Recuperating, Antibiotics and Surprises

So I didn't blog last week because it had been a pretty boring week (we were recuperating), there weren't many pictures and I needed a week off. Here's a summary of what has happened over the last couple of weeks:

Samantha:
*Says that riding on her tricycle is exercise.
*She also says that riding up-hill is "difficult."
*Samantha recently got a new computer program in the mail. She told BeBe to "check this out."
*Has been skipping her naps more than taking them. I've come to accept this and have told her she will have "quiet time" and it's worked so far. She has played quite well by herself most days and gone to bed quite early. It's not as bad as I thought it would be.
*Tuesday evening Samantha got bit by an ant. The next morning she woke up saying her foot felt funny and showed me..it was so swollen. We were advised to soak it in Epsom salt and did that and even put on a charcoal poultice but my Thursday morning it was much more swollen. I made an appointment and took her in to Dr. Carter who believed it was just an allergic reaction (she even tested her blood to make sure) but gave her an antibiotic as a precaution. By Friday the swelling had gone done and it has continued to do so.

Blake:
*Finally got his sixth tooth in last week (it's on top).
*Simply manhandles his walker but refuses to take steps on his own. He sometimes even goes and gets his walker so he can walk some place. He's learned to maneuver around corners and objects quite well.
*Dad taught him how to climb up the ladder on the swing set and he loves to climb up it and slide down!
*He has become quite the little talker, his favorite word is "hello" and even says it when he puts the phone up to his head.
*Poor little guy got another ear infection last week so was an antibiotics again. We caught it early so luckily he wasn't in a ton of pain.
*He has become quite jealous when mom is holding Samantha and often stands at my legs and cries while I'm holding her.
*Blake loves this crib and will fall asleep best when he's in it. It's great while we're at home but it's tough while we're out and about.

Last Sabbath we took advantage of the weather and went to Imagination Station. It was fun to get outside with the kids and take a walk and let them play. Samantha especially enjoyed swinging and playing in the sand. Blake really enjoys the swings too.

We were so surprised to have BeBe and Papa come to our house again. They made a spontaneous trip to Orlando and were driving through so they got to spend Wednesday with us. It was such a treat and a surprise. I was so thankful that the kids were not sick this time!

Today we braved the weather and went to the Knoxville Zoo. It was chilly which meant we made it through in record time but the kids enjoyed seeing all of the animals and spending time with Alex and Ian and their parents. After the zoo we stopped and got something to eat before heading home.

It looks to be another extremely busy week. We have pictures, a birthday party and the arrival of the Renfro grandparents!

This week's shots...

We bundled up for the zoo...

Samantha took this pictures of Blake...

Birthday Bash and Steps

We had a crazy week last week. It started off with an invitation by Kathryn to join her for her Kindermusik class. Samantha loved it-she so enjoys dancing and singing with the other kids.

That afternoon I had to go back to the dentist so Miss Gloria came and watched the kids for me. They had such a good time playing with her and she even got Blake to take a nap again!

The next couple of days were filled with errands and getting ready for Blake's big birthday party and a visit from BeBe and Papa. Besides getting the house ready we ran a ton of errands.

We were so glad for some awesome weather and we could enjoy the outdoors again. It was so nice to take the kids outside without jackets and let them run around. Blake is a bit more difficult because he does want to go all over but he just can't yet.

Tuesday night Samantha didn't sleep well and by Wednesday morning she was congested, her nose was running and her eyes were red. I attributed it all to allergies because they are starting to hit here. I even forced her to start taking Claritin. After her nap I realized that she had started to run a fever and it wasn't just allergies. She ran a fever that afternoon and did nothing at all. In fact, she even fell asleep watching a movie in the afternoon. By that evening, however she was feeling almost back to normal.

BeBe and Papa arrived safely Thursday evening and in time to get some good visiting and playing in. Samantha had been so excited for their arrival that she had missed her nap that day--she kept on building a fort for Curious George to sleep in.

By Friday morning poor Blake had a fever and cold. He was so miserable Friday and of course, it got only worse after we headed out for a bit. We brought him home and he slept and cried all afternoon. He and I stayed home from church because his cold symptoms were still hanging on but thankfully his fever had broke by then.

Sabbath afternoon Travis and Papa headed to Southern's Archaeology Museum while Samantha and I took a nap and BeBe watched Blake. Later that afternoon we were thrilled that Shelli and Justin came to visit. Shelli grew up in the same town as I did and is about 10 years younger than I am. She is currently living in Atlanta and wanted to come and see my parents. Her boyfriend happened to be visiting her so he came along. Anyways, it was a great visit. Of course, she'll probably have pictures of her visit on her blog and I forgot to take a picture of them. (check out their blog at http://www.jellitin.blogspot.com)

Sunday we amazingly all slept in until 9:00! I am embarrassed to say so but it felt great! With the rain and dark weather plus the time change I guess it threw us all of. After a pancake breakfast we opened Blake's birthday presents. BeBe and Papa also brought down Samantha's present so she got to enjoy it to.

In the afternoon we prepared for Blake's big puppy themed party which we hosted at the opposite side of our duplex (it's empty). I am so thankful that my parents were here because otherwise I'm sure I wouldn't have gotten everything. My mom ended up cooking the entire meal for us so that I could visit. We were thrilled that our friends came and helped Blake celebrate his birthday. He was still feeling a bit under-the-weather I think and there weren't many smiles but I think everyone had a great time. Believe it or not, he took his first steps during the party to. Check out the video below of him walking!

Blake often says as clear as day "no", "hello" and "hi".

Blake got to have his car seat turned around...Random shots...
Our poor sick girl (she wore her coat all day)...Opening presents...

The party invitations were made by BeBe...
There were lots of details and decorations...
The party...

First steps... Video of Blake walking...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h6hushdfeeQ

Celebrating 1!!!

I can't believe we celebrated Blake's first birthday this week. The year has gone by so fast and with so many changes. Blake is such a joy to have around and we are blessed by him! We celebrated his birthday very quietly because his "big" birthday party will be next Sunday when BeBe and Papa are coming down. He got to eat a cupcake for his birthday. He wasn't sure about the frosting but did enjoy most the actual cake part. As you may have guessed, he was a mess afterwards.

The kids have really enjoyed playing in Blake's crib lately and Blake really enjoys jumping in it.
Here is a link to a video of him jumping...http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VhWF30cCaqU

Last Sunday Blake started to say "uh, oh." It's so cute to hear him say and and 9 times out of 10 he says it at the appropriate time.

We listen to a lot of music at our house and in the car. We have the song, "If You're Happy and You Know It..." Blake recognizes this song even before it starts and he starts clapping. It shows just how much kids pick up on things and how smart they are at such a young age.

The kids are so funny. When they are together they rarely get along as they should. But when one of them is sleeping they are always looking for the other. If Blake gets up before Samantha he will crawl around calling for her and then eventually pound on her door. If Blake is still sleeping when Samantha gets up she immediately asks where he is. If he gets up then she often wants to go get him right away.

Samantha is finally getting another one of her two-year molars. She still hasn't complained about them which I am so thankful for.

This past week Samantha has managed to sleep all night in her bed several times but then she'd wake up around 6:30 in her bed and come to our bed but wasn't able to get back to sleep. This meant she was getting up to early in the morning. By Friday evening she was so tired that she fell sleeping during her second story! I don't think this has even happened with her before.

She continues to love to cook and help in the kitchen. Sabbath lunch she decided to set the table for us and even told us where to sit. It was quite cute to watch her set it all and plan it all out.

Thursday was our last day at the library for story time. We so enjoyed Teacher Shelly and her stories and activities about foods. Samantha loved to listen and interact with Teacher Shelly and the other kids. In April she will be old enough to go to the other story time and we will probably start to go to that one again.

Random shots...

Decorating Blake's cupcakes...
The results (can you tell Samantha loves sprinkles??)...

Celebrating Blake's birthday...