Sad Day in Herring Household

RIP PorkChop. You knew how to press our buttons, but you were our baby before we had babies. You were a good dog and we already miss you greatly. Hopefully you are not feeling any pain anymore and playing with Lucky in Doggie Heaven.

PorkChop had slowly been going downhill lately and we had to make the tough decision to bring him to put him down before he got worse. We think it was a form of cancer that started in his mouth and had progressed rapidly in the last couple of days. The decision was definitely not an easy one and I think both John and myself were hoping it wouldn't actually come to this at all, but we knew it was the right decision when he was having a hard time eating his favorite - pig ears, and also had a hard time with the last meal we bought him of a roast beef sandwich. He was a wonderful dog who we are already missing dearly. RIP PorkChop. We love you and as Tommy says "I'm sad" which pretty much sums it up for all of us. :-(

Granite City Days 2011

Helping Daddy mow the lawn.
Sitting on a dump truck at Granite City Days
Sitting in a fire truck
Face Painting of Race Car "just like Lightning"
Happy, Smiley Sammy with Big Brother.

Spent the day with the kids and John at Granite City Days in St Cloud at Lake George. It was awesome. Tommy had a blast with petting zoo, bouncy things, seeing firemen and fire trucks, sitting in a fire truck, lots of little activities, balloons, riding in a horse drawn wagon, face painting, and numerous other things. It was a great day! Sammy had a great time and was awesome, which made for an easier day for Mommy and Daddy. Forgot our camera, but got a few pics from Daddy's cell.

I have to share this as well because Tommy cracks us up --
The other day in Target Tommy saw a guy wearing a cowboy hat. Everyone wearing a cowboy hat is a cowboy. He busted out laughing and says to us -- Haha, a cowboy in Target?!?!?! It was hilarious the way he said it -- like what the heck is a cowboy doing in Target.

He has known what the Mississippi River is for about 2 years now. Now Daddy is teaching him the new names for it...namely Old Man River. We drive over it now and he tells us -- Daddy, that's the Mississippi. It's Old Man River :-)

John flew through a "yellow turning to pink light" tonight. Tommy instantly, "Daddy, why did you go through a red light?" Guess we're not getting out of any tickets any more.

6 months old!!

Can't believe my baby is 6 months old today!! Sammy did great with his shots. Cried for a little bit, but distraction works wonders :-) He's 21 lbs 10 oz (off the charts) and 28 inches long (95th percentile). Big brother came along too and did a great job. Sweet talked the nurse into $.30 and a sucker, and a mint from Mommy's work...and talked to Sammy all through his shots to make him feel better.

Sammy is rolling all over the place and can't be far away from crawling. He's in the "phantom" stage where you can't really see him moving but one minute he's on this side of the room and the next he's on the other side. He's getting so big and is such a happy baby now.

Tommy is doing great! He is such a good big brother. He spends a lot of time trying to make his little brother giggle, which we absolutely love. He's been helping Daddy fix things around the house and helping Mommy cook, still getting upset when we empty out the dishwasher without him or doing laundry without him. He's a great helper!

Big Steps for both boys!

Today was a busy day. John was sitting with Sammy last night and of course Sammy was pulling whatever he could towards his mouth, including his fingers. John noticed something a little sharp. Sammy has the beginning of his first AND second tooth. They are both coming in. I thought for sure he was going to have a hard time during teething but he has been great. Big tough guy. :-)

This morning Tommy also took a HUGE first step. I asked him if he wanted to try going potty on the big boy potty and wearing Pull Ups. He said he would like to try!!! He tried it. Nothing happened, but at least he tried!!! It's a big step for him and he did great. I was very proud of my little man. I think he was too. It was only for a little while, but it's a start.

Other than that, we are all doing well...waiting for the spring weather to come back so we can go for more walks. Tommy loves going out in the double stroller with his little Baby Sammy. He's constantly turning around and checking on him. He's such a good big brother. Sammy is enjoying smiling and cooing and laughing at everyone -- just a happy little man.

Rolling over!

Sammy rolled over on Saturday! In the morning, he rolled over from his back to his stomach with Mommy and Tommy watching, and a little while later while Daddy and Tommy were watching, he rolled over from stomach to back. He's so strong! We're enjoying his smiling and laughing, and also loving the interaction between him and his older brother. Tommy is now loving making his little brother giggle and smile. The other night he said "Noodle" which made Sammy laugh so we got to hear the word Noodle about 15 times. It was very cute.

4 months

4-month check today and shots for Sammy. I know he needs them but it kills me :-( He was sleepy and a little grumpy since. Stats -- 26 inches (95th percentile); 17.7 lbs (90th percentile) and dr says he's doing just great. FINALLY a happy bouncing baby boy

New Pictures

Poor kid...or poor Papa?
See Sammy - Tommy is pointing out the finer points of Toy Story 3 to his little brother. That's Buzz Lightyear and Lotso and Woody and Jessi, and so on...
I dressed Sammy in his Vikings outfit and Tommy insisted on "being a Viking too"
Smiles!

I can't believe that next week we will be bringing Sammy in for his 4-month check-up. It's gone so fast. Life with 2 kids has certainly had its challenges. I think we finally turned a corner though and Sammy is through his colicky phase and his reflux is now under control. He's like a completely different little guy and we are enjoying some easier days, although days are still WAY too short. Here are some pictures of the little men.