I have found myself with a little bit of time... I am not sure how long it will last. My little Samantha (or "Amatha" as Amber calls her) is sleeping and Amber is down for her nap. I would say I have "quite time" time, but the "big" kids are in and out and each of them have what seems like a collection of friends, even though maybe we really only have maybe 4 extra friends here right now. (That being said, I just had to take a break already to sort out some kool-aid stand business that there was some disputes over some money issues.)
Amber is getting so fun and cute. With that being said, she is also quite the handful. She loves to be cuddled and have one on one time to read books or for someone to follow her around as she motions with her hands for someone to "come on" as she says her own version of the words which sound more like mama. Then she will tell you to sit and she will pat the couch, the stairs, or the carpet where she wants you to sit. She is supper funny to watch. Very full of life! She so far seems be liking Samantha, she kisses her and wants to hold her or lay next to her on the bed or the floor. She loves to interact with Samantha, she does get carried away and doesn't quite know how to always be gentle. In one of the pictures of Amber and Samantha on the floor, Samantha has a little red spot below her eye that Amber was trying to read her a book and then in the process bonked Samantha. Then a few nights ago, I was feeding Samantha and Amber was on my bed with us. Amber kept jumping around and playing and I was pushing her down with a pillow and playing too. Then all of a sudden, Amber says, "bite Amatha head" and before I could even do much Amber had a hold of the crown of poor little Samantha's head. Samantha let out a sad little cry that I have never heard before and I scolded Amber. I really don't think Amber meant to. She just got so excited. It reminds me of a book we have, "Don't eat the teacher" about a little shark that gets so excited he "CRUNCH"s everything!
Samantha is doing great! She is growing so fast! It makes me pretty sad really. I can't believe she is growing up so fast. Last time I weighed her about a week ago or maybe it was two weeks by now, she weighed 11lbs and 12oz. I think she is more on the growing trend that Emily was on. I would have to go look in Emily's baby book to see how fast she grew. I know Amber at 2 months was a little over 11 pounds and at 4 months a little over 13 pounds and then grew really slow from there on. By 9 months she was like 18lbs and hadn't really gained much since then. Even at her 18 month appt she was 21 lbs. Emily was 24 lbs by 6 months and was about 32 lbs by a year I think. She slowed down from then on for a few years. It will be interesting to see how Samantha grows. I thought maybe Amber was slower due to nursing, but it looks like that may not be the case since Samantha is seeming to be a heavy weight. Time will see I guess. I haven't checked Samantha's length, Emily grew long fast too and Amber has done it pretty slow. Lindsey and Lauren have been more like Emily in growing but not quite as big. Maybe because they started out smaller (7lbs 14oz & 7lbs 6oz compared to 10lbs 1oz)
We (or I am) slowly getting back into the routine of things. It seems like my house will never be clean again. I keep thinking that at 3 months Samantha will be on more of a schedule so that I will be able to predict more when I can do things other than feed her. Hopefully by then I will be more rested too. These middle of the night feedings are brutal. It isn't so bad when she wakes, eats, burps, and goes back to sleep. But some nights she will be up for 2 hours because she falls asleep while eating then wakes up when I put her back to bed still hungry until she finally gets her little belly full. I fell asleep a few nights ago on one of these nights, sitting up while feeding her and the TV on. I woke up and looked at the TV to a totally different infomercial (since that is what only seems to be on at that time of night). Samantha was asleep too, and stayed asleep when I put her back in her bed, but not sure really how long we slept while I was feeding her. I guess enough for her to get full.
I have been trying to introduce Samantha into a bottle, she is my only one that hasn't really taken a bottle. She did when she first got home from the hospital, but now she has a real hard time. I got an awesome pump from my friend who was done using it. It has been WONDERFUL and will be more so once I get little Sam to be better at taking a bottle and then Robert can take a night shift for me while I sleep. Samantha just starts gagging when I give her a bottle and it takes forever. Robert is in favor of just switching to formula, but she is much longer now at a bottle than nursing. Everytime I stop or she stops the bottle it takes 10 minutes or so to get her to remember what she does to get her milk from the bottle. I have only been giving her about 2 ounces in a bottle other wise it would take FOREVER! Meanwhile, my freezer is getting full of milk.
Samantha is getting more and more responsive everyday it seems. Sometimes I will talk to her and she just starts smiling. It seems like Amber didn't ever really respond to me until she was much older. Amber would smile but not at me, more like the wall or the book shelf or the lights... Samantha will look right at me and smile and coo and all. It makes those sleepless nights worth it when she gives me a big toothless grin and coos.
Lauren is quite the little Mommy for Samantha. She is with Amber too. I will find Lauren carrying Amber around with Amber's head on Lauren's shoulder. She will carry her up the stairs or into her room or where ever. She is so loving to Amber. If Samantha is crying and I can't get her or I will be alittle longer, I will ask Lauren to hold her. Lauren many times holds Samantha, puts her back to sleep and then lays her back on my bed. She is really fun to watch with the little girls. Lauren will be a great mom I can already see it. The other girls are great too, but normally short lived.
Well my time is just about up. I have some really cute pictures of Amber in a hat, and then some pics of Samantha in her blessing dress. I keep thinking as we pass each stage of things... "this is the last time...." since I am pretty sure we are done having children in this life. So with Samantha's blessing I thought this will be the last time we bless a baby. Even going through labor with Samantha, I thought, this will be my last time I will ever do this, and I was even sad about it. Strange--but just me thinking that the whole miracle of life, I was going to experience for the last time (pain and all). All those little baby kicks and hiccups...will be the last time for me. So as we go through all the other little stages with Samantha I am really enjoying them knowing that it will be the last one for us. Our last baby... I am afraid she will be very spoiled!
I better get going! I miss you all so much! I keep rethinking a trip this summer, but then keep remembering the famous baby trip I took with Lorri coming home from WA with Lindsey and Lauren at about the same age as Samantha (since they are born like a week apart). That L O N G drawn out trip back I still remember and it makes me think how nice it wouldn't be to travel with a small baby that likes to eat so frequently. Yes there is just one, but with Lorri, she took one and I took one so it was like just having one then too. It is the feeding and the burping and the diapering. Not to mention Samantha is always got a load in her pants!
Next year for sure, till then, we will just have to keep sending pictures!
Love from all of us here!
Karla and family
