A Baby Changes Everything: the Wentz Christmas

Take a minute to think back on your favorite Christmas song. Do you have one? If you ask me to name any of my favorite songs, it is by "the modern one" and "the classic one". For instance, one of my favorite older country songs is "You Were Always on My Mind"; my newer favorite country song would be something by Brad Paisley. My favorite "old" Christian song would be "Come Thou Fount", and my favorite "new" song changes monthly, so this isn't a fair example. So, I love the song "O Holy Night". Last year I heard a song called "A Baby Changes Everything", by Faith Hill. If you have never heard it, you should probably stop reading and go to youtube. The basic message of the song is the birth of Christ, which changed everything. If you have ever had a baby, you know that a baby changes everything as well.





This Christmas, we were able to celebrate with our new addition, Jonah. Christmas is always a time of mixed emotions for me. I couldn't believe that I finally had a child, and I will one day lay out the gifts on the couch, stuff the stocking, and cram presents under the tree. At the same time, there are always moments of rememberance and maybe twinges of sadness; there may even be moments of pain when you realize your cousin isn't there in the sunroom helping you eat the cheese ball. Or maybe your uncle isn't there to tickle the keys on the out of tune piano in the living room. It is at this moment that you remember what Christmas is all about. It isn't about the last minute rush to Target to get just one more trinket; it isn't the sparkly gift wrapped with metallic bow. All of the sudden, things that used to be important, just aren't that big a deal.


Jonah got loads of presents. They were all educational, in case you were wondering:) He did receive some precious clothes as well. One of my favorite gifts was the Pooh stacking rings. They are large and plush with rattles. The different characters are different rings. I know he can't use it now, but it will be so much fun in a few short months! He also got a special book with his Sha-Sha and Pops voices reading to him! I can just see my parents recording "The Night Before Christmas" over and over and over. It's like trying to record a message for the answering machine; no one ever gets through it without cracking up. Such is the case with the Wentz family! Sha-Sha opened the book, and we listened to the wise old voices of my parents reading to Jonah. Believe it or not, Tuck sat as still as a statue to listen as well. Must be the teacher voices they have.








Patrick and I spent a total of 20$ on our boy. I had to get him something, and I did wrap it. I couldn't help myself. We got him "My Pal Scout", as I had mentioned in a previous blog. I think we have more fun with it than he does! We also got him "Jonah" by veggie tales. Again, way more fun.





After opening up fun stockings and loads of presents, family began to arrive for Christmas lunch. This is always my favorite time! Usually, I am stuck in the back still frantically getting ready when cousin John arrives; however, this year we stayed in a hotel and were ready when we arrived. Everyone mills around, snacking on crackers and cheese. I always end up loading up on the fudge that is in the sunroom. My mom turns into Martha Stewart during these family dinners. I really think I get my compulsions from her. She will have fudge, crackers, cheese, veggie trays, cider, and coffee in the sunroom while waiting for dinner. Looking for anyone? They are probably in the sunroom...
Once everyone arrived, we ate a delicious lunch and then plopped down all over the house. Having everyone together makes my Christmas complete. Jonah did well, despite being a little tired. He would whimper here and there, but that is when we broke out the "nursing hold". He loves that.





I am so thankful for each day I have with my peanut. I know next year it will be crazy with a toddling boy! I loved seeing my family, but we realized that it is time to start our own Christmas traditions. We will still celebrate with both sides of our family, but it may be on different days other than the actual Christmas day. As our little family of three, we decided to "grill out" on Christmas Eve:) We will do steaks, some type of potatoes, and roast s'mores in the fire pit. Then, with mugs of hot chocolate we will camp out in the living room by the twinkling tree. Doesn't that sound fun??? Here are a few pictures of Jonah with his Sha-Sha, Pops, and Aunt Mims.











Stay tuned for stories from the Sams side!

These are a few of my favorite things....

Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens...bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens...brown paper packages tied up with string...these are a few of my favorite things....
One of my new favorite things is wreaths. Why? I have no clue. Perhaps, if I were truly honest with myself, I realized my attraction to wreaths about three years ago. It was in this very house, while looking at another woman's decor, I saw a wreath. We were touring this house to see if it would be a keeper. Did the wreath seal the deal? Of course not, but I sure did think it was a beauty. This wreath was in the loft area over a dark ebony desk. It was a creamy hydrangea looking thing. I loved it so much that I tried to recreate it for over the mantle. I was happy with the outcome, but it ended up in my dining room. Several years passed, and I saw puffy wreaths made of mesh at the holiday show. These wreaths were so fun, but they were so bright and contemporary. Although I love that look, my home has more of a pottery barn meets target feel. I decided that since I now had a kiddo, I needed more punch for my color palettes of brown, blues, and creams.
Hooray for red and lime green, polka dots and stripes, and silvery mesh ribbon! I had such a blast putting this together, and I decided to make one for every season. Looks like Michaels will be needing to stock up on girly ribbon for Valentines Day! Here is the finished product, with my three little ornament balls hanging from the center. I have a thing for groupings of three, too.







The next wreath I tackled was a book wreath. I had seen this on another blog entitled "Living with Lindsay". Check it out sometime! If I knew how to put her link in here correctly, I would. This particular wreath's pages were made out of a Janette Oke book entitled "A Searching Heart". I have read it several times, so it has meaning as it hangs on my wall! I'm trying to find a reason to make another one. Anyone want one? I'll tear apart your favorite book, sheet music, whatever and glue away!!

This is a side view


Sorry about the lighting...I couldn't capture it right





Anybody have ideas for more wreaths? I can't wait to make the next one!

merry CHRISTmas

As Christmas comes closer and closer, I begin to reminisce about the magical days of childhood. I have so many favorite memories of Christmas. It is hard to keep everything in order, so each little story listed here may or may not be in correct order. Blame it on the fact that it's 9:20pm, and I'm already feeling like it's an hour past my bedtime. I can't hang like I used to...

One of the clearest memories I have is also one of the most precious ones. My sister and I had wanted a dog for awhile. One of my mom's students had puppies at his house. I think their last names were Hammond. Anyway, we went to see these little beagle and cocker spaniel mixed puppies. We fell in love with a little white one with black spots. Christmas Eve rolled around, and my sister and I couldn't sleep a wink. This was nothing new. I could never sleep well on Christmas Eve. I still don't to this day:) If I remember correctly, my parents had kept the puppy over at the neighbor's house until Christmas morning. I think my dad put the puppy in a box and carried her into the living room. She jumped out and raced back to our bedroom! I believe she went straight to my sister, who has always had a special bond with any animal. This sweet little dog was named "calamity", after my mom's dog growing up. She truly did cause calamity, but she was so loving and loyal. Every kid should have a dog, and I hope one day we can give a puppy to Jonah. It HAS to have a red ribbon, just to make it picture perfect!
Another Christmas memory I have was when we got bikes. We had picked these out earlier, and mine was a white background with different shades of purple. My sister and I sneaked into the living room early that morning to check it out. We had to tell each other to act surprised when we came back in. Sorry mom and dad.
Another year, we both got "Baby Talk". Does anyone remember these babydolls? You would press a button, which I think was on their body somewhere. It would talk to you and bat its eyes. Kinda creepy now that I think of it, but my cousin Jenny had one, and we were smitten! My mom got two straw baskets and placed pink blankets in them. Our baby dolls were then placed in the baskets. How cute! We loved those baby dolls.
It is not only the big gifts that I remember well. I will never forget a sweater my Nana gave me. I'm not quite sure why this sweater is so vivid in my imagination. It was cream-colored with pastel pinks and purple flowers that had some glittery sequins in certain areas of the flower. Sounds so 80s doesn't it? I loved that sweater. I felt pretty in it. I also got a walkman. Now that was too cool. Along with the walkman came a tape: CARMAN!!! O my...that was a fun tape. I still remember all the songs. We also got sleds. Blue with yellow handles. We probably used them once, but it sure was fun. We would walk around the neighborhood to a huge hill and slide down with our neighbors Katie, Tammy, and Michael.
Now Christmas is not complete without the Wentz tradition. Every Christmas morning, my sister and I would have to stand at the end of the hallway and pose for a thousand pictures. We would be in some scratchy wool pajama that had a peter pan collar. We would kneel down, and wait in anticipation! We had to wait for the Christmas music before we could run into the living room. Now, this Christmas music was played on a record player! There is nothing like the sound of music from a record player. I hope to have one again someday, because it is something every kid should hear around Christmastime. So, my dad would dramatically take forever to turn the record player on, and eventually we would hear it and dash down the hall!
Once into the living room, I wouldn't dare look at the tree, under it, or on the couch. See, there were presents under the tree wrapped and on the couch unwrapped! I had to focus on one thing at a time. We would go to the stockings first. There would always be socks, underwear, candy, gum, probably thank you notes, and a beanie baby. Well, not always a beanie baby, but we would have some sort of cutesy stuffed animal sticking out. Stockings are so much fun. We would then go to the couch, where some clothes would be laid out. You could always count on a special book. Oh, and don't forget the calendars and the Bath and Body Works! We also would have a little Starbucks iced coffee tied with a ribbon on the coffee table. Then, head for under the tree! You would probably find an ornament somewhere in one of the wrapped presents! We get an ornament every year, and I am always curious to see what it will be.
Growing up, we weren't the richest nor the poorest family around. I know my parents worked very hard to provide for our family, and they still do. As they both were teachers, I am sure some Christmases took sacrifices. I never knew anything but pure fun. I never felt that I lacked anything. I had magical Christmases, and I remembered why we celebrated Christmas. See, what I didn't mention here was that I knew we gave gifts because God gave us the greatest gift: Jesus. Christmas Eve was always spent at church, singing carols and seeing long lost friends. We would eat dinner at Bobbie and Dan's house, and we would have wrestling matches with our cousins Hugh and Charles. I cherish these times, and I still stand at the end of the hallway with my sister. Patrick has joined in now, and we still pose for the cheesy picture. This Christmas, cherish the time with your family. Make Christmas last longer than just while opening presents. Don't think it is over just because the presents are unwrapped and the turkey is half eaten. In the silence on Christmas Eve, when you can't sleep, and you refuse to admit it is because you are excited, remember the tiny baby. Remember the sacrifice, and don't feel silly for running down the hallway in your red nightgown with its peter pan collar.

The honeymoon's over...

Well, as you can see from my title, the honeymoon's over. I had a wonderful time with Jonah while on my "honeymoon maternity leave". For those of you who know me well, I was out of sorts for the first 3 weeks. However, each day was a learning process, so I consider those weeks so precious still.
I returned to work this past Monday, December 7th. I had been dreading this for about a month. I couldn't imagine leaving my son all day long, day after day, week after week, year after year. This was definitely a rite of passage. (for me, that is)
I woke up at 5:45am on Monday morning. I was able to take a shower, slurp down my first cup of coffee, and get everything on (makeup, hair done) except for work clothes. I then nursed Jonah, and I cherished that time. He was all smiles and had no clue the heartbreak I was feeling. Lindsay, our good friend, arrive around 7:15. She and Jeremy are Aunt and Uncle to Jonah. So, kisses were given to Jonah and Tuck, and I told Jonah to be a good boy for Aunt Lindsay! I was rushing around trying to remember everything. My lunch? check. My secret santa gift? check. my purse/cell phone? check. my pump? double check and check again. my coffee cup? triple check and check again. my sanity? ......well, we tried to find that but had a little trouble.
I was like a whirlwind getting out the door. I got into the car, which had been warmed up by my wonderful husband, and backed up out of the driveway. As I came around the front of the house, driving through the neighborhood, I made the one mistake you should never do. I looked. I looked as I drove by, and I saw the cutesy little Christmas trees on either side of the door; I saw the wreath that I had made as my last craft project while on maternity leave, and I saw a house that had my child in it. Without me.


CUE THE TEARS!!!

I started to frantically call my mom, my sis, Patrick, someone!! Someone PLEASE answer the phone so I can tell you how my first day started. Well, I got to talk to all three, and I think I worried Mims. Thanks for being concerned, sis!
As I drove farther and farther away, I was still sad, but I was filled with peace. My child was being taken care of by a wonderful friend who will love him and nurture him while I'm gone. She is a mommy herself, and she knows way more tricks than I do! Jonah will be fine. I was the one needing help!
That peace continued as Old Tar Rd turned into Evans, which turned into Greenville Blvd, which turned into Hooker Rd, which turned into Moye, which turned into a parking lot really far away from the hospital. By the time the bus rolled around, I was actually excited.
Excited? How can this be? Yes, I was excited. This was my first day as a nurse practitioner! This was my first day of leaving my little boy, which means it is his first day of having fun with Lindsay and discovering the world even more. It was his first day of possibly learning to laugh louder, see things clearer, and learn something new. It was the beginning of a life I knew I had to live for now...a life where mommy and daddy both work. But, going back to work is not the end of my life! No, I have weekends, week nights, holidays, vacations, and so much more. I have a job that I truly enjoy. I am so thankful that I had the opportunity to pursue my dream of nursing, obtain my masters, and work in a field where I am fulfilled and feel I make a difference. Yes, this was truly a memorable day.
I began to feel guilty. Why am I excited? I just left my little one at home. It was then that the texting began! Lindsay was so wonderful. She texted several pictures to me, and she assured me that everything was fine. When I got home that night, Jonah was eating with Patrick, and he didn't really look my way. Bummer. However, I understand this, because food is really fun at this age (and my age, too)! After he finished eating, I then got to see that smile! We had our nightly bath, read a story, played a little, and went to bed.
Fast forward to Wednesday night. JONAH SLEPT THROUGH THE NIGHT!!! He slept from 9 to 5:30. How awesome! He then did it Thursday and Friday night as well. My baby is growing up.

Here are some "new" things he has discovered:
1. Laughed, truly laughed out loud for a long time on Sunday night. What a gift! Especially right before starting back to work! He has done this several more times, but I don't think he has it quite figured out yet.

2. His hands, fingers, and in between his fingers. He loves to just stare and inspect his hands. Too funny to watch.

3. His voice. He has discovered that we pay more attention to him when he is making loud, fake cry/whine/moaning sounds. what in the world? where did he learn this? I will have to record and post soon. As soon as you pay attention, he breaks into a smile. Suckers!!

4. Toys. He can interact with other objects and reach for things. We got him "my pal scout" for Christmas. Yeah, I know it's for 6mos+, but we are starting out early. Check it out!



Well, I made it through that first week with only one breakdown. The breakdown was that first morning, and since then, I have seen how Jonah has loved being with Lindsay. That makes it worth it. To know your child is being loved, this is the greatest gift. Lindsay's willingness to watch Jonah has been such a blessing; I only hope that she has been blessed as well. More to come soon!







Photos were taken by our good friend who has her own side business of photography! Check her out at http://www.cherryhillphotography.net/