love always,
Mommy

Monkers

Hey Sweet Little Sammy,
We've been super busy this summer so I haven't been writing to you as often as I would like!! You're 18 months old - I can't believe it. Just yesterday you were my sweet little baby, so tiny and fragile. You've grown as warp speed!

You are so fearless and brave. You'll climb on everything and you never want any help. You can do everything by yourself on the playground at Sertoma. You go up the steps and can go down all the slides without any assistance. We go to playgroup there on Thursday and you're the only boy! You've learned how to climb onto Mommy & Daddy's bed as well as Hannah's. I've gotten used to walking into a room and finding you sitting on the bed :-)

We've done a lot this summer: swimming, playgroups, Hannah's gymnastics, traveling, grilling out, fireworks. Thankfully everything is starting to settle down. Hopefully we're going to sign you up for the Mom & Tot class at gymnastics this winter. I'm already excited about it.

Lately your favorite movie is 'Monsters, Inc.' but you call it 'Monkers'. You'll point to the TV and say, "Monkers? Monkers?" It's too cute!! The other thing you've been doing that I love is asking us to sing, "Tinkle Tar." Every night Daddy & I tuck you and Hannah into bed and sing "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" to you guys. You'll lay in bed and pull your shirt up so Daddy can rub your belly. And the whole time you're saying, "Tinkle Tar." I'll leave off the words at the end of every line and you know them... 'are, high, sky'!!! It's soooo sweet!!!

I love you and I promise I will write more soon. I just wanted to let you know that I haven't forgotten about you!!!

I love you so much. You're such a beautiful sweet little boy and I'm so proud of you. Everyone loves you and Hannah and comments on how well behaved and quiet you guys are. They don't know just how much of a blessing it is to have you guys!!!

I love you buddy,
Mommy

Pictures of our summer (in no particular order)....

Swimming at OSP on the 4th.

You were scared of the Slip 'N Slide but had fun watching Daddy slide.

The birdhouse you painted at VBS the one night we went!!

We went camping. You dove right into the water towards Daddy. You look a little scared!!

Chilling with Pops on Father's Day.

This is Hannah's chore but you always end up taking over b/c you love to vacuum.

We went to the movies to see "Up". I love that you & Hannah will hold hands when walking somewhere.

Big Boy Bed

Well Little Buddy,
I finally put together the Spongebob toddler bed that I bought you last month.

You love it!! I was worried that you would keep getting out of it but we've only had to train you to stay in it 2 or 3 times. I think you like sleeping in a bed that looks like Hannah's. Plus you seem to like the freedom of getting in and out by yourself. I guess you didn't like being in prison...lol! You go to sleep a lot faster too! I'm also surprised that you don't wiggle down to the bottom - and off - of your bed.

The other day I bought the bed set to go with the bed. You'll sit on the bed and point while saying, "Punge-bob!"

Also, you're finally able to climb up onto all of our furniture. This goal took you a while to accomplish but you've done it! The other night you climbed onto Mommy & Daddy's bed without any help!! And you did it again this morning while I was making the bed. You're going to be a little monkey just like Hannah!

You've been doing good with going to the potty. Now when Hannah's using the potty you run in and do the sign for her! Such a cutie.

I love you little buddy!!

Mommy

Loving your bed and your underpants!

Hannah loves your bed too! Look at the sweet grin on your face!