Live video

So we just realized our standard camcorder is on the fritz, in the meantime these mini-videos taken with our digital camera will have to suffice. Unfortunatley no volume on these two clips, mommy is working on getting a better recorder :-)

New set of wheels!

It took some time given Samantha's new arrival, but we finally decided to say goodbye to Michelle's 1992 Honda Accord LX. It gave us many years of dependable driving, but she was starting to break down inside and we didn't want any disaster on our hands. So, sticking with the Honda family, we upgraded to the 2008 CRV EX model. Drove it around a bit yesterday, mommy is very happy in her new vehicle.

Sad day for Mommy

Today is Samantha's first day at child care -- we call is "school." It was definitely an emotional moment leaving her there this morning. The girls (Fran and Jayme) could not have been more supportive and great. I admit it: I cried. I cried while I was there and cried in the car on the way to my eye appointment. I guess it is never easy to leave. Justin will likely check on her around lunch time and I'm picking her up later this afternoon after my dentist appointment (yes, I'm a glutton for punishment). On the flipside, this gave me some time to myself today.
Needless to say, there is never another first day away from your little girl. ;)

Samantha is 2 months old

Our little girl turns 2 months old today. Wow! Some recent glamour shots in the house. :)
It's mighty cold outside and we're doing our best to bring out the smiles inside.

Down time

Not only does mommy take naps with little Sam, but so does daddy ... caught red-handed!

Vegas Baby (literally)

After much planning and thought, we decided to brave the elements and leave wintry Detroit for a short visit to sunny Las Vegas. Traveling with little Samantha was no easy chore, we had minor issues both leaving and returning. But overall the trip was worth it. She got to see her grandparents, and meet her great-grandmother Marlyne for the first time. As always the trips are too short, but we had a wonderful time seeing everyone!

Mommy & Me

Samantha says ... me likie nap time!

(Mommy says, me no likie sore neck sleeping sideways ...)

North American Intl Auto Show

We enjoyed a nice outing to the Cobo Center where the annual North American Auto Show was going on. We got a chance to see all the new and exciting happenings in the auto industry that will be taking place over the next year. It was a nice place to get Samantha out and about since the temperatures are around 10 degrees now...
Justin picked out his Jaguar and I'm standing in front of the Ferrari. It was just a lot of fun to walk around. There were 2 crash test dummies handing out some information . Samantha enjoyed her outing by sleeping through the whole event. We knew it was time to go when she woke up screaming due to hunger. We were ready to feed her and go home.

One month old, and growing!

So Michelle took Samantha to the pediatrician's one-month office visit, and to our surprise she's already over 9 lbs! (9# 1.8 oz to be exact). She was a tiny 6 lbs, 12.5 oz at birth. We're seeing her grow every day, her cheeks filling in more and with better skin turgor. Quite an amazing process to say the least. Parents are still a bit sleep-deprived and trying to stay sane in the same process! Here are some random house shots ...

Winter wonderland ...

Two decent snowstorms so far this winter, a nice deck-shot of the sun setting on our frozen golf course ...

Simchat Bas

We wrapped up the New Year and Samantha's visit to the world with a Hebrew naming ceremony at our synagogue, Adat Shalom. She was named "Michaela" after Michelle's grandfather, Malvin Freeman, who passed away on 12/17/07 after battling a long illness. It was a beautiful & emotional mceremony, with friends from work in attendance as well.

Additional guests ...

After Beth's departure and week to ourselves, we were greeted by additional out-of-towners: Ray & Adrienne for a week, as well as David & Gretchen for two days. A wonderful chance for bonding with little Samantha, we thank everyone for their travels and look forward to more get-togethers soon!

1st couple of weeks ...

We've been home almost 2 weeks now and Samantha turns 2 weeks old today. The last few weeks have been amazing and terrifying. Birth and labor, hospital stay, and finally bringing home a perfect baby girl. We enjoyed the company of Justin's parents (Myriam and Leslie) and Michelle's mother (Beth) who were able to be there for her entrance into the world. We could not have gone through the labor without the help of Beth and the terrific nurses at HVSH.We're enjoying learning about Samantha and am sure that she is having fun learning about her new world. She's discovered lights and her hands mostly. Ginger is not sure what to do about Samantha. For now they are just realizing each other's existence. We're okay with that at this point!

Try this link to see all the hospital pics taken:

http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=p5sww8n.5hxae2fr&x=0&y=9bdjhp

Birthday bash!

So in between all the madness of having and caring for a new child, we managed some sanity be leaving the house and attending a birthday party ... that of one-year old Jacob Lovy (son to Rich & Sharlene, who we work with at Botsford). Things really got exciting towards the end when little Jacob went to town on his mini-cake :-)

Samantha Eve Nudell

She's here!

Happy 30th!!

Yours truly turned another decade older (& wiser?), we had a great time celebrating with a delicious dinner at Bone Fish Grill. Later we celebrated with caramel apple pie and the opening of gifts. Michelle got me (us) and awesome GPS tracking device that we can use in our cars to help navigate the open roads. We wrapped up by lighting Channukah lights, which started on Tuesday. All in all a nice evening ...

Visiting guests ...

We were very excited to meet & greet Beth, who's in town visiting our future "addition" to the family :-) We got some more white stuff later that evening after doing some food shopping, she & Michelle have had a very relaxing week shopping and staying at home. Ginger gets into the act with her red devlish eyes ...