We get to see Sam tomorrow :)

We're going to Hartselle tonight, and then we're going over tomorrow to see Sam. Can you believe that he was a month old yesterday! Wow--the time has flown!! John hasn't seen him since he was in the hospital, and I haven't seen him since he was a week old. I know he has changed so much since then. Huntsville is just TOO far away.

We've got to get to the lake sooner rather than later. I'll be spending the majority of the summer there, so I'm hoping that I can make plans to see Phillip, Katy, and Sam about once a week or so. Of course, we're hoping they'll be able to spend some time at the lake, too! Poppa John can't wait to start teaching Sam how to fish. Katy and I can get some serious tanning done on Danny and Linda's swim pier.

My next class just came in, so this is all for now. :)

Just a few pics of Sam

Katy posted some pics of Sam on her blog, but I'm going to put a few of them here, too, just 'cause I think they are SO cute and 'cause I can. :) I hope you enjoy seeing them. He is THE CUTEST BABY EVER, and his Poppa John and I love him BUNCHES!!

I love this one...His Poppa John puts his arm over his head when he sleeps, too.

I think he looks like a little froggy in this one. :)

Jessi gets her apartment! And other stuff

Yea!!! She called last night to let us know they approved her application for the apartment, and she gets to move in this weekend. John will probably load up the truck and take over all the stuff we've stored for her and help her get it moved in on Friday. I'll drive over as soon as I get off work to help out too, and I'm about 99.99999% sure Michael will be there, too. :) I know it will be so cute once she gets everything all set up.

Let's see--other stuff--It is SUCH a gorgeous day outside, and I'm stuck inside teaching the dreaded research process. BLEECH! It isn't that it is hard to teach, but I have to do SO much talking for the first few days, and it is boring, so the kids are about to die. Hopefully we'll get started on the Renaissance period tomorrow. Even though that requires lecture, I LOVE talking about the monarchs. This is the period of King Henry VIII and his 6 wives. Does it make me a nerd because I enjoy this? hahaha It's really quite interesting. I tell the students that it is better than any soap opera they could ever watch--murder, incest, adultery...

I didn't talk to Katy yesterday, but I got an update on Sam's appointment from Jessi. He weighed 7 lbs. 11 oz., so that's really good. He's growing!! I did try to call, but she didn't answer, so I'm hoping she and Sam were napping. I've got 3 gifts to take up to her for Sam, so I've GOT to make a trip soon. I'm having withdrawals from him. :) Maybe next weekend when John is hunting I can go up.

It's LUNCH TIME and Zaxby's buffalo chicken salad (NO BLEU CHEESE FOR ME, PLEASE!!) is calling. Hope you have a fantastic day!!

Sam is just too sweet!

I got here about 6 Monday afternoon, just in time to feed and snuggle with Sam. :) He was sooo good and soooo sweet. He ate up his bottle and slept until Phillip woke him up about 11 to eat again. I heard him crying once during the night and that was it until about 7:30 yesterday morning. Katy and Phillip had to take him to the pediatrician to get his bilirubin level checked again yesterday. It was down, so the doctor said she is through with them as far as the jaundice goes. Yea!! He was sleeping when they got home, so waiting for him to wake up was hard. When he did, even though I wanted to just grab him and snuggle, I let his mommy have her time with him. They've had so much company (yeah, myself included) since he was born that Katy hasn't had as much mommy time as she'd like. Plus, she still hasn't been feeling 100% so she hasn't been able to do a lot. (Her blood pressure has still been up, so they've put her on meds to try to get it lower. It was down yesterday, so that is really good!) Anyway, Katy decided to go nap, and I got to snuggle. He ate 3 oz. of formula and was then down for the count. He slept for about 4 hours. A couple of times, Phillip and I tried to wake him to feed him, but he was having none of it. Heck, his tummy was still full. No reason to wake up just yet. hahaha Besides, it's like I told Katy and Phillip, when he is hungry, wet, stinky, he WILL let them know!! Sam is without a doubt the best baby ever. He has been a perfect angel the whole time Grana has been here with him. He has eaten and slept like a champ. :)

I'll be heading home sometime this afternoon. I'd planned on staying until about 3, but it is raining, so I'll probably try to get gone a little earlier. Plus, I'm sure that Katy and Phillip would love to have some quiet family time. Once they've gotten up and gotten downstairs, I'll go ahead and start getting ready. I know how precious sleep is with a new baby, so I don't want to wake them by going up to get a shower now.

John and I are bringing some stuff to the lake this weekend, so I know we'll drop by for a bit. I wish we could be here Sunday for his first Easter. I think this will be the first Easter in YEARS that we haven't had Easter dinner at our house with Katy, Phillip, and Jessi (and in the past, Randy.) Easter was the ONLY holiday that we didn't have to rearrange weekend visits for. If our weekend with Kate and Jess was on Easter, that was always okay. So at least we got to do the Easter bunny stuff (even though they knew all about the Easter Bunny, Santa, Tooth Fairy, etc). (According to papers, their daddy was SUPPOSED to have every other holiday, but it never happened that way...)

I guess that's about all for now. I'll update later!!

I get to see Sam tomorrow!

I'm so excited about getting to see my sweet pooh! Katy and Phillip can do whatever they want--sleep, read, go for a bite to eat (if Katy feels up to leaving the house)--and I'll take perfect care of him. As long as they show me exactly how he likes his bottles, we'll be fine. I didn't babysit all those years for nothing. lol I'll probably head home (boo!) on Wednesday afternoon, but John wants to go back this weekend. We've got a few things to take to the lake, so why not take advantage of being so close? I have a very good feelling that Poppa John will take every opportunity to go see his boy. In case you haven't guessed, Poppa John is head over heels in love with Sam. (Go back and look at the picture in my previous post if you have any doubts. Everyone who has seen pictures of John with Sam has commented on how his face just glows. He doesn't even look at me like that! hahahaha) Have I said lately how BEAUTIFUL Sam is?

Poor Baby Sam!

Elisabeth called last night to tell us that Katy and Phillip had taken Sam to the emergency room. He had not tee teed since about 9:30 yesterday morning, and he was listless. Katy called the nurse and when the nurse called back, she said to take him in. He was dehydrated, so they gave him an IV and did an ultrasound. He had some urine in his system, so he was getting something. I called about 7:30 this morning and talked to Elisabeth and she said he still had not tee teed but he was sucking down his bottles. She had taken Katy home about 4 this morning, so hopefully she is able to get some rest. She was pretty upset (understandably so!) Maybe once Sam gets some nutrients from his bottle, he'll perk right up. I'll probably post again in just a bit because I'll call for an update soon.

I didn't think it was possible!

Ever since Katy found out she was pregnant and shared the news with us, I knew I would love this child, but oh my! When I held him that first time and looked at his beautiful face, I fell head over heels. I have never known a love just like this, and it is awesome. I could not sleep at all Monday night because I just kept thinking about him. At one point, I got my phone and just looked at his picture for the longest time. As much as I love him, I cannot even begin to imagine the depth of love that John feels. The very first picture of John holding Sam says it all. His face--just look at his eyes--are so full of happiness. There were things in Katy's and Jessi's lives that he had to miss (not by his choice...) but he fully intends on being a huge part of Sam's life. Just watching him hold Sam and talk to him about chasing bears was so sweet. Not that I want any of his life to fly by, but I can't wait until Sam is old enough to come running to us with his arms outstretched. Wow--that's about the best way I can put it.

Just a quick side note--I always tell people that I have 2 daughters. I go on to explain that Katy and Jessi are my step-daughters but after 16 years of being a part of their lives, I prefer to drop the "step" part of it. For years, every time Katy and Jessi and I would go somewhere together, we would have people tell them they looked just like their mother. We'd smile, say thanks, and go on. So, today one of my students comes in and sees the picture of me holding Sam (in my "I love my Grandma" frame) and she tells me that Sam has my nose. I just smiled and told her thanks. Then at lunch, one of my co-workers, who knows Katy is not my biological daughter, tells me that she thinks Sam's nose looks like mine. hahaha

He is here!!!

Samuel Emerson Pate made his debut this evening around 6:05! He weighed 7 pounds 3 ounces, and he is 19 1/2 inches long, and he is GORGEOUS!! Katy went for her regular 38-week checkup today, and they decided to send her to the hospital for labs--again. This time, though, they said they were going to induce. They broke her water about 12, and he was born just about 6 hours later, so not too bad for a first time pregnancy. Phillip said that she did a great job and that he was so proud of her. Of course, they are both so proud of their beautiful son, and I know they are going to be such awesome parents. John and I FINALLY got to the hospital around 8--long story--and got to see our sweet, precious Sam. Of course, Grana (me) had to grab him away from Papa John pretty quickly, but I did end up giving him back so Papa John could have some snuggle time. :) Even though I didn't give birth to Katy, I don't think that it is possible for me to love her and Sam anymore than if they WERE biologically mine. It is so hard to believe that she is a mommy now. The pictures of her holding Sam right after he was born are just unbelievable. I pray that God blesses this child throughout his entire life, and that he grows up to be as wonderful a man as his daddy is.