Decker is growing like a weed, although still not on the growth chart for his age. He recently got glasses due to having a condition called hyperopia, so that has been a transition, but he is doing well with them. We are excited that he has a “shishy” on the way and due in September. He loves to blow kisses to the baby on Mommy’s belly and tells everyone he wants a “shishy” so it’s a good thing that’s what he’s getting. Sam is still loving being at home and my new job is stressful but rewarding. We just took a trip to Oak Island over Memorial weekend and took a few pics…
Not much esle is new here. We have alot of fun things planned the rest of the summer, beginning with a trip to the zoo this Saturday. So maybe I’ll keep up a little better an post an update from that trip soon.
OK, so I’m not so good at updates
Where did the rest of the summer go?
So it’s now October! What?! Alot has happened. The biggest news is on the work front–Sam lost his job with Wachovia at the end of August and has been home with Decker since then. He is loving it, but looking for a job too. I got a raise, but not enough to cover the gap. With God’s provision, we are making it work though…for now. Hopefully he can be a SAHD for good…time will tell.
Decker has changed so much in the past couple months…He is crawling, cruizing, walking with help, sitting up from any position, pulling himself up and everything else down, eating all kinds of different food, got his first two teeth, saying mama and dada and baba…it is amazing!
He is going to take his first camping trip this weekend and looking forward to Gramma and Grampa Martin spending more time with him when they move in with us part-time later this month.
The Cook family is doing well, and we will have another one soon…Bernie proposed to Erica, and they plan to get married in 2010 after she finishes nursing school.
That brings you up to speed for us…here’s a few pics
Busy Busy Busy!
I think July has been the busiest month we have had in a very long time…glad it’s over, but there were lots of memories made!
I already talked about our trip to lake Gaston on the 4th, and dinner for Mom’s birthday on the 8th. The we had a surprise party for her on the 12th which was a blast—definitely a surprise to her…hehe Gotcha!
The 13th was Dave and Anna’s Surprise Wedding Shower—another successful secret…I’m getting good at this, I guess I am making up for Sam’s “surprise” party on his 30th 
Then we went to Wilmington (18-19th) for our first overnight trip without Decker for Dave and Anna’s wedding. We had an interesting experience with our hotel, but overall had a great time. We went to the Riverwalk and had some awesome ice cream from Kilwin’swith John and Joye and eyed all the yachts .We treasured the time together, but were ready to come back to squeeze our little boy and make sure Papa Crumb survived the night. Pictures to come from that—
Decker tried cereal for the first time on the 21st—LOVES IT!
On the 23rd, Gramma and Grampa Martin came for a visit and stayed with us until the 27th. we all had some good food and quality time together. Decker put on quite a show for them while they were here with his new sounds and activities. They realized that he takes quite a bit more energy to entertain now.
We ended the month with dinner at 42nd St. 
to wish my friend Patrick well as he moves to Oregon. Tomorrow is another him… after that, I think we will sleep as hard as Decker in these pics…
I’ll leave you with a few more of my favorite pics from the month…
Our Future Blackbelt!
More Summer Fun
Lots of fun stuff for us in the past few weeks. Sam and I went to a couple weddings that were really nice. I ran into an old friend from high school at one of them so we did some catching up, that was cool. We have had a few days off together to spend as a family too. Most recently we went to lake Gaston to a rented lake house one of our friend’s received as a 10 year anniversary gift from the company she works for—I want to work there! Decker took his first boat ride and swim. He hated the life jacket, but was fine with playing in the water with it off.
Mom turned 50 this week so we went out to dinner as a family and had a good time. We are getting ready to take our first overnight trip without Decker next weekend when we go to Wilmington for another wedding. Not sure if I am ready to leave him with Papa Crumb or not, but hopefully by then I’ll be ok with it. I am more worried about my Dad than Decker though That’s about it for now…
I’ll leave you with this pic I had to take when sam wasn’t around…hehe…It’s the background on our computer right now! Go Wolfpack!
Summer Fun
Things have been pretty busy here with something every weekend since Mother’s day. It has been fun but draining. Decker is now rolling over both ways, trying to sit up, and learning to mumble. He is going to be a talker! That must come from the Martin side It is hard to believe he will be 5 months old on Sunday. Seems like yesterday I found out I was pregnant! Now we are praying for God to bless us with number 2. We thought we wanted only 2, but now that he is here, we may want 4…I don’t know, we’ll see…time’s a ticken! here’s a few pics from the last month or so…
10 years
Wow,
Sam and I celebrated our 10 year anniversary on 5/23. I can’t believe that my wedding day was over 10 years ago and we have known each other for over 12 years.
It’s amazing how some things I can remember very vividly
- Getting my hair done with Mary that morning
- Uncle Les speeding to get us to Mom and Dad’s
- Watching Gramma C. put the icing on her last cake
- Giving dad back the bracelet he gave me many years before
- Getting ready with mom in the dressing room
- Wondering how mamy people were getting soaked as the rain poured down
- Quickly giving dad my engagement ring I forgot to take off right before walking down the isle
- Seeing Sam for the first time when the doors opened
- Watching the lights flicker from the storm
- Watching Dad’s chin quiver as he held back tears before giving me away
- Watching my brothers and Dad pat each other back while they cried
- Cameron taking a seat
- Barely getting through our vows without breaking down
- The first time I heard “Mr. and Mrs. Sam Martin”
- The cake
- The toast…”What was my name?”
- The Peurto Rican Exchange
- The Italian Exchange
- Waiting for the Limos
- The Martin Conversation
- Riding in the Limos….too many to list here, but, “it was Mountain dew”, ”Viva Gordidas”, “OOO, cleavage”, ”I’m not just cute, I’m sexy”, “You didn’t want to be a groomsman?, You didn’t get asked to be!” “It was a bee-sting”, “50 slab”, “How does it feel do be away from the TV?”
- At the Fox and the Hound…again too many shall we say…Eddieisms….”Sam, will you be my best man?”, “How about before you ask Sam to be your best man, you ask me to be your wife?” “Sam, you are not and aquaintance, you eh a friend, and as long if you live, you a a friend. And if you don’t show us this tape, I gonna come up and kick boffa you a$$e$.” “Cuz you got it like that, you gotta do it, you gotta take care of it, and that’s the bottom line!” “Frank!”, “To Sam, we love him, we love his woman, and we hopes him lots of happiness”
- Also at the Fox and Hound…Pat making a friend, The bump sign, Mike and Noel breaking up at Sam’s wedding, “No, cause you keep drinking Ho.”
- The second reception…Mike, splitting his chin open and spraying champagne everywhere, Mike in the pool, Durwood punching Jason, Ralph driving up with the weed-eater in the miata, Uncle Brian’s Dancing, Learning the salsa, dad singing to mom
- Mom taking us to the Farrington
Other things we heard about later…The flamingo through the window and Jeanette parking her car in her bedroom.
There were many other memories from that day that have slipped into the deapths of my baby bumbled brain, but needless to say, it was a day to remember.
Never again will those same people be together in one place at one time…in fact it seems as though some of them we may never see or speak to again even separately.
And never again will Sam and I feel that same exact feeling…actually, it only gets better.
Today, Tommorow, Always
Decker’s Dedication
So we had Decker’s dedication today. It didn’t quite work out as we had planned since the presentation didn’t work during the ceremony, we ran out of videotape, our camera batteries died and Decker cried through half of it, but it was still a special day. I guess it was my first experience with planning something special to make a perfect memory and getting dissappointed, I am sure there will be others…He is still an amazing boy!
Here is the presentation with his special song…decker_s-dedication You may have to save it to open it.
Relay Results
So we raised almost $2500 for the Relay for Life this year. Not too shabby with everything else going on. Decker did great through the whole thing. I did bring him home to sleep at night instead of staying there, but maybe next year we can both stay overnight. Here is a couple pics from the event:
This weekend is Decker’s dedication, so we are excited about that.
Relay time!
We are packing up everything to take to the Relay for Life tomorrow. At this point I am always ready for the thing to be over, but keep coming back to do it every year after I see the emotion in the survivors faces at the opening ceremonies. I also keep going back as a team captain because someone new that we know gets diagnosed every single year! It is ridiculous!
We haven’t raised as much as I had hoped going into the event this year, but it has been a busy few months for all of us, so something is better than nothing!
This year is the first time I won’t be spending the night since I need to bring Decker home for bed. He is still amazing us every day. He responds to his name now and is holding things. He also rolled over with a little help on Tuesday. 
He really likes to be read to and to look at the colorful pictures. He looks so grown up!
Almost 3 months
So, Decker is almost 3 months now and he is such a joy for us. He smiles all the time and is really taking in all the sights and sounds around him. I can’t believe how alert he is. He is liking to be on his side quite a bit and chews on his fingers and drools all over the place…perhaps he’s teething? Seems way too early for that. His new favorite toy is his sfot bear Great Aunt Barb and Uncle Don got for him.
He squeezes the life out of him and likes to suck on his ear. 
Sam and I are doing well. The dogs have been sick, so we have been cleaning up poop off the garage floor almost every day, they are sometimes bigger babies than Decker, so that hasn’t been fun, but otherwise life is good.
