Nathan's First Christmas!

This year was our very first Christmas as a family of three and I must say it was pretty wonderful albeit moderately stressful!  As with most married couples, holidays do not encompass just the big day, but typically the week before and/or after as well.  Similar to Thanksgiving, we made a trip to South Texas and then celebrated up here too.  We'll go in chronological order even though I am so excited to get to Christmas day!  Get comfortable...this may take a while.

It wouldn't be Christmas without decorations making the house look at least a little festive. Anyone who knows me understands that I am not a craft queen and my house pretty much looks like we just moved in a few months ago.  But I do have a few decorations that I have accumulated through gifts from the last several years that I like to put out.  You might notice a recurring theme...

Yes, my decorating is a little snowman heavy...but aren't they adorable!  The best part is that they are a winter theme and so can stay out longer than the Christmas tree!

Alright, on to the main event(s). On Friday the 16th Cynthia and Bill came over with some yummy pasta and the presents for us to take down.  Nathan got to open his present early (Cynthia said it was so he could practice unwrapping) and it was a big hit!  He even helped with the wrapping paper...sort of.  Saturday the 17th we packed up the car, including Nathan's present from Cynthia and Bill, and headed down to Mathis for Christmas with my immediate family at my grandmother's house (dad's mom).  Our little family was there along with Kimberley, Kevin, Breydon and Chance; Kelley, Allen and Tyley (Chris had to work); Mom (Grammy), Cantrell, Grandma Bryan (Gigi) and Grandma Sheila.  My sisters and I agreed that we would just buy for the "kids" which includes my brother (because he is still in school) and mom and grandmothers (unwritten rules).  That eliminates 6 adults from the buying pool, which is a relief!  Jimmy and I somehow managed to fit presents from us, Skipper and Dayle and Cynthia and Bill in the trunk along with our luggage and Nathan's paraphernalia. Granted, we were only staying one night, but you'd think we were coming for a week!  We made it to Mathis in time for a late lunch of which I ate too much and sadly can't actually remember what we had. Shortly after the lunch clean up we all settled into the living room and got ready to open presents.

Nathan got a new winter wardrobe and also enjoyed spending time with his cousins. 



Tyley "reading" to Nathan...how sweet!



Tyley loves the princess dress we gave her!





Kevin as Captain America



Cutest babies in town!





Here are Nathan's presents from Christmas No. 1


One of the best presents of the day was Breydon's Captian America mask and shield (good job, Aunt Kelley!) and one of the funnies moments, besides Kevin sporting said Captain America mask at Breydon's request, was when Allen didn't open the shirt box of books I got him because he assumed it was clothes.  Now, before you "tsk" me for getting my 8 year old nephew books, he put books on his Christmas list...so there!  But let this be a lesson to all Aunts...don't buy your nephew clothes because the box won't get opened, haha!  Another classic moment was Mom crying because we gave her framed pictures of us and Nathan and a snowman plate that Nathan made for her.

Speaking of the plates, that was an adventure in itself!  We went to a ceramic studio in West Houston one Sunday after church and painted plates for us, Mom, Lori and Jimmy's grandparents (Momo and Popo). We only got a few in-process pictures and only one of those was clear enough to use here.  And I somehow managed to forget to take pictures of all the plates and only took one of mine...shame!  Mom and Lori got snowmen (let me see your shocked face) with Nathan's 2 footprints while Momo and Popo got a round plate with Nathan's 2 feet and a string of lights where we used his finger tips to paint the lights.  They all turned out super cute and were worth the child wrangling and 7 year old's birthday party happening at the studio while we were there.  After doing his part, Nathan slept in Daddy's arms for a while as I finished up the snowmen's scarf and hat.  We were all exhausted when we got home but I would do it again in a heartbeat, especially when you see how happy it makes the recipients.  I know I still smile every time I look at "mine" which we have kept on the kitchen island.



Paint tickles!

My precious reindeer plate! Love it!!!!

 Ok, back to Christmas weekend numero uno.  We spent the night in Mathis and after Nathan's morning bottle packed up and headed to Sinton for a few drive-by's before heading back home to Katy.  We spent a few hours with Lolo, Momo, and Popo then went a few blocks down to visit with Grandmama and Jimmy's dad and Egda.

It bears mentioning that before we left Lolo's house we packed the trunk with some of Nathan's gifts ("what was already wrapped").  I joked that it was a good thing we were taking some up otherwise grandma wouldn't fit in the car when they came, but I was reminded that they were bringing two cars.  This was the first sign that Nathan's first Christmas was going to be a doozy.

Jimmy and I decided months ago that Nathan's first Christmas was going to be at our house and I am so glad that we made that decision.  Thankfully all effected family members on both sides were okay with the plan, or at least didn't do their grumbling in front of me, which amounts to the same thing.  So this year Lori, Ashley, Grandma and Grandpa made the trip up to be part of Nathan's first Christmas in Katy.  They arrived on Friday morning and I think it only took them 30 minutes to unload the car. Okay, that's an exaggeration, but this is what the tree looked like after they arrived...




View A (from the front)



View B (around the side of the couch)



Ashley helping Jimmy with his last minute wrapping.

 Can you tell that Nathan is the first grandbaby on that side?  I thought not.  Jimmy's family always goes above and beyond for Christmas, but they really outdid themselves this year.  To be fair, there were two presents under there from Aunt Lindy, one from Aunt Dayle, two from Grandmama and one from Aunt Finity.  Oh, and one from Mom and Dad.  I know, I know, that still doesn't explain the madness...but it helps!

Before opening presents from family on Christmas eve, we made a very tasty lunch for everyone to enjoy.  I didn't get a picture of the desserts, but Ashley made sugar cookies and little chocolate brownies with Santa "hats."  I borrowed a picture of them from her Facebook.  We also had apple nut bread, pumpkin spice bread and banana nut bread from various friends and neighbors. Oh, and pumpkin empanadas from the Sinton bakery. For appetizers we had ranch dip with chips, fruit salsa (made by Ashley), a cheese ball a la Margaret Davis' recipe, and ratatouille with toasted baguette rounds and goat cheese...mmmmm.  For the main course we had ham, roasted asparagus wrapped in proscuitto, green beans with garlic and red bell pepper, sweet potatoes (made by Lori), roasted red potatoes with rosemary and scratch made rolls (thanks, Ashley!). Me being a sweet potato novice and Lori being busy feeding Nathan, my oven is now generously decorated with dollops of marshmallow that flowed over the side of the baking dish.  Oh well... 

We all ate entirely too much then cleaned up the kitchen and took a brief nap in preparation for some serious unwrapping time.

Nathan got right into the spririt of things with his first present, which happened to be from Aunt Ashley.  He held on to that green ribbon for most of the rest of the evening and I finally had to give him his pacifier so he would stop eating it!  As you can see from the photo evidence below, we almost lost him in the sea of toys and clothes that he got!  What a lucky baby to have family that loves him so much.  Where are we going to put all this stuff!!! 



Can you spot the baby in this picture??



Winter wardrobe part 2



As I knew he would, Santa visited us on Christmas eve and Nathan woke up at about 6:15am anxious to see what was left under the tree.  Mommy and Daddy were pretty tired still since Nathan had also woken up at 2:00am with a fever that hovered around 101 degrees all of Christmas day. We had given him Tylenol during the night to bring it down, so he woke up in a great mood and played with his new activity table for a while before having his breakfast. Jimmy and I "opened" our stockings and everyone (minus Ashley who had already left for the airport) had a breakfast of assorted fruit breads and tamales.  Jimmy and I had intended to make it to church, but Nathan's fever kept us at home, which was very disappointing. Lolo, Momo and Popo left for home shortly after lunch while Jimmy and I enjoyed the rest of the day and tried to get the house back in order (aka find a place to put all those toys!).



My favorite Christmas present from the hubby!



Playing with his star stacker the day after Christmas

 Despite the fever, Nathan had a fantastic first Christmas and I hope we have many more like it in the years to come.

One final note...this is what happens after company leaves and the little human goes to bed after a long weekend of strangers taking over their house...poor attention starved kitties!  Merry Christmas!

Count Your Blessings

There is a song we sing in worship that says, "Count your blessings, name them one by one.  Count your blessings, see what God has done."  God has certainly blessed me in ways too numerous to count, however I thought I'd name a few here in the spirit of the season!

To add some structure (and what accountant doesn't like structure?!) we'll call this my top twelve blessings.  I considered a top 10, but my Aggies are currently blowing away Kansas University 61-0 right now, so 12 seemed more appropriate. [Editors note, clearly this was started before the Thanksgiving Day game...sigh]Here we go, in no particular order...

12. My church family: Just before we moved to Katy in June of 2009 (wow, has it really been 2 years already?!) one of the first things I did was start looking for a church home.  We were very fortunate to find the Katy church of Christ and the wonderful second family that came with it.  I have come to know and love so many families, especially the other young moms who are helping me muddle through my first attempt at motherhood.  With our real families so far away, it has been an amazing blessing to have our second family so close.

11. The Simmons:  Joe and Annie Jo Simmons (or Papa Joe and Boo to Nathan) are our parents away from home and the most important part of our extended church family.  Joe baptized Jimmy and we have weekly Bible study at their house where Annie Jo cooks us all a wonderful meal and we enjoy spending time together with the others in our study.  I know that if we ever needed anything they would be right here for us without hesitation.  I am especially thankful that Nathan will grow up with other strong male Christian influences.  We love you, Joe and Annie Jo!

10. My job:  Just to be clear, I don't hate my job. I hate the hours that my job requires.  We are encouraged by the firm to think of the profession as our "career" and I used to, until approximately Wednesday, April 6, 2011 at 5:16pm.  However, this job does enable us to live in a beautiful house and enjoy a comfortable life while Jimmy finishes getting his PhD.  I feel blessed to be good at my job and have the ability to earn the respect from the firm that allows me the flexibility to get there when I need to, leave when I have to, and work where I want to.

9. My wonderful husband: Jimmy is such an amazing father to Nathan and a wonderful husband to me.  Even when there are rocky patches to navigate we are in it together.  See this post for more.

8. My mom:  I tell my mom pretty often that I hope that I turn out to be even half the mommy she was to us, and I mean it every time.  The house wasn't always immaculate, and dinner was sometimes from the drive thru window, but we always had exactly what we needed and most of what we wanted.  I won't say that she spoiled us exactly, but given the choice, she clearly sacrificed of herself for her kids.  She raised us to be independent and confident.  She is always proud of our accomplishments and here at a moments notice when I need her.  She is also the one that took us to church and set the example of what being a Christian mom means.

7. My friends:  I am the type of person who has a few very close friends rather than a bunch of acquaintances. Most of my current friends (besides the best friend I married) I made in college or met through the Katy church.  All of them, near and far, are incredibly special to me and have been so supportive this year as I struggle to balance my life.  They give advice where needed and unconditional love at all times.  I hope I am as much a blessing in their lives as they are in mine.

6. My mother-in-law:  I am of the fortunate few who love their mother-in-law, which is a good thing since we have been seeing quite a bit of her since Nathan was born!  My only regret is that I wish she loved her grandson more.  She should really try to step it up!  But seriously, she will do anything for her family and from the time I started dating her son back in 2003-ish (we'll only count college) she has welcomed me into her family with open arms.

5. My smiling sunshine boy: Nathaniel is the sunshine light of my life.  Even in the middle of the night his smiles make everything okay.  He is a wonderful happy baby, which is a blessing because I really don't know what I would do with a "challenging" baby trying to navigate work and home. We took him to the pediatrician today for an 'ear check' to see if his ear infection was gone and the doctor commented that we could clone him and make a ton of money: "A cute, easy baby...you could make a fortune!"  She also offered to take him home with her (this was the first time we saw this particular docter in the practice since our normal doctor wasn't in).  I love my precious angel more than words can say!

4. My family:  I know you probably think you have a great family, but mine is awesome!  Even the people that marry into my family (i.e. my sister's husbands) are great.  My sisters and I are closer than ever now that we all have children (yes, I was the last one).  Of course my family has its fair share of drama, but who doesn't?! All in all I we are very fortunate to all love each other and support each other in life's decisions.

3. My health:  I am very blessed to be in pretty great health.  I don't count the back to back to back colds I've gotten since my immune system became compromised (read: got pregnant and now live in a perpetual sleep deprived state).  I mean my more broad overall health.  I don't have any major illness or condition that a little time on the elliptical and a few less trips to Whataburger wouldn't fix, and the same goes for my husband and my son.  I know many families are dealing with things a lot scarier than the common cold and ear infections, so I consider myself very lucky!

2. My home:  As mentioned above, we live in a beautiful home that is big enough to have a house full of company and for Nathan (and future siblings) to grow up and run around inside (okay, the running should happen outside, but you get the drift).  But even if we were in something much smaller and less permanent I would consider myself blessed.  I try to remember this when spending a small fortune on home repairs.

1. Nathan's pediatrician: I looooooooove Nathan's doctor!  We went off of recommendations from other mommys at church and am so happy we did.  Granted, we can count on spending no less than 2 hours at the office when we go to see her, but the time and care she spends is well worth the wait!  I know Nathan is in the best hands when we see her.