year of blessings.

As the year draws to a close, I've been thinking a lot about how much we have been blessed.  2010 has been a good one for our family, as:

*I was pregnant before 2010 began, but the beginning of 2010 helped to mark the end of the first trimester! Goodbye nausea, endless fatigue, and crazy food aversions.  Little Seahorse (as we then called him) was thriving!
*We were approved to buy a house, as in someone trusts us enough to grant us a home loan ;)
*After a losing out on two other houses, we (finally!) got one.  As it turns out, things happen for a reason and we ended up in the best house for us.
*While we loved the house, we had a vision.  Thanks to our great family and friends, the house now has brand new hardwood floors and is freshly painted!
*No.more.apartment. That is celebration enough! Moving day was effortless - we hired two guys who worked very hard.  Nothing was broken, what a miracle!
*Our son, Nathan Charles Darder, was born on August 2, 2010.  What a tremendous joy this little one has brought into our lives! 
*Maternity leave.  I never thought that twelve weeks could be so short! The time that I got to spend with Nate was invaluable.  I have never been so tired, but it was incredibly hard to go back to work when all was said and done.  That isn't to say that the days were not hard; there were certainly days where I felt lost, unequipped, and overwhelmed - but these feelings of defeat were soon overcome.  He has won me over and over again :)
*While it was hard to go back to work, I am ever so thankful for our jobs which afford us to take care of one another and our precious baby.
*Visits. Nathan got to meet five of his great-grandparents, fully documented with photos.  I think this is something that I will treasure and hope that he will as well.
*Thanksgiving was mine this year, so off to Roanoke we went! Nathan got to meet lots of his cousins, great-aunts and uncles, and spend time with his Great-Nana. He also rolled over for the very first time!  I love this holiday!
*Baby teeth. Nathan got his first tooth on 12/15/2010 and his second on Christmas day! He has been such a good sport with the teething and has not been too fussy, for which I am incredibly thankful.
*Our Christmas traditions are growing each year! In addition to hosting Christmas lunch, we were able to spend individual time with our own little family, Chris's family and my family.  The older I get, the more I realize how important family is!

Here are a few shots from our Christmas this year!

teeth.

Nate cut his first tooth on Wednesday (12/15/2010).  What a surprise!  He has been doing the drooling/stuffing everything in his mouth routine for a while now, but every time that I felt his gums there was nothing. Even the doctor said it would be a while.

About a week or so ago, little man stopped sleeping through the night.  This coincided with our decision to stop swaddling and move to a sleep sack at night, so naturally I thought that hands free = bad sleep.  Little did we know that Nate was hard at work to get that little tooth out.  I never thought I would be so excited about a little baby tooth :)

No picture, yet.  It's barely poking through!

santa, baby.

Since this is Nathan's first Christmas, we've taken advantage of the fact that he cannot talk or object to anything that we do.  We've dressed him up in some very cute costumes and outfits.  So far, so good.

As far as Christmas goes, Nathan wears many hats.  He is a complete North Pole - Santa AND the elves! :)

We also took Nate to see Santa!  Considering that we had to wait in line for about two hours, he did very well.  He did not smile, but he didn't cry either.  Doesn't Santa look like the real deal?

four months.

Nathan had his four month appointment.  He is now 17 pounds and 26 inches!  At his check-up he got two shots and one oral medicine.  Nate cried for less than a minute after receiving the shots and wasn't overly fussy that night. 

Of course, we had to take some of the obligatory monthly birthday pictures! I love watching little man grow :)

thanksgiving.

For Thanksgiving this year, we went to Roanoke to see my family.  I am so happy that it was my year because I got to share Nathan with my family for his first big turkey day!  He had a special treat for us, too.  Nate rolled over for the very first time!  He has not done it since, so he must have known that it was a special day to show us his new trick :)

Thanksgiving = family, great food, pictures, and babies! Here are a few photos from our trip:

development.

Nathan changes so much with every passing day that it's hard to keep up!  He has transformed from a tiny, helpless baby to an inquisitive, overjoyed little boy.  In the last week or so he has:

*almost rolled over - he was almost there, he just needed to let gravity take over...but instead, he used his foot to springboard back to where he started
*astounded me with his eye-hand coordination - Nate can actually reach out and grab something now, without it being an accident.  Inevitably whatever he grabs ends up in his mouth :)
*developed a greater sense of independence - Nate is content to occupy himself in his activity gym or exerciser for a little while so his mommy can run around the house like a crazy person, picking up after puppies, his daddy, and trying to get ready for the next big thing
*found his voice - Nathan coos, screeches, and laughs.  It makes my heart melt.

three months.

I'm so glad that we've decided to take a 'birthday' picture of Nate each month.  He has grown so much already!  This month was definitely more of a challenge, because he has turned into quite the little wiggle worm.  He also was babbling the entire time, smiling AFTER the camera flashed (of course!).

first halloween.

Chris and I made an agreement - I got to pick Nathan's Halloween costume this year and he can pick next year.  I decided that Nate should be a monkey.  Little did I know that his Daddy would decide to match!  Nate didn't mind the costume so much, until it came time to put on the little mask...which was a source of many baby tears.

Nate only went Trick-or-Treating to one house: my parents.   I think that was more than enough for a little guy.  We had a lot of fun with him on his first Halloween!

reston zoo.

I got behind in my updates after I went back to work, so be prepared for a constant stream while I play catch up!

We took Nathan to the Reston Zoo the weekend before I went back to work. I went there a few times as a child and I have vivid memories of a school field trip and the time where an ostrich chased my mom into the reptile house (ha!).  Our recent visit was on a GORGEOUS October day - sunny and with a slight crisp in the air.  Here are a few pictures from our day: