It's about time!

Alright, let's see if I can get an update in before the house goes completely crazy!

I'm staying at home with my little man. I have been since the beginning of May and I LOVE it! I watch a little three year old girl 5 days a week to make up for me not working. Her name is Lillie Bell and she does so great with Noah! He just smiles every time he sees her and she's so gentle with him. It's a glimpse into what the future would be like with two kids. I honestly don't know how you guys do it. I'm always so grateful for the end of the day when she goes home. She's a great kid but I can't handle two right now for any longer than I have to. It's such a juggling act. I also watch Casey, a little boy a couple months older than Noah, occasionally. That is enough to make me realize I DO NOT want twins. But enough about me, we all know you guys only want updates on Noah. Unfortunately I don't have time to add pictures but I promise to do so soon.

Noah is a little over four months old now and he's so much fun! He smiles, giggles, coos and sings to us all the time. His most vocal times are in the morning and at night. He just lays in his crib and "talks" to the walls and his toys. It's so darn cute! We went through a difficult phase right around three months when he didn't want anything to do with sleep. It was rough but luckily we're past that now. He rolls from tummy to back every time we put him on his tummy. He will roll from his back to his side but he hasn't quite made it all the way over yet. He tries so hard to sit up by himself. He'll pull his head forward and strain his other muscles just trying to get into an upright position. Anytime now I think he'll be up on his own.

We recently introduced solid food and he is SUCH a fan! He knows exactly when it's time to eat and if I miss it by five minutes he's having a cow! Right now he does oatmeal and green beans. He loves them both! I'm hoping he takes after his mommy as far as vegetables go. So far so good. Next we're on to rice, peas and broccoli. Wish us luck!

Noah has grown so much especially in the last month or so. It's so sad and exciting all at the same time! I can't wait to see what he'll do next but that means he isn't going to be my baby forever. :( He's such a sweet happy boy. He loves people and smiles at everyone. He's such a little charmer. He is starting to show his sense of humor. Not too long ago I had his pacifier in my mouth because I didn't have enough hands and he looked up and just started giggling at me. It's moments like that that make me want to freeze time.

I love being Noah's mommy! It is absolutely the most rewarding thing I have ever done in my life.

Noah has started to notice the dogs and tries to interact with them. Maggie is really great about letting him "pet" her. It usually ends up as Noah grabbing a fistful of hair and Maggie whines quietly. Tube won't let him get even remotely close when he's alert. I have found Tube sleeping under the crib though while Noah was napping. So it gives me hope. :) We're re-painting Noah's room. We are doing green on bottom and yellow on top. We're still keeping the Noah's Ark border and theme. We decided it would be easier to switch to the John Deere theme we've chosen when he's older if we only have to change the border and not the paint colors. It looks really good so far, I'll post pictures when it's complete. (Hopefully)

Ryan is doing great. He's the 2nd Assistant Manager at Big 5 so he's almost always working. It's rough but it also means I get to stay home so I'm not complaining. He's been doing a lot of fishing this year and has caught quite a few fish. The other day he came home with a pretty big Walleye. It's a cozy little life we lead and I for one love it. As I'm sure my husband does as well.

We are very much looking forward to getting together with the Provenzano family early next year! Congratulations to Jen and RJ and thanks for giving us the excuse we need to see everyone again.

I think I've taken about all the time I dare to take and I can't promise it won't be just as long before I update again but hopefully I gradually start to get more free time. Or at least better at utilizing the time I do get to update you all.

We love and miss you! ~The Sams