Robert and Debbie's Wedding!

I was asked to take photos at Robert and Debbie's (Jen's mom) wedding and these are the results. I had never taken any wedding photos before so it was a new experience. I tweaked them a bit. I hope you enjoy.

Long awaited post

Most of you know that Jenny was in an accident recently. I won't go into that much but to say that she is on the mend, and we hope she will recover fully, and soon!

I will just put up some fun pictures of the boy and the Greta. We borrowed our friends digital slr and have been having way too much fun. Some of the pictures are of Sam and his new toy his Grandpa Joe bought him. Also, Greta found a nice spot to lay down under Sam's crib. Enjoy.

Harry Potter Halloween

For Sam's first Halloween, we went with a Harry Potter theme. I went as Minerva McGonagall, Sam went as Harry Potter (of course), and Drew went as Remus Lupin.

Our friends, Matt & Chenae and their son, Jackson also went with the HP theme. Jackson's red hair actually inspired the whole get-up. Here's a picture of the whole gang.


The best of the evening.... Ron (Jackson) & Harry (Sam).


Chenae crocheted the Gryffindor scarves, I sewed the robes and Drew whittled the wands. What a fun Halloween. This holiday is a heck of a lot more fun when it's celebrated with children!

Happy Halloween from our Sam & our Sam O'Lantern

We welcome autumn

9 months strong

For those of you who dig stats, here are Sam's most recent:
19lb 3oz, 27 1/4"

He's babbling, crawling, pulling to standing, cruising, standing on his own for a few seconds, and is currently cutting his 2nd tooth (on the bottom next to his first). I think the top two are following very soon, I can feel them under the gums. He's seems like he's just beginning to catch on to the idea of waving bye-bye. Drew, Danny & I get so excited when he does.

He is so curious and bold. It's so fun to watch him explore his world. Today his Su-Su and Granddad (Cavin) are coming into town & I just can't wait to share him with them.

You know, I haven't mentioned Danny much, but I should! Danny is our housemate & friend and is a huge part of Sam's life. When Danny gets home from work about 3pm, Sam & Danny play and both of them positively light up! It's so good for "Uncle Danny" to be a part of all our lives. Thanks, Danny!

Thank goodness we have dogs!

...because without our pups we wouldn't have these videos to share

a day in his life

Sam loves the dogs. He hasn't mastered petting them gently, though. When they go out, he crawls over to the back door and waits (somewhat) patiently for them to come back in. Greta & Juneau are trying to teach him.




Sam & Drew playing the piano. Sam loves to play. At least twice a day he crawls up to the piano, pulls up & reaches up to play as best he can. When he's not playing the piano, he's often playing Drew's guitar.

Sam & me brushing our teeth. Sam thinks this is really fun. He was so interested in me brushing my teeth that we got him is own tooth brush for his single tooth. (In this picture he had recently been treated with Gentian violet for thrush. He hadn't been eating otter pops! He did really need to brush those gums though.)

Sam's new hobbies

Sam has taken up a couple of new hobbies. Crawling, and the beastie boys! Check out the videos below.

Colorado Videos

Here are some random videos from our trip to Colorado. Drew has some more, but hasn't had the time to edit them together nicely. He wants to make a "Summer of Love - 2007" video with all the best video from this summer.

Sam + Mountains = Love at first sight

Here is a schmorgasborg of photos from our trip to Colorado. We met up with our friends Steven and Heidi from South Carolina and went climbing and exploring in the mountains. Heidi took some really great pics that I will post soon. (She actually took a couple in this bunch as well.) Look out for some video as well. Enjoy.

Stats

Susan reminded me today that I never posted Sam's stats from his six month checkup. On July 19 he weighed 17 lb, 3 oz and was 27 1/2 inches long. He's almost out of 6-9 month clothing - 6-12 month things are usually safe though, & 12 month clothes fit with a little room to spare.

We've been taking swimming lessons the last two weeks. Sam & I went to the Starfish class at Adamson Lagoon. Sam had lots of fun & is learning to be comfortable in the water early. There are lots of summer pics to post. I may need to figure out how to post them, since Drew's been pretty busy lately.

For now, check out theleesblogspot.blogspot.com for some photos that Steph took of Drew, Sam & I and also of Melissa & Elijah.

Sam and Cereal

Sam likes lots of other foods, but not this plum/rice cereal concoction that Mis made. I hope to have a montage of our trip to Arkansas up soon.

Pictures from Family reunion in Arkansas

...and over again

Yesterday evening Drew was playing with Sam with a piece of junk mail while I was cooking dinner. Sam found the mail so interesting that when he dropped it he moved from sitting to his tummy, rolled onto his back, and then onto his tummy again to retrieve it each time it fell. Today he reaffirmed that he can roll onto his tummy from his back. I was pretty convinced that he had no interest in rolling whatsoever. He has only rolled a handful of times since April, for crying out loud!

During the first part of July, we took a family vacation to Cotter, Arkansas (the town where I grew up). We had tons of fun staying at Hopkinswoode, the house where my great-grandparents lived (and my great-great-grandparents, too). It's now a beautiful Bed & Breakfast near clear deep lakes and freezing cold rivers filled with rainbow trout.

We've got lots of pictures and video that we will be posting soon. Drew's trying not to devote too much time to it - he's putting his nose to the grindstone with his research. I'll add more commentary when he is able to post videos & pics.

Sam's 6 month check up is tomorrow, so I'll post then with his most current stats.

Five generations

These are from the Mulkey family reunion and Grandmother Mulkey's 98th birthday party!!! There is a great sequence where Elijah grabs Sam's pacifier. You can see how long that lasted!

Sam in Arizona

classic

Some of the women and our kids from the little home church we were a part of not long ago got together on Thursday (May 24). When we joined the group none of us had children. Would you believe that three more cuties weren't able to make it and there are two more on the way... in only 2 1/2 short years!?

You're looking at (right to left) Sam, Jada, Jerusha, Toby & Elliana.

To be fair there were others in the group with children that had moved just previous to our joining, so there could be even more in this count - Whew!

bare

Couldn't be much cuter than a naked baby.

Sam Laughing, finally

We finally got a quick laugh of Sam's on video. Enjoy:


Also, Sam had his 4 month check up on friday.
25 1/8th inches long
15 lbs, 8 oz.

He's a growing baby, that's for sure!

New Video

Just a sweet little video of Sam and Sam with Elijah. He kind of gets cranky in the first part, but then it goes to he and Lije. Enjoy.

over and over

This morning while Sam was playing on his tummy, and both Drew & I were watching, Sam calmly rolled over! Then Drew put him back on his tummy for a repeat performance and he casually rolled over - in the opposite direction. We are delighted with his big success.

Just Tuesday I was telling the women in my Bradley Method Moms Group and Wednesday I was telling my friend Kim that I thought rolling over was a long way away! So, so wrong.

:)

Like Father Like Son

I won't tell you which is which, but you can probably figure it out. We thought this was just uncanny.

Happy Easter!

Easter 2007

Sears photo

Grandma SuSu took us to Sears to have a portrait made of Sam on March 22. Here's our favorite. I think Drew's a better photographer, but studio lighting adds a lot. And with a guy as cute as Sam, you couldn't take a bad picture!

Sam's big blowout

Parents always talk proudly about their children's capacity to poop or pee in a variety of different comical scenarios. Most of them, however, lack photographic proof. Please enjoy the reenactment of Sam's latest big blowout. Megan and Andrew are the ones holding Sam and laughing uproariously as Sam toots and fills his diaper beyond capacity. Look closely and you can see the proof. If you don't see it, click on the youtube link in the video screen and go to full screen by hitting the button on the bottom right of the video controls .
(sound effects are done by Drew).

Sam laughed today!

This morning I heard the best sound ever to reach my ears! Sam was laying in his crib watching his Flutterflies mobile (thanks Mom!) while I was folding laundry and ....

He laughed!

I jumped and laughed so loud that Sam startled a little. My friend Ryan said it best, "I've never been more proud of someone who can do so little."

As soon as we can capture it on video, you know we'll post it.

a curl in the middle of his forehead

Pa (my grandpa) used to tell me this little rhyme:

There was a little girl
who had a little curl,
right in the middle of her forehead.
When she was good
she was very, very good;
but when she was bad she was - and I'd interrupt and say "Pa, don't say that word."

(The word was horrid.)

Well if you have a look at the pictures Drew posted March 24, I think you'll see that Sam has his own little curl right in the middle of his forehead. The rhyme held true for me. I wonder if Sam will either be very, very good or ... well, you know.

Sam at 11 weeks

We can't believe Sam is getting so BIG and grown up. Here are some recent pictures of him.

Sam Justice - 11 weeks

New Sam Pictures, Smiles and Helping Dad

Here are some fresh shots of the little turtle.

7-8 weeks Sam

Sam smiles

I think we coaxed a legitimate smile out of Sam this morning. Not one of those gassy faces, but a real deal smile! We will keep working on it and trying to get a photo.
Drew

Sam and Elijah, thick as thieves

Here are some new pictures of Sam and his cousin, Elijah. There are also some of Jen's G-parents with the boys, as well as one with Juneau being sweet on 'Lije
Drew

Sam and Elijah, thick as thieves

Sam and Friends

A new video. Sam is 6 weeks old today!! The video is from valentine's day.

The Be Good Tanyas

Everyone should go and check out www.myspace.com/thebegoodtanyas. Look at the blog post called "beautiful." Does that video look familiar? Yep, that's Greta and Sam! What a compliment! Sooooo coooool!

Greta and her Sam

A new video featuring the always motherly Greta and the new baby Sam.

double digits

Yesterday we went to the doctor for Sam's two week check up. He's growing like a weed! In 18 days he's gained 2 pounds and 3 ounces - that's right - Sam weighs 10 pounds!

He's a healthy, happy guy. In fact the only time I've ever really heard him be unconsolable is when they did the PKU screen. The technician pricked his heel to get some blood, and Sam did not wish to comply. Once we left the office, he was instantly back to his sweet, sleepy self.

Recently he has been spending much more time with his bright blue eyes open and alert, moving his huge hands, and vocalizing (somewhere between fussing and cooing). I just love watching him grow.

Drew and Jen's baby pictures

I thought I would post this so everyone can see Sam's parents in their week old glory:

Drew and Jen's Baby Pictures

Some new Sam pictures

If you haven't seen them yet, I added some new Sam pictures to the album. Have a look, they are towards the bottom:

Sam Justice Cavin

A verse for Justice

Give justice to the weak and the orphan; maintain the right of the lowly and the destitute. Rescue the weak and the needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked.

- Psalms 82:3-4

New Sam Faces

Sam is very expressive when he wakes up to nurse. I took a series of pictures of him as he was waking. Enjoy:

Sleeping Sam Faces

Baby Sam pics

Click to see the album:

Sam Justice Cavin

Sam's first video montage

I couldn't resist putting together a video of Sam at the hospital. Enjoy. The song is a beautiful one by Ben Folds called "Still Fighting It." I posted the lyrics below the video.


Good morning, son.
I am a bird
Wearing a brown polyester shirt
You want a coke?
Maybe some fries?
The roast beef combo's only $9.95
It's okay, you don't have to pay
I've got all the change

Everybody knows
It hurts to grow up
And everybody does
It's so weird to be back here
Let me tell you what
The years go on and
We're still fighting it, we're still fighting it
And you're so much like me
I'm sorry

Good morning, son
In twenty years from now
Maybe we'll both sit down and have a few beers
And I can tell you 'bout today
And how I picked you up and everything changed
It was pain
Sunny days and rain
I knew you'd feel the same things

Everybody knows
It sucks to grow up
And everybody does
It's so weird to be back here.
Let me tell you what
The years go on and
We're still fighting it, we're still fighting it
You'll try and try and one day you'll fly
Away from me

Good morning, son
I am a bird

It was pain
Sunny days and rain
I knew you'd feel the same things

Everybody knows
Tt hurts to grow up
And everybody does
It's so weird to be back here.
Let me tell you what
The years go on and
We're still fighting it, we're still fighting it
Oh, we're still fighting it, we're still fighting it

And you're so much like me
I'm sorry

Introducing Sam Justice Cavin!!

After 8 hours of intense, medicine free labor, our little sprout Sam was born at 7:38pm on Saturday, Jan. 6th. Jen did great in achieving our goal of an unmedicated birth, althought she is kind of wondering why we decided to go that route to begin with! Baby Sam weighs 7 lbs, 13 oz and is 20 1/2 inches long. He has a full head of brown hair with blonde highlights. Shortly after birth he and Jen got acquianted with a long 1 1/2 hour breasfeeding! Mom, Dad, and Baby are doing well and recovering from the ordeal. We are very proud and excited. The pregnancy is over, but the journey is just begining!!!

Stay tuned for many, many more pics and some video, probably later tonight!

48 inches

See for yourself!

The telephone was ringing...

Here is a neat song that sums up how we feel. Jen is not really overdue, but we are ready, and she is already dialating so bring it on!

Waiting for Jaden
Animal Liberation Orchestra
Fly Between Fall, 2006