For my first Mother’s Day as a mother, Sam and Ben took me out for a delicious brunch at Columbia Firehouse.

And then all hell broke loose.

Well, that might be a slight exaggeration. But really, Sam is no longer the best dining-out companion. Gone are the days when he would sit in his car seat contentedly playing with a toy.

Actually, for most of the brunch Sam was completely happy, he was just screaming nonstop. He screamed in the restaurant, he screamed in the car, he screamed at the grocery store, and he screamed at home. My ears hurt. Shhh!

So my first Mother’s Day was not quite the idyllic day I was picturing, but it was still wonderful. I got to hang out with my two favorite people in the entire world. (And I got to sleep until 9!)

Last Friday, we were honored to be a part of something truly special.

When Ben was younger, he was friends with a  boy named Graham. Graham had a heart condition and died when he was just a little boy. Ben and his family have remained close with Graham’s family over the years. When we found out we were having a little boy, we wanted to honor Graham’s memory. We named Sam after Graham, whose first name was actually Samuel.

Last Friday a cherry tree was planted on the national mall in Graham’s honor (a kind gift from friends of Graham’s parents). Graham’s parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends flew out to DC for the occasion.

After several touching and moving words about Graham, the tree was planted. Everyone took turns shoveling dirt around Graham’s tree. Here his mother Claudia, his father David, and his sister Eliza take their turn.

We wanted Sam to take part in this as well.

We feel honored to have been able to name Sam after such a wonderful child who left this world way too soon. We cherish the friendship with his family and know it will continue throughout our lives.

We went to swim class today. All was going well–we practiced paddling, we practiced kicking, we sang “Wheels on the Bus.” And then it happened. Our swim teacher instructed us to gather together: it was time to dunk the babies. Yikes!

She told us to count to three and then after saying “three” we should blow in our baby’s face and dunk him under. If your baby comes up coughing and crying, that’s it for the day.

So we did it. And Sam was a champ! He came up blinking, but no tears or coughing! I dunked him three times and by the third time he scrunched his face up in anticipation. He’s so smart. Of course, that was also the only the time he came up coughing so maybe his scrunchy face isn’t actually the best for going underwater… In any case, I am sure he is destined to be the next Michael Phelps (except without all the pot-smoking, of course!).

By the way, I found out that taking pictures at the pool is actually not allowed. So no more adorable swimming pics until summer comes and our neighborhood pool finally opens.

Our mom and baby yoga class was fun, but it’s over. We needed a new activity, so we signed up for swim class. Well, “swim” may be overstating it. Maybe splash class is a better title.

The first class was a little hectic– I didn’t think we would make it out of the locker room. You would be amazed at how hard it is to juggle a baby, a diaper bag, and a purse while trying to take off your cover up and not set anything down on a wet tile floor. Good thing I at least thought to put on our bathing suits before we left the house. Isn’t he adorable in his swim trunks?

But we did eventually make it out of the locker room. And even had time left to snap a quick photo–an essential part of any baby outing. Can you tell how excited Sam is about plunging into the pool?

My friend Deirdre and her daughter Evelyn are taking the class with us. And when I got to class, I saw that my friend Janna and her son TJ were in the class. The three babies love splashing around together.

Sam loves his bath time, so I knew he would be comfortable in the water. But the water is SO much colder than his bath. He doesn’t seem to mind but I think he is glad to be wrapped in a warm towel when all is said and done.

Next week we’re dunking the babies under the water! Last week we poured water over their heads to get them ready. Sam fluttered his eyes a little bit but didn’t cry. I’ll let y’all know how the big dunk goes!

Sam loves his dad.

He loves to “run” with his dad.

He loves when they play at the park together.

He loves when they read books together before bed.

And most of all, Sam loves giving his dad a hug.

Well, most of all, he loves pulling his dad’s hair. But hugs are a close second.

Making your own baby food is all the rage these days. This website is super helpful. It tells you the best way to prepare different foods and at what ages babies can eat them. The secret to making the process easy is to just batch-cook one type of fruit or veggie. Once you have pureed it, you can freeze it in an ice-cube tray and have little individual servings for weeks to come!

I had to buy a new ice cube tray after I noticed that I was scraping little bits of blue plastic onto the little food cubes. Oops! I found these great trays at Sur La Table. Each cube is exactly 1/2 ounce.

The best part about these is that you can just scoop out a bunch of the puree and then smooth it into the cubes with a butter knife– much easier than filling each individual cube.

And viola! Once they are frozen, you can push them out really easily from the back and store them in a freezer bag. Then just heat and serve.

Sam loves sweet potatoes!

In case you didn’t believe me…

Sam really is ticklish!

Sam has been a big environmentalist from day one.

Sam (along with all of the hottest celebrities) is a big supporter of the NRDC.

So it should come as no surprise that he wants to wish you a happy Earth Day!

And remind you to do all you can to save our planet. Did you know that one way you can help the Earth is by eating a little less meat? Find out more on my friend Angie’s blog.

Oops! It has been a full week since I posted something. Sorry about that. We have been busy enjoying the spring weather! This weekend we took a little family stroll down to the park.

Sam and I had a fun time on the swings.

Dad is so crazy!

More swinging…

What a fun day at the park!