Reminiscing...

I have been thinking a lot lately about Mason's first Christmas.  Sometimes I forget, or block out, our time in the NICU.  That was a difficult time, but seriously it is hard for me to recall just how difficult it was.  All of the driving (30 minutes each way at least twice a day), the tubes, the monitors, the alarms, the heel pricks, the blood transfusion, the infection scares, etc.  Just being away from MY baby for 2.5 months...sleeping in seperate cities.

Obviously,  that would be hard ANY time of the year, but Mason was born 2 days before Thanksgiving...so we spent the major holidays and family time sitting by his bed-side in the NICU.  We tried to go on with family/work Christmas parties as if we were not completely exhausted and emotionally drained.  We opened gifts and I managed to put a fake smile on my face.  I was getting only a few hours of sleep a night since I woke up every couple of hours...I had to make sure Mason was fed with the good stuff.  Just everything about that first Christmas was so wrong.  We had one decoration that year...Brady got it at his work white Elephant Christmas. It was a Nutcracker with the year "2008" printed on it.  Funny how some silly little Nutcracker that was supposed to be a funny/gag gift is now treasured in our house as we put it out each year.  It is a reminder!!

Anyway, enough feeling sad about our time in NICU or that first Christmas without Mason being home.  Sometimes I think it is important to reflect on that time and realize how blessed we are and how much our little boy has gone through.

God is good!  Amen!

Oh Christmas Tree...and other fun

We finally put up our Christmas tree last night!  The plan was to do it on Mason's birthday, the 25th of November, but we were too sick to care.  I was excited this year because it is the first year that Mason is really in to all the Christmas stuff.  I put up the tree...put on the lights...and made plans to have Mason decorate the bottom half.  He put the first ornament on with much excitement.  The next 4-5 he tried fell to the ground and he gave up at that point.  He was still excited for me to decorate though!!

 Putting on the first ornament

 Lightning the elf sure is a crazy little guy...you just never know what he will be up to when we wake up in the morning.  Last night he decided to make a zip line from the upstairs down to the tree.  How silly!!

 Riding a dinosaur...Mason thought this was HILARIOUS!

 We went to the Gaylord Texan yesterday with my parents and family.  This is becoming a tradition it seems.  We meet for brunch at one of the restraunts and then walk around and enjoy the sites.  We even attend the ICE show.  This year was Shrek themed.  It really is amazing that it is all made of ice.  Mason was not a fan last year, but had a super fun time this year.  He even went down the slide...and got stuck.  I knew it would be a disaster and he'd get upset but no, after scooting down on his bottom he got up and said "I wanna do that AGAIN!"  ha.

 The boy cousins...buds!

 At brunch...these guys came and sang "Rudolph" to Mason.

 Cousins

 Looking at trains...one of his favorite things to do!

 Mason went and stayed the night with Grandma on Friday night.  When he got home Saturday we had a SUPER lazy day and stayed in our PJ's.  Lightning the Elf had written Mason a note saying that had heard he was a good boy at Grandma's house.  We watched movies, did crafts and just snuggled all day!