We brought in the new year at our house with family - Amber, James, Karlee, Grandmama, Grandaddy, Nanny and Grandpa (David and Carrie stopped by also). Morgan and Brent were in East Tennessee and Jennifer and Brian stayed home for fear that Grant might still be sick and didn't want to pass it along to the girls. We had a nice dinner and sat around and talked. Everyone headed home between 10:30 and 11pm and Chad and I watched the ball drop (Eastern time) while I fed Sophie. Next thing I remember is waking up on the couch at 1:45am with Chad on one end and Sophie and I on the other. I guess we are getting old! I think we will probably start celebrating with with East coast from now on:)
David and Carrie found out they are having a Boy! They stopped by the house on their way out with friends (I know it might have seemed like they were a little over dressed for our party). Sophie and Karlee are going to have so much fun with the Baby Youell. I'm going to start teaching Sophie how to take up for herself now. I'm sure they will lots of little fights if they are anything like David and I. They are due on May 26th and we can't wait!!! They need to hurry and pick out a name so we don't have to call him Baby Youell:)
Grandaddy had a little scare and ended up in the hospital when his scar tissue in his intestine started acting up again. He came home on New Years Eve Day and came over to visit. He was a little tired and it seemed like the perfect place to rest with Sophie.
Kristen Quirk and her boyfriend Tim came to Nashville to watch Vanderbilt play in the Music City Bowl (which they won). Sophie and I met them at the Country Music Hall of Fame. Chad had won tickets from a radio station and they expired at the end of the year so I thought it would be a good place to meet up. We had a nice time visiting, but didn't pay too much attention to the country music stuff. Kristen will have some fun stories to tell Sophie about her Mama one day.
Sophie and I went by NES after we dropped off Alli at the airport. Mama is going back to work on January 28th and wanted to stop by to see everyone and meet the new manager. This is a picture with Miss Teresa. Sophie was still sleeping from the ride in the car.
On Monday the 29th, Sophie and I made our first long trip together and went to Lexington, TN (2 hours West of Murfreesboro) to visit Aunt Alli. She was in Tennessee at her parent's house for a few days after Christmas and we worked it out to go visit and then drive her back to the airport in Nashville. Sophie got to meet Miss Joan, Mr. Allen and Nana. I had planned to leave Murfreesboro by 8am, but Sophie decided to start the morning early and wake up at 5am so I decided that I would just stay up and get ready to leave early. After being awake most of the morning she slept the entire way to Lexington...thank goodness. I fed her as soon as we arrived and she was wide awake and loving the attention.
Alli had mentioned that she had Sophie's Christmas present to give her, but I had no idea how great it was going to be to get it in person. Alli had written a book for Sophie!!! She wrote to Sophie "I want to tell you the story of how you came to be here. I was blessed to watch these two people find each other and fall in love. This is just one eyewitness account (which is, by definition, incomplete) of the love story that brought you into the world."
Only Alli could have written this story (I know I had even forgotten some of the details she put in there). When Chad and I started dating I wrote Alli emails more often (now we just talk on the phone). Anyway...she had saved all the emails and spent lots of time going through them and putting our story together. She also planned ahead when she came up with the idea (must have been when I started talking to her about wanting a baby) and took notes when we talked so that she had direct quotes. She only had to ask Chad a few things and have him scan in a few pictures she didn't have digitally (he didn't ask any questions or tell me about it...so much better than I would've been). It still amazes me when I read the book (which I have done about 5 times already). This is going to be so great for Sophie to have when she grows up. Our great great grandchildren could be reading this story one day. I get a little emotional just thinking about it. Speaking of emotional, both Chad and my Dad got a little teary reading it. This was such an amazing gift!!! Thank you Alli!
The picture above is of the "book signing". It was very impromptu and wasn't announced in advance...sorry you had to miss it.
On the way to the airport we stopped to meet Ashley and Meg and I thought I would give you all an update on their growth in just a few weeks. Sophie was back to sleep at this point...she is like her Mama in the car.
We didn't get a picture of Sophie at church the Sunday after Christmas because we rushed out immediately following the service. Everyone in Chad's family had the stomach bug at some point during the holiday season and we didn't want to take a chance on Sophie catching anything. We were also trying to get home to meet Jeff and Kristin on their way back to Atlanta. They got to see Sophie for a couple of hours and she was actually awake! We are trying to make it a point to take a picture of her every Sunday to see how much she changes (not that the child doesn't get a picture taken of her everyday anyway).
On the Saturday after Christmas Chad and I slept in and took it easy that morning...trying to recover from the events of the three days before. The weather was actually pretty mild and we decided to get out of the house later on to run a few errands. We ended up going to Carrabbas for our first "date" with Sophie. She was great and slept the entire time. Carrabbas is our favorite restaurant and is significant in our relationship. It was the place we ate on our first date (even though we weren't calling it a date that night even though Chad did pay). We also went back there the night we got engaged. Ironically, we were seated at the very same table of our first date. The outfit Sophie has on came from Aunt Tara...super cute!
Christmas at Mammy's is definitely entertaining and quiet a production. Chad warned me before my first experience, but you just have to see it to understand. Before I came along, several family friends would come by just to watch. It isn't unusual for them to break out in song or have entertainment/skit breaks. Most of the time it is unrehearsed and spur of the moment. This year, Chad did a little preparation.
You may remember me mentioning us going to watch Tuna Christmas and Tuna Goes to Vegas in the beginning of December. Well, there is this character, Vera Carp, who is part of the Smut Snatchers of the New Order...you really have to watch the YouTube video to understand.
Anyway, Chad took what he knew about Vera and made up a little skit...I was impressed!
Some of you might notice the outfit because I wore it Sophomore year in College for my debutante mother daughter luncheon and then again for Easter and church that spring. It is sad, but I can't get the dress over my butt and hips right now and haven't worn it in years b/c it was too tight. It was actually in the yard sale side of the closet upstairs, but we are going to hang onto it now for costume purposes. Chad didn't have it zipped all the way to the top, but it looked pretty good on him...hopefully Sophie gets his skinny legs.
Chad had some help from the ladies he works with for the rest of his costume. Someone's daughter had a wig and another gave him clip on earrings. It was last minute so the ladies had their husbands bringing to work during the day. Chelsea brought him Deborah's glasses, Jennifer supplied the hose and he borrowed some of Mammy's shoes.
Chad surprised everyone b/c he snuck out the room during presents when no one really noticed and came in from the other side of the room. Most of them didn't even realize it was him at first and were trying to figure out who in the world was coming in. They quickly figured it out because we had all watched Greater Tuna 2 years ago for Mammy and Pappy's 50th Wedding Anniversary.
Notice the picture of Chad with his Aunt Deborah...I have always thought they look alike, but especially if he were a girl! If I get all fancy and figure out how to post our own videos I will put up his performance.
We celebrated Christmas with the McClaran side of the family the day after Christmas this year since Mammy had the stomach bug on Christmas Eve. Chad worked that day and Sophie and I went to Lebanon to take advantage of the big sale at Brooks Brothers (I forgot to take a picture b/c I was too busy trying to purchase everything by 1pm to get the extra discount). We also stopped by Daddy's work before going home. We have the grandchilden/great grandchilden picture with Mammy and Pappy, classic Katie laugh, Dustin and his "diamond gussett" jeans (apparently they are made with a diamond in the crotch and manufactured in a small town west of Nashville). By the way, the diamond is the shape of the stitching, not an actual diamond. Sophie woke up at the end of the picture taking (as you can see, Chad's family is big on taking pictures...something we are trying to get better with on my side). Sophie also spit up all over me toward the end of the night. Luckily I had packed an extra shirt. The scene would remind you of the previews for Four Christmas's. Sophie Jo and Nancy Jo posed for a picture with Mammy's picture frame, Mammy gave Sophie her money off the money tree and then we got the four generation picture. It was such a fun night (and long) we didn't get home until after 2am. Good thing we had the next day to sleep in!
We went to Granny and Papa's around 5pm on Christmas Day. Sophie started off the night asleep, but eventually woke up...she is such a night owl. There were over 30 people there to celebrate (the group picture is just of the grandchildren). It was a great night:)
We took our time getting up on Christmas morning. I had forgotten to wrap one of Sophie's gifts I had hidden under the bed so I was trying to finish up with that (I hate to say it, but that is so something my mom would do). Meanwhile, Chad has Sophie in a photo shoot with the presents. As you can see, she was either asleep or spitting up (way to catch her in the moment). That happened to be my present and Chad thought he had cleaned it up until I went to open it and felt something cold and wet underneath...just a little gross. Sophie was awake and alert for her presents, but eventually had enough and went to her boppy seat for a nap. Oh....and there was an outfit change in the middle b/c she spit up all over herself (the first outfit didn't really coordinate with the colors of the presents anyway...I tried to tell Chad). As you can see, my presents were wrapped so nicely with bows (thanks to Chad). I actually wrapped his gifts myself, but the bows didn't make it...maybe next year. Chad got me a frame that coordinates with the one Sophie/I got him for his birthday. Maybe we will get them hung on the wall soon! We had such a nice morning and can't wait until Sophie gets to open gifts next Christmas!
We brought in the new year at our house with family - Amber, James, Karlee, Grandmama, Grandaddy, Nanny and Grandpa (David and Carrie stopped by also). Morgan and Brent were in East Tennessee and Jennifer and Brian stayed home for fear that Grant might still be sick and didn't want to pass it along to the girls. We had a nice dinner and sat around and talked. Everyone headed home between 10:30 and 11pm and Chad and I watched the ball drop (Eastern time) while I fed Sophie. Next thing I remember is waking up on the couch at 1:45am with Chad on one end and Sophie and I on the other. I guess we are getting old! I think we will probably start celebrating with with East coast from now on:)
