Merry Christmas - 2023
Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, and Happy Holidays to you all! We’re a tad more on top of things this time around; we’re actually getting this out before Christmas!
As we did with last year, we’d love to give you a high-level of our 2023. It was filled with many ups, a few downs, and a lot of learning.
Jump to month:
January #
Zoe girl was only 2-3 months! So tiny. She was still using a boppy pillow to stay upright and we were doing ‘corner cuddle’ nap times.
February #
Zoe laughed for the first time. We had a visit from friends. Steve put up the beautiful print he bought her for Christmas in her office.
March #
Zoe rolled over, and started eating her toes. Steve made some amazing short-ribs. Sam went back to work part-time. So did Zo. Sam and Steve had their first big date night out since Zoe. Zoe’s personality started to shine through. Steve got the special Reese Cups.
April #
Zoe had a strawberry. We had an Easter visit. We started to plan out the renovations for the basement. (See basement post here.)
May #
Zoe had her first swim in a pool - she’s a fish. She started to crawl/bear crawl. The basement renovation continued. We went to the park. Zoe knocked down a lot of things and made a lot of fart noises.
June #
Zoe met her great grandparents in person. The basement renovation was completed. Zoe felt grass for the first time and did not like it. She learned how to climb stairs.
July #
Steve found all of his game controllers while organizing the basement. We tried to paint with Zoe. Zoe met her great aunt and received a gift from great grandma. Sam went into the office more often. Zoe started assisted walking. We met friends at the zoo. Zoe met more cousins.
August #
Sam worked a lot. Steve took Zoe on daily walks. We all rode bikes. A grocery store started to be built a couple blocks down the way from our home…maybe not the sturdiest of beginnings. Steve started to grow herbs.
September #
Sam and Steve had dinner at Baobab Fare and it was fantastic. Zoe had teeth to brush. Zoe got a tunnel. We went on a mini vacation to the beach. Zoe got a tricycle for an early birthday gift from Grandma and Grandpa VanTiem.
October #
Sam and Steve celebrated Steve’s birthday with a lovely dinner and a theater rendition of Clue. Zoe played with shoes but hated wearing them. We read a lot of books. Zoe had her first birthday. Zoe experienced her first Halloween.
November #
Zoe learned how to climb on things, and play with mundane household objects. Zoe started carrying around Luigi. We had a lovely Thanksgiving. Sam started a Wooble and found she loved it. We set up a play room for Zoe and it's given us all a much needed change of scenery now that we are stuck indoors for the winter.
December #
We put up a Christmas tree for the first time in many years. Sam finished her Wooble. Sam and Steve got out for a much needed date night and had a fantastic dinner at one of our favorite restuarants--The Dixboro Project.
