"Papa & Dede"

Since Sam was growing inside of me, I have wondered if Mike's parents loved him more than we did.  I remember Steve shedding tears the first time he saw me with my Sam baby bump.  I remember Dede sneaking upstairs to take a peak at my Sam baby bump while I napped.  They were their the day he was born and were absolutely glowing as they got their first look at him.



















Two weeks after Sam was born we traveled to Raleigh to stay with Papa and Dede for his first Christmas.  The night we arrived Sam was inconsolable.  It was one of those parenting moments where you try everything to calm your child and you fail every time.  I breast fed him like 70 times, rocked him, sang to him, we took him for a car ride, picked up infant gas medicine.  Nothing worked.  I sat up in a bedroom and just gave up.  Mike brought him down to Dede and she just rocked him for hours and hours while he cried.  They sat together all night long and he finally fell asleep on her.  

Papa and Dede came to visit us often in Charleston and every time they did they insisted Mike and I go out.  These were really the only date nights we had since we had no family in town.  I know they secretly wanted us out of the way so they could have Sam all to themselves.  He has always been attached to me and tends to interact with EVERYONE better if I am not in the room.  ;)

When Sam was 10 months old, I decided to go back to work full time.  We had some struggles finding childcare that we felt comfortable with, so Dede packed a bag and was our live-in nanny for an entire month so I could start my job.  Shortly after that, Sam was diagnosed with Ollier's and had his first surgery.  Steve and Dede were there in the waiting room with us and helped us through what turned out to be some of the worst days of my life. 

Papa and Dede stayed with Sam for our first weekend away from him.  They stayed with Sam for a week so Mike and I could go on our honeymoon.  They gave us their timeshare that year so we could afford to go on a honeymoon.  They stayed with Sam again the next weekend so Mike and I could attend a wedding in Madison, WI.  They never say no.  They always drop everything to help us.

Sam always looked forward to Papa and Dede's visits.  We couldn't tell him until the day they were coming or he would ask us incessantly if they were here yet.  One day when Sam was just over a year old, we were out playing on the tiny porch off our bedroom and Sam recognized Papa's car and starting yelling, "Hi Papa Dede!" and waving.  I'll never forget the look on their faces.  He would share muffins with Papa in the morning.  He would let Dede read him stories, sing him songs and put him to sleep at night.  After he went to bed, we all would discuss how cute, smart, funny Sam was and tell stories of him we all knew well as evidence of these traits.  "He belongs in magazines," Dede would always say.

When Mike visited my hospital room on July 26th, 2013, and told me that one of Sam's eyes was not focusing, the first thing I said was, "he needs an MRI today."  The second thing I said was, "please call your parents and see if they can come early."  Of course they came right away.  I don't remember a lot about our time in the hospital, but I do remember they were there with us.

I honestly am still not sure who loves Sam the most.  I have said to several people when describing Mike's parents that they were the only people I was certain would jump into oncoming traffic if Sam asked them to.