Take A Load Off, Sammy

At the risk of pigeonholing this blog as a chronicle of the early days of Sam's bowels, we share the videos below. Some might say that posting videos of our son pooping as his loved ones cheer him on amounts to little more than a low brow grab for cheap laughs at Sam's expense. How dare they. In defense of fart humor, master comedian Louis C.K. notes that while "you don't have to be smart to laugh at farts, you have to be stupid not to." We couldn't agree more. So if videos of baby farts aren't your thing, well, you're reading the wrong blog.

Sam bears down to squeeze out a little growler as Mom and Dad proudly look on. Such focus!

Followed by a a little post poop celebration.


Finally, Grandma Betty and Grandpa Hack give the young man's technique high marks.

Road Trip Up North

Greetings from sunny Boyne City, Michigan, where our little vagabond seems to be enjoying his first road trip and vacation.  After nearly three weeks with Sam in our Chicago apartment, Catie and I decided to set out for the breezy shores of Lake Charlevoix.  Gibson was particularly excited for the trip, as a visit to his homeland (we bought Gib at the Boyne City 4th of July Parade six years ago) means plenty of splashing in the lake and treats on the sly from doting grandparents.

After a surprisingly smooth drive up - only three stops in 7 hrs - road warrior Sam was greeted by quite the welcoming committee, including a special sit down with Great Grandpa George and Great Grandma Rose, who managed to wrestle the boy away from Grandma Betty for a little while.  Great Uncle Bill, Great Aunt Sue, and cousins London and Margot came up the following day, and Grandpa Hack made a surprise visit on Saturday, interrupting his trial prep for some bonding time with Sam.

Rested and recharged, I can't say that we are in any hurry to leave lake country and head back to the city. Special thanks to Grandma Betty and Grandpa Hack for letting us commandeer their place for the week.  We loved every minute of it.

 

2 Weeks

Sam is two weeks old today. Catie and I aren't quite sure what to make of that, as we both feel a bit unstuck in time. On the one hand it feels like he was born yesterday - the memories of the delivery room and the first time we held him are so fresh and vivid.  On the other hand, life pre-Sam seems like the distant past. What did we do with ourselves before we sat around staring at this little guy 18 hours a day?

In any event, it's been a wonderful run and Catie and I are both grateful for all the love and support.  Here are a few photos of Sam and his many visitors from the past couple weeks. Enjoy!

 CLICK HERE FOR PHOTOS!

The Five Stages of Diaper Filling: A Journey in Photos

Years ago, two well-known alcoholism researchers, Carlo C. DiClemente and J.O. Prochaska, introduced a five-stage model of change to help understand patients with addiction problems and motivate them to modify destructive behavior. It is unknown whether they appreciated that their model is equally applicable to pooping one's pants.


Precontemplation.  Sam is blissfully unaware that his diaper must soon be filled.

Contemplation.  Sam becomes aware of the potential to fill his diaper and seriously considers doing so. 

Preparation.  Sam commits to filling his diaper.

Action.  You better believe action.

Maintenance.  Sam realizes the consequences of his action and hopes that Mom or Dad is around to get him out of this mess.

Chip Off the Old Block or Mama's Little Troublemaker: who ya got?

From the archives: here are a few pictures of Sam's parents as infants.  As completely objective observers, Catie and I see a flawless blend of the two of us when we look at Sam (90% Catie and a dash of his old man). As much fun as it is to play the "whose nose/chin/eyes does he have?" game, we can all be thankful he has his mother's hair.

Let's take a look:

CATIE

TOM

SAM