The holidays are over!!

The holidays have come and gone, and I am glad to see it is over. As much as I love the Christmas season, I just couldn't get into it this year. If it weren't for Phil, our tree would still be naked, and the house would not be decorated, and even with it being decorated it just isn't as well done as when I usually take an entire day and really make everything look festive. If I had my way the Christmas stuff would have been taken down today, but Phil likes it and wants it up until after New Year's, which is when we usually have it up until, so I said that was fine. I never did get around to having the time to do my cards, and trying to do any baking was just out of the question. Anyone who has had a newborn around the holidays understands where I am coming from. I am still getting myself back to feeling like I did before I got pregnant, and with having the c-section that takes a little longer then normal. Plus, even though John is getting himself on a schedule and sleeping through the night most of the time, I feel like I need a week to just stay in bed and catch up on all the sleep I have lost the past 9 weeks. Plus, certain family issues have me concerned and worried, so that is always on my mind as well.

I did get my wish for this year though. Last year at Christmas I said that I wanted to have a baby to celebrate Christmas with, and I accomplished that. He was definitely the best present I have ever had. He has grown so much, and I can't believe it is not 2 months old! He smiles all the time, and coos and is starting to laugh. He is just a very happy baby, so much so that when he wakes up in the morning he doesn't cry, he just laughs and coos and smiles to himself, waiting for one of us to come over to him and change him and give him a bottle. He has a wonderful personality already, he only cries when he is hungry or needs something and as soon as that need is met, he is happy. He doesn't even fuss that much. I am very lucky.

Next year, I told Phil that I plan on making sure we have a wonderful Christmas, not only next year but every year thereafter. John is going to be a year old next Christmas, and even though he'll still be too little to learn about Santa, I want to make sure there are lots of presents for him under the tree, and that we go out and do fun holiday things, like go to the zoo to see the zoolights, and go sit on Santa's lap. Being able to see Christmas through his eyes is going to give me a whole new appreciation on the holiday.

Merry Christmas

First, I hope all of you had a very safe and Merry Christmas!

My Christmas was very nice. Christmas Eve I had to work from 2:30-6:30p. Our store closed at 6p, but we had to make sure everyone was out of the store before we could lock the doors. I couldn't believe all the people coming in thinking we were open 24 hours and getting so mad when we told them we weren't. The manager had to keep turning people away from the door. But luckily I was able to clock out at 6:30p, and then change and head over to Grandma Joan's for dinner. Everyone else had already eaten by the time we got there, but we each had a plate waiting, so we had a good dinner, and then go to open presents and spend time with family. My grandma bought us a Kitchen Aid knife set, so very nice and it will last us a lifetime. She also gave us a really nice stainless steel spice rack that swivels and has 20 different spices. I love to cook and can't wait to try some of the new spices in my recipes! She also made me a lap blanket, and also a dog toy for Brandi.

Yesterday we had dinner at my mom and dad's. Mom made lasagna, since we had ham and turkey at my grandma's the night before and it was soo good! They bought Phil a GPS for his truck, since he never knows where he is going (lol), and for me I got a Creative ZEN MP3 player that is so nice, it holds 4000 songs, pics, and videos, has a big screen, even a calendar and organizer. It is what I have been wanting because my other mp3 player died on me.

As much as I love Christmas, I am very glad that now it is over, and we can go back to everything being back to normal.

Video Blog: Brandi and Xmas Decorations

The most wonderful time of year

Wow, I feel like I haven't blogged in such a long time, even though it was just after Thanksgiving. Don't worry, I haven't forgotten about you blog friends, I just wasn't feeling like myself. I had no energy after coming home from the hospital and didn't feel like doing much of anything. But I am happy to report that I am doing so much better. I am feeling more like myself, I am able to do more around the house without having to take a nap afterward, and I even feel like cooking again, which makes Phil happy because he loves my cooking more then his.

I am so glad I am feeling better, because this is my favorite time of year: Christmas Time! The weather has been getting really nice and cool here, even downright cold at night, meaning I have been bundling up anytime I go outside. People have Christmas decorations and lights up which I love to look at, and can't wait for when we take a ride around this weekend to different neighborhoods that we know of that have really nicely decorated houses. And Phil bought us our very first Christmas tree. We got a fake tree, because they look nice and last for many Christmas seasons to come. I wanted a 6ft tree, but we have a small apartment and with how our furniture is arranged, there just isn't a place where it would work, plus Brandi is at that age where she chews at things, and we don't need a doggie chewed tree. So Phil went to Wal-Mart and found a cute 3ft tree that fits so nicely on on of our end tables. As soon as he came home with it, we fluffed it up and he put on lights and we put up some ornaments and even tinsel. But the tree isn't done yet. We went over for dinner at my parent's house this past Sunday and my mom gave me some ornaments from the many that she has, so now I need to put those on the tree and finish decorating the house with my many snowmen things that I have. Yup, I love snowmen.

Another thing I love about this time of year is that I get to do all my holiday baking. There is nothing I love more then spending the day in the kitchen baking goodies and then watching people enjoy them.

I hope that all of you out there love the holidays as much as I do, and I am sure you all have your own traditions that you love to do this time of year.

Merry Christmas!