Happy New Year





Happy New Year everyone!

Sam had a great first day of 2010 - Gram and Pops came over for dessert and coffee to help us complete our New Year's Day celebration.
They brought gifts for Sam...of course they did, right? Because it's been, what, less than a week since they last gave him presents. Somebody's getting spoiled - it's peach puffs, cheesy snacks and best of all, another BALLOON!  Food and balloons - no better way for Sam to start off the new year!











Happy New Year!
Love,
The Strakas

Christmas, Part II of II



We didn't have to dream of a White Christmas - we had a real one.  Because of that, we ended up spending Christmas Eve and Christmas Day at Gram and Pops house. It was just too icy and windy to drive home. 

Sam had lots of fun opening presents on Christmas Eve, and we all enjoyed a cozy dinner of mushroom-crab soup, salad and bread.  Sam slept really well in Gram and Pops' crib...Sophie kept us up throughout the night, but we kind of expected that. 

Christmas morning we had a nice breakfast looking out on the snow, then spent the rest of the day hanging around, watching TV and eating snacks.  With hardly any room left in our tummies, we finished the holiday off with a ham and sweet potato dinner!

Enjoy the pictures and video of our little guy's First Christmas! 

















































































Christmas with Gram and Pops 2009 from Sara Straka on Vimeo.


Just in Time



These moose jammies from Great-Great Aunt Carol came just in time. Sam was busting out of his ducky jammies.

(note: My child does have sheets. On this particular day, both sets were in the washer/dryer, I'm sure you can guess why.  And he normally doesn't sleep with a crib full of wooden blocks and fuzzy critters, but for some reason we just needed them that day)





Look at those moose ears!  Speaking of jammies and cute things to put on baby feet, check out Sam's snowmen.  They were a gift, along with a fleece Santa blanket, from one of Gram's collegues.  Just wook at those widdle baby swippers!






Christmas Shopping

We did a little Christmas shopping this weekend. Christmas window shopping, that is. I took Sam to NorthPark Center this weekend and we invited Gram and Pops to join us.  NorthPark is a very well-known shopping center, the oldest and largest in Dallas.  It has fountains and sculptures and the kinds of shops you usually only see in fancy magazine ads! Gram and Pops brought me here to see the Christmas decorations, from the time I was a tiny baby, so it was nice to be able to bring Sam as well. While some things have changed, there was a lot that felt very much the same!




Pops, Sam and Gram in front of one of the many Christmas trees placed throughout Northpark.


 Sam was ooohing over these guys:



They are mechanical, and I remember coming to Northpark to see them when I was very small.


 He really, really liked the moving sculpture.  Such a guy.


Whose presents are these, flying overhead?


 Why, it's Santa Claus and his reindeer!  Santa and his crew are made of very old nuts, shellacked marshmallows and other petrified bits.  We know they are at least thirty-something years old...


 Rudolph, with your nose so bright!


There were no penguins, as there were when Momma was a little girl, but they did have ducks and turtles.  That's two of the three WonderPets!




 It was love-at-first-sight for the salesgirl at the Nasher Sculpture Center Shop, so she had to find lots of fun toys to make Sam laugh.


Because our timing was a little off, we didn't make any of the puppet shows like we'd planned. But that was okay.  Sam enjoyed a snack in front of the gingerbread house and met a couple of babies while we listened to the Plano Civic Chorale sing Christmas carols.

There were lots of fun things to touch, too, like these very soft cactus forests. 




They looked like little Christmas trees, and we felt like GIANTS!


But the best thing about the day was that Mommy's sweater had buttons.  Go figure.

We'll be back next year, for sure, although we might try for a weekday instead of a Saturday afternoon!  And next year we'll make the puppet shows and, if he wants to, we'll take Sam to the Miniature Train Show.  Can't wait!

Family, Food and Fun



What a wonderful First Thanksgiving we had with our baby Sam. Happy to have Papa Emil and Grandma Jan with us, we spent the day eating, playing with Sam, chatting and eating some more! Gram and Pops prepared a great feast and Sam entertained us all. He looked so handsome, too!

Enjoy these photos and a short video of our Thanksgiving Day with our special guests and of course, Samuel!
































If you listen carefully, you can hear baby Samuel snoring in the video. 
Looks like somebody had too much turkey!

Moo. Cluck.


Happy Halloween from The Funny Farm.


Sam had a great First Halloween. Gram and Pops came over to join in the festivities. Sam dressed up as a cow - a costume I received at a shower. Sophie was a chicken, a costume that suits her perfectly.

After dinner Sam and Daddy and I went to a couple of houses, mostly neighbors that we know, while Gram and Pops passed out candy at our house. Sam was a really good boy. He just held on to whoever was holding him and took it all in. He stayed up about an hour-and-a-half past his bedtime and wasn't even too fussy. He had a great time!

Enjoy the photos and the short video at the bottom!












Pops got swamped by trick-or-treaters!


Spoiled Little Pumpkin
(this is Sam's new "I'm excited" move - more on that later...)

Sam got a ball he can hold and a (baby-safe) hammer he can bang with.



We finished off the evening celebrating Gram's birthday with presents.

Happy Halloween!

Sam's First Halloween from Sara Straka on Vimeo.

Guy Time


Sam needed some "guy time". Last week Gram and I took Sam outlet shopping for a few fall baby items. Afterward we all went to see Miss Jean at her salon so I could get my haircut. That's a lot of girly stuff crammed into one day for a little dude. When we got back to the house, Gram and I were going to play with Sam, but he had other plans. He ended up sitting for a long time on Pops' lap, arm propped up, watching Army guys on the Military channel. That's okay, little man. You earned it.