Sam's Room!

New Job For Travis

Our little family, a couple weeks after Sammy was born!

I know I have been quite spoiled this month because it just so coincidentally happened that my husband is switching from one job to another and has not been working (other than a few paramedic shifts). He will be a train conductor! Travis will continue to volunteer as a firefighter and train other firefighters when he can.So, he's been able to help take care of Sam a lot. But, this morning he left to train for his new job for the Union Pacific. He will basically be gone 24/7 for the next three weeks (I will see him on Sundays and possibly sometimes during the week...we're playing it by ear). I had my first all night shift and little Sammy thinks that nighttime means "party time!" I finally got him to sleep around 2:30. The trick with him is that he seems to be comforted when he is swaddled. I can't complain too much though because I know it could be a lot worse (let's say, if he was colicky). I'm just trying to remember to enjoy these moments instead of wishing for him to sleep through the night or for other milestones. It will be wonderful when he can talk and tell me what he wants but then he can also argue with mommy and daddy, so I'm going to relish in these moments of him just being sweet and perfect : ).

In other news, we are having a horrible ant problem and treating the problem is difficult with a newborn. They are absolutely everywhere. I have never experienced such a severe ant problem in my entire life! The other night I was sitting on the couch with Samuel in my arms and I fell asleep. I awoke to find a few ants crawling on my arm. After squashing them I started dozing off again, but then, I felt some crawling on my back. I got up and noticed more of them on me. I walked into the bathroom to make sure all the little beasts were off and instead was alarmed by fifty of them crawling on the back of my nightgown!! After taking care of that matter I went back to where I was sitting and saw that there was a whole army of ants where I had been sitting!! So, yeah, we have a serious ant problem.

In this picture, Sam is only a couple weeks old. You can tell he was still a bit jaundace.

Sammy Ban

Samuel Allen Ban has arrived!!!!! He made his appearance on July 2nd, 2007, at 9:38pm and weighed in at 7 lbs. 3.2 ounces, 20 inches long! He was named after his grandpa and great grandpa. In the photo above he is 17 days old.

Thoughts on Motherhood

I have daydreamed, dreamed, yearned, pined, wanted, desired, prayed and hoped for a baby my whole life and now my wish is finally here. Where do I begin in describing what it is like to have a lifelong dream come to fruition? The most notable remark I can make is that although my many years of nannying have helped me to be better prepared for motherhood they are not one in the same. It is not just the fact that as a nanny there was a clock-out time but many other differing aspects as well. I was unprepared for how absolutely exhausted I would be. If I thought tackling laundry was difficult now it has become an almost insurmountable task. I have resolved to allow myself to slack on the chores this month because otherwise sleep would definitely elude me. Attempting to figure out how to even do something simple as run a few errands when there is a baby who needs to eat every two hours, poops every five minutes and will have bouts of crying is going to be my next big challenge. For now I have been hanging around the house mostly just trying to adjust. I am very thankful for a husband who is my teammate in raising our son and not just the breadwinner. From what I have gathered from friends and family there are many women who find themselves being the sole caretaker.I feel blessed. And now, here is this sweet little guy who can sometimes only be comforted by the sound of mommy's heartbeat, smell, voice, and touch. It's wonderful and completely exhausting...(on a side note, I have often been told that we forget the pain of childbirth. During that first week I definitely could remember the pain and torment I went through for 27 hours. Having anymore children seemed a frightening thought. But now...I have kind of forgotten what the pain was like and want more kids. I think it is God's way of ensuring that we populate the earth and don't just stop after having one child).