Samantha is eating, tickling, fake laughing and imitating animals

Here are some more videos from the last couple of months. Just a little glimpse for those of you who are far away and want to see how Sam is doing. As noted below, the first two videos are repeats from videos I uploaded to Facebook, but I put them here for my non-facebook friends and family.

Don't bother me... I'm eating (20 seconds)
10/8/09 - 16 months old
(If you're on Facebook, you may have already seen this one)

This video is a perfect example of how much Samantha loves her breakfast. You do NOT want to keep this girl waiting when it comes to breakfast. I make her breakfast using ground up grains (like millet, quinoa, brown rice, etc) and ground up legumes (lentils, split peas, chickpeas, etc.). I then mix in some pureed kale and peanut butter or an egg. YUMMY... Want me to come cook breakfast for you? :) As you can see, though, Samantha isn't complaining! I figure if I feed her this in the morning, even if she refuses to eat anything else all day, she's had lots of nutrition to get her brain going!

Tickle Tickle (11 seconds)
10/24/09 - 16 months old
(This is another one that I posted on Facebook)

I was SO happy when I captured this on video. This is video of Samantha making what we USED to call her Turkey sound. But a few days after she started making the sound, we realized she was saying "Tickle Tickle Tickle" because she'll usually do it while trying to tickle our tummy, our armpits, our feet or anything else she thinks might be ticklish (including her stuffed animals). This video is now 2 months old and I'm happy to say that Samantha still says "Tickle Tickle" on occasion. I tell her that if she's smart, she'll keep saying it because it makes me laugh everytime and could really help her get out of trouble sometime in the future!

Animal Impersonations (12 seconds)
11/26/09 - About 17 months old

This is probably the clearest video we have of my little munchkin making animal sounds. We are particularly partial to "Lion", but honestly, love listening to Sam make all her animal sounds. The amazing thing to me is that every time she learns a new one, it surprises us. It's not like we're making her practice with flashcards. She learns all of her words and sounds just through us reading with her and talking with her. I wonder if she'll learn algebra this easily... :)

Fake Laugh (12 seconds)
11/10/09 - 17 months old

Listen to this little actress! I guess she's trying to convince me something is REALLY funny. And lo and behold... it WAS funny!

Sam using her fork... and a few fingers (24 seconds)
10/29/09 - almost 17 months old

I promise not to post every mundane video about Samantha learning a new skill, but this one is really funny to me because it shows Samantha's need for structure and order. As she stabs her cantaloupe with her fork, a piece slides off. Of course, she doesn't just pick it up and eat it. No... it has to go back on the plate. Samantha has quite a few of these "yikes, there's something out of place" tendencies... and at the same time, has no problem if all of her toys are laying around the house. Go figure...

Mommy's Shoes (15 seconds)
12/1/09 - Almost 18 months

Samantha is definitely inheriting her Mommy's fascination with shoes (yes, you did just hear Sean sigh in the background). I have to admit... I was pretty impressed with her coordination with these ones, especially since she put them on herself. I hope the paparazzi doesn't get a hold of this video... I'll be lambasted for letting my little girl wear high heels!

As usual, I hope to get more pics and videos uploaded soon... hopefully it won't take me months like it did last time!

Lots of love from LV...
The Shepards

Samantha is singing, dancing, spitting, swimming and just loving life!

Hi there (and Merry Christmas)!!! Here are a few videos that hopefully give you an idea of what Samantha is up to these days. I have been very remiss in updating the blog, so a few of the videos go back to October, but some are from just a few days ago. I hope to upload a few more over "Christmas Break" as I'm hoping to have a little bit more time to sort through all the videos we take.

"Open Them, Shut Them"
12/20/09 - 18 months old
Video is 50 seconds long

Samantha and I have gone to "Story Time" at the library quite a few times. The last time we went, we learned a new song that has recently become Samantha's favorite. This is video of her singing the song with me.

"Ring Around The Rosie"
12/20/09 - 18 months old
Video is 13 seconds long

Samantha still doesn't do the whole "we all fall down, part", but you can get an idea of her great rhythm and dancing skills!

Sam and Daddy in a Blowing Match
10/13/09 - 16 months old
Video is 34 seconds long

While getting Samantha ready for bed, Sean started blowing on her face to make her laugh. Sam, of course, decided to copy her dad, and they wound up in a blowing/spitting match!

"Opening the Hamster Dance Card"
12/4/09 - 18 months old
Video is 8 seconds long

A few weeks ago, Samantha got a present in the mail (not a Christmas present, so she was allowed to open it early!). She loved the gift she received, of course, but she was even more interested in the musical card we got. I included this video beause it shows Samantha's joy in the little things! I can speak from experience when I say that the "Hamster Dance Song" can get stuck in your head really easily! :)

"Trick or Treating with our Little Ladybug"
Halloween - 16 months old
Video is 9 seconds long

When we got Sam's costume for this year, we thought we'd just put her in it for a few seconds, take a couple shots, and call it quits. But she LOVED her costume! And she really enjoyed Trick-Or-Treating (until she got really tired, of course).

"Swimming Hard"
10/21/09 - 16 months old
Video is 18 seconds long

This video is from a couple months ago, but it shows that Samantha is starting to really kick and paddle. Most importantly, she LOVES to get in the water, and that's our biggest desire.