Mary

But the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end."
Luke 1:30-33

And Mary said:
"My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed, for the Mighty One has done great things for me- holy is his name. His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation. He has performed mighty deeds with his arm; he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts. He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble. He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty. He has helped his servant Israel, remembering to be merciful to Abraham and his descendants forever, even as he said to our fathers."
Luke 1:46-55

Okay. Lots to think about when reading the story of the birth of Jesus. Can you imagine being Mary and having an angel appear to you, saying that you will give birth to the "Son of the Most High?" Talk about overwhelming news! I just wonder what her pregnancy was like. And the ride to Bethelehem on a donkey?? Really? I guess my pregnancy really wasn't that bad! I wonder if she was spared any of the pains of labor. I would love to sit down and talk to Mary. Mom to Mom. I wish we had more information about Jesus as an infant, toddler, or even pre-teen. How did she know how to be the parent of Jesus? I wonder if Mary was confident, or felt like she was fumbling in the dark as I often do with Bryson.

Just a few thoughts I wanted to share as I sit and think about the birth of Jesus this Christmas season. I guess I have a whole new perspective, being a new mom myself. I pray that I would handle each situation that is thrown at me with the grace that Mary did.

"I am the Lord's servant," Mary answered. "May it be to me as you have said."
Luke 1:38

My Christmas Wish

Mr. Penguin....... Life Size!

Bryson absolutely loves one certain toy that we have somehow managed to name "Mr. Penguin." He will CRACK UP at it, even if he is in the middle of screaming. We depend on this penguin to help us with things like taking pictures and to help Bryson feel better when he has an ear infection. I was at the store this morning, and call me a sucker, but I couldn't pass this penguin up! It rocks back and forth, laughs, and even plays music. Bryson loves it! I guess Christmas came a little bit early at our house...

The new and improved Mr. Penguin and Bryson with a red forehead after waking up from a nap!

Christmas with Friends

Wednesday night we were invited over to the MacDonald's home for dinner and a gift exchange for the kids. We were also supposed to decorate Christmas cookies, but the kids didn't quite last that long. We are so blessed to have such wonderful friends, and are really remembering the reason for this season!

We took Bryson over to the MacDonald's all decked out in his Christmas PJs (thanks Grandma!)! Bryson enjoyed playing on the floor with Maddie and Sam!
Here is Miss Reagan ready to open presents...

Bryson got bathtub toys from the Kenleys!

We gave Sam and Maddie viewfinders (remember these??). They seemed to really enjoy them. :)

Bryson got a turtle that teaches numbers and shapes from the MacDonalds!

What a great night!

On the Mends and On a Move!

Today is day number five of this awful ear infection. Bryson seemed to start feeling better yesterday. He is still not totally well, and continues to run a low grade temperature. He is SO much better, though, and we are so thankful for that! I turned my back for just a second this afternoon and this is how I found him (are we in trouble or what?):

This is how he spends most of his time these days:No more turning our backs, even for a second!

Cute Idea!!!

So, when my Mom and I went to have Bryson's pictures taken they had a really cute line to hang Christmas cards on. There was only one left, so my Mom bought it. I told her I would just make my own. I've had the stuff to make it for a few weeks now, and just got a chance to put it together. This is how it turned out:

I think it turned out really cute and was super easy to make! All I did was buy scrap booking paper and cut it into different shapes. Then I hot-glued the shapes to clothespins and hot-glued the clothespins to a ribbon. Voila! Now I have a cute way to display the Christmas cards we receive. Don't you just love this time of year? :)

Five Months Old; Hello Ear Infection!

Bryson turned five months old yesterday! He is "growing up" so fast and we are continuously amazed by this sweet little boy. When I picked him up from school on Wednesday, his teacher said "Bryson is ON THE MOVE! He is up on all fours and rolling everywhere!" The next part of what she said really struck me and may give an indication of what the very short future will hold. She said "You know, he isn't even interested in sitting up. It's like he just wants to go, go, go!" Yep! She said it- but I already knew it. If things continue to go the way they have been, I think Bryson might have Jason's patience and might start running before he walks. :) Lord, help us!
In other news, we started adding fruit to Bryson's cereal and now he is almost devouring it! He had applesauce added for the first time last Sunday (12/6), and had bananas for the first time on Tuesday (12/8). So far, so good! Hoping we don't have too picky of an eater on our hands...
And now on to the latest news. Bryson was diagnosed with an upper respiratory infection and an ear infection yesterday. Poor baby! It has been pretty awful. Bryson cried most of the day yesterday, ran a temperature of 103 for most of the day (with Tylenol), wouldn't eat, and was pretty much inconsolable. I took him in to see the doctor where we got antibiotics. The doctor also told us to give Motrin because Bryson is big enough size-wise to take it. Last night was not much better than the day. He kept the temperature of 103 for most of the night and we could tell he was so miserable. Jason and I took shifts, a couple of hours at a time. He has been sleeping pretty soundly this morning, so we'll see what today holds! The worst part is that on Wednesday when I picked him up from school one of the kids was out with an ear infection. All three of the other kids in his class have been battling ear infections, and we have not. I dumbly made a comment about how Bryson is the only baby that is not breastfed and the only one WITHOUT ear infections! I knocked on wood! Oh well- I learned my lesson and will never open my mouth like that again.
Jason's bosses are here from Canada and we were supposed to go eat with them at Christopher's last night. Tonight is Jason's Christmas party at work and they are all eager to see Bryson- doubt we will be making that! The timing of these things always amazes me...
All of this to say that we have the sweetest little boy and are hating the helpless feeling of having a sick little one. We know that things could be SO MUCH worse and are just thankful for all of the blessings we experience every day with Bryson. We wonder what we ever did without him.
It has been a wonderful five months!

Christmas is Coming!

It is definitely starting to look like Christmas around here! We finally got our tree set up and even got new ceramic logs for our fireplace. We have been enjoying evenings at home with the tree all lit up and a cozy fire to keep us warm. There is something extra special about Christmas with a new baby around. We are enjoying every moment!

New Friends???

It seems as though Halle MIGHT finally be starting to accept the fact that Bryson is here to stay. She used to completely turn her back to him whenever he got anywhere near her (while staying in the same place- totally snobbing him!). Now she is acting very curious and she even let him reach out and touch her today. We're making progress!

Thanksgiving Celebration and Travels

This Thanksgiving was different than any other Thanksgiving we've ever experienced. We traveled and did not stay in the same place two nights in a row! Packing, unpacking, packing, and unpacking again seemed to occupy the majority of our time. There is a lot to be said for traveling with an infant! So, lots of changes this holiday season. They are wonderful changes, though, and we wouldn't change it for anything. We had a great time just getting to see family (and friends), and enjoyed seeing Bryson interact with everyone. Aunt Amy hadn't seen Bryson since he was a few weeks old, and Great Aunt Kathy hadn't seen him since the day he was born. I loved being in one room and hearing all of our adult family members talking in baby talk to Bryson and hearing Bryson laugh and coo at them. (have you ever stopped to listen what we really sound like when we talk to babies??) This new little life that we have had the priveledge to enjoy for the last four months continues to amaze us every day. We are so thankful for our little one and the time spent with loved ones during this Thanksgiving holiday. Here are a few (or maybe more than a few :) pictures from our trip...

Great-Aunt Kathy and Grandma loving on Bryson = squished cheeks!

Sweet Aunt Amy

Great Grandma

Grandma and Cousin Kandra

Cousin Michael

Laughing at silly Uncle Matt!

PawPaw

Grandpa

Sisters-in-law!

The Hudson Family

First photo shoot of all of the cousins!

William, Bryson, Sheldon, Laynie, and Phillip

Laynie and Bryson playing sweetly together.

Laynie kept trying to get into the exersaucer with Bryson! So cute!

Uncle Will

Aunt Jessica

Aunt Julie

We are so thankful for this time we got to enjoy with our families and reflect on all of our many blessings!