Samuel and Sydney

Happy Birthday Samuel!

2010-06-01T20:06:00.000-07:00

Samuel just turned two! I can't believe it! To celebrate his birthday we had a small party with family and a few friends at the park. It was a really fun and low key party. Samuel had a great time. He talked about the "party" for a few days afterward. His actual birthday was during the week and we just enjoyed a day at home and then went to the park after dinner that evening. The poor guy got a stomach bug and was not feeling well on his birthday. I love having a two year old. He is so cute and has such a cute personality. He is difficult at times and requires lots of patience, but he is worth all the effort it takes. Enjoy the pictures of our fun celebration.

Sydney at One Month

2010-05-26T13:39:00.001-07:00

One Month Pics

April

2010-05-26T13:21:00.000-07:00

April

Even though Sydney is the second child, I am taking lots of pictures of her, I just don't have as much time to post them or even download them off my camera. The end of April was lots of fun. We started to feel a little more normal around here. Sydney started sleeping a little longer and I started getting used to having both kids all day long. We actually started back to some normal activity. I was brave enough to go to the zoo with my sister-in-law and her kids one morning. I was really tired afterwards, but it was lots of fun. Sydney slept in the stroller the whole time and on this trip, I did forget to take her picture (oops), but she was there! John and I were also happy to go watch the Thunder play in the playoffs. John's parent watched the kiddo's and we enjoyed an evening at the game. It was my first time to leave Sydney for any length of time. Samuel is a great big brother. Sydney has developed a hatred of riding in the car. She cries most of the ride until she wears herself out. In the backseat Sam tries to calm her. He says, "It's okay baby...It' alright." Despite her crying, it is one of the cutest things I've ever heard. After that doesn't work he just ends up covering his ears with his hands. He makes me laugh at times that I should be crying!

Family of 4

2010-05-06T13:38:00.000-07:00

At Home

Family Time

Sydney is settling in to our family quite nicely. We are also settling in to her routine pretty good. She is a really good baby and seems a little more relaxed than Samuel was (We shouldn't compare our children, I know, but I have no other referce point). So far I think she is a pretty typical newborn. She eats every 3 hours and sleeps in between with her more awake times in the morning and in the evening. At nightime she is going about 4 hours between feedings usually about 10 pm, 2am, and 5:30am. Yes...I'm tired like all mothers of newborns. There is no sleeping in during the day with Samuel and occasionally I'll catch a nap in the afternoon. But it is worth it. I love my two kids more than I ever thought possible and I have to admit that they are darn cute! Here are some pictures of the first few weeks Sydney was home. I'll try to get more up soon.

Easter!

2010-05-06T13:28:00.000-07:00

Easter 2010

I'm trying to catch up on this blog! For Easter we were pretty low key. I really wanted to have Sam go to an Egg hunt, but didn't want to go far and I didn't have too much energy yet so I convinced my inlaw to have us over since they have a huge backyard. The cousins hunted eggs and we had such a great time. Sydney was held by everyone and we enjoyed dinner together. John and Sam went to church that morning while Sydney and I caught a few extra winks. Samuel and I died Easter eggs during the week before and it was lots of fun. Sam got so excited and he remained excited the entire day. He kept saying "More EGGS!" The eggs were well loved and I think about 4 of the 12 remained uncracked! I loved having a toddler for Easter this year. He loved all the activities. Kids add so much to things. I think it was one of the most fun Easter's I remember.

She's Here!

2010-04-07T19:21:00.000-07:00

Sydney Jo

Well we have had our baby girl home with us for almost two weeks now! Believe it or not, the transition has been pretty easy...(so far)! Sydney Jo Sherrer came to us on March 25 at 12:33 weighing a mighty 8 lbs 13 oz and 20 1/4 inches long. She had the chubbiest cheeks and lots of dark hair! I couldn't believe the hair and we are still wondering where she got it from, but it is beautiful and can already hold a small bow!!! The c-section went as planned and was much better than the first experience I had. I actually found myself amazed at my coherent thinking and talking abilities as I was talking to the doctors who were performing the surgery. Medical science is amazing! The recovery has been good too, but I'm not going to say it's been a breeze.

Like I expected, all my anxieties were wasted energy, cause I've recovered well and Samuel has adjusted better than I ever imagined he would. He was nervous when I was in the hospital and he came to visit, but was excited about the "baby". The first day we came home Sam had some adjustment issues, but after that he has been really good. He likes to kiss his baby sister and always includes her in any reading, singing, praying or family time we have. I can't wait to see how close they become.

We have lots of pictures from the hospital and our first day home. We are so proud of our new family! I wondered how I could love a second baby as much as the first, but like everyone has told me, you just do. I say that God just expands your heart to welcome the new love in. I can't really believe how fulfilled and blessed I feel to have such a wonderful family! God is so good! Enjoy the pictures. There will be more to come!

March!

2010-03-24T08:44:00.000-07:00

March 2010

What an exciting month it has been for the Sherrer family! It started with me in the hospital for contractions. After our third visit they put me on some oral medicine to stop them and make me more comfortable. They don't appear to be progressive contractions, just uncomfortable and annoying. So, I've been taking some medicine everyday to keep them controlled, but it has also made me slow down a lot. I've been very thankful for my family who have pitched in to help with Sam and the final preperations for Sydney. My mom and John's mom & dad have been so great and John has really stepped it up with the work around the house and taking care of Sam! We have been coutning down the days till Sydney's arrival.

Another big change this month is that John switched jobs! Great timing, I know, but we couldn't pass up the opportunity. So far it is going really well, but he is very busy and trying to learn all the new stuff that comes with a new job!

Last, but definetly not least, Sydney will make her grand appearance tomorrow! We are scheduled to have the repeat c-section at noon, March 25th. We are very excited to finally meet her. I don't really think Sam understands fully what is about to happen, but he is very interested in babies and he know's someone named Sydney is coming soon. We are praying that he loves her and that his adjustment to having a sister is as smooth as possible. I'll try to post some pictures soon, but don't get your hopes too high. I think my motto for starting out with two kids is going to be "low expectations". If I can reach the low expectations then maybe we will start working on something other than just getting through each day. This day by day thinking is helping me relax.

We can't wait to show off our new family!

February Recap

2010-03-19T13:21:00.000-07:00

February 2010

I'm having a hard time remembering too much about February (I blame pregnancy), which is why I need to keep up with blogging. There are a few great things that happened this month worth mentioning.
*First, Samuel got his first haircut! I didn't think that his hair looked too bad, but it was a little shaggy and about to start hanging in his eyes a little. Also I figured that since he was about to be a big brother, he might as well look like a big boy. The haircut experience itself was awful. Samuel cried (more like screamed as if being tortured) the entire time. People in the barber shop were happy to see us leave. But with all the screaming and squirming, I was shocked at how great his hair looked. He does look like a big boy now. Hopefully I won't have to get his haircut again for about a year...at least 6 months.
*We also continued getting Sydney's room ready and we are really happy with how it is coming together. When we get it done I'll try to post some pictures.
*The second week in February was my last week to watch baby Micah. We had a great time hanging out with that cute kid for 7 months and look forward to frequent play dates and watching him grow up.

February seemed to fly by, especially since it is a short month and we looked anxiously to March and the arrival of our newest family member. I have to admit, that I spent a lot of time in February worrying about becoming the mother of two. I know that things will be fine once I get there, but the anticipation can make you crazy. There were so many times I thought "how will I do this with two". Most of my anxiety comes from having another c-section (although everyone tells me the second is better)and working through all the adjustments that will come with Samuel being a big brother. I just continue to pray everyday that God will get me through it and I'm trying to cast this anxiety on Him. Pray with me on that.

January Recap

2010-03-19T13:04:00.000-07:00

January 2010

Okay, so I'm a little behind. Give a pregnant woman a break, okay! I just wanted to let you in on the past few months events so here is a little short break down of what happened in January.
*After Christmas break John and I decided to try to move Sam to a big boy bed instead of buying another crib (especially since my mom had a twin she''d give us for free). So we put it in his room, talked up the big boy bed idea, got an extra long bed rail, and went for it! To our amazement, Sam did awesome! He didn't cry one single bit the first night we put him in it and he didn't even get out on his own for a couple of days. Now he sleeps just great and likes to show everyone one his "big boy bed"! We were so relieved to have that adjustment over before Sydney arrived.
*So after we got Sam confortably in his new bed we decided to paint Sydney's room and move the crib in there! We chose a beautiful color of green and I love it. Samuel helped Daddy put the crib together. He loved acting like he was screwing in the screws and handing Daddy the tools (or running from him with the tools he needed).
*With the cold winter weather we were indoors alot. Samuel enjoyed playing with Micah and doing some fun painting. He is quite the artist!
*For my 29th birthday John arranged for us to have courtside tickets to the Thunder game. It was really fun. We got free food and drinks and got to go to a fancy lounge area where the "special" (ie: rich) fans get to go. We got to see all the players up close and they look bigger when you are down there for sure!
*Baby Sydney continued to grow this month and do well. Mommy on the otherhand struggled with back pain and started going to Physical therapy for some relief. Thankfully it really helped and I started to recover. Growing babies is hard work!

Christmas (Finally)

2010-01-22T12:19:00.000-08:00

Christmas 2009

We had a great Christmas. Sorry it has taken so long to post pictures. The weather only delayed us a little on Christmas day. We were able to see all of our family and enjoy some quality time with them. I'll let the pictures speak for themselves. Better late than never.

Disney Vacation!

2009-12-30T18:25:00.000-08:00

Christmas Vacation!

A few weeks before Christmas John, Sam and I went to Disney World with John's parents. We had such a great time and enjoyed the 80 degree weather. Sam didn't know what was going on most of the time but he loved most of the rides ands shows. However, he was so scared of the characters. He loved them and pointed at them from far away but as soon as we got close to them he shrieked with fear! It was also our first time flying with Sam and that went surprisingly well. We had one flight that was completely full and Sam had to sit in our laps and you could tell he needed some space, but the other three flights we were able to give him his own seat and as long as he had food, drinks, and a movie on the portable DVD player he was pretty content. We were only gone 4 days, so we probably tried to fit too much stuff into too few days, but we had fun doing it. Sam was a trooper and was much more flexible than I was about most things. We know that he won't remember this trip, but besides his food, he was completely free and we enjoyed watching him see all the fun Disney stuff! We decided we will try to go back in about 4 years (or more) so that Sydney and Sam can both enjoy it and communicate their needs and wants. Most of the pictures were taken by Poppa Joe (John's dad) so I only have a few, but it gives you an idea of what we did.

Fall Highlights!

2009-12-19T18:52:00.000-08:00

Fall Fun!

Here are a few of the highlights and pictures of our fun fall events!
1. Found out we are having a girl and named her Sydney Jo!
2. Tried to be creative with inside activities and successfully made homeade play dough. Sam has not eaten too much of it, but isn't sure what to do with it either!
3. Got to see lots of people for Thansgiving, but was really bad at taking pics!
4. Put up our Christmas tree and am very proud of how Sam has learned to leave it alone. He shows it to everyone who comes to our house and is excited to see it every morning. He also loves to see Christmas trees anywhere else and screams with excitement!
5. My brother and his wife Wendi welcomed Jett Micheal Johnson into our family! Sam and I drove out to Amarillo to see him and even though it was a hard trip, it was worth it to get to cuddle my new nephew! Also we went to the Big Texan to eat dinner and Sam danced his heart out to a little group of musicians that came to our table. It was hilarious!
6. We decided to take a quick vacation with John's parents and headed to Disney World Friday December 11. A seperate post will come later!

Despite the cold, we are looking forward to Christmas and celebrating our Saviors birth with all our family!

It's a GIRL!!!

2009-11-23T19:37:00.000-08:00

Baby Girl Sherrer

We just found out today that Samuel will have a baby sister! We are so excited! Samuel is keeping his excitement on the downlow, but we know he is overjoyed on the inside (or at least he will be once he understands). I guess I'm going to have to add some pink to this blog! Our ultra sound was this morning and I was able to guess that it was a girl before the tech even told us. I could clearly see 3 lines and no little turtle sticking out! We are also so thankful because the tech said that everything about her looked great, of course the official results will come later. We spent the day shopping and looking at baby girl things. I can already tell girls are more expensive. At least we bought neutral colored big baby items and it isn't too tabu for a girl to wear blue! We can't wait to meet her now!

Around the House

2009-11-17T11:25:00.000-08:00

Around the House

Sam and I spend lots of time around the house these days. Since I keep Micah (our friends baby) during the day we don't get out too often. Hopefully having a double stroller will help me get out more with baby #2. Anyway, we play at home a lot. When the weather was so nice we spend at least an hour of our time outside and Sam loves to be outside! I caught some cute picture of Sam playing around the house and wanted to share them with you all. His favorite things to do in the house are dance, read books, play the piano, watch Elmo and make messes with his toys.

A Little Late

2009-11-11T07:38:00.001-08:00

Happy Halloween

It's a little late, I know, but I still want to share our Halloween fun this year. Samuel dressed as a little Fireman. It was a simple costume and he loved it. He put on the hat willinglly and wore it most of the time. The night before Halloween we went to Norman and went Trick or Treating with Sam's cousins. Sam didn't really have a clue what was going on but was more than happy to enjoy a sucker while we walked the neighborhood. He looked like such a big boy walking up to the houses and holding out his pumpkin bucket. On Halloween John, Sam and I went to a local pumpkin patch. We took a hay ride, played with pumpkins, climbed a hay bale fort, pet some farm animals, and walked a corn field maze. It was beautiful weather and we had a great morning. Halloween night Sam and I went to the Trunk or Treat event at our church. We walked around, played a few games and got more candy that Sam really can't eat yet. It was really fun to have a toddler this Halloween. He seemed to enjoy himself during all the festivities.

October Zoo trip

2009-10-14T19:14:00.000-07:00

October Zoo trip

A few weekends ago we took Sam to the OKC Zoo. We were fortunate because it was one of the last nice days we have had, (ie; not hot, not cold, not rainy). We hadn't taken Sam to the zoo for a while and he just loved it. He actually looked at the animals and pointed. According to him everything goes "MOO". His cousins Sheridan and Jackson and their daddy went with us and we had a fun time together.

Boo and Papa's

2009-10-09T12:29:00.000-07:00

Boo and Papa's

Every Year about this time we try to go to Bella Vista, AR to visit John's grandparents, Boo and Papa (there is an explanation about why they call her Boo, but that is what the grandkids call her). So a couple of weekends ago we packed up and headed East. Papa and Boo have a log cabin in what Oklahoman's would call the mountains. It is peaceful and relaxing, but they are also near big cities too. John's brother and family came too and we had a nice weekend letting the kids play and visiting. Papa and Boo enjoy watching the kids play together and seeing their different personalities. We all cherished our time there and look forward to seeing them again soon.

Weekend Getaway

2009-10-09T12:04:00.000-07:00

Dallas trip

Over Labor Day weekend,(sorry this post is so late) John and I went to Dallas for the weekend. This was our first time to be away without Samuel. John has been away for work a little, but I had never spent a single night away from my baby. I felt like it was time to give it a try, especially in light of the new baby on the way. So Samuel went to stay with his Nana and Grandpa Jay in Burns Flat and John and I went to Dallas for some shopping and to catch the first OU game. Leaving Sam was really difficult, but once I was away from him I was able to relax and enjoy it. I loved eating at a restaurant and only worring about what I was going to eat, sleeping in, not scheduling my life around nap time, no ice chest of milk and juice, no pack n play or stroller. It was some great adult time. However, I think I called every 3 hours to check on him. We left on Friday and went to join him on Sunday and I was so happy to see him. He had a great time with his Nana and Grandpa. They spoiled him with icecream and staying up late and attention galore. I don't think he missed us at all, but he was happy to see us when we returned. I loved having some time to be with John doing the things we "used" to do, but I love having Sam, even with all the extra things that come with it. Being his mommy is the best!

Big Brother Sam!

2009-09-18T08:07:00.001-07:00

From Baby # 2 at 9 weeks

In case you hadn't heard already, Sam is going to be a big brother! We are so excited about baby #2 and hope to meet him/her the first week in April. I'm right about 11 weeks along and feeling pretty good. I have yucky moments, and am so thankful for the nausea medicine my Doc prescribed. It has made this pregnancy so much better than I felt with Sam. We had an ultra sound done to confirm the date and of course the baby looked like a little peanut. We saw it wiggle and it was cute. I'm a little nervouse about having two, but know that the positives will outweight the negatives. I hope that Sam and his sibling are great friends and I know that Sam will be a great big brother. He is so sweet with the baby Micah (who stays with us during the day). He kisses him like 10 times a day and talks to him and pats him and rocks his car seat. Sam is getting good practice for the baby!

Sam the Slam Dunker!

2009-08-28T08:03:00.000-07:00

Sam the Slam Dunker

Last weekend I went shopping and John taught Sam how to dunk a basketball! It is the cutest thing and he is really good at it. I caught it on video and he is so proud of himself. He does this very often now! It's crazy how quickly he is learning new things!

Big Boy!

2009-08-19T11:42:00.000-07:00

2009_07_24

Samuel is such a big boy these days. He is walking and running all over the place. He now prefers walking as his mode of transportation. It's funny how much older he looks now that he is walking. I also wasn't expecting him to be able to get into that much more stuff around the house, but I'm going to have to do a second round of baby proofing tonight! He now opens all my kitchen drawers and pulls everything out. Needless to say, I think "No" will be one of his first words.

This past week Samuel and I started keeping Micah during the day. He is the son of our great friends and he is 9 weeks old. He is a great baby and it has been a pretty smooth transition so far. They are sort of on the same nap schedule and so I do have some time to get some things done around the house. Sam loves Micah and
wants to kiss him over and over and he is learning to be a little more gentle too.

The other news we have is that we went to Sam's cardiologist and got a wonderful report. He was very pleased with how the surgery has helped him and said we don't have to go back to see him for a whole year! There is only a mild blockage and minimal leaking in the valve and if his heart stayed that way, Samuel would have very few limitations with his activity level as he gets older. We just pray that his condition stays this same way for a very long time! We were so thankful for that report!

Walking!

2009-07-30T07:25:00.000-07:00

July

Well Sam has been walking since July 22. We were at the water park and he just decided to let go of my head and break out on his own. I was so shocked even though I was expecting and hoping it would happen soon. He is getting better at it everyday. Hecan now go very long distances and can stop and start and keep his balance, but he hasn't learned to stand up with out pulling up on something first. He falls a lot, but hasn't nurt himself too bad yet. Walking hasn't changed a whole lot for Sam, except he is so proud of himself, but I'm definetly a little more nervouse. He has fallen and hit his head pretty hard a few times and those moments replay in my mind every time he is walking around something hard. Oh well, he'll get better and I will too! And just as I suspected, there are few slow and considerate steps and lots of fast, almost running to keep his balance ones.

Back from Vacation

2009-07-09T07:58:00.000-07:00

Vacation

We made it back from vacation. We had a really nice time. Here's a list of some of the highlights of the trip.
1. Eating Beignet's in the French Quarter for the last time in a long time.
2. Shopping in Foley, AL at a huge outlet mall and scoring Sam some great shoes!
3. Driving along the Gulf Coast and seeing the beautiful emerald waters of the ocean.
4. Taking Sam to the Ocean for the first time.
5. Watching Sam play in the sand.
6. Swimming in the pool and staying cool from the heat.
7. Seeing dolphins in the wild (they came right up to our boat)
8. Eating some really great seafood (Sam loves shrimp too!)
9. Meeting some friends in Fort Worth for dinner.
10. Getting free tickets to the Rangers game from the guy at the ticket booth
11. Taking Sam to his first Texas Rangers game (even though we left early cause he pooped twice and threw up twice, I think it was the heat).
12. Grammy and Papa Joe sold their house while we were there! So they are ready to move back to OKC!

Since we've been home Sam has been sleeping so much! I think we really wore him out. The 11 car ride was not much fun and I'm glad we don't have to do that again for a while. However, it was worth it cause we had a great time and just enjoyed being together.

Summer Fun!

2009-06-25T07:46:00.000-07:00

Summer Fun!

Even though it is hotter than blazes we are having a lot of fun this summer. We've played in the new pool Sam got for is birthday, and in the sprinklers at the cousins house and we are soon heading off on vacation! We also were excited to see our friends Marcus and Kristin have their new baby Micah. Micah is going to stay with us when his mommy goes back to work in August. Sam gave Micah kisses when he came to visit the other day. It was the cutest thing. It was his idea too. The kisses were soft, but the fingers are not as gentle. We are going to work on that alot I think.
Now, lets talk vacation! John and Sam and I are leaving this weekend to go to Louisianna to see Grammy and Papa Joe and help them get ready to move back to OKC!!! We are also going to drive from their house to Foley Alabama for some great outlet shopping and then to Destin Beach, FL for some relaxing time on the beach. We are so excited about getting away, but not as excited about an 11 hour car ride with a fiesty 1 year old! I guess we'll see how things go. Needless to say, there won't be any blogging for a while. I'll post pictures when we recover later! Enjoy the warm (I mean burning hot) weather! We'll be on the beach!

Silly Boy!

2009-06-10T12:27:00.000-07:00

Silly Boy

Sam's personality is starting to shine through these days. He is really a silly boy too. The cutest thing he is doing this week is dancing. He moves his feet and does sort of a head banging thing. It is so cute. I put a video of it in the album you have to check it out. He is also very full of energy and is easily excited (like his daddy). He is starting to chatter a little more and seems to hold conversations with himself. You can tell he is understanding more of what we say and is starting to learn so much! Gosh, it is fun to be his mommy!

Daring boy

2009-06-08T20:06:00.000-07:00

Daring Boy

I've learned lately that Samuel is a daring little man. I think he is a climber too. This combination makes me very nervous! Last week Sam learned how to climb in and out of his little red car. He turns in every direction and usually ends up standing up and trying to stand on top of the back seat only holding the handle that I push it with. I'm trying very hard to teach him that he shouldn't do that, but he keeps trying. He has also recently found his way INTO the bath tub. One day I was putting laundry away in my room and he went crawling away into the bathroom and before I was able to follow him he dove into the bathtub and successfully got inside by himself. Since then, he always heads straight towards the tub. I was able to watch him do it the other day (because he is incredibly fast) and he is pretty good at diving and crawling in without a hitch. He still isn't walking, or attempting to, but why should he? He is such a fast crawler and he gets to anything and everywhere that he wants. I, however, am very ready for him to walk. 24 pounds is a lot to carry around everywhere and something about being on his hands and knees in certain places does not appeal to me. Besides, I don't think that it will change much for him, in fact it might slow him down...for a minute. Anyway, wish me luck and pray that my little adventurous one stays safe.

Happy Birthday Samuel!

2009-06-01T14:09:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday Sam!

Samuel celebrated his 1st birthday last week. His birthday was on Tuesday May 26th and we were pretty low key on that day. John was took some time off all week and so we spent lots of time as a family. For his birthday morning I made waffles and scrambled eggs which he gobbled up and then went to Chick Fi-la for lunch. We hung out most of the day and he swang in his new swing set that John and I got him for his birthday. We went for ice cream after dinner with Zora and her parents and Sam stuck dove into John's icecream nose first.
Saturday we had his big birthday party. It was so much fun. We had our house full of family and friends. We ate dinner, played a few games that focused on Sam, he opened presents, and then had cake. He got some great new toys, books, clothes, and some money! He really enjoyed the party and didn't seemed phased by the 30+ extra people in the house. We are really blessed by the support our little family has had in the past year. I've attached some pictures, but I'll warn you, there is a lot! Enjoy!

One Year Pictures!

2009-05-25T13:15:00.000-07:00

One Year Pictures

We took Sam to get his One year pictures and I made a cake that he got to eat during the photo shoot. He thought it was really yummy and especially loved the icing. This was great practice for his birthday party!

Almost 1!

2009-05-21T07:41:00.000-07:00

May

I just can't believe that my baby is about to turn 1! This year has really gone quickly. However, it seems like Samuel has always been with us. I don't think there is anything that changes your life as much as a child does.
As an almost one year old Samuel is so much fun. I thought I'd write some of the important things that Sam is doing now to let everyone know about him and also to help me remember later. Here goes...

Playtime: Samuel loves to play. He especially loves his big red car that he rides in or walks behind. He has recently learned to throw balls and enjoys playing catch. He loves to be chased (crawling) and play peek a boo. His laugh is hearty and contagious.

Eating: Samuel wakes up every morning and has a bottle of formula (7-8 oz). We are about to lose the bottle in the next couple of weeks, however. He then has breakfast about an hour later which usually consists of his favorite cinnamon raisen toast and some type of fruit puree. He loves cherries, strawberries, peaches, and pears. Lunch and dinner usually consist of a meat, veggie, fruit, grain and maybe a dairy product. Some of his favorite foods are cheese, grilled cheese sandwiches, fish or fish sticks (he goes crazy for them), Chick-fi-la Chicken strips, grilled chicken, and avocado. Veggies are not among his favorites but we can usually manage to get down some green beans or carrots without too much of a fuss. He drinks one sippy cup of whole milk in the afternoon and one with dinner. He is a pretty good eater!

Sleep: At this time Sam requires alot of sleep it seems. On his best day Sam will wake up between 6:00 & 7:00 am, be ready for nap between 8:30 & 9:30 sleept till 10:00 or 11:00, have another nap between 1:00 & 2:00 and wake up between 3:00 & 4:00. Back to bed around 8:00 PM. He goes to sleep with his lovey giraff in his sleep sack. At bed time we read a book or two then sing 3 songs, pray and lay him down. He usually goes to sleep without any complaint. He will occasionally wake up during the night, but he doesn't usually need anything, he might cry for a minute then go back to sleep. Sometimes I think he has an occasional night terror where he screams or cries and he isn't even awake. I just have to hope that he doesn't remember those things in the morning. He doesn't really wake up happy but after he gets his milk or moves to a different room he comes around and starts being his normal happy self.

Other stuff: Sam currently has 4 teeth shining through and he has learned to bite and pull his food. He walks around furniture, but isn't wanting to venture out on his own yet. Yesterday he said his first word! He was standing at my legs whining for me to pick him up, but I was cooking dinner and talking on the phone (multi tasking) and I didn't feel that he really needed anything when all of a sudden he said "Mama". I couldn't believe it because he was actually asking for me! Of course I picked him up then! He has never even come close to saying mama before, only dada but not really in the context of John or anything else.

He is such a cutie and we are so blessed to have him. We Thank God for Samuel and for the first year of his life! We are anxiouse to celebrate his birthday tomorrow at home and thenhis official birthday party will be on Saturday at our house with some family and friends!

Making up for lost time!

2009-05-16T13:40:00.000-07:00

2009_03_27

I've been bad at posting new pics so here are some from the end of March and below are some from April. April seemed to really fly by. Samuel started practicing his walking skills this month. He pushed his moveable toys around and just giggled like crazy when he did it. There are some really cute videos that I couldn't pass up on posting. He is full of personality and is constantly moving. He is the fastest crawler I've ever seen. I'm worried that he won't feel the need to walk because he is so good at crawling!

April

First Ear Trouble

2009-04-18T18:50:00.001-07:00

This week Samuel had his first ear infection. It's been pretty sad. It seems like just all of a sudden it hit him with a high fever. He wasn't showing the traditional signs, like tugging on the ear or drainage. He wasn't even fussy...until the fever hit. We went to the doctor on Tuesday and started antibiotic #1. It however, must have tasted horrible because Sam fought me every time I tried to give it too him. He would stick his tongue out and then either spit out what I put in his mouth or even gag so hard he threw up. It was lovely. I called the Doc and they gave us antibiotic #2. It must taste better but still not on the favorites list. I have been able to get the complete dose in his system so far. However, tonight he has broken out in a light rash. The on-call nurse suggested we don't give him anymore until we talk to the doctor again. Thankfully, the fever hasn't been back since yesterday. The only positive of his sickness is that he has been very cuddly. However, that also makes me sad because he isn't his normal active self and I know he feels terrible. I've known that he was a tough kid, but he has just proved it more during this sickness. He still smiled at people and didn't complain too much despite 102 degree temperature. Thankfully he is on the mend now and had energy enough to play today. After we get the antibiotics worked out I hope life returns to normal.

Busy Boy=Busy Life

2009-03-26T18:29:00.000-07:00

Busy Boy=Busy Life

It has been a while since I've blogged. Sorry for the long absence. I'll just tell you that my world has really changed since Samuel started crawling. I can't believe it has been over a month since he's been cruising! He is in to EVERYTHING! If it is in his reach it is fair game! I'm not a super clean freak but my house isn't too dirty, but Samuel seems determined to find every crumb, lint, leaf and other unknown objects that might hide themselves in my carpet. Clean floors are now a high priority! I've also had to start using the "no" word. It's interesting how fast they understand that word, but also interesting how quickly they learn to test and see if mom is serious. I'll say "No Samuel" and he'll stop and look at me, then slowly start again until..."No Samuel"...he stops and looks at me then grins to see if I'm serious and then he may or may not try it again. It's pretty cute, but also a glimpse of the future with my ornery boy! One of the cutest things he is doing now is dancing to music. He puts one finger in the air and bounces up and down or if he is standing at something he will bend his knees or push out his botton. He also just started clapping so sometimes he claps to music! It is all SO cute! I just love being Sam's mommy and am so blessed to get to spend everyday with him! John has been very busy with work and we have been missing him, but hope that soon he'll return to his normal schedule! At Sam's 9 month appointment he was 22 lbs, 2 oz and was 29 inches long. He's in the 75th percentile and is doing great! Today he is officially 10 months old! He is such a blessing!

On The Move!

2009-02-13T08:39:00.001-08:00

On the move!

The past two weeks Samuel has started really going places! He rolled around everywhere. We were told last week at church that he had to move up from the infant room to creepers room in the nursery! They said that he was rolling all over the place and even rolled over to Zora (Sam's good friend) took her toy away and started laughing when she started crying. Now I wouldn't call him a bully or anything, but I guess they are right about moving him out of the infant class. He really is a sweet boy! Then all week he has been working hard at crawling. He would take a few steps with his hands and occasionally his knees would follow. Most of the time he just did a little belly flop!....Today however, he completely crawled! It was the cutest thing in the whole world. My heart swelled with pride and I was giggling with joy! Amazingly enough, I caught it on video!!! So look at all the pictures and there are lots of videos of the work we've been doing and then you can see that he conquers another major milestone! My life has officially changed forever! He has also gotten better at feeding himself. He loves puffs and yogart melts! mmmmm.

Heart Happy!

2009-02-05T12:54:00.000-08:00

Yesterday our little family made another trip to the pediatric cardiologist(our 4th since he was born) to have a check on Sam's heart condition. The doctor said that everything continues to look great at this time. Yeah!!! Thank you Jesus. After the EKG and an echocardiogram he felt that the blockage in the aortic valve was mild with only minimal leakage from the surgery. He told us to continue treating him like a normal baby. He was pleased with how happy and healthy he is. We don't have to go back for 6 months, which is great news because it always seems to take about 2 hours for a visit and Sam doesn't like to hold still for the tests they do. Anyway, we are so thankful.
As we sat in the waiting room John and I both just felt so blessed to have Sam. Although he has his own problem, he has such a normal lifestyle right now. It was hard to look at all the kids and families sitting there waiting to see the heart doctors. Just walking the halls of children's hospital puts a new perspective on everything. We praised God for our wonderful son and pray that his condition never worsens or if God willing, it disappears! Thanks for all your continued support to our family!

Warm Winter

2009-02-05T12:16:00.000-08:00

Warm Winter Days

We have been so fortunate to have some very warm days in the middle of winter this year. We've also had some very cold days, but we expect those in February. Anyway last Saturday was in the 60's and we took advantage and went to the park for a family outing. We haven't gone to the park much yet because Sam has been too little to really care about swings and ducks and stuff like that. But now he had so much fun! He got to swing for the first time and he loved it. I think John and I loved it just as much. It was so fun. It felt like the beginning of all the fun kid things we get to experience with Sam. Sam is a very excited baby and lets us know when something meets his approval. I think he is more like his dad in this area, cause they are both very excitable and expressive. I guess we will fing out.
Grandma Robin came to visit and brought Sam this cute little OU wind suit. John thought it was great and made me do an entire photo shoot of Sam in it. For the OSU fans out there, you'll be happy to know that Sam wore the outfit for about 2 hours before he expressed his feelings and overflowed his diaper. Like I said...he lets us know what he likes! (haha)

January Fun

2009-01-28T09:25:00.000-08:00

January Fun

Where has January gone. Wasn't Christmas just yesterday? Well...Sam has had another fun month and he is now 8 months old! I can't believe it. Exciting news at 8 months is that he is rolling all over the place and putting himself in the crawling position. He is now able to skoot backwards, dive forward or roll sideways. So he is really moving! I have been seriously thinking about babyproofing the house, but just haven't gotten to it yet. I'm sure Sam will give me some motivation soon. Another exciting event this month is that Sam got his first little toothling. It's only a little bit through the gums on the bottom. I'm guessing that he will probably get a lot of his teeth at the same time...yeah for teething. He hasn't been too cranky though just a little clingy sometimes. I've attached two albums of pictures from this month and the one below has video of some of Sam's new moves. The video was taken a few weeks ago and he is getting better every day, but it is still really cute.

2009_01_20

Play Day with Cousins

2009-01-26T13:15:00.001-08:00

Cousins

After all the Christmas celebrations ended, Sam and I were home alone with nothing important to do. No family to visit, no gifts to go shopping for, no daddy home during the day...just back to our normal days. I'm not complaining, cause I love our normal days, but after a month of constant busyness there was an extreme let down. So anyway, after a week, I called my sister-in-law and said...we are coming for a visit. She was thrilled. So we went to Norman for the day and let the kids play. Sam loved it. He hadn't spent much time with older kids yet and he watched their every move. He laughed hysterically at Sheridan, the 4 year old, and you can already tell that he and Jackson have a special bond (they are 10 months apart). Megan and I had a great day talking and watching the kids and we even got some scrap booking done. We plan to do it more often cause it was great for everyone! I think that everyone needs to have some cousins to grow up with and some pictures to prove it, so here they are...

Fun Pictures

2009-01-21T13:08:00.000-08:00

photo funia pics

My father-in-law played around with some program on the web and made these cool pictures of Sam. I thought they were great! Thanks Papa Joe!

7 Months

2009-01-13T07:54:00.000-08:00

7 Month pictures

Right before Christmas we had Sam's 7 month pictures taken at Target! They were so cute that we decided to pay the extra $5 to get them online and downloaded to our computer. He is such a camera ham these days. He was quick to learn that when the camera is out he should give his million dollar smile. We are so proud of him and wanted to share these pics with you!

Christmas at Home and More Fun!

2009-01-09T08:09:00.000-08:00

Christmas at Home and more fun!

On Christmas morning John and I went in to wake Samuel up, which I'm sure is just one of the few years we have to actually wake him up for Christmas morning. As usual he was such a happy baby in the morning. We took him to the living room and he opened a few presents from Santa and a few from Mom and Dad. Then we all opened our stockings. It was such a special time together. Sam was so happy about every present except the pajama's. However, Santa somehow knew that Sam's toes were pushing there way through most of his current PJ's so Mommy was thankful for them.
Afterward we got ready and went over to Grandmothers again to open stockings that Santa left for us there. We ate the traditional Sherrer Christmas breakfast of cinnamon rolls, bacon and breakfast casserole. Before the morning was over we headed to Burns Flat again just to relax and be with family for the day. While we drove out their Samuel got to be a part of our traditional reading of the Christmas Story from the Bible. We all learned something new about the wonderful birth of our Savior. The Chaos of Christmas can often help us forget what we are really celebrating, but every year John and I read that story and we reflect on how marvelous our God is. Now with our own son we have a deeper understanding of how hard it would be to send him to a place where you knew he'd endure pain. That's how much God loves us...too much to comprehend!

Christmas Eve (Celebration # 3)

2009-01-08T21:33:00.000-08:00

Christmas Celebration #3

For Christmas Eve we always spend the evening at Grandmothers with Grammy, Papa Joe, Uncle Andy, Aunt Megan, Jackson and Sheridan. It used to be a small and quiet gathering of adults who ate a delicious and relaxing meal among candle light and Christmas music. Now with three kids among the group the only thing that is the same is that the food is delicious! But it was such a fun time watching the kids open presents. Samuel was again blessed with lots of fun stuff! Grammy and Papa Joe gave him a radio flyer car. At first, we all thought it would be a few months before he enjoyed it, but when we sat Sam in the seat he looked as if he'd done it a million times. He grabbed the wheel and waited for someone to push him. It took no time for him to find the ignition button or the music button. It was a blast. We celebrated late into the evening and Sam ended up snoozing in the pack and play until we went home to get ready for Santa. This was just another celebration where we counted our blessings and thanked God for our wonderful family.

Christmas #1 and 2

2009-01-07T18:12:00.001-08:00

Christmas #1 & 2

We began our Christmas celebrations the weekend before in Burns Flat. First we went over to Grandma Robin's house and had yummy food and opened presents. We got to have Uncle Jerome, Uncle Justin, Aunt Shae and Uncle Travis and all of their families together. We really missed having Grandpa Vance with us but were so thankful that he got to celebrate Christmas in Heaven!
For our second Christmas celebration we went over to Nana and Jays house with Uncle Justin, Aunt Renee', Uncle Jerome, Aunt Wendi and their kids. We opened presents Saturday night and then had a very big breakfast the next morning. We enjoyed playing with Grandpa Jay's new Wii.
Samuel did not lack for any attention and was very blessed with gifts. John and I were surprised at how much he really enjoyed opening presents. He really would have been happy with just having a wad of wrapping paper, but at home he will enjoy all the new toys! After the weekend we were already starting to get tired but were looking forward to some more Christmas blessings. We were really happy that John had three whole weeks off to spend with us!

Christmas is coming!

2009-01-07T12:17:00.000-08:00

Holiday Spirit

First of all, sorry for the delays in posts. We have been very busy, like most people, during the holidays and I've neglected to post all the details.

As the Christmas season approached we had lots of fun with Samuel. We decorated our house together, went shopping together and started visiting family early on. These pictures are some of the fun times we had getting ready for Christmas.

THANKFUL

2008-12-04T19:07:00.000-08:00

Thankful

Our thanksgiving was really good. It was very busy and a little chaotic (3 family gatherings in 1 day), but we enjoyed seeing our family. We only got pictures of the first gathering because I think we got tired and busy and forgot about pictures.

Thanksgiving is a great time to remember our blessings, but I know that it is not hard for John and I to think of our blessings because we look at him everyday! Samuel is just the sweetest baby. I know, at first I complained about the hardships of a newborn, but after about 3 months he was a new baby. He is now so happy most of the time. He is content to sit and be a part of our family or giggle and play with you. He is amazing! Something as good as him (and other babies) could only come from a wonderful God who masterfully designed us. Since I'm being mushy now anyway, here is a list of things I'm so thankful for about Samuel. (this list is not all inclusive but a good representation)

1. Samuel is healthy (his heart is doing really good for now according to our latest cardiology appt.) 2. He is doing what he should, ie. eating food, sleeping through the night, sitting up, rolling over, babbling, etc... 3 He is starting to show us some love: he puts his forhead to mine and holds my face (ahh), he occasionally leans in when we say "kiss", he greets us with a smile, he plays with our face and my hair when he is eating or getting tired, he cuddles up and stares at us with loving eyes...these are the best things in the whole world.

Believe me, since his birth I have cried many tears of thankfulness. John and I are so blessed to have Samuel and each other. (Now everyone can say "ahhhhh) Have a great day!

Half a year!

2008-11-24T14:14:00.000-08:00

Half a year!

Wow! Time flies when your having fun! Samuel is almost 6 months old! That is half a year! I can't believe it. We are just having so much fun now days. He is sitting up very well now and loves to play with his toys. He reaches out for everything I have and just today tried some cake icing before I could stop him. He is eating like a horse but doesn't like the green vegetables so much. He actually starts gagging when i give them to him. I have to hide them in other foods so he will eat them. It is almost Thanksgiving and we are looking forward to seeing family. We hope you all have a great time with loved ones!

Playing!

2008-11-10T13:52:00.000-08:00

Playtime!

Samuel is very interested in everything now. He is really starting to have fun with toys. Once a month I meet with some other moms for a play goup and this time Sam was really aware of everyone there. It was fun to see him interact with the other babies. He also really likes to play with mommy and daddy. He is so much fun!

Trunk or Treat

2008-11-10T12:48:00.000-08:00

Trunk or Treat!

For Halloween our church did an event called Trunk or Treat. Everyone decorates or makes a game in the trunk (or around the trunk) of their car. We went in with the Crawfords and had a rousing game of pumpkin bowling at our trunk. Samuel was in his costume all evening and did really well. He didn't mind the hood, but crazy as it was for October 31, he was hot! i think it was around 70 degrees and a beautiful night. Sam was the cutest giraff and got lots of ewww's and ahhh's from all the people around. He doesn' mind the attention of course. He just smiled at everyone who talked to him. It was a very nice first Halloween!

Playing with Zora!

2008-11-10T12:40:00.000-08:00

From Collages

Sam and Zora get to play together every Tuesday morning in the church nursery while their mommy's watch all the babies. They are only 8 days apart and are destined to be great friends. Now that they are sitting up (sort of) they can actually look at each other and share toys. HOW CUTE!

5 Months Old!

2008-10-31T08:22:00.000-07:00

5 months

Little Samuel is getting so big! He has really grown in the last couple of months. We went to the Dr last week and he weighed 17 lbs 12 oz and by now I bet he is 18 lbs. He was also 26 inches long! He is very sturdy if you know what I mean. Since the last post we've had several milestones. He has started eating real food now and is dining on butternut squash, green beans, and sweet peas. Yesterday we started applesauce for breakfast and you will not believe it but he doesn't like it. He tastes it and then shakes his body with a contorted little face like he just ate a sour patch kid. If I feed it to him for too long he starts gagging. You'd think that pureed green beans might cause this same thing but he actually enjoys those. He is getting so much better at eating and even makes noises like "mmmm" when he is eating. It is so cute. Another milestone is that he is BARELY sitting up by himself. If placed in the right position he can stay up without falling, but he looks a little like he's terrified to move or he knows he'll collapse (see pictures). Nana has come up a few times to help us out and let John and I go out by ourselves a few times. We went to dinner one night and then to the very first Thunder basketball game. We thought Sam would be unhappy with all the noise and being past bedtime and all. We will probably take him to a game some other day. I finished up my first cake decorating class but have started taking the intermediate class because I was having so much fun. So now Sam and Daddy have Monday nights all to themselves. It is good bonding time. There are a few outfits of his halloween costume but there will be plenty more to come I'm sure. Sam send slobbery, open mouthed kisses to everyone!

Beginning Fall.

2008-10-15T14:09:00.000-07:00

Beginning Fall

Fall is in the air and it is funny because what I'm so excited about this year is dressing Sam in his cute warm weather clothes. We are ready to transition from baby blue and yellow to orange, red, and brown. Man time is flying!
It's seems that there is always something to be working on as a Mother. For the past week, Samuel and I have been working on sleep. In the past 141 nights Sam has only slept through the night twice. This is probably pretty common for babies but not for me! So I took Sam to the doctor to make sure there was nothing wrong with him and the Doctor said that he looked fine but that it sounded like he had a bad habit (cause he was getting worse and waking up about every 2 hours again). I'll spare the details of how we are working to break this habit, but let me just tell you it isn't for the faint of heart. However, I know that it is best for Sam and for the whole Sherrer family.
On happier notes, Sam is really getting big. He is such a cutie and is a very happy boy. We are enjoying taking walks in the beautiful weather. This next weekend Sam's Cousin Jaide and friend Kristen (both 14) are coming to visit and Sam is so excited to have someone else to play with. He is also excited because I have been whipping up some delicious butternut squash food for him to try soon. He knows that rice cereal is not the best that it gets. Tuesday nights are Sam's fun nights with Daddy while I goes to my cake decorating class. Thanks for keeping up with our happy little boy.

Sam is growing!

2008-10-03T12:27:00.000-07:00

Sam is growing!

Samuel turned 4 months old last week! He is growing so much! I got on the scale with and without him and discovered that he weighs close to 17 lbs! He has doubled his birth weight and is just trucking right along those developmental milestones. He rolls over from front to back easily now but hasn't mastered the back to front roll yet. But why would he try when he doesn't even like being on his belly in the first place? He giggles at the slightest tickle and is actually sleeping better at night. He wakes up a few times, but doesn't need to eat anymore, especially now that we started cereal. His first feeding was so exciting! He made a face and then started kicking his legs and flapping his arms like he was so happy. He didn't really get much in his tummy that first time, but he has really improved and he has learned to swallow without pushing his tongue out as much. I just have to say that I think he is such a cute baby. I've decided he has his daddy's eyes and huge eyelashes and mommy's nose, mouth and chins (haha). He's lost most of the hair he was born with and has replaced it with white little fuzz. It is so light that he really still looks completely bald cause it is hard to see. He is just adorable and I don't think I could love him anymore or my heart would explode! Enjoy the pictures and even some videos!

Visit with Cousins

2008-09-27T09:06:00.001-07:00

2008_09_12

Samuel had company last week and he had so much fun! His cousins Sheridan (almost 4) and Jackson (14 months)came to spend 2 whole nights with us! Their mommy, Megan, had foot surgery and needed a reprive from chasing kids for a couple of days. Samuel enjoyed having them over. He was so distracted that he didn't even want to eat as much. He had too much too watch. Jackson really loved Samuel and was always talking and hugging and patting him. Sheridan loves to help take care of him and has some great motherly instincts. I've decided that having kids 10 months apart is WAY too close! I had lots of fun with them but I felt like I'd finished a marathon when they left! Oh Well, it was so much fun to watch the cousins bond and really have fun together.

Rolling Over!

2008-09-15T18:35:00.000-07:00

So the big news this week is that Samuel rolled over. He has done it for us three times so far! It was so exciting. I was able to get a glimpse of what it feels like to watch your child do somethingthat makes you feel so proud! It was such a fun event. We tried to get it on video but he was too tired. However I did get a photo just before and after he rolled the second time. He is such a stong little guy! He is also so happy! He is always smiling and squealing with delight. I found out where he is ticklish and it is so fun to make him giggle. It is just so fun to be his mother and I'm a very blessed woman. We are still working on sleeping through the night, but we are going to start cereal soon and maybe that will help.

Always a fun time!

2008-09-03T12:10:00.000-07:00

I can't believe how my little boy is growing up. We've had a great time this week. Daddy had 6 days off in a row and we got to spend lots of time together and with family and friends. Samuel is getting so big. He is now able and enjoying sitting in his stroller the big boy way; facing out. He also sat in his high chair for the first time and really liked sitting while we ate dinner and he played with his toys. He is now officially in the size 2 diapers and he took a nap the other day without being swaddled. All these things to say that mommy is realizing how fast her baby is changing and growing up. However, every stage he has been in has become my favorite

Sam The Man!

2008-08-27T09:21:00.001-07:00

Sam the man!

Sam is getting more fun everyday. He is so involved in everything now. It is rare that he sits quietly in his car seat while the rest of the world does stuff. He wants in on the action! He is usually content to sit with someone facing out so he can see what is happening. It is cute to watch his little face so intense while he takes in his surroundings. He is such a blessing! I love being his mom!

We got more good news last week when we went back to the pediatric cardiologist when they told us that they think the procedure was a great success and that he still only has a mild blockage of the aortic valve. We go back in December and we pray that it stays that way for many years!

Sam scared me the other night cause he slept till 5 AM! I woke up first and jumped up and ran in to check on him and he was just starting to move around. He woke up shortly after and needed to eat RIGHT then. I thought maybe that was the beginning of something beautiful but he hasn't done it again since. We are back to 2 AM feedings. It's okay. I'm sorta like a machine now. It doesn't even bother me anymore. The part that is hard is when I have trouble going back to sleep. Anyway, I enjoy our extra time together. Soon enough he won't need me in the night anymore (I hope it's soon anyway).

Sam has some new tricks these day! They include very large and numerous spit bubbles, standing while you hold him, and smiling easily with an occasional giggle. He is the greatest. I thank God for him everyday!

Thriving!

2008-08-13T17:37:00.000-07:00

Thriving!

First of all Sam is continuing to do great after his surgery and thanks again for everyones prayers. It has been a busy week already. Sadly, John had to go out of town for training and left Sunday night and will be back Friday night. We miss him a lot. This is the first time he is away from Sam and he has asked me to Fed Ex him to Florida. I politly refused. Since Daddy was going to be gone Sam and I went to Burns Flat to visit our family. First we stayed with Grandma Robin and had a great time with her. Then we went to Nana's house. Since Sunday Sam has been bombarded with family and friends who all wanted to see how he was doing. It is great to be so loved. He did really well during all of the chaos and being off his normal schedule. He is starting to be less fussy and more happy. Yeah! He liked to charm everyone with his beautiful smile and cute little voice. Today we went to the pediatrician and he weighs 12 lbs 11 oz and was 25 inches long! He is getting so big! They said that he was doing great and was thriving. He got his shots too which was a horrible experience. We are home now and can't wait for Daddy to get home too.

Sam is doing great!

2008-08-02T09:47:00.000-07:00

9 weeks

Well the surgery went really well for Samuel. It was success and opened up the valve and helped the heart work without so much pressure. He now only has a mild to moderate blockage and we just pray that it stays that way. Samuel recovered really well from the anesthesia and was eating by about 5:00 that night. We got home from the hospital about noon yesterday and he took a good nap. We are so thankful for all the people that were praying for Sam. John and I were very nervous but had a peace that transcended all understanding. We had lots of support at the hospital and people distracted us from worry during the 3 hour surgery. So Sam has proven to us already that he is a strong little guy. Thank you so much for your support. We go back to the cardiologist in 2 weeks for a check up. It sounds like we will become great friends with the doctors throughout Sam's life because we will have to monitor his progress closely. Thank the Lord that they found this problem early.

News on Sam!

2008-07-25T18:51:00.000-07:00

Thank you for your prayers for Samuel. The cardiologist met with all the other pediatric cardiologists in OKC today and discussed Sam's case. As a group they believe that it is in Sam's best interest to move ahead with the catheter balloon procedure soon. As of now, we are scheduled for surgery this Thursday at 7:30 AM. Because the pressure in his heart was a little too high they think it's best to act now so that no damage is done and so he doesn't start to develop symptoms. The procedure will be done at Children's hospital and they will go through arteries in his leg and neck to reach the valve and expand it. He will stay overnight and then most likely go home on Friday. Honestly, we are very scared about the whole thing, but we do have comfort that has only come through prayer and the strength that only Christ can give. Please pray for our little boy, the doctors, and for us as we prepare this week.

A matter of the heart!

2008-07-24T14:08:00.000-07:00

8 weeks

I've talked about parenting being hard so far but it gets harder. I mean I have to say that things are actually starting to become more routine and Sam and I are getting in a groove and I'm feeling much better and enjoying being Sam's mom. However parenting will always be hard because there are things that are out of your control and that you can't protect your children from. That is my test this week.
This week we got some tough news. We went to the pediatric cardiologist for a problem they had suspected at birth. John and I had been praying about this problem and hoping that it would go away, but...it didn't. We found out that Samuel has aortic stenosis which is narrowing of a section of the aortic valve. This causes the other sections of the valve to work overtime which is not good. The cardiologist did an ultra sound and said that his was more severe that he first suspected and so we will have to have something done sooner than later. We are unsure exactly what this means as far as a time frame, but know that he will undergo a procedure where they run a catheter to the valve and use a balloon to inflate it. The doctor want to consult with other cardiologists and we will go back to see him in 4 weeks. The bad news is that this will be a lifelong condition that will have to be monitored and could influence certain activities Sam is allowed to do.
Although we are sad and worried and scared I'm so thankful for a heavenly Father who is the God of all comfort. I continuosly have scripture running through my head that calm my anxious heart..."Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you 1 Peter 5:7... Be anxious about nothing but in everything by prayer and supplication present your requests before God. Phillipians 4:6...I created you and knit you in the womb Psalm 139...Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to your life. Matt 6:27." Please join us in prayer over this situation. We will keep you updated.
In the meantime we have a beautiful little boy who is growing bigger everyday. He is changing before our very eyes!

7 weeks & 7 wonders!

2008-07-16T11:42:00.000-07:00

7 weeks

All parents know that there are just some things about babies that seem unexplainable. They just make us "wonder". This is something I've discovered and when you ask people about baby things you are likely to get a million different answers, because here is the key...ALL babies are different. Here are some of the things I wonder about most.

1. Baby Poop: Samuel and I BOTH failed miserably at breastfeeding (I'll spare you the gory details). After mourning the loss of it we are now formula baby. So here is the question. If a baby only eats one thing in the same amounts at about the same time everyday how can it's poop be so different from poop to poop. I don't get it.
2. Sleep: I've heard of it all in this category, but again...All babies are different. I wonder every day and every morning at 4 am how do you get a baby to sleep longer. I dream of the days when I get more than 3 hours of sleep.
3. Crying: So I've changed him, fed him, burped him, walked him, bounced him, swaddled him, and he is still crying. Usually I can get him to calm down eventually, but what I wonder about is...What is he crying about so much?
4. Smiles: We have entered the stage where he smiles at us and it is becoming more frequent, but sometimes I'll watch him and he is staring at the blank wall smiling and cooing when I'm trying my hardest to get him to grin. What is he thinking that would make him so happy with the wall?
5. Timing: How can babies be so in tuned with there surroundings that they can always tell when mommy is about to take her first bite of dinner, just stepped in the shower, just laid her head on the pillow or the preacher is about to begin his sermon? They have impeccable timing!
6. Family: When family comes to visit they walk in and look straight past me or John to Samuel and after about 5 minutes or more they say hello to us. It's not really that bad, but I wondered how our family would react to him and I'm amazed at how much they love him too.
7. Love: This is cheesy, but it is the biggest wonder of all. How can my heart be filled with so much love for him.

These are just some of the most intriguing parts of having a baby for me. I seem to have millions of questions all the time and am always looking for answers. But I've learned to be a little more relaxed about not knowing the exact answer and just enjoying the adventure of understanding my precious little boy!

Friends and Fun!

2008-07-06T13:41:00.000-07:00

Friends and Fun!

This past week has been really busy for the Sherrer family. Samuel made his first overnight trip and he did great. We went to Arkansas to celebrate the wedding of some of our closest friends. We stayed the night with John's grandparents and my mom (Nana) came to help us with Samuel because John and I both had roles in the wedding. We stayed 3 nights and we were all very tired when we got home. Then John took the whole week off to be with us and we took an overnight trip to Burns Flat to visit family. We enjoyed our visit and loved having other people to hold Samuel during some of his crankier times. The funny thing about overnight trips is that it used to take us about 20 minutes to get everything packed and get out the door, but now that Samuel is with us it takes us all day and somehow we are still late getting out the door. I'm proud of myself though...I did not forget one thing for Samuel on either trip. I wish I could say the same for me and John. Sorry there are no pictures of our July 4th activites. We spent Thursday and Friday watching Daddy play in a softball tournament. It was fun, but Samuel doesn't like being hot, so mommy spent most of the games holding and comforting him. Needless to say, the camera didn't come out of the bag. However, I was able to catch him smiling for the camera (in the comfort of our cool home). Isn't it so cute. I can't wait to have lots more pictures or him cheesing it up for us!

Samuel's Great Grandparents

2008-07-06T13:20:00.000-07:00

Great Grandparents

Samuel is very fortunate to have most of his great grandparents still living. He has gotten to meet all of them already in his first 6 weeks. They all think he is pretty cute and enjoy telling us stories about their own babies (our parents). It is very important to us to let our families know how much we love them. We do not take for granted any day that we have with those we love. One thing God has taught us this past few months is that you never know what tomorrow may bring. These are precious picture of Samuel's heritage!

Playtime!

2008-07-04T21:07:00.000-07:00

Playtime

It is so fun to watch Samuel begin to grow and change. He is starting to do some fun stuff. He smiles now and not just in his sleep! It is so cute. I'm going to try to catch it on camera. He also has started watching us. He follows us with his eyes and likes to look at things more closely. You can tell his eyes are developing more and he doesn't go cross eyed as much! Oh the little joys we celebrate. We are starting to see more of his personality and we have decided he is a passionate and intense little guy. He is a little stubborn and John and I are both pointing the finger about where he got that. He knows what he likes and what he doesn't like that is for sure! Here are a few things we've discovered...
Samuel likes: FOOD, being read to, being sang to, listening to loud music in the car, being held, being swaddled, his pacifier, sleeping in his crib, getting his food immediately, the sound of running water
Samuel doesn't like: Waiting on his FOOD, sleeping more than 2-3 hours at a time, going to sleep by himself, getting buckled in the car seat, being in his swing, being burped when he isn't finished eating, being hot, when his pacifier falls out of his mouth!

Samuel's Big Adventures!

2008-06-24T13:27:00.000-07:00

Samuel's Big Adventures!

Samuel and mommy and daddy are getting used to each other and are starting to return to life as (somewhat) normal. We are starting to get out and visit people and do some fun things. Here are a few of our pictures from our last week.

Samuel's first bath

2008-06-21T08:06:00.000-07:00

FIrst Bath

I was very nervous to give Samuel his first bath. I knew he was going to get mad because it was cold. I was right. But mommy and daddy worked together to make it as quick and painless as possible. Now that he has lost his umbilicle cord and circumcision thing we are able to fill the tub with warm water and he doesn't get so cold or mad.

Fun at home!

2008-06-12T19:53:00.000-07:00

Reality has set in. It is really fun to have Samuel home, but still lots of work. We've had lots of visitors and lots of help and we needed all that we have gotten. Nana stayed with us after we came home for a few days and then Grammy and Papa Joe came to visit for a few days. Shortly after they left, I called my mom (Nana) and asked her to come back. I just needed the extra person in my cheering squad and John didn't mind someone else doing the laundry and cooking and stuff. We are so fortunate to have such a wonderful family to come support us during this huge and overwhelming transition. Samuel is such a blessing to us and we are overwhelmed with love for him. Isn't he just the cutest thing!

Fun at home!

Home Sweet Home!

2008-06-10T17:20:00.000-07:00

We were so excited to leave the hospital and take Samuel home. It was a sureal thing to walk into the house with him in my arms and think...He is really OUR baby. We walked through every room of the house and told him about each of them. He really liked his room and his crib. After we showed hiim the house, John and I looked at each other with faces that said, "Now what?" Samuel quickly showed us that we would be busy as new parents and that we would be glad that we let the hospital nursery watch him that last night before we went home. People say that having a baby is hard work, but that statement doesn't really do it justice. It's beyond hard, but also an amazing experience. I've heard it gets easier...I'll keep you posted!

Home Sweet Home!

More Hospital Time

2008-06-10T10:29:00.000-07:00

It seemed like we spent lots of time in the hospital. It was actually really nice to have other people take care of me and Samuel. We were ready to go home, but really thought the hospital did a great job!

Untitled Album

Samuel Bennett Arrived May 26th

2008-05-30T16:08:00.000-07:00

Samuel is born!

Samuel Bennett arrived at 7:52 AM May 26th, 2008. We had scheduled a c-section for that morning because there were concerns that Samuel was a little too big for mommy. In an exciting turn of events, however, my water broke on Sunday night after I just finished packing my bag for the hospital. So...we spent the night in the hospital, in labor, before deciding that we would continue with the c-section but just do it a little earlier that morning. Mommy was a little drugged, but it was a wonderful day. Our families got to come and visit and we began our new life as a family of three.

Coming Soon...Samuel Bennett

2008-05-17T18:35:00.000-07:00

We are anxiously awaiting the arrival of the newest member of our family. However, the doctor said we might have a stubborn one (imagine that). Apparently he is quiet comfortable inside his dark cozy home. With less than two weeks to go, Samuel appears to be doing great and yet mom feels like she is falling apart. It has been a long 9 months, but I know that it will be worth it. Right now mommy and daddy are just dreaming of our little Sam and thinking of how he will look and what it will feel like to actually hold him for the first time. We can't wait! I'm over my fears of labor and just ready to have him out!

We started this blog so that we can keep our friends and family in touch with the new love of our life. I'll try to keep it updated. I'm posting some pictures taken in the last 9 months. I hope you all enjoy keeping track of our little one.

Preparing for Samuel