Setting Up the Pack 'N Play

For the first couple of months, the new baby will sleep in our room in the Pack 'n Play. This is the same little bed that Sam slept in and we have gotten so much use out of it (a very good investment). Last week, while I was at work, Steve and Sam surprised me by getting it all set-up and into place. It's a good thing too because we will be welcoming our new addition in less than two weeks!

Sam loves to set-up and "fix" anything

Helping Daddy (as usual)

Making some minor adjustments before putting her baby in the bed


The finished product (complete with her baby doll)

A Fun Day

Samantha helped to frost cookies with me ... just in time for Valentine's Day. We had a special cookie all ready for Steve that said, "I love Daddy," but unfortunately that was the one casualty that we had. Oh well, there were plenty of others for him to choose from.

Later on that same day, Steve blew up some balloons for Sam (its amazing how much fun she can have with something that is so cheap), and they had a blast creating static and making the balloons stick to her hair. How cute!

Giddy Up!

Who knew that this rocking horse was going to be such a hit in our house?

I believe that I posted about it after Christmas, but just in case, I will remind you: This horse was made by my grandpa for my little sister many years ago, and when she outgrew it, my dad stored it in the attic. He found it this Fall and asked if Sam would like it. Steve and I took it home and cleaned it up and then saved it for Christmas.

Well, Sam LOVES it and we often hear her in the other room saying, "WEEEEE!" as she is rocking back and forth on it. Notice that she even uses her special, most sacred blanket as a saddle blanket sometimes. Oh, and that is her doll's diaper bag hanging from one of the handles (another favorite in our house). I think that this horse will be a permanent feature in our home for quite a while ...

Snow Days

We got a lot of snow in our area last week, so Sam and I spent a great deal of time INSIDE where it was nice and warm. When Steve got home from work though, Sam would get all bundled up and he would take her outside to play. She loves the snow!

Admiring the snowfall from inside

Getting stuck in the deep snowbank

Going down the small hill in our backyard

Sliding down the mountain that Daddy constructed

Dolls Galore

My mom was in town yesterday and we decided to venture out (before the big snowstorm) to get Samantha a couple of new outfits for her baby doll. As I mentioned in the last post, Sam is taking a sincere interest in her doll and being the best mama that she can be to her. My mom felt bad that Sam only had one outfit for her baby, so off to the store we went ...

And we returned with a couple of new outfits, some doll diapers and a diaper bag filled with all of the essentials for her baby. Well, these new purchases have captured her total attention and she has played constantly with her baby. Before long yesterday, she had gotten out her shopping cart and told me that she was getting groceries with her baby. In the photo above, she was feeding her baby in the cart, while loading her groceries into the cart.

Baby Bath Time!

As each day goes by, I become more and more encouraged about the transition of our new little one into our family. By no means am I disillusioned to think that there will not be any adjustments that will need to be made -- there will be. But I feel that so many of the fears that I had in the beginning about Samantha feeling left out or the idea that she now had to share her mom are subsiding.

Her interest and understanding about babies is growing tremendously these days. She knows where the baby's room is and that the baby is going to sleep in a crib. She's very familiar with the baby's bouncy seat and I often find a baby doll , a stuffed animal or even Buzz Lightyear in there. Today, she found the baby's bathtub (stored in the linen closet in the bathroom upstairs) and brought it down, with her baby doll, so that the baby could take a bath. I just chuckle over how much she really does grasp in her environment; she doesn't seem to miss a beat.

I can't wait to see the look on her face when she meets her new little brother or sister for the first time. I hope that she is just as excited as her mommy and daddy will be ...

A Battle of Wills ...

Having a 2 year old in the house means that many times a day we have a "battle of wills" that takes place. For the most part, that battle occurs between Samantha and ME because I am the primary caregiver. Last night, that battle actually took place between Samantha and Steve.

It had been a long day for Samantha and she was tired. But nonetheless, we try to stick to routines and it was a bath night for her. At the end of her bath, she knows that she must always pick up all of her toys and put them back on the shelf before she can get out.

Steve was overseeing the bath process last night (I was waiting in Sam's room with the PJs and bedtime story), and they battled over the idea of putting all of her toys away. After a drawn-out, very lengthy amount of time, Samantha ended up in "time-out" and Daddy explained that she would have to pick-up her toys in the morning.

So, that is what we did. After she got up and had breakfast today, I took her back upstairs to pick up all of her toys in the bathtub. She remembered and understood completely why she had to do this. And, she did it easily and without effort. Lesson learned.

Starting to pick-up her toys

Putting the last of the toys back on the shelf