Sampson Family

Happy 1st Birthday

2009-10-22T12:52:00.000-07:00

Noah's turns one today - we are absolutely amazed at how quickly the year has gone. We feel so blessed with what he has brought to our lives and what the future holds.

Let me tell you a little about Noah's 1st Birthday - Lesson #68 for Jesse and Sara - the Best Laid Plans of mice and men often go awry.

- 4:30 am - Birthday boy wakes up screaming

- 4:40 am - Birthday boy not going back to sleep, Mom goes to see what is up

- 5:00 am - Mom realizes it is teeth and a cold at work, not an attempt at early partying, attempts to put Noah back to bed

- 5:15 am - Mom realized, attempt is futile and gets up

- 5:30-7:15 - Rotation of screaming, eating, seeking out Mom if she leaves sight, go for walk to get screaming to stop

- 7:40-8:10 - Sit in car while very tired Noah naps before leaving at daycare

- 10:00 am - Mom calls Dad and apologizes for being snarky, Dad says thank you, Dad says I have to go now to get the live bird out of the house that Ethel brought in

- 11:00 am - Phone call from Dad indicating "nut free" cupcakes are not to be found at Freddies as indicated

- 11:30am - Mom and Dad rejected from taking cupcake to Noah due "nut free" zone at daycare; dejected Mom and Dad visit Noah for a picture

- 11:45 am - Mom and Dad have lunch and discuss where the reset button is

- 12:15 - run into Jordan, ask her about drawing on her arm, how applicable "stay in the present"

- 12:45 - confirm babysitter for evening - need to go out and have drink as a couple

Moral of the story - plans can be made but they almost never go as intended.....roll with it, learn from it, laugh at it - or when all else fails have a drink!!

Happy 1st Birthday Noah - you are the apple of our eye:)

Nearing a year!!

2009-10-05T15:09:00.000-07:00

It gets more and more difficult for me to keep up with blog. But Noah continues to bring us so much joy each day. He is growing so quickly. He recently had his last fitting for his Halloween costume (first one at 9 months), Jody said he had grown two inches in his leg since 9 months. He is really stretching out. Noah started childcare at the beginning of September 3 days a week. He loves it. He is around other kids so lots of socialization. The teachers say he is very much a busy body and likes to be around everyone - I have no idea where this trait came from:) He is on the verge of walking - stopping occassionally to balance completely on his own, and when he realizes that is what he is doing, he sits down quickly. And so, he will be 1 year old in 17 days - so hard to believe!!

Vacation in Michigan

2009-07-30T06:02:00.000-07:00

We are officially on our first family vacation in Michigan. The weather has been absolutely incredible. And we are doubly thankful to be here considering it has been over 100 in Portland. We are sending cool thoughts to our friends and family in Oregon.

We have been spending lots of time with family. Noah is just blossoming as he spends each minute with Aunts, Uncles, Grandma, Grandpa, cousins. He loves his morning routine of waking up and eating a banana with the early risers sipping on OJ, coffee and whatever dessert is left from the prior night. He relishes in the fact that his eating skills are in the likeness of a bigger boy. He works his way around the ottoman - honing his walking skills. This morning there was a surprise laundry basket which added another 15 minutes of fun. We then make our way out to the lake and sit on the bench at the end of the pier and wave goodbye to Daddy and Grandpa as they go out for their morning fishing adventure. He loves to look in the water, watch the seagulls and generally explore. We have been hitting a nap at 9am like clockwork. Then the rest of the day is filled with adventures like hiking, going to the beach, taking golf cart rides on the trails, sitting in the tube in the back yard or in the water, playing, you name it. Noah is having he time of his life exploring with so many new faces and things to do.

Just a couple of pics of our adventure.

First Summer - It's the best

2009-07-08T20:54:00.000-07:00

I love summer - I especially like being naked in the summer. My Mommy and Daddy let me play in my baby pool in the backyard. It used to be Dugan's pool but he shares with me, he is a good dog. I love my dog Dugan....I sometimes even trick my Mom and Dad and say, "Doog". I'm tricky like that. I like to crawl a lot these days. It looks a little bit like an army crawl but I can get around. I can also stand quite well when left to my own devices.....stairs, here I come. I think I might be getting some new teeth soon. I like to bite things right now - really anything, I'm not too picky. But overall, life is good:)

Father's Day

2009-06-23T21:09:00.000-07:00

Our first father's day was pretty low key but all about family. Noah and Mommy brought Daddy coffee in bed....well, a double shot americano. We thought about breakfast but Noah thought it would be cooler to focus just on coffee. Pops (Grandpa Sampson) came for a visit in (since Paula was away) and we took him to breakfast - Noah found his voice. We took a family hike. He loves the outdoors just like his parents. And we ended the day with a wonderful meal:) Family.

Just pictures

2009-06-20T10:20:00.001-07:00

Delinquent blog updates

2009-06-10T20:49:00.000-07:00

OK...well, we have been busy so our blog updates have been few and far between....but here are some new pics.

Noah is on the move these days. He is not crawling but very efficient at the army crawl - he does laps around the living room. He is also very verbal - I have no idea where that came from...

The Sun is Starting to Shine

2009-05-23T13:50:00.000-07:00

The old saying, April showers brings May flowers...we waited long and hard for some good sunshine in Oregon and the time has come.

We have been spending a good amount of time focusing on the yard and gardening this year - we have a mini-garden in the back yard and partially in the front with peas, beans, spinach, broccolini, squash, rhubarb, onions and many choices of herbs. We've also spent a little time getting to get the yard looking a little better too. So some of the pictures you will see were from our last trip to the nursery to pick up some shrubs and annuals for the front yard and our treat a fig tree!

Noah is growing like a weed. We had our first significant illness last week with a pretty good case of croup - I hope you never go through it. If you have seen a barking seal at the zoo before, you will know what it sounds like. He is feeling much better now and smiley as ever. He is on the verge of crawling and loving his swimming lessons.

Happy Memorial Day weekend!

The Hoosier State

2009-05-06T16:17:00.000-07:00

Well, Jesse headed to Alaska - so Noah and I headed to Indiana to see the Stronczek family.

Highlights - Noah got a new top tooth, he started sitting up unsupported, he is trying to crawl, he didn't have to lay on dog hair, he traveled on the plane pretty well, he loves to play with a spatula, he saw almost all of his cousins, he loves being in the center of everything, he flirts with Grandma and remembers her on video chat.

We are now back in Portland trying to get our schedule back in order. But our family has been sharing a cold and Noah is trying to get the second of the top teeth....but there was at least a single day reprieve last night with a 7 hour stretch of sleep. I thanked the Good Lord above for that!!

Here are some of our latest pics!

Michael Phelps Look Out

2009-04-18T13:10:00.000-07:00

Noah has begun to take swimming lessons. Well, it is more an exercise of getting the kids used to the water. It is pretty amazing just the same. He goes under water and is beginning to understand the cues to hold his breath. The water is about 92 degrees so it feels like a giant bath. Happy weekend!

I'm growing

2009-04-16T10:31:00.001-07:00

Leaps and bounds week to week - I am now able to sit up for pretty long periods of time, I've found my voice (in church of all places), I love the outdoors (even in the rain)....life is good:)

Growing by leaps and bounds

2009-03-29T11:29:00.000-07:00

It is hard to comprehend how amazing the growth of a child is until you have one of your own. Noah continues to amaze us each day. He smiles, makes fun noises, mimics what we do, loves to watch us eat, wants to drink from our glasses, etc. He is trying to break his second tooth - which we are anxiously awaiting for him to start sleeping normal again. He just brings us so much joy each day.

Yesterday, we had the joy of watching Maya and Noah playing together. Too funny - both of them were just trying to get a toy in their mouth.

Time flies while you are having fun

2009-03-21T17:42:00.000-07:00

For whatever reason, the blog is suffering from updates. The next thing we know, it has been weeks since an update. I guess that is life with kids:)

Noah continue to develop so much personality these days. He gets more and more fun each day. He loves to put his toes in his mouth. I often tell him, how Mommy wishes she could do that. His hair continues to fall out on the side - he is developing the opposite of male pattern baldness...go figure. But one of his pics is like father like son - the morning where both of the boys hair is sticking straight up. Other photos has Noah and I enjoying March Madness - our favorite time of year. Noah is learning young how to be a point guard.

We are extremely busy but enjoying life and waiting for some warmer weather to stick around - we are ready to garden!!

Keeps on growin'

2009-03-07T20:07:00.001-08:00

The little man continues to grow by leaps and bounds. We would love to post more pictures of him. But he has recently developed a new phenomenon of not smiling when the camera is on him. Oh, we try too....

Anyway, Noah is moving and shaking these days. He can officially turn himself in a 360 degree circle while on the floor or in bed, roll from back to front on occasion, laughs when you cough or sneeze, stands steady with only a little support, etc, etc, etc.

Each day is a joy to watch him grow - he sure puts life into perspective for us!

Working Mom

2009-02-24T20:27:00.000-08:00

Week 4 of work - well, so far the transition is going OK. Lots of stuff going on right now too. So there is no shortage of things to worry about. Starting next week, I go back full time. Overall, we are adjusting fairly well to the new schedule. Noah enjoys spending time with his Daddy, Jody and grandparents.

Noah is developing so much each day. He might be developing a bit of the clown mentality - I think I'm nervous that he might have a little of my personality (3rd grade in the hall). His new favorite thing is to do raspberries for everything. We often hear him lying in bed doing raspberries over the monitor. This seems to be a soothing technique.

Noah does sure put things into perspective for us. We are so thankful for such a loving human being to care for each day!!

Sara goes back to work

2009-02-07T19:58:00.001-08:00

Week 1 back at work - mixed emotions. For about five days leading up to the actual return day, there were some tears shed. Fortunately, Noah gets to spend time with his Daddy and a family friend. It makes saying goodbye to him each morning a little bit more easy.

We are definitely not in a routine yet for getting out the door. But that hopefully will come at some point. Some days we are up in the middle of the night, some days we are not....it requires quite a bit of flexibility. And to boot, the poor little guy got another cold - so the week was challenging.

Noah is developing such a personality - each day there is something new and small to take in. We just love it. He occasionally rolls over, smiles a lot, loves to hold onto things, puts most things into his mouth, laughs once - we are trying for laughter, loves to look at the trees on walks, etc. We are still working on the napping thing but he is a pretty good sleeper overall.

Preparing to transfer Mom brain to work brain

2009-01-26T18:55:00.000-08:00

Well, we are in the home stretch of Mommy's maternity leave. Mommy wasn't sure how she would feel staying home all the time. I think she didn't realize just how cute I would be and how much fun it would be to teach me about the world. But I think she gets it now!!

We are trying to do everything possible to enjoy our last week of time together. I'm trying to learn to take the bottle from people other than my Mommy. I don't think they realize, I just don't want the bottle....it just isn't quite as snuggly and cozy as what I'm used to. Anyway, I placated them today by taking a bottle from my Mommy and Daddy's old neighbor Sarah. They think I'm transitioning...we will see...ha ha.

I'm growing by leaps and bounds. I had my three month check up and I weighed in at 15 lbs. 8 oz. and 26 inches long. I'm feeling pretty good about that. My Mommy tells me I'm going to be a point guard and a painter. That sounds good to me.

I like to talk a lot now. If you will talk to me, I will talk your ear off. I've also figured out how to get my way when I really want it. These adults - they are easy:)

Well, next week, I'm spending a couple of days with my Daddy. We are excited to do more outdoor things together. Daddy thinks we are going fishing but I think we might wait a couple more months. Then my Aunt Jody and Uncle Patrick are going to watch me too. It is comfy cozy over at their place - and they love me up, just like my Mommy and Daddy. Then I'm also lucky to get to spend every other week with either my Grammy or Pops Sampson. Mommy and Daddy get to spend some time together too....away from me, how could they ever want that.

All in all, this has been a great 3 months!

Love,

Noah

PS Check out my strong neck. T, I need to give you the pink vest but I think that Caden and I make it look stylish.

Noah meets the Stronczeks

2009-01-18T22:02:00.000-08:00

We made our first plane journey to the Midwest this past week to visit with the Stronczek clan. It started off on a bit of a rough note - we made it to Chicago nice and early to find our Ft. Wayne leg had been cancelled and we were rebooked on a flight 9 hours later. Well, with an infant, 9 hours later really doesn't cut it. So thankfully, Beth Nesbitt came and picked us up, took us to the skyway McDonald's where my sister in law met us and drove us to Ft. Wayne. We still made it to Ft. Wayne faster than a flight 9 hours later - in between a blizzard and a clipper. Seriously - midwest weather in the winter is so unpredictable.

And then....the temperatures were unbelievable. Today was the warmest day at a balmy 28 degrees. It was absolutely freezing. We had the fourth coldest day in Ft. Wayne history at -15. Needless to say, we did a lot of staying inside and visiting. Poor Noah had his breath taken away on more than one occasion. So did his Mom and Dad.

All in all, we had a wonderful time in Indiana. Noah met many of the Stronczek extended family - somewhere in the range of 19 family members. He also got to meet many of my high school friends too. The greatest part about it is that he is starting to really connect and smile...and he was getting passed around to everyone - and most people were always given a smile.

So we are back in Portland - and Sara is living up her last days of maternity days by spending as much time with the little guy as possible!!

Noah Matthew is Baptized

2009-01-11T15:14:00.001-08:00

Today was Noah's big day. He was baptized Noah Matthew at Holy Family Church. Tyrone Stammers and Allison Stronczek were there to be his Godparents. It was such a special day for Noah, for us and for the parish community. We are posting a couple of pictures and video to follow!!

Our Rocker - Noah

2009-01-09T19:40:00.000-08:00

The Sampson's are settling into the New Year. Noah has been learning by leaps and bounds in the last couple of weeks. He has recently discovered his hands and can stare at them for 5 minutes at a time. Then he tries to eat them and if your finger is in his hand, tries to eat them too. He is becoming so much more animated with sounds and faces. He smiles often and even laughs at times. He loves when we sing Row, Row, Row your boat and play this Little Piggie.

I'm preparing for my return to work in three weeks - this is a bittersweet moment. What more can I say.

Happy New Year!

Just pictures

2009-01-06T15:09:00.000-08:00

Noah learning to bbq with Daddy

Noah and his girlfriend Maya

Maya with her first steak

Noah sporting his new jeans

I love bath time!!

2009-01-04T12:40:00.000-08:00

Well, the Sampson's are slowly settling a bit after the holidays. We are looking forward to Noah's baptism next Sunday - followed by a trip to Indiana to meet the Stronczek clan. Then Mommy has to start thinking about how to go back to work...yuck!

Here are some recent bath photos - I love the bath....and my new Patagonia fleece, I like to wear it on my outside walks!!

Noah's First Christmas

2008-12-25T15:04:00.000-08:00

Our Christmas plans have required a little flexibility. But it has been beautiful nonetheless.

Last night, we had Christmas Eve dinner with out neighbors Nan and Ted and their daughter Kiran. Ted's Mom was unable to make it up...and we were unable to make to Eddyville...Jay and Paula were coming later after celebrating with Zach, Ashton and Louisa. Jay and Paula arrived around 7:45. We shared a very quiet Christmas Eve together over Port and Tea.

This morning we made it to Christmas Day mass. Jay and Paula joined us at mass and our family friend Jody came too. Noah was Father Bob's prop. He was such a little angel. We were scrambling a bit before he needed him - but alas after a quick meal top off and a diaper change, he was ready to go. Father Bob gave a very insightful sermon about God giving us a child, trusting and loving us so much to give us baby Jesus. What can I say that he is so gifted at what he does and had us all near tears.

Getting back into our neighborhood was even more challenging. It is like driving through quicksand. No snow plows can get up here and it is a combination of ice, slush and snow. Now that we are home, we are planning on staying.

We are sitting in front of a warm fire relaxing and believe it or not, the sun just came out. God's way of smiling down on us today! Merry Christmas everyone!!

Time on our hands

2008-12-23T13:59:00.000-08:00

We have time on our hands so we figure out things to do.

Today we ventured out of the neighborhood to NW Portland. The poor retail shops are suffering with these storms....hardly anyone was out. The main roads are fairly well cleared - and having chains gives the added security you need. Besides we wouldn't make it back to our house without the chains. Noah got one more Christmas present today. He is going to love his new Lucky jeans with the skull and cross bones on the back pockets....he is our resident "Bad *&$".

Jesse has been feverishly shoveling around the house to make a spot for Jay and Paula when they come up tomorrow. It actually seems to be warming up a little and melting some. Just not a lot yet....and they are forecasting more snow tomorrow. Oh brother....

So Christmas plans are as follows...our trip to Eddyville has been aborted. Jay and Paula will celebrate with Zach, Louisa and Ashton in the afternoon and then drive up here to celebrate with us. They will arrive sometime in the evening. In the meantime, we are having Christmas Eve dinner with our neighbors. Christmas Day, we will celebrate 9:30 mass with Noah as our homily prop. And for the remainder of the week, pray for it to warm up.

In the meantime, we are dreaming up where we will go to dinner. Sounds like McMenamins will be the choice.

And it continues....

2008-12-22T11:09:00.001-08:00

Just when we thought it would stop snowing and warm up a little....we got four more inches overnight. We literally have probably a foot of snow on the ground at our house. When we look out the back door, there used to be two steps down, now it goes straight out. Dugan doesn't even know where the yard is anymore....this makes for interesting deposits of certain dog land mines.

I am beginning to feel a little crazy since I have been trapped here for some time. I was talking to a friend this morning who mentioned loving the show Little House on the Prairie....when they had to trek their groceries home last night, she said she felt like she was living the show. The afternoon plan is to get the snowshoes out and head out for a walk. I need to get out and do something.

Right now we are even evaluating whether we are going to make it out for Christmas Eve festivities in Eddyville. Fortunately, we have some backup plans in the neighborhood if that all fails.

Jesse is in the process of heading out to test things out. We think he will make it down the hill, we are not sure he will make it back up. Fingers crossed.

But we feel blessed to be a family to support each other....life is good.

Pics: Yesterday I managed to stay in my pj's until 5pm (I've had some really hot looks lately) and some pics of the snow.

More Snow and Cold Weather

2008-12-18T17:00:00.000-08:00

Well, today I got out of the house - even if it was only for 30 minutes. We have not given the dog a bath in well (since the last time Paula did about 6 weeks ago)....so he went to the Groomer. So my big outing for the day was to go pick him up. This was a bit of an outing for me though since the roads in our neighborhood have been snow-covered and treacherous. I took Jesse's Jeep and it handled like a champ. Dugan looks so pretty - Jesse thinks he smells like a girl. I think he looks wonderful and smells good.

Noah is feeling better today....thank God. We felt so bad for him not being able to breathe. He also slept better last night. We went for a walk up on the Fairmount Loop. Lots of kids sledding, throwing snow balls, etc. up on Council Crest. The High School kids seemed to have too much time on their hands as they would barrage cars coming by with snowballs and then taunt the single drivers to do something about it. Noah and I walked WAY around that situation.

Now we are holing up for the night as the temperature drops - it is downright frigid here. I don't like it....I'm ready for 45 and rainy again!!

But here are some new pics: Pics from our walk on the hill, Noah watching Ellen with Mommy and Dugan hanging out with us (looking so pretty).

Snow Day

2008-12-14T15:03:00.001-08:00

For those of you that live in Portland, you know that when the weather people start talking up a snowstorm that it is usually a bust. But every so often, we actually get something worthwhile....and today was one of those days.

It is somewhere in the mid-20's which is very cold for this area. And we have about four inches of snow on the ground near our house. Granted, we are at about 700 ft. elevation - but still, there is some snow.

This morning we ventured out to try and make it to church - only to turn around when we got halfway down the hill to Capitol Hwy. Too many cars in the ditch on the way down the hill - it was not only snowy but icy!! So we have holed up for the day - cleaning, finishing Christmas cards, staying warm, watching movies.

Noah is suffering from his first cold - poor little guy, breaks our heart. But we are working to get him healthy. So it is probably good that we are stuck inside away from people!!

Pictures: Yesterday, Sampson family friends Dick and Nancy got to meet Noah. Nancy, famous for her knitting - gave Noah a stocking cap. He looks stylish we think. Sam and Marketa also provided Noah with his "Milking It" onesie - nice. Jesse chilling on a snowy day with the family. Everyone trying to stay a little warm.

Happy Snow everyone:)

Smiling with Noah

2008-12-09T14:04:00.000-08:00

Noah has been sharing lots of smiles with us. We just love it. It makes it so worth while.

And how can you pass up on cool hair just after bath time. We think he will likely love the mohawk!!

Night Time with Daddy

2008-12-06T20:04:00.001-08:00

Most evenings in the Sampson household are family time. Noah spends a lot of time with his Daddy. This also tends to be his fussy time if he is going to have it. His fussy time looks a little different than it did two weeks ago. Two weeks ago, he would have cried for two hours. Now, he is fairly content if you keep him busy for the period of time before he goes to bed. But we believe he is doing everything he can to tire himself out for the night.

Tomorrow is Christmas decorating day - stockings, lights and tree. We hope to have more to post then!

Six Weeks and Counting

2008-12-04T17:58:00.000-08:00

Everyone kept telling us that things really start to change around the six week mark....we had so been anticipating that date. Wow - it is unbelievable.

It is almost overnight that Noah has become so much more aware of everything that is around him. Each morning when he wakes up - he has this really sweet, happy smile and loves to connect with you. It is the definition of love. He loves to smile so much more. When he is sitting in a chair or on the floor looking at things - rather than cry out, he makes animated noises that he is trying to figure out what he is looking at or frustration that he can't yet reach out and grab it.

Noah has also moved into his crib through the night from the bassinet. Last night we had a stretch of six hours for sleep. Mommy woke up just out of habit to make sure she hadn't missed the call....no call missed!

Today, Noah got to meet a bunch of his Mommy's co-workers at Nike. All the ladies gathered round to take a look at the little man. Jeanne and Jenni so graciously had lunch with me. It was good catching up with the team!

We are gearing up for a weekend of holiday decorating. It will be fun celebrating our family's first Christmas together - in the new house.

More Thanksgiving Pictures

2008-11-30T20:41:00.000-08:00

Hanging with the Grandparents

2008-11-29T16:55:00.000-08:00

We have so enjoyed having the Stronczek Grandparents visiting. Each day, the laundry gets done the kitchen is in tip-top cleanly shape, the floors are clean and I have someone to chat with me at each of my feedings with Noah. Wow - now that is living!

Pictures for today are with Grandpa settling fussy Noah down as he was fighting his nap. He is going to be an energetic one as he likes to fight sleeping a lot of the time. Although, we have him (knock on wood) sleeping one 6 hour stretch through the night right now. Mommy is very happy about this 6 hour stretch. She feels like a new woman.

Today, Grandma and Mommy got out for some pampering while the boys stayed home and watched football. It is a big day in Oregon with the Civil War game. The girls enjoyed our pedicures while sipping on Starbuck's....can't ask for much more.

Our late afternoon trip was back to the old neighborhood to check out some of the shops. Somehow, we didn't buy a thing. Now that looks a little different than yesterday where I'm certain we might have broken the bank. But it sure was fun shopping!

Hope everyone is enjoying their nice long weekend....with love, the Sampson's

Noah meets the Stronczek's and celebrates his first Thanksgiving

2008-11-27T18:31:00.001-08:00

Grandma and Grandpa Stronczek arrived on Monday - late from Ft. Wayne. They have been getting to know Noah this week....although he has been a little cranky. That might be related to Mommy getting a little infection that is now on the mend.

It has been great to have them around. I really appreciate just having my Mom around to spend hours talking to while I'm nursing, resting or whatever. And they keep the house so nice and clean....happiness.

Today, we celebrated Thanksgiving with the Sampson Family (Jay, Paula, Zach, Ashton and Louisa) and the Stronczek's (Leo and Geri). We had a wonderful meal prepared primarily by Jesse - everything tasted excellent and was delivered with such perfection. Paula brought some desserts. Leo made one of his famous Polish snacks - sour kraut and peas (not my favorite).

Noah grows by the day. He has been smiling so much more this week. He seems to recognize people more. He has enjoyed his vibrating chair with the bright toys. He has been trying to bat at them although we think it is more by accident then by design. But we love every bit of his 11 lbs. We really love him when he only wakes up once a night for a feeding too!

Hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Noah and Daddy

2008-11-23T16:30:00.000-08:00

Not much new to report - but did want to share smiley Noah with Daddy. Aren't they handsome!!

Noah and the Moby

2008-11-22T17:19:00.000-08:00

Noah loves the Moby - mostly because it feels like he is warm and cozy like he was in Mommy's belly.

We also love the Moby. It gives us the ability to move around hands free with the baby attached to us. So we tend to take it on walks and out and about.

Below you will see Noah's second outing to a cyclocross race. Also, we had a beautiful fall day today in Portland as noted by the great colors!!

Each day we see changes in the little guy. We just looked at some newborn pictures today and he looks so different as he puts on some weight. We had a great night of sleep last night. He woke up just once to be fed. He is definitely starting to learn nighttime. I'm knocking on wood as we speak because I am trying not to jinx us for tonight.

Congrats to Joel and Rhi who gave birth to Maya on Thursday!! We are thrilled to have friends to share in our childbirth experience!!

Noah and his best friend Dugan

2008-11-15T09:16:00.001-08:00

The little man continues to put on the weight which we are very excited about. The more he puts on the more he will want to sleep through the night. He is mostly eating every 2 1/2 to 3 hours with an occasional 4 hour stretch through the night. That is my favorite!!

Today is a big day for us - we have some of Jesse's cousins coming to visit (Jennifer, Erin and Jason). We are excited for them to meet Noah. And then Sara is getting her haircut. Brilliant!! It has been like 5 months and she feels a little haggy right now.

Here are some new photos of Noah cuddling up with Dugan. Dugan is such a little gentleman around Noah. He does get his tail going a little quickly now and again, but mostly he means well.

Happy Weekend!

OK...we have pictures

2008-11-12T19:38:00.000-08:00

Mostly, I just wanted to update the post with some pictures. We finally got some really good ones. A couple of the pictures are from our friend Andrea Lorimor...couple weeks old. The other ones are from today (he looks chubbier)....we wanted to share his Kramer hair with you.

We ventured out to the mall today for a walk. The weather has been so crazy rainy here - we needed to walk and gave in for the mall. Secretly, I was very pleased. Jesse was trying to find out if there were trout in the fountain. Just kidding...but I don't doubt he was thinking about it. We did talk about the Mickey Mouse fishing pole that we could get at Dick's Sporting Goods for Noah. He will be using it shortly you know.

Happy Wednesday!!

The Noah Update - without Pictures

2008-11-11T18:58:00.000-08:00

For whatever reason, we seem to be having problems taking pictures these last few days. When we were ready to take pictures, the battery was dead. So we do promise to get some updates out here really soon. The little guy is putting on some serious weight - so we are certain you will think he looks different. He is building his biking and volleyball muscles.

Each day, Noah seems to grow in some way. Whether it be through his height, weight, his engaging eye contact, to sleeping - each day is something new for him. After diaper changes, he has become fond of focusing on a very colorful rattle that we have for him. It isn't for long - but he still thinks it is pretty cool.

On Sunday, Noah went to his first cyclocross race. We think he was the youngest fan there. But he got to meet many of Jesse's teammates and experience the NW racing scene. He was happily asleep in the moby on my chest. But he did endure the cowbells and drumline...go figure.

He has also been going through a bit of a growth spurt the last few days. It is supposedly a two week growth spurt - basically, he wanted to eat about every 1 1/2 hours. Needless to say, we are all a little tired from that experience. He seems to have slowed down a bit today - but had one voracious eating fit late in the afternoon. It is also followed up by an evening fussy time which we have tried everything to get him settled down - and have resorted to him finally crying himself out. So hard to do....but when you have exhausted all other measures, that is what is left.

Thankfully, Paula visited today and helped clean up the house. She provided some much needed order in the house and of course some food too. We so appreciated the help that she has given us both physically and emotionally!!

The Sampson family is doing well and promises to post some pictures here really soon!

Coping with Sleep Deprivation

2008-11-06T12:02:00.001-08:00

Noah turned two weeks old yesterday - Happy Birthday little guy. It is so hard to believe that he is already two weeks old. Time really does fly by.

We are coping with Sleep Deprivation at the Sampson household. We have had a couple of nights of very little sleep. Noah has decided that he would rather be awake in the evening rather than the day. Thankfully, armed with advice from friends and some CD's, we may have had a breakthrough last night. We have changed the nursing room to be very low lighting for the evening feedings (thanks for the suggestion Beth). We were fortunate to receive a white noise maker as a gift - also yesterday from Patty (thanks Patty). So along with low lighting, Noah enjoyed Ocean waves throughout the night. And to top things off, I learned some very valuable lessons from the Happiest Baby on the Block cd that Teresa gave me (thanks Teresa). In any case, some of the techniques that guy uses absolutely put Noah into a mellow state - and eventually asleep. All said and done, I think I slept 5 hours...whoohoo, way better than 3 hours.

Jesse is continuing to work with a fairly decent workload. The sleep deprivation has been tough on him too. He doesn't have the luxury of laying down for a nap when the baby sleeps. For you Mom's to be, I highly recommend getting used to sleeping when your baby does. That extra 20 minutes or an hour makes all the difference in the world. It can mean the difference between stable and emotional breakdown day.

But we are all doing well. Noah has gained 10 ounces in a week. He is back to his birth weight. We are looking forward to creating a fat Michelin Man baby. He seems to love eating. I'm doing well and starting to heal much more quickly. I'm so looking forward to getting out and walking soon!

Venturing out into the Real World

2008-11-02T17:14:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, about halfway through my morning feeding, I decided we needed to get out of the house. So Jesse and I packed up Noah and headed down to the local coffee shop...unfortunately, it was too busy, so we ended up at Starbuck's. In any case, I think Noah really enjoyed his time out in the public. Mostly, I think he liked the sounds of everything going on around him. And Mom and Dad really appreciated getting out into things again and spending some good quality time together.

We did all need a nap afterwards...but it was worth it.

Today, Noah made his first trip to church today. He was announced as the youngest parishioner of Holy Family. Fortunately for us, he was well behaved(mostly because he was asleep the entire time). But everybody loves a newborn baby!! Father Bob gave Noah and our family a blessing. We felt nourished in the soul.

Picture #1: Jesse, Noah (just after bath time) and Dugan spending some family time together on the couch. Picture #2: Courtesy of our friend Andrea Lorimor. Everyone feels happy.

Pumpkin

2008-10-31T11:38:00.000-07:00

Each day is a new adventure with little Noah. But we so enjoy it.

Grandma Sampson got Noah his first Halloween Costume. He is our little pumpkin. We tried to get some shots of him - unfortunately, they probably aren't as good as the ones that our friend Andrea got today...but we still think he looks darn cute. We are trying to decide if we should take him trick or treating - we think we would clean up. Instead, we will probably hand out candy here.

Sleep deprivation is starting to get the best of both of us right now. I would say that I'm just a little flakey and in a strange fog most of the time. It is strange to say but I think I'm actually getting used to getting up every few hours. I almost can't sleep longer than two hours without waking up. But at least I'm not waking up to have to go to the bathroom and I can sleep on my back. In fact, I think I woke Jesse up twice asking him to help me get the baby off my chest - turns out that it was just the cat Lucy....Noah was in the cradle. Go figure.

Jesse is not as much of a night person - and last night I woke him up quite a bit. And as is our routine, Jesse takes over in the morning after my last night feeding between 6-7am so I can sleep a couple of uninterrupted hours. Unfortunately, that came a little early today....and Noah did not really want to go back to sleep.

But that is just it....each day, you need to be open to what it is going to bring to you and not force your own plan.

Today, our big event was to go to the coffee shop - unfortunately, naps took precedence. It is definitely time to get out of the house. We are starting to go a little stir crazy. We will try again tomorrow.

So if you would like to come by and visit, we are now accepting visitors. Just give us a call so that we can maximize our time with you in between feedings.

In Love with the Little Man

2008-10-29T15:52:00.000-07:00

Words can not explain how in love we are with Noah. Each day we watch him change in some small way. He is just such a miracle and we feel truly blessed!

Life in the ....well, not so fast lane

2008-10-27T17:35:00.001-07:00

First let me start off by saying, the love you feel for a newborn is like no other.

Adjusting to life with a newborn has been filled with so many different twists and turns. There is no routine about it even though we are trying to establish a 3 hour feeding schedule. I spend much of that time trying to keep him awake for some of the feedings. But he is doing very well with the breastfeeding.

We are keeping an eye on a borderline level of jaundice. There are a couple of ways to treat it...right now, we are focusing on keeping him fed and moving it through his system. We also try a little of our own light therapy near the window. We have been having some wonderful sunshine days here recently.

Other than that, Jesse and I are taking turns dealing with different parts of the day. I'm up most of the night feeding and keeping an eye on the little guy. Jesse is a much needed break for me at the 6-7am timeframe allowing me to go back to bed for a couple of much needed hours of sleep. Then I'm up for a good portion of the remainder of the day - with a nap perhaps in the afternoon, when I can fall asleep.

So tonight, Jesse and I are celebrating our 1st year anniversary over a nice meal of pasta and a little vino. Ahhh...simple pleasures. One year strong and starting a family. We feel blessed.

Noah meets his Grandparents today

2008-10-25T22:27:00.000-07:00

The Sampson's continue to adjust to life as a family - and each moment brings some new learning. Most important of the day, Noah has begun to figure out breastfeeding (well, Sara probably has too).

But ....even as important, Noah has met both of his Grandparents today.

Thanks to the internet, Grandma and Grandpa Stronczek were able to meet their 11th Grandchild (now 4 boys, 7 girls). We resumed our nightly iChat for them to be able to see the features of Noah. So much better than the pictures.

And Grandma and Grandpa Sampson happened to schedule a trip to MA right when we were delivering. They arrived back in Portland today. They brought Noah some treats and he has been told that he will be a Boston Red Sox fan...that is not so bad.

So we have family with us for the next day. Such a nice break for some sleep!!

Thanks to those of you who have brought us food - it is such a treat!!

We will continue to update you with news as it comes.

Thanks to everyone!!

2008-10-24T22:09:00.000-07:00

Well, we have officially arrived at home with Noah. What a welcome relief it was to get out of the hospital and breathe some of that fresh, sunshine, NW air. Really...just like our wedding.

We got all checked out of the hospital at around noon today. So many things to check off the list before they will let you go - felt a little like we had to go to class for a while - and to think either of us will remember any of it. Ha.

Driving home with baby the first time was surreal. Why did it feel like everyone was driving 95 and us 35...that is a baby for you. When we arrived home - we had Dugan wagging his tail at the door ready to great us. He was such a gentleman meeting Noah. We have no worries there. The cats on the other hand are suspicious and have been relegated out of the room.

It was a whirlwind though from the moment we walked in the door - Noah was hungry, Jesse was hungry, I was hungry to the point of almost passing out. So I started to feed Noah, Jesse made me some scrambled eggs which I chowed down mid feed and then Jesse ate. Having a partner in all of this makes it so much more tolerable and that more rich of an experience.

Once we settled in though, it was nap time for all of the Sampson's. What a welcome bit of rest that was for us. We slept on a comfortable bed for 1 1/2 hours - probably the longest uninterrupted time we've had.

And so life begins for us....we are working through learning to breastfeed, get in a routine and enjoy this life!! Because we know it will all fly by in an instance.

Thanks to all of your well wishes. We appreciate them all so much. It has been a time filled with emotion and joy. So give us a bit of time and we will be back in touch with you all really soon!

With love, Jesse, Sara and Noah

Birthing and the first 24 Hours

2008-10-23T17:19:00.000-07:00

Whoever said birthing was for weenies...but it so worth it in the end. After just under 6 hours of induced, natural labor, Noah Matthew Sampson was welcomed into the world. Was it work? Absolutely. Was it worth it? 100%. And we are already thinking about how we won't have him wanting us to hold and carress him like this in such a short time. Embrace today!

Our first 24 hours have been a bit of a blur. You don't really get to rest all that much in the hospital. Truly, there is someone coming through the door to draw blood, give a shot, check the baby, change the garbage, bring food - you name it. When we hear visitors feet - it is a welcomed break.

Noah seems to be a little nocturnal right now....we will work on changing that. I'm so thankful Jesse and I are in this together. Without him, I can't imagine going through this.

The hospital care has been pretty incredible for the most part. Our midwife Helen was a superstar. Our nursing staff has been really good. And the lactation consultant who stopped by to give us a couple of tips - what an angel.

The pediatrician checked Noah out today and thinks he looks great. He might have a chance for jaundice but that is all easy to deal with a little intervention.

All in all - we are all doing great...albeit a little tired. Life is good for the Sampsons! Thanks to all of you for your love and support!

We have a son!!!

2008-10-22T20:50:00.000-07:00

Please welcome Noah Matthew Sampson, born @ 4:16pm, Wednesday October 22. Noah is 8lbs 40zs, 20.25" long and has a full head of dark brown wavy hair. Noah and mom are doing well and are resting comfortably after a hard, but rewarding natural labor.

Here are a few pics of his first few hours outside the womb.

As you might imagine the Sampson's are a little tuckered out at the moment. We'll post more details and pictures over the next couple days. It looks like we will be at St. Vincents until sometime on Friday.

Thanks for all your well wishes and we look forward to catching up with you soon.

-Jesse, Sara and Noah.

Scheduling the baby...

2008-10-21T12:13:00.000-07:00

Today, we had our weekly appointment with Helen. Bless her little heart, I tell you (in my best Sarah Palin imitation).

Anyway, they continue to monitor my blood pressure - it has come down but is not normal which is what they do not like. They monitored the baby for about 20 minutes - the baby is doing well with normal heart rate and variations. So from that perspective, all looks great.

Since they are not thrilled with my blood pressure and the fact that I'm dilated close to 4cm, they feel that the risks of waiting any longer outweigh the benefits of having the baby. This is good news and not ideal news. The good news is that we actually get to have Helen deliver the baby, the benefits to the baby and me are much better in this situation and the chances of me having to have a c-section are much lower. It is not ideal in that it isn't quite the natural surprise and experience we were hoping for (at least not in the way we were hoping for). But as I mentioned in my last post, especially important for you mother's to be, labor is not about planning or predictability.

It looks like I'll be checked into the hospital in the morning and slowly induced. They are hoping that my body will need very little to get kick started into a natural labor. Fortunately, it has been doing some work on its own to prepare anyway. Fingers crossed and couple of prayers to the big guy upstairs and we hope to have a baby sometime later tomorrow - as natural as possible.

So keep us in your thoughts and prayers....we will let you all know when we have brought our son or daughter into the world.

Forced Rest at the Sampson Family Zoo

2008-10-17T15:28:00.000-07:00

Well, today was an interesting day for the Sampson Family. At Tuesday's weekly check-up, the midwife noted that my blood pressure has begun to creep up. So to be safe, they wanted to see me again today. Wouldn't you know it...that my blood pressure continued to creep ever so higher. Unfortunately, high blood pressure in general is not good but in pregnancy is even worse because it can be a sign of preeclampsia (a condition that affects the mother's organs and potentially the baby - not good for either of us).

So, they sent us over to St. V's...just across the parking lot...to monitor blood pressure, the baby and do some blood work. After about two hours, they concluded that I'm likely suffering from gestational hypertension which should go away after having the baby. In the meantime, I need to lay low. The baby looks very healthy and is suffering no adverse effects from my condition. And my blood looks free of preeclampsia related symptoms. This is all very good news. But I'm now supposed to lay low and rest for the remainder of the pregnancy....not full on my back for the whole time but no more work, no more big days.

Not to worry, they think the baby is not that far off from delivering anyway.

We are home now resting. That wasn't exactly what we had in store for the afternoon...but we are told, that delivery is not about predictability. I'm sure I'll be on the computer trying to get a bit of entertainment now and again...TV bores me quickly. So anyone that wants to talk on the phone or send emails...you know where to find me!!

Resting at the Sampson Zoo

2008-10-13T15:26:00.000-07:00

She's mine, no she's mine, no she's mine...OK...we can all share.

Nesting and Preparing

2008-10-12T14:08:00.000-07:00

As of Friday, October 10, our baby was full term....37 weeks. Jesse and I had a doctor's appointment this week where our midwife Helen indicated that this baby could come at any time. Although, she prefers that I hold onto it for a week longer. This was contrary to my plans that it was going to show up approximately 2 weeks late - sometime in mid-November. So, yes that got our attention. Bags are now packed, car seat installed in car.

With that said, all is well in the Sampson household. We (mostly me) are in major nesting mode at this time. If the washer could run 24-7 and if there was anything else to clean, I would. I really would. Jesse is also in nesting mode - his looks a little different, he paints, organizes things (mostly to satisfy the crazy pregnant lady), fishes, organizes his fishing gear, talks about fishing, works and cooks. The animals are nesting too - but that mostly consists of sleeping near or on me. I never thought animals could sense something so much, but if you could witness this - you would understand.

The baby's room is ready - we have painted, cleaned bedding, received every type of powder, lotion, soap imaginable. But alas', we think we are ready - at least for those items that we think we need.

But the miracle itself has us both so excited. My dreams have been mostly about having a girl...and the best dream yet is the one where I had the baby and suffered from amnesia. I had to ask Jesse in the dream whether my labor was long and painful. Wishful thinking? I think so.

We look forward to sharing our memories with you!