Christmas Eve!!

Merry Christmas Eve!!

We've been in Paris since Wednesday, midday. Today (Thursday) is our Christmas Eve! 

My lovely hospital thinks it necessary that I miss my firstborn son's first Christmas... whatever. I worked all three holidays last year... but whatever. I'm trying not to be bitter, can ya tell? Not only am I working Christmas Day, but Christmas Eve AND the day after. :( Postponing our [little] family Christmas until the 27th of December. but whatever. Jesus wasn't born on the 25th of December was he? We're not certain of the date, so, we'll just celebrate it a little later this year.

ANYWAYS. This isn't a ranting post, it's a happy Christmas post! We're in Paris for our family Christmas with my parents, brother and his girlfriend. Also, my grandmother Ivy and her other son and his family. So, it's been great catching up with everyone. 

That's our tree at our home this year, we're so proud and in love with it! Cohen has been pretty good with it, occasionally pulling/shaking the lights and he has a few favorite ornaments to pull off.

caught.

Yesterday we just hung out with Mom and Dad (Granna and Pop, as you know them) ate real tamales for dinner! Yum! Oh yea, and right when we got here, Cohen started walking! Like 75% of the time! It was crazy! He just "got it."

Then today, Christmas Eve, we had our annual get-together with the Shouse family at lunch time. We had great fellowship and exchanged gifts and of course had delicious foods and sweets. 

Charles, Darlene, Charlie, Hector, Cohen, me

Opening his gift from the Shouse's, a super cute sweater outfit!

Darlene had me open a bag with a can of olives, and Hector a can of chili. We're like, "Whaaaaa...?" Then buried underneath mine was a gift card to Olive Garden, and Hector's was, of course, to Chili's! Clever, right?

Then we played a friendly round of Rage.. our favorite card game. (it wasn't friendly..)

Finally, we had dinner at my grandmother Ivy's house. Her other son Ronnie and his wife Linda were there with their two granddaughters. Cohen got some sweet new toys and clothes and had a great time with the girls and great-grandma! 

Hector and I thought pretty hard about how we wanted to handle Christmas traditions with Cohen. We want him to experience Santa Clause, so we're going to do that for sure. Of course as he get's older, we'll explain how Santa is something extra at Christmas time and should not take away from the real meaning of Christmas. We're planning to do the Elf on the Shelf next year, he's too little this year. It's just a fun Christmas tradition, and we want our children to have no shortage of sweet family memories. 

As for gifting our little guy (and future children) we've decided to give him something he wants, something he needs, something to wear, and something to read. Then Santa will be in charge of few surprises and his stocking. The something to wear will come in the form of Christmas pj's on Christmas Eve. Something to read will also be opened on Christmas Eve and read before bedtime. We're so excited to start these traditions with Cohen. 

When I bought his pj's at Carter's, they were buy one, get one free, so I got a pair for him to open/wear tonight on [fake] Christmas Eve!

Unwrapping his first wrapped box ever! He did pretty good, wanted to chew on the ribbon, though...

And there he is in his new Christmas pj's, Granna and Pop version! And he's walking there! 

My big boy, growing up so fast!

I'll post more tomorrow after Cohen's first "Christmas Morning." 

Much love! And Merry Christmas!