First steps...and a disturbance in the Force

Sam's been a busy guy this fall, taking his first steps, learning to cheer on the Georgia Bulldogs, enjoying his first family reunion and being introduced to the ritual of begging neighbors for candy.

I wasn't particularly excited about my birthday this year, as turning 34 doesn't carry with it the excitement of turning 16 or the allure of reaching 21. It really just means that I have to round-up to 35 and that I'm that much closer to 40. Coupled with the fact that I was going to be celebrating at a trade show, I didn't have high hopes. But, it turns out the youngest guy with the least amount of money gave me the best present: he took his first steps on my birthday. I think that it's actually an attempt to make up for the "da-da" on Mother's Day, but I'll still take it.


Sam's proven to be a bit of a showman, if not a little bit of a meat head. We ran for the video camera when he started walking and captured many of his first steps, after which he mugged for the camera and clapped for himself. He held court during the Davis-Edwards-Mendez soiree in October and managed to capture and hold the attention of nearly 20 adults and several hillbillies sitting near us in a restaurant.

He's learned to offer "cheers" while giving a companion's glass a clink with his sippy cup and will offer up an emphatic "Mmmm" after licking the fingers he just stuck in someone's beer glass.

We were sad that our little guy had to endure such heartbreak at such a young age, watching the Bulldogs fall to South Carolina and Tennessee. But, joy soon followed as UGA beat Florida and then Auburn. Sam was so moved that he mastered the touchdown signal and can even belt out a toddler-version of "Go Dawgs!" We're hoping that he doesn't learn to belt out other key phrases - which, of course, would be his father's fault.

For those of you that were concerned after last year's Halloween, rest assured that we didn't incorporate any portion of the oven or stove in this year's celebration and, again, no lobsters (actual or otherwise) were harmed.


Star Wars was the theme this year, starring Sam as Yoda and Louie as the dark-sided foe, Darth Vader. We hooked up with one of Sam's friends, who coincidentally rounded out the group as Princess Leia. While the movie characters had the Millennium Falcon, our group took flight in a Radio Flyer. All was well until Darth had to, er, lift the cape and relieve himself. The helmet was short-lived and, with the pit stop, the body suit was a goner. Only the cape - and a stinky bag - survived. That was the first tremor in the Force.

The second came when Yoda, who we all know is vertically challenged, tried to stretch and see something. Rather than using his powers to move the object in his way, young Yoda leeaaned a bit more and fell right out of the wagon. No fancy flipping and no Ninja-like reflexes. We were left with a pile of Yoda right on the sidewalk. I've learned that the ears must be some sort of futuristic coping mechanism, as that's what saved Yoda from certain doom. A hug from his mom and the defender of good was on his way.

Leia and Yoda had differing opinions from time to time on where to walk and which candy to select, but revealed a bond not seen before in any of the movies George Lucas shared with us. Now we'll all have to go back and look beyond Luke and Han and see if there really was a spark between the princess and the little green man.

Mmm....cake.

*Disclaimer: We apologize for the lack of Peanut updates. They're significantly harder to make now that the Peanut can move - and crawl and walk and go up the stairs and chase the dog. It was much easier to type when we could plop him on a blanket with a toy or two.

As you know, our little man celebrated his first birthday on July 21st and we all had a great time. Sam enjoyed playing with all of the friends and family that were able to make it and was a real trooper all day. With the cameras of the family paparazzi in position, Sam soaked up the "Happy Birthday" singing and proceeded to destroy his birthday cake, feeding some of it to Louie (who's got a near-permanent position next to the high chair) and wearing a significant portion of it.

Sam's been quite busy this summer, spending a majority of his time dismantling any hint of order that's in the house. Whether it's a pile of his toys, kitchen cabinets, or even the refrigerator, it will be undone.

It was a nice summer here in Chicago, and we got in some time at the beach and in the pool in the backyard. (Louie promptly popped the pool, so it was a bit short-lived.)

Sam's also looking forward to our family reunion in Kentucky (how's THAT for redneck?!) and is developing and practicing his air hockey skills in anticipation of kicking Uncle Kelton's rear.

Uh-oh, Daddy.

Turns out Sam's first two words actually make a sentence. Or a comment. Or whatever. They didn't come in that order, but one followed quickly on the heels of the other. Sam's become quite the chatterbox, although those are the only two things we can actually understand. But we talk back to him anyway. Not sure where that chatterbox gene came from.

As anticipated, Adrian thoroughly enjoyed his first Father's Day weekend. Sam and I pooled our money and set him up with a nice shiny grill...on which HE cooked US dinner. (Ha! I would say I played that one pretty well.) He slept in, which now constitutes only making it past 8:30 a.m. or so. Adrian was treated to all of his favorites for breakfast and the three of us enjoyed a nice quiet day playing at home.

Since our last post, Sam has moved into a "gated" community. (Thanks to Grandpa Fred for helping us put it up and making certain cabinets off-limits.) He's still butt scooting, but has recently added some actual crawling to his repertoire and he's getting faster at all of it. As soon as we turn around, he seems to down the hall or in the next room or, his favorite, dipping his hand in Louie's bowl for a snack. (Seriously, the kid eats a lot of dog food.)

With Sam's exploring, we're also seeing the beginning of "boo-boos" and "owees." Pinched fingers, banged head and bitten lips. Nothing serious, but I'm sure a sign of things to come.

I'm finding it hard to believe that Sam will soon have his first birthday and will no longer be a baby. I know it's cliche, but time really does fly.

Mother of the Year

It's not official, but I might just be Mother of the Year. A prestigious honor, and one I didn't expect to earn so early in my tenure. And, I'm sure you're asking yourself, how did I qualify for such an honor? It was simple, really. Just had to dislocate my son's elbow.

Before you run to the phone to call the Department of Children & Families, he's okay. And, according to the ER doctor, it's not that big of a deal. It happened a few weeks ago, just after Sam discovered what fun it is to hang upside down. He was leaning backwards off of my lap while I held onto his hands. As I brought him up (slowly, I promise!), the elbow slipped right out. He cried, but eventually stopped and, since it was close to dinner time, we attributed it to a longing for a bottle of the house white. When he didn't grab the bottle with two hands, we knew we had a problem.

It's apparently very common and not cause for alarm. It is, however, cause for complete embarrassment and a feeling of overwhelming guilt. The doctor and nurses reassured me that it happens all of the time and some kids are just more prone to it. It's even got its own slang terms: "nursemaid's elbow" and (my favorite) "nanny arm."

But, as usual, the kid took it like a champ. They popped it right back in and we didn't even have to give him Tylenol. A couple of stickers and we were on our way. A tough guy already!

Sam remains committed to never crawling and is now a fairly nimble butt scooter. I originally joked about the Swiffer pad...but am seriously reconsidering my stance on that issue. (Oh, another factor in my Mother of the Year nomination is the level of filth that my child manages to pick up as he scoots his way across the floor.)

The Mother of the Year honors were quite special this time of year, what with me celebrating my first Mother's Day. It was a lovely day that included sleeping in and kicked off with a special breakfast made just for me. Putting the cherry on top of my MOTY nomination, we went to my favorite pub for a couple of pints. Mmmm.

Adrian had a perfectly perfect day planned and it was such a treat. I'll assume it's because he loves me and not because he was establishing a precedent for the Mother's Day/Father's Day celebrations. It's better that way.

And, just in time for Mother's Day, Sam said his first word: "da-da."

Hey Play-a

Not yet nine months old, Sam already seems to be quite the ladies man. I understand he's wooed several girls at daycare and, recently, he entertained two older women at our house. They even wore their sexy bunny suits. Watch out, Heffner.

Lauren and Maddie Kunesh came over for a visit and all of the kids seemed to have a good time playing together. Sam's not as mobile as the girls, and we're actually, sort of, kind of glad he's not crawling.

Sam spent Easter weekend visiting all of his grandparents in Nashville and celebrating his Pops' big 6-0. He also helped his aunt move into her new townhouse. While much of the house was in disarray, Sam managed to work on his spelling and language skills.

Second Place

Seems as though Sam is already showing signs of greatness. Although there weren't any trophies awarded, we're very proud to announce that Sam took second place at the bowling competition recently held at Rogy's Learning Center (Infant I Division). He bowled a nearly perfect score, putting up a 12 out of a possible 15. The winner did walk away with a perfect game, but, well...he's older. We'll be sure to keep you up-to-date on Sam's future tournaments.

It's disappointing that there weren't any trophies or medals, but Sam's learned to clap, so was able to give himself a nice round of applause.

Adrian's working on developing his son's appreciation for music and is dedicated to introducing him to all of the great hair bands of the 1980s. (May all of their careers rest in peace.)

Sam's finally sprouted two teeth and continues to eat like a madman. He gives himself his own bottle and I'm sure drinking directly out of the milk carton is right around the corner. Let's just hope he doesn't down as much milk as Uncle Kelton. Perhaps we should look into a home equity loan.

The little guy is starting to be mobile, but traditional crawling doesn't seem to be his forte. He prefers instead to butt-scoot his way around, which will hopefully provide a wider base for attaching a Swiffer cloth.

Sam's looking forward to Grandparents' Week at school and hopes to show off his finger-painting and bowling skills (and beat the crap out of that other kid).

Sittin' pretty

Sam's been busy thus far in 2007 - expanding his palate and sitting up and looking at things from a different angle. So far, the chef at 656 Stewart has prepared sweet potatoes, carrots, peas and green beans and, on the sweeter side, bananas and applesauce. We've still got additional introductions to make before we make good on our promises of pizza and ice cream.

Valentine's Day is right around the corner, so Sam's been busy trying to grow more hair in hopes of impressing the ladies. As you can see, he's already surpassed his "Pops" in that department.

Sam and Louie are becoming fast friends and Sam continually reaches for the pooch and lets him lick his hands and fingers. We're not usually far behind, ready to wipe the little guy clean and enforce the "no licking the face" rule. Unfortunately, Louie is a slow learner. I would imagine that the "best friend" status will be solidified once Sam starts eating on his own and they both figure out that food is easily transferred from high chair to dog.

Shut. Your. Mouth.

"Shut. Your. Mouth." Good advice for new parents, anxious to help their children "fly" overhead. Better advice for new parents? Don't do it within one hour of feeding said child. Somehow, Adrian didn't get that memo. (I'm still laughing out loud every time I think about it.)



Sam thoroughly enjoyed his first Christmas and it's fun watching him play with all of his new toys. (He didn't get that flat screen TV that we told Santa he wanted, but there's always next year.) He's quickly growing into his toys and finally getting to use some of the things we received as shower gifts or as "welcome Sam" gifts. He's even managed to figure out a way to saddle up to his piano and, we're hoping, earn a few bucks playing for a bunch of drunks (seen here).

As it's been awhile since the last post, we've noticed big changes in our little man. He's eating solid food, although not enjoying it very much despite my promises of future pizzas and ice cream sundaes. We've also discovered further evidence that he may not actually be ours: he seems to like peas the best thus far. (Blech.)

He's very close to rolling over, prompting a recent trip to Babies R Us to purchase a gate for the stairs. He's coming VERY close, but hasn't quite made it. His best efforts come from attempts to look at himself in the mirror, so I'm already envisioning teenage years filled with lots of primping and too much cologne.

Rumor has it that he's quite a card player, so between taking requests on the piano and 5-card stud, we're hoping college will take care of itself.