The Helms are back!!!

Well, hello everyone! I noticed that my last post was in July.....wow time flies by. Seems like I just posted last month :) Our days, nights and everything in between have been so busy lately, but I realize that this blog is a major way to communicate what the Helms are up to! To those that have asked me about the blog, thank you. That has motivated me to start back again! Although my posts may be shorter, I'll try to add something weekly!

Let's see....where to start since last July. I'm not sure I can remember it all, but I'll give the highlights!

Phil and me

I started my new job in May at the NC Solar Center at NC State University....I'm still there and loving it. The flexibility and the chance for me to grow the outreach program has been such a blessing. I am so thankful every day that I found this job. Plus, now Phil is excited since I work for NCSU where he is attending graduate school. He will never take me away from my Tar Heels though!! If only he understood the crazy rivalry between UNC, Duke and NCSU...I guess you have to have grown up here or attended one of the schools. Anyhoo, I digress...

Over the last five months, I've learned a lot about me, Phil and Samantha. Becoming a parent sure does teach you many life lessons and brushes you up on things from your own childhood! I've become an avid reader of Dr. Suess books and Elmo Hide and Seek books, an architect that builds grand structures with Legos, a herder of stuffed animals, a dancer, a singer, a master dresser of a wiggly kid, and an expert chaser of kids in crowded malls, restaurants and grocery stores. I'd say both Phil and I have excelled in these areas. We have had so much fun being parents and watching Samantha grow.

Phil is still in graduate school part-time, but finished one of his hardest classes in the program this last semester - advanced calculus. I know it is very hard on him going to school and having a family. We often do not see each other much during the week unless we are both with Samantha. He needs lots of study time. It will be worth it in the end, I just know he misses spending some of his free time with us. He's still at IBM, but will be moving on to a different type of job in Feb (still has the same manager)...he's excited about the transition, so therefore, I am as well!

Samantha

Where do I start??? She is excelling in her "school" as we call it. Her vocabulary is growing faster than she is I think! we are so surprised at what she already knows and how she can repeat things after us and remember the word. I don't recall being this smart at her age...ha! We read a lot of books with her and I know her teachers read and sing a lot with the kids. They also do art and have a musician come in to play different instruments. I know she really likes it there, and even has her friends. Every weekend we hear the names shouted of a few of her friends...Isaac, Jacob, Thomas, Avery and a few others. It's nice that she enjoys going to school during the day. It definitely makes us feel better that she's learning.

She's now on a much better nap schedule of around 12:15-2:30/3pm. So we get a lot more time with her in the morning now. She is still going to bed between 6:30/7pm...That is a little tough as far as getting out to do anything in the evening. Although, to be honest, we are so tired in the evening that it's fine with us. Phil would tell you I fall asleep in the evenings around 8:30pm, and honestly, I can't refute that!

Samantha now can sing quite a few songs almost entirely by herself...our favorites are A,B,C's, Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star, The Itsy Bitsy Spider, Old MacDonald, The Wheels on the Bus Go Round and Round, and I'm a Little Teapot....We are a singing family....we sing in the car, at restaurants, in the mall, while we're changing diapers, etc. I don't think of myself as a good singer, but Samantha doesn't seem to mind if my voice cracks a time or two :-)

We have only taken one trip since I write last and that was to Boone, NC with our Hopper Street neighbors - Sara and Mike and baby Rachael Concini. We had a great time, and it was nice to actually get out of Raleigh for a few days. We have decided that quick trips like these are really healthy!! Phil and I stayed overnight in Charlotte after we went to see a Panthers NFL game....We didn't realize how important it was to have time alone....It's just hard to leave our little sweet pea!

We also took Samantha to a pumpkin farm in Nov. We had a blast with the Concini's...I have never actually gone to one of these farms...It took my having my own child to do the trick!

Now as the holidays approach, we are really anxious for Christmas and to see how excited Samantha is. Last year, she was not old enough to realize what was going on. Most of the gifts this year will be for her, so we can't wait to see her tear through the paper and play with all her toys, etc for about five minutes each :)

Well, in an effort to keep these posts to a time limited that's all for today! Thanks for reading after my sabbatical from blogging!!

Until next time.....