Lovely Weekend.

Kate ready for church on Valenines Day.
Trying to take a picture with my kids.
On Friday night Jake and I got to go on our Valentines Date. We kid swapped with some friends so we could be alone for the date. We went to Tucano's where I had my fill of red meat for the year. I don't eat a ton of red meat- except in Cheeseburgers, but I like to eat at this Brazillian meat grill anyways. Then we shopped for a new cell phone for Jake and went to Harmon's (where strangely enough we spent part of our second date) to grab some Valentine's for our little Valentine's. I enjoyed dressing up, eating out, but Jake and I both loved picking out something special for the kids. Both Sam and Kate have coveted the balloon's lining the grocery store checkout all month. A heart shaped mylar for each with a straw cup tied to the bottom. They couldn't have been more pleased with their shiny floating wonders. They have been playing with them non stop since.


This basketball Jake got this week and the kids can't leave it alone. Samuel's genetic height potential is not that great, but Jake played high school ball, so maybe I shouldn't give up hope for him yet. Though there is not a picture, for Valentine's Day Jake bought me a bread machine. You may be thinking- isn't it the first cardinal rule of wife presents to not buy her small appliances. But not in this house. I have been wanting one for some time- and three loaves of homeade deliciousness have already graced our table.
This last picture is of me and cuddly Sam. He has been even more so his Mama's boy this last week. Sam has a lot of funny little health things about him that he has had since birth. His silly kidney- that ended up being just fine- evident upon birth when he urinated all over the nurses as they were cleaning him up. He is tounge tied- just like Jake was when he was born, although they slit his at birth and now the practice is to leave it until is creates a problem with their speech, and then there is his nodes. He has several bumps or nodes on his rib cage. One that is larger than the rest, and freaks me out when I pick him up sometimes. We joke around that it is his extra rib, we are going to use to make him a wife when he grows up, but in reality it worried me. His pediatrician finally had some concerns about it as well so he and I headed to the hospital for an afternoon of test. My tough kid, was not nearly as tough or well behaved as usual. Each time they would take him, he would scream, but then they would hand him to me, and he would immediately stop. Although I was sad he had to have all the tests, it will be one of my most treasured moments of his first year, walking around the hospital, his shirt off and wrapped together in a warm sheet, him holding on to me tighter than he ever has before. He has needed me more ever since. And although the whining is hard, I don't mind being needed. It won't be long before he is saying Kate's favorite sentence " I do it myself".

Did you notice a balloon string in almost every picture? I told you they were a hit.