December

December was a good month we had a few exciting events one more so than the others. In the beginning of the month Charles was sent to training in Phoenix where we had the chance to stay at a fancy hotel and enjoy a "vacation". I hung out in the hotel room and ran errands while Charles learned all he could from the training. When we first entered the hotel room Juliane did a happy dance and ran all around the room. I think she liked it.

Here in the wonderful town of Morenci we have volunteer firemen and they have a Christmas party every year. Charles was asked if he would play Santa for the party he happily agreed. Santa gives presents to each child at the party and Juliane even made the list. She has become afraid of Santa and because of this her reaction to him just calling her name made me laugh out loud. When Charles aka Santa said Juliane she said "NO, NO, NO" and clung to my neck. I stood up with her and sat down next to Santa, she wouldn't even look at him. He gave her a present and she was out of there. She opened it and found a baby doll with a bottle she instantly love it. We had a hard time getting it out of her hands for bed that night. When Santa was getting ready to leave he went to pick her up and she hid under a chair and started to cry. I may be mean but it was funny. We went outside to the trailer where Charles had changed and when he took off the beard and hair she just stared at him. He went to grab her and she still was unsure of what to do she finally went to him I don't think it cured her aversion to Santa.


Christmas for our family has become a small event. We celebrate Christs birth without a bunch of gifts under the tree. When people ask me what I got for Christmas and they hear that I only received one item from my husband they are shocked. Juliane received a homemade item (rocking chair and chair cover) and a few puzzles. My family thinks I'm depriving my child. I tell them our house is small and we don't need much. Charles received what he has deemed the best gift ever, a record player (CD, tape, radio, and MP3 all in one). He has used it every day since.

I was patiently waiting for a baby boy to be born during this Christmas season and I truly thought he would have arrived before Christmas but as the days wore on he did not come. On Sunday December 26th I was past my breaking point it felt like he had grown too much in the two days prior. I had my sister in law Rachel telling me I looked bigger each time I walked by her and I think I was getting bigger each time I walked by her. Finally on December 27th at 12:31 am our precious little boy was born. Carter Eugene Hughes was born weighing 8 lbs 15 and a half oz. The nurse wouldn't call him 9 lbs because she didn't want him to look like he lost more weight than he did the first few days of his life. He was 20 inches long and a very quiet little person.





When we returned home we had all of Charles' family there minus two sisters who came later that week.