Monday, 27 July 2009

Our lovely chunky baby boy



Samuel is two months old today. I wanted to show you the most recent pictures that I like of him and quite how big he has grown already. He is wearing 3-6 month clothes now. They all fit him perfectly, apart from the trousers being too long, but his tummy is too big to fit the smaller size still. He's a lovely chunky boy.

This was when he was two days old. He doesn't really look that small.



Then at eight weeks old. He has just filled out a bit really, but looks and feels so much longer and heavier and older.



I'm loving his blue eyes, though they're very unlikely to stay. His hair has been slowly emerging too in the places where he didn't have any, and is so gorgeous. Every day in the past week it has grown just a little more, and now all of his head is all fluffy with brand new hair about a centimetre long. All apart from the back where it is soft and long already and very dark brown. It makes him look older with hair I think. His face seems to be changing again too though, so it might be that. He still holds his hands in little clenched fists a lot of the time it seems, which is very cute. I especially notice it when he is tired and feeding or when he is upset.

I have been taking a few little videos of him so you could almost see him in real life as he changes. I have been, and just did another one yesterday, but can't see them once they're on our computer to view them and see what's what. So that's why they haven't appeared, but hopefully will soon.

Rebekah enjoying holding Samuel at seven and a half weeks old.




Hannah also loves holding him.



He's getting a bit big for Sarah to hold like this now, but she still likes to do it.




Somehow there seems to be no pictures of Rachel with Samuel, or Michael come to that, in the last week even though they both are often taking care of him. Redressing the balance maybe - I never used to be in any family photos - always taking them. :o)
Samuel spends a bit of time each day in the sling with Michael. I'm struggling to use it much at the moment, but need to try harder with it. Samuel's too long for me to have him comfortably upright in front of me, which is how he likes to be. When his legs would happily tuck up for the first month it worked fine, but now Michael finds it easier with his longer body.

A very bad picture or me, but lovely of Samuel. I'd just been dozing a bit again after being awake various times through the night.





This cool hat just fits Samuel beautifully, and probably will perfectly by the time it gets colder. I was surprised he happily kept it on. None of our children have done with hats, even as babies - they've always cried, and tried to pull it off if they were old enough if put on inside the house. Doesn't he look gorgeous though.



You see those little fists?



Blue eyes.



Brotherly morning kisses.



Helping Mummy prepare for a young women presidency meeting this morning. (You can just see some potatoes and cucumbers growing in the back garden.) :o)



Two month birthday cuddles.


Sunday, 19 July 2009

Samuel's Blessing

Well, this weekend has been a busy but joyful one. Yesterday, as the day before, we were working hard trying to achieve a few things around the house and garden as well as clear up a bit and prepare food for extra people being here today. We got a lot done before our Mums and my Dad arrived, but were very grateful for the extra help to do some jobs that would have taken so long on our own. It was fantastic to see the children LOVING helping out with everyone around - a happy work party. They saw what fun it can be even just doing jobs together (partly because you're doing it together) possibly for the first time. It was exhausting for all of the adults a least, but felt great.

Today it was lovely first of all to get to church in plenty of time - that has only happened on rare occasions since being here. I think the difference was that the children were eager to be there. We had no objections to getting dressed, or helping out, or leaving the house - amazing! Just Michael and I doing our normal silly trick of taking it in turns popping back into the house for one more thing we forgot about, before we could finally leave. Our parents were laughing at us too this morning - it does get more ridiculous when we've driven down the road a bit before remembering something important though! Luckily none of that today. :o)



It was really lovely to have Granma, Gramps, Nanny, David, Rachael, Edan, Elijah, Tom and also my auntie Carol (Dad's sister) there at church with us today for Samuel's blessing. It was a wonderful blessing, and a great sacrament meeting too. It was also great to see other family members enjoying some cuddles with Samuel through church. Even when he's not with me though I can still hear his little noises that he seems to make all the time whether awake or asleep. He's a calm baby, but not exactly quiet. Those noises are beautiful! I went to the young women class alone today as Samuel was enjoying other cuddles while he slept.



Carol went to visit a friend after sacrament meeting was over and we'd detained her a little for a picture, but came back to our house later on. It was great to enjoy having here there with us and talking about various things through the afternoon. The cousins enjoyed playing together, admittedly with a few more balls than would normally appear on a Sunday afternoon. :o) Sarah and Edan seemed especially giggly and playful. It was lovely seeing them all together. The food was yummy too - thanks to Michael and our Mums.




Peter trying to teach Carol how to play catch.




Dad, Tom, Michael and David all helped to bless Samuel today.

All gathered to watch Tom leave on his motorbike.











Sister and brother (looking quite a bit like their parents as we remember them!)

All of the cousins.






We thoroughly enjoyed the company and the beautiful feeling that was around today, and hope that everyone else did too - thank you all for making the effort!

Thursday, 16 July 2009

A little update and a birthday

If I don't start putting things on here, then I never will as time is passing me by so fast now Samuel has joined our family. We have had big illnesses going around our family for the last 5 weeks, and have managed to get away for just over a week in that time too and in the end felt refreshed for dong so and just focusing on our family's basic needs for a little while. As a result, Michael hasn't been to church here for 5 Sundays now. Better not make it 6 as Samuel is due to be blessed this coming Sunday. Time for all the illnesses to pack up and go for sure. We're also making plenty of big decisions, as ever, and can already see that this is not exactly going to be a relaxing summer despite Michael being home from uni for a while. Samuel is growing fast in the mean time too, and we are remembering just how long it takes ANYTHING to happen at all with a new baby around, especially when you add in a lot of other little people. I'll get to Samuel soon. For now I'll start with Peter's birthday, as that was today!

Here's the birthday boy having a mid-morning snack.

A little party game with a few sisters - finding starts, simple activities and fun songs.

Daddy helping out with 3 BIG jumps, and another 3, and another...

Opening birthday cards while surrounded by sisters.

A badge to prove he's now 3 - thank you Granma and Gramps.

Enjoying a stars and cars birthday treasure hunt. Peter enjoyed having one just for him and being the one allowed to find ALL of the clues.




Found it!

Opening the treasure...






Some calm birthday chalk art while waiting to eat lunch.

Birthday lunch, hardly touched by Peter because he realised we were going out and he just wanted to go!


The rest of the afternoon was spent going to play tennis for a bit at the university tennis courts (the only not totally extortionate ones around) in the boiling hot sun, as well as all of the time it took us to get ready and go! No pictures from there - we were constantly on the go. Luckily there was a tiny bit of shade in one corner where Samuel happily slept for much of the time we were there, and where we could take a rest and food/drink break as needed. All of the children ended up there for 10 minutes at the end (feeling totally overcooked in the hot sun) while Mummy and Daddy actually had 10 minutes playing tennis together. We had a date - yay!

Peter's birthday cake - his bat and ball (what else?!)


Finshed off trying to watch a rented DVD, and ending up with a happy chapter of a Little Red Tractor DVD instead.

A busy, happy birthday for a big little boy