Happy Holidays! Turkey Time, Santa Claus and New Years

The holiday season in the Bertram household was definitely a time of joy and thanking God for our blessings.  For each of the three major winter holidays we holed up at our home on Capitol Hill just the three of us.  While we would have loved to have visited family my high-risk pregnancy wouldn't allow for a plane ride to Hawaii or Michigan.  Without extended family in the picture we made our own traditions as a family of three :)

Playing in his tunnel with Papa

Getting ready for Thanksgiving with a turkey hat

For Thanksgiving we had a wonderful feast, watched the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade and watched our favorite Thanksgiving movies (Dutch and Planes, Trains and Automobiles).  We also dressed up Benton as a little turkey.  Overall just a great day full of thanks.  Thanks for our strong and amazing son Benton and thanks for making it to 23 weeks in my new pregnancy.

Happiest little turkey in the land!

My little turkey

Thanksgiving dinner - party of three!

Benton playing with his Thanksgiving food!

Thanksgiving family portrait

Showing Benton how weird his parents can be :)

Posing with our little turkey!

Over the month of December we tried our best to enjoy some classic Christmas traditions even though we were mainly homebound.  We picked out our family Christmas tree - a tradition that Benton seemed to enjoy by throwing himself at every tree we looked at :)  We also went to Watkins Regional Park to see their Festival of Lights.  This park had beautiful light displays and had an amazing gigantic Christmas tree with blinking lights and blaring Christmas music.  Benton loved the music and toddled directly over to the tree to enjoy!  We also decided to continue my family's tradition of baking Christmas sugar cookies and Benton even helped make the dough, used the cookie cutters and helped decorate.  All in all a very wonderful month filled with good old-fashioned family fun.

Purchasing the family Christmas tree!

Enjoying Watkins Regional Park Festival of Lights!

Family portrait in front of the Christmas Tree :)

Checking out the giant singing Christmas Tree

Making sugar cookie dough with Papa

Covered in flour!!!

Rolling out Christmas sugar cookies with my sweet boy!

Even though we didn't have family around on Christmas day, we were lucky enough to have Joe's parents and Joe's friend come into town for a couple days before the holiday.  Having them in town for a brief bit was very fun and great for Benton to have extra people to play with in the house.  We also were lucky enough to go to our friend's house to celebrate her son's 2nd birthday.  He was in the NICU with Benton so it was a like a mini-NICU reunion.  Seeing all these healthy, thriving kids together was awe inspiring.  Each child had been through a tremendous amount in their 2 years yet here they were playing and sitting on Santa's lap! 

Santa-themed birthday party for Benton's NICU friend

Sitting on Santa's lap at Wynn's birthday party

This Christmas we had a lot to be thankful for - Benton's successful surgery, making it to 26 weeks in this new pregnancy, and the love of a close family.  On Christmas morning Benton helped to tear open his presents and truly seemed to enjoy opening gifts.  He kept saying "more" "more".  We know that we are unbelievably blessed and thank God for the love of our family and our friends.

Fun in our Christmas jammies

Our little Christmas reindeer

Official Christmas Jammie Photo

Benton putting Christmas ornaments on the tree :)

Christmas morning

Benton watering the Christmas Tree

Finally for New Years, we made a North Carolina BBQ feast, which has become our traditional New Years meal.  With everything going on it was a miracle we stayed up till midnight to watch the ball drop.  We are definitely excited to ring in the New Year as this year we will welcome our daughter and become a family of four.  We are also looking forward to Benton's continued progress and hope that 2016 is the year he can come off his feeding tube and start talking.  Here's to 2016 being the best year yet!

Fun over Christmas break

Family fun at the park

Our little love

Jumping for joy at the park!