Christmas: in five acts

Prologue: 

Our house, with the quickest lighting job in east Nashville.  The 8 foot star (heralding wee Jesus, of course) is made from bamboo garden stakes, the trees, stage left are from tomato cages.  We heart tacky lights.

Act One: Christmas Eve, the location is Acworth, GA and the scene is impeccably set for a Latin Christmas Fiesta by Chara (Bryce's sister), Alejandro and Preciosa Sofia, as well as Al's family who are here from Venezuela.  We celebrated Venezualan style (read: lots of people, scotch and cigars, a late night feast, and presents opened at midnight.)

Chara and Bryce with their wee ones.

The lovely Sofia and her doting dad.

Fiesta Garcia!

Act Two: Maysilles Christmas Morning.  We wake up whenever we feel like it- in laid-back Maysilles fashion, and then get straight to the sausage balls and moravian sugar cake.  Actually, we are so laid back about it, we don't get around to presents and have to open them later, after we get back from the Eichelberger-time.

Wee Christmas Elf awakes! 

Aunt Emily meets Eli.  He already loves her.

Act Three: Eichelberger Christmas Dinner.  We recognize that we won't be able to do all of this every year- since all of these celebrations are 45 minutes apart, but Elijah really enjoyed meeting his family...or we enjoyed showing him off- same thing, right?  We went to Bryce's dad's sister's house and saw the Eichelbergers.

Three Generations of Eichelberger Men.

Bryce's dad was the only son, as was Bryce- so the pressure was on to have a boy!

Great-Grandparents. 

Please note Elijah's business man outfit.  It really cracks us up. 

Texting with First-Cousin-Once-Removed (or FCOR) Erin 

Wee One finds people time a bit exhausting.

Act Four: Eichelberger/Maysilles/Garcia Christmas Night.  Now we get to the melting pot, when the Venezualan inlaws come over to the Maysilles house for gifts and red velvet cake. Sofia enjoys the Christmas beast, Eli wears his elf costume and Beth talks too loud in Spanish.

Presents with Grandad Dunc

The Christmas Beast

Act Five (whew! This really wasn't as tiring as it sounds): A Dickson Christmas Carol.  We went to my family's house on Saturday.  It was as relaxing and lovely.  Mom and Dad's house in Dickson will always feel like home to me.  Elijah is so proud of his new cloth diapers... he just can't quit wearing them!  Smiling and giggling... I am sure it is all about those diapers.

Eli and Obi.  And his elephant from F.A.O. Schwartz from Aunt Katie.  

A pink elephant.  He is very secure.

Katie is surprised at the overwhelming cuteness.  He is in the outfit that Aunt Sarah got him for all his Christmas festivities.

Now: home again, richer and happier.  

We are so thankful for all the people that love this little man.

Reading with Baby

... not reading TO baby, mind you.  Neither of these books would be appropriate for his young mind.  Pillars of the Earth is entirely too tawdry (and I am ready to be finished with it!)  Bryce was especially excited about the post-apocalyptic father/son journey in The Road, and I think he would highly recommend it. But not to Elijah for another fifteen years or so.

Lil Gordo

I don't think I ever posted these pictures of Elijah wearing a hat that was my dad's when he was a wee one.  He is working that sailor look.  He comes from a proud line of Gordon men.  Can you tell that my dad is glad to finally have a boy in the family?

Sing it!

Okay, I know what my blog is: all baby, all the time.  And truly, I have no idea what is interesting to just me and what is actually interesting to the world at large... i find the little man fascinating.  With that introduction, I share a video of the song I enjoy most these days.  You will need audio for this one...

Aunt Sarah loves to shop

She bought me this outfit, plus a big fluffy white coat.

Then, they realized I looked a bit like Flea from the Red Hot Chili Peppers- what do you think?

A word about our dogs...

Friends

Cash and Kentucky are peas in a dog-pod.  Kentucky has shown her the ropes, so instead of being a mellowing influence, she is now keeping up with him in attention-getting.  They have each other to play with all day, though- which makes me happy.  And whenever Bryce goes out for a ridiculously long run with Kentucky, he says "Johnnycash" (that's what he calls her- one word), "stay here and protect my wife and my firstborn son."

Christmas Crafts!

Well, it's December!  I haven't gotten out a single Christmas decoration... but I HAVE started up the sewing machine (and knitting needles) for presents and such.  I always have such an ambitious list of things I want to make for people for Christmas, and this year is no exception.  We'll see what I actually get done.

Here is an elephant I am working on.  I have wanted to try making stuffed toys ("softies" as they are called by crafty bloggers), but I am too cheap to buy a book to tell me how.  So this is my attempt at making up a pattern, and it definitely has some weirdness to work out...

A group from church has gotten together twice to sew together. We just bring our machines and get cooking!  I always get the least done of anyone (in this picture I am really just nursing, not actually sewing) but love to visit!

Here we all are with our goods... my favorite little craft is in his car seat sleeping and not in the picture.  He was so good while we sewed all day, just looked around and cooed.  

And here is the requisite cute kid picture.  Like you want to hear about me!

Thanks for the Giving

Have I mentioned how much I like Thanksgiving?  It is by far my favorite holiday, so much better than my birthday.  Just tons of family and tons of food- what more could you ask for?  Our family really does it right.  Cousins and Uncles and Aunts come from across the street and across the state and from Wisconsin and North Carolina and stay the whole weekend. 

 And there is a whole new generation taking over!  I can't wait for Elijah to play with his Eichholz cousins.  Isn't it odd that two of the Gordon girls have married Eich-men? Those four kids from the great white north keep us hopping (and doing lots of other silly things) and are truly precious people... we love them so much!  I am so thankful for my family... odd as we may be.

Haere are two of my greatest blessings.  Such handsome men!

Wee Bethany is such a little bird.  Notice that both of us Beths have "stripes" (what she calls braids.)

And birds MUST have fabulous manicures.

Mamaw was very serious about getting time with her great-grandson.  If a few hours went by and she had not held him, she would go and hunt him down. Then we would find her teaching him some new songs about going to the woods to eat worms.

Mom works all weekend to make sure that we are all well fed and that the dishwasher is always running.  She just doesn't know that she means so much to so many people.

Ben and his brother Wyatt are the coolest little men.  They are definitely going to have to show Eli the ropes.  Wyatt will explain for him the way it all works, in detail, and Ben can show him what is worth eating!

Wyatt and Ben love some cousin Katie! Here they have in hand their favorite toys of the weekend... our cell phones. Later Wyatt made a phone out of legos and was texting the president.

Sarah and Bethany are peas in a pod.  Both are firecrackers of fun and both have smiles like a lightbulb.

It has been a while since Dad has been in his chair with two little girls on his knee... I've known for a while that he would be a stupendous grandfather from watching him with these Eich-kids. 

Two Months Young

Yippee! Last Friday commemorated my second month in this crazy ol' world.

I have, in the last month, learned to smile. My dad really makes me want to smile more than anyone else.  Mom just makes me feel hungry...

Yep, one month older and wiser.
And that Aunt Katie is quite the charmer.  She thinks I have forgotten about the baby blanket she is making for me, but I haven't.

Lovely Livi Indeed!

Eli and I met Sonya and Livi (8 months) for lunch last week. 

I've been friends with Sonya since 6th grade, when her parents would take us all over TN in their suburban with a big ol' camper hitched on the back.  We got into some very odd predicaments in many a campround across our fair state... I would always have a dirty bum OR fall in the lake or creek, Sonya busted her face on some roller blades, Jamie (not pictured) peed her pants in many an idyllic setting, and we all pretended to smoke to get this terrible guy to talk to us...

Times have changed, yet Sonya is STILL surprised if I wear dangly earrings or use lip gloss. Livi looks just like her daddy (and her dad gives Sonya the exact look pictured above as well)... who knew that Drason would be so cute as a little girl?  That's a compliment by the way...  Thanks for the fun times, past and present, Sonya!

Clay for President!

Get out the vote!  My friend, Clay, is an architect and builder.  He could be showcased in Architectural Digest if YOU vote for him by clicking HERE.  His is the first listing.

You can see more of his work at www.intowncottage.com.  He is pretty amazing- designs and builds... so amazing that 2 friends of mine met inside one of his houses (the Pierce/Lee house, see website) and were married 5 months later.  Magic!  Now do your magic and vote for him!

New Addition

Lest I forget, meet our new dog, Cash!  

She is a darling dog and Kentucky is romping about with his new friend as we speak (or blog)!

Soak up Autumn!

We went to a cabin this weekend in north Georgia with some Atlanta friends we don't see enough.  Four families came (though Clare and Esme were surely missed) and we added up to one set of newlyweds, seven adults, 2 almost-three-year-olds, one almost-2-month-old and one bun in the oven (not my oven... is it necessary for me to make that clear?)  We had good food, good conversation (though the menfolk DEFINITELY interrupted our interesting talk... to be continued, ladies) and good time with rowdy little boys.

Not sure who let Bryce pick the hike... it was a bit steep, but gorgeous.  Eli's second hike.

We had a hearty sing-a-long.  Clay brought some songbook from the seventies that had a strange mix of hymns and folk songs and "other."  Proud Mary and Kum-Ba-Ya were on the same page.

Eli made some new friends, Staughty and Jack.  Staughty will have a brother or sister in May (or June?) and the way he loved on Eli was a good portent.  I just wanted to use that word.  Katie will tell me if I used it incorrectly. 

The morning before we left.

Obligatory Family Portrait.  I like how the light is shining on angel baby.

Eli smiled at me tonight!

We are laying on our bed, just staring in wonder at our son, talking to him... Bryce got about eight inches from his face and said "hey, buddy," and no joke, Eli focused in on Bryce and smiled! 3 or 4 times they repeated this, Elijah staring right at Bryce and smiling! Happy 7 week birthday!

Working on a smile...

We have seen glimpses, flitting by... but I think this baby grin is here to stay.