Noah's November

November is a special month: It's the month of Thanksgiving, and, perhaps not coincidentally, it's also National Adoption Month!  We are so grateful for adoption, and we are so grateful for you, Noah.  To celebrate National Adoption month, I did a lot of posts about adoption on my blog, and Katie also wrote up her full story.  I know you will love reading her perspective someday.

To celebrate Thanksgiving, we went to Idaho to spend the holiday with Grandma and Grandpa Nielson.  Your Uncle Cole also got married the week before Thanksgiving, so we ended up spending 10 days with the family, and you loved every minute of it.  You were happier and smilier than I've ever seen you.  And why wouldn't you be, when you got to spend so much time with so many of your favorite people??

Your Uncles and Aunts:

Your Grandpa and Grandma:

Your Birthparents (we saw Katie several times, and we saw Drew for an afternoon when he was home for his college break):

I think you were sad that you couldn't join us in eating the ginormous FH'zookie.
P.S. I love this little frowny face you make.  It is precious. 

Your Mom:

Your Dad:

Matching cowlicks!

You had a very eventful November...and your December will be just as fun with your Westover relatives.  You are one lucky baby!!

Trip and Hike with the Cardons in New Mexico

Over Labor Day weekend, we went on a road trip to Albuquerque, New Mexico to see some of our dear friends from dental school, Creed and Tiffany Cardon.  They were some of our biggest supporters when we were struggling with infertility and adoption disappointments, so we were so excited to introduce them to you. In the future, you can call them "Uncle Creed" and "Aunt Tiffany". :)

When we arrived, Tiffany had a ginormous gift for you, which was presented by her three-year-old daughter, Madi:

It was a Baby Einstein "Under the Sea" Playgym.  You love it!  Whenever your dad lays you down on the mat to play under the mobile, he says, "Do you want to go for a swim under the sea?"  It's really cute.

The highlight of the weekend was taking you on your very first hike.  We went to a beautiful place called "Tent Rocks."

At first, Daddy carried you in the Moby wrap, but then he turned you around so you could see everything, and the wrap started to unravel, so he just carried you.

We had too much fun staging these "Pride Rock" photos, like the movie The Lion King.  We were all laughing and singing "The Circle of Life."

The hike was so beautiful, and we had a great time being outdoors as a family.  We've decided to try to hike as much as possible while the weather is still good--we've been on two more hikes since our return from New Mexico.  I hope we become an outdoorsy family.  I'd love to take you camping and hiking throughout your youth.

At the end of the holiday weekend, your dad had to get back to Denver to work, so he drove home.  You and I stayed in New Mexico a few days longer and then flew home on your first airplane ride.  You were an angel and slept the entire time.  Thanks for that.