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

Sam's Cousins

Before Sam arrived, I was in the habit of sending out recent pictures of my brother Matt's kids to a handful of friends and family. I haven't shared for a long time so I thought I'd add them to our blog. Bryan and I have loved watching them grow from afar over the past few years and are loving every minute of being in the same town with them now. They are happy, beautiful children with really fun and relaxed personalities. They know they are loved and are such a joy to be around. Kate turned 4 this past Fourth of July, Luke will be 3 in February, and Dan is almost 7 months old. Kate is loving preschool and seems to be pretty grown up lately. Luke loves to play with his sister and love on Dan. Daniel is just a little large and such a happy boy. : ) They all love Sam and Bryan and I are so thankful they can grow up together now that we're here. Sam will have three great friends and teachers. Matt and Abbie are fantastic parents and are great models for Bryan and I. We feel really blessed to have the five of them around. Thanks for letting me share our family!

Bath Time

Here are a few pictures from Sam's bath last night. He loves the water being poured on his chest and has started kicking and splashing around! He will be ten weeks old tomorrow and is moving into 3-6 month clothes. It's fun to see new creases form on those cute arms and legs! Enjoy!

First Captured Smile

I was quite suprised today to capture a smile on camera for the first time. Beautiful. That's all his proud parents can say.

Two Months Old

Samuel turned two months old on Monday, November 10th. He continues to grow and get stronger every day. Some of his favorite activities right now include looking at the world propped over Mom's shoulder, kicking his legs/ waving his arms wildly while partially clothed, and sucking on his hands when he is hungry. Bryan and I are seeing more and more smiles where he knows what he is doing... one of the prettier things in life for sure. Sam was 11 pounds, 13 ounces and 23 inches long at his two month appointment yesterday, which puts him in the 50th percentile for both height and weight. He had his first major round of immunizations too... 5 pokes! He did very well, although it was a little tough on me. Sam is a joy each day and we are looking forward to many more smiles, creases in his arms and legs, and those pretty baby sounds. Enjoy the pictures!

October's End

The last week in October was a busy one for our family. We were finally able to get into our apartment in Parker on Thursday. After nearly a month in Matt and Abbie's basement living out of suitcases, we were thrilled to get our stuff out of storage and move into our own space. We have spent the last few days sorting through things--- figuring out how to get a house worth of stuff, plus an elementary teacher's classroom belongings into a two bedroom/ one car garage apartment has been a bit of a challenge but we are close! Bryan put up some major shelving in the garage that we are pretty excited about to make it all work. We are happy to be a little more settled into our new home and are anxious to be starting a normal routine.

Sam also enjoyed his first trick-or-treating experience on Friday. We started with a few pictures with his cousins and visited a couple houses on their block. Sam peaked his eyes open for a few pictures but slept through the festivities in his pumpkin outfit (not very unique but we struggled to find something small enough). He caught his first cold this weekend so we have learned how to deal with messy sneezes, rough breathing, and a different kind of fussiness. He seems to be on the mend today so we'll see. He will be two months old on the 10th, believe it or not and is getting long and filling out those cheeks! Life is good in Denver!

Bath Time!!

We noticed we didn't have many pictures of Sam while he was awake posted so here are a few from his bath last night. He loves getting water poured on his head and belly. The cold lotion afterwards is questionable but he lets me do it. That crazy hair seems to be sticking around and gets lots of remarks from the ladies!

Sorry... Sorry... Sorry!!

Things have been just a bit hectic over the last few weeks so I am a little behind with our blog. Quick update for you... We arrived safely in Denver just over a week ago. Sam did great on both stretches of the trip and didn't mind flying one bit. The poor kid was in four states that day while being only four weeks old --- What a trooper! We spent a long weekend in Cedar Rapids and were able to see most of Bryan's family, a few friends and my parents. It was great to get to share Samuel with everyone, although the long line of interested baby-holders was a little tough on mom... : ) The last week in Denver has been great. Bryan started work right away last Tuesday, which is going well. It's a little different than the corporate life he had been living but he is enjoying being back in the plant and home every night. We have looked at several apartments and are close to getting something figured out. Our plan is to rent for this first year and see how things shake out with selling our house in FL and then decide what to do here. For now, we are loving life in Matt and Abbie's basement and are greatful for their generosity. Ab and I and the four kids have spent the last few days playing, taking Kate to preschool, both of them to swimming lessons, cooking, shopping, and talking babies. They are all so flexible and relaxed and it has been great. We have been able to be with Jamie a bunch too and are thankful she doesn't mind driving to Matt's until our cars get here. Bryan and I are so thankful to be in the same town with family and are excited to see them for short, normal visits and to be able to do regular things together.

Now for the fun news... Our little boy is one month old already!!!! Sheesh! Thankfully he handled these last few crazy weeks very well. At our appointment out here on the 8th (just shy of one month old), he weighed 9 pounds, 5 and a half ounces and was 22 inches long, which put him in the 45th percentile. He is filling out and is starting to look more and more like his dad. He is more awake and alert each day and is working hard to hold that head up. He is sleeping for a good 5-6 hour stretch at night which is making life lovely! He's learned a lot already about being passed around, airports, the hands and kisses of little cousins, apartment searching, hot and cold weather, and living out of a suitcase! He amazes Bryan and I each day and has brought us so much joy!

We are so very thankful for this last month of our lives. A baby and a move half-way across the country in under one month... why not!!!! : )

The Rempts Are Denver Bound!!!!!

We are happy to report that our family is moving to Denver, CO this week!!! Bryan has accepted a production supervisor position with his current company and will start in Littleton on the 7th! Things are happening very quickly. The moving company will be coming to pack on Wednesday, load on Thursday, and we fly to Iowa on Friday. We will spend a brief weekend in Iowa spending time with local family and friends. Monday, October 6th, we will depart for our final destination Denver, Colorado. All three of us are looking forward to the joys and challenges that Denver will present. We also want to thank all of our Florida friends that have been so great and supportive. We will miss you greatly.

Time Is Flying Already!

Sam was two weeks old yesterday... can you believe it!?! He is doing very well. We all enjoyed our time with Grandpa and Grandma Sogard in town. I'll get a few other pictures up soon!

Weight Celebrations!

Good news for Samuel and I both from our doctors this week... Sam weighed 8 pounds even at birth and was down to 7.11 when we left the hospital. At his first weight check on Monday he weighed in again at 7.11. They wanted to make sure that number was headed back up so we went back today. In two days, he has put on 5 ounces and is currently back up to his birth weight! That makes his parents very happy and helps his mom know that nursing is going the way it should! We go back at two weeks to check his status again!

I got good news yesterday from my doctor too. From last Tuesday to this Tuesday, I have officially lost 30 pounds! That confirmed just how much fluid my body was holding with this preeclampsia stuff. My feet, ankles, legs, and face are returning to normal and I am feeling very well.

Here's one more picture of our little boy that is doing so very well. Thanks for checking in on us via our blog. It's fun to share!!

Sam's First Few Days

Life with Sam at home is going very well! Here are a few more pictures of our new little guy that we have taken over the last few days. We can't resist pretty sleeping faces, scrunched up noses, and yummy yawns. He is eating well and making his mom and dad very proud already. The first round of grandparents get down here Thursday night and we are excited to introduce our little man in person. Thanks again for your well wishes and love. We are so proud to share Samuel with you!

A Beautiful Baby Boy!

Samuel Patrick arrived Wednesday, September 10th at 4:32 P.M. He weighed 8 pounds even and was 20 and a half inches long. He is healthy and perfect and our new little family is doing well! We will get details and other pictures posted soon. Thank you so much for the calls and such sharing in our joy. We are very thankful for our gift from God and enoying each new moment with him. Check back soon!

Things Are Starting to Get Interesting...

The babe and I are still doing well as we are now 37 weeks along! My body has changed a bit---my ring no longer fits... my watch that usually dangles leaves marks around my wrist... and I look very attractive with the tops of my feet and ankles so swollen! The doctor scolded me a this week because my feet are so bad and I've just been wearing flip flops to work- where it's impossible for me to elevate them much two weeks into the year... SO... tonight I am sporting a new pair of knee-high support hose! Hopefully they aren't too bad in the hundred degree FL heat, but I need to try to help my poor feet a little. Don't laugh at these pictures (taken in April, June, and August) but I wanted to share how different my belly looks now! Yikes!

Baby Update

It's been a bit since I shared a little baby info so here is the latest as of Tuesday of this week... We are 36 weeks pregnant and doing very well! The little guy is really active and provides wonderful evening entertainment as he moves and thumps around my belly. Our doctor hasn't been overly concerned about him possibly still being breech, but felt my tum this week and is pretty sure that he has turned and is head down- which is great! I am getting a bit uncomfortable and having a tougher time sleeping, but overall, I feel wonderful! Starting school this week has given me something really special too... lovely kankles! : ) Bryan is wonderful and kneads them at night which helps them go down temporarily and nearly puts me into tears. We are excited and ready to welcome our little guy into this world in the next few weeks so we'll see what happens! It's been a pretty amazing experience, that's for sure!

Windy City and FL Sun

Last week the men and women in our family gathered separately for quick vacations. The boys went to Chicago and saw the Cubs beat the Marlins. They had a blast in Wrigleyville! From Chicago they headed to Burlington to spend Sunday on the golf course. It was the first of many annual trips for the men but probably not the last time the elder Sogard ends up victorious on the golf course!

The ladies (unfortunately minus Abbie) flew to FL. We spent the first day at my pool and then, of course, shopped a little. Saturday we headed to Clearwater Beach for two great days and nights of sun and fun there. We girls have had a few more of these get-aways, but really tried to savor this trip due to the upcoming addition to the Rempt family. Trips for us girls will be a little different from now on.

Both trips were great get-aways. We all feel very fortunate for the special friendships we share and are thankful to be able to steal extra days together every now and then. We can't wait until next year!

Iowa - Denver Summer Swing

Long time, no post!! I know it has been a while; surprisingly, it is a friend of mine (whose last name rhymes with Mold) who reminds me I am slacking on the posting front. I think he uses our blog as a time killer between the hours of 9-5 on most weekdays.

It has been a fun/boring/long/way-to short/happy/sad/joyful/tear-filled past couple of weeks. Granted, it is mid-July but it took this long for Jen and I to recoup from a great two and a half weeks spent between Iowa and Colorado. I will do my best to keep this short, but we have a lot to share…

Jen departed from Sanford Airport the afternoon of June 20, 2008. Her first stop was in Des Moines to meet up with her parents for a quick dinner and visit in Newton, and then she was headed east to convene with me (who had spent the morning driving from Indianapolis to Cedar Rapids). As you can see from the first day, we have a tendency to squeeze 10 lbs of crap into a 5 lb bag. My mom and Dan were still residing in the luxurious Heartland Inn motel, awaiting the completion of their brand new home the first week of July. Luckily for us, we have two of the best friends, Brett and Lindsay, who opened up their home to us for the long weekend. Along with their lovely daughter Addison, the five of us were lucky enough to spend a few meals and a little normal time together during the stay.

Golf was the primary objective the following day. The 6th Annual Woods Family golf outing was on Saturday, June 21. This is becoming the replacement for the Woods’ Christmas for me. It is absolutely great to get to see so much of my extended family, along with playing golf with my dad and friends. The golf could have gone better, but we had a great time and beautiful weather. Following the golf, we made our way out to The Farm to have dinner. The crowd was small but energetic. We laughed, shared stories, and had a great meal (this could be the underlying theme of the entire trip). After a quiet bonfire and beers back at the Kellogg’s, we called it a very long day…once again tons of stuff crammed into one day.

Brett and I shook off small hangovers with a great breakfast prepared by our beautiful wives the next morning. For lunch, Jen and I headed to Aunt Debbie’s. We enjoyed a nice leisurely lunch with more family there. We were quick to get on the road and head west to pick up Sarah for dinner, ice cream and some Cubs that night. We had a great evening with Gunnar and Sarah; we enjoyed seeing her and her apartment.

A quick night and 18 holes of golf later, Jen and I were back on the road headed to Cedar Rapids. Monday was my last day in Iowa so we hurried back to spend the remaining hours with Brett, Lindsay, Addison, Mom, and Dan.

Tuesday was a day filled with travel. A short lunch with Lindsay and Addison, then a two hour drive to Moline with Mom capped my trip to Iowa. As I headed to Atlanta for the work week, Jen headed west to meet up with her parents. Jen, Jim, and Donna spent the next three days preparing for Denver and making a journey to Eldora to visit friends and a trip to see Grandpa Jack in Hampton.

After a ten hour tour of western Iowa, the entire state of Nebraska, and the Northwest corner of Colorado, the Sogard’s, plus a Rempt made it to Denver. A swift evening filled full of hellos and welcome’s was all that fit before the Sogard Clan headed to Breckenridge on Friday, the 27th. Brad’s business partner and friend, Ian, provided his newly completed (and stunning) mountain home for the family to hang out in for the weekend. Between rafting trips, hiking excursions, and hot tub sessions, the family had a great time. One note on the rafting trip…if anyone can get a copy of the team photo that was taken before that rafting began, I would love to post it on our blog (even if some family members would rather not see it showcased!).

I reunited with the family Monday, June 30, 2008 at Matt and Abbie’s home in Denver. Jen and my week started completely different. I headed to work on Tuesday morning while Jen, Jim, and Donna headed to an ultrasound set up at Jamie’s office. From what I hear, Jen was crying for approximately 40 of the 42 minutes spent looking in at our baby boy. Jen and I both were very happy that Jim and Donna and Jamie were able to see him, and were very thankful that Jamie was able to set up such a great gift for us (Thanks Jam!). I wasn’t able to go to the ultrasound, but we were provided with a DVD that recorded the entire thing, so I did get to watch it later. What an experience!

Jen and I celebrated our 3rd wedding anniversary on July 2, 2008. Two years in a row we have spent our anniversary on the road with family. It was great. Matt and Abbie recommended a beautiful place for dinner and we stayed in a nice hotel that night. We had family over so the kids could play in the pool and we could enjoy everyone’s company (we can have alone time when we get back to Florida). It was a wonderful night. Jen and I celebrated the past year’s highs and lows and also enjoyed our family at the same time. It could not have been better.

For the sake of trying to keep this short…the 3rd of July was spent on the golf course. The morning 13 holes were with Brett, then 18 more in the afternoon with Jim, Matt, and Doug. It was a long day- some good shots, but more bad ones.

Our country forever must share its birthday with Kate Sogard, so on the 4th, we celebrated America’s 232nd and Kate’s 4th birthdays. Jim, Matt, and I spent the day on ladders and buckets painting Matt & Abbie’s home. The weather cooperated and luckily (for Matt) I didn’t make any mistakes big enough that Jim or Matt couldn’t fix. Jen, Donna, Luke, and the birthday girl met Jamie, Brad, Brett, Lindsay, and Addison at Pirates Cove for a pool party during the day (while the men showered themselves with white paint and Ab supervised). By the time everyone reconvened, the birthday bash was only hours away. Surrounded by family and friends, Kate blew out four candles, opened gifts, and ate like a queen. By the time nightfall had set in, most of the guests had left and we hurried to catch a glimpse of nearby fireworks.

Saturday concluded my stay in Denver. Following our mandatory stop at the OPH and a quick bargain hunt, I loaded my stuff into the car and headed to the airport. Jen soaked up a couple more days with Matt, Ab, and the kids until she departed for Orlando on Monday the 7th.

Whew!! That was long. Like I said, we fit as much as we could into the couple of weeks. Below is a slideshow of pictures from the trip. Jen isn’t very good at taking pictures at my family stuff yet, but she is working on it (claims it’s tough with no little ones there yet). The pictures are in order, so you should be able to follow along with the meandering story I just told. Below is also a list of people we wanted to thank that helped make the trip possible, as well as so enjoyable.

Special Thanks To (in no particular order):
Jim and Donna, Karen and Dan, Randy, Brett and Lindsay, Matt and Abbie, Brad and Jamie, Sarah, Pappy, Grandpa Jack, Sharon, Erin, Jen W, Jill, Jeremy, Ben and Abby, Kate, Luke, Daniel, Debbie and Steve, Brian W, Steve and Connie, Rinker, and the Big Guy upstairs.

Love

Bryan and I celebrated our third wedding anniversary on July 2nd while out in Denver. We have had three very eventful years together and have so much we are thankful for. Our move to FL was one of the biggest and best decisions we've made during that time. We have grown spiritually, financially, emotionally, socially, professionally- all of which we have done together on our own. Above all, we have grown in love and are proud of the learning we have done through good times and bad. We both feel that your partner in life is one who should help you be better every day. Bryan does that for me in so many ways. He helps me to be confident and real, genuine and constant. He provides such an example by working to better himself and our family each day. He has taught me a lot about friendship, strength, communication, discipline, and joy. I couldn't be more thankful for my best friend and the happiness we share.

Happy Anniversary, babe. Here's looking forward to our exciting year ahead and many more to come! I love you with all that I am.
JLR

The Nesting Begins!

Our crib and two dressers were delivered today! We purchased a three piece set- a tall dresser, a low dresser, and a crib. They are "distressed black" and have some unique marks on them that give character. We are keeping our 2nd bed upstairs so that room will now be the baby's room/ a guest room. Our pile of newborn- 3 month clothing has grown this week and thankfully we now have a place to put things away. My good friend had a baby boy in January and she has passed along all of his tiny stuff. The girls at school had a shower for me and people were very kind. We are 25 1/2 weeks along (six months) and things are going well! We added a picture of my belly so please be kind!
J

Inaugural Post

This is the first post on our Pride's (family's) new blog. J and I are very excited about our son's upcoming birth (Sept. 08')! We have decided to start a blog to share stories, moments, fears, triumphs, and reactions during the next few weeks, months, and years while we grow our family in the sunshine state and beyond.

Because of the distance between the nucleous of our family in the mid-west and us living in Florida, we hope for this to become a easy place to check in on us and our little one from time to time. It will also be an easy way for us to post stories and pictures!

We are looking forward to posting as often as possible and we are anxious for the comments that friends and family can (and are encouraged) to add.
B