Christmas this year was so special! Suzanne and Matt came down from Denver with Stella to join us at my parents house. It was great this year to see Soren and his cousin Stella interact so well and help each other open their Christmas presents. Stella was a riot and loved all of Soren's dump trucks! Grandpa was a little surprised to see how well Stella took to them, as Soren was extremely preoccupied with his new airplane and airport from Santa;) However, out of all the presents Soren received from Santa and other relatives, the book Grandma recorded, "The Night Before Christmas", was the favorite!! Soren loves hearing Grandma's voice!
As we come to the end of 2010 I can think of many wonderful things that have happened, and many milestones Soren has made. Soren turned three this year and what a good year it has been with him! Soren started riding a bike (with training wheels of course), became potty trained, and is asking so many questions....some days I have to put a limit on them! He is really become a joy to be around, now that the majority of the temper tantrums have subsided. I can actually sit back and enjoy Soren playing independently, and looking at a book by himself...pretending to read. I am so happy that reading is such a joy to Soren. I have actually found that the only thing Soren really responds to when it comes to discipline is if you take away is nightly story time.....then his ears perk up!!
Soren has really started to develop his own special personality. He is so intuitive and sensitive toward friends, and strangers. It's amazing to see him witness things and really be affected by them. His sense of humor has really developed too (I say he gets that from me), and he loves to tell people jokes now and sing songs! Lately we have dance parties to the new teen idol...'Justin Bieber'. Oh does Soren have the 'Bieber Fever'!!!
2010 has also been a tough year for my family since July, which brought my dad's cancer diagnosis. We traveled, and continue, to travel a lot to Denver for his treatments and appointments. I am so thankful to report that we have had two clear PET scans since his diagnosis, and continue to pray for clear scans and a healthy father. I believe having Soren, and his cousin Stella around really have put things in perspective and made his recovery that much better! It's amazing what we as adults have to do to squelch our own worries or discomforts when a young child is around. Whether its dealing with stress and problems at work, a disagreement with a friend or loved one, a doctor's appointment that's causing anxiety, true feelings have to be kept at bay when a child is present. Now I realize all that my parents did for my sister and I so that we could be sheltered from things, as we were too young to understand. I think I'm starting to truly appreciate how hard it really was!
As January is upon us, I look to 2011 for many new discoveries from Soren and wonderful memories to be made. I don't know exactly what the future holds for us, but if the last 3 months are any indication of what's to come.....then I'm very excited!! I'm just so happy to have a healthy and happy child, and healthy family! Those have been the best gifts this year....and continue to be.
