quick update

Santa bought Nathan new carseats for Christmas. We now have one for my car and one for my mom's. Jason won't get one since when we're all together we always take my car. I've blogged before about how much Nathan hates the carrier. Cries as soon as he looks at it. Screams at the top of his lungs the entire way to and from any destination. Some people say that they will eventually stop crying, but not my son. And my favorite - "My child would fall asleep as soon as we put them in their carseat."

I never believed this statement. I was beginning to think that this is how it would be for the rest of our lives. The thought of a child falling asleep in their carseat seemed like something out of a Disney movie or a fairytale.

This has become the main reason we don't go anywhere. Not even to the grocery store. Very frustrating. However, I told him the other day that we really can not stay on Mt. Carmel Rd. forever. We are going to HAVE to leave at some point. So, he asked Santa for a new careseat. Or, at least I did. And he delivered!

Here he is before:

And now...

It's true! They do sleep in carseats! And I believe in miracles!

'Tis the Season

Merry Christmas!

It's weird to think that this time last year I was pregant and didn't even know it yet...

This is Nathan's first Christmas and boy has it been fun! It all started with Mason coming up on Thursday. We had so much fun with him this time. I think he's starting to get used to Nathan being around all the time. We are so lucky that Susan and Howard were there in Florida and just happened to be coming back that day. We don't ever mind going to get him, but it's nice to not have to make that 2 1/2 hour trip both ways if we don't have to. So, Thursday night Jason's sister Christy came by to see him and we then had dinner with my parents.

Friday, Mason spent the day with Mr. Mark. They just pal'd around all morning and then picked Jason up from the truck stop at lunch. Mason loves going to the truck stop so this was a real treat for him! He kept telling us that he wanted Santa to bring him a "Mac" truck like his Daddy's. Good thing I'd already gotten him one! Last year, Santa came to Mason at both our house and his mom's house, but now that Nathan's here (and since Mason's getting smarter about Santa) we decided that Santa would only come to the house that he's at Christmas eve night. That way there's no confusion as to why Santa comes to him twice and not to everybody else twice, too. Also, last year Mason had told us that he wanted trucks and cars and "digger things." However, when we went to pick him up to have Christmas with him, he said, "Santa's going to bring me airplanes and helicopters!" Jason and I were like, "oh....no!" and of course rushed around like mad people buying up airplanes and helicopters at the last minute. So, Christmas morning that child had more presents than he could have ever dreamed of. This year, we decided to scale back alot. Especially since we didn't have the pressure of playing Santa, we felt like we could get away with not having to do as much. But, between Jason's grandparents, both sets of my grandparents, Jason's mom, Jason's dad, my parents, Jason's sister, my sisters, and then us - he STILL had tons of stuff! Our boys are so lucky to have such a great family. And Jason and I feel so lucky for them, too! Here are a few picks of him opening our gifts to him...

He's so funny. As soon as he'd finish opening one, he'd be ready for the next and he played with the bubble wrap from someone else's present more than any of these, but oh well. I need another toy box, that's for sure!

Saturday, I had to work and when I got off we had Christmas with my sisters and Mason at Memaw and Big Daddy's house. Rebecca and Christy both were not going to be here for Christmas day so we had to do Christmas for them a little early. My Mom went ahead and gave my dad his present - a Wii! Oh Lord, I don't think my parents' house will ever be the same again....

Jason's mom came over that afternoon and Jason's sister came back again, too. They brought Mason even more gifts, but we couldn't play with them very long because we had to get ready for our 2nd annual Twinkle Tour! This is SO much fun and we are so glad we got to do it again this year. My cousin Alison's husband Jim's family owns a small church-type bus. He drives our Perkins family around in it to look at Christmas lights and we stop at some people's houses for appetizers. Of course, everyone brings their drink of choice which makes it hilarious. Everyone from my 65 year old Aunt and uncle to my youngest cousins were there. My mom kept Nathan for us which was so sweet of her. It was really nice for Jason and I to be able to enjoy ourselves without having to worry about him for a little while. Mason went in her place and got to ride with Big Daddy. He LOVED the lights and had lots of fun with the other kids. I'm not sure if he remembered going last year, but I hope he'll be able to go with us every year.

Sunday, we slept in late and then went to my parents house to play Wii. It was nice to have a day off to not have to do too much. We let Mason stay up late with us that night and watched "Home Alone." He thought he was so big. When I told him that he could stay up late, he was like, "are you going to let Baby Nathan stay up late, too?....He'll probably whine alot." haha. I said, "Nah, this is only for big boys." He grinned real big and climbed up onto the sofa. It was so fun for the 3 of us to hang out together like old times and I think it was good for Mason to see that things haven't changed THAT much with having Nathan here.

Jason took Mason back on Monday and I had to work then we went to my parents house to play Wii. Tuesday was sort of mellow, too, I worked - came home - played Wii. Then, Wednesday the fun started again. I worked that morning, then rushed home to start cooking for Christmas day. I went ahead and made the breakfast casserole and cheese danish for Christmas morning and then made the deviled eggs for us to have with our Christmas lunch. We got all dressed up and went to Susan and Howard's house for a little Christmas party. We had so much fun being with everyone. Nathan wasn't in much of a party mood. I've learned that when he gets sleepy he wants his bed at his house. Kinda' like his Daddy, I guess. :) He was not having me trying to get him to sleep on Susan's bed. So, we had to cut the party short a little. Too bad, because I heard there were lots of holiday cheer shots being taken which would have been fun to watch, but oh well....

Then, this morning, I woke up early to make sure I could get everything started. As soon as Jason and Nathan woke up we went to see Mr. Mark and give him the coffee mug I had made that had the boys' picture on it. My parents and grandparents came over around 9 to exchange gifts. It was so much fun and I hope we make this a tradition! We gave them each 2 mugs with a picture of each boy on both of them. They LOVED them! Jason and I decided to not give each other gifts this year so we could focus more on the kids and since we don't have alot of extra money right now. I wondered if he'd cheat, but luckily neither of us did. I was sure to remind him that this is not tradition, though!

I hated to see my family leave, but kinda' glad they did because I had to quickly get started on our Christmas lunch. I had planned on cooking a ham that I had already bought, but Wednesday, one of my clients brought me a huge beef tenderloin! What a nice gift!! So, we decided to have it instead. Jason and his dad took care of preparing the meet, but I still had to make the green beans, squash casserole, homemade mashed potatoes, rolls and sweet tea. Whew! Luckily, I squeezed a shower in there just before Jason's brother and sister got here. We had so much fun being with them and I'm so glad that everyone enjoyed my food. I am so proud of myself for getting it all taken care of and for it being so yummy. I just hope that one day my boys will tell their wives, "nobody can cook as good as my mama!" :)

After they left we went to my parents house to, you guessed it - play Wii!

Hazel Ana

Today I am reminded of all my blessings. I am a wife and a mama and that is all that I've ever wanted to be. As a little girl I would dream of what my husband would look like and what I would name my babies. Of course, a little girl doesn't dream of the silly little things that come along with life like bills, fussy children or husbands that travel. Nevertheless, I have all that I've ever wanted and I am blessed. I ran across this blog www.hazelana.blogspot.com today. I do not know these people. I do not know anyone that these people know. I have no idea really how I found it, but I started at the bottom and read up. I do believe that once you're a mama you are everyone's mama and everyone's baby is your baby. I love little Hazel. The chinese culture describes an emotion that they call mother-love as being the love that only mothers have for their children. The love that causes a woman to urge her children in the right direction, the love that makes babies want to curl up in only their mother's arms, the love that keeps us strong when our babies are sick. I can feel the mother-love that there is for Nathan. I, we, can not be more blessed and thankful for all the many mothers we have in our lives...

My favorite gift

The best gift that I ever got

Didn't really weigh a lot

It didn't have a ribbon 'round

And it sometimes made the terrible sound

The best of all it seems to me

It wasn't neath the Christmas tree

And yet, I guess I'd have to say

That it made all the other presents twice as gay

The best gift that I've ever known

I'd always wanted most to own

Yet in my dreams of sugar and spice

I never thought it could be so nice

The best gift that I ever got

Was sometimes dry and sometimes wet

Was usually pink but oftentimes red

As it lay so innocently in its bed

The best gift of the year to me

The one I hold most dear to me

A gift that simply drove me wild

Was a tiny new born child...

~"The Best Gift" by Barbra Streisand

Baby, it's cold outside!

So, I'm writing this from my parents' guest bedroom. Yes, I'm staying at my parents house tonight. No, it's not because Jason and I had a fight or because our house has been repo'd. But - our heat is out - AGAIN.

Now, I have been trying to be really patient with this idiot that installed our unit only a little over a year ago, but my patience is wearing thin. I'm not sure if he realizes that he's dealing with a woman that just gave birth 3 months ago - who's hormones aren't all intact - who's living on little sleep - and who just lost a really damn good sale at Target.

Yep, I lost the sale at Target - they aren't going to give me the coveted Britax carseat that I so desperately wanted. Let me take that back, they aren't going to give me the coveted Britax carseat at the price they said they would - however, they will sell it to me for $299. Apparently, in very small print on some part of their website it says that they have the right to cancel an order if the price was a misprint.

What - ev.

It's the week after Thanksgiving. I should be more thankful, right, instead of complaining so much, so let's take a deep breath....

We had a really nice Thanksgiving. Mason came to visit again. Every year we try to swap out going to Jason's family's Thanksgiving and going to mine. My family usually goes to Lake Junaluska so that's why we can't do both. However, since Jason's parents are divorced, we end up having 2 Thanksgivings anyway, plus my papa always has a big Thanksgiving at his house the Sunday after for our Perkins family so let me just tell you - I am TURKIED out. gobble, gobble.

I am very proud of myself, though! It's always fun for me to cook meals that my mother-in-law is really good at making to see if I can even get close to making them like she does. So since we were hosting my father-in-law's family at our house this year, I decided to do most of the cooking. I made a Turkey Breast, Sweet Potato Casserole, Green Bean Casserole, Macaroni and Cheese, a Chocolate Pie and Deviled Eggs (or "doubled" eggs as Mason called them). Everything turned out so nice! My deviled eggs could have been a little less mustard-y and a little thicker texture, but that's okay. I even got a great big hug from my hubby and he told me how nice it was for me to have gone to so much trouble for them. :) Makes me want to stay at home all day and be a little Betty Crocker.

My Dad got a new camera recently so I had him come up to the house to help me take Christmas pictures of Nathan for our Christmas cards. I thought of this cute idea and am so glad they turned out so well....here's a couple we're debating against...

I'm just so proud of my little pumpkin.

We "may" be starting to teeth. It's really early for that, but I got teeth pretty early so I've kinda been expecting it. He's started drooling aLOT and chewing on his hands pretty aggresively. Also, his diapers have been pretty loose - not a lot in them, but loose. I'm hoping this doesn't mean we're fixing to get alot less sleep. Just keep your fingers crossed for me that those little suckers pop on out pretty quickly.

Alright, I'm off to try to get some sleep in this strange bed....keep the heating and air man in your prayers!