Some of Sam's other visitors...

In the last post, we told you about all the helpers who have come from out of town to help take care of us over the last 2 months, but we've also had the pleasure of introducing Samantha to so many of our other friends and family. If you aren't pictured below, it's because we either haven't had the chance to see you... or the picture just didn't turn out! :-)

Here are pics of some of our wonderful visitors:

Stacey Hatch came to visit us in the hospital (with her husband, Don)

We also spent some time with the Hatches out on our back deck.

We don't know if Don made Samantha cry or if it's the other way around. Either way... they both look pretty scary.

Technically, they aren't visitors, but here are pictures of Samantha's 4-legged sisters, Charlie and Sadie. After 8 weeks, they still aren't 100% sure about this little being we brought into our house... we think they're waiting for the "owners" to come pick her up and take her home.



Soon after we got home, our friends Anne Marie and Dave Mills came over to visit. Not only did they meet Samantha, but they brought us a bottle of wine... and Lisa could finally have a glass!!! :-)

Great Grandma Shepard came up from Corvallis when Sam was about 5 days old. Samantha is her 6th great grandchild, so she's a veteran with these rascals.

We had a surprise visit from Lisa's second cousin, Bart, and his new wife, Holin. Samantha was about 8 days old... and the new Mr. and Mrs. Wilbanks were passing through town on the way to Seattle to attend a friend's wedding. Sean and Lisa hadn't seen Bart for about 6 years, so it was a treat to get to introduce them both to Sam so early on in her life.

Our former next-door-neighbors, Rob & Teresa came by to bring us food and meet the new Shepard. Their sons, Brayden and Noah, also came to visit, but we didn't manage to capture a picture of them. Give it a few years, and we're sure Samantha will have a crush on their adorable sons. :-)

When John and Julie Kinney came by to meet Samantha, we snapped this picture of them. John is 6' 5" and Julie is Thai, so we think they should send this picture in their Christmas cards next year... and spend the next year explaining how they wound up with a tiny, non-Asian baby. :-)

The Scott family came by to visit and Samantha was more than happy to share her pack 'n play with their daughter Lucy. Lucy is exactly 4 weeks older than Samantha, so she's our constant "preview" of what's to come! Jake and Sarah's son, Finn, was too excited with Samantha's toys to catch a shot of him with her!

A few weeks later, we captured this adorable pic of Sarah and Samantha over at Jake & Sarah's house.



When Papa and Nana came up from Las Vegas for the PWC golf tournament, they brought family friends, Russ and Robbie with them. It was fun to watch Robbie and Nana wrestle each other for the next turn at holding Samantha! Meanwhile, we had to talk Russ into holding such a small baby, but he did a wonderful job and Samantha was instantly smitten with him. Sam is very lucky to have "surrogate" grandparents like Russ and Robbie.

Our friends, Warren and Toni, brought us yummy food and wonderful company when Samantha was about a month old. We call Toni "The Baby Whisperer" because she just has a way with babies that calms them right down.

Samantha also got to meet Warren and Toni's gorgeous daughter, Emma, who was about 6 months old. We are smitten with our daughter, of course, but when you hear little Emma giggle (something Samantha isn't doing quite yet), your heart just absolutely melts. We know Emma is going to be a wonderful friend to Samantha as they grow up together.

After things had settled down a bit, and we were ready for more visitors, our friend Darci came by to meet Samantha. Darci and Lisa have been friends since 4th grade and she introduced Sean and Lisa, so of course, she takes full credit for the arrival of this little munchkin! :-) Darci is studying to be a nurse and had just completed her rotation in Labor and Delivery, so she had first hand experience with some of the hilarity we call "giving birth".

Lisa's coworker, Jake, stopped by to meet Samantha. Of course, as soon as Samantha was fussy, Lisa made him hold her. He looks like a natural, doesn't he! :-)