Baby's First Christmas

It's crazy to think that last year we spent Christmas in Spain with Matt's parents and our sweet little boy was just growing in my belly. This year my mom came to spend Christmas with us and thankfully her bags came in time for Bryce to actually have Christmas. Here's a few photos and a kinda long video of all the fun.

This may be my favorite picture from Christmas.

You can't go wrong with Aggie presents.

He likes Christmas.

Our happy little family.

For more pictures and funny videos of Bryce, click here.

Hangin' in There

Has it already been two weeks since Thanksgiving? I honestly don't know where the days go anymore. We've had a lot going on the past couple of weeks, though I don't have much to show for it. Except that my Christmas tree is up. First of all, I'd like it to go on record that I got flowers. For no reason.

"5 for the 5 years we've been married and 5 for the 5 years I waited to marry you." It's okay to be jealous.

Bryce got a new hat.

Then Matt finally had his surgery. We left last Friday evening to travel to a little town in Eastern Czech Republic. We arrived at about 9 p.m., slept (or didn't sleep) in a pension right above the Friday Night Karaoke Pub and woke up bright and early to be at the hospital at 6 a.m. Saturday. Before the surgery, they ran several test on Matt, including the suction cup EKG (Bryce and I have both had one, too).

Matt got to wear this smokin' hot robe.

He also got to shave his own knee for the surgery.

Matt's surgery took about 20 minutes start to finish but he was in recovery for about 3 hours so they could watch him before releasing him for the 3 hour ride home to Prague. Bryce took 2 naps in his car seat while he waited on his Daddy.

Who me?

Finally Matt came out and we got to go home. I thought since he was walking/crutching, he was pretty lucid. Not so much. He said some crazy stuff. Please enjoy the goofy smile.

Luckily, he had some good pain medicine for the long ride home and hike up the 100 stairs to our apartment. He hasn't left since. Bryce has been keeping him company, though.

And trying to help out some, too.

And if you're one of the few people who hasn't seen this adorable photo, please enjoy.

Our kiddo had a rough doctor's visit this week with 2 shots and now a little bit of a runny nose. He's growing great, though, and we're thankful for that.

20 week stats:

15 lbs. 9 oz. (50th percentile)

25 inches (50th percentile)

We're still not sure what the surgeon did because he didn't know the word in English and Steve didn't know the Czech word for the part of the knee he worked on. We'll get the report translated eventually. Please keep Matt in your prayers this week as he attempts to preach on crutches.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Last year on Thanksgiving Day we found out this little guy was on his way.



Of course, we didn't know it was a boy. Thanks to my slight OCD-ness though, we did know the approximate date of his expected arrival. August 7, according to the American Pregnancy Association. We were so excited and couldn't wait for our family in the states to wake up so we could skype and tell them. I don't think anyone was more shocked than my mom but I guess that makes for a great story.



As most of you know, Bryce made his entrance 3 weeks early and we discovered that, although perfectly healthy, he would need surgery to remove a cyst from his small intestine that, if left untreated, would cause serious complications.



This gave us the opportunity to trust God. For wisdom and for comfort. We also trusted that He was and is sovereign and that he chose to allow the cyst for reasons beyond our understanding.



In the midst of everything, we also felt your prayers for us. Looking back, I honestly don't know how we (especially me) made it from one day to the next. Living on very little sleep and under more stress than I've ever experienced, it was your prayers and divine strength that helped us through. Handing my 2-week old son to a Hungarian surgeon and watching her carry him into an operating room was absolutely the hardest thing I've ever had to do.



God was and is faithful. He delivered our son through the surgery, even though it was not the simple procedure we had hoped for. Even though the recovery was longer than we had hoped for. He is faithful.

We are so thankful for our beautiful little boy and so thankful to have family and friends like you who prayed with us and for us. Who worried and cried with us and for us. We are so thankful.

A Change

Ask anyone who knows me and they'll tell you that I'm not really the festive, holiday type. I really can't stand to hear Christmas music anytime of year except about a week before Christmas. So Sunny 99.1 in Houston was always banned from my radio the entire month of November and most of December. Lately, however, there's been change a-stirin'. I'm not sure if it's the fact that this will be our second holiday season to spend 5000 miles away from family or because it will be our first holiday season with our bundle of joy. Either way, I'm getting in the spirit. A little. I'm not about to break out the Christmas tree yet, (like crazy K!) but I am feeling the urge to visit Ikea and my favorite Czech handmade store and see what kind of decorations they have. Our Christmas decorations last year were pretty pathetic. We had exactly 4 ornaments on our tree. Sad, I know. I vowed last year that our child's first Christmas would be jolly and bright. And our tiny Christmas tree would be full of ornaments. And since Granny's coming, it will also be full underneath with presents. Speaking of Granny, we got 2 packages from her this week, one of which contained these adorable outfits. I can't wait to get Bryce in them. Can you believe he'll be 4 months old on Tuesday?

Here's the boy doing what he does best: looking cute, of course.

And here he is again flying with Daddy. He likes it.

Anyone remember this?

Well it turns out Matt has done some damage of his own to his knee. After 3 doctor visits (2 to the same doctor in a town 3 hours away), we've discovered Matt has not torn his ACL as was initially diagnosed, but has instead torn his meniscus. He just couldn't be the only one in the family not to have surgery. He was scheduled to have it repaired today actually in Olomouc, Czech Republic -about 3 hours away - with one of the best orthopedic surgeons in the country. Unfortunately, our supervisor who was also serving as our translator (they don't speak so much English in Olomouc) has been quarantined to his home with what might be swine flu. Don't worry, we're staying very far away (and have been for awhile now). We'll let everyone know when we get the surgery rescheduled. The good thing about having the surgery in Olomouc is that the procedure will be much more like in the US. Matt won't have to spend the night. He is very thankful for that. I'll be documenting the process as always.

*More cute photos and videos here.*

Think Your Monday Was Rough?

Poor Bryce had his second round of shots today. He was pretty good for a few hours afterward, smiling and talking. By this evening, though, he was really fussy and after crying for awhile finally conked out. We decided napping on Mama and Daddy's bed is a good reward for being such a brave boy.

Bryce at 15 weeks:
13 lbs 10 oz
24 inches

Fall, a Birthday, and Some Snow

Earlier this month we seemed to have skipped Fall and headed straight into Winter. The week of Matt's birthday brought temperatures in the 30s and 40s and even a little bit of snow. I had convinced myself that I would not be leaving the apartment for the remainder of our time here because if it was this cold in October, how bad would it be in December and January? So I had resigned myself to hibernation. It sounded like a good plan. Except that I would have missed out on some fun stuff like the Pumpkin Patch and Matt's big 30th birthday bash. So I decided not to hibernate and the weather decided to be more like Fall. It was a good compromise. Because we have church on Sunday evenings with Bridge Community, we headed out on a Sunday morning to see about a Pumpkin Patch. We had been planning the trip for weeks, trying to organize vehicles to carry everyone out there. As we were navigating the last few minutes of our trip, our Czech friend riding with us said, "Why are we going to a Pumpkin Patch? We don't have pumpkins in Czech." Great. Needless to say, our expectations were pretty low as we pulled up. It turned out great, however, as our Czech hosts had imported some giant pumpkins and even a couple of ponies for the kids to ride.

Bryce posing with the pumpkins.

Finally a family photo.

Wiping drool. He is his father's son.

Bryce meets his first horse. He didn't cry. In fact, I'm sure he's already looking off in the distance for some cows to round up. Papaw will be so proud.

On Matt's actual birthday, we were greeted with snow, rain, and more snow. It was fun (and funny). Matt didn't think so. So he shot a video.

A few days later, we celebrated Matt's 30th birthday with cake and friends and the weather was back to normal. Here's a few photos of the birthday celebration and a video of everyone singing "Happy Birthday."

The Birthday Boy.

Our supervisor.

Luboš keeping the kids entertained.

Moisés and Matt talking.

Another family photo.

Bryce and his Daddy.

And a very loud "Happy Birthday."

For more pictures and videos visit: thebeasleyfamily1010.shutterfly.com

5 Years Later...

Five years ago we became Mr. & Mrs. Matthew Beasley. I remember thinking that day, "How can I possibly love him more than I do today?" I remember hearing other people saying how they love their spouses even more 30 years after their wedding day. I remember thinking, "How?" I mean, I figured I would love him differently, but I couldn't fathom loving him even more. But I do. And here's 10 reasons why:

1. He leads our family in godliness.
2. He is both tender and strong.
3. He is a wonderful, loving Daddy.
4. He is humble.
5. He is patient.
6. He makes me laugh. Even when I don't feel like laughing.
7. He likes watching sappy romantic movies with me and even cries sometimes at the sad parts.
8. He is not afraid to cry.
9. He tells me what I need to hear. Even if it makes me mad.
10. He changes dirty diapers.



Who could ask for anything more?

Here's to 5 wonderful years! I love you, babe!

Movin' On Up!

The biggest news of the month: We're getting an ELEVATOR!!!!

Our very meticulous workers started working on installing an elevator when Charlotte (Matt's mom) was here. Now, they're actually making upward progress. Matt checks on it obsessively several times a day. We're hoping they finish before winter sets in but won't be surprised if they stop mid-stride and finish up when the warm weather returns (after we're gone, of course).



Anchoring the first piece of the frame to the building.



The awesome pulley they use for everything. OSHA doesn't live here



It's hard to tell here but they're about 2 floors up, working on the frame.



From the inside.

In other news, we took Bryce in for his two month appointment last week and he's doing great. He now weighs 11 lbs and is 22 1/2 inches long (he was 7 lbs 6 oz and 19 inches when he was born). He's gone from the 10th percentile in height and weight at his first post op to the 50th percentile. He should have gotten his first round of shots but he doctor was uncomfortable giving him so many shots at once because of his surgery and everything else. So he got one oral vaccination and he's on a modified shot schedule that will have him on track by the time he's 6 months old. That means next week he'll get three shots :( He's become quite a talker and is generally a very happy baby. It's amazing how we have a play mat, a bouncy seat, a swing, and a sweet stroller and the kid is happiest laying on his back on his changing table. Here's a video of the happy boy himself on said changing table:

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We've also gotten back into stride with work here in the city. By we, I mean Matt, considering my days revolve around a three hour cycle. Our new supervisor, Steve - not to be confused with our old supervisor, Steve - has started a new international church here called Bridge Community. Matt's been really involved getting that started and is also working with our University partners in the city to get things off and running for the fall semester, which is just about to start here. Last Sunday we had a get-together for Bridge Community as a way to get to know non-believers, especially Czechs in a fun environment. We had a picnic at a local park and the guys played flag football. Not only was Matt the cutest guy out there, but I have to say he was the most athletic. That's my man. Here are a few photos (some of them I *borrowed* from one of our intern's facebook):



What a stud.





This would be Jerry, Matt's teammate (notice he has the same color flags), trying to get the ball from Matt. Apparently he did not want Matt to score that touchdown. Did I mention he was on Matt's team?





Try not to be jealous.





Bryce's future girlfriend. He's got some catching up to do.



Enjoying the picnic.





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