Samuel Says...

Samuel will be turning three next week.  No way.  

I asked him a few questions to remember him like he is right now!

Photo Credit:

Kimberly Maness 

of Picture Perfect Photography

What's your name?

Curly S.  Samuel Lebi Johnson.

When's your birthday?

In May twenty-fird.

How old will you be on your birthday?

This many (showing me his fingers).

How many is that?

(counting) one, two, THREE.

What's your favorite color?

Green.

Who is your favorite person?

Grandpa.

What do you like about him?

His truck.

What's your favorite thing to do?

Paint.

Why do you like to paint?

Because I want to.

Who's your teacher?

Mrs. Rochelle.

Who's your best friend?

Mimi.

Where do we go on Sundays?

To church and to see Mimi.

Why do go to church on Sundays?

To sing and because we love God.

What's your favorite food to eat?

Macaroni and spaghetti.  Chicken nuggets and dips.

What's your favorite snack?

Green beans.  

What's your favorite thing to do outside?

Ride in my red car.  

What else do you like to do outside?

Drive on the tricycle.

What about your jumper/trampoline?

Yes.  Can I go outside?

What's your favorite movie?

Elmo singing.

What's your favorite song?

O My Soul (which is 10,000 Reasons by Matt Redman).

Where's your favorite place to eat?

At McDonald's.  

I thought you liked Mexican?!

Oh, yeah, I like Mexican.

What's your favorite thing to drink?

Um, chocolate.

What's your favorite show to watch on t.v.?

Elmo with Ernie and Bert.  Oh, and Hey Jessie.  It feels like a party everyday (that's actually the theme song - lol).

What do you like to play with?

Ambulance and fire trucks and cars and trucks.

Do you like to pretend?

Monsters.  And I like to roar.  And be spooky in the dark.

I thought you were scared of the dark.  Do you like the dark?

No.

What do you like to wear?

Umbrella.

WHAT?!  What clothes do you have that are your favorite?

Pajamas.

Who gives you the best hugs?

Mimi. 

Who loves you the most?

Mimi.

Elias is 1!

In His 12th Month, Elias:
Weighed 24 lbs.
Wore size 18 month clothes.
Wore size 4 and 5 in diapers.
Wore size 4 shoes, but really hated them.
Always had one sock on, one off.
Still had rashes, eczema, and skin allergies.
Favorite place to be was the bathtub.
Favorite food was lasagna.
Visited the farm where Grandpa lives!
Sat on a four wheeler.
Met his cousins, Gunner and Jase.
Let his great aunt Jan hold him!
Celebrated Daniel's birthday!
Began drinking from a sippy cup.
Tried whole milk...  major problems resulted.
Advised to put him on skim milk.
Had Thicken It added to all of his liquids.
Went to see Dr. Fazili, his pulmonologist after being sick.
Was put on Flovent and Astrovent inhalers.
Would have a procedure to check on reflux and other issues
    to see what was causing all of his sicknesses.
Liked V8 juice, but no other kind.
Favorite toy was a ball.  Any kind.
Loved to throw and try to catch.
Enjoyed his brothers' joint party!
Started walking the day of the b-day party!
That was April 27th!
Liked their cake, but not the icing.
Had a follow-up with feeding therapy.
Said he is doing great!
Had three procedures at Vandy on May 10th:
bronchoscopy, endoscopy, and impendence pH probe.
Probe lasted 24 hours.  He wore it home.
It was awful.  He was miserable.
He and Mommy stayed at Mimi's overnight.
Malacia is still there but improved in bronchial tubes.
No abnormalities or structural issues.  Praise God!
Results should come in 2 weeks.
Probe results came early on Tuesday, May 14.
Has silent acid reflux only while sleeping.
May explain why he wakes through the night.
Put on 1 capsule of Omeprazole with dinner.
Loved to walk in the backyard barefoot.
Pointed at what he wanted.
Made a lot of grunts and said a lot of "ooh" and "uh".
Said ma-ma, da-da, dow (down), ah, uh, oh, and hi.
Loves his Daddy.  A lot.
Walked to Daddy every afternoon
     when he comes in from work.
Daniel and Samuel can make him laugh like no one else!
When told to cheese, he closes his eyes and shows his teeth!
Takes two naps.
Loves music.  Bounces when he hears it.
Still puts everything in his mouth.
Finds the smallest specks of dirt on the ground.
Then puts them in his mouth, of course.
Made a huge mess with pop-tarts on the carpet.
Favorite snacks are crackers!

Here are some other 12 Month highlights:

Really liked Pop-tarts but didn't like the messy filling.

Sitting on Grandpa's four wheeler with Daddy.

Big boys run in the family.

Elias with Aunt Jan and Cousin Jase

Eating at the Catfish House on Daniel's birthday

Trying (or scowling at) a sippy cup for the 1st time

Cheese!

I see your teeth!

Houston, we have a climber.

He loves music.

Making noise with this instrument.

Trying out his new inhaler/chamber.

He only likes it when HE is holding it.

In action, he's mad as all get out.

Does he drool a bit?

Playing peek-a-boo with Mommy.

Took off walking on this day, April 27th.

Hasn't stopped since!

The whole family at the birthday party

All of the boys checking on the garden

The May 10th afternoon of his procedures...

Riding while waiting.

Still waiting...

In recovery = Beast

Absolutely hated these "no-no" casts to keep him 

from removing his pH probe from his nose.

Eating some graham crackers so he could go home!

He was exhausted.

So sweet.

Look at me!

So miserable sleeping.

So ready to get these things off.

Clapping and happy to have his hands free!

This was after having the probe removed.

He clapped for 10 minutes straight.  :)

Still clapping.

Eating Mexican on Mother's Day

Always wanting to eat what Mom has.

The birthday countdown 

to Elias (and Samuel's) birthday

Happy Birthday, precious Elias Joseph!

Photo credit:  

Kimberly Maness of

Picture Perfect Photography

Sports' Party Decor

Daniel and Samuel shared their party this year.  Their birthdays are only 1 month and 3 days apart, and considering their friends are the same, I opted for the joint party this year.  Having it together meant picking a theme that worked for both boys, and a sports' theme was EASY and so fun.

Here are a few of the details:

The Theme

I found these napkins at Deals for a dollar.

I knew they were exactly what I wanted 

and based the entire party around them.

The Invitation

I bought primary color scrapbook paper,

 then found this navy with white stars paper 

and went to town.

I simply wrote a short poem and 

used their ages as each boys' "jersey" number.

I created it in Word, 

then cut the star paper with my Cricut.

The Welcome Banner 

I wanted something on the front door.

The sports' balls were used on the birthday banner - 

which now hangs in their sports' themed room.

I created and cut it all with my Cricut.

Balloons and Banners

Daniel loves blue, and Samuel loves green.

Two team colors.

I strung balloons with fishing line.  So easy and cute!

The Games

I used things the boys already had to create games.

Then added signs to them.  

In "Shoot for Two,"

the kids shot orange balloons 

(filled with candy for weight)

into the goal.

"Which Little Slugger Brother" Game

The Food Table

Signage for Samuel

who was turning 3

Signage for Daniel

who turned 4

(I ended up putting all of these

in their room!)

"Keep Yourself Hydrated"

I got these free printable water bottle labels

from BumpSmitten,

a site that's no longer in service.

"Buy Me Some Peanuts and Cracker Jacks"

Got the Cracker Jacks from Sam's 

and already had the Baseball bin in the boys' room.

"Fruit Helmet"

Found this idea on Pinterest and loved it.

"Grab 'Em While the Dogs are Hot"

These mini dogs were too cute.

Got the idea here.

The Food Table again

Blue #4 Jersey

I just bought shirts and iron-on transfers.

BUT white ink doesn't print in printers, 

so I did a light gray which looked white 

when ironed onto their bright tees.

Green #3 Jersey

Favors

I bought drawstring backpacks from Dollar Tree

and filled them with sports' erasers and inflatable balls.

Favors' Bag Tags

D and S

The boys each picked out their letters

at Hobby Lobby,

then chose their favorite sport scrapbook paper.

We modge podged it onto the letters.

Made for sweet centerpieces!

D - FENCE

No sports event is complete without D-Fence.

Posterboard and scissors.

The Basketball Hoop

This was hung above the cake 

with the boys' pictures in it.

I have no clue how I got this idea.

I had an old sewing hoop and 

immediately thought, 

"That's a basketball goal."

I painted it orange, then bleached 

some blue ocean net from Oriental Trading

and placed it in the hoop. 

I hung this with fishing wire!

I loved it!

The Cake

Made by my Mom's friend, Cathy.

She's SO good.

Delicious and cute.

"Score Big:  Go for the Cake."

Games Indoor

I had a game planned for each sport outside.

BUT it rained.  So games were held indoors.

We used white balloons as baseballs,

 and I used red Sharpies to draw the stitches.

I cut pool noodles in half as the bats.

SO MUCH FUN.

Shoot for Two

Little Tikes basketball goal with

orange balloons filled with candy.

The game I created.

Guests had to guess which 

"Little Slugger" brother did what.

The winner went home

with a concession stand prize pack.