The tree is up!!

This is the earliest our tree has ever been put up, but it seems a lot of people here put up decorations as soon as Thanksgiving is over (so we did too) It also makes it feel like it's almost time for my mummy, Harriet and Steve to get here! We just got a small tree as we only have a shed...i mean, small house. I think it's pretty though. Sam doesnt seem too bothered by it so far, I thought he'd want to grab it as soon as he could get his grubby hands on it, but so far so good.

As you can see Sam is still all about Daddy, he LOVES his Daddy SO much and loves his rough play!

On a side (funny) note...yesterday Sam was very quiet in the bathroom (we let him go in there ...or at least USED to, as there are no nasty chemicals or anything and he likes to stand up at the bath and look in!) well, Bryan peeked around the corner to see the reason for the quietness and Sam had both hands splashing in the toilet bowl ahahaha!! How gross! obviously we wahsed them off with soap ASAP. Needless to say, that was Sams last bathroom playtime!

Santa Claus is coming to town!!

Grandad and Nana Jo sent Sam a box today and inside was.....A SANTA OUTFIT Sam was SO excited (ok....mummy was so excited!!) and he tried it on straight away!! here he is modelling it.

The 'going to bed' thing isn't much improved today, Sam has a residual cough left over from his weekend cold and I think that is what keeps waking him up. At least Daddy is home tonight so I'm not losing my mind like last night haha!!

Can I catch water?

Sam is amazed by running water, he tried to 'catch' it at every bath time! Sam and I have evenings all alone now as Bryan has swapped shifts, its hard to do it all alone every night, if I'm feeding him and need something i would usually call for Bryan to bring it, but now I just have to stop, take Sam and go and get it! Its especially hard on nights like tonight when Sam took two hours to go down and screamed in my ear as i desperately tried to watch season 5 of 'House' (one of my only self indulgent pleasures) and then proceeded to wake 5 more times in the one and a half hours that followed! He is now screaming and squirming on my lap....how we need Daddy right now! AAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!

9 months!

Here is Samuel. He is 9 months old now!! (as of Thursday!) This is him today having a snack as I cooked. He hasn't been feeling too well since last night, I think he has a slight cold, so, to entertain him I gave him some snacky food to eat as I cooked some yummy cauliflower cheese. He ate his way through some grated cheese (or course!! that's his favourite) some cottage cheese and some mashed sweet potato. This is all before dinner! As you can see, much of it ends up on him rather than in him! I have to take him outside after every meal to shake the cheese off of his clothes! haha

For dinner he will be having some chicken and cauliflower cheese!! I am still making 99% of his baby food as it works out much cheaper AND I know what is going into his precious little body!

He is standing

He has started standing alone and every day it's getting for longer and longer periods of time!! He makes me so worried when we does it in the bath I have to stand there ready, incase he slips! I cant believe he will be 9 months old tomorrow. This year has just flown by! He is such a joy and makes me smile everyday with his funny ways.

oh no!!

Sam has found out how exciting the kitchen cupboards are. I took this sequence today, he didnt realise that I was behind him and just went about his business. What a naughty boy!!

Sam is starting to stand up for himself

This afternoon just to show us that he is still a baby and silly as ever he tried his best to get as much food as he could on his face and everywhere near to him so we took some pictures of that too.

Also today when I was on the computer checking my emails and such things. Samuel being himself was crawling to the comp. chair and crawling up and about 10 or so times he used the chair or the bean bag to get himself up and was STANDING with no support we think it won't be long before his first steps are coming (hoping before family comes for holidays)

clap-clap

Samuels latest trick is clapping, he thinks its terribly clever. Catching him on video was tricky as he is usually more interested in the camera than actually doing anything worth filming, but here I managed to catch a few seconds. Excuse my hideous voice, it was early and I was trying to excite him into doing it!

The sleeping is getting somewhat better, on Friday night Daddy babysat while mummy went out and he woke at 10pm for an hour (poor Daddy!!) but then slept until 4:30am (which is VERY good for Sam) and then last night he was awake at 11:30pm (for quite a long time) but slept until 6:30am!! Admittedly it was in our bed, but we'll do anything to get some sleep in this house!

Samuel and Mummy

These photos were taken last weekend when we decided to drive to 'Agua Caliente', a park not too far from here. It was lovely, there were three lakes (admittedly 2 were dried up haha) and little streams and ducks. FINALLY the temperature here in Southern Arizona has become more bearable. We can actually leave the house without gallons of water and without the worry of Sam over-heating. Its been in the 70's lately!! I decided to add the top picture as it shows what a big boy Sam is (last week he weighed in at his WIC appointment at 21lbs 14oz and 29.5inches long!!) Everyone asks me 'How old is you baby?' and their mouths drop open when I tell them he isn't even 9 months yet haha!!

Bathtime

Here is Sam last night, so happy in the bath. He enjoys his daily bathtime and last night he was especially happy! He will probably hate me when he is older for posting these!!

Sams new bed!!

Sam has been getting way too big for his 'co-sleeper' bed so we ordered him a new 'big boy cot'. Bryan and I put it together yesterday without the usual 'construction argument' that usually occurs when we put furniture together haha! Sam actually slept much better last night from 7pm-4am and then up for a while (ok, a LONG time) and back to sleep until 7:10am. Hopefully this wasn't a coincidence.