2010 Here We Come

I just took a look back at what I wrote a year ago – funny to see how much can change in 12 months. When I wrote that post, I was just hoping we could get Sam to ditch his pacifier and sleep sack. We were successful with one of the two…the pacifier was put to rest last spring, but Sam has stayed true to sleep sack. In fact, I’ve been thinking about buying a larger size. I never dreamt at the time that we’d have a newborn by the time we closed out 2009. It’s making me wonder what in the world will come along and surprise us in 2010.

As we look forward to a new year, here’s a snapshot of where we’re at. I’m pretty confident that I’ll look back at this in 12 months and marvel at all that's changed.

Sam – Sam’s two. There’s no other way to explain it. He’s really busy with his toys, books and puzzles. Running, music class and cooking are his favorite activities. He jumps from one task to the next every couple of minutes and a cloud of snacks, milk and general messiness follow him along the way. He wants to do EVERYTHING himself and there is no task too large for Sam. He frustrates easily and isn’t scared to say NO. His newest thing is to take off all of his clothes as a protest to bedtime or a chilly way to welcome the morning. He is delighted by his new-found autonomy and given that getting dressed and undressed is a pretty critical life skill, Steve and I vacillate between being proud and completely annoyed.

Elliott – I am still holding my breath, but I think that Elliott is a pretty mellow little guy. He still sleeps a ton, and for the most part, just takes it all in while he’s awake. He rarely makes a peep and when he does, it’s a sure sign that he just needs some milk. His eyes are a gorgeous blue and I’m really hoping they don’t change much. I just noticed the other day that his eye lashes are starting to sprout, and if I had to hedge my bets, I think we’ve got a blondie on our hands. We’ll see.

Here are a few snapshots of what's been keeping us busy this week, and here's to a year of happiness ahead!!

A visit from Grandma and Grandpa:

Sawing Logs:

Baking:

Winter Wonderland at the Chicago Botanic Garden: