Surprise!

Yesterday was Sam's birthday and Jason was in San Fran, which really bummed Sam out. So I thought if we threw him a family surprise party, that it would cheer him up.  

I went to pick up the boys from Lego class while the family hid their cars in the garage. When we came around the corner, this is what Sam saw!

He was sooooooo surprised and had no idea what was really going on! He first thought that the family had stopped by to say happy birthday and then we (meaning Sam, Jack and I) were going to head to Cazador's for dinner.

After explaining what was really going on...he was so happy!

 

We had balloons, pizza, presents, cake and friends to make it the perfect party for Sam.

Even Moose was all smiles!

One highlight was Jason calling to wish Sam a happy day!

I want to extend a HUGE THANK YOU to all the family and friends who helped pull this surprise off. Sam said it wasn't a good birthday it was an AWESOME BIRTHDAY!!

A Decade Ago...(sniff sniff)

Today my baby blue turns 10 years old!! Thought I would share some stories about the photos and some memories of his birth day...the longest day of my life!

(Warning: loads of pictures and stories that aren't in an real order!)

I didn't get my first digital camera until 2004, when Sam was 2, so I don't have any "baby" pictures to share. This was when Sam was almost two years old.

This was Sam's first big owie...he fell down the back steps and gave himself a rug burn on the floor mat.

When I see these blue eyes, I know my 18 hours of labor was all worth it.

In the summer, Sam loved his goggles..

...and playing in the sprinkler.  What a dude.

Jack came along when Sam was three years old.

Sam was 10 pounds one ounce when he was born.  When the Dr. was wheeling me down to the c-section room, after 18 hours of labor (did I mention that?), she told me not to worry...the baby was only about 7 to 7 1/2 pounds. Oops!

The odd thing is, is that I was on bed rest for 10 weeks due to pre-term labor...he was probably seven pounds at THAT time!

 

When I got to the hospital,the secretary asked for my doctor's name. I gave her my dentist's name.  She told me very kindly that she hadn't heard of that Dr. before.  I rolled my eyes at her.  Then it dawned on me, "Probably not because it is my dentist's name. i can't remember my doctor's name at three in the morning and while I am in so much pain."  My doctor's name finally came to me!

Sam's Grandma Sharon bought this little number to wear while at her pool.  It is suppose to have floaters inside the suit, but that was a little too tight for Sam.  He refused to take this jazzy little number off!

Jack looked at Sam like this the entire time we were there.

When I got to my hospital room, I had another contraction when I entered the room.  I looked at the nurse beside me, who was sporting these HUGE Harry Carey glasses and said in my demon voice, "Aren't you going to help me?!?!?!?"  She just smiled. When the contraction passed, I told her I was sorry.  I had to apologize several times this day.

When Jason finally got to the room, he was parking the car, he asked me how I was doing. I actually put his entire head in my mouth, ripped it off his neck and spit it at the Harry Carey nurse. 

Actually, I looked at him, started crying and said, "I don't know if I can do this."

Sammy at his fourth birthday.

Sammy at his fifth birthday.

I wanted my epidural sooooooooooooo bad.  I was able to have it right away...thank goodness.  Before my epidural, I had sworn out loud several times.  Big bad words.  When the contraction would pass, I would apologize to everyone in the room for my terrible language and I that I would really try to control it from here on out.

About half way into my labor Sam decided to flip sunny side up, which means he was face up. Ouch.  They wanted him to flip back, so they put me on all fours...real comfortable.  My hair was hanging in my face, so my mom put it in a pony tail (while I was on all fours.) When Sam finally  flipped around, I could lay back down, on my side, again.  That was when others realized that my ponytail was actually right above my forehead, but no one dared told me that I should fix my hair.  You should see the pictures with my unicorn horn! Nice.

One day, when Sam was six,  he hoisted himself up on a swing and fell backwards off of it.  He tried to catch himself by putting out his arm, but ended up breaking his wrist.  So he had a cast on his sixth birthday.

When the doctor finally came and gave me my epidural, I told him I could marry him. He said, "I am already married." I told him, "Like I was serious. See this mess I am in...I must be married to!" No, I didn't say that out loud, but I did in my head. I knew not to say it out loud to the man that was in control of my pain!

I had Sam on the same day that Jennifer Aniston was having her baby on the show Friends.  All I wanted was to have my baby before she had hers! I told nurses that. They just smiled. Jennifer Aniston beat me. By two hours.

Have you seen the movie Terms of Endearment?  At one point in the movie, while Debra Winger was in the hospital, her mom goes out to the nursing station and yells at the nurses to give Debra pain killers.  Her mom is freaking out.  My mom did that too on the day Sam was born.  The doctors were telling me that I needed to have a c-section and asking me all sorts of questions.  My mom freaked. She went on to tell them how I was in too much pain and SHE CAN'T MAKE THOSE KIND OF DECISIONS RIGHT NOW!! Like the doctor would say, "Ok, we will talk to her when she is feeling better."

Jack trying so hard to get his arms to do the same thing as Sam's!!  Love this!!

When I found out that I needed a C-Section, I told them I didn't know if that was an option, because I hadn't read up on c-sections.  (I had read EVERYTHING about natural child birth!) My doctor told the nurse to get my a pamphlet on c-sections.

Jason sat beside my the entire time, holding my hand or rubbing my back (or maybe I am making that up.) Anyway, I do remember him telling me every time I was having a contraction because he was watching the monitor.  I remember telling him, "Really.  You don't think I know this?"

At one point, Jason got hungry and brought McDonald's in the room.  I politely asked him to take that foul smelling food out of the room immediately. He did.

I ended up having an emergency c-section with Sammy.  He started to go into distress.  They had to put me completely under.  My doctor is a tiny woman.  When they started to pull Sam out, she had to have someone help her! 

After being in recovery (due to being put completely under) I finally got to meet Sam.  I remember telling him how long I had waited to meet him. And then I reached up and took off his little stocking cap that the nurse had put on him.  "OH MY GOD...put some lead on that head and he could write with that pointed head!"  I heard my mom say, "I knew we shouldn't have let her take off the hat."

While my mom held him, she stated, "Oh..big babies are so easy to take care of." She came to eat those words...Sam was allergic to everything and was colicky.  That story is for another birthday!

I was on morphine for the next 24 hours and blew up like a balloon!  At one point my sister walked in and said, "Oh my!" That is one thing I love about my sister...she will let me know what's going on with me, plus she rubbed my feet while I laid like a blow fish.

While I was having my c-section, my family waited outside in the hall.  They heard Sam wail.  My dad looked at my mom and said, "It's a boy. No girl would yell like that!" 

When Jason rolled Sam out to meet the family, my dad took a photo of Sam laying in the little push cart.  Sam startled and jumped about 2 inches off of the bed.  I am glad he has gotten over that issue!

When Jason and I drove Sam home from the hospital, I think we went about 35 on the interstate.  We knew at that time, our lives had changed forever.

Would I do it all over again, of course I would. ( I would try to be on better behavior, though)

I can't imagine not having our little Sammy in our lives!

 

Happy 10th Birthday, Sammy!!

A Happy Mother's Day...

I hope everyone had a fabulous Mother's Day.  I sure did!!

My mom came over late morning so we could meet my sister and then go and buy MORE flowers!!!
Before we left, we had to get a few Mother's Day photos....

 

As you could have guessed, Moose had been trying to get into the photos, so we got a quick one with her too!  She even smiled pretty!

Then it was off to Lucilles Garden Center.  Unfortunately, the flowers were pretty picked over.  We usually have such success here...but never fear...we had a few other places we could shop for flowers.

Before heading to one of our other fav flowers places..Piney Ridge in Johnston..we thought we should get some Mom's Day photos with Meg...

 

Yes..we got to Piney Ridge and their flowers were AMAZING!!!  We really stocked up at this place.  At one point, we had to tell my sister it was time to leave...she was about to leg wrestle a lady for some impatients.  When I looked back, Meg had the plant tucked under her arm...I guess she won!!

Will have to show some updated photos on my plants around the house.  I even moved my little green chair so all can spot it more easily now!!