Sam's First Christmas

Thanksgiving

Bryan and I are so very thankful for several major blessings sent our way over the last year and it's great to have a holiday to reflect on these blessings with our family and friends. We made trip back to Iowa on Tuesday in just over 11 hours in the car which isn't too bad with a three month old baby. We stopped in Newton for a quick pizza that night with my parents and then pushed on the rest of the way to Cedar Rapids. It was a long day in the car but Sam was a total trooper and thankfully slept most of the way. We lounged around Wednesday with Bryan's family, ate dinner with his dad, and spent the evening with our friends the Kelloggs. Thursday most of Karen's family met at Debbie's house for a wonderful meal. We have almost outgrown her house as Sam is now the only little kid it seems. After a little more time with his Nanna, we packed Sam up again and headed back to Newton Thursday night. The Sogard women still brave the malls early on Black Friday and this year was even better as Kate and Abbie joined us for the first time! The men met up with us briefly to drop Sam off with me after lunch and then we returned that night to celebrate my 27th birthday. It was my first birthday as a mom... another one of those special firsts for me. The past few birthdays have been just Bryan and I in FL, so it was extra nice to be sung Happy Birthday while being in the same room with our family. Saturday was Thanksgiving again there, topped off with some great Fast Scrabble and ping pong. Sunday we all packed up and headed west again, this time through a little bit of bad weather but we made it home safe and sound. It was a wonderful week of sharing Sam, catching up, and relaxing with our family. We are thankful we get to go back in a few weeks and do it all over again!

A Sam update... This coming Wednesday Sam is officially 3 months/13 weeks old!!! The time is really going quickly. He smiles often, loves to suck on his hands, and is losing more and more hair each day (thinning in the front, a bald spot on both sides where he rubs when tired, and the normal bald spot on the back)! He likes to be in his diaper, take baths, play in his ocean floor-gym thing, stare at the Christmas tree lights/ all lights, grab onto things, and sit upright. Our nights are a little back and forth but he is usually up sometime around 3-4ish and then again around 7:15 which I can handle since I'm luckily still at home. He is getting chubby and long and is starting to fit into 3-6 month clothes. Sam makes Bryan and I so happy and we couldn't be more thankful for our little miracle. It's fun for me to see Sam instantly wash away the stresses of Bryan's job the minute he walks through the door. I am totally enjoying my two boys!

Enjoy some pictures from the last two weeks! JR