Looking Glass: Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Goodbye 2011, and hello 2012! 2011 was a great year for us. Not only did we get to watch our sweet boy grow up a little bit, but Mike and I both accomplished some great goals. Mike went a whole year without caffeine. This is impressive considering his love affair with anything caffenated. I did a few races and was able to get back in shape after Sambo. Yesterday on our drive back from Salt Lake City, we talked about some family goals as well as personal goals for this new year. One of my personal goals is to do a triathalon in the year 2012. I look forward to training and getting in shape again.

After spending Thanksgiving with my family in North Carolina, we got to spend Christmas and New Years with Mike's family. Christmas was laid back and awesome. We went to church and then came back to open presents. Sam was interested for all of 10 minutes, then he got cranky and we had to put him down for an early Christmas nap. New Years was a different story as the little man was adamant about staying up until the ball dropped. We tried to put him down before, but he threw a massive fit. When we let him just play, he was fine - tired, but fine. I figured, what the heck. It's New Years! Who wants to miss the party, really?

This part of my post will be entitled - "Sam lately". I was really good about keeping track of his milestones and such up until about a year. Then I got pregnant and my brain died. Not really, but some days I wonder if it has lost a signicant amount of function. So here is what my little man is up to these days:

* Signing a ton! He now signs - "all done", "eat", "more", "please", "thank you", "baby", and today he signed "help". The other morning he woke up and signed "food please". It has been amazing seeing the light of understanding turn on in his little mind and the screaming and crying dissipate. I love it. I love that I can understand what he wants!

* Starting to talk more. He has added "Nani", "Papa", "dog", and "more" to his small little vocabulary. Each day he does more as far as trying to sound out words. This weekend he would say "two-three-raaaaaaaaaaarrr!!!" as he jumped on an oversized stuffed bear. I laughed as I realized where he got it from. His dad always counts to three before tackling Sam.

* Starting to mimic. Praying. Sam will now fold his arms and whisper and then yell something similar to "amen" when he's finished. Even if you are just folding your arms because you are cold, he will start to pray. He's started giving hugs - putting his head on your shoulder, or often times putting his head into position then walking toward you with his arms out.

* Running, jumping, laughing, dancing, getting into EVERYthing. This basically sums up my little man. He's so busy, so smart, and so freaking hilarious.