Summer's first Christmas!!!

Today is Summer's very FIRST Christmas!!! This is so exciting because Christmas has always been my favorite holiday and I think back to how much my parents always did for me to make sure that each year was even more special than the last. I look foward to all the years ahead and carrying on the traditions that my parents always did with me.

These pictures were taken last night on Christmas Eve as Summer was getting ready for bed.

"I've been a good girl in my 3 short months here, so bring me lots of treats Santa!!"

This morning we went to Meme's house to eat lunch and open presents. Here is Meme with her two great -grandaughters on Christmas morning.

Meme loves her baby Summer so much, here she is stealing her kisses :)

Then it was time to open presents. At Meme's house, the rule is that everyone opens up their presents according to age, starting with the youngest and working its way up...Summer got to go first. The GIANT bag you see was filled to the top with goodies, all for Summer!

Our baby girl racked up this year!!! She got clothes, toys, diapers, wipes, and a newborn Cabbage Patch doll from her Meme and Grandaddy Mark...she now needs a second bedroom to put off her new stuff in!!

This year we made Meme a calender filled with pictures of Summer so that she could hang it up and she her baby everyday. Here she is opening it :

After visiting with Meme, we headed over to my grandparent's house for supper and to see all of my family. We were still stuffed from lunch so we didn't eat much, but we still had fun hanging out with everyone and catching up. My cousin Lindsay and her husband Michael suprised us and came down from their home in Charlotte to join us for Christmas dinner!! We haven't seen them in over 2 years, so it was nice to talk with them and catch up with all that has been going on.

This is a video of my uncle Harold as he got Summer cracking up at him on Christmas night...he really has the magic touch with her, Summer just eats him up :)

We had a perfect first Christmas with our daughter today. Spending time with her and our family is all that we could ask for, and we can't wait for all the fun times in the years ahead :)

*Christmas Eve at Nana's*

This year for Christmas we wanted to try something new and see how it went. Instead of trying to cram Christmas Day full of travelling from house to house to see everybody, we wanted to space our visits out over Christmas Eve and Day. That way we wouldn't feel so rushed and we could actually enjoy our time spent with family. So for Christmas Eve everyone met over at Brett's mom's (Nana) house to eat breakfast and open presents. It worked out perfectly!!!

We got there around 9:30 to eat a delicious breakfast of cinnamon rolls, biscuits, breakfast casserole, and fruit. Then we headed upstairs to open presents by the tree. Here are some pictures of Summer looking at all the neat things she got :

Summer got tons of new toys, books, and clothes...the child is already spoiled rotten :) Right now she's really into anything that she can fit into her mouth. Here she is with her new teething toy from Nana :
Here we are showing off our new cooking set from Brett's mom...we threw Summer in the frying pan for fun :)

Me and my Summer girl on Christmas Eve.

So happy that it's finally Christmas!!

Nana reading one of Summer's new books to her. Summer didn't know what to think with all of her cool new toys!!

Pooped!! Nana, Brett, and Summer taking a nap after a busy morning :)

Spending Christmas Eve with Brett's family was a great idea and hopefully the beginning of a new tradition. We really enjoyed being able to relax and spend all the time we wanted to over there without feeling stressed about getting to the next family member's house. Now it's time to get Miss Summer to bed so that Santa will leave her lots of goodies in the morning :)

Trip to the doctor....

Over the weekend I noticed that Summer was starting to seem pretty congested in her head when she would wake up in the morning and after nap time. I called her Doctor this morning and they wanted to work her in to make sure that it was nothing serious.

Dr. Mills checked her over real well and listened to her lungs for a long time and determined that it was just a little head cold. She said that her lungs sounded great and that most babies will get a cold like this when they start teething and putting everything in sight straight into their mouths.

She suggested that I get Summer a cool-mist humidifier and run it in her bedroom while she sleeps, and to put saline drops in her nose to keep her nasal passages moist. In the meantime we just have to let the cold run its course, and to call if it gets any worse over the next week or two.
So I did exactly what she said and we'll see how things go. I take her for her 4 month check up on January 5th, so lets pray that she is over it by then :)

Summer's Visit with Santa

On Sunday, Nana wanted to take her grandbabies up to the mall to visit with Santa!! We all met over at her house first to get ready and take pictures. Here is Summer by Nana's tree in her beautiful Christmas dress that Aunt Victoria bought for her :


"I can't wait for Santa to come to my house!!"


Summer was amazed by the pretty Christmas lights.


Here is Summer's cousin Rhianna holding her and telling her all about Santa Claus and how she went to visit him last year!




Here we are getting all packed up and ready to go meet Santa for the first time, look at the excitement in her eyes.


Summer couldn't wait, she was ready to take off without me!!


*Family picture Christmas 2009*

We finally made it to the mall!! Here we are at the Entrance to see Santa. Apparently everyone else had the same idea as we did because we ended up waiting 2 1/2 hours to meet the big man!!

Rhianna wondering, "Is it ever going to be our turn? I'm tired of waiting!!"

Taking a rest on Nana's shoulder. Both of the girls did so good seeing how they both missed their afternoon naps, I was very proud of them both.

This is how Summer entertained herself the whole time, she didn't fuss once!

And their time finally came!! Here is uncle Shane, Rhianna, and Summer getting their picture taken with Santa :

Santa and Summer , I thought these all turned out so well :

Rhianna was so tired by the time it was our turn, so she didn't feel like smiling, but I thought this picture turned out beautiful :

Nana and Uncle Shane talking to Santa :

I couldn't have asked for a better first visit with Santa for Summer. All of the pictures turned out so well and now I feel that the wait was well worth it!!

* Big changes ahead *

After many long discussions and lots and lots of prayers, Brett and I have decided that it would be in Summer and my family's best interest for me to stay home with her for the time being. Since I have been out on maternity leave my life has changed directions in a big way. Not only am I a mother to my little girl, I am now more involved in taking care of my grandparents.

My mom and sister moved in with my grandparents back in August of 2008 because my grandfather felt that he could no longer take care of himself or my grandmother alone anymore. My grandmother has had Alzheimer's for several years now, and recently we have seen a dramatic change in her. She no longer knows where she is and is quickly forgetting who we are. She also has Macular Degeneration and is almost completely blind now. She needs help with everything she does. My grandfather has had Emphysema and heart disease for several years also, and was put on oxygen full time last year. He has a hard time moving around and doing daily activities - so between my mother, sister and I we have all pitched in to help.

My mother is the powerhouse of it all and has sacrificed most of what she loves to see that they are well taken care of. It has been a challenge for all of us, but we are family and we will always be there for each other.

Since I am free during the weekdays, I have started going over to their house to help them with whatever they need done for the day. I do their laundry, wash dishes, pick up around the house, and do my Nanny's hair and makeup 3 times a week so that they can go to Cardiac Rehab. While they are gone to rehab I run to the grocery store if needed and pick my sister up from school. This has helped my mother from having so much to do in the evenings once she gets home from work, and has allowed her to start doing the things she enjoys a little more.

Staying home is a plus for me, because now I am able to spend more time with my family , and most of all watch my Summer girl as she is growing up so fast :)

Summer passed out asleep in the car after playing hard with all of her toys :

Summer has started teething recently, so now everything that she grabs goes straight into her mouth!!

My happy girl :)

* The best gifts of all are priceless memories *

This past Wednesday, I woke up in the middle of the night to a bad stomach bug. I was so sick and I knew that I wasn't going to be able to take care of Summer that day and I definitely didn't want to pass it on to her. So Brett called his cousin Dana and she so kindly offered to keep Summer for the day so that I could rest and get over it. Brett works for Dana's husband Jason and he goes to their house every morning anyways, so he just dropped Summer off as they was heading out for the day. I was so appreciative that Dana took such good care of my baby for the whole day because I know she's a super busy woman having 3 children of her own!!

I started feeling better that night once Summer came home, and I was completely better by Thursday morning. Summer, thank the Lord did not get the stomach bug and she has been as happy as can be.

Today I went to work for the first time since Summer was born. Since I work at a children's dentist, a lot of parents try to get their kids in to get work done during their time off from school, so I offered to help out over the Christmas break. My mom came over to my house to take care of Summer while I was at work. I was a little bummed out driving to work this morning because I'm not used to being away from Summer and I missed her really bad. I enjoyed seeing the girls that I work with and catching up with them, but I was so ready to get home and hug my Summer girl :)

Brett got home shortly after I did and he handed me a photo album full of pictures that Dana had taken while she watched Summer for me earlier this week. I had no idea that she had taken any pictures, and I was speechless at what a nice gesture this was. I immediately started to tear up looking at the pictures, they were all so beautiful!! I couldn't have asked for a better present, and I will cherish these forever.