Adventures in Baby Waiting: Merry Christmas, Madelyn!

Madelyn,

You just experienced your first Christmas and so did Daddy and I as parents. It was nothing short of magical to experience the holidays with you. We put up our first Christmas tree in ten years and went shopping for the ornaments. I thought and thought about what theme I wanted for our family Christmas tree and then it hit me. Our first year with a tree is our first year with a child and what I was most excited for was to witness Christmas through your eyes so the theme became "Christmas through a child's eyes". We went shopping with Daddy. I somehow managed to talk him into coming to Garden Ridge which is his biggest nightmare. He pushed you in the cart while I milled about the Christmas aisles finding the perfect ornaments. You were perfectly content to look at all of the brightly colored selections. Your Daddy looked like he was going to colapse in boredom! We only purchased the filler ornaments here. The next day we put up the tree and I went to get the themed ornaments. It was so much fun, I found ice cream cones and cup cakes and lollipop ornaments along with nursery rhyme ornaments. The tree was decorated that night, the first weekend after Thanksgiving and it was beautiful. I was proud. I loved taking you into sunroom so you could see it up close which we did a few times over the next month. You could see it from your high chair and you loved to look at it. I was witnessing Christmas through your eyes.

Christmas Eve was at Mimi's house and you were spoiled rotten there and quite a character in your Christmas outfit. You had fun crawling between toys and gift boxes in the middle of the circle everyone formed when they sat down to open gifts. You received a scooter and a popper, books, and clothes. Mim's gave you some FSU pajamas which we changed you into when you started to get crabby and put you down to sleep upstairs while we finished opening gifts. We had fun.

Christmas morning was at our house. You woke Daddy and I up, we made coffee, fed you breakfast and sat down on the floor in the sun room with you to open gifts. We got you mostly wooden toys like a music set, a colorful wooden block trainset, a pull a long puppy and puzzles. Daddy caught a lot of it on video.

It was really nice to experience Christmas with you. It was the most special Christmas Daddy and I have shared together because you were there. Daddy and I didn't even exchange gifts and we experienced such happiness watching you open yours. I'm looking forward to next Christmas when you are almost two and will be a little more animated!

I love you,
Mommy

Christmas Eve 2011. Mommy's birthday!
(Pictures taken before we left for Mimi's house)