Tree!

Last weekend we put up Sampson's first Christmas tree. We had the entire Vennard family over to help us decorate. Sammy loved his Pooh Bear Baby's First Christmas ornament from Nana Jo and Papa. We upsized this year! The tree was almost to our ceiling! We are so lucky that my mother was so diligent about saving our ornaments. I have a collection large enough to cover the entire tree.

The stocking on the mantle is the one Grammy made for Sampson. It's a big large for his foot, but it will be just perfect for presents!

Sampson was in high spirits for the decorating. He especially likes the lights! He is currently an EIT- Elf in Trainning.

Musical Interlude

Enjoy the holiday cheer!

Snow!

It's snowing! First real snow of the season! Sampson and I went outside to check it out. He was unsure at first. White stuff floating around him must have looked very strange. He took his time and looked around and eventually decided that he liked it!

So much news to share! Jimmy and I have both found new jobs! Jimmy started his new job at W.L. Gore & Associates working in their biotech department. He is working on hernia patches. He said that when he tells people this, everyone tells him a hernia story. Feel free to share yours here! So far he's moved into his office and started meeting his co-workers. We were sad to say good-bye to ACE but we will old friends often enough... like Thursday night at volleyball... and Friday night at the Holiday Party... and Saturday night at the Leftovers Party.

And I am teaching dance at Stage Lights Dance Studio in Newark! I am teaching two Kinderdance classes and six ballet classes to students ages 4-17. I am thrilled to be teaching again and I adore my new students. The studio is a very close-knit dance family and reminds me of my days at the Isabelle School of Dance. Thanks to my sister-in-law-to-be Danielle for taking my new headshot!

So our days are busier now that we are both working. Some days Jimmy gets home just in time for me to leave. Other nights, I bring Sampson to the studio and my co-workers watch him until Jimmy picks him up. It works out well because I'm right in the next room in case something goes wrong. So on these evenings, Sammy and his Dad spend the time reading George R. R. Martin books. Sampson is especially enjoying A Game of Thrones.

Chilly Weather

It's getting cold out here on the east coast! And apparently, it's the time of year when Sampson stores things in his cheeks! Observe:

I've been told that I had the squirrely cheeks too as a baby. Sorry kid!


Squirrely or not, who wouldn't want to be snuggly in fleece from hoodie to toe? Sammy certainly enjoyed the outfit when we ventured out into the cold this week. He is three months old now and really growing quickly! Over 15 lbs with some serious head control, he loves his jumperoo and the Beatles. He likes long walks and milkshakes. He is making lots of sounds and we have lengthy conversations. He sleeps from 9pm to 8am with one pit stop around 3. He loves books and is in the middle of an epic Eric Carle series. And can't wait to see what happens on Grey's Anatomy this week. He's really just an all-around great guy with dimples. What else can I say? I'm a proud Oma.

Twelve Weeks Old

Sampson is twelve weeks old! He is starting to grip objects and drool a lot. He is very close to getting his entire fist into his mouth. He loves to smiles and talk to the little man in the mirror. His favorite spot (when not eating) is in the pack n'play with his little bee mobile. He winds up his arm and smacks the bees so they all dance around. It's good times. And his face... well it's pretty much dimplicious...

New toy! Now that Sampson can hold his head up, we got out the Rainforest Jumperoo. Auntie Colleen mastered the assembly and Sampson was impressed! Even though his little feet barely touch the floor, he is quite amused by toys right at his fingertips. I bet he'll be a jumping bean by Christmas.

And we had a special request to see more father-son pictures. Do you see a resemblance?

Holiday Happiness

Like his Oma, Sampson is evidently thrilled that the holiday season is upon us! These photos were admittedly taken on November 1st! Jimmy-the-Grinch won't let us even say the word "Christmas" until after Halloween so we are always prepared for the strike of midnight on October 31st! I usually stay up especially late and hang up the snowflakes and wreath and other "winter" decorations. This year, we just slept in our holiday pajamas so we were ready when we woke up the next morning. We played Christmas music and watched "Elf" and drank hot chocolate. He loved it. I hope he learned to enjoy the season as much as I do! And for the record, Jimmy-the-Grinch turns quite jovial after Thanksgiving. The little antler hat has been provided by Great Mom-mom... I'm sure Sampson will thank her for this when he gets older.






These little pajamas were a gift from Aunt Laura. They are size 3-6months and being only 11 weeks, they should fit around the holidays. But they are very snug! So we were sure to get some photos while they still fit.

Photos

Bath Time
Sampson is just starting to show interest in mirrors. I don't think he knows that the image is himself, but he does smile when he sees the "other guy." He really enjoys bath time and loves to kick his legs and use his arms to splash Oma. The only part he doesn't like is getting out of the water and into the cold air! He requires lots of snuggles right after to warm up.

Special Onesie
This onesie was hand decorated by one Mr. Tommy Landers and as you can see,
Sampson loves it!

Suspenders
We have an adorable dress outfit consisting of dress pants and suspenders which Sampson was planning on wearing around the holidays (you know, office parties and family get-togethers) but I was worried he would out-grow them by then! So we took an afternoon to dress up and have a little photo shoot. He looks rather dapper if I do say so myself!

Sweet Pea
For Halloween, Sampson dressed up as the sweetest pea ever. I actually purchased the costume before he was even born... because I knew he'd have the cutest little face. I love vegetables!

Oma
I realized that since I am usually the one behind the camera, there are no photos of us together. Auntie Colleen was kind enough to take some pictures of the two of us before he got in the bathtub. Can you see a resemblance?