Happy Birthday Samuel!

Happy Birthday Samuel!

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

One Month Pics

April

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

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!

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!

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!

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

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

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)

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!

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!

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!!!

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

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

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

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

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

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!

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!

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!