Christmas with the Nameths, Part Two

After opening all the gifts and indulging in a delicious brunch (thanks, Mom!), we all enjoyed my favorite part of Christmas Day - naptime! I think we each slept for at least an hour. It was wonderful.
The day ended with a tradition that has been in place for over 15 years. Every year we celebrate Christmas with our dear friends, the Noskers. We always have Christmas dinner at their house as they so graciously host a feast for about 20 friends and family. We love celebrating with them, and though Matt was unable to attend (still suffering from the flu), we were grateful to have dear friends and family together on this wonderful holiday.

I just woke up.

There were sugarplums in my dream. Don't worry. They were manly ninja fighting sugarplums, but sugarplums nonetheless.

And now I'm ready for round two!

Hey, mom, what do you think of my Christmas outfit?

You do? You really like it? Because I think I look like a snow bunny. And it's not even snowing.

Christmas with the Nameths, Part One

After celebrating Christmas as a family, we headed to my parents' house to celebrate Christmas with them.
As you might imagine, the afternoon was all about Henry.
He received a proper spoiling, and we are extremely grateful to my parents and sister who loved on him all day long.

Whatcha lookin' at? These are mine (and so are the hot Santa pajamas - don't hate).

So what if the box is bigger than I am, I'm gonna open it!

What's all the fuss about? Opening presents is a piece of cake.

Hey, is this an eco-friendly toy car? Alright! My mom's gonna love this.

Not only good for the Earth, but good for the teeth.

I can't help it. I like to eat things.

Now, Opa, if you would have just read the directions the first time, this thing would be put together by now.

That's what I'm talkin' 'bout.

Outta my way!

Check ya later, dude.

Henry's First Christmas

It truly is the most wonderful time of the year.
Though Matt was sick the entire day, we began our first Christmas together on our couch, in our living room, just the three of us (well, four if you count Jaeger, and I guess, five, if you count the baby in my belly).
Henry is nearly nine months old, and it seemed like the perfect age for him to celebrate his first Christmas. He enjoyed the actual art of ripping open a present, and it was a joy to watch him discover new toys, books, and gadgets. He scarfed his way through many delicious goodies, and he babbled his way through new thoughts and ideas.
We would not have had Henry's first Christmas any other way.

Only on Christmas is everyone this happy before the sun comes up.

Santa was here!

Tissue paper? Who needs that? Let's get to the good stuff!

I prefer to eat my presents. Oh, and check out my mom's new green Bible. She likes God and the Earth.

Hey guys, don't forget about me.

Christmas Eve, 2008

Wednesday we celebrated our first Christmas Eve together with Henry. Unfortunately, Matt started feeling queasy around lunchtime, and by early evening, the stomach flu had consumed him. It was a bittersweet evening without him.
While Matt stayed home, Henry and I went to dinner with my sister and parents. Following dinner we attended a beautiful candlelight service at our church. As I sat through service, praying for my husband's health and thanking God for my precious son, I realized that this has been the absolute most blessed year of my life. It has come with its own set of challenges, some of which I have yet to overcome, but God has remained true to us each and every moment. I am so grateful.

Henry with his Opa and Oma.

The gang: MoMo, Henry, Me, Opa, and Oma

Isn't he so handsome?

Sometimes I still cannot believe he is mine.

Cheers!

Merry Christmas!

Thank you, Lord, for a blessed year.
We are so grateful for this wonderful family, and we are beyond excited to know that our family will be expanding next year.
Thank you for the good news.
As we approach 2009, we continue to pray for the good health of our families, we pray for the health of our unborn baby, and we pray for the health and well-being of all those we have come to know as friends.
We are forever joyful.
Amen.

Because the holidays are exhausting.

And it's only Christmas Eve.

COLD!

Wanna know how cold it's been in Ohio the last few days? Just look at Jaeger's whiskers. 

The crazy thing is, my husband and dog actually make a significant effort to do stuff in this whisker-freezing cold. And by do stuff, I don't mean they just go for a walk around the block. No, I'm talking wade-through-partially-frozen-creeks do stuff. Apparently they get their kicks hangin' around bitter cold water with guns looking for innocent waterfowl. {shaking head} Boys.

At least he wasn't scared.

Stunned? Maybe. In shock? Possibly. But our little bear's reaction to the jolly ol' man was anything but fear!

We were elfed!

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

A peek into Henry's nursery

I posted pics of Henry's nursery 10 months ago (has it been that long?), and today we revisit those pics at Raising Peanuts. Donielle, the blog's author, is featuring Henry's nursery in Welcome to My Nursery. 

Check it out, and enjoy!

Guess who discovered the Christmas Tree?

Yeah, that's right, I caught ya!

Hey you, what are you reaching for?

Wait a minute, hey, stop that.

Oh, great. What are you eating?

"Ymm, crunchy."

{Mom shakes her head and walks away}

Henry's Christmas Stocking!

My mother-in-law handmade this darling gem. Could it be anymore precious? And would you believe that she made our wedding cake, too. She is so Martha!

*Notice Henry's elf on the mantle? That was a gift from Oma. Like I tell our 8-month-old boy everyday, "your elf is watching and will report back to Santa." Naturally my little bear comprehends every word of it.

The cake!

Last lesson, First fever

Henry had his last swim lesson on Wednesday. 

As always, he loved being in the water, and he went home with a cute Certificate of Completion. He makes his momma so proud. {tear}

We will take winter off from the formal lessons, but we plan to pick them back up in spring.

Unfortunately, two days after his last lesson, Henry came down with a serious cold. He experienced his first fever, ever! My, oh my, that boy was on fire.

He's doing better now, though he's still snotty-nosed and phlegm-filled. 

But snot and phlegm aside, he's still our happy little bear!

Very important announcement

My sister is going to Cambodia!

My darling little sister, Morgan, has been given the opportunity to do missions work in Cambodia. God has been working in her heart, and my brave sister accepted His request! In February, 2009, she will travel to Southeast Asia to serve an orphanage in Prek Eng.
She is traveling with a group from our church, and they are serving through a third-party organization, Asia’s Hope. Our church currently has a long-term missionary serving the orphanage, and if you check out her blog you can read about how God is using her in Cambodia.

Finally, if you want to help my sister, she can definitely use 1) lots of prayers, and 2) financial support*. Please let me** know if you are willing or able to help her out in either of those ways.

Morgan – I am so proud of you, and those precious children will be blessed to have you.

*All donations are tax deductible. 

**Contact: alisonkhooper{at}gmail{dot}com

Playtime at The Hoopers

This is what playtime looks like at our house.

Remember to share, boys.

"Come on, Mom, put the camera away."

Whoever said there was anything wrong with child labor?

My philosophy is Start 'Em Young.

Let's not forget about our first love.

Before there was baby, there was puppy. And we absolutely love our puppy.

But because baby is currently suffering a major rash*, puppy has not been given much attention lately.

Nonetheless, puppy deserves serious kudos because last weekend he single-handedly retrieved his first duck! Prior to Saturday, Jaeger had only successfully retrieved with Matt's strategic assistance. Then this past weekend, Matt, Matt's Dad, and Jaeger hit the creek for a morning of duck-hunting. Sure enough, Matt's Dad flushed a black duck, Matt shot him down, and Jaeger scooped him up and brought him to his master! Way to go, Jaeger!

No worries, while Jaeger was reveling in the high life, Henry was indoors enjoying a proper spoiling from his Grandma. 

It's an understatement to say that these boys love their time spent on the farm.

*Rash update: Henry's rash is clearing up. Thanks to a lot of advice and concern from friends, family, and medical professionals, we determined that Henry possibly reacted to the Amoxicillin, but most likely the rash was due to the antibiotic flushing the virus out of little bear's system. Because his rash was not actually hives, the likelihood that he is allergic to penicillin is low (yipee!). Thank you to everyone who helped us better understand the little guy's rash. And thank God for our healthy, and as always, happy baby!