Twelve Months: One Year Old!

We survived the first year!

This milestone is always an accomplishment for me. Pregnancy is hard and the first year is hard. Running off little to no sleep for almost 22 straight months (pregnancy insomnia plus the first year with a baby) is rough - full stop. I was prepared for this having been through it a couple times before but I'm pleased to say out of all my babies, this was also the 'easiest' first year we've come through. Okay, maybe not easy, but not the worst.

Sam has been busy! He is crawling all over the place and getting into all sorts of trouble; mainly pulling rocks out of our plants or ripping up his brother's paper books. He is pulling to stand and likes to walk around the ottoman, stools or have us hold his hands while he toddles across the floor. He also likes to play outside and rub the grass with his toes or rearrange the rock beds. He cut another bottom tooth shortly after his first and has been experimenting with what they do. He still barely has any hair to speak of but I have noticed it coming in a little thicker and darker. My guess is it will be straight like Ben's. Time will tell!

Sam still wakes up once a night for a quick feed but as this chapter of our life closes I try not to get too annoyed and just enjoy it for what it is. We've had a special little connection his entire life and soon he won't need me in the same way. I'm trying not to get too sappy about that. We've had a couple full nights of sleep this month but I expect more will come soon. He's been dropping his nap from time to time, wavering between 1 or 2 a day. This makes it harder to predict his but also allows for a bit more freedom away from the home.

This past month we made a trip down to sunny Arizona to visit with my parents. It was Sam's first trip out of the country and he did pretty well on the plane rides. We enjoyed the Aquarium, Zoo, nature walks, Children's Museum and Old Western Towns. We went on his first boat ride where he swiftly kicked one of his new shoes overboard (eye roll) and later he went for his first ever swim with his Baba at the community pool. We had a nice time in the sun after a very long winter. We certainly prefer being outdoors.

Sam's first birthday party was a real success. I'm always amazed (and very appreciative) of our family and friends who come out to celebrate all these birthday parties for our boys - I think this is birthday party number nine in five years? We did a little blue sky and cloud theme for our happy, smiley, fun-loving little boy. I doubt he realized all the fuss was for him but we loved on him all the same.

And now we venture into our second year as a family of five. I'm so very grateful that this is our reality and I certainly don't take it for granted. Its not glamorous or simple and sometimes I wonder when I'll get a solid hour without interruptions from the little people who 'neeeeeeed me' but that's part of what makes it so special, right?

Goodbye to my sweet little baby Sam, you've been a dream. Now to enjoy the next adventures with a little toddler in the house!

Eleven Months: Springing into a New Season

Spring is here and with that (I hope!) a new season of life that includes much more time outdoors and much less time wiping noses. We had another bad month with mono being the latest destroyer going through our house along with more fevers and colds. I'm sure you are so over reading about it just as we are so over with having to endure it. This has been our sickest winter to date. Thank goodness for Spring.

Sam is also eleven months old now! My goodness, we are rounding in on the one year mark. I can't express how much of a dream baby this guy has been. Honestly, when he's not sick he is just the sweetest, easiest most content little baby. Such a great addition to our family.

He cut a tooth this month (his first!) which has been long awaited. It wasn't too bad, at least compared to the other things we were dealing with. It is barely peeking out but is as sharp as a razor, no surprise. He's a lot more squirmy and mobile as well. He loves to stand up on his own and tries to push our hands away when we're holding him but he isn't as balanced as he thinks he is so usually grabs back for us as soon as he realizes what he's done. He loves to play with toy cars and Picasso tiles and is quite vocal about his displeasure when someone takes something away. Sam also loves to point his chubby little finger to identify anything and everything as we're walking around. Bed, elephant, plant, light, desk. I think he and his Grandpa will have lots of interesting walks in the weeks ahead as I remember the older boys spending lots of time identifying each and every little thing that crossed their paths when they were around the same age.

Sam has a few words that are probably mostly recognizable only to us. Mama, Dada, all-done, Na-Na (food), Hi Dad, Baba, hey. He's certainly quite chatty and it is fun to listen to all his squeals and sing-song babbles. He also likes to wave hi and bye and will lift his arms way up over his head when we ask, How Big is Sam? He likes to be tickled or thrown up into the air and giggles with such delight when we oblige. Baby laughs are seriously the best.

This month was mostly spent in quarantine mode but we did make it out to a birthday party and a cemetery celebration honouring our ancestors recently. I think we went to the zoo earlier this month but honestly it feels like such a long time ago I can barely remember. We did make it out to Canmore one blizzardy day and enjoyed a new restaurant before playing outside amongst the big flakes. But the snow is melting and the playgrounds are a bit less slippery so perhaps the next month will be a bit more adventurous.

Here's to new season and new beginnings! Time to go plan a birthday party.

Ten Months: Double Digits

Ten Months! How is this possible?

I think Sam still feels like my little baby because he still looks pretty baby(ish). No teeth, peach fuzz hair and not crawling (or running!) around like some other kids his age makes me think he is still just a little bumpkin. I cannot believe that in a few short weeks we'll be celebrating his first birthday. Where does the time go?

Sam has been so good to us. He's sleeping so much better, only getting up a couple times at night - except for when he is really sick. He's so content when he's awake; happy to watch his brothers run around or play with a few little toys on the floor. He has this thing for pulling over baskets which is sort of funny (probably because they're usually empty - if they were full I'm sure I would find it highly annoying). He loves to look outside and watch it snow, slapping his chubby little hand against the cold window pane. He can say 'Hi Dad' and 'Ma-Ma-Ma' and makes a hollow whistling sound through his lips. He also likes to suck on his top lip and make ppppssst sounds. His favourite songs are the ABC's and If You're Happy and You Know it Clap Your Hands, actions included. Gosh I love this kid.

This past month we checked out a fish hatchery, the zoo, the Science Centre and even made a trip to the Children's Hospital. Poor big brother's index finger was slammed in the car door and looked like a mangled wreck. Fortunately it was just soft tissue damage. Three boys, five years, and our first ever visit to the ER. I'd say that isn't too bad. We celebrated Valentines Day (how lucky am I to have FOUR boys to love every year now), went on snowy walks through the woods, battled more cold and flu bugs.. which reminds me... Poor Sam got Roseola a couple weeks ago and it was just the saddest thing! He's totally fine now but come on spring, we're all ready for less indoor germ pits.

Love you ten month old!

Nine Months: New Year - Still Feels like a New Baby

Happy New Year Friends!

We were fortunate to have a very lovely holiday season filled with family, friends and lots and lots of Kleenex. I wasn't kidding when I wrote that our family suffers from a constant plague during the winter months. Maybe it is just because we have a (brand new!) five year old, three year old and a nine month old? There's got to be a time when we're not always drowning in our own snot, right?

Sam has been such a trooper this past month despite not feeling well at all. He likes to babble, Da-Da-Da and Ma-Ma-Ma, and other random words that only make sense to us. He calls all food 'na-na' because I probably over annunciated 'banana' one time when feeding him and it apparently stuck. He still loves pretty much all and any food that we give him - such a difference from his first month where he would purse his lips so tight at the sight of a spoon. Nowadays I wonder if he has a hollow leg. Oh, and can you believe Sam still doesn't have any teeth? This is a good thing too as he certainly likes to chomp and tug when he is nursing. Serious ouch. I don't think I could handle that with a razor sharp tooth poking through. He's up on all fours, swaying back and forth, but not crawling yet. Also a relief as I don't have to run after three boys (yet). I'm sure its going to get much busier here in a few weeks, ha. Can you please stay little (and relatively immobile) forever, Sam?

This past month we obviously celebrated the holidays and had a great time with our family and friends. We got to spend more time than we expected with Sam's Great Grandma as she had a fall on Christmas Eve and had to spend a couple weeks in the hospital here. She's on the road to recovery and is in great spirits. We've enjoyed getting in the extra visiting time with her. She loves to sing to the boys or listen to them read her stories. We rang in big brother Ben's 5th birthday and a New Year, got back to our usual schedule of playdates and science centre outings. We attended a 1 Month Celebration for a friend's new daughter and Sam managed to stay entertained and well behaved throughout a ten course meal which spanned 3.5hrs and well past his usual bedtime (we were shocked)! We also spent a weekend out of town in beautiful Lake Louise enjoying the stunning scenery and playing in the snow. I even got a chance to hit the slopes for the first time in nearly six years! Oh it was so much fun. Now if only we could get rid of these awful bugs who constantly want to spoil our party.

You're such a trooper, Sam! Way to earn the badges for your immunity belt. xoxo

Eight Months: Happy Holidays, Baby!

I love this time of year. The snow falling softly outside, fireplaces and steaming mugs of tea keeping us cozy indoors, people who would normally hurry past you on the street tend to slow down and exchange a smile. Holiday parties and twinkling lights and Christmas carols playing on repeat; the days and weeks leading up to the holidays just seem to have such a magical feel. The anticipation of Baby's first Christmas is just icing on the gingerbread cake.

Unfortunately, this time of year is usually the start of our family plague and that did not skip over us this season either. Poor baby (and his big brothers) have been sick for pretty much the entire month of December. Its been quite the gross mess of fevers and coughs and sneezes and Kleenex. But we do our best to manage keeping our runny noses at bay especially when decorating Christmas cookies. Ack!

Sam has been sitting up comfortably and wriggling around a bit. He likes to play with his toes and hold little objects (usually his brothers' toys) in his hands. He is much more interested in food and he has taken a real liking for bananas and yogurt. This has also helped with the diaper explosions a bit. Solid foods man, makes a difference. Sam is also getting pretty good at putting his pacifier in his own mouth. This is helpful when I don't always attend to him as quickly as he would like. Sleep has been exactly what you might guess with sick kids who can't breath well. Sam had his first bath in the big boy tub this month. He and his brother Max took turns exchanging plastic cups back and forth until someone, not mentioning any names, decided to dump a cup right on his little brother's head! Luckily it didn't scar the baby for life and he has since enjoyed many more bubble sessions.

Not surprisingly, this month has been full of holiday related outings. We got to visit a neighbour's house where the Big Man in Red himself showed up. Sam happily sat upon his lap and was quite memorized by his beard. We also attended a couple kid parties around the neighbourhood and watched big brother Ben's preschool Christmas concert. Us parents even had a chance to get dressed up and go on a couple holiday date nights while Grandma bravely took care of all three (sometimes sick) boys at our house. We we had a real cold snap where we hunkered down indoors for a couple weeks followed by a little reprieve in the temperature where we bundled up and did some sledding in the woods behind our house. I love when little boys' cheeks and noses get all rosy and red. I have a feeling they won't be as eager to go tobogganing with their mom when they're teenagers, haha!

Very much looking forward to ringing in the holidays with our sweet boy. There will be lots of family and friends around to share in the love. Regardless of what you may celebrate or believe - we wish you warmth, love and happiness from our home to yours.

Seven Months: Babbles and Bubbles

Mr Sam is Seven Months Old!

I wrote this post two weeks ago - TWO WEEKS AGO! I had my ducks in a row and I was going to get this post out on the proper day and all I had to do was add the pictures. Woot woot!

Apparently my ducks waddled off.... sigh.

Anyway,

Danny and I were commenting about how quickly seven months has gone by. It seems more like three months ago this little dude entered our family. It also feels like ages ago that we were a family unit of four and I was heavily pregnant, so I guess it is a bit of both.

A couple of our good friends are both expecting their third child any day now. Man, I do not miss those final weeks waiting for the baby to arrive. So physically exhausting, mentally exhausting and emotionally exhausting. What a difference it is to 'be on the other side'. Much love to them and their growing families (or anyone else who enduring that final stretch). Hang in there mamas. Big hugs!

Now onto our boy.

Sam, you are rolling over, getting stuck and getting mad about getting stuck, ha! You are also sitting up unassisted for long periods of time and putting a lot of things into your mouth. You hilariously reject all solid food from a spoon, pursing your lips so tight, but have accepted a few morsels off our finger. You are a drool machine and regurgitate a lot more than you ever had before so I suspect we might have some choppers by next month's post. You often make loud pppppppssssttt! sounds as if you were playing a trumpet, especially when you are tired. Sleep has still been horrible with you waking nearly every hour (gah!) but we will trudge on and get through it as we always do. At your wellness appointment you weighted 18lbs11oz and were 69cm long (50-75th percentile for both). You still have a big head (90th percentile) and are measuring healthy on every scale. We are incredibly grateful for this and we know not to take it for granted.

You are developing a little feisty personality and we love it. You have not met a stranger and give big gummy smiles to anyone who looks you in the eye. You giggle loudly when your brothers run around you in circles, sometimes quite literally, and you like to keep an eye on whatever we are doing. You are a much happier boy in the car and generally hold onto your big brother's hand while giving him smiles and coos wherever we go. I love that you love them so much. Your favourite words are 'heeeeyyy' and 'dee dee dee' usually in that sequence. I suspect you'll start saying 'da da da' soon.

Winter has arrived and with that some extra layers of clothing. You hilariously play peek-a-boo with your toque or hat until you are fed up with it and just tear it off. You also spend a lot of time 'talking' to us or blowing raspberries. Our home is getting just that bit louder with another voice in the mix. It is eye (and ear) opening.

This past month was fairly uneventful which is fine. Once again, grateful for 'normal' days as they're what we crave whenever things are off balance. We fill our time with preschool drop offs, play dates, changing diaper explosions and running lots of errands. You were an Ewok this Halloween which was pretty adorable if I do say so myself, but chose to have a nap instead of going trick-or-treating with your Storm Trooper brothers. Next year will be different, I'm sure.

As we prepare for the season ahead, I am filled with so much gratitude for our little family that I suppose isn't exactly 'little' anymore. We've got three boys who will one day grow into three teenagers and then into three men! I look forward to creating many memories, navigating the inevitable struggles, and imagining what sort of exciting adventures are in store.

Love you Mr. Sam!

***Update: our friends welcomed a boy and a girl in the last two weeks and we are more than thrilled that both moms and babies are healthy. And, wow, newborns are tiny!

Six Months: Half a Year!

Our Sweet Sam is half a year old.

There were a few moments during these past six months that felt like we were in pure survival mode but the vast majority has been nothing short of great. I worried quite a bit about how hard it would be to manage three kids, especially in the early months, but thankfully it was nowhere near as difficult as I had feared. Challenging? Yes. Busy? Of course. Perfect? Absolutely not. But all things considered, pretty damn great.

Sam giggles like crazy, is obsessed with his tongue and learned to roll over this month. We let him try solid foods on his 6month birthday and got a hilarious reaction (not a fan) but if he's anything like the rest of us he'll learn to love food soon enough. His sleep has been dreadful and exhausting (up every hour or more) but I know it is just a phase. Coffee helps. Maybe I'm just imagining things, but I think he's getting more hair too. Will it be straight like his oldest brother's or curly like our middle boy? Time will tell. Its always fun watching new little bits of him emerging every month. What will be revealed to us next?

Sam had his first plane ride this month and handled it like a champ. I wasn't concerned about him one bit (unlike the stress I put myself through the first time I ever flew with a baby) and it proved to be a pretty uneventful flight. We visited Toronto, the birthplace of our biggest boy, and it was fun to go re-visit the old stomping grounds. Funny, now that we are well-entrenched in the lifestyles of suburbia, I found it hard to believe that we lived in the heart of downtown with so much hustle and bustle... and a newborn. A big contrast for sure but both equally great.

While in Toronto we took in a Blue Jays game (where we apparently made it onto the big screen just as I was trying to latch Sam, lol) made a trip up the CN Tower (where I glamorously nursed him on the dirty floor next to a vending machine) and explored the Royal Ontario Museum (where I fed him next to some prehistoric dinosaur bones, ha). As you can see, Sam's pretty happy to go anywhere as long as he is fed. We also spent time at the Ontario Science Centre, perused some malls and dined with some extended family who we haven't seen in ages. We spent a couple nights at Niagara on the Lake and took obligatory touristy photos at Niagara Falls before loading our soaking wet selves back onto the plane.

Back at home it has been pretty routine day-to-day stuff, which is fine. We've battled a lot of colds and are pretty much into the season of boots, mitts, coats, toques and blankets. Halloween is just around the corner and then into my most favourite time of year. No complaints, especially with this smiley little boy as a side-kick.

We love you Sam!

Five Months: Seasons Changing

I feel like there are two main baby phases; 0-6Months and 6-12Months. Usually when I am pregnant and imagining the new addition to the family I am mostly envisioning the 0-6Month phase when the little one is still a 'true baby'. But then around the six month mark and the second half of that year, the baby seems to become 'less baby' and 'more toddler'. Of course this is completely my own thought process and means nothing to anyone else but all to say... I'm starting to freak out just a little bit. Sam! You're only going to be a 'true baby' for like one more month and then this whole phase of life will be over! As much as I love to see them grow and develop, I want to keep my babies in the 'baby' stage as long as I can. Ugh - time - stop playing with me.

Sentimental rant over.

Mr Sam is generally a happy and content little man. He has discovered his toes and loves to play with his hands. He likes to stroke me whenever he's nursing and he fingers his blanket or pacifier when he goes down for a nap. Lots of drool escaping from this mouth but luckily no teeth yet because the kid likes to clamp down hard on anything that he can. We put him in the high-chair for fun this month but will wait until six months to start him on solids. I'm a bit of a traditionalist in that sense plus I'm also not ready to clean up after another messy kid every meal time, ha. Honesty.

Sam arches his back sooooo hard whenever he wants to be picked up. Fun fact: We considered the middle name 'Archer' for him and this would seem more than appropriate right now. He giggles when his brothers play nicely with him and mostly tolerates it when they're less than gentle. Overall he just wants to be one of the crowd. He can roll over onto his side to see what is going on but can't move too far yet - another perk for me.

For those of you who enjoy stats like I do, Sam weighed in at 16lbs14oz this month and has officially surpassed his two older cousins who are 12months and 18months old, ha! We grow them big in this household. His head is 44cm which is a random fact I remember. He's in size three diapers but it doesn't seem to matter what we do he still has a blow out at least 2x/day. I remember Max being the same way and he grew out of that phase so we'll get through this messy phase too.

Every year we try to make a trip back to my hometown and this year was no exception. Sam came along for the trip, of course, and did really well. We got to visit family and friends, go to a farm, spend time at the cabin, pick apples at Baba and Grandpa's house and visit Great Grandma at her house too. We're very fortunate to have so many people in our lives who we can share time and make memories with.

This month was our very first "Back to School" month Ben entering Preschool. This means that a lot of Sam's naps are now interrupted to shuttle everyone back and forth to pick up our biggest boy. Looking at the clock, I realize that I'm going to have to pause this post and start loading up the car right now!

Okay, back home. 

We've got a few fun things planned for the month ahead. Hoping the weather holds out for a bit longer so we can enjoy more fall mountain walks or days playing outside without bundling everyone up in many, many layers. I guess that means I have to eventually dig out a snowsuit for this kiddo but for now we will just enjoy the beautiful colours and the changing seasons.

Lots of love to our little Sam! 

Four Months: Where Did the Time (errr... Hair) Go?

I read about a parent describing their four month old lifting his feet up in the air and thumping them both down loudly as a 'whale tail' and I thought, that's exactly it! Our little Sam is in full whale tail thumping stage and it is hilarious. He isn't rolling over yet but he can get half way there before he gets stuck and frustrated. Fine by me - running after two bigger boys is enough for now. At least I always know where he is, thump thump.

Sam is also drooling a lot and putting everything he can in his mouth especially his fists, blankets and the odd furry toy. Diaper explosions are a daily occurrence which even prompted us to move up to size 3's but alas it hasn't made much of a difference. More laundry, I guess!

Sam and I seem to be in full hair loss mode as well. Me: a lovely postpartum gift that is pretty expected but still kind of annoying. Him: nearly bald save two little patches of old man scruff behind the ears. Day to day the loss isn't that noticeable but when scrolling back to see earlier photos I'm shocked to see such a fuzzy dark-haired baby. Who was that dude?

Our summer has been low key compared to others but we still managed to get out into the woods for a few days, staying at a cottage and enjoying nature hikes, campfires, and some beach time. Car trips seem to be getting slightly more tolerable but I say this on the cusp of a very long solo parenting road trip which will surely have me regretting I typed this. As long as he's with his mama you're generally pretty happy and giggly (even in your sleep). It's fun to have a side-kick for all of our every-day adventures.

Such a joy, my boy!

Three Months: So Many Smiles

Mr. Sam is three months old and this past month has been fantastic.

Let me tell you, this kid might be our happiest baby yet. How fortunate are we? I cannot get enough of these broad toothless grins and sparkly crescent shaped eyes. Sam has even started giggling which just puts me over the top. It doesn't get old even with the third child. Sam had his two month wellness appointment a few days ago and he weighed in at 13lb1oz (75th percentile) and is 90th percentile for height (I forget the measurement and am not motivated enough to dig up the paperwork, ha). He's a good eater, fills many diapers a day, and is generally content when he's awake in-between naps. We are no where near sleeping through the night but I can usually get a 4hr stretch on his first nighttime put down which keeps us sane. He is in mostly 3mo clothing and I'm already packing away some of his earlier outfits which seem amazingly tiny. He's starting to drool and blow bubbles when he's not sucking on his fists. He's sporting a wicked bald spot on the back and sides of his head where he's rubbed off his hair. We are very grateful for our happy healthy boy.

Of course, a huge part of this past month has been celebrating my younger sister's wedding. We had a lot of wedding-related events to attend and I brought my little side kick along to all of them. He did remarkably well, even sharing a hotel room with Baba, Grandpa and myself for a couple nights. This month we also took in some Stampede events (parade and midway), visited Dinosaur Provincial Park, the Science Centre and had lots of family gatherings with both sides of the family. I'm also pleased to report that Sam's big brothers are still totally in love with their Saaaaaam. They argue over who gets to sit next to the baby in the car, who gets to hold the diaper while I'm changing him, and who gets to give him the biggest kisses while he's in his little chair. No complaints from this Mama - soaking up all the good for as long as it lasts! Fingers crossed it does.

Two Months: Too Much Fun

The way your eyes turn into crescent moons when you smile really big. The way you hold your thumb between your first and second finger so tight. The way your legs kick so hard when you get fussy. The way your eyes light up when you see your big brothers. The way you snuggle in so close in the middle of the night. These are a just a few of the things we're loving at two months.

Eight weeks in and dare I say we've hit our stride? Perhaps we're pretty chill as third-time parents or perhaps he's generally a pretty laid back kid, but I feel like I can finally exhale. Sam has tucked himself right into our family and right into each of our hearts. My best eater, my best sleeper, and an all around pretty cool dude in between. He's growing and changing, just as he should, in size 1 diapers and size 3month clothes. His hair is thickening up in the front and rubbing off in the back, ha! His ears are still fuzzy (swoon) and his lashes extend for days. Sam has been rolling over to his side, can track us all with his eyes and head, and recognizes some voices. What a joy this boy is!

This past month included the usual park dates and play dates. We took our first overnight trip to Edmonton to celebrate my sister's impending nuptials and my little side-kick tagged along like a champ. The zoo and soccer field are regular stops for us as are grocery runs and (apparently) dental appointments. Sam hates the car but will occasionally fall asleep in it which makes the journey a little less noisy. Fortunately his older brothers can also pop in a soother or hold his hand to help calm him if necessary. We've battled a couple colds already but aren't letting them slow us down too much. I feel like we're always on the go, running like mad and being pulled in many directions, but I'm doing my best to cherish these very long and very fleeting days.

Our hearts are bursting with love for this boy. Happy two months, Sam!

One Month: Here We Go Again

And then there were three!

I can't believe I get to do these write ups again (and I can't believe I have to do these write ups again, ha)! But we are more than grateful for our newest little addition to the family and in favour of all things fair, baby number three gets his monthly updates too - even if they're a bit late in coming.

Sam has features that remind us of both of his brothers but he still has a look all his own. He's got lots of dark fuzzy hair, brown eyes (we think), and his dad's colouring. He's got lovely long fingers (great for piano!) and the adorable newborn fuzzy ears which I just love. Sam was 7lbs 3oz at his discharge and less than a week later at his first doctor's check-up weighed a whopping 8lbs 3oz. Way to go buddy! No idea what he weighs today but his newborn clothes certainly don't fit anymore and we're up to size one diapers. He's a great eater, a decent sleeper (wakes every 2hrs to feed), and has started to give us a glimpse of his infectious grin. So sweet!

When you've got three kids, schedules and plans just keep going so we've jumped right into life and Sam has adapted well. We've had visits from both sets of extended families, been on multiple outings to visit friends and even hit up the soccer field a couple times already too. I'm loving that I have a springtime baby which means we can actually spend time outside in the beautiful green world during daylight hours without having to put on layers and layers of clothing. That hasn't stopped Mother Nature from pulling a few tricks out of her sleeve, however. We've had two spring snowstorms, lots of rain and even a hailstorm in the past month! Nevertheless, I don't feel like we're having to stay sequestered inside weathering the long winter months... alone. Bring on the sun and fresh air!

Our sweet little Sam is such a joy to have in our family and I have to say the transition to three has been much easier than I expected. I didn't think it would be absolutely horrible but we were all bracing ourselves for a pretty big hiccough at the very least. To our surprise and delight the big brothers have both done an amazing job welcoming Sam into our tribe! They're very protective of his well being and are asking to hold him/(it - Max), offering to sing him songs, and are smothering him with hugs and kisses. Max actually takes it personally if he isn't included in the diaper changing process, ha! I'll take it! I didn't anticipate such a strong bond between the three boys so early but it's just lovely and warms this tired and happy mother's heart.

Sam, we were so excited to finally meet you and these first few weeks did not disappoint. Welcome to our family - it's going to be a great ride.