Fun stuff....

This is Kelsie and Nathan at Papa Tom's..."Look and smile Nathan!" Kelsie's kissy pose and I'm just cheesin'. We did a fun little self portrait photo shoot, just the two of us and she is so cute in all of them.

Papa Tom and Uncle Tom Tom took time away from Guitar Hero to smile for the camera.

This is the crew or should I say ROCK STARS!

Sisters!

The Beaver Family on Christmas Day!

Daddy and Nathan on Christmas Morning.

FINDING THE GOODS UNDER THE CHRISTMAS TREE!!

Grandma read Nathan cute Christmas books on Christmas Eve.

We had a ton of fun and I have so many pictures...unfortunately I didn't remember my to take my camera to Cass's moms:(

Hope you all had a Merry Christmas!

My Moment.

I'm having an emotional moment.

We got home this afternoon from a nice four days of Christmas celebrations with both of our families. I was actually somewhat ready to come back here to Coos to get back into our own place and a normal routine for Nathan. However, we had more fun than we even could have expected. Tommy flew down from Spokane, Tiff's family was there from Redmond and Bob's daughter Lisa and her family came from Seattle. It was also our first Christmas with my dad's new wife and her kids. We also spent time with Cass's family, all his brothers and sisters, and also his grandma, grandpa, aunt, uncle, and cousins. It was crazy busy but SO much fun.

So why am I so emotional? Well, I had the most fun this year preparing for all the events of the last few days. Shopping, baking, watching Christmas movies, especially Elmo's Christmas Countdown with Nathan that it's hard to leave it all behind and move on with our "normal" daily lives. I look back at the last several weeks and realize that I have a ton of great, fun memories. I guess I'm sad that they are just memories now...does that make sense? Not to mention that I have a hard time being away from family. After a great few days and then to be down here without any of them is kind of hard. But I also am taking this time to really be greatful that I have them at all. They are ALL so generous, giving, understanding, and I can go on and on. I guess I'm sad that the Christmas season is over but on the flip side I am SO thankful for such an amazing one! I wish it could last forever.

(p.s. I'll post pics asap...just wanted to get this moment down while I was still in it:))

Five days of Christmas!

It's almost Christmas! I'm ready...bring it on! Have you ever seen the movie "A Smoky Mountain Christmas?" It has Dolly Parton and she finds orphans in a house out in the woods. It is pretty old; I remember seeing it as a kid. Anyway, I watched it last night as I finished wrapping presents and sipping hot cocoa by my Christmas tree. It was a lovely evening!

Other things on my mind...yoga. I've never tried it. Kinda interested but there is a guy here that makes me HATE IT! Every time he talks about it he tries to give me a lesson in the ancient art and history of it...makes me feel yoga dumb and really makes it seem like a terrible idea. However, my new friend Debra is a yoga instructor at my gym and she is so down to earth and so I might start in one of her classes. Do I have to buy my own yoga mat?

We got snow here in Coos Bay...well a light dusting of it anyway. They shut down school!! It was pretty silly if you ask me. It has warmed up slightly so no more icy roads. Just rain. That's good because I need to leave town in a few days and the last thing I want to worry about are dangerous road conditions.

Traditions! Now that Cass and I have our own little family, we want to start our own little Christmas traditions. Any ideas? What are some of yours?

My little Trooper

See this handsome face! This is his "cheese" for the camera. Well, you can also see his eight teeth...four on top, four on bottom. What you can't see are the three molars coming in and the "fang" tooth about to come through. Can you believe that...THREE MOLARS and a FANG all at the same time. He has taken this all so well. He goes to sleep by himself and wakes up at 3am, only to go right back to sleep when I lay with him. That's it...I can live with that. My baby boy is becoming my little boy so fast. He's so cute, huh??!!

Day Care update

So last week was rough. However, I did a little research, praying and talking to other people and decided that this phase too shall pass! I also needed to change my own reaction to leaving him so that he wouldn't feed off of my anxious feelings. So I've been really positive when I drop him off, pointing out fun things to do and telling him the names of the other little kids. When I pick him up I do the same...ask him what he did that day, etc. It seems to have helped a little. He still cries REALLY hard when I leave but he doesn't freak out when I pick him up anymore.
I had told them that he was struggling with giving up his morning nap and they have been able to get him to sleep while he's there too. Even if it is a short little snooze, they say he seems much better after some rest. So I'm feeling much more confident about this whole day care thing...although it's not my first choice. I would much rather be at home with him. I also think he'll get some good social skills out of the deal:)

Day Care...

...is not going so well. On our way to day care in the morning, Nathan looks very concerned. He drops his bottom lip when we park and is crying by the time we are through the doors. He does NOT want me to leave and honestly, I don't want to leave him either...but such is life right now. When I pick him up, he runs to me, cries and wants to leave. He struggles for the three hours that he's there. Fusses but has times that he plays just fine. What is going on? Is it separation anxiety that every child goes through? I know that he is taken care of...it's a great daycare!! Does he just need time to adjust? That's what one of the teachers keeps telling me. But EVERYDAY he cries...then I cry...ALOT! I don't cry there in front of him...but when I leave the flood gates open.
I pray that this is an adjustment thing. I need reassurance. Otherwise, I just don't think I can keep doing this:( SAD.

Real Quick!

I'm working so I'll make this quick.

-Nathan is cutting his molars. Not fun. He runs a slight temperature and gets fussy. He slept great last night for the first time in several nights. However, I put Nathan in a great daycare here in town. He cries so hard when I leave:( So therefore, I cry when I get in the car. It's so hard. They say he does fine while I'm gone...a little fussy. It doesn't make it any easier. One of the teachers in his class is really great. She talks to me ALOT about his day and she really puts me at ease. Her little guy is in the "Onsie" room with them. She told me Nathan will take time to adjust to the new setting. I really like her...I think her name is Tiffany...if I like her so much, I should probably know her name!

-I taught my first group exercise class last Tuesday and LOVED it! I got some really great feedback from some of the class takers and I get to do it again this coming Tuesday! I love it...did I say that already. This class is body sculpting so it's mostly weights. I added some intervals of cardio and it got the blood pumpin...again, I loved it!

-Cass got his Temp. Liscence and has applied for a casual position with the hospital. He will also be working at a local Orthapedic clinic when he has time. He'll have a couple weeks at Christmas time to work full time and make some extra money. He needs to because I have been buying Christmas presents instead of paying bills...no not really, but the extra money this time of year is always nice!! Four more months to go for Cass!!! WOOHOO!

LOVE IT!

We have had a busy couple of weeks. Let me start with the most exciting event...we put up our Christmas tree:) It's pretty funny because the ornaments are all on the top half because Nathan thinks they are balls to play with. I still love it. I sit by it at night and drink hot cocoa!!

The rest are in no particular order...we took Nathan to see Santa. He wasn't so sure. He didn't cry but was NOT going to sit on his lap or look him in the eye. That's ok.

We have had play dates with BFF Jackson. They play so cute together. I just happen to catch a picture where they aren't running up and down the hallway screaming or throwing things around the living room. Thank Goodness for "Cow show" (baby Einstein) for a little down time for me:) We have some great times with our friends that's for sure!

And we LOVE Elmo's Christmas countdown movie. When Nathan is having a rough time and nothing seems to make him happy...this is what we do and life is all good again.

We went to Albany for Thanksgiving. This is Nathan and Daddy hanging out on Thanksgiving day!

We went to Cass's grandma's house and hung out with the family for a while too. This was my attempt to get the three youngest boys in one picture...this is the best I could do.

And Nathan and cousin Kelsie played together ALL weekend. He had so much fun and so did Kelsie. She really wanted this picture of them together and again this is the best I could get. Nathan wasn't so cooperative.

We have been busy with all kinds of things...work, school, Nathan, the Holidays and much more. Life is good but right now I have to go make my hot cocoa and sit by my tree...see ya!