Shepard Family Chronicles

Christmas is here!

2011-12-14T13:06:00.001-06:00

Christmas time is here again in the Shepard household and we've been busy. Laina had her first dentist appointment and we also got to see her perform in her school Christmas program. She is currently enrolled in a music program as well as her regular class so she was on stage 3 times. In those 3 appearances she did not sing one word... but she was cute all three times. :)
Amelia enjoyed these moments while dreaming about her next meal from her car seat. She's quickly assuming the role of the low-maintenance baby. She really only complains when she is hungry or tired. I can't blame her! Hope you are enjoying the holidays as much as we are!

Dan and Laina at her Christmas program

Amelia asleep during Laina's program

Merry Christmas 2011!

Welcome to the Family Amelia!

2011-11-29T09:57:00.001-06:00

On 10/3/11 we welcomed a new member to our family, Amelia Ann Shepard. The pregnancy was certainly not the same as carrying her big sister, Laina but now that we've had a little time to get to know her I know that she is very different from Laina. Amelia is 8 weeks old now and smiling away the days. She is a great baby that will just sit in her chair patiently and look around as I try to keep up with daily life of being a mom of 2 kids. I'm so glad to have her with us and I'm looking forward to all the memories we'll create with our two beautiful little girls. Here's a few photos from the first few weeks with our little "Mia" (Laina's nickname that we've now adopted).

Amelia's tiny little footprints

Grandpa Greg was here... thanks Dad.

Just a day old, being held by Grandma Pat

Our little Tiger, home from the hospital

Big sister Laina holding her little Mia at home for the first time.

A view into the final days of pregnancy...

2011-09-01T10:34:00.002-05:00

The final days of pregnancy can be some of the longest days of a woman’s life. Not only are you more uncomfortable as each day goes on, the inappropriate comments from strangers become more and more disconcerting. When a woman appears to be carrying a Guinness Book of World Records pumpkin under her shirt it is of course suitable to ask her if her parents had ever advised her not to eat watermelon seeds.

This is the life of a 9-month pregnant woman.

Please don’t misunderstand; awaiting the arrival of a new little one is very exciting and somewhat magical. This new little person will be soon entering the world and changing the perspective of his or her parents permanently. Each day little feet and elbows poke out curiously from the mother’s belly as she wonders what this new little person will look like and what will they accomplish in their life.

Notice how nowhere in that statement was the following mentioned: requests from strangers to touch your belly (at least they ask, right?), “waddling” descriptions of the way a mother is forced to go from point A to point B or a personal favorite, the inability to feel comfortable anywhere…. Doing anything…

But, in the end, a new little person is eventually born and a whole new chapter begins in that mother’s life. The toothless man at the gas station who commented on her belly size only 2 days ago is forgotten and the joy of becoming a newborn baby stalker (one who stares at her baby incessantly, non-stop, 24-hours a day) sets in. If she listens quietly during the two minutes of peace she has each day, she can hear a voice saying “Welcome to the club dear friend, the best and finest establishment in the world, the Motherhood club.”

Why I Tweet...

2010-10-28T09:01:00.000-05:00

Image Credit

Alright friends & family. I know many of you think that I'm nuts because I'm on twitter and foursquare. I have an active Facebook account and I even put videos of my darling daughter on You Tube. It's silly you say. You don't want to know when I'm using the facilities. You don't care if I'm having turkey for lunch.

I get it.

What you don't get is that the social world via the internet is a frontier that will revolutionize the way people interact. I want to know how my daughter talks to her friends. I want to know how the "bad guys" find their targets. I want to be very informed. So I tweet… and now you know. :) And I continue to tweet because I enjoy meeting people I would never have met before. So if you want to learn how to do it, just ask me. It's actually really easy and not nearly as crazy as you think.

Oh and also because it's fun.

I feel like pumpkin pie

2010-10-13T21:32:00.000-05:00

Last weekend Dan and I took Laina to her first Numismatic Society Money Show. What does that mean? It means there was a bunch of Senior Citizens who gathered at Lenexa Community Center to buy/sell/trade their old money. I personally don't get it but Dan is crazy about money (as if I needed to say that) and really enjoys collecting it. This show happens once/year so we decided to head on over there and see what they had.

I wasn't prepared for what happened.

They had pumpkin pie.

Perfectly shaped triangle individual pieces of pumpkin pie for sale served on a styrofoam dessert plate with plastic wrap covering it.

What is it about little concession stands where the goods have been donated by the wife of the man who runs the event that make me feel so at home? Maybe it's because I grew up with a Grandma who made the best pumpkin pie… and just about anything else that had at least a stick of butter in it… Maybe it's because Thanksgiving is my FAVORITE meal of the year…. Or maybe it's just because fall is here and pumpkin pie served on a tiny little styrofoam dessert plate sounds delicious.

Maybe I will make a little pumpkin pie. From the can of course… what do you think I am, Martha?

From here to Timbuktu

2010-10-12T21:24:00.001-05:00

The Shepards have been traveling like mad the past few months. I'd love to blame my lack of blogging on work but sadly that's just my own procrastination that turned into a ridiculously long hiatus.

This past summer I had the privilege to travel to two conferences in Washington D.C. The first one was for Microsoft's Worldwide Partner Conference which was my first time attending and the most awesome geek trip I've ever taken. The second time was for my company's international conference which was even more tiring than the first trip since my night owl co-workers were all there. You'd think that after a summer full of trips to the East Coast we'd be done. Well you would be wrong, my friend.

Dan has recently started his new job and has been traveling all over the South in his new territory of Ark, TN & Miss. So let's take a tally… we conquered the East Coast (that is clear), Dan is off conquering the Bible Belt and what does that leave? The Western US? Oh well let me just tell you that I recently returned from a trip to Seattle where I visited Microsoft's Campus…

So yes, we have been from here to Timbuktu and we made all the areas in between our ______. (insert your word of choice, I personally like "friend")

Kitty Love Hurts

2010-08-06T17:34:00.000-05:00

We've been trying to show Laina that petting the cat is something that can be fun, but we have to be GENTLE... so far the cat has been tolerant of Laina. The more and more that she discovers, the more and more we have to show her the ways of the world. This is just one little glimpse into that.

Laina's First Year

2010-08-06T17:23:00.000-05:00

1 Year of Bears

2010-08-05T07:30:00.000-05:00

As a gift from our close friends, Laina got 1 full year of bears! So each month, she will receive a new bear. The first two months have already proven to be very cute themed bears so I'm excited to see the future ones. Thanks Shawn & Jill for such a fun & memorable gift!

Laina and Mr. June:

Laina and Mr. July (with Mr. June hangin out)

As a side note, Dan was disappointed it wasn't 1 year of beer even though the inappropriate nature of that as a gift for a toddler was obvious.

Zootiful Life

2010-08-04T21:29:00.000-05:00

We went to the zoo and it was H-O-T.... Laina still enjoyed seeing the sights and being outside, despite the amount of sweat that was coming out of our pores. I think she really enjoyed watching the animals sleep, especially when they were toe to toe with her.

Baby Girl On The Move!

2010-08-04T17:11:00.001-05:00

Laina has been considering her options when traveling lately. "Do I take the mature, more accepted route of transportation by walking? Or do I go with the faster more efficient method of crawling... decisions, decisions." Usually she takes a couple steps and then get impatient and proceeds to crawl to her destination. However, more recently she has started to WALK there. That's right, my tiny little baby girl is walking. The doctor said she was officially considered a walker once she consistently took 5 steps or more on her own. Well that occurred officially on July 21st, 2010 when she went from point A to point B (A=Dan, B=Me) on her own two feet. We were so proud but it was a few more weeks before we actually got it on tape. You can see the video here:

We are so excited about this milestone. It has been such an exciting year and I can't wait for the coming months as her language expands to include more than mama & ball.

Laina's First Birthday Party

2010-06-28T20:00:00.000-05:00

We had a great time celebrating Laina's first birthday party. It poured rain just before the party was about to start but then the clouds parted to a beautiful afternoon! Laina really enjoyed her cupcake (although she wasn't sure about the icing and really wasn't sure about everyone staring at her while she ate it...). She got lots of great presents including clothes, toys and some keepsakes like a silver engraved cup from "GG" aka Great Grandmother Elaine.
I tried to make everything I could from the cupcake picks to the happy birthday pennant banner to the shrimp & watermelon ceviche. The light was incredible that day which meant all the pictures came out wonky. Enjoy nonetheless.

Wedding Bliss

2010-06-22T17:13:00.002-05:00

It only has taken me 3 weeks to finally get this post up about Kelly's Wedding.

Kelly & Kevin's wedding was picture perfect over Memorial Day weekend. We had such a good time celebrating their day! See pics below.

Happy Birthday Laina!

2010-06-21T17:15:00.008-05:00

Laina is ONE today! I can't believe it was one year ago that I was at the hospital awaiting her arrival. Little did I know she would not make her appearance until late into the evening. All the cliches are true, your life changes when you have kids, they're the best thing that ever happened to you, life feels more complete once you have children... but I never could have anticipated how true they'd be. So to celebrate I thought I'd write a little letter to Laina to read when she gets older.

Letter to my daughter:

Laina,
When I first thought of having kids, I imagined having a little girl I could spend my days with, helping her navigate the world. I imagined a little girl who would light up when she saw me with a spark that only I could see. I imagined being filled with a love that I could never have known existed. You made all those dreams become reality. You are so fun every single day and are the greatest reason in the world to jump out of bed every morning. Your smile makes me melt and every time you learn a new skill my heart swells with so much pride. Thank you dearest daughter for giving me more than I could have ever known to ask for in motherhood. I love you so much and always will. Happy First Birthday!
love,
Mommy, Mama, Ma, Mother.... Me.

RIP Claire

2010-06-04T08:36:00.000-05:00

Did you ever meet someone briefly but they left such an impression that you'll never forget them?

That was Claire for me.

I worked with Claire briefly at News America Marketing. One of the first company events I went to was her soon to be husband's promotion party. He was newly promoted to a job within the company in Australia. He'd met Claire while working at NAM and she was going with him. They were to be married and live happily ever after. He said during the party "Above all, I want to thank Claire" and they exchanged a loving look that I will never forget. It's like my mind took a polaroid.

Claire's fiancee moved to Australia preparing for her to move there. And then everything changed. Next thing I remember is an announcement that Claire was diagnosed with gastrointestinal cancer. Stage 4. They married soon after. That was in 2007.

Claire died on Monday. She was 34. I didn't know her. I really didn't. But I have tears in my eyes at this very moment for her.

Did you ever meet someone briefly and yet they changed you? That's what Claire did.

Things change in an instant. Don't waste it.

Trip to NOLA with Mike & Liz

2010-06-03T06:30:00.000-05:00

We miss our friend Mike & Liz dearly. Our memories of NYC include many nights of sitting out in the "lobby" (the open area on the roof between our two apartments in Queens) and talking about life's greatest mysteries. Since Liz & Mike were blessed with the birth of Olivia last summer, we've all been very busy. This was the first time for us all to get away. We planned a destination getaway in New Orleans. I can't tell you how much fun we had despite all the rain. We just hung out and talked about our kids and the good times. I won't tell you what time we went to bed but lets just say it was a little earlier than our late nights in Queens. I think we've all been affected by the kiddos bedtimes.

Watch the video of Mike & Dan doing the washboards here.

8 Years Ago The World Ended As You Know It. Happy Anniversary!

2010-06-02T16:35:00.000-05:00

8 Years ago on June 1st, 2002, the music played "It's the end of the world as we know it" as Dan and I entered the John Knox Pavillion for our wedding reception. At the time I thought the song was a little edgey/dark for the occasion but it really was true. After we married, everything changed. We're so much closer now and our love has grown so much more than I could've ever imagined. I know that sounds ooey-gooey but it's true. We know more about each other and can anticipate each other's movements.

Since we were busy this past weekend attending the marriage of Kelly & Kevin McCormick (yay), we chose to go to lunch instead at our regular anniversary spot, Capital Grille. LOVE that place. They always go out of their way to make you feel special.

Attending a wedding is the perfect way to remember your own wedding. I watched Kevin & Kelly take their vows to promise to honor each other for the rest of their lives and remembered doing it myself. I had NO idea what I was in store for when I married Dan but I can honestly say everything we've gone through has made our relationship stronger. I wouldn't trade any of the moments for anything.

We toasted a glass of champagne to our 8 year marriage and promised to enjoy that moment every year for the next 80 years together. I told him I could only be married to him for 90 years, after that I think I'll have to go sow my oats.

11 Months!

2010-06-02T09:17:00.000-05:00

The Shepard Family has been crazy busy this month. Laina has entered her last month of this first year. The invitations are out for her first birthday. Can't believe it's getting so close!

She is very active and working off some of her baby chub lately. She stands on her own but once she wants to go somewhere she sits down and crawls there. I think the walking thing will be here before we know it.

Laina's Swimming Lessons

2010-05-11T19:29:00.001-05:00

Laina has started taking swimming lessons at our local community center. She was not sure about it the first time but now she really likes it. There were a few moments that I was pretty nervous, especially when we dunked her under water the first time but now she really has the hang of it. Can't wait for the lake this summer! Here's a few pics and a video!Video of Laina at Swim Lessons

Kentucky Derby 2010!

2010-05-11T19:19:00.000-05:00

This year we attended the first race of the triple crown, the Kentucky Derby. We drove down and also attended the Kentucky Oaks, the race for the fillies the day prior to the Derby. As luck would have it, the weather was gorgeous for the Kentucky Oaks and crappy for the Derby. Luckily I had made hats for both days so we were able to dress up for the Pink Out (benefiting breast cancer research) and then wore our very fashionable ponchos for the second day.

My New Nephew: Truman Forest Aitkens

2010-04-15T09:06:00.000-05:00

Last Friday we welcomed a new addition to our family. My sister, Julie, after a very long and hard pregnancy gave birth with 2 pushes (TWO!!!) to the new little man, Truman Forest. Julie was actually preparing to take a nap when she said to the nurse "i think my epidural may be wearing off, I feel something". After I convinced her to let them check her, we discovered that she was about to have the baby! I mean what would have happened if I hadn't told her to just let them check... "Uh, nurse, why is my crotch crying?"

We didn't know the name beforehand which is something my husband and I did as well. I mean who wants to hear other people's opinions on the name you've carefully chosen for your child? I don't! It also adds to the excitement of the day since we already knew he was a boy. Truman is such a good, unique but traditional name.

The best picture, in my opinion, is the one of all the cell phones taking pictures. It is very representative of the times we live in.

proud Grandparents

Happy Easter!

2010-04-05T09:50:00.000-05:00

This past weekend was our first official family Easter celebration. Neither Dan or I are involved in organized religion so while we did not attend the obligatory Church service (which Laina would NOT have done well with since she's a squirmy-wormy lately) but we did go to my aunt's house and enjoyed the food, of course.

I keep saying Laina is about to crawl (for about a month now), well this weekend she actually took her first few crawling"steps". She still hasn't mastered it but she definitely knows how to get from A to B if she really wants something. She made her way over to the fireplace and pulled up... I can feel the days of a stationary kid slipping away...

We've really been excited with the warm weather lately and I've tried to get Laina out into the sun as much as possible since she really hasn't been able to be outside most of her life. We've been over at the neighbor's house playing with their twins who are so great with Laina. She loves playing with the big kids.

Dan can't wait until she's big enough to play basketball with him. I have a feeling I may have a little tom boy in the making. :)

Hope you're enjoying your spring!

Guest Post on BabyCheapskate

2010-03-12T07:52:00.000-06:00

One of my favorite blogs did a series on Budget Nurseries and I got the opportunity to guest post. You can read it here: http://babycheapskate.blogspot.com/2010/03/decoupage-dresser-tutorial.html

Enjoy and please refrain from making fun of me for being a nerd.

Spring is coming...

2010-03-08T09:52:00.000-06:00

I am so ready for Spring to be here I can hardly stand it. Besides the weather factor, it means I can finally get my first garden started. I've always wanted to do a garden and I've never had the space (NYC apartments are too conducive). Dad has agreed to let me use a small spot of land on his property since Stepford won't allow any kind of garden that isn't semi-landscaping. After all, I'm Vice President of the Social Committe... can't go pissing the community people off.

So this past weekend I started my tomato seedlings with the help of my expert resource Pat, my mother in law. Besides having majored in horticulture, she has been a gardening fool her entire life. She gave me the confidence that I can really do this. We'll see if I live up to her expectation. I've decided to start the tomato plants in a little greenhouse type of tray inside the house. I have 36 plants here. I am actually hoping not all of them survive because holy cow that's a lot of tomatoes Batman.

The latest on Lainabug

2010-03-08T09:42:00.000-06:00

Laina has been doing so many new things lately. I find myself excited for the crawling stage that she is about to enter but also cringing. Lately when I put her down in the living room to do something in the kitchen, I return to a child who is on the other side of the room. Right now she just rolls and scoots her way around but she's figuring out very quickly that on all 4's is where it is at.

Happy Valentine's Day (I made this horrible shirt but she didn't seem to mind that I made her wear it)

The biggest difference is that she really has a personality. She LOVES to play and what most moms warned me would happen has started, she doesn't want to snuggle... she wants down so she can play. I love it but also will miss having her be such a snuggle bug.

Dan's favorite game to play with her is blocks... and boy do we have plenty.

She watches as Dan puts something together and as soon as he hands it over, she proceeds in systematically taking it a part until it's one big pile of blocks. I wonder where she gets that...

Laina and Cousin Tristan. He likes to show her how to work the toys and then moves on to play with his own matchbox cars.

Laina "exploring the sound of her voice" as the doctor would put it. Mostly we call it yelling.

With Dan, headed to daycare. She LOVES to stand now. In fact if you're near her and she seems to be reaching for you, she's not. She wants your hands to pull her up to the standing position like this.

New Year's Resolutions

2010-03-02T13:02:00.000-06:00

Next to my desk in the office I have a list of things I wanted to do in 2010. It includes things like cutting out pop (soda for some of you) and fast food, lose 10 pounds, complete 1 creative project per month and down towards the bottom of the list is "Blog 3x's per month"

As you can see... I have not been keeping up with that one. The first few I'm proud to say that I'm making great strides in but alas the blog has been neglected.

We've had tons of stuff going on lately that I can blog about, just so little time to do it. So I'm making a public declaration that I will catch up on my blogging very soon!!! (Public Declaration is relative considering I don't even know that many actually read the blog...) :)

Hope you're looking forward to spring as much as i am! More to come soon!

Fun times at Grandpa Greg's

2010-02-08T14:43:00.000-06:00

Since Laina was still sick, she wasn't cleared to go back to daycare until this week. In order to cover the days when she was home last week, we shuffled her through the grandparents' care each day. Thursday she went to Grandpa Greg's (my dad) and wore them out. One thing that I've started to notice is that Laina is pretty entertained with anything lately. We no longer have a car full of accessories every time we take her somewhere. On Thursday morning I literally dropped her off with her diaper bag & food and said "have fun!". She found a bunch of friends to play with while she was there. Post your quotes below... what do you think is going on in this picture?

RSV Adventures

2010-02-03T12:31:00.000-06:00

Laina bug caught a bug. Last Friday when I took her to get her booster shots for the flu & H1N1 she had a slight fever and a runny nose. I asked them to take a look but figured it was another cold.

The nurse started looking her over and said the doctor would be in the room in a moment. It was then that he informed us she could possibly have RSV. Dan immediately said "rotavirus??" which is his biggest fear and the only vaccination he actually knows by name. The Dr. told us that RSV was a respiratory virus that a ton of kids get and that they would need to test her. So they did a little nasal swab and said the results would be back in 15 minutes.... 5 minutes later the Dr came in and said "well that didn't take long".

So apparently the real danger for kids under the age of 1 is that they'll get a ton of fluid built up in their lungs and it'll cause them to work harder for oxygen... thus, wearing them out. He said to watch for her breathing rapidly and not to be surprised if she required hospitalization because they send about 20% of their patients there.

You can see where this is going... we ended up spending a few nights at Children's Mercy South. She did ok with the entire situation and actually enjoyed having mom & dad right there all the time to entertain her. I think she smiled more in those few days then she ever does. The pediatricians at the hospital were pretty laid back saying that she looked great while our pediatrician in the office was a little less "cavalier" as he put it. I didn't really know who to believe at times. In the end, she did a great job with the whole hospital, people in masks situation. I'm glad to have her home where she belongs. The cough she still has is pretty rough but all in all she's pretty happy.

Stay healthy this winter! We'll certainly be glad when spring is here and we don't have to worry about this yucky stuff anymore.

Welcome to 2010!

2010-01-06T10:49:00.000-06:00

Well the New Year arrived with a bang this year. Dan and I hosted a few close friends at our house on New Year's Eve and I'm happy to say that my house is still in one piece. It was very different this year compared to last year when I was pregnant. This year Julie was the pregnant one and I was free to enjoy the champagne. Dan played poker with the boys while I chatted with the girls in the kitchen. Needless to say, we woke up the next morning with headaches & less money.

Some of the things we're looking forward to in this new year!

Another little man Aitkens will be joining us in the spring!
Laina is on her way to crawling now and I predict will be walking before summer
I am learning to sew, so we'll see what horrible projects come of that new skill
Dan and I are going to the Kentucky Derby in May! Yay!
Our friends are getting married over Memorial Day weekend
Laina's first birthday in June and much more!

I write these posts more for myself than anyone else so I'm sorry if I come off cheesey. :) Just loving life.

Goodbye 2009!

2009-12-30T22:14:00.000-06:00

Well as the year comes to a close, it makes me very happy to realize that this past year everything seemed to go our way. Here are some of the really exciting things that happened in 2009 for the Shepard Family.

Laina joined our family
We purchased our first home in a beautiful neighborhood that I lovingly refer to as Stepford
Dan won the award for sales person of the year in his job!
We had a new neice join us, Alex and found out that a new nephew is on the way in 2010
Many of our friends also expanded their families (it was the year of the baby)
Dan's Grandmother successfully navigated her way through 2 surgeries within a few months of each other and is on the road to a full recovery
Both of our extended families have been lucky enough to be healthy, happy & employed

There are many more things that made this a great year for us but this is just the few highlights. Hope you were as blessed as we were this year. Hope you have a wonderful New Year's! Goodbye 2009!

Merry Christmas 2009!

2009-12-30T22:01:00.000-06:00

Everyone told us that this Christmas would be different. Everyone said it's totally different when you have a little one. It absolutely was very different this year. We finally had a reason to get up on Christmas morning and have a little Shepard Christmas. Usually Dan and I end up doing something boring like buying a joint present, so there's really nothing to do on Christmas morning. Well this year we actually had stocking presents and really took the time to have a traditional Christmas morning. It was very exciting to see Laina's face even though we both knew she didn't really get it. She had a great time.

1/2 year old

2009-12-30T21:54:00.000-06:00

12/21 marked the milestone of 6 months for the Laina bug. (Since Halloween when she was the lady bug, her nick name has become Lainabug.) She has just started sitting up on her own and really rolling over from her back to her tummy. I was getting a little concerned that she had little interest in doing either for a while but this past few weeks she has really taken big steps in her development. Now she is really able to play on the floor by herself and she seems to enjoy her new found independence.

Laina's first trip to MU!

2009-12-09T11:10:00.000-06:00

Over Thanksgiving we decided to take a trip to the Mizzou Campus and show Laina around to her future school. (Obviously if she chooses.... but she will... oh yes, she will.) It was a beautiful day so we were able to get some good pictures of her in the cheerleading jumper. Here she is exploring the campus map. We also took some great pictures at the columns. The campus almost looks the same as when Dan and I were there. I love reminiscing. College was so much fun.

Timber!!

2009-12-09T10:48:00.000-06:00

This past weekend the Shepard Family went hunting for a worthy Christmas tree to adorn with the few ornaments we have. Luckily there was a place right up the road. It was pretty cold and windy but my little trooper Laina hung in there.

Then I of course proceeded to place her in front of it and take tons of pictures of her.

I am really excited for our first Christmas with our new addition. I know she's not quite old enough to appreciate all that the holidays offer with friends & family and food of course... but it's just going to be so much more special with her there. I always get very sentimental as the years come to close. Maybe it's because the holidays make me realize how lucky I am or the excitement of a brand new year and a chance to accomplish something great in life. I think for 2009 we didn't do too shabby in that department. For now I'll just enjoy these moments, hope you do the same!

Turkey Day Coming Up!

2009-11-24T12:32:00.000-06:00

Laina is now 5 months old and I"m realizing how behind I"m getting on many things (including blogging). I won't blame it on her but it does feel like my lack of time really began in late June... hmmm...

Anyway lots of exciting things have been happening in the Shepard household lately. We are very blessed with another little nephew that will be joining us in early April! Julie is due April 8th, 2010. So this Turkey Day we will be giving thanks for more than just our beautiful family but also the future ones who will join us. Unfortunately Laina will have to wait another year before she partakes of the turkey... just rice cereal for now but I have a feeling some one will slip her some mashed potatoes when I'm not looking. Hope your holiday season reminds you not only of what you have to be thankful for but also what lies ahead.

Laina & Dan on Halloween!

R.I.P Matt Miller (second cousin)

2009-09-23T08:06:00.001-05:00

Recently a distant cousin of mine died of cancer at 28. He lived in D.C. with his family and I met him only once when I was in college while visiting with my grandparents.

He was an extraordinary juggler and even performed at the White House.

Below is a video dedicated to him. Such a horrible thing to lose your child, my heart goes out to his family.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kT-jaC2TiwA&feature=player_embedded

3 Months Old!

2009-09-21T09:08:00.000-05:00

Happy 3 Month Birthday Laina!

I'm so excited that Laina is now 3 months old. I know I should be crying in my coffee that she's growing up so fast but she is really a ton of fun now. She is starting to get over the crazy amount of crying she was doing and she loves to play. We can sit her in her bumbo chair with a rattle and she's pretty entertained now. She also really enjoys babbling to us as we listen in our pretend conversation voices "uh, huh? oh really? what else? tell me more!". I swear you become a different person when a baby is around but she seems to enjoy the conversation so I'll keep doing it!

So I couldn't resist getting out the baby pictures to compare and see who she looks like... what do you think?

Man I was such a chunky monkey when I was little! Can't wait to see what she looks like in a few more months.

Labor Day Fun

2009-09-16T11:09:00.000-05:00

This year we got the whole family together (minus Bret since he decided to grow up and have a job... sheesh) for Labor Day down at the lake. It was a great weekend. Little brother Josh brought along a friend from college and some of our other friends stopped by as well. See fun pics below!

Doug cooking WING O FIRE - YAH!

Doug & T-money (Tristan) on the seadoo

This is Justin & Sara posing next to Josh's friend. Seriously, this is what we do to outsiders... if you ever get invited to join my family down at the lake, be warned... we will destroy you. Any inclination you may have that you can hold your own when drinking will be crushed. This young man was quoted saying "your family drinks too much" when we finally took him to bed... after taking many pictures of him passed out of course.

Case in point: Jackman (middle) let it be known that it was his birthday... wrong choice. Bix (left) and Doug (right) chose to also torture him. He didn't make it. Passed out shortly after this picture was taken. Good Times.

Off to see the Wizard... or daycare

2009-09-16T10:58:00.001-05:00

Laina started daycare last week and I'm happy to report that she loves it. She comes home every day in such a good mood. I don't know if she's actually that different but maybe since I don't see her all day, she seems happier because I'm happier. Either way, daycare is going well. She is going to a friend's house who I've known for a long time and has the best, sweetest kids ever... so I just said "do what you did to them to her...". haha.

Here's a picture of Laina the first morning. I didn't cry, even though everyone indicated to me that I should or would... I didn't. My sister says it's because I felt more comfortable with who she was going to than most people do but I also think I have a crunchy outer shell to my heart.

The other day I also whipped out the camera to take some pictures of Laina since she's getting close to that 3 month mark. She's really "turning the corner" that the Dr. promised she would with the crying. She is going to bed easily and stays asleep until I wake her in the morning, about 9-10 hours! I have to admit, I feel really lucky in that respect. She also holds her head up all on her own like a champ and reaches out for things. The other day she put the rattle to her mouth and chewed on it. It's really amazing how entertained I am with the little things she does.

As this year progresses more and more of our friends are having babies. I think you go through so many amazing phases in your life, graduations, weddings and now children and I'm happy to say that this phase has been the best one yet. It's good that I feel this way since I've heard that this phase is the one that never ends. :)

2 Months Already!

2009-08-21T14:45:00.003-05:00

Well it happened... I blinked and already Laina is 2 months old. She is smiling more and more, though I still haven't caught many on camera. She now weighs 11lbs 13oz and is 23" long! She's 75% percentile in all categories, so she's very proportional. Dr. Jeff says she's already showing signs of development that they would see in a 4 month old! My little overachiever. :) I still can't believe she's mine sometimes and keep reminding myself that no one is coming to pick her up to take her home... she's staying with us forever! It's pretty wild. I got a new video camera to start catching all her little moments in High Definition... so stay tuned, I'm sure I'll have some fun videos pretty soon. For now, happy 2 month birthday little girl! Enjoy the rest of your summer, it's going fast.

The First Smile!

2009-08-09T09:10:00.003-05:00

On Thursday, August 6th we got our first smile from Laina. It was right after she had eaten and then I'd changed her diaper. We knew she was getting close but this was the first real open mouth joyous smile and it nearly brought me to tears! I quickly got my camera and tried to recreate the moment but I only caught a partial... still, you can tell she's close. If there was ever any doubt that we are wrapped around her little finger, it is sealed now. She hasn't give us a smile since but instead has enjoyed watching us do everything under the sun to entertain her and get another one. It must be nice being a baby and watch adults act like idiots.

Below is the partial smile picture. I'll post the full meal deal once I get it on camera. She's so cute. :)

Lake Baby!

2009-08-05T16:37:00.003-05:00

I'm excited to report that Laina LOVES the lake. She relaxed and slept almost the entire day on Saturday. She loved the breeze on her face and fell asleep almost instantly when I sat in the porch swing. I never knew a baby could sleep so much and still sleep through most of the night...

Cousin Tristan LOVED her sunglasses.

Julie holding Laina while she sleeps the day away on the dock.

Cry Baby Cry!

2009-08-05T16:30:00.003-05:00

Last week I took Laina to Dr. Jeff (her pediatrician) because I thought she might be having some belly problems. She seemed to cry quite a bit after she ate and if she's anything like her parents, she'd be happy after eating! Dr. Jeff said she has acid reflux and put her on the newborn strength prescription of Zantac. He said we should see a big difference after a week. Well, it's been a week and what a different baby... well, almost. At least now the crying isn't due to belly pain.

I've discovered that I have a cry baby on my hands. She just LOVES to be held and cuddled... which isn't very conducive to working since I've gone back part time. SOOOOO, that means she's had to get used to spending some time on her own. It's a little painful, especially since I really don't like to hear her cry but I know in the end it'll make for a more independent Laina. So, cry baby cry... :)

I'm happy to report that after just a few days of this she cries a LOT less.

Laina's Newborn Pics

2009-08-05T16:25:00.003-05:00

At about 3 weeks, we had my cousin Katie come over and take Laina's newborn pics. Laina wasn't overly cooperative but we got plenty of good pics anyway. Katie's photography business is really thriving and I can see why. She does a great job! Visit her blog here.

I feel like Laina has really grown since even these pics were taken but I guess that's the reality with a newborn. They can't stay little forever!

Here's the link to the photos. Enjoy!

Laina's first few weeks home

2009-07-14T16:38:00.004-05:00

Elaine (my grandmother's middle name)

Elizabeth (my mother's middle name)

I'm trying to catch up on my blogging so forgive me if this post is a little all over the place.

(2 days old)

Laina is now officially 3 weeks old. She has changed so much since those first moments when she was born. She's gained over a pound and continues to gain about an ounce per day. She seems to be going through a growth spurt lately and wants to eat constantly. We've both figured out what we're doing in that department so feeding her isn't as difficult as it was the first two weeks. (1 week old)

Everyone asks about the amount of sleep we're getting, and the answer is that we're getting more than I expected to get! She'll usually give us about a 4-5 hour chunk of time during the night but other than that she likes to eat every 3 hours on the dot. I'm definitely enjoying the time off from work to be with her and just trying to soak up every moment since I know it'll be over soon and back to work I'll go. Hence, why I've been unconnected from the world wide web for the past few weeks... it just seems more important to hang out with Laina. I'm edging my way back into the real world though.

This past weekend we had my cousin over to take some pics of Laina and our family. I'm really looking forward to seeing them since the last ones came out so great. Here's a pic of us after our photo shoot was over. We were all ready for a nap afterwards.

(3 weeks old)

I'll try to be better at updating the blog reguarly with the news about what's going on. Hope your summer is going well wherever you are! I know ours certainly is different than last year's!

Elaine Elizabeth's Arrival

2009-07-14T16:11:00.003-05:00

Well she made her appearance right on time. On June 21st, 2009, Elaine Elizabeth Shepard joined our family at 9:22pm.

The Story:

After feeling like I was going to be pregnant forever, I finally gave in and resolved that this baby was going to come when she wanted to. Saturday night the 20th, we hung out with our neighbors. We came home about midnight and I fully expected that I would wake up the following morning with absolutely no indicators that Laina was coming anytime soon. At about 1:45am, I woke up with the urge to use the bathroom. I almost made it to the toilet when I felt a huge rush of liquid fill my pants... I mean it was not a cup of liquid like they said... this was a pitcher of water that someone dumped in my pants! Shocked, I quickly reached and closed the bathroom door, accidentally slamming it. Dan woke up and said "you ok?" and I said "yeah, I think my water just broke" to which he responded, "oh, ok.". He brought me my phone and I called the doctor. She said "go on into the hospital, I'll call them and let them know you're coming." So we gathered up our bags, etc and headed to the hospital. We both said goodbye to Monroe (our cat) and our life as we knew it. It was a weird feeling knowing we were going to come home with a baby.

Once we got to the hospital and got settled in the room that would become our world for the next 3 days (I literally didn't leave that room once until left), we were told that I had an hour to start contracting on my own until they would give me Pitocin. The fluid tested positive for meconium which is the baby's first bowel movement. That means Laina had her first poop inside! Since this could indicate that she could be in distress, they put us both on monitors. I had really hoped to do the whole delivery without any drugs but the risk to the baby and to me of infection was great if I didn't deliver her within 24 hours. Even after 12 hours of labor there would be a mild risk. So, when I didn't start contracting within the hour, they hung the bag of Pitocin and at that moment my birth plan got thrown out the window... but I wasn't too worried about it.

The contractions came with gusto and I made the decision with Dan to get an epidural. Needless to say, it made things much better! The day went by pretty quickly in my eyes as I had my mom and my sister around to distract me. Dan was pretty busy delivering the news to everyone and making sure I had everything I needed that he didn't provide as much comic relief as he usually does. I can't blame him, he was getting ready to be a daddy and very excited about it.

At about 7:00pm the nurse said I could start pushing, so we said good-bye to mom & Julie and they started getting the room prepped for our delivery. At about 8:00pm I actually started pushing. Man, that was rough work. Even though I had an epidural, there was quite a bit of work involved and I was relieved when after about an hour the delivery team started to come into the room. The "team" was comprised of several nurses, some of which were from the nursery to attend to Laina when she came out and make sure she didn't aspirate any of the meconium. If she did, she'd be at risk for pneumonia and would need to stay for observation longer than expected. Pretty soon I heard "the head is out!" and then soon after that, she was here. They took her over to the warmer that was right by my bed. I could see her the entire time as they did some suction and announced that she didn't aspirate any of the meconium. Then once they weighed & measured her they placed her on my chest skin to skin. We just marveled at her and soaked in the first few moments with her. Every moment since then has been so great.

Jazzoo 2009

2009-06-11T09:10:00.003-05:00

I had to practically fight for the right to go to Jazzoo this year. Dan felt that being super pregnant, I wouldn't feel like it... but sitting at home is even worse these days. :) So I found a dress that fit (not an easy task lately) and we headed out to the Kansas City Zoo for their annual charity benefit. I had a great time enjoying all the food and people watching. It caused me to reflect on last year at Jazzoo, which was one of the first events I attended for Dan's work. We were so excited to be back in Kansas City and looking forward to all the changes that were coming. Now, in the midst of all those dreams coming true, I am very thankful for all of the things we have in our lives, including each other.

Back to Life... Back to Reality...

2009-05-26T16:28:00.003-05:00

After a very long and relaxing Memorial Day Weekend, it's back to reality. We were able to enjoy the weekend quietly since most of our family was off to South Dakota to see my little brother Bret graduate from college. I was kept informed by text messages from my Dad and told when they did indeed call his name. Congrats Bert! Other than just doing some final preparations for Baby Shep, we kept it low key and enjoyed spending time with each other.

The picture above is of the Floral Hills Cemetery on Memorial Day. This is where most of my family is buried. My grandfather was in the Navy during WWII and is honored by one of these flags (we couldn't find it but I've seen it before...). It's a pretty impressive site to drive through the cemetery and see all the flags representing those who served our country who are buried in there. It always causes me to reflect on the enormity of it all.

So as I stated in the title of this post, it is back to reality. The reality is that I have less than 3 1/2 weeks left until Baby is scheduled to arrive. Pretty exciting stuff that would have me jumping for joy if said baby was not causing such discomfort these days. I won't complain too much except to say that she only likes one side of my belly and chooses to curl up tightly against my abdomen. This means my belly is completely lopsided and there's tons of pressure. We have little discussions daily about this but she doesn't listen. I'm sure it's a preview of days to come when she will be defiant in person. :)

We'll keep you updated as things progress. Hope your Memorial Day Weekend was as relaxing and enjoyable as ours!

Graduation Season

2009-05-11T15:34:00.004-05:00

Well the temperature is starting to stabilize in the warm degrees and that means it is Graduation Season. My two youngest brothers are matriculating this year from their respective colleges. Unfortunately I won't be able to go to Bret's graduation up in Sioux Falls, SD because the drive is just way too far. I was, however, able to make it to Josh's graduation in Warrensburg because the drive was only 45 mins. At this point, Dan and I are just not willing to take the risk that I'll go into labor more than a few hours away from the hospital, even though I still have 6 weeks left. We have a busy schedule over the next month so I'm sure it will go quickly.

Here's a group picture from Josh's Graduation this past weekend.

Hope you're enjoying all that life is giving you this spring. I can't be thankful enough for all the happy things that are happening in our lives.

Let the Sun Shine!

2009-05-05T07:52:00.004-05:00

Spring is officially here and everything is "blooming", including me. Just when I think my belly has reached its maximum stretching capacity, I see another picture of myself or glance in the mirror at this huge medicine ball I'm now carrying around. Little baby girl is a real mover and a shaker in there and has a pretty regular routine. She is most active after breakfast in the morning and I sometimes enjoy just sitting & watching my belly move as she plays around in there. As the big day gets closer I have mixed emotions because I really can't wait to meet her but I will also greatly miss having her in my belly. She's so safe and protected and close to me right now. I think those maternal feelings are starting to kick in... :)

Last weekend my sister and friend threw me a baby shower. It was really wonderful to see all my close friends and family all together in one place. I got so much stuff for baby Shep that my anxiety about her coming too soon is starting to settle down. We now have most of the essentials, should she decide to join us early. It felt like Christmas as Dan and I opened all her stuff and started to put it away. Dutifully, Dan help me put together some of the things that required assembly. Luckily there wasn't too much of that because he grumbled about kids being raised without any of these modern conveniences for years the entire time. Do some of you still wonder why we didn't register for more toys? :)

The girls from High School at the shower!

Alicia & Jill from New York flew in for the occasion and spent the weekend with us at our new house. I almost cried when I had to put them back on the plane because it was so good to have them here.

All in all the spring is treating us very well. I have a little more than 6 weeks left which seems like a lifetime but I'm sure will fly by. I can't believe it's already been a year since we moved back from New York. Many things have changed in one year but much has remained the same. We still miss the big city life but look forward to all the new things this new life has in store for us. Enjoy the spring flowers while they last, summer will be here before you know it! (baby shep along with it.)

Life in Stepford

2009-04-01T15:49:00.002-05:00

I love our new life in our new house. I lovingly call the neighborhood Stepford given its picture perfect scenery and almost-too-nice people. The golf course out the back window is picturesque, the people walking down the street are smiling like they've just taken their latest dose of prozac. Can it be real?

I was asked to attend Ladies Bunko Night last night. I had the opportunity to meet many of these Stepford housewives (our neighborhood is actually called Creekmoor... but Stepford is much more fun to say) and I am happy to report that under the near perfect manicures and flawless makeup lie a group of women who are marginally insane, just like me. I relished the opportunity to hear them gossip about each other but I was almost disappointed to find that they didn't visciously whisper about the woman down the street having an affair with the head of the property owners association... Instead, they lovingly and genuinely wanted to know our story and introduce me to their clan. Perhaps I've stumbled across a normal group of women? Nah... I'll let you know when I start to see the luster fade away as I absolutely expect to see. hehe.

In all seriousness... it was a good time and I met many women of all ages who seemed to think it was funny when my sarcasm was revealed, though not completely... I mean, it was the first time... didn't want to scare them. I think I will find many ladies here who I will enjoy as good friends.

In other news, the cat has now completely settled into her new home. She tends to follow us pretending that she doesn't NEED to be in the same room... she just WANTS to... important distinction for cats.
And baby is really moving around. Still some kicking but now much more squirming. Today I actually can see my belly shift as she moves around in there which is a new experience. I have to say, there is absolutely nothing maternal coming through yet... it's just plain weird. "Hey! Who's in there?? What are you dooooing????"

Can't wait to meet her.

Goodbye Tommy

2009-03-20T13:16:00.005-05:00

Last Friday, a dear friend, co-worker and at the time my boss, Tommy Preston died in a snowmobiling accident. Obviously this was a huge shock for all of us and I felt somewhat numb to the emotions initially. I traveled to New Jersey on Monday night to be with my other family, the employees of New Horizons and mourn the loss of a phenomenal guy.

I've known Tommy for many years since he started at New Horizons in Atlanta. Little did I know that this raspy-voiced, life of the party guy would someday become such a good friend and mentor. Tommy and I were recently paired up to tackle the marketing strategy for our company with his main responsibility being sales and mine being marketing. It was awesome. He'd call me every day and say "Sammy! what the f&*$ are you doing" in a joking yet caring way. He always was sensitive to the fact that I worked from home and how much I enjoyed hearing his voice even if it was just for a few minutes.

Tommy leaves behind his little toddler, Connor, as well as his enormous family and love, Amanda. Its very sad for all of us to bear the loss. If I never hear Amazing Grace played with bagpipes, I'll be happy. He was buried in St. Patrick's Day which will forever become "St. Tommy's Day" in my heart. Miss you Tommy.

Our House is a Very Very Very Fine House

2009-02-24T11:30:00.003-06:00

We close March 16th! Or so they've assured me. Dan and I felt like we'd never find a house that is right for us at the right price. I've arranged 4 full Saturdays of looking at houses since the new year and Dan about had his fill. Finally, we found the house... our house. It has everything we really wanted in a home and we were able to negotiate many upgrades while still getting it for the price we wanted. Obviously it's not quite finished yet but they assure me it'll be done in 2 weeks.

The neighborhood, Creekmoor, is a golf & lake community in Raymore, MO. For my New England friends out there, Raymore is south of Kansas City, not far from my family. It's brand new but initially really turned us off because it is very similar to Stepford... All the houses are a different shade of brown and everything seems too perfect. However, after looking and looking it ended up being the best fit and now I'm destined to be a Stepford wife. The neighbors all have young children, many under the age of 3. So I think it ended up being perfect for us. I posted some pics here:

http://picasaweb.google.com/samantha.shepard/1418DrakeLane?feat=directlink

We're really excited to move in and have our own house for the first time. I joke with Dan that we'll have to get walkie-talkies or something since I've never been so far away from him in a living space... I'll miss him!

We really are growing up! First the house... and soon baby Shep will join us. She's kicking me like crazy and now Dan can actually feel it. He doesn't believe me many times that it is actually her kicking and not me pushing my stomach out. The next doctor's appointment I have to do the glucose test, not looking forward to that one. I'll let you know how it goes.

Have a good one! Spring is right around the corner!

Bye Bye Feet

2009-02-17T16:39:00.003-06:00

I am beginning to realize that my feet are slowing disappearing on the horizon of my belly. I have gotten quite a few comments that I've really "popped out there" which I think now explains that I've gained 6 pounds in the last month. Or, it could be the nightly bowls of ice cream that I enjoy with Dan. For those of you who may be shaking your head in disapproval... other than the ice cream I have not been "eating for two" because I'm not particularly hungry more than usual. So maybe ice cream is my vice?

So good-bye feet. I will see you on the other side.

A few weeks ago Dan and I went to New York and stayed the weekend in Queens with our friends. It was awesome to see the old neighborhood and get a chance to walk the same sidewalks we used to take every day. It was almost like we'd never left yet in some ways I've already grown accustomed to the Midwestern ways. It's difficult to explain but imagine coming home and feeling like something is different but you're not sure what.

We went to "eat the meat" with our friend Steve. He is originally from Uzbekistan and always acted like a surrogate father figure in many ways. Liz came too with her step-son Timmy and his new live-in girlfriend. We enjoyed all the wonderful things that Cheburechnaya had to offer. :) Lamb Kebabs are my favorite. This is a picture of us at the restaurant. Love you Stevie!

Other than that we've been really focused on buying a house. It turns out that its not nearly as straightforward and easy as you'd probably think. We literally just need to find a house and agree on a price... haha... not so fast... I guess we're being picky. I'll let you know what comes of the housing situation as it develops.

That's it for now. The baby is kicking like crazy and letting me know that the day is getting closer every day when our lives will change forever. I can't wait.

Thank Heaven for Little Girls

2009-01-26T17:08:00.002-06:00

We recently went to the Dr and had an ultrasound. Even though I kept waiting for the excitement to build up, it never did. Truth is, I didn't really care what we were having. I always thought that was a false politically correct thing people said but I really felt that way. We learned that its most likely a girl... and that is really exciting... but I'm not more excited than before I found out. I was excited before and I'm still equally excited.

So it's a girl! And we are very happy to know that we're expecting a beautiful little girl that Dan can visciously protect with his newly created a&*hole dad personality and guns that have yet to be purchased. Seriously he'll be a great dad. As a result of the girl news, my mom and I went shopping this weekend and explored the pink section at Babies R Us... which almost made me nauseous. Sorry baby girl, it looks like you are destined to look like Pepto Bismol. Why don't they make orange baby clothes?

Alexandra Kew - our new neice

2009-01-19T16:22:00.003-06:00

Alexandra Kew Craighead joined our family last week. She is the newest daughter of Dan's sister, Amy. Amy already has a son, Isiah, who is 2 and half. He was born while we were still enjoying New York so we have only recently been able to bond with him. He is warming up to us but still is cautious at first... although he did call me and Dan by name this last visit which made me feel really good. Who knew the approval and acceptance of a 2 year old would mean so much to me but it really does.

Alexandra Kew (middle name for the Gardens in England where Amy interned during college) was much more prompt than Isiah was and actually arrived on her due date which also happened to be Amy's birthday. It was not only cool to see her so young but also to get to handle a little newborn since I know we'll be doing it before too long. Dan was really cute and tried to mold himself to make her comfortable. He'll be such a good dad.

I taught Isiah how to use the camera and he had a great time running around taking pictures. Not all of them are of discernable objects but some of them actually turned out pretty good. I posted them here: http://picasaweb.google.com/samantha.shepard/PhotosByIsiah?feat=directlink

This one is my favorite. He may turn out to be a photographer when he grows up!

Memoirs of a Pregnant Woman

2009-01-07T16:42:00.002-06:00

10 Things I Thought I Knew About Pregnancy:

You throw up in the morning and then feel great all day during the first trimester
9 months means 9 months... NOT 10 months or 40 weeks, which is actually already started by the time you actually get pregnant... very confusing!
If you don't watch it, you'll gain 100 lbs during pregnancy and never lose it
After 3 months, you start to look pregnant in this really cute belly is obviously a baby & not fat kind of way.
Everyone will be really happy for you and give you ridiculous tshirts that say "Hot Mama"
You have to read "What to expect when you're expecting" b/c that's the pregnancy bible.
Women who are moms change from their original selves into this loving mom mushy monster who doesn't think about anything but laundry and age appropriate topics for their child.
You and your baby are what you eat so I will only eat good, healthy things while I am pregnant.
The hardest part about being pregnant is giving up partying with your friends.
Whenever you talk to a pregnant woman, you should ask her how she's feeling because that's just what you're supposed to do.

And now....

10 Things I've Learned About Pregnancy:

Morning Sickness for me was never predictable and some days I felt like crap all day. However, somedays I felt great.
Pregnancy is all about the weeks. Sometimes I have to think about it to even know what month I'm in. People who've been pregnant understand weeks... others understand months.
I've still only gained 2 pounds despite my horrible diet, however I know weight gain is coming in the second half of the pregnancy... but there's no way I'll gain 100lbs.
I could still easily be mistaken for a fat chick. Dan likes to play the "She's rockin the beer gut" song for me. Yep, that's pretty much what it looks like unless I purposely wear tighter maternity clothes that show my belly more prominently.
Most are happy... happy to give you unsolicited advice and opinions that is. Seriously though, most people are happy but some aren't. That's ok. I'm happy enough for everyone.
The sheer size of "what to expect..." is way too intimidating and it has not found its way home from the book store yet. I'd rather read the gossip pages online.
I don't feel any different other than the fact that I'll get to impart all my wonderful thoughts onto another little one. If anything, I think motherhood will make me smarter and more insightful. I don't feel mushy... but maybe that's to come.
I eat what sounds good. If that's healthy stuff, great! Usually its not.
The hardest part about being pregnant is having your friends say or feel that you used to be more fun when you drank. Ouch.
Everyone asks me how I am feeling and I almost want to ask them "do you really want to know?" because what if I feel crappy? Who wants to know about that stuff? So I always oblige in saying something along the "pretty good" lines. I just appreciate that they ask. It means they care and that is wonderful.

So as you can see, being pregnant isn't exactly what I expected... and really it's just is a new reality. Sure, it's wonderful and a miracle and all that... but for me, when I get up in the morning, it's a new part of my world. It's like getting your hair dyed a different color. People who see you often, notice it the first time and then become used to it. People who see you less often may not get used to it but for you, its your reality. Often people say that the length of gestation is meant to give you time to mentally prepare for the arrival. I think that is very true. Obviously, I'm still preparing.

2008 Reflections

2009-01-02T08:18:00.003-06:00

As the stroke of midnight came this year during a more low-key shrimp boil party over at my sister's house, I looked at Dan and thought "what would I ever do without you", and then promptly kissed him and hugged him to ring in 2009.

2008 was a big year for us although I've heard many refer to 2008 as a disappointing year in their lives. Was this a global problem that stemmed beyond the economy? Do many find themselves waiting for 2009 and a new beginning? It makes me reflect on what has happened in 2008, since it didn't occur to me that it had been such a bad year.

My grandmother got diagnosed with cancer... and beat it.
We lost a friend, Thor, suddenly during a routine medical procedure... and discovered that his pregnant wife is having another girl (they already had 2).
We got to see the first African American be elected President by a shockingly large margin.
We moved back home from New York City.
We decided to expand the Shepard clan... and I got pregnant a few months later.
We saved up a ton of money that we'll be putting into a home purchase sometime early 2009.

That's just a few things. I guess if you view it from a certain angle, then 2008 could have been seen as bad... but the way I see it, it was a pivotal year for the Shepard family. 2009 will be even better. I don't know how I would have done any of it without Dan and as we shared our moment during the stroke of midnight, I felt so thankful that I had the perfect person to share all my years with (new and old).

Welcome 2009. This is the year that our lives will change even more... and all for the better. Hope you have as much to look forward to as we do. Happy New Year.

Happy Holidays!

2008-12-23T17:31:00.003-06:00

Well with the imminent arrival of Santa Clause tomorrow night, I wanted to take the opportunity to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas... or a wonderful holiday... whatever you celebrate!

Winter Follies

2008-12-15T17:28:00.004-06:00

This winter has come on really quickly. We were really lucky to be in the suite for Dan's work at the Big 12 Championship. Unfortunately, the game wasn't that exciting but hey at least we were in the heat. The heat is also probably why I fell asleep towards the end of the game. Hey, when you're not drinking and its 10pm, you get tired! Blame it on pregnancy, blame it on a boring blow out of a game... whatever... I am only slightly ashamed that I fell asleep sitting next to one of Dan's clients. At least she thought it was funny.

My little man Tristan is really active now. He actually runs... I mean... RUNS everywhere. Its like all of a sudden he wants to catch up for the last 15 months when he was just hanging out in one spot. To that end, he is really hard to get a clear picture of anymore. He won't sit still. My sister asked me to take a picture of him for their Christmas card and I had a pretty hard time getting very many that were any good. The one above actually turned out ok. Another funny thing about him lately is that he is full on with the adult food... give him a chicken pattie fresh from the microwave and he is happier than a pig in sh&*. (Dan would disagree with that statement because he says pigs don't actually roll around in their own feces... but whatever.)

I hope you are having a wonderful holiday season so far.

The Rabbit Died...

2008-12-08T07:35:00.002-06:00

Well, its official. I am 12 weeks pregnant today. I feel like the last two months have been the longest months of my life, just waiting to see if everything is "ok" and we actually make it to the 12 week mark. I'm an odds person and once I found out that my odds for a miscarriage after we saw or heard the heartbeat went down to less than 5%, I felt so much better. When we actually saw the ultrasound and the heartbeat, I felt even more relaxed. Dan is really excited too and surprises me daily when he either acts nonchalant or brings up some small detail of how we'll raise our child. I guess we're both adjusting and getting used to the idea.

Mizzou Homecoming 08

2008-10-29T08:31:00.002-05:00

We had a great time at Homecoming for many reasons.

1. My sorority had an informal reunion tailgate that allowed us to see many familiar faces and their spawn.

2. Some of Dan's fraternity brothers always tailgate at the games, and just happened to be in the same lot as the Theta tailgate.

3. Mizzou beat Colorado in a SHUTOUT!!!

Here's a pic of all the old sorority gals, it was great to see them and their families. Its weird how time flies, huh?

The Mansions of Newport, RI

2008-10-29T08:20:00.003-05:00

Last week when I was in Providence, Rhode Island for work, we took a side trip to Newport for the day. First of all, Rhode Island is basically an annex to Boston. They are fans of all the Boston teams and there was not a restaurant that didn't serve "chowda" or New England Clam Chowder as most would say it. So our little trip to Newport was surprising on many levels including the beautiful mansion tour they tout to the tourists. We, of course, could not pass up the opportunity to take a look. Below are a few pictures from the mansion tour, and the cliff walk.

You can go into the mansions but we were too late since that morning I was too busy beating my boss at Madden 09 on Xbox. Yeah, it was my first time playing... ever.

Dan & Isiah

2008-10-15T12:58:00.002-05:00

This past weekend we went to Columbia for the Mizzou game. Alas, we lost. But the weekend wasn't an entire bust, we got to spend time with the family. Dan was playing with our nephew, Isiah, or rather he was playing with the tractors and Isiah joined in. Amy and I watched from inside the house and really enjoyed watching the boys.

Real Life Gossip Girls

2008-10-02T09:30:00.004-05:00

Alicia, Shawn, Gannon, Sam & Jill

Last week when I was in NY, I attended the 21st birthday party of my new boss's son. Well he's really my boss's boss... but you get the point. All of his children attend NYU, though he lives in Detroit. He asked that Shawn, my boss... (are you following this?) arrange for a small party at a great place, the Sixth Ward. This is the same bar where I had my going away party, and is owned by a great friend, James.

The Orley Family, my boss's boss is the third from the right.

What did I expect? I expected a bunch of 21 year olds to come in and act stupid, drink a ton of shots and have to go home by 11 because they haven't quite grasped how to handle liquor yet. Mind you, it is a Tuesday night and thus a school night.

Not quite...

Here's what we got, real life Gossip Girl. If you haven't seen the show, it revolves around the lives of the NY elite high school kids. They drink and have more adult experiences than any high school kid I ever knew. They also have luxuries that put my Gap wardrobe to shame.

I decided I needed proof of these real life Gossip Girls so I randomly went around taking pictures of them under the ruse of being the party photographer. I am sorry to say that I don't think I got Keith Richards' daughter or Sting's son in any of my pics even though they were in attendance. Just for the record, I did not socialize with these kids... I merely sat at the edge of the bar and watched them like they were in a fishbowl. I'm not jealous of them, it has to be exhausting to live their life. I'm already tired enough as it is.

What's with the plaid? Don't worry, it's probably Gucci plaid... very chic.

Back at New Horizons!

2008-10-02T09:14:00.002-05:00

I am happy to announce that on 9/22 I accepted a job back at my old home, New Horizons. I'll be doing Marketing for New Horizons of the Northeast... which means NYC, Philadelphia, Rhode Island and Connecticut. I spent last week traveling around to some of the offices that I'll be supporting and found that while many things have changed, plenty has stayed the same. It's great to know that so many of my old friends are still around and in some ways I can pick up with them where I left off.

I'll be primarily working from home, which I love. I get so much more done and my life is primarily run through this wonderful invention called a cell phone. All I can say is, I love my bluetooth headset, it never leaves my ear. I guess that just confirms that I am a total geek.

I am really excited about this new venture and happy to say that for the first time since we left NY, I feel like I'm home.

I quit my job! Yay!

2008-09-03T11:22:00.002-05:00

I won't go into the specifics but while I'm on a roll in sharing all the news... I quit my job! It just ended up being a really bad fit and was a very dramatic situation at the time. Now that I've had time to reflect on it and the anger, stress that came along with the situation, I realize it was just the wrong position for me. Along with Dan, I made the decision to quit and find something better. So, I'm home full time right now enjoying unemployment. Fortunately Dan and I are in a very good position to do this so the normal worries of not having a job don't necessarily apply to our situation. However, if I sit at home forever, my mind will go to mush. There's only so many days I can watch "The View" and "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" before I will start to go insane. My time off is not without great perks, however, since I really enjoy sleeping in. :)

More to come on my next career move but for now I think I'll just take a break... or a nap... whichever I feel like doing in the moment.

This also allows me to be a stay at home mom to the cat, Monroe. She doesn't seem to notice or care, though.

Sara & Justin's Shower

2008-09-03T11:15:00.002-05:00

My step-brother, Justin, is getting married this October and recently had the wedding shower. One of the things we've noticed since returning back to Kansas City is that our social agenda is about 1000 times more busy than it was in NY. I never knew there was so much stuff to attend that we were missing. Sometimes its not such a good thing since it keeps us really busy and I do miss having Dan all to myself but overall we've got to do a lot of things that we would have normally missed. Hopefully things slow down just a little this fall... although I don't know how that will happen with the football schedule.

Anyway... here's the link to some cute pics from Sara & Justin's shower. They live in Chicago and are enjoying the life away from home similar to what Dan & I enjoyed in NY.

http://picasaweb.google.com/samantha.shepard/SaraJustinSShower#

Lobsterfest '08

2008-09-03T11:02:00.002-05:00

I was invited to Lobsterfest over at the Jackman household this year. This was apparently the 6th year but my first since I've never been around before. I took Julie to be my partner in crime since the boys were at "guys weekend" down at the lake. Basically the deal was, for $25 you got unlimited beer & lobster etc. Some people chose steak instead but you get the idea. When the day came, the lobsters were flown in that morning for their inevitable death to serve as nourishment to many party goers. There were about 50 people there and overall it was a great party. Julie and I did not know how to approach breaking down the bodies of the lobsters so we offered them up to Chris Bix to finish them off. He ended up not figuring it out either...

Epitome of surf & turf...

Julie and Sam

I got to reconnect with some people from high school including these two, Mike Jacobi & Matt Kartsonis. They were hilarious. I particularly enjoyed geeking out with Jacobi over his new Blackberry.

Chris Jackman (host of Lobsterfest) and me

Sam, Bix & my newest friend Annette. We joked that we were all going to Facebook each other after the party... low & behold... Annette found me a few days later and 'friended' me.

Golfing with Matt & Lori in the country

2008-09-03T10:37:00.005-05:00

I realized that I haven't been diligent in posting the goings ons of the Shepard Family lately. I'm going to try to catch up over the next few days.

Golfing with Matt & Lori Hill: Dan and I made a trip down to Clinton to visit Matt & Lori and go golfing a few weeks ago. We decided to go to this country golf course that is about an hour south of Clinton. Notice the tractor in the background and the gravel golf cart paths...

I had to get this pic with the tractor... priceless.

We only drink the best on the course... Busch Light (Lori says "Cheers!")

Matt & Dan pose like pros.

After golf, they tooks us to Lucas Oil Speedway for a Dirt Race. I've posted a video here but here is a pic. It was surprisingly awesome. I completed the evening with the requisite beer & corndog dinner.

Charlotte Elaine Fulton, my grandma

2008-08-27T10:40:00.003-05:00

I've been dreading posting this news but have decided that it will be good to just get it out there. My Grandmother Elaine, who I am named after, was diagnosed with Hodgkins Lymphoma early in the summer. She has just completed her chemotherapy and begins radiation soon. She has been amazingly strong throughout the entire ordeal and inspiring to me. I went with her on her last chemo treatment where she schooled me on the "red devil", aptly named for its red color and ability to make your hair fall out. I took her picture to mark the occasion for her to look back on for years to come. Her doctor has been extremely positive about her prognosis and has assured us that this is "curable".

When we moved back here there were many factors that played into the decision. The first reason I usually give people is that my sisters have started to have children and we wanted to be around to see them grow up. Of course explaining the other factors usually isn't necessary because most take the first reason as enough explanation. One of the reasons I don't often share is to be with my grandmother. I can't explain the relationship we have other than to say we are connected in some way. She understands me like no one else and I'd like to think that I understand her better than most. I missed having her in my life to guide me and help navigate situations that life brings. Moving back to Kansas City brought us back together. She's wonderful and I hope I can be just like her when I grow up. Go Grandma!

Lake Party Weekend

2008-08-20T17:54:00.003-05:00

Beware: Debauchery Below!
This year was our first year at Lake Party Weekend and we really had an awesome time. Liz & Mike came in town from New York which made it so much better. I filtered out all the really bad pictures but here's some good ones from the weekend.
Dan & Mike in front of an establishment that seems to define them.

Who knew a noodle could be such a good beer bong?

Mike & Lizzie, so happy.

Julie & Doug... so happy... with wingy.

Here's the group all having a great time... wait, are those swim trunks I see on the boys' arms?

Family Weekend at the Lake!

2008-07-28T08:49:00.000-05:00

We opted for a more laid back weekend at the lake this time. Julie & Doug invited the Estep family (Jeremy & Amy are Tristan's godparents) while we invited Dan's side of the family down. The kids had a great time squirting each other with waterguns for about 10 hours. I couldn't believe how long the game lasted. Isiah was fearless and barely got his lifejacket on before he ran up the slide to get in the water. At age 2, we can already tell he is going to be one we'll have to watch. I'll update this post with the link to the pictures on picasa.

We also went to the Royal's game again this weekend. This time we sat in the suite, so Dan felt much better. Good thing too, it was wicked hot! (ah, Jake, I miss you). Dan got an extra ticket this time so Dad could come along. I think he had a great time.

Section 104

2008-07-25T10:34:00.000-05:00

Many of you know that Dan has become a social sensation since taking his job here in KC. He entertains clients constantly and not a week goes by when I don't have to ask "when am I going to see you this week?" since he's always on the move. Well, sometimes he lets me tag along.

Last night he had an extra ticket to the Royals game in Section 104. Now, to give you some perspective, Dan usually sits in the front row behind home plate or in the luxury suite. He jokingly complained about having to go back to Section 104. I took a picture from our seats. Literally 12 rows behind homeplate. BUT, it's not all inclusive and it doesn't have a waitress... c'mon Dan! I think he has become extremely spoiled with these new company perks.

This is where we sat. See that jumbotron, oh yeah, Julie and I were on it doing the "shoulder dance".

See those those two guys standing? That's where Dan usually sits. He was very angry with whoever that was.

It was "Girls Night Out", so all the lovely ladies were sporting these pink hats. I only put it on at the end because it started to rain. Julie was actually there for a work event but snuck over to our seats towards the end. I took all these lovely pictures with my new camera that I purchased yesterday. You all know how much of a gadget geek I am and I happily report that this one does not disappoint. Its waterproof and even has a floaty strap incase I drop it in the lake. Uh, hello awesome!

We are off to the lake this weekend. I'm hoping to get my burn on since I've officially made it through most of the summer in my normal pasty state. I just want a little color! Hope you're looking forward to a great weekend, wherever you are!

The passing of Randy Pausch

2008-07-25T10:32:00.001-05:00

If you haven't seen the "Last Lecture" by Randy Pausch, then I would highly encourage you to do so.

Randy Pausch, the Carnegie Mellon professor inspired many, including me, with his final speech on how to live out your childhood dreams. I would encourage everyone to go to his website and see it if you haven't. It truely is inspiring and its a very sad thing to see him pass on.

http://www.thelastlecture.com/

I'm a gardener!

2008-07-21T19:21:00.000-05:00

I have moments when I really, really miss New York. Dan and I saw the movie, Sex and the City, and it made us both ache for the city. I have to remind myself often why we moved back because otherwise I know we'd be so homesick. It's weird to think that we're "homesick" for New York since it isn't really "home". The truth is, it became our home. Many members of our family is still there, even though they aren't blood relatives. Family is who you spend holidays with and who you confide in during rough times. "Home" is where your family is. Well, our family is in KC AND NYC.

So, as you can probably tell by the title of this post, I have a gardening story to share. I've been trying to find new hobbies back here in the country and one that I've been trying my hand at, is gardening.

I am fortunate to have married into a family of horticulture experts. Not only did my sister-in-law and mother-in-law major in horticulture at MU, they both have pursued it as their career. So you can guess who I went to when I decided to grow some tomatoes on my patio this summer. Amy, Dan's sister, hooked me up with some patio tomato plants. I'm proud to say that they have NOT died. In fact, they have started to bear fruit... literally. Here's a picture of my beautiful tomatoes.

Now I must admit... they aren't any bigger than a golf ball right now. But hey, these were delicious. Here are the green ones that should be ready soon!

I hope your summer is going well, wherever you are!

4th of July at the lake

2008-07-08T12:39:00.000-05:00

4 days of relaxing at the Lake of the Ozarks. Hmm, or should I say, 4 days of partying at the Lake of the Ozarks.... ? Yes that seems to fit better. I was so tired yesterday that I stayed home from work!

The weekend was extra special because its the first time in a long time that all my siblings and their significant others have been able to get together. Justin and Sara came down from Chicago. Bret & Josh came back from college and of course, Dan and I live here now.

Here's a great pic of whole group on Julie & Doug's dock. We quickly went through over 8 gallons of margaritas as well as too many beers to even count. I was shocked at how much we can drink! Well, not really shocked... but surprised definitely.

From the left: Me, Dan, Bix (not really a brother but a partier with us nonetheless), Sara, Julie, Doug, Josh, Bret & Justin.

Bret's girlfriend, Catie, is missing from the picture because she couldn't hang. She had to rest. It was her first time meeting the whole family so I guess it's excused.

Hope your 4th was just as much fun as ours!

Midwestern Lunch Fare

2008-07-01T12:53:00.000-05:00

One of the things that continually shocks me about the midwest is the variety of "acceptable" lunch fare here. Each day as I stroll into the lunch room to prepare my frozen South Beach Diet meal in the microwave, I am surprised at the things people will eat for lunch. Here is a list of some of my favorites:

Cup O'Noodles - this is a staff favorite because its in the vending machine
Pizza Rolls - lovely little pizza bites that will cost you about 500 calories per bite
Chinese Food - The delivery guy knows this place so well he's taken to bringing the security guard free eggrolls everyday.
Pop Tarts
Bowl of Strawberries - yep, that's it. Just a bowl of strawberries for lunch.
Ramen Noodles with cut up hotdogs (saw this one today... the fact that I was intrigued and thought it looked good is probably not a good sign.)
La Michaela Frozen Meals - Also in the vending machine

Don't get me wrong, I get the convenience factor but how can you just eat 2 pop tarts for lunch and not be starving 5 minutes later? I eat my SBD meal, pudding, beef jerky, and whatever else I can get my hands on and I'm still about to chew my arm off by the time I get home and eat dinner.

Proud Sister

2008-06-26T17:55:00.000-05:00

It's official. My little brother Bret Beachner was just announced as the Captain of the football team at the University of Sioux Falls in South Dakota. For those of you who know me, there are two teams I follow during football season... Mizzou Tigers and USF Cougars. Luckily one of them has my brother as the Quarterback and the other team is my alma mater so I can have dual loyalty and not feel bad about it. Plus they are in different divisions.

I'm very proud of Bret and all his accomplishments. The fact that his teammates recognize how great he is to elect him Captain, just validates what I've always seen. Good Job Bret!

Safe to assume what I will be doing every single Saturday from Labor Day to New Years.... watching football of course!

Socializing with KC's finest!

2008-06-23T22:19:00.000-05:00

Dan and I had an exciting night last week as we attended the Greater Kansas City Sports Commission annual banquet. Receiving an award was Mizzou Tiger, Tony Temple for best male collegiate athlete. We tracked him down at the after party and took a picture. He's a great guy and we're looking forward to seeing him in the NFL. Him and his "5'9" of fury", as he calls it. He just recently signed with the Cleveland Browns, which is awesome for him.

Also in attendance at the VIP party was a bunch of former KC Chiefs players, including Louie Aguiar. Again, not being able to resist myself, I got a picture. You know, after a few drinks... everything seems to be a great idea. Anyway, he was a great sport about it and took a picture with me.

I also got a great call from my old gang in NYC while they were celebrating a birthday. It made me really jealous that they were out partying without me but it was good to hear from them. Miss you guys! For old times I thought I'd post one of my favorite pics. :-)

$45 = Dinner & Beer for 5

2008-06-13T14:39:00.001-05:00

Now I ask you, where in the world can you successfully feed 5 people pizza and 2 pitchers of beer for $45 total? Apparently in Kansas City you can. Specifically at Minsky's Pizza. Believe me I was a little skeptical as we walked into the joint because I'm a NYC pizza lover. However, I was pleasantly surprised that the pizza was not only good, but very cheap. Top that with two pitchers of Bud Light and you've got yourself a pretty satisfying dinner.

No, it wasn't as good as a NYC slice but for KC, it'll do just fine. (There was even half a pizza left over)

http://www.minskys.com/

Jazzoo!

2008-06-09T21:43:00.001-05:00

This past Friday Dan and I had the opportunity to go to Jazzoo! This event benefits the Kansas City Zoo and was sponsored primarily by his company. The dress was "creative black tie" which meant that most of the men wore tuxedo on top and shorts on the bottom. Trust me, I did not believe it until I saw it. I will post the link once all the pics are on their website. It was a great time and really helped us to launch off our summer.

We also had a great time at the lake celebrating our friend Clint's birthday. I posted the pics on picasa here: http://picasaweb.google.com/samantha.shepard/LakeClintSBirthday.

Over the past week we've been hit with some crazy midwestern weather but luckily we've been fine. So for those of you in NYC, I feel bad about your heatwave b/c even though we are trying to dodge tornados, those subways can be awful in the summer! Still missing NYC though. :)

Hope your summer is off to a great start!

6 Years and Going Strong!

2008-06-02T18:54:00.000-05:00

June 1st marked 6 years for Dan & I. To celebrate we went to Capital Grille on the Plaza and had a great time. I can't believe that its been 6 years, and yet sometimes it feels like its been forever.

I thought this picture of Dan and Isiah was so cute. They are both so serious.

I'll sign off for now. Have a good day!

Welcome to the Shepard Family Chronicles

2008-05-27T09:33:00.000-05:00

After many different thoughts on how to keep everyone informed across the country of how life is back in KC for Dan & I (and Monroe), I've decided to start this blog. We'll see how it goes.

We just returned last night from being down at the lake for the weekend. My little nephew, Tristan, simply must be the happiest baby in the world. He laughs constantly and enjoys playing by himself or with anyone who will join him. We spent most of our days on Julie & Doug's dock (my sister & brother in law) where Tristan enjoyed his "johnny jump-up". The picture captures it perfectly.

Dan and I just received our furniture this morning, which for those of you who know, has been a nightmare. Its taken over a month... we'll just leave it at that.

So, tonight will be like Christmas, opening all our boxes. Half of me wants it to just disappear and the other half is excited to have my stuff. I have a feeling my apartment will not be clean for a while.

So that'll be it for now. But I hope to "blog" often so those of you who'd like to know can see what is going on with the Shepard Family. Later!