Sam & Dad

A daily blog providing snapshots, observations, & stories behind the adventures of being a stay-at-home dad during four weeks of paid family leave with my third child, my son Samuel (aka Sam, Sam-Sam, RumbleBuns, #sambamstragram)

[samanddad]

solids already?!?! or just a chew toy?

[samanddad]

Today is my last day on leave from work. It is bittersweet to say the least. Starting Monday, Samuel will be officially starting at his new daycare and I will be back at work. The time I spent with him, even the rough days, was unforgettable and I have enjoyed every moment of it. I am going to miss this sweet face during the day and all of our 1-on-1 time.

Now I ponder whether to keep the blog going or simply combine with the daily craziness of fatherhood overall.

Hmm…

[samanddad]

Last night Sam was getting fussy, so we went with the remedy that almost never fails… FaceTime. This time around was with his Grandma and Grandpa Penney.

[samanddad]

Estela & I felt it was time to break out the saucer activity table for Sam. He is doing great with some added back support & loves it.

[samanddad]

It’s crazy to think about today’s technology and how it plays into the daily lives of kids. Whereas these advances were groundbreaking for us, it will seem “normal” and part of everyday life for my kids. An example of this would be FaceTime. Sam has already memorized the chime and knows to look at our phones when he hears it. He then proceeds to put on a happy face and lean in towards the phone.

While I’ve been home, it has been fun to FaceTime with Estela while she’s at work. This fulfills her desire to see her little man, but also helps brighten Things for Sam as well. Today I caught a cute moment between the two of them as Estela was mimicking him sticking his tongue out.

Love these two!

[samanddad]

Three quick updates: 1.) Baby carriers are lifesavers on more than one occasion. I had to wake Samuel up early from a nap to pick up his brothers from school. He was upset at this (as well as the sun in his face in the photo), but was otherwise happy once I put him in the carrier as opposed to his car seat. 2.) Samuel is still killin' it on Tummy-Time like a pro. 3.) Cuddle time between Samuel and Estela is a "MUST" for his last nap of the day. He puts up with me during the day, but lights up the minute he hears or sees his mom after work. Love those two.

[samanddad]

As a parent with multiple kids, it quickly becomes apparent how they can help out with a baby. It's those moments in the morning when you're packing lunches, final minutes of parking a car, or in all honesty, a few minutes to escape for a bathroom break. This morning was an example of that. I was still in the process of packing up my kid's bags for school and Samuel woke up crying. I asked both boys to go in and keep him company. This solves two things, it makes the baby happy and keeps the older two preoccupied as well. It was cute to capture the event on the video monitor and then to see them continue to talk to him on the changing table.

[samanddad]

Starting the third week off with a holiday is ideal. Especially when Sam decided to wake up every 60-90 minutes for the latter half of the night. Estela took the brunt of this since he was hungry, but I was able to help this morning so she could sleep in. A baby's sleep schedule can be frustrating, but then you have moments like this where they are so peaceful within your arms. Otherwise, we are checking out a potential daycare for Sam today. It is crazy to think how fast time has gone by and appreciate the time we've been able to spend with him at home.

[samanddad]

"Conversations With Cow" All of my boys had their favorite toy as babies. For Samuel, there is no doubt that the cow from the play mat is his favorite. He is constantly talking to cow, chewing on cow, or simply smiling at cow. I have started to create conversations in my head that these two unlikely, different friends would have.

[samanddad]

Yesterday was spent primarily outside since the weather was beautiful and warm. We met my friend Geoff and his son, Bear, at the Sacramento Zoo. Amidst the stream of yoga pant toting mommy groups with their large broods of children, to the hipster 20-somethings aimlessly walking around, we seemed to be the only solo dads there. This brought some laughter and overall we had a great time doing something outside of the normal daily parenting duties with a baby.

[samanddad]

Sam turned three months old over the weekend, but I am just getting around to sharing the photos. It always seems like such a milestone with each of our boys and continues to be this time around. They are no longer a newborn, they something entirely new and rapidly show new personality traits that seem to continue into their childhood. It truly goes by quick and I’m thrilled that I get to spend time with him these four weeks before he grows even further out of this early stage of life.

[samanddad]

Sam and I swapped roles today.

[samanddad]

Friday. Was. Rough. Sam's schedule was completely off and the poor kiddo wasn't happy. Thankfully the weekend was within our grasp and things immediately got better once he was with Estela. A mother's touch fixes all it seems and was happy to see Sam finally relax.

[samanddad]

Today was a road trip day for Samuel and I. We spent most of the day outside of the house and we even visited Samuel's Great Grandparents, Ernie & Doris. They had the best of time listening to him talk and make noises. He got a real kick out of them and was all smiles until he was hungry.

[samanddad]

Bottle flippin’ like a boss to mix that baby formula

[samanddad]

Today was completely filled with playtime since Sam’s brothers end school early. We filled the day with silly snapchat videos, practicing sitting, rolling, and tummy time. It was still chilly today, so even a trip to the mailbox involved a blanket and beanie.

[samanddad]

Sam-Sam is killin' it with tummy-time.