Christmas 2010

**UPDATED----with pix**

Well... I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas.

I had great expectations for this Christmas, Easton's First Christmas.  However, this Christmas was not one I will soon forget, but not for good reasons. 

I came down with Strep Throat on Tuesday and am just now on the living side of it.  I'm not kidding, that was worse than child birth!  And to top it all off, I got a stomach virus on Christmas Eve!  And---to top that off, Lance got it today!  So, I've been off for 5 days and all 5 have been spent sick.  I so look forward to Christmas 'vacation' every year.  Summer vacation is spent at the beach, but Christmas vacation is spent at home with family.  I love having that time at home to bake, wrap presents, last minute shop, nap, and just be together.  But this year, that was not the case.  I barely was able to enjoy myself watching Easton open his presents on Christmas morning.  We did make it to our destinations on Chrimstas Eve and Christmas Day but I wasn't much company. 

Easton however, did enjoy himself.  He was quite the little ham on Christmas Eve at my Nana's house.  He has learned a new trick with his mouth- sort of like a frog- and he sticks his tongue in and out and makes a lidl-lidl-lidl noise.  He was quite proud of that and showed it to anyone who'd watch.  I could kiss him in the mouth, but I don't want him to get the germs!  Christmas morning, he'd sqeal in delight as he'd tear a piece of paper from a package, not knowing what was inside.  He sat in the middle of Mega Blocks and ABC Blocks and kicked his legs and waved his arms with excitement!  Daddy wins the award for FATHER OF THE YEAR!  He helped him open every present and played with each toy with him as long as his attention held. To see those two, oh it just melts my heart.  I love to see Easton look up at Lance and into his eyes.  He's got the gaze of a soap star!   

Once I mustered enough strength, we went over the river and through the woods...no, not really, just down the road to Honey's house and then a little further to Gigi's house!  We had more present opening at each house and more wonderful company.  We made it to our last desitination, Grandmomma's, and got back home about 7.  I'm still not exactly sure how I made it through the day other than with God's strength and Lance's will.  He was not letting me miss anything.  I'm glad he pushed me, but boy, was I sick. 

Looking back on Christmas 2010, there are a lot of things I didn't do that I wish I would have...

I'm going to jot them all down here, so next year when I look back at this, maybe I'll remember how I wished I'd have done them...{not in order of importance}

• Pictures with Santa
• Christmas PJ's
• Letter to Santa on Christmas Eve
• Cookies for Santa
• Take Family Photo on Christmas morning (now, that one reeeallllly hurts my heart that we didn't do...it's only his first Christmas once...)
• Take a picture in the freshly falling snow- it was the first white Christmas in 17 years, 1993- the year Big Al was born!  And yep, another missed picture opportunity
• Read 'Twas the Night Before Christmas' just like my mom did to me EVERY Christmas Eve
• Read the story of Jesus' birth on Chirstmas Eve just like we did EVERY year at my Nana's

SO, now that I've been Negative Nancy, I'm going to try to change my thoughts a minute because 'Change your thoughts and you change your world'....RIGHT MOM???

I do have so much to be thankful for.  We all have our health (other than these last 5 days), we have each other, we have a wonderful family, great jobs, great child care, amazing friends, a wonderful church...and Jesus...and HE is the TRUE reason for Christmas.  And as I was laying on the bathroom floor feeling its coolness on my fevered body wondering if I really was this sick on Christmas, and sad that I wasn't going to feel good watching Easton tear into his presents or find excitement in watching Lance open my gifts to him or opening the stack of presents that Lance had gotten me, I thought- 'it's not about that Annie, it's about Jesus.  Christmas is in your heart.  It's in the time that you get to be with family.  It's in the love that your husband showed you while staying up with you all night, it's in the twinkle that's in your son's eyes, the joy that is in his soul.'  So, with that said, I was SICK AS A DOG, but it was Christmas nonetheless.  And it was Easton's First.  One I shall never forget. 

On a side note...and a more 'personal' note...I had to stop breastfeeding for 24 hours because I had to take a phenergan to stop the vomiting.  That to me was one of the worst parts of Christmas.  To have to prepare Easton a bottle of frozen milk (thank God I had so much stored!!!) and watch someone else feed him while he looked at me in confusion was heartbreaking.  It is true, what 'they' say about the closeness you feel to your child when you breastfeed.  It's such an amazing bond and I encourage every mother-to-be to try it.  Give it 6-8 weeks and I promise, you'll be glad you did.  I'm happy to say we've picked right back up where we left off.  Fixing and cleaning that many bottles a day is for the birds!  It's so much easier to nurse! 

So, Easton, your first Christmas wasn't everything I planned out...but we were together and Daddy and I love you VERY much!  You are the best gift of all!

I do have some pictures of our day...but I got a new camera {THANKS BOO!} and I'm not sure how to upload them yet.  So, be patient and check back! 

I hope you all had a very Merry Christmas and have a wonderful New Year as well!

Just a few pix from Easton's first Christmas...

Daddy helping him find what Santa left!

2 of the best gifts ever!

LOVE his new Elmo

First Baseball Game!

Learning to WALK!

Sesame Street Walker from GG & Big Ron!

Sick Mamma :(