What a year! It’s the year that everything changed for us – in the best possible way. It’s been a wild, wonderful ride. Here’s a recap of what we’ve been up to.

January:

The year kicked off with a mix of emotions. We said goodbye to Sarah’s grandmother, Irene, a loss that we felt deeply. But there was also lots of excitement as we got ready to welcome our little one, celebrating with a baby shower surrounded by some of our favorite people.

February:

In February we were in full-on “get ready for baby” mode. Sarah wrapped up her last work trip before maternity leave., and we spent the rest of the month relaxing, preparing and trying to figure out what the heck we’d gotten ourselves into!

March:

And then, just like that, our world changed. Our son, Harvey (named after Michael’s paternal grandfather), made his entrance on March 21st, 2024, at 11:58 am, weighing in at 7lbs 11oz. He was six days past his due date, but right on time.

April:

Harvey’s first full month on the outside was a blur of new parent life: feedings, diaper changes, and figuring out this whole parenting thing. But on top of that, it felt like the universe decided to throw some wild events our way. We experienced a rare New Jersey earthquake, a total solar eclipse, and to top it off, the Knicks even made a run in the playoffs. It was a memorable month, to say the least.

May:

May was all about meeting some VIPs. Sarah’s dad, “Grandpa Jeff,” and his wife, “Nana Nancy,” came for a visit from Minnesota at the end of the month. We got to hang out with Sarah’s close friend and maid-of-honor, Emma, who made the trip all the way from Lexington, KY. And Harvey got to meet his cousin Elaine when we hosted Mother’s Day at the house.

June:

Harvey hit a big milestone in June – his first tooth! But the highlight of the month was our family road trip to Mars, PA for Miranda’s (Michael’s cousin) high school graduation party. Mike Sr. and Georgann had a great time riding with Harvey in the back seat, Matthews and Xandria joined us in the Airbnb, and Harvey got to meet a bunch of his relatives. It was a fun trip that got us prepared for July…

July:

July was our big adventure month! We packed up the car and embarked on a road trip through 11 states. Harvey was a champ, and we were thrilled to see Mike Sr. and Georgann get recognized on stage at the Mercedes Benz Stadium. Plus, we got to catch up with good friends, Andrew and Emma in Lexington, Kentucky and Liz in Norfolk, Virginia.

August:

August brought another tough goodbye as Sarah’s grandfather, Loren “Larry” Decker, passed away. We also managed to get Harvey his first passport (big plans for this little guy!) and took him to the beach – though he wasn’t entirely sold on the whole ocean and sand thing.

September:

September was the last month of Sarah’s maternity leave, so we tried to enjoy as much quiet time together as possible. The highlight of the month was getting to hang out with Ryan and Debbie Gehm, who stayed with us while their daughter Miranda visited her boyfriend in NYC.

October:

Sarah officially went back to work in October, and it was an adjustment for all of us! Harvey decided to keep things interesting by throwing his sleep schedule out the window. But, we made the most of it, enjoying our first pumpkin-picking outing and dressing Harvey up for his very first Halloween. Our costume choice was fueled by our shared love of sushi, we assigned the following roles: Michael the chef, Sarah the soy sauce, and Harvey (a bit unwillingly) the sushi itself.

November:

It was a busy month, but the highlight was hosting Thanksgiving. We definitely attempted to cook WAY too much food the day of, but the time with the assembled family was special and the food ended up being delicious. We had kids running (and crawling) around, the piano got some use, and lots of jokes (of varying quality) were told.

December:

December was a month of more firsts. Sarah had her first work trip away from Harvey. Miraculously, both Michael and Harvey managed to survive those two days. We’re not sure who was more relieved when she got back. Then it was full speed ahead into Christmas. Harvey got to celebrate with three different groups of family. He was definitely feeling the love (and maybe a little spoiled). It was the perfect way to cap off an amazing year.

And that’s our 2024! It’s been a year of incredible highs, a few challenging lows, and a lot of learning and growing. Harvey’s now got eight teeth, a smile that lights up the room, and he’s almost walking 😅. We’re grateful for the experiences of past year and the people we shared them with. Can’t wait to see what 2025 brings.