New Friends -- Big and Little

Sam met lots of new friends while we were in Minnesota -- big kids, little kids and dogs too! The highlight was seeing how Steve's closest friends, "the Boyz," have changed. The lowlight: Sam thanking Pete and Sarah for their hospitality by peeing all over their leather couch.

Sam put the moves on Carin:

Sam got West coast love from Keller:

Pete intercepted Sam while I cleaned up the couch

Sam encountered a dog for the first time:

Sam met Matilda Stremcha who has exactly one month on him:

We learned a night with the "Boyz" has a whole new meaning:

Christmas in Minnesota

We had lots of Christmas fun while we were in Minnesota. We spent Christmas Eve with the Peckhams and Christmas Day with the Boylans. Sam was wide awake on Christmas Eve, but unfased by the onslaught of gifts. On Christmas Day we took in mass at Assumption where Sam insisted on crying through most of the service. (Christmas mass from the church basement is not something we would recommend). Sam was perfectly content the second we left church and spent the rest of the afternoon in dreamland.

Happy Birthday, Grandpa!

We flew into Minneapolis just in time for Grandpa's birthday celebration. Our journey through O'Hare and the flight home went very smoothly thanks to a sleepy Samuel and a lovely American Airlines flight attendant.

Grandpa's birthday party was also the first time all of the cousins got together. Claire, Meghan and Sam seemed to get along well and our family gatherings will never be the same again --they will be very loud from here on out!

The Gang at Edelman

Sam and I swung downtown on Tuesday afternoon to visit our coworkers at Edelman. It felt a little odd to walk into the Aon Center pushing a stroller instead of carrying my laptop, but it was great to see the gang (and Santa too!).

Alix was the only thing missing from our trip, but we've already promised to visit again in January.

The One-Month Marker

Samuel hit the one-month marker over the weekend. We visited the pediatrician last night and apparently he has been very busy eating and growing. He now measures 24 inches long (98th percentile) and 11 pounds (75th percentile). Soon he'll be passing up his Father!

Happy Hour

Friday night, 6 p.m. Dad gets a bottle of beer; Sam gets a bottle of milk.

Who Wears the Pants in the Family?

I have had a completely irrational fear of putting anything over Sam's head, so he's been living in sleepers with snaps or buttons up the front ever since he was born. Well, I conquered my fear head-on this morning and slipped a onesie over Sam's head and paired it with his VERY FIRST PAIR OF PANTS. It was a very exciting morning for everyone involved.

Lazy Days

What they say is true -- babies really do change your lifestyle. Our weekends used to be punctuated by fancy dinners, drinks with friends and sleeping in. Now our weekends are punctuated by breastfeeding sessions, naptime (mine and Sam's) and diaper changes!However, with all of that said, I'd be remiss if I didn't say life is very good.

This weekend was filled with snow, ice and lots of hanging out. We had some leisurely lunches out, debuted the Sam Mobile, took in the Bucktown Holiday Arts Festival and had a quiet dinner with Uncle Shriner.

Introducing Ms. Claire Abigail Boylan

My brother and sister-in-law welcomed a baby girl into the world early Wednesday morning! They labored for more than 12 hours before Claire was delivered via C-Section. Mom, Dad and Baby Claire are all doing well. We can't wait to meet the little cutie -- it is going to be a wild Christmas at the Boylan house!

Some Cool Kicks

Steve had to jet off to New York for a business trip today, so Samuel and I are on our own until tomorrow night. To pass the time we had a little footwear fashion show. Based on Sam's apparent disinterest, I don't think he'll be pursuing a career in the fashion industry.

We had a few more Minnesota-based visitors this week. Sarah Fastner and Jackie Winkels stopped in for a quick meet and a greet over the weekend and Grandma and Grandpa Peckham were here on Monday and Tuesday.

Back in Action

After a couple of really scary nights in the NICU at Children's Memorial Hospital, Sam is home and back in action (read: sleeping, eating and pooping). Overall, the final report from the cardiologists at Children's was positive -- they are going to watch his little ticker on an outpatient basis and we won't need to see them until January.

The silver lining? Grandma and Grandpa Boylan popped in for a visit and celebrated Thanksgiving with us. Our celebration happened a little late, but we couldn't be more thankful for our beautiful little Samuel, our incredible friends and family and Whole Foods -- Steve made the turkey, they supplied the sides.

Our First Outing

We went to see the pediatrician yesterday. It was the first time in what felt like weeks that Steve and I actually showered and got dressed in clothes that are appropriate to wear outside our house. Before we left, we decided to quickly feed and change Sam one last time. How did he repay the favor? He peed all over both of us.

Depsite the changing table mishap we made it to our appointment on time and Sam got a big thumbs up from Dr. Birkquist.

Homeward Bound

We finished out our stay at Northwestern and made it home from the hospital last night around 6:30 p.m. Our first night at home was a long one, but everyone survived and we’re now gearing up for night number two. All we’re hoping for is 90 minutes of uninterrupted sleep. Fingers crossed!

Day One Continued...