Yearly Recap - 2014

I honestly cannot believe today is the last day of 2014 - it felt like this year flew by.  I blinked and it's over.  But it was a great year!

It's days like today that I really appreciate my blog.  If you asked me what happened the first month of the year I would draw a blank.  However, thanks to the blog, I can look back and say, 'oh, that's right, SNOWMAGGEDEN!'  And just like that, all the hours I spend writing and uploading are worth it.  Because if I can't remember what happened 12 months ago, I'm never going to remember what happened 12 years from now when little JB says "tell me about our life back in 2014".

(Sidenote:  New Year's goal is to print my blog - any ideas how to do it? Anyone have success stories??)

This year might not have had a lot of monumental milestones, but it sure was fun.  JB is at that age where you see everything in a different light.  Sometimes good (like hearing his laugh as a Gulf Coast wave touches his leg for the first time), and sometimes not-bad-just-different (like, 'oh my gawd, are we ever going to be able to travel without screams/tears/vomit again!?')  Even though this year was a lot of the "same", it was still different and new.  Love it.

Jumping right in - a little recap of what the Sassers were up to this year:

January
The beginning of the year brought the end of my maternity leave, as I went back full time and left JB (who still seemed soooooo teeny tiny) in the care of our wonderful Nanny Y.  I won't say it was an easy transition (especially when the little stinker refused a bottle and naps), but it actually went a lot better than I expected.  And I actually got a few days unexpectedly at home with the little guy after the city was snowed in (and shut down) for days!

February
Even though we were still recovering from Snowmaggaden, we faced a second storm in February. Fortunately it did not deter all my good girlfriends from Chicago and New York (who laughed at our prep for 30 degree weather) from visiting! Maybe because it was cold, there seemed to be a lot of "togetherness" in February - James and I had dates, there were playgroups with my yoga mamas, visits from friends, and lots of time spent cuddled up watching the Olympics.

March
We were moving and shaking in March. First, I completed the Atlanta Half Marathon (after foolishly signing up while 6 months pregnant and thinking 'how hard could it be'?)  Next, JB completed 6 months of life, proving he was intent to grow up way too fast.  My parents also flew in for some birthday (mine) fun and festivals in Atlanta.  Lastly, and most importantly, we celebrated JB's baptism into the Christian faith with our family and friends.   It was such a sweet day.

April
After a terrible winter in Atlanta, spring finally sprung in April!  We took advantage with friends, festivals, and lots and lots of yard work.  JB's first Easter was a beautiful day with our family, and we couldn't forget Earth Day either!

May
JB pooped in the tub, so that pretty much highlighted the month.  :)  Just kidding - the real highlight of May was a great trip down to Florida to see our fam and celebrate cousin Andrew's graduation!  It was JB's first road trip (and first of many this year that included hours and hours of screaming), but the drive was totally worth it.

June
This month (at 9 months old), JB started sleeping through the night.  <Cue angels singing Glory, Glory, Hallelujah>  So we pretty much celebrated all month long with friends, BBQs, and dinners out.  We were like new people!!  Plus, big milestone - JB went on his first (of four already this year) flight!  It was a freaking disaster fine, but it meant a trip to Texas - again, totally worth whatever it takes to get to family, right?

July
Like good Americas, we spent July celebrating America, loving the water, and playing in the surf on Pensacola Beach.  It was our second road trip with JB, and our first beach trip as a family of three.  Although I'm remembering lots of fun things about our summer, the Pensacola trip was probably the highlight of my summer.  So many great memories!

August
Because the first plane trip in June didn't scare me too much, we made last minute plans to visit Texas again in August! (I know it seems like we spend a lot of time in Texas, but frequent trips to the Great State is my only suitable alternative to not living there.  James was aware of this when he married me, and Texas, along with the cats, was part of the package deal.)   Oh, and in August we said goodbye to the Gerbil after a scary accident.  But Mama got her Volvo, so that helped ease the sadness…

September
In 2013, JB surprised us with an early delivery the second to last day of September, securing September as the cra-a-ziest month in the Sasser house.  We have birthdays (James and JB), anniversaries (ours), and just the general fun that comes with it turning Fall (football, cook outs, etc).  So many friends and family came out to help us celebrate JB's first birthday - just a fantastic day!

October
More Fall things came our way in October.  Although they were no longer "firsts" for JB (since he was around the year before for his "first" pumpkin patch and "first" Halloween), they were definitely a lot of fun as he started to be aware.  I put him in so many crazy Fall outfits it was ridiculous (but fabulous).  James was busy, busy, busy with a business that was really taking off - couldn't be prouder of him!

November
Since JB was a year old, we started to venture out a bit more:  outdoor playgrounds, indoor playgrounds, farmer's markets, etc.  We had to find a lot of activity to keep this active boy busy!!  We took another flight to Texas, proving that, yes, it can get worse… :)  But, WORTH IT, totally worth it to spend Thanksgiving with our Texas crew.

December
Although we are (technically) still in the month of December, it feels like it's been 12 weeks long.  James and I both has some crazy work travel over the November and December timeframe, and we joked that we were passing each other in the air/on the road.  There was New York, Hungary, New Jersey, Albuquerque, Dublin GA, Washington DC, and then TEXAS AGAIN.  The best part about Christmas/New Years has been time spent with each other -we needed/deserved it.  <XOXO, babe>.

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HAPPY NEW YEAR!!  

Wishing you and yours a fabulous 2015 - we can't wait to see what's ahead.  

JB is 15 Months Old!

Another month has gone by, and the little guy is now 15 months old!  James Benjamin is half way between and a year and a year-and-a-half.   He keeps us on our toes, and makes us laugh and smile every single day.

Relatively speaking, I feel this is an "easy" time with JB.  He's very consistent with his sleeping (7:30PM - 7:00AM every day, with 2 solid naps); is easily entertained; has started to test the limits but responds well to a stern "no" and time outs (yes, we've started that); and is a very content, loving toddler.  He's still not super fond of change; new situations or new people; or lack of routine - but he's been like this since Day One and I doubt will ever change!

The one thing that stresses me out: his eating.  Somedays he will eat anything and everything, and other days he seems to survive on air and milk.  When I ask the doctor about it (because of course I do all the time!) she laughs and says "that's a toddler for you".  So, glad to see even this worrisome behavior is all normal.  :)

Things that 15 month old JB absolutely loves:

• Books, particularly "That's not my Pony", "Brown Bear, Brown Bear", and "Precious Moments Sing-A-Long Bedtime Prayers"
• Pushing trucks, cars, trains, and his tugboat around the yard, floor, bathtub, etc
• Fake coughing for attention
• Putting on shoes and socks
• Taking off shoes and socks
• Smoothies
• Throwing things in the trash and helping to put up toys

Some new things this month:

• Knows and can point to his belly, ears, tongue, head, and toes  (Cannot figure out his nose, poor guy)
• Can identify all his bath toys:  walrus, dolphin, whale, seahorse, snail and tugboat
• Found his groove and "dances" 
• Claps at himself
• Puts food in his hair
• Quacks when you ask him about the duck
• Gets his milk at dinner instead of before bed.  (I don't know why this is important, but it really impacted me because he seems less like a baby now that we dropped the bedtime bottle!)

JB could do without:

• Loud noises, like the Ninja (but now loves the hair dryer and vacuum!)

Gotta love this age (and this boy) - both are wonderful!!

A Florida Family Christmas

What, wait - we celebrated Christmas in another state besides the normal TX and GA?  Actually, no - the Floridians came to Georgia!  We were thrilled when our Tampa family told us they would spend their Christmas holiday in Helen, GA, just a short 80 mile trip from Atlanta and a lovely little "German" town.   We visited with my parents back in 2011, and I've always wanted to go back (when it was not Octoberfest and really crazy!)   Friday we got the chance.

It's so great to see this side of the family.  James is very close to his cousin, Kim,  and her family, and we don't see them or his aunt and uncle often enough.  We've been lucky the past few years that her daughter, Katelyn, has spent a good deal of time in Atlanta (and we try to convince Kate to move here after graduating next year all the time.)  We know it will bring the whole crew up here more.  :)

Our visit started off with a Bavarian restaurant that made a damn good Reuben and had some really good German beer on draft.

Everything was decorated beautifully for Christmas, so lunch was followed by a leisurely stroll around town (to work off all the food.)

JB was quite content to have Aunt Kim cart him around in her arms. After she let him try some fudge at the candy shop, we were not quite sure he would even come home with us (which I think she would have been okay with…)

Then she really upped the ante when she took JB into a toy store to pick out a toy!  JB was thrilled!  Although all he really wanted was the chair (he's really into sitting on things right now), he finally decided that he loved the tambourine, a bouncy ball, and a fun cow that you walk on a stick.  Because he's spoiled rotten, he left with all three.

JB had a lot of fun with his cousins outside the shop with his new ball. He showed off some of his kicking skills to this (very talented) soccer-playing family.  Let's hope he inherits some of their sports skills (because he's not getting too many from James or me).

We ended the day by catching up around the fire outside their cabin.  I always forget how beautiful this part of Georgia is - definitely a place I would recommend for a little R&R.

Enda (who got to come along, as this family is very much a dog family) had a blast with her furry cousins, Maddie and Max.  This might have been her favorite part of the Christmas break!

I wish we could have stayed days!  I am so glad that our Christmas included this group.  

Over the last couple of weeks, we've managed to see so many people we love.  Our hearts are full, folks…

A Georgia Family Christmas

What a beautiful Christmas Day with our family.  As James and I sit here this evening (watching Love Actually, one of the few movies we actually own on DVD), we keep saying to each other "I loved today".

After a quiet Christmas Eve dinner and lovely Christmas Eve service at out church, we came home to lots of last minute things to prep for the big day.  We barely made it to bed before Santa arrived…(fortunately we must have been his last stop, because as my head hit the pillow at 2AM he was still yet to be seen.)  

JB isn't quite old enough to understand the whole concept of Santa, but he was sure old enough to realize that there was something big in our living room this morning!! Mr. Bed Head in his Christmas PJs beelined as soon as he saw it! 

Santa was good to JB, bringing him a slide that also contained a structure to hide on, hide beneath, and it even had a steering wheel.  He was thrilled.

We spent a lot of time in the morning like this: 

(It only took an hour for JB to completely fall off the top and hit the floor.  Yikes! This prompted a move to the carpeted area downstairs until the slide comes to its final resting place outside on the nice, soft grass.)

In JB's stocking, he got a new puppet book (his favorite book collection), some new sippy cups with big staws for his smoothies (which will come in handy since Mama got a NINJA!), and a set of ergonomic fork and spoon.  The fork was the biggest hit ever.  He nearly took it to bed tonight.  

Santa also brought some super stylish new shoes.  My little hipster baby was a big fan of these, too. 

Enda didn't get anything but another morning filled with an attention-hoarding baby brother. 

Ms. Leron gave JB a Little People nativity set, which he loved. It will be so useful next Christmas, as JB will be old enough to start listening to (maybe starting to comprehend?) the story of Jesus' birth.

I made JB a book of all his family, with pictures and special things about each of his family members.  He's fortunate that he sees many of them all the time, and even those far away are very active in his life.  It will hopefully help in teaching him names - although of course he needs to start saying "Mama" first... :)

For lunch we had a big crowd - siblings, aunt, uncles, cousins, first-cousins-once-removed.  And, we had food.  We had some good food.  Honest to goodness, I ran the dishwasher three times today.  But I love nothing more than a busy, crazy house! 

After a fun and fiesty white elephant exchange and some more sweet gifts for JB and the other kiddos, the house quickly became quiet again and it was only our little family of three. So much love this Christmas - again, just a beautiful day!

Merry, Merry Christmas.  …Luke 10But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people; 11for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12"This will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."…