The Announcements Are Out!

Dear Samantha,

In my rush to get out your weekly blog post out last night, I forgot one very important detail:

YOUR ANNOUNCEMENTS ARE DONE!

Yep. After working on them sporadically for a month, your Aunt Beth & I finished your announcements just in time for me to get them in the mail last Friday. While we spent probably five or six hours working on them together, I spent about twenty hours working on them by myself off and on these past few weeks. Basically, whenever you were napping, I was frantically cropping, gluing and adjusting the individual components so that they'd come together as I had envisioned.

I was able to complete 67 of them. That was enough for our families and a few close friends, but it wasn't enough for everyone on the list (the grandparents had a few on their wish list, too). So, I had to order extras from Costco. All said, I think about 115 people have now received the official announcement that you have arrived. We wanted them to get something in writing, even though they probably already knew you were here because they followed the star (I'm repeating the same joke Uncle Tom quipped after he saw everyone making the trek to our house after we brought you home).

So, here they are:

This is the front:

Here's what it looks like when you open the announcement part way (this was your "solo" picture--I had 6 different pictures that I put in this spot. Dad's people got the one of him holding you, my people got the picture below, and there were 4 other pictures with just you in all your cuteness):



This was the inside with the adoption poem that I makes me tear up each time I read it:

And, for good measure, here's the backside. I had stamped your feet when you were a few days old, and made color copies for the announcements. Apparently, I'm obsessed with your feet. They're so little I just want to kiss them all over!


Ok, I'm done gushing. I've got loads of laundry to do and those clothes aren't going to magically find their way into the bags themselves for our upcoming trips.

Hugs and kisses,
your mommy

Sammie: The Travel Edition

Dear Samantha,

I (your mother) am crazy. I've decided that it's not hectic enough trying to adjust to life with a new infant, so we're going to take this show on the road.

Yup, we're hitting the road and going to Oregon for several days so you can meet your Great Grandpa Pullen and Great Grandma Patty. They're so incredibly excited to meet you in person. They've kind of met you over the phone (Grandma Patty sung to you over the phone when you were just a few days old; you stopped fussing long enough to hear her sing the same song she sang to me when I was a little girl). I've sent them pictures, but try as I might, pictures just don't do your cuteness justice.

So, in order for them to truly appreciate just how spectacularly precious you are, I'm getting in the car with Nonni & Poppa and making a nine hour trek up north so that you can dazzle everyone within a half hour radius of Grants Pass, Oregon. We're leaving at 4 AM on Thursday, hoping that we can take advantage of your "sleeping in late in the morning habit" (which, by the way, your daddy and I still totally love).

I suppose going to Oregon for a few days isn't that crazy, but coming home for a day and then driving solo (with you, of course) four hours south to spend a week at Disneyland with my college friend EllenAnn probably is crazy. I'm getting heart palpitations just thinking of it. Come to think of it, maybe I should stop thinking about it because just thinking about it makes me want to pull my hair out.

Hopefully, these trips will be a little more enjoyable for both of us because I decided to listen to that little mommy voice in the back of my head and take you into our chiropractor (who, incidentally, is the son of my high school drama teacher). I have had a suspicion that something isn't right with your neck because you're always turning your head to the left and must be forced to turn to the right.

The straw that broke the camel's back came Monday night, when I took you to Nonni & Poppa's so I could help Nonni work on bridal shower invitations for my cousin Diedra. To fully set the stage, you had had a wonderful day that day, full of smiles and good naps and more smiles. When we got to Nonni & Poppa's house, the smiles continued...until I decided to give you some Tummy Time and put you on your stomach.

Bad mommy. You did not like that and spent the next three and a half hours screaming to remind me how much you did not like that. I got the point. Something wasn't right.

Soo...back to the chiropractor. He had me hold you and talk to you (more cute smiles) while he felt your back. When he got to your neck--immediate screams. While we laid you down on the chiropractor's chair/table thingamajig (what are those things called, anyway?), Dr. Robertson explained that spinal manipulation in the neck usually doesn't work with infants. You were fussing a little bit as I sat with you on this table and he tried to get your neck adjusted...and POP!

Instantly, you seemed to feel intense relief and the fussing was replaced with huge grins.

Apparently, your neck was out of alignment and it was causing you quite a bit of pain. You've been so much happier since the adjustment (not that you were super unhappy before). Hopefully, you won't be in any pain anymore, because when baby's not happy, mommy's not happy.

I think I'm going to sign off now. We've got a busy day of preparations (plus your two month check up) tomorrow. So let's get this show on the road, girlie!

Lots of love,
your mommy

PS I'm realizing as I write this that I haven't been writing about daddy a whole lot. It's not intentional, it's just that he's been hard at work with our other new baby: Headlight Tech (his new business). While he hasn't been able to go on any of these trips with us (someone's got to bring home the bacon), you've still managed to get him wrapped around your oh so cute little finger.

My favorite daddy story came the other morning when he was holding you and remarking at how vocal you've become with all of your coos. I tried to show him how he could carry on a conversation with you, repeating the vowel sounds like "aaah, eeeeeeeeehhhh, ooooooooh or eeeeeeeee."

The conversation that followed was something like this:

You: aaaaaaahhhh
Daddy: a-e-i-o-u
You: aaaaaahhh aaaaaah
Daddy: A-e-i-o-u
You: *spittle followed by grin* oohhhh
Daddy (a little louder): AEIOU!
You: *looking seriously confused and giving up on sounds, choosing instead to stick your tongue out*

While I think you're a genius baby, I think I'll need to work with him on taking things a little slower---we'll work on finding the square root of 4 first before getting to our vowels.

Week 7!

Dearest Sammie Joy,

Today, you're seven weeks old. I know I've been saying it a lot lately, but it's true: you're growing so quickly! When I hold you, your longer body is now hanging off the side of my lap. You don't fit in my arms like the nice and neat little bundle you were seven weeks ago!

Fortunately for both of us, you don't seem to mind that your body hangs off to the side. You just like it when I hold you and talk or sing to you. Last night, your aunt tried to calm you down while we were doing some late night Wal-Mart shopping, and you were having none of it, you just kept crying and squirming as she held you. When I took you in my arms, Sammie girl, you turned your face toward my chest and instantly calmed down, settling in for a light snooze. I got to admit--I liked that I was able to calm you just by holding you. I like that you want your mommy!

This last week was a fun but busy one for all of us. We went to Shaver Lake last weekend to celebrate the Fourth of July with your Nonni & Poppa (and Uncle Grant & Aunt Erin, too). We spent the weekend on the boat, and while the scenery was pretty fantastic, you still stole the show. How could we not stop ooh'ing and aah'ing over you when you looked so cute in your little life vest?
We think you like the boat. You get the wind, the swaddling affect from your life vest, and the gentle rocking of the waves. Yup, you pretty much sleep the whole time. But, in baby language, that means you like it, right?

I had so much fun dressing you up for the Fourth. We received several 4th of July outfits, but I eventually settled on this white tank top with red sequins:

Say it with me now: how cute are you?

Since it was the first of the major holidays (save Father's Day), of course we had to get a family picture. This time, I made daddy dress up, too. He was a good sport and wore his flag shirt with a smile.
Granted, he changed his shirt right back to his Headlight Tech shirt after this picture was taken, but hey, we appreciate the effort, right?

We tried something new while at Shaver: we broke out your activity gym thing. Yeah, you like it. I would put you on it each morning and you would just stare at the bear, smiling and kicking away. You are quite the busy and happy little girl!

Nuts. I went to find the picture I just took of you staring in awe at this bear, and I can't find it. Bummer. I'll set the scene instead:

You're lying on the colorful mat, staring at the white bear that lights up and plays music.

Hmmm....maybe I need to work on describing things better. Um, you looked cute? This is also the first time you've reached for something. Tonight, you just kept reaching and grabbing the bear's belly and looking in awe at what your hand can touch. Check another milestone off the list!

I should probably sign off for now. It's getting a little late, and you are desperately wanting to be swaddled so you can go to bed. Come to think of it, a little sleep sounds good to me, too.

Loving you tons,
your mommy

Six Weeks & Growing

Dear Sammie,

Today, you've reached the six week mark. Where have the past 6 weeks gone?

You're staying awake for longer stretches of time during the day, and you're cooing and smiling like crazy when we lay you down on the floor with your foot rattles (which are these orange socks that have animals attached that rattle when you kick your feet).

I don't have much time to write, as I've really got to get us up and moving soon. We're going to Shaver Lake this morning, where we'll be hanging out with Nonni & Poppa and Uncle Grant & Aunt Erin until Sunday (your daddy has to work today, but he'll be joining us on the boat tomorrow afternoon).

I tried my hardest to pack everything yesterday so that all I had to do this morning was load the car up and go. When I finished packing, though, I noticed something: you've got four times the amount of stuff as your dad and I do (put together). I hope this isn't the sign of things to come--will you be kid at camp who packs everything and the kitchen sink?

I did manage to find the time to get some pictures off of the camera and onto the computer, so rather than writing a long oratory this morning, I'll just post these pictures, ok?

Here you are after your bath eating your hand:


This is you on the boat the day before father's day. There was more life vest than there was baby!

Here you are on the boat--not quite so happy this time.

Here's you and I...again...on the boat:

I think I may have mentioned it in another post, but when you take your morning nap with daddy, you both always end up sleeping in the same position:

Speaking of your daddy, here you two are on his very first father's day. You can just about see the buttons popping, he's so proud (although the sun was making him squint a bit):

...and back to me. Here we are at the baby shower that was thrown for you last Saturday by family friends Valerie & Jill:
This is everyone who came out for your big shower day:


Here you are with my bestest friend Melissa. I'm sure you already know that you share a middle name (Joy) because we named you after her!

Here you are sucking your thumb with a diaper rag as a blanket. How cute are you?

And I wrote in a previous post about taking pictures of each outfit as you wear them. This was one of the outfits from last week. Turquoise looks so good on you!

And...last but definitely not least, this would be the picture of the Sammie smile that I took last week. Woo hoo you're smiling!

Ok, one more smiling picture:

Loving you tons,
your mommy


PS At your last baby shower on Saturday we had sooo much fun and you got spoiled beyond belief. You've got an insane amount of clothes now, kiddo!

Lotsa Firsts!

Dearest Sammie Joy,

You turned five weeks old yesterday--happy five week birthday, kiddo! Wow, only a week (and one day) has passed, and yet there have been so many "firsts" since I wrote last that I don't even know where to begin.

I'll begin with the most fun: your first smile! Last Friday, when I woke up, I put you in bed next to me (I wasn't teaching summer school, so this was the first time I had been able to do this in several days). I turned to you and said "Good morning, Sammie!" and you responded with this biggest grin that went on for days. Since then, you've rewarded me with many smiles a day, enough to show me that you're going to have the cutest dimples on each side of your mouth. Sometimes, those smiles are even accompanied by coos. You love to vocalize, little one! Will you be the next (insert random but famously awesome singer here)?

To get a picture, however, is as difficult as getting a picture of the Loch Ness Monster. In other words: by the time I whip my camera out, the smile has been replaced with either a yawn or a cry. Today, in anticipation of writing your weekly update, I tried for half an hour to capture the smile that you were showing me this morning. Yep. No luck. Methinks that next time I'll have to enlist the help of someone else to take the all-important smiling Samantha shot. The important thing, however, is that we have seen those first smiles and those images will be in our brains for a loooong time!

Last Saturday, another 'first' was checked off the list: your first trip on Nonni & Poppa's boat. We snuggled you up in your life jacket and you loved every minute of it. At least, we think you did. We couldn't really see too much of you because by the time we put the jacket, sunglasses & hat on you all we saw was your chin and your nose. You slept most of the time, but did manage to sneak in some bottle time at some point in the four hour boat tour. By the way, it's HARD to feed you when so much of you is snuggled up in a life vest. We did it, though--and you rewarded me by going right back to sleep.

Sunday marked TWO big 'firsts' for you...kind of. One of those firsts was shared with your father: it was his first father's day! You dressed up special for the occasion, in a cute red gingham dress (it came with a matching hat but you didn't like that part so much). We went to church that morning (another first--more on that in a minute), and your dad and I both welled up a bit when the pastor asked all of the fathers to stand up in the congregation. I only saw your dad from the back as he stood up next to me, but I could tell that he was sooo soo proud to be not just a father but your father.

Because it was your first Sunday, the church arranged for you to be "introduced" to the rest of the church body that morning. After worship and before the sermon, the pastor showed your pictures on the screen while asking your dad and I to stand up from where we stood in the back and show you off to everyone. Everyone oooh'ed and aaah'd over how adorable you are! They also printed your birth statistics on the church bulletin...and got your birthdate wrong. We tried to tell the pastor (as he was telling everyone that your birthday was May 25th), but we were unsuccessful. Oh, well, what's a few days? They went all out to welcome you--they even had a special red rose (with a pink bow) on the pulpit to celebrate your arrival.

After you were introduced, you decided you were hungry and wanted food NOW, so I whisked you off to the lobby to eat the bottle that I managed to prepare in record time. Seeing the nursery just off to the side of the lobby, I decided to take you in and introduce you to the nursery staff. I can tell already that you are absolutely going to love going in there on Sunday mornings. The staff is sooo kind, and they've got tons of (sterilized--they're also very cautious) toys for you to play with. While we were finishing up your bottle, they chatted with us a little bit and gave you a special autographed Bible verse book, and oooh'ed and ahhh'd some more. I took a few moments to sit with you in the rocker to burp you before heading off to rejoin your dad and grandparents in the church.

The final 'first' of the week is a big one, but I don't want to jinx it so I'm going to whisper it really quietly: you're sleeping through the night. Yup, that's right--you're going to bed at the same time as mommy and waking up exactly eight hours later. Don't tell anyone though--because surely if we say it loud enough it'll go away and you'll be back to waking up every five or six hours--so don't. say. a. WORD. Got it? Capiche? Thanks!

Dr. Krogstad (ie, the bestest pediatrician EVER) had suggested in our last visit that we swaddle you at night again. We had given up the swaddle after the first week or so because we thought you didn't like it. We, apparently, were very, very wrong because as soon as we put you in those magical velcro strapped contraption of a swaddle you were a very calm and happy baby. The night-time fussiness disappeared. You literally look like a pea in a pod when you wear it, but that doesn't seem to bother you much. You coo, shift your head to get comfortable, and fall right to sleep. For insanely long periods of time--but again, we're not talking about that, remember?

As I get you dressed every morning, it occurs to me: because of the generosity of friends and family, you have an insane amount of clothes to wear. Seriously, you have more outfits than I do (and more t-shirts than your father, and that's saying a lot because homeboy loves his t-shirts!). So, realizing that you may not get to every outfit in time because I kind of have my 'favorites' so I tend to put you in the same clothes over and over again, I've decided to assign myself a task. You're going to wear every outfit in your closet, and I'm going to take pictures of you in each outfit as we work our way down the closet rod. Yup. I'm going to *gasp* let the laundry build up and put you only in clothes that haven't been worn yet. I think it'll make a cute scrapbook page someday, as well, but seeing as how I've done exactly zero scrapbook pages since you've been born (and still have to do my cousin's wedding book along with your announcements which *fingers crossed* will go out this week).

But that's another story for another day. My poor pizza has been beeping for the past 45 minutes as I've been writing this, and I really should get to it before the microwave stops the polite beeping and goes straight to the wailing alarm. Kidding. The microwave doesn't do that. But I bet it wished it did each time it beeps at me.

Loving you tons and tons,
your mommy


PS. With the exception of the elusive smiling shots, I do have pictures of most of the firsts that I talked about this week, but I think I'm going to have to wait to post them until later, when I'm not trying to type with one hand and keep your pacifier in your mouth with the other.

PPS. Your favorite game of the week is to spit your pacifier out of your mouth and promptly cry for me to put it back in your mouth...where you'll be happy for a few sucks then spit it out again and cry again...this cycle will continue for many minutes until finally I give up and leave my hand over the pacifier so you can't spit it out again. Doing this seems to make you very happy.

Sooo Big!

Dearest Sammie,

Today, you are four weeks old. I can’t believe how quickly this past month has flown by. Yesterday’s doctor’s visit only confirmed what I already knew: you’re getting big, little girl. You put on ten ounces from the visit you had two weeks ago, bringing you up to a whopping 9 lbs, 4 oz.. They didn’t do a height check, this time, but I’ll betcha that you’ve also grown at least a half an inch—the onesies that once snapped so easily are now getting harder and harder to fasten! Sigh. You’re trying so hard to grow up before our eyes; I feel that if I blink, I’ll miss everything!

This last week has been a rough one for all of us. It’s been a hard one on me because I (insert groan and stomping of feet here) started summer school on Monday. I really didn’t want to teach this summer, but as your father starts his new business, we need all of the extra income we can get. Fortunately, it’s only ten days and I’m home by 1:45. Still, I’d rather be at home, watching you purse your lips as you yawn (Have I mentioned you do that? Because you do. And it’s uber cute.). I think you’d rather I be home, too. You snuggle up to my neck like crazy when I go to pick you up each day I get home.

Your father, who celebrates his first father’s day on Sunday (the same day you turn exactly a month old), is still getting the hang of fatherhood. He loves you to pieces and squeals whenever you do something cute, but (like most new fathers) the crying thing is a little hard on him. He wants so badly to fix it that when he can’t figure out what’s wrong on the first try, he gets flustered.

This past week, unfortunately, you’ve been crying more than normal. And by more than normal, I mean you’ll cry for an hour or two a day as opposed to the thirty or so minutes we’d gotten spoiled with these past few weeks. The pediatrician is having us switch to a different kind of formula, one that’s supposed to be easier on your stomach. Hopefully, this will do the trick and you’ll go back to being our smiling, purse-your-lips-as-you-yawn-baby-girl.

A few nights ago, you did something so cute I not only took a zillion pictures but I also videotaped it. I had put you in the swing while I changed clothes (um, let’s just say you ‘christened me’ after your evening bath). When I came back into the room, you had taken the burp cloth I had laid on your feet and clutched it up to your face, like a blankie, while sucking your thumb. Your other hand was contentedly snuggled up by your ear. I swear, Samantha, you looked just like Linus from the ‘Peanuts’ cartoon. How cute are you?!?!

In other news, we had your second baby shower this past Saturday. We had a wonderful time and really enjoyed showing you off to your dad’s side of the family. You got spoiled that morning! Everyone pitched in and got you all of your bath gear (tub time, here we come!) and we even got a video baby monitor from your Grandma Max. It’s such a relief to be able to ‘see’ you when you’re napping in another room. At any rate, Aunt Beth really went out of her way to make this a special baby shower for you. The theme was pink and brown, and we even managed to arrange it so that you matched your dress to the (delicious) pink and brown butterfly cookies that Aunt Beth had made for the occasion.

I like the color combination so much that I’m going to make your baby announcements pink and brown. I’ve been working on them during breaks at school (heaven forbid I should put you down when I’m at home to work on the announcements). Hopefully, by the end of next week, they’ll be ready to be mailed out.

Another big thing that happened this past week has more to do with me than with you. I went to the first adoptive mom’s book club that our church is sponsoring. We’re reading that book I wrote about a while back, the one I despise (‘Twenty Things Adopted Kids Wished Their Parents Knew:”). I dragged my feet there last night, but truly these women are a godsend. What a wonderful thing to be able to chat with other adoptive moms and learn better ways to raise you, my precious miracle! I can’t wait until next Wednesday to see these wonderful women again. You’re going to have so much fun growing up in a church that is filled with other adopted children. What a blessing!

Well, darling, I should sign off for now.

Love you until you’re old and wrinkly!

-your mommy

Did You Know?

Dearest Samantha Joy,

Today, while getting ready for the baby shower that daddy's family threw for you, a thought came to me: there have been several interesting (but random) tidbits that have happened in the last several months. Truly, they are too random to put in individual posts, so I figured I'd quickly jot them down in list format lest I should forget.

So (insert fancy but annoying stinger music here)...DID YOU KNOW?

• Did you know that, for a full twenty minutes, your name was not Samantha Joy but Emily Joy?
• Did you know that you share a birthday with your Aunt Bethany? And the adoption agency we used is called Bethany? And Aunt Bethany has a sister named Samantha?
• Did you know that, before you got here, your Aunt Beth was so convinced you were going to be a girl (and we'd name you Samantha) that she almost had your diaper bag embroidered with 'Samantha' on it?
• Did you know that your Nonni has worn pink every single day since you were born? Today marks day #23. I should call her and see if she's broken the cycle yet.
• Did you know that your baby pictures got mixed in with your cousin's ultrasound pictures this week at Costco? Just ask a very confused Aunt Nicole.
• Did you know that your first phone call ever was from your Poppa? He called last week asking to talk to you. You were occupied and couldn't take his call. Translation: you were sleeping.
• Did you know that I've been a little crazy with the color coordination lately? Seriously, I try to coordinate our outfits. Today, I took it a step further and coordinated your outfit with today's baby shower colors: brown & pink. You matched the butterfly cookies that were passed out today beautifully.

Hmmm...not as many "did you knows" as I thought. Oh, well. I've got to get you out of your crib now so we can have a dinner date with your Aunt Beth & Uncle Tom in a few minutes. More editions of (dum, dum duuummmm) Did you know? to come soon...

Love you tons,

your mommy