The Jagdfelds: Warm Christmas Tidings from the Jagdfelds

First things first, so we can get this out of the way:

How in the world is 2010 over already?!?! It seems like yesterday that we were celebrating the big 2010, but, alas, another year has passed since then.

You know what the old saying is: "Time flies when you're having fun!" I suppose that's an accurate way to describe our year. It’s also is a good explanation of why it's so surprising to be welcoming 2011 already!

To say that 2010 was one of the biggest years in our lives is an understatement. We laughed a lot, traveled many miles, worked very hard, prepared for an addition to our family, welcomed a new little baby boy into this world, and then learned (by the seat of our pants) how to be parents to a new little baby boy. Quite simply, through all of the things that have happened this year we have been immeasurably blessed with wonderful experiences that we have shared with friends, family, and each other.

40 Weeks!

At the beginning of the year, the clock was ticking and anticipation for little "Babu" was nearly at a peak. Showers had been had, ultrasounds had been taken and distributed throughout the family, and all was prepared except for one thing:

BABYMOON!

With just month until little Babu was to enter into this world, I decided it would be nice to get away and relax for a day or two somewhere out of the Twin Cities area. Knowing that we were under a 50 mile "house arrest" of sorts in case Alyssa went into labor, we settled into the cozy Classic Rosewood Bed & Breakfast in Hastings, MN for a couple of days over the weekend. With everything else off our minds, it was a fantastic opportunity to enjoy our last moments together as husband and wife without children!

The one month countdown to our little Babu's birth went faster than we could've ever imagined. At one point, I even remember buying a gallon of milk, wondering which would come first: spoiled milk, or a brand new baby? On April 14th, just as we were finishing a nice evening meal with a group of friends at the Herkimer Pub & Brewery in Minneapolis, Alyssa's water broke and the race was on! From about 8:45 PM to 2:39 AM, the biggest blur of six hours of our lives came to pass, and we discovered that our "Babu" was a little baby boy!

Mommy and Daddy welcome Harper Edison into the world.

At 2:39 AM on April 15th, 2010, Harper Edison Jagdfeld entered the world at 6 lbs. 10 oz. and 20.5" long. Harper cried his first cry, Daddy had his first-ever diaper experience by putting on Harper's first diaper, and then all of our beloved family members descended upon Abbott Northwestern Hospital to see the new little addition to their family.

April quickly turned to May as we watched Harper change and grow up little by little, day by day.

Alyssa's brother Ryan graduated in early May with a degree in Engineering from MSU. To be as strategic as possible for visiting family from out of state, we also worked Harper's baptism into the same weekend so that we could have great family participation in both exciting events!

A proud family supporting a proud uncle!

Harper, Parents, and Godparents.

As Harper continued to grow up and time seemed to be flying, we were already well into the summer. At the end of July, Harper, Alyssa, and her family headed to Oregon to celebrate the wedding of her cousin Sabrina. We were a bit nervous about Harper's first flight, as we had no idea what to expect from air travel with a little one. Thankfully the fears were misdirected, as Harper proved to be a very good boy during each leg of the flights. Maybe he'll grow up to have his wings like Grandpa Kontak!

Scoping out the tarmac and learning about all the big airplanes.

Alyssa, Harper, and the family arrived back in Minnesota safely after the wedding, and August was ushered in with beautiful weather! We enjoyed the Great Minnesota Get-together (the State Fair) with Harper, Alyssa's sister Kristen, and her husband Aaron. At the end of August I flew to Cupertino, CA for a week of in-depth training for my work at Apple, Inc., leaving Alyssa and Harper to a mommy and baby week in Minnesota.

In September we visited the Como Zoo so that Harper could see his favorite: Gerry the Giraffe in person.

Top: Gerry in captivity. Bottom: Gerry in the wild.

During the last week of October, Alyssa embarked on a trip to Boston to help plan her friend Jennifer's upcoming January wedding! Alyssa traveled on her own, leaving the boys back in Minneapolis to fend for themselves for five days... and we survived to tell about it!

November brought a Thanksgiving road trip to Indiana, in what seemed like Deja Vu of our 2007 Thanksgiving road trip to Indiana, except this time we had a little baby with us! We shared a wonderful time with family celebrating all of the things we are thankful for, and before we knew it, we were staring right at December!

Harper meeting Santa for the first time. For the record: There were a few smiles, and definitely no tears!

Before we know it, it will be time to look back on the events of 2011 so that we can write to all of you and wish you a Merry Christmas yet again. During the next year, Alyssa will continue to love the work she does at MSAADA Architects, where she has worked for just over two years designing projects in developing countries. I'm looking forward to another year of growth at Intermedia Systems Group, and for all of the new opportunities that have continued to grow at Apple. But until that time, we want to thank our family and friends for creating so many memories, sharing so many experiences, and making 2010 such a wonderful year in our lives. We are so incredibly thankful that all of you prop us up with support when times are tough, and revel with us when times are great. We wouldn't trade those moments for anything, and we're looking forward to another year of new snippets in time with each and every one of you.

From the three of us to all of you: Warm Christmas Tidings in this season of joy!