Sometimes the small things mean the most...

(Samantha watching me write this very post!!)

First, I know I have been slacking in updating the blog. Something that was originally my idea has been taken care of so well by Lauren. She does a great job adding things and including pictures so everyone can see Samantha grow.

Today was such a great day as I spent a lot of quality time with Samantha. She didn't have a great night sleeping last night which was kind of unexpected. She had a big 8 oz bottle at 9pm last night and then went to bed so I was confident she would sleep through the night. She woke up at 1am and I went in to check on her but was resolved to leave her be, not feed her and hope she would put herself back to sleep. She "talked" until about 1:30 and then I went to check again and she had taken a massive number 2. I changed her and put her back to bed. Finally, at 2am I caved and made her a bottle. After she ate she did fall back asleep. I woke up at 7am and she was still asleep.

Samantha isn't really a cuddly baby and is normally content to be in her swing, or on her play mat. Maybe it's just me, but she doesn't really enjoy just being held (by me). But, this morning she sat on my lap most of the morning and just watched TV with me. After a bottle and more playing she took a nap on my chest. I loved this so much! She hasn't slept on my chest for a couple of months and I forgot how much I missed it. I fell asleep too and would wake up every little bit and just hold her tighter. At one point I thought I was looking forward to her getting older so she could crawl, walk, talk, etc but after today I realized just how much I miss the things she did when she was only a couple of months old. Just looking at this child, holding her, seeing her smile at me absolutely melts my heart.

Samantha is sick. I am sure it's my fault as I have been sick for almost 2 weeks at this point. You can tell she in congested and not being herself. I feel really bad for her but she is such a tough little girl...she hasn't really been upset about it. I met my family for dinner tonight and before I left Lauren and I took her temperature and she actually had a slight fever...99.5. I am praying she feels better and gets over this very quickly.

Finally, all of you out there please pray for Lauren and I to have strength, patience and faith in regards to her work schedule. Some of you may not know but she has to work the overnight shift on the weekends. This is extremely hard for us as our family time on the weekends is basically non existent. I miss her so much and I know it breaks her heart to have to get up and leave her family at 11:30pm at night. I know it's hard for her not to be here in the morning when Samantha wakes up. God has always made a way in our life and I know He will continue to do so but we are really praying for something to change soon...

Trick-or-Treat

(Trick or Treat Night at Aunt Mandy's.)

(Daddy and his Little Lobster!)

(Me and Pumpkin' Grady!)

(The cousins.)

(My little Lobster Girl.)

Tonight we went to Nick and Mandy's for Trick-or-Treat. Nick was out of town so it was just Jeff, Samantha, Mom, Mandy, Grady and I. We ate pizza and passed out candy. And mom took Grady down the street for some Trick-or-Treating! We had a great time on Samantha's first night of Trick-or-Treating!

Really cute pictures of Samantha!

(Laying on the floor of the Thornville house.)

(Samantha's first time in a high-chair, styling in her puffy vest!)

Nationwide Children's Hospital Visit

(Samantha watching the nurse during her ultrasound.)

(Samantha trying to look at the computer screen!)

(Samantha fast asleep for her NM Renal Ultrasound. See the tiny IV in her foot?)

(She was left one hand out so she could suck her thumb, but she slept the whole time.)

Early this morning we had to take Samantha to Children's for some more testing on her kidneys. First we had a "jelly on the belly" ultrasound...which Samantha thought was hilarious! This is such an easy test because there is no pain involved. And Samantha enjoyed looking around at everything! She kept craning her neck to see the computer screen. It was like she wanted to know what was going on with her kidneys as much as we did.

Then we went to Nuclear Medicine to have her Renal Ultrasound. This is a really tough test on her b/c not only do they have to put a catheter in but they also have to put an IV in. This time they were able to get the IV in on the first try, but it took them about 15 minutes to find the vein they wanted to use. Finding her veins was hard on her because she hated, I mean HATED, it when they would put the rubber band around her arm or leg. It must have just been really uncomfortable for her. As soon as she was all set up and wrapped up she fell asleep for the whole 45 minutes during the actual testing.

After both test were complete we went up to her Pediatric Urologist office for a post-testing diagnosis. After waiting for nearly 45 minutes we met with Dr. Jayanthi. There is good news and bad. She still has her reflux of the lower right kidney. We were hoping that she had grown out of that. And her upper right kidney is draining to the wrong place. The upper kidney should drain to the bladder just like the other two kidneys but it is draining right at the opening between her bladder and urethra. They call this an ectopic ureter, which just means the ureter is draining at the wrong place.

So from here we just have to wait. We will go back for a VCUG in 6 months and if she has grown out of her reflux of the lower right kidney then they will only have to correct the upper right kidney. If the reflux is not better then they will have to fix both the reflux and the ectopic ureter. Either way she is looking at surgery some time next year, but both surgeries are pretty routine and we are just praying hard she will have grown out of the reflux within the next six months!

She loves her tongue!

Samantha had her 4 month check up today!

(Before she got her shots!)

(Chubby baby!)

Today Samantha had her 4-month well baby check up. I cannot believe that she is already 4 months old! I know everyone tells you to "enjoy the time now because it goes by so fast", but I never thought it would fly by as quick as it has! She is now 16 lbs 10.5 oz! That put her in the 96th percentile for weight. She is 25.5 inches long, 90th percentile. And her head circumference is 16.75 inches, 86 percentile. She had to get 2 shots and one oral vaccine. She screamed at he top of her lungs as soon as she got the shots and I felt terrible. My mom went with us to the appointment and she had a hard time seeing Samantha get her vaccines. It is hard for me too, but I guess I know it is the best thing for her and have in a weird way I have gotten use to it.

Our last day in Ft. Walton Beach :(

(Mommy and Samantha!)

(Daddy's little girl!)

(Our last family vacation photo.)

(The Carter Clan take 2.)

(Chappy Family Photo Take 2.)

This morning Samantha slept in until almost 7 AM! We changed, fed and played with her for almost 2 hours and then she went down for her nap. Everyone just hung out here this morning b/c it was cooler and windy outside. Around 10 AM we went souvenir shopping. Samantha got another T-shirt from Mawmaw and Pawpaw, I got a sweatshirt and 2 t-shirts and Jeff got a t-shirt. We are all decked out in Ft. Walton Beach gear!

For lunch we went to Popeye's! Apparently it is a favorite place for the kids to eat. Then we came back to the condo. I went out to the beach with everyone while Jeff worked and stayed with Samantha. The water at the ocean was really warm but being out of the water was freezing with the wind! And today was a perfect day to be at the beach because we did not see a single jellyfish. Then we all went up to the pool and played some games with a beach ball.

We took some more family pictures tonight out on the beach in front of our condo. It was a little dark outside but we still got some cute pictures. For dinner tonight Lisa and Jim made meatloaf and Tonia made her famous cheesy potatoes! Yummy.

Our plan is to leave at 6 AM tomorrow. I hope we bring some of this warm weather home with us to Ohio! I hear it is very cold back home:(

Mom's Confession...

This video speaks for itself...

Day 6

(Jeff and I parasailing.)

(Jeff and I about to get dipped.)

(Guys on the dock fileting fish!)

(This guy was measuring the hip bones of the fish...yes I asked!)

(Samantha looking super cute before our family pictures.)

(The Hauser Family Photo!)

(Our little family.)

(Mawmaw and Pawpaw.)

(The Carter Clan.)

(Chappy's!)

Today Samantha got up at 6 AM to eat but went right back to bed and slept until almost 9 AM. Jeff and I sat out on the porch drinking coffee with Jim & Lib and we saw dolphins riding the waves. They would even jump completely out of the water like they do at Sea World! It was so cool. I am always so fascinated by animals in the wild.

Jeff and I went to CVS to get Samantha some nasal saline solution since she has had a stuffy nose the past couple of days. Since she is sleeping less than 2 feet from my head I can hear every snort and snore! She did not even seem to mind when I put it up her nose! She made a funny face but never cried or anything!

When we got back everyone went to the Gulfarium...it is a wannabe Sea World. They all squeezed into Jeff's car and took Samantha too. Jeff and I went parasailing while they were all gone. We were the only people on the parasailing boat so it was nice because we did not have to wait while other people rode. Jeff was really nervous at first but really loosened up towards the end. The scariest part for me was being dipped in the ocean because we could see literally hundreds of big jellyfish. I thought my booty was going to get stung; luckily neither of us did!

When we got back we were locked out of the condo so we spent some time at the pool. The ocean was a little cool today because of all the rain so the pool was actually warmer.

Once everyone got back from the Gulfarium Samantha was ready for a nap so Jeff and I hung out in the condo. It was nice to just sit on the balcony and listen to waves and watch the dolphins. I swear those dolphins were putting on a show just for me!

We went down to the dunes to take family pictures tonight but it was really windy. So I am not sure everyone was pleased with their pictures. Then we went to dinner at Angler's. This is another one of the kids favorites. They have a sort of playground right on the ocean that they can all play on. Samantha was ready for bed so Tonia, Jessica, Samantha, Jeff and I came back to the condo a little earlier. She has been such a good sleeper with the time change and all! I swear I have the best baby in the world!

Day 5

(Two stingrays....one is just under the white cap of the wave.)

(Samantha shopping at the outlet mall.)

(The alligators at Fudpuckers!)

(Nana farming her Farm Town...her favorite thing to do!)

(Sunset from our condo after it stopped raining.)

Last night and this morning there were some really bad thunder/rain storms. When Jeff and I got up this morning we sat out on the porch since some of the kids were sleeping on the couch. The storm brought in some sea turtles and sting rays! I was able to get a picture but they are kind of hard to make out from the distance. It was really cool to look at them through the binoculars.

Since the weather was bad we all went to the outlet mall in Destin. All the kids got new shoes from Mawmaw and Pawpaw. Most of the kids picked out shoes at the Nike outlet, Joe got his at Famous Footwear, and Samantha got a pair from Stride Rite. They also had a Ralph Lauren Children's store and I got Samantha a track suit. Jeff, Samantha and I all had a budget to spend at the mall and I did not find a single thing for myself, but Samantha managed to spend her whole budget!!!

We had lunch at Fudpuckers. It is a special treat for the kids because they have a huge alligator enclosure. They are only about 3-4 feet in length but it is neat to see them up close. Samantha was only able to take short cat-naps the whole morning and started to melt down towards the end of lunch. So we took her back to lay her down for a nap.

With all the storms, we had to bring the fun inside. So the kids, Jeff and I played a game called Fact or Crap. Joe killed all of us, by a lot! We had some left over lasagna for dinner that Tonia made for us...it was the best lasagna EVER!

Katie's birthday is next week so Jeff, Samantha, Jessica and Katie and I all went to the beach style souvenir stores. We ended up going to 3 stores to find all the goodies. Katie got 3 t-shirts and a necklace. We also got a t-shirt for Jessica since she has helped out with Samantha so much this week. And Jeff and I got new sweat-shirts...buy one get one free!

On the way back we stopped at the gas station to get me some ice cream...no reason for the cravings I promise...just a vacation treat! Then when we got back we found out everyone ordered a bunch of pizza so I will have to save my ice cream for later.

Bathing Samantha while on vacation and without a baby bathtub is beyond hard. We have tried bathing her in the bathroom sink, kitchen sink and tonight I just got her in the shower with me. All three are really hard but it is especially hard to shower with her when she turns into a slippery thing!

She is now sleeping peacefully and I think she will sleep a long time since she has not had any good naps. I am keeping my fingers crossed for a good night sleep!

Day 4

(Samantha and I right before she went to bed...what a cutie!)

(L-R: Katie, Matt, Jillian, Lib, Samantha and Joe this morning after breakfast!)

(Jillian trying to crack Jessica's back.)

(Lib holding Samantha and everyone else touching her...a typical thing for whomever is holding her.)

(Samantha wearing my sunglasses.)

(A lobster sand castle.)

(A jellyfish that Jeff caught today...ewww)

(L-R: Matt, Jessica, Jeff and Jillian laying out on the beach.)

Well, Samantha did not have a good night last night. She woke up at 3 AM to eat and then woke up again at 6 AM. Jeff got up with her at 6 so that I could sleep in a little. Jim and Katie made us all breakfast; sausage, eggs and ham! Then we all went down to the beach. I saw a jellyfish within 15 minutes of being in the water so we headed up to the pool. Around noon we went up for lunch and Samantha was up for a little while. Jim spent most of the day watching her and when we came up the two of them were curled up on the couch happy as can be. After lunch we went back down to the ocean and were able to spend an hour playing in the waves before we saw another jellyfish, but there were these little fish that were nipping at our toes. I thought Jeff was going to go crazy...he hated the little fish more than the jellyfish.

We got to relax for about an hour soaking up the sun. Then we came up to shower and give Jim a break from watching Samantha. I got a little burnt today but it is not nearly as bad as Jessica, Katie and Tonia. I think their skin hates the sun because they burnt the minute they went out.

Samantha playing with Joe's Toe and Jillian!

Day 3

(Nana and Samantha!)

(Jeff feeding Samantha when he got home from golfing.)

(A walrus sand castle.)

(Matthew, Kaitlyn and Jillian on the beach.)

This morning Jeff and Jimbo went golfing. It was our Father's Day gift to Jimbo. They ended up being out until a little after 1 PM. They said they had a good time but it was HOT and they got stuck behind a slow foursome. While they were gone Jessica and I ran to Surf City to get floats for everyone. Since the jellyfish are still around it made everyone feel a little better about being in the ocean if they were on a raft.

Samantha woke up this morning @ 6 AM and was down for her morning nap by 9 AM. She was a major sleeper this morning and did not get up again until 1 PM. So I was able to get some beach and pool time in while she was snoozing away.

When Jeff got back we got Samantha ready and took her to the pool. She liked being in the water but was not a fan of her raft or tent. So we only spent half an hour down there and came back up and bathed her. She ate a bottle and took yet another nap. Jeff and I went down to the beach while Lib watched Samantha. The kids (Jessica, Kaitlyn, Matthew and Jillian) and Jeff & I took a really long walk down the beach. We saw tons of jellyfish watched up on the beach. The kids found lots of shells and little things to pick up.

Jim and Lib made us hamburgers, hot dogs and french fries for dinner. Then there was a short rain storm but it only lasted for about 30 minutes. I will be going to bed early tonight...the sun is so draining!

Day 2 and Samantha is 4 months old today!

(Happy 4 month birthday!)

(The view from our condo.)

(Jeff and I on the beach, with Tonia and Lisa in the background.)

(The jellyfish we caught.)

(A sea-turtle sand castle someone made on the beach.)

Today we got up early, like 7 AM early, but Samantha slept 11 straight hours so that was great. After all that driving the previous two days it was so nice to just wake up and be EXACTLY where I need to be. The beach is so therapeutic. The sound of the waves alone is so calming. And being able to spend the whole day with my husband and daughter is living the good life.

We went down to the beach around 10, saw our first jellyfish within 15 minutes of being in the water. So Katie, Jill and I went for a walk on the beach. Samantha was taking her mid-morning nap and Tonia stayed with her in the condo. We ended up eating "lunch" at 10 AM since we had gotten up so early. Then Samantha woke up we got her ready for the pool and took her out. We bought this baby float that she was able to be in without the sun getting on her. She really seems to love the water.

This afternoon we went out to the ocean again...despite the jellyfish. All the kids and Jeff and I were playing in the waves when I spotted the BIGGEST jellyfish. So we used the boogie board to bring it up to the beach. It was seriously bigger than a dinner plate. We all were able to touch the top of it...we thought it was dead. Then we saw it trying to breathe. So we did what any normal person would do and buried it!