Our Family Christmas

Well Christmas was not what we expected this year but it will be one to remember. On Christmas Eve we drove to Louisiana (eight hours in the car but Sophia did WONDERFUL)! She watched movies, took a nap, ate some snacks, and played with her toys. She got a little bored towards the end so I got in the back seat with her and we sang some songs together. Sophia was very happy when we got to the camp and she was able to get out and PLAY. We ate dinner with Trey's parents and visited for awhile then we headed off to bed (at 4 months pregnant, an eight hour car ride can really wear me out)! Sophia actually fell asleep in our bed on her own (we forgot to bring the pack-n-play for her) and I crawled in next to her about an hour later. A few hours later she noticed I was in bed with her, so she kept leaning over for kisses and cuddles and NON-STOP wiggling all night. Very sweet but not condusive to the deep sleep that I desired after our trip. Trey tried to sleep on the couch but ended up in bed with us around 4:30 AM. One big sleepless Suire family snuggled in their bed - visions of Santa dancing in our heads...

The next morning we got up and saw that Santa had delivered presents to Sophia at the camp! Sophia was still a little sleepy so this was the slowest I had seen her open her Christmas presents. Barbies, books, a movie, and a dance camera from Santa! We ate some breakfast and all started to get ready to visit all of the family for Christmas. I was trying to fix my hair, get dressed, and keep Sophia occupied with her toys while Trey took a shower. Sometime after he got out of the shower and started to get dressed - his back went out. When he finally let me open the door he was lying on the floor in extreme pain and unable to move. I got his dad to come help and for the next 1 1/2 hours tried to get him off the floor. Every move he made put him in excrutiating pain and I felt helpless. I was finally able to help him get dressed and his dad helped (carried) him to the car. We went to Christmas at his Grandma's house, then to his aunt's and eventually we got him to the chiropractor that day. After an adjustment from the chiro he was actually able to walk on his own but was still in a lot of pain.

I had to drive us back to Dallas since Trey could not drive. I am usually the one taking naps in the passenger seat and only getting out of the car to take Sophia to the potty during our trips - but this time I was behind the wheel. I drove to Shreveport on Friday evening (about four hours from the camp in Louisiana) and we all spent the night in a hotel. Saturday morning we slept late (Sophia had her own crib at the hotel so the only little one kicking me this night was the baby), ate breakfast at the hotel and then I drove 3 1/2 hours to Dallas.

Trey was still in extreme pain the entire weekend and was only able to lie on the couch, the floor, or in bed. I feet like the single parent of two little children right now - making sure everyone is dressed, fed, bathed, fed, entertained, fed, and finally put to bed. I guess this is just good practice for what life will be like once the new baby arrives in May! Times like these make me appreciate all the things my husband does around the house on a daily basis. Thank you Trey for being a helpful husband (when you are not injured)!

At least this week has given me the chance to spend more time with Sophia. Seeing Christmas through a child's eyes allowed me to remember the excitement, anticipation and joy of the season. We talked about the birth of Jesus and how everyone gets presents as we celebrate his birthday, but Sophia will still insist that Christmas is also her birthday. She loved seeing the christmas lights, the inflatable snowmen, and presents under the tree. When we got home our trip on Saturday, she ran to the tree and was so sad to see that all the presents were gone.

Sophia is still unsure about becoming a big sister - it will be an adjustment for all of us. Every night we pray for the baby in mommy's belly to grow healthy and strong and to be blessed by God. Then she makes me pray for the "baby" in her belly too. If you ask her if she wants a brother or a sister - the answer will vary from day to day. I have a sonogram scheduled on January 9th so we should know if the baby is a boy or a girl about a week!

As for Trey, he has been to the chirpractor twice this week and I am taking him to the Orthopedic surgeon this afternoon. We suspect he has a bulging disc in his lower back which he also had about 4-5 years ago. I hope the doctor can give him some pain relief and we can get him back on his feet (literally) very soon. I will update as soon as we have some news - on Trey and the baby.

Our trip to Lisbon and Germany

Several weeks ago, I had to travel to Lisbon (for the third time this year) for work. I was so excited that I was able to bring Trey with me on this trip. It took about 18 hours of travel time over two days to get there. On my first day of meetings, Trey did some sightseeing around Lisbon...

There are some beautiful plazas, statues and buildings in Lisbon. The weather was also perfect for a walking tour of the city.

One night, we had dinner in a castle that overlooked the entire city. Here is a picture of the castle at the top of the hill (let's just say that the cab ride there was an adventure all it's own)!

After my last day of meetings, we took a train to the little town of Sintra and toured a beautiful palace with a breathtaking view of the ocean. Again, the palace was at the top of a hill but this time we had to hike up to the top - it was not easy for me being almost 3 months pregnant! Sorry we don't have any pictures inside but cameras were not allowed.

After Sintra we went on to the town of Cascais, which is right on the ocean. I can only imagine how beautiful this town is in the summer with it's beaches right at the bottom of the rocky cliffs. Trey had to climb down to the rocks for a picture.

After a busy week in Lisbon, we had to fly through Frankfurt, Germany on the way back to Dallas. Before our trip we decided to stay an extra day in Germany and do some more sightseeing. Unfortunately, it was REALLY COLD that day. We took a train up the Rhine river and stopped at a few little towns along the way. It was beautiful to see the castles and vineyards towering above these tiny towns.

It was a wonderful trip but by the end of the week I was ready to come home and see Sophia. We spend twelve long hours on the plane home Saturday and finally I got to hug my little girl again. I would love to go back to Germany again during the warmer months and it was great to be able to travel with Trey on this trip.

Top picture: Weary travelers on the train in Germany