I'm convinced now

Ok so I don't think he's faking it anymore. It's been crankapalooza for the last 2 days and I do believe Bubba feels like junk. Hopefully the antibiotics we started him on today will kick in quick and tomorrow when I take his temp he'll be back to normal!? After 12 days, I really hope so! Time will tell.

Today he was pretty pooped so he hung out with me in bed for a little while after Phil left for work. Snuggling with a Glow Worm and his corn popper (I don't get it either) we rested for about as long as a toddler boy rests.

We headed downstairs for his morning snack and he was feeling ornery once again, but that too was short lived.

I hope you feel better soon Bubbs.

Thanks Dad

I remember one time - I must have been in early high school - when my sisters and I met my dad for lunch just randomly because we were all out and the timing worked out. I don't remember the details, but I remember I was going to be late, and I felt so guilty that my Dad was going to be disappointed (he wasn't) that I was crying hysterically on the way there. My sister thought I was crazy and couldn't understand what the heck was wrong with me. And then of course some crazy country song like "Daddy's Hands" or something equally ridiculous came on the radio and only made things worse. Stupid country songs. Every. Single. Time.

Why do I remember this completely random moment? Because I remember it as an example of how much I love my Dad. Would he have been mad I was late. No way and that wasn't even the point. It's just that I loved doing things like that with him and I was looking forward to it, I didn't want to miss anything by being late. A tad dramatic, maybe. A little emotional, definitely. But thats how I tend to be when it comes to my parents and my feelings about them.

One thing I love most about my Dad is that he didn't have to say "I love you" 100 times a day. I knew it. I felt it. I could tell just by the way he would crooked smile at me, tease me, joke with me. With all of us. I always strive to give off that same feeling of undeniable love for Sam and Phil. I don't want them to ever doubt it. I never did with my parents.

So if I were to sit and really write a post about my Dad, or my Mom, it would be for sure a rambling, sappy mess. And, well, thats just me. So this simple, silly, seemingly insignificant story will have to do. This is my crooked smile, my tease, and my joking around. I hope my Dad feels that.

Thankfully, Sam (and I) have Phil. A Dad that will go above and beyond. A Dad that strives to protect, love, and support with all his heart. A Dad that changes diapers, gives baths, shares freezy-pops, tickles  and laughs. I know Sam feels that. I am reminded of that every weekday when we wait for Daddy. He grabs his belly with excitement, ducks down and jumps up because his happiness explodes out of him when the door opens and he sees his Daddy.

We try to celebrate that everyday. Not just Father's Day. Even if it's in a 1.5 minute pretend phone call made from the TV remote calling Daddy to say hi and I love you.

Seriously, Aunt Erin. I am NOT sharing my corn with you!

A good ol' Harford County baby pool. 

Signing "please". Usually it's a 2 handed belly rubbing extravaganza, this one seems to be a bit more tame.

If you have a caption for this, I'll give you a prize...

 Daddy tickles are the best :)

faking it?

Sam's had a fever now for a week. A low one, but still. If it's still there tomorrow, we'll have to go for blood and urine testing to make sure theres nothing crazy going on. He's mostly acting fine, with a few exceptions. He's definitely worn out a bit earlier in the day and more clingy to me instead of going right to Phil like normal at bedtime. Hopefully, tomorrow he'll be fever-free and we can finally introduce him to his new cousin this weekend!

He hung out with Grandpa today while I took miss Caroline's photos. I'm not sure who was more tired, Sam or my Dad, but I know Sam was asleep in the car within 7 minutes, and I'm willing to bet Dad might have been snoring on the couch by then too. :) I don't think Sam heard "No" very much today, but hey - he is pretty convincing with his big wide grin.

So as I look at some photos from this week, I'm beginning to wonder, "is this little booger faking it? Because he seems to be having way more fun than some sick little kid should!"

"hiding" behind the basketball hoop.  

wearing MY hat. never wearing his own.

Got his first official "boo boo" chasing bubbles outside. Now he's a real boy - skinned knees and all.

i dont know why i gave him a glass bowl. Luckily, he's been practicing his head-balancing skills with the easter eggs.

Tired eyes still smiling through his edamame.

It's a pretty serious conversation. "The letter of the day was L. AGAIN. Whats up with L? It's always L. Why don't they pick S?? SERIOUSLY?!" (thats just the heated part I overheard)

He's into reading stories back to us. I think this one he's reading to Daisy. It's about dogs.

people often tell me how nice it is that Sam poses for my camera all the time. This is proof that he actually wants nothing to do with it. i have to be pretty stealth or else I get bopped in the nose with the phone, er, remote. (they're all the same)

life

Have you ever seen someone's life change? I mean, literally with your own eyes the second it changed? I can proudly say I have and that it changed me a little too.

Last Monday night, I was there, camera in hand, waiting for my sister and her husband (Kristin & Jem) to have their baby. I was there to witness quietly my sister prove her strength, mostly to herself since everyone else knew she could do it. I was there watching the fetal monitors. And while I knew Kristin and Jem were starting to worry about their little one who was quite stubborn, I was completely trusting and confident there would, in the end, be nothing to worry about. I was there for some scary parts, and was witness to the love and support between them that filled the room (and take it from me, that room was HUGE) and made everyone's hearts fill with joy. I was there to click away, capturing the very first seconds of my NEICE's life. To run over to her and take some photos to bring over to my sister, who wasn't able to hold her for a while. To show her that she was indeed perfection. To document that incredible moment when finally Caroline Quinn was placed in her mamma's arms after many years of waiting. I wish my photos could have captured the sound in the room. The sound of Caroline's crying that stopped seconds after feeling her mamma's heartbeat and hearing her voice. I was there to see the love actually overflow out of the new parents and onto their strong little girl. I really think I saw it. I saw Jem's heart melt as his eyes went back and forth between his amazing wife and his brand new love. His feeling of bliss knowing he was blessed with his girls.

My big sister, who has taught me so much. Who has always been there for me. I am so proud of her. And so incredibly lucky to have been there to document the day for them. It was almost a week ago, and I have been trying to figure out the words that could describe the feeling of being the fly on the wall when the most amazing thing in the world happened to them. And I realize words can not do it justice. But hopefully paired with some of these images, you can begin to imagine. And you can see for yourself the love and joy Caroline brought them, and the love and joy they have for her.

I love you Kristin, Jem, Caroline, Max and Savannah.