Walka-Walka-Walka!

New Pictures of Sammy by Laurel Hogge

2009-10-31T17:09:00.004-05:00

These great pictures were taken early October by Laurel Hogge. She does an incredible job with capturing great images and showing the true personality of our little boy.

I certainly would recommend her to anybody looking for good photos. She's fun to work with and she, as you can see for yourselves, does an incredible job.

To see the rest of the photos, click on the following link:

http://picasaweb.google.com/jordanwalker44/LaurelHoggePics2#

New Posts

2009-08-07T08:31:00.007-05:00

Sammy's growing up! Obviously it's been a while since our last post - that seems to be the trend as of late. We've seen Sam do some pretty awesome things. He's soooooo close to walking, today he took about 10 steps in a row without even thinking about it. That's the thing, he could walk but while he's doing it, he remembers that he's taking steps and decides to fall down and crawl. Funny kid.

Anyway, here are some new pics.

Something New!

2009-05-27T19:58:00.004-05:00

Again, been forever since we've posted but I just wanted to put on a couple things about Sammy. He has grown a ton since last post, and has started the curiosity - opening drawers, climbing into drawers, pulling out pots and pans, trying to pull out blenders, etc. It's funny, but I'm pretty sure it's going to end up with him crying at some point.

The best thing he's doing right now that he started doing on his own is this: when he wants to go down the stairs (yes, he climbs up and down stairsm but not without us right behind him in case he falls), he will actually go to the very top of the stairs and before he goes down, he will turn himself around so he goes feet first. It's the best! Funny kid.

Here are a couple clips of him for you all to enjoy. I know we do!

A Close Encounter with Child Protective Services

2009-03-03T20:39:00.003-05:00

SOOOOOO, we had a pretty crazy experience on the 28th. For most of Sammy's life, we have always wrapped him up tight in a blanket and we've rocked him to sleep. In the last couple of days, however, we've decided to stop that and get him to put himself to sleep so we went out and invested in a Pack and Play (Awesome!!) and we put him in it for the first time on the 28th. He screamed his little head off for about 15 minutes and then finally fell asleep. Mag and I didn't hear from him until about 3am when he awoke and screamed for a few minutes before falling back asleep. We were very tempted to go in and grab him and make sure he was alright, but in the end, we stayed put and let him cry it out.

Anyway, we woke up around 6am and Mag went in to check on the boy. As soon as she got in there, I heard her yelling at Sammy a couple of times and then my name was shouted. I'll tell you, I've never moved so quickly in my life. When I arrived, the picture below is basically what I saw.
Neither of us really knew what to do because he didn't really respond to his name and to us picking him up. Luckily, it turned out that he was just super tired from not having slept well during his first 7 months of life. As soon as he woke up a little bit, he was happy and smiley just like he always is.
We were scared to death though and thought that he was covered in blood from ramming his head into the side of the Pack and Play or something like that. When we saw him, he looked just like the pictures, but he also had 3 huge bloody welts on the left side of his head. We thought he had died from losing so much blood.
Well, it turns out that what really happened was he had a rotten stomach and decided to throw up all the blueberries we had given him and then proceeded to roll around in it and sleep in it a little bit too. We felt horrible that that had happened and that we didn't know, but we were trying to be tough parents who make their kids go to sleep by themselves.

We were so scared that something bad had happened to him. I'm glad he's just fine. I was seriously shaking for probabbly 10 minutes even after I knew he was alright. I guess that means that I like him quite a bit, eh?

Happy Times and Sammy Slides

2009-01-11T20:35:00.002-05:00

So, it's been a while between posts, but that seems to be the norm the last couple of months. Sorry about that, hopefully I'll be able to post more often. Anyway, to catch you up, Christmas was great and so was our New Year. We stuck around here in Michigan and Maggie's whole family came so we spent time with them. We had a ton of fun!

We were excited to find out that Maggie's sister, Kate, is having a little girl! She is due in May and is such a happy pregnant lady! We are super excited for her and Adrian and know they will absolutely love it. We are sad that we are so far away from them, but will make it a point to get out there to see the little chiquita.

Getting to our family, our big news is that Bean has started to start the start of starting to crawl. He's so fun to watch and I love his determination! He has fallen in love with anything that has buttons - i.e. remotes, phones, etc and so is willing to crawl (or try) across the room to get it. It has been a blast to watch. Here are a few videos we took of his adventures in scooting about.

He's getting strong and coordinated, but still refuses to sleep very much at night (or during the day for that matter). He is now starting to eat real food, if you can call baby food real, and he seems to enjoy it quite a bit.

So, things are great! I will post again soon, with some pictures from the holidays. Maggie's dad took some great pictures that he's sending to me so I'll post them as soon as I get them.

The Bean is Growing Up!

2008-12-13T22:33:00.004-05:00

It's been another month since I last updated the blog and I know that's a bad thing. Our little guy is growing up quickly and it's hard to keep track of everything that is going on.

Every time we set him down on his back he rolls on his stomach and across the room. I can't even begin to think about what life will be like when he starts to crawl and walk. We may have to keep a leash on him.

It's so fun to see him lift himself up in push-up position when he's on his stomach. We took a little video that we thought was worth sharing:

he's getting so strong and his ability to grab things with his hands is getting great, as well. He's now 4.5 months old and so dang cute! I thought he would be crawling by Christmas Day, but Im not sure that will happen. He seems somewhat content to to just lay on his stomach and grab things and put them in his mouth. He'd eat a live animal if he could grab it and shove it in his mouth. He's funny.

We were out all day today and he was such a great boy. He slept and smiled and stared and grabbed and did all the good things we thought he would do. Only at the very end of the day did he start to get whiny. I can't blame him for it, he was probably exhausted and his diaper needed to be changed! Anyway, when we got him upstairs and changed and fed, we put him down on the floor and played with him. He was so happy and let us know it. Check it out:

To end the post, I'll post a picture and Mag and Sam that her dad took. It's a fantastic picture and I love being able to look at it and think what a lucky guy I am! Enjoy!

Erwin's Orchard

2008-11-18T21:53:00.008-05:00

A couple weeks ago we decided to take our little nieces, Quinn and Anna, to the Apple Orchard to get fresh apple cider and tasty doughnuts. We had a lot of fun, though we could tell that the cold weather was on it's way.
Here is Anna after enjoying the first part of her doughnut. She's such a cute girl! They both are, we like having them around.
Again, the feast has already begun.
Sam, on the other hand, wasn't nearly as thrilled to be there. Normally he seems to really like being outside of the house and doing things, which is great. He's always so curious to see what/who is around him. He's getting HUGE and talks to us all the time. It's so fun!
Here are the chicas in front of the largest pumpkin we've ever seen. It was a really fun day and are sad that the winter has arrived. Even this very morning I had to go scrape our car windows before work - not fun. Another Michigan winter has arrived, but that topic can be saved for another post.

Imagination Station/Great Harvest

2008-10-31T10:46:00.002-05:00

A couple weeks ago we decided to head to take Anna and the Bean and head downtown to the Imagination Station here in Brighton. It's a really fun playground that is pretty kid-safe.

It was really cold that day so we had to bundle up the Bean as you can see in the picture above. He looked so studly in his little Brandon outfit! He's got the biggest blue eyes you've ever seen and when he's not crying, he's nearly always giggling or smiling.
To the side of the Imagination Station is a big ol' river with a bunch of ducks and geese in it. It's funny because they've been fed so much by Earthlings that whenever they see a human, they automatically swim over to them. So, although we didn't have any bread to give them, Anna enjoyed their attention.
So, we had a good time together! We don't have pictures of it, but we stopped by Great Harvest (my new favorite place) and all got samples of bread. They seriously have the best bread I've ever tasted. So, there ya go, a free plug for Great Harvest.

Sammy's First Halloween

2008-10-30T19:13:00.003-05:00

Parents normally like to dress up their children really fun and cute for their first Halloween and I think that's great. I've noticed that ghosts, pumpkins, pea pods, and other such things are the norm for little babies. That's why we decided to go with a good old farm animal. We were in Target the other day and walked by an end cap full of doggie costumes and saw this one for a rooster. We weren't sure if it would fit, but it does perfectly. Enjoy!

Finally another post!

2008-10-30T18:53:00.004-05:00

Sorry it's been so long. Things have been pretty crazy on our end, so we haven't had a ton of time to post. In fact, it's been over a month and that's unacceptable.

Sammy is now 3 months old and is doing all sorts of new tricks and we love it! Here is a little video of him when he just turned two months old and apparently wanted to get a head start on the Presidential Fitness Award for school by doing sit-ups.

He is such a cute kid! He rolls over a ton now and it's so fun to watch him do it. However, whenever I grab the camera to watch him roll over, he never does it. So it goes. Here's a really fun video of him just staring and smiling while not rolling.

Howell Nature Center

2008-09-26T18:39:00.007-05:00

Okay, so this is going to be a pretty long post. Hopefully you don't get too sick of it half-way through.

We had the chance to go to the Howell Nature Center and had so much fun! Maggie came up with the idea of checking out a pass from the library to one of the museums or historical centers, etc. and because it was such a beautiful day, we decided to spend the day outside and go take pictures with the animals.
Sammy was such a cute boy there. In this picture, however, he is about ready to eat so was in a bit of discomfort. He's such a studly boy.
Here is a better picture of the mood he was in for most of the time we were there. Actually, he slept in his car seat most of the time, but woke up happy.
He is seriously growing up so fast! He's getting chubbier and cuter every day. Plus, his hair is coming in on top and I love it. Looks like he'll have plenty of it.

We saw several different kinds of animals ranging from the Barn Owls up a couple of pictures to the Bald Eagle seen here. We saw White Tailed Deer, Coyotes, Foxes, Groundhogs, and lots of other animals.

We had a great time, the four of us, and we decided we would like to have a family outing every week. The library is a great resource! Who knew?

The end. Go Zoos and Nature Centers!

Sammy's New Trick

2008-09-25T19:07:00.001-05:00

This is hilarious. Check out what Bean does when I whistle. I love it.

Our Little Bean is Growing Up!

2008-09-25T18:00:00.005-05:00

We took the Bean to see the Pediatrician today and turns out he's growing up quite a bit. He's still only in the 10th percentile in both height and weight (21.5 in. and 10 lbs. respectively) but he has grown up a ton in our eyes. He's cooing and smiling and pushing himself backwards with his legs on a regular basis now.

We thought we weren't going to be able to put Bean in these clothes because he was so small, but we tried this onesie on him today and it fits him perfectly! Now he actually looks like a normal growing baby boy. We are excited about that.
He's so cute to watch now. Before, he didn't have much of a personality, but he sure is growing to be a good, strong willed little boy. Mag has finally been able to break him and has gotten him on a schedule that we all love - eat, play, poop, sleep, eat, play, poop, sleep (repeat, repeat, repeat). It's a 3 hour schedule and it's fantastic.

This movie is really funny. Watch how he fell asleep the other day. He's a funny kid.

DInner for Two/Two and a Half

2008-09-19T23:05:00.005-05:00

Well, we have finally settled back into our lives here in Michigan and we had the opportunity to spend the evening together a couple days ago. We are trying to watch what we eat a little more and so decided to have some Stir-Fry. It was delicious! We cooked some brown rice and while we waited for that to be done, we put carrots, half an onion, broccoli, celery, pea pods, yellow and orange peppers, water chestnuts and chicken in the wok and made our own little concoction of stir fry sauce. It turned out really well. Maggie was in charge of cutting most of the veggies and getting those ready while I cooked the rice and took charge of the wok and adding ingredients. Here's what it looked like:

Sammy has been pretty cranky these last few days (or months) since he's been so colicky. However, we've had some really cute days with him too. For a while he actually had a solid schedule going - he would eat, the be really fun, happy and smiley for 45 minutes after, he would then cry for 30 minutes and finally he would fall back asleep. Wake up and repeat. We were enjoying life during that time. Lately, it hasn't been so easy, but it hasn't been too bad. He even let us get a few good shots of him.

Look at those cheeks! He's such an awesome little guy. We are excited for him to start talking and being able to express himself. He is cooing a lot more now, which is fun, and he even laughs about every day as well. We are so glad he is starting to show his little personality.

Sammy's Blessing

2008-09-11T11:26:00.004-05:00

On Sunday, we were all able to gather at the church to give Sammy a blessing. For those who don't know exactly what happens at a baby blessing, here are the Cliff Notes.

As part of the blessing, those who are invited to do so join the father and the baby in a small circle in front of the room. Each person places a hand on the baby and the father proceeds to bless the boy using the Priesthood.
The father hopes that he will be directed as to what to say to the baby and how Heavenly Father wants the baby to be blessed.
It was an incredible experience, to say the least. I felt inspired and directed as to what Sammy needed to hear and be blessed with. It was the first time I have ever had a chance to bless a baby, and I was very nervous about it. It's a big deal!
As you can tell from this picture, Sammy wasn't very cooperative. I don't think he felt well all day and so he made his presence known by screaming throughout the entire thing. It's okay, he did great.
We were so grateful to all those who traveled from such large distances to attend and participate in the blessing. It was a wonderful experience and I feel like I was directed to say exactly what Sammy needed to hear.

Now, I know that Bean didn't understand, nor realize what was going on, but I hope that as he grows up, those things he was blessed with will come back to help him.

We've arrived back home

2008-09-05T10:29:00.004-05:00

I realize this is a little late coming, but hopefully it's worth it!

Here's the close to the day - or I guess the start of our night. We saw some of the most incredible terrain and wilderness on our way home.
At this point, it was about 3am and my eyes started to close. This is about what I saw in the car.

Here is the really pretty sunrise we were welcomed with early in the morning. We would arrive home just a few hours later.

It always fun when you drive through a sunset and through a sunrise during the same trip. After meeting Lisa and her family in Oklahoma City for the night on Saturday (thanks again by the way, you know what I'm talking about), we headed for home at about noon.

Mapquest told us the trip was 16 hours long but it ended up taking us 23 hours. That's a long time in the car. That's also in addition to the 9 hours it took us to get the Oklahoma City from San Antonio. So, put it all together and you get 32 hours in the car. I actually enjoyed it, though.

Sammy Stats

2008-09-05T10:24:00.002-05:00

We went into the pediatrician's office on Wednesday to get Sammy's 6-week check-up and she gave us the new stats.

Height - 20.5 inches (15th percentile)

Weight - 9 lbs (15th percentile)

So he's a puny little kid and apparently he needs to eat more. We are waiting for his growth spurt since he hasn't grown lengthwise very much. He still has very chubby cheeks, so that's good.

New Post - Another Sammy First

2008-09-04T15:16:00.002-05:00

We went to the doctor's office today so Mag could get a physical and when we got there, Sammy started crying and going a little bit crazy so I left Mag at the doctor's and returned home to feed Sammy out of the bottle. Here's the problem, we only had about 2.5oz. oz of milk and when he finished it, he got really mad at me for not filling his little stomach. Anyway, we went back to the doctor's with Bean screaming all the way there. We got out and started walking around the parking lot and that calmed down a little bit. After about 5 minutes, of walking, the Bean let a big one rip, and he was all of the sudden the happiest kid in the world. We walked around for a few more minutes and went in to see if Maggie was done.

She came out all happy to see her boy and picked him up from my lap to snuggle a little bit when I saw his back. His little toot turned out to be a poop shower that went all the way up his back and onto me as well. It was the first time I've ever been pooped on, and while it wasn't very fun, it was acceptable because it came from the Bean. You know what they say about beans, right? Something about being the magical fruit or something.

Just a few more Sammy pics

2008-08-25T11:08:00.001-05:00

Sammy hates Target

2008-08-25T11:04:00.006-05:00

While trying to find a binky that would work at Target, Sammy decided to scream his head off in protest. There was a huge thunder storm outside - the rain was so thick you couldn't see the cars in the parking lot - so going outside to feed Sammy just wasn't an option. Because of that, he screamed his little head off until he found his arm. He then proceeded to give himself two new hickeys. We are going to have to watch this little guy when he gets around girls. No kissing until you're married!

Like father, like son?

2008-08-25T10:02:00.003-05:00

It's a little creepy I suppose, but apparently Sammy and I are more alike than we thought.

More Sammy Smiles

2008-08-22T10:11:00.002-05:00

We were hanging out with Sammy the other day and he started posing and smiling all over the place. We were fortunate to get one picture of it.

2008-08-19T13:51:00.001-05:00

As a new parent, everything is either exciting or entertaining. Poop, hiccups and even sneezes. Here was a particularly entertaining event in the short life of Sammy Bean

Sammy Gets Some Action

2008-08-19T13:43:00.003-05:00

Maggie was feeding Sammy the other day and noticed a big ol' bruise on his arm. She showed me and worried that he got it because maybe she was trapping his arm between him and her stomach while feeding. We then remembered that we had seen him sucking on his arm right after having eaten. You see, Sammy has my genes, so therefore he'll eat anything and everything for as long as he can. It seems like he never gets enough, so we have to cut him off. Anyway, we came to the realization that it was nothing but a self-imposed hickey.

Big Sammy Smile!

2008-08-18T22:14:00.004-05:00

Here's a picture of our happy, sweet boy. He's so much fun to have around (especially when he isn't screaming so loud he turns purple). What a cute kid!

Bath Time Fun!

2008-08-17T20:48:00.004-05:00

We gave Sammy his first bath the other day and caught it on camera. I thought he wouldn't be thrilled about it, but he ended up really liking it.

He had such a cute little face during the entire bath. He didn't cry once, simply sitting back and relaxing while he was doted upon.
FYI - Maggie was not pushing Sammy's head down. She was trying to get her arms out of the way for the picture. Just looks funny.

The Many Hand Positions of Sammy

2008-08-17T20:31:00.002-05:00

So Bean fell asleep on Maggie's shoulder today and he looked so cute. I started comparing pictures of him sleeping and found that his favorite thing to do before he sleeps is to position his hands in a totally different place. We both think it's really funny, so we decided to share it with you all.

Also, we wanted to give a big shout out to our great friend Che Fullmer for giving us such a nice blog background and header. We think it looks great!

Dancing with the Sammy?

2008-08-13T13:28:00.003-05:00

Ever since we knew Sammy was on his way, Maggie always had his dream of him being a great dancer. I constantly tried to come up with reasons why we shouldn't make him take dance lessons and then I saw him do this.

Maggie instantly told me that he would be a natural since he already does "jazz hands." I'm not giving up the fight yet, though it is fairly convincing.

The River Walk(ers)

2008-08-13T13:22:00.002-05:00

Here are some more pictures of us at the River Walk in San Antonio. The picture with the starbucks ad is funny because ever since we saw Sammy in his first ultrasound, we've called him Bean. He's a funny little guy.

Photos courtesy of Doug Mallory

Update for PDA and Dr. Carrico

2008-08-12T13:22:00.002-05:00

I know it's been a few days since my last post, sorry about the delay. Now that you are blog junkies, I'll try to make a post at least every other day - just for you. Here's the link to the rest of the pictures Laurel Hogge took of Sammy. They are great!

www.laurelphotography.com/sessions/sammy

It'll be up for a week so have a gander!

Remember the Alamo!

2008-08-12T12:54:00.003-05:00

I'm such a happy camper these days - Maggie and Sammy have arrived and I must say that it is so much fun to come home from work to my family instead of an empty apartment. Dad Mallory was so nice and kind to drive the two of them down. It was fun to have him here for the weekend.

While he was here, we decided to go see the Alamo and stroll down the River Walk. It was a lot of fun, and interestingly enough, we all decided the best part of the day was sitting in the air conditioned Drury Inn where an electronic baby grand was playing music and we had nice comfortable chairs and couches to sit on. During the day, I checked the temperature and it was 105 degrees. Hot! Here are some pictures of the trip.

Funniest YouTube Video Ever

2008-08-05T22:43:00.002-05:00

Check this out. I love their accents. Watch the older boy's face during the entire thing.

Laurel Photography

2008-08-02T00:22:00.004-05:00

We took Sammy to get his picture taken by Laurel Hogge, who is in our ward. She is really an incredible photographer and I thought these pictures needed to be shared with everybody who has kids. She specializes in newborn, child, maternity and senior portraits. Anyway, they are incredible pictures and hopefully she will be alright with me posting the pictures.

We'd also like to thank Julie Lichtenberg and Laurel for giving us this gift for Sammy's birth. What a great gift, thank you!

Her website is, www.laurelphotography.com

Does Sammy Have a Twin Out There???

2008-07-30T14:35:00.003-05:00

Can you guess who this baby is and does it look like Sammy?

Sammy's Hiccups - So Funny

2008-07-29T19:27:00.000-05:00

New Pics

2008-07-29T19:15:00.004-05:00

New Sammy Pictures.

2008-07-27T15:28:00.003-05:00

I took a couple pictures with my phone so they won't be as high quality as the others, but he looked so cute this morning while I was talking to him. Had to take a couple and share them.

Finally out of the Hospital...

2008-07-27T09:11:00.004-05:00

After a really nice 5 day stay at resort Beaumont Hospital, we left for home last night. It was nice to get out, but the care that was provided was outstanding and certainly will be missed. I always felt great knowing that Maggie and Sammy were being so well taken care of. Our nurses, nurse assistants and doctor's were incredible.

Now that we are home, its a bit terrifying to think that there is no crash cart or medical personal on site in case something should happen. I don't think it will, of course, but it was reassuring to know that there were people around before.

We got home last night and of course Sammy wanted to eat before bed. That meant that Maggie didn't fall asleep until about 1 and was woken up at 1:30am. She fed him again and he continued to be fussy. We were up for a while trying to figure out what he needed. I finally went to sleep again at about 3:30am and woke up at 7am to relieve Mag. I went to change Sammy's diaper and wrapped him up again. As soon as I did, he got quiet and fell asleep in my arms. We both slept until about 9am and Maggie was able to sleep until even later - which was nice since she had slept a combined 5 hours over the past three days.

So, we are back and unsure of the events to come. We are excited about them, though, because we love little Sammy and are so glad he is there - even if it means that our ability to sleep has gone out the window.

The Sammy Contest

2008-07-26T11:01:00.001-05:00

So, what do you think?

New Title Picture

2008-07-26T10:16:00.001-05:00

My mom and sister were really concerned and worried that the nurse let Sammy's hands and arms go out because he was scared. However, I'm kind of glad she did because it's my favorite picture. We were joking about the picture and Maggie said he looks like Eminem with his cap and arms straight out in a "bring it on" pose. We decided to make it official because we love our nurses and don't want anyone to be upset with them. So here's to you Sammy B, the newest gangsta in D-Town.

More Pics of Sammy - Day 3

2008-07-25T15:48:00.003-05:00

Just loaded some more pics of Sammy from the camera and onto the computer. Apparently he is in high demand - with good cause. He's a studly boy! He has a proud papa for sure. Pics of the boy and Maggie coming up soon.

New Pics - Day Three

2008-07-25T10:17:00.003-05:00

Here are a few more pictures of Sammy late last night and this morning. He's quite the cute little kid! The Major League Soccer All-Star team took on West Ham United last night and I figured it was a good opportunity to introduce him the "The Beautiful Game". So, while Maggie was napping, Sammy and I took in the game. We had a good time and it was fun to be able to watch with him.

I love my son, but seriously...did a bomb go off in his pants?

2008-07-24T16:00:00.003-05:00

Sammy was so fun to have last night and this morning and it was so nice to have the nurse come in and change his diapers. This afternoon, he was getting a little fussy so I took him and walked with him for a little bit. All the sudden, he started giving me these scrunched up faces like he was about to cry. He never ended up crying, but I almost did when I felt a large burst in his diaper. I sat him down, took a look, and knew I was in for a good one.

As I commenced the process of changing my very first new born diaper, I was met with quite a bit of resistance. I undid the diaper, started wiping the poop off him and while I did it, he decided he needed to urinate as well - just like in the movies. While I was in this state of turmoil, I looked over to see Maggie laughing hysterically, while holding on to her stitches of course. That's when I knew she would be a huge help these next few days in the hospital. I eventually got him all cleaned up and up to mama so she could calm him down. It was a fun (maybe the wrong word) experience.

Here's to you Sammy, for making me enjoy having you here even more.

And the winner is...

2008-07-24T07:36:00.002-05:00

So there were three winners to the contest of guessing what day Sammy would be born and what time. I say three because Jane was spot on with her guess of the 23rd and Mom Mallory won the time with a guess of 7:17pm (he was born at 8:02pm). However, in a clerical error on my part (forgetting to send me great friends the text) Che'Lyn Fullmer came out of no where and guessed 7:31pm. It came a little bit late, but it was clutch.

So, thanks to all those who played. It was fun. So fun, in fact, that Sammy wanted to tell you himself:

Sammy pics

2008-07-23T23:29:00.001-05:00

Here is the link to all the Sammy pics.

http://picasaweb.google.com/jordanwalker44/SammySArrival

SAMMY HAS ARRIVED!!!

2008-07-23T22:57:00.003-05:00

We are happy to announce the birth and welcome of our little baby boym - Samuel (Sammy) Bennett Walker. After a 32 hour stint in the hospital, Sammy's heart rate really bottomed out and the nurses, midwife and doctor rushed in a determined an emergency C-Section. 9 minutes after they determined to do that, Sammy was born and getting weighed and measured. We are so excited for his arrival. Here are a bunch of pictures of the little boy.

Update

2008-07-23T12:17:00.002-05:00

Nothing much new. She's up to 3cm now which is good. The midwife was hoping she'd be more around the 4cm mark, but we will continue to wait to use the Pitocin. We'll keep you posted!

If anybody would like more regular updates, I can be found on MSN Messenger under the screenname jordanwalker44@hotmail.com or by AOL Messenger under the name jordanwalker44@aol.com.

Water Breakage!!

2008-07-23T09:39:00.002-05:00

The midwife, LouAnne and our nurse, Heather just came in to check Maggie. Turns out the medication did what it was supposed to and brought the cervix much closer to where it needed to be and the water sack was about to burst right on top of it. LouAnne decided just to break the water so we didn't have to wait so much, so she did. Maggie is doing well, her water has been broken and she is at 2cm. She continues to have really strong contractions and that's a good sign. We are just playing the waiting game now, she needs to be at about 7-8cm before anything really happens.

We'll keep you posted.

A shower, contractions and Pitocin

2008-07-23T08:22:00.003-05:00

We awoke this morning at around 6:00am to the nurse giving Maggie one last dose of the pill that starts with an "m". Neither of us can ever remember the name even though the nurse says it every time she gives more doses. Funny. Anyway, the nurse midwife came in and checked maggie's cervical progress and deemed it necessary to give one last dose of the "m" medication. Soon thereafter, at around 7:00am, we were awoken by pounding nails and saws right outside our window. They are apparently building a new wing to the hospital right next to us and decided it was a good idea to start at 7am to wake up all the expecting mothers. I'm going to write them a thank you note.

Anyway, Maggie started having contractions at about that same time. She said she has them about every 1.5 minutes and they last four about 45 seconds. This is a really good sign. It might even mean she won't have to go on the Pitocin. Everything will depend on the next cervical check up.

Either way, we expect to have a little baby boy sometime today. It's possible that it won't happen until tomorrow, but starting the Pitocin this early should get things rolling.

We are happy and excited, though I must admit that I'm much happier that Maggie is giving birth and I am not. I'm pretty sure I would just cry and get mad at people. She's a real trooper.

We'll keep you updated!

P.S. Maggie wanted to warn all of you who haven't undergone this (hellish) soon-to-be delightful experience to weigh your options before you do so. "Choose wisely" and "may the force be with you".

SHHHHHH....

2008-07-22T23:11:00.003-05:00

After a day spent at the doctor's office and the hospital, we finally have a chance to turn off the lights and hit the hay. With thoughts of a new little boy coming into our lives tomorrow (we hope!) many sobering but joyful thoughts have made their way into our brains. So, as this night closes and the new day begins when we awake, we look forward to letting everybody know how big our new baby boy is and whether he got dad's nose and large forehead or whether he was lucky enough to escape those traits and get the good ones from his mom. One thing is for sure - he will bring much joy, happiness and love into our family and we eagerly await his homecoming.

Please pray for us (especially Mag and the baby) that there will be no complications before, during, or after the birth and that our little boy will be healthy and perfect. We feel like this little boy is an answer to many prayers and we are glad he is almost here.

He is hooked up to the monitors so I can hear when his little heartbeat speeds up and slows down. I can't help but smile when I hear it speed up. What a little stallion.

So, with that, we say goodnight to July 22nd, and hopefully in a few hours we'll say good morning and "welcome to this world" to a little baby boy.

Good night!

Baby Arrival Picks

2008-07-19T10:40:00.004-05:00

Four or five days ago we sent text messages out toe verybody to get their picks on when Sammy would be born. Surprisingly, a lot of people are still left in the pool with a chance to win. Here are the picks:

Sammy's Diaper Cake

2008-07-19T10:19:00.003-05:00

Mom W. and my sisters organized a e-mail based baby shower for Maggie and I think it turned out really nice. It was intended for those who live out of town. We received a huge box yesterday and a really big, fun diaper cake was inside. We are excited because in all honesty, we may not need to buy a single newborn diaper. That's good news to me.

Sammy's Room is Done!

2008-07-19T10:06:00.005-05:00

We were finally able to get Sammy's room completely done and we really like how it turned out. We repainted the room from a sea foam green to an off white, painted an older dark wood dresser that same off white and took out the old brown entertainment center and replaced it with a white shelving unit that we've had for a little while. We really like how it turned out.

New Baby Belly Picture

2008-07-17T21:17:00.004-05:00

Maggie saw a picture on "Bringing Home Baby" and wanted one of her belly as well. So this is our attempt. We like it and think it's fun to celebrate our little baby boy, even if he's not coming out as soon as we want him to!

My Cute Wife!!

2008-07-14T13:56:00.003-05:00

I arrived back in Michigan to find out that Maggie has a new square foot garden. I think it's really fun and what's even better is that she has about 6 different vegetable and fruits planted in it. Here's a picture of the garden and the gardener. Also, as will be noted, Maggie has been working out everyday doing leg press and squats. LOOK AT THE SIZE OF HER MUSCULAR LEGS!!! Actually, they are just swollen from the baby. I think it's funny though - they are the size of my legs now. She's cute and I'm sure she doesn't enjoy the huge legs.

P.S. Maggie wanted me to tell all of you that she is not wearing a moo-moo nor a housecoat. It's a very stylish dress, so there.

New Baby Bump Picture

2008-07-14T13:43:00.003-05:00

I returned from San Antonio to Michigan and Maggie pleasantly surprised me with a watermelon under her shirt. It's fun to see how much the little boy has grown. I'll have more pictures to post in the upcoming days. (Taken without Maggie's permission as evident by her left hand being balled up in a fist about to strike - Let's hope Sammy's not watching. Violence isn't promoted in this household.)

Our Home Run Derby Pick

2008-07-14T13:19:00.002-05:00

After going through the list of the upcoming home run derby contestants, we stumbled across the story of Texas Rangers Outfielder Josh Hamilton. He is an unlikely hero in the days of selfish and whiny pro athletes. His story involves addiction, hitting the bottom and redemption. The link below is of a letter he wrote last year while he was a member of the Cincinnati Reds. We found it inspiring and worth the 5 minutes read. Take the time to do so. You will be better for it.

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2926447

Happy 4th of July!

2008-07-05T09:57:00.004-05:00

Happy Independence Day ya'll! While there is so much that I enjoy about San Antonio, apparently the fireworks shows aren't anything to go nuts over. I saw a few of them on tv and while they were alright, they were nothing compared to the great show Detroit puts on at the river. On that note, here are a few pictures I found of the Detroit Fireworks Show that demonstrate exactly what I'm talking about. I guess even if the city's mayor is a scumbag and the economy is terrible, at least you can give a good fireworks show.

What's the name for a Baby Deer?

2008-06-30T23:16:00.004-05:00

The weirdest thing happened to me today. I was out selling and passed by an older Toyota Camry and looked inside. What did I see? What I thought to be a stuffed animal baby deer. Then, two seconds later, I saw it move. So, there was an actual baby deer inside the Toyota Camry. Really weird. Here's the video.

Little Muchacho!

2008-06-30T09:17:00.005-05:00

Last week Maggie went in for her ultrasound and while we thought the baby was still breach, we found out some great news - he had flipped again on his own. What an obedient little boy. We are grateful for this little change as it will certainly save Maggie some pain and trouble and allow her to have a natural birth as long as he stays in the position he is in now. Here are some new ultrasounds pics of the boy!

Glenn Beck

2008-06-26T00:45:00.004-05:00

Whether you agree with him or not, I watched these two clips of him talking about his conversion and his beliefs and about President Hinckley's passing, and I couldn't help but be impressed.

The Walker Boys at Yankee Stadium

2008-06-17T21:57:00.002-05:00

Really, one of the most enjoyable weekends I've had in my life. This should become a tradition...I think it just might!

Johnny Damon Game Winning Hit!

2008-06-15T11:38:00.000-05:00

Watch the crowd reaction

2008-06-15T10:23:00.001-05:00

The Yankees win! This is at the very end of the game when Johnny Damon won the game in the bottom of the ninth.

2008-06-15T10:20:00.001-05:00

This is a series of pictures I took of Jeremy Giambi's home run. Pretty cool to see all of them together but here I've just included two.

2008-06-15T10:07:00.000-05:00

Alex Rodriguez Hitting

2008-06-15T10:01:00.001-05:00

The New York Yankee Crowd

The Office

2008-06-06T01:44:00.001-05:00

I've heard through the grapevine that there are a few of you out there who still have not watched "The Office". It is by far the funniest show on tv in the last 10 years. Here is just a preview of what it holds.

Baby Bump!

2008-05-04T22:10:00.003-05:00

Here are a couple pictures of Maggie and her baby bump. We are excited that our baby boy is getting bigger and bigger, though I'm not sure that Maggie enjoys carrying around the extra weight. Here are a few pics, enjoy!

Baby Bump!

2008-05-04T22:03:00.002-05:00

Ryan Mallet and his Home Town.

2008-05-04T21:56:00.002-05:00

I drove through the incredibly lovely town of Texarkana and this is what I found.

New Artist Spotlight

2008-04-22T22:45:00.003-05:00

Many of you may have already heard of her, but Colbie Caillat is starting to really blow up and get big. She's got a great album and many have referred to her as the female Jack Johnson. I really enjoy her music and I'm not afraid to admit it. Here is one of her less known tracks. I'll try and include her most famous song as well.

New Favorite Radio Talk Show Host

2008-04-22T22:27:00.002-05:00

As many of you know, I used to have a very long commute to school and work. We've since moved closer to both, but I still spend plenty of time in the car listening to the radio. Within the last couple of months, I've come across one particular host that I've really enjoyed listening to. His name is Colin Cowherd (terrible last name, I know) and his show takes place between 8am - 12pm EST on any local radio station that subscribes to ESPN Radio. He's one of the few thought-provoking hosts I've listened to, even if it does have to do with sports. He often ventures outside that realm, but he seems to put a lot of thought into what is said on the program.

Anyway, if you are looking for somebody other than the local meatball to listen to, check him out. After listening to him, I can't stand our local hosts now. He also has a good Podcast that can be downloaded on iTunes for free.

Mom Walker's Photography Skills

2008-04-22T22:19:00.003-05:00

I recently received a few pictures taken by my mom with her brand new camera she got from dad for Christmas. She's apparently really getting into it, so much so that they took a road trip to Denver so she could take a weekend photography class. I think it's cool. Here are a few of the pictures she sent. I'm sure there will be many more!

Jordan's Picks

2008-03-24T09:11:00.003-05:00

Update: After a hard-fought NCAA tournament, it ended up that Maggie beat me in the picks game. They are fun to do. We've decided to do one for the NBA playoffs, as well and our brackets look quite different. We'll keep you updated!

Maggie's Picks

2008-03-24T09:09:00.003-05:00

New Baby Pics!

2008-03-24T09:05:00.004-05:00

Mag went to the doctor's last week because she wasn't feeling very well. Turned out she was a little bit dehydrated and last time we went to get the ultrasound, the baby didn't cooperate and they couldn't get a good picture of his heart. This time, he was in a good position, his heart is healthy and we got the news that he is in the 50th percentile in height. That means he's going to be a shorty. We were secretly hoping that he would be blessed with lots of height, but then came to the realization that both Maggie and I are 3 feet tall, so there was little hope for that. Anyway, enjoy the pics!

Baby Leg

2008-03-24T09:04:00.000-05:00

Baby Profile!

2008-03-24T08:53:00.004-05:00

Sara Bareilles "Love Song"

2008-03-20T09:30:00.002-05:00

Check it out. It's catchy and I think a lot of people will like it. Her song consists of the first 4:24 then there is some random song after it. First 4:24 is Sara Bareilles.

New Artist Spotlight

2008-03-20T09:27:00.002-05:00

Okay, so maybe it won't be exactly just one artist every month, but whenever I feel like it! Here is a new one that maybe a lot of you haven't heard of. Her name is Sara Bareilles and her music is really good and catchy. I'll post a YouTube video of one of her more famous songs. Check her out if you get a chance.

MARCH MADNESS!!

2008-03-20T09:16:00.003-05:00

So, the biggest tournament of them all has arrived and starts today. For all of you who haven't filled out a bracket, where have you been? We should do a Blog-Wide tournament to see who picks the best. I know it's a little late to get it started off right, but there is still 2.5 hours before the first game.

Anyway, here is a link to a printable bracket you can use. Maggie and I do it and compete against each other. She usually wins, but hopefully this will be a break-out year for me. Good luck!

http://cbs.sportsline.com/collegebasketball/mayhem/brackets/printable_men

Jack Johnson "Better Together"

2008-03-10T21:54:00.001-05:00

This has been one of Maggie and my favorite songs since we first heard it. Another good thing about Jack Johnson is that he sounds awesome live. No fakeness here and no lip-syncing.

Artist of the Month

2008-03-10T21:44:00.003-05:00

As the news of our baby boy has come and gone, I decided to do something new. I figured since I'll have to introduce my son into the world of music, I might as well start now. So, I'll be doing an artist of the month. If you have suggestions, you certainly can throw them my way, but there will always be at least one band/musician that I feature. This month's feature is one of my favorite artists to listen to for sure. He just came out with a brand new album called "Sleep Through the Static," and has also produced, "Brushfire Fairytales" and "On and On". He is listed as a Rock artist on iTunes, but I would disagree with that, though it is hard to put him in any category. All I know is that he is smooth, easy to listen to, and his songs will forever be etched in my head. If you haven't heard him, or if you haven't heard him for a while, give him a chance. Even though he's gotten a ton bigger in the last couple of years, his music is still the same as it was before anybody knew him. I dig it.

Gender Party Video

2008-03-03T12:03:00.004-05:00

Here's a little clip of what happened last night. It was pure chaos but a lot of fun. The clip is kind of long, but the first 20 seconds are the really fun part.

The Gender is Finally Revealed!

2008-03-03T11:44:00.002-05:00

We were able to finally reveal the gender of the baby and it's nice not to have to keep that secret anymore. We had all of our siblings either on phone or by computer and had a lot of fun having everybody be there for the announcement.

If you missed it, here's a picture to let you know what the baby is.

One More...

2008-02-29T17:35:00.001-05:00

Here's another one. We think it is a very cute baby. We are excited!

It's a...

2008-02-29T17:29:00.002-05:00

Baby! Here's the most recent Ultrasounds pictures that we received from the doctor yesterday morning. We are excited to know which gender it is, but certainly would not be willing to give any hints or clues until Sunday comes. But, here is a little taste, so enjoy! We are excited!

Spider Baby!

2008-02-18T11:00:00.002-05:00

We were thinking about our good friend Mike and how he likes to do Spider Pig with his daughter. We then got excited about being able to do it with our kids, but slowly came to the realization that we would probably have to stand on a chair in order to reach the ceiling. So, in honor of that, we created a Spider Baby picture. Enjoy!

Maggie's thoughts about our unborn baby

2008-02-17T09:57:00.004-05:00

I woke up this morning to a few thoughts on behalf of our baby, by Maggie. She commented on how she so hoped that our baby wouldn't be retarded, nor have any special needs, and she really hoped it wasn't ugly. However, she was certain that it would at least have an enormous head. This is what I have to deal with, people. Every day, every third hour, and I like it.

For those not in Michigan...

2008-02-11T11:58:00.001-05:00

Be grateful! Yesterday the high was 6 degrees and today it's supposed to get up to a whopping 15 degrees. As I left for school this morning, it was 1 degree outside. I'm not exactly sure what the inferno will be like, but I'm pretty sure it will be cold instead of hot. Just heard an update, it said with the windchill it is now -6 degrees. At least the sun is shining...

Baby!

2008-02-05T10:54:00.000-05:00

For those who don't know, we are excited to announce that Maggie is 4 months pregnant! We find out the end of this month whether it's a boy or a girl. We are very excited about it. Everything is going well. Share your vote and tell us whether you think it will be a boy or a girl.

First Post

2007-01-09T01:19:00.000-05:00

Welcome to our little blog!

To let you in on a little bit about what is going on in our lives, here's a little background. Maggie and I have been married since May 2005 and have known each other since the summer of 2001. She graduated from the University of Michigan and was invited and accepted a teaching position there in the Dental School. (She's the youngest to ever hold that position). She also works in a Pediatric Dental office in Brighton, MI as a Dental Hygienist.

I am currently attending the University of Michigan pursuing a degree in Psychology/Sociology. I have about a year left and am excited as I near graduation. I work for Vision Security as a sales manager. It's a good job and I enjoy it, though it takes me away from home during the summers, but hopefully Maggie will be able to come with me in the summer 2008.

That's it for now. We'll keep you updated as we go.