Let's Play Ball!

We took Sam and Jude to their first baseball game last night. I guess it doesn't really count for Jude, for obvious reasons (he spent most of the game staring at my chest in the Baby Bjorn), but Sam really enjoyed it! We went to see Florence Freedom play; it was great because we were really close to the field and Sam could really see what was going on. He sat through the entire 9 innings, only taking a break to use the bathroom! Afterward, they had a great fireworks show that Sam loved. Jude the Dude did his thing - sleeping and looking around.

Jude - looking like a little set of arms and legs

That's one way to eat a hotdog

The mascots Sam refused to get in a picture with

Sam with a baseball from batting practice...he slept with it last night.

Worn out!

Welcome Baby Jude!

He's here! Jude arrived on Thursday, July 15 at 2:06 PM, after just 15 minutes of pushing! He was 7 pounds, 8 oz. and 21 inches long. Boy, was this birth light years away from Sam's (which I really didn't think was too bad until I had Jude)! Jude has been a delight since he made his appearance. So far, he's calm and laid-back, and I kind of keep waiting for the ball to drop and for him to just develop terrible colic or something. Then I tell myself to just enjoy him! Sam's been great for the most part, although I think some underlying feelings were revealed when we caught him spitting on Jude after dinner last night! Poor Jude just laid there sleeping, completely unaware that his big brother had just spit dinner all over his face. I'm sure it's not the last time. Here are just SOME of the pictures taken over the last few days. By the way - shout out to my Dad, who took some awesome pictures during the birth, and somehow managed to be incredibly discreet! Loved my birth team - Ben (wonderful as always), Mom, and Dad, as well as my nurse, Jen, and Dr. Coppage.

Meeting little brother for the first time. Love this sweet picture.

Ben gave me this arrangement in the hospital. The 2 blue carnations represent the 2 boys!

Taken right before we left the hospital

Baby Jude "gave" this present - a Spiderman helmet - to Sam

Getting in some floor time with Daddy

How I found him this morning in his bassinet. Jude's a sound sleeper.

During first hair washing at home after his sponge bath. He LOVED it - not one tear!

Aaaah - all clean and dry and just hanging out

Happy Birthday Neenee!

Last Thursday, we celebrated Ben's mother's 75th birthday! Ben's sister, Jane, came up with her family from Atlanta, and we all went out for a nice dinner and then back to her house for sparklers, cake, and ice cream. We had a great time and Sam loved hanging out with his cousins, who were wonderful with him. They played with a tee-ball and soccer set that Jane got for him, and then showed him how to throw pop-its and play with sparklers.

Probably the last belly picture (in that dress I've worn a million times I think). 37 weeks.

Jane, Joey, and Johnny before leaving for dinner

Neenee with some of her handsome grandsons!

Sue with her sons - Brett, Paul, and Ben

Sam entertaining Sue..he kept telling her "you're seventy and five!" He was the life of the party....

Loves his Uncle Paul

Singing "Happy Birthday" to Sue

Trying out his first sparkler

Jacob showing Sam the fine art of throwing poppers

Sam has his technique down

Summertime

One of the perks of our jobs is that we get summers off. I think Sam's enjoying it - we've been doing lots of fun stuff, but also taking some time to just be lazy and relax before Jude arrives. What's helped us be lazy and relax? Sam's new stoplight clock! LOVE this thing. We set the time that we want Sam to be able to get out of bed and the light turns green at that time. Took some teaching and practice, but Sam has really gotten the hang of it and it lets us sleep until we want him to get up. It's gotten so that when we're driving and see stoplights, Sam makes comments like "time to go to sleep!" when it's red and "time to wake up!" when it's green. This thing has been a lifesaver.

LOVE LOVE LOVE

So, we have this little morning ritual this summer where Sam comes in and wakes us up around 8 or 8:30 and then we watch his new favorite PBS show, Word World. If I get up to use the bathroom (which is about every 5 minutes nowadays), Sam steals my spot:

Another new development: Sam is wearing real underwear now! We stayed home earlier this week for a few days and really focused on potty training. We're still having about 1-2 accidents every day, but he's getting it. Here he is modeling some Big Bird underwear. He has the pose totally down. Very GQ.

And we're pretty much living at Coney Island now. Sam loves to people watch (imagine that - kid of two psychologists), so this place is like a feast for the eyes for Sam. He loves to jump off the side of the pool, blow bubbles, and sit on his jet ski float and watch kids come down the slides or stare at people.

He's also gotten into "relaxing." As in "Mom, I don't want to go. I'm relaxing in my chair!!!" Here is Sam relaxing with Daddy while they discuss what's for lunch. His new favorite game is to come up with gross things to eat, like "crocodile tongue."

And occasionally, we find Sam sitting in his old carseat, now out for Jude. It's crazy to think about how tiny he was in that thing when he was first born....