A Merry Christmas, Indeed

With all of the celebrating and traveling we’ve been doing this week I am just now finding time to sit down and write a Christmas post.  These last several days have been fantastic.  Watching my baby girl take in Christmas for the first time and loving on her and watching our families love on her has been so much fun.  Fun and busy in that way that the holidays are – but now that we are home I want to take the time to document what this season has meant for me, this first Christmas as a momma.

Playing with Grandma's Christmas tree...

And putting the ornaments she finds straight into her mouth.

This month we have visited Santa and listened to more than our share of Christmas music.  We have spent Christmas Eve with my family at my mom's house and five days with David’s family in Indiana.  I have wrapped gifts for a 6-month old and then “helped” her unwrap them, watching as she became much more fascinated with the wrapping paper than the toy inside.  We’ve done Christmas.  And we’ve done it up right.  I know Annie won’t remember her first Christmas, but I will.  And in my memory, it will be wonderful.

Opening gifts with Mommy and Daddy.

 The last couple of weeks, Annie’s usual lullabies of “Amazing Grace” and “You are So Beautiful” have been replaced by the more seasonal fare of “Silent Night” and “Away in a Manger.”  And I’ve gotten choked up singing both of those songs to her, realizing a deeper meaning to them now that I have a baby of my own.  Something about holding your own precious infant really makes the visual of the nativity hit you.  And I’m reluctant to put those carols on the shelf for another year.  So maybe we’ll sing another verse tonight before bed, to sort of prolong that part of the season a little longer.

While we were at David’s parents’ house this week, we got a little Christmas gift from Mother Nature – snow!  I woke up in the morning to see white covering the surfaces outside and excitedly realized it was Annie’s first snow.  So, of course, we bundled her up (I was ill-prepared, so I had to put two outfits on her in the absence of a snow suit) and took lots of pictures.  Baby Girl didn’t know quite what to think of the flakes hitting her cheeks.  But she made quite the adorable snow bunny.

As wonderful as it is to spend time with family this time of year, it is also nice to come home.  And that’s where we are now.  Back to our own beds and dinners made in our own kitchen.  Back to Annie sleeping  in her own crib and playing with all of her toys.  And we’re liking that just fine.

Today is a big day for the Nobles – David and I celebrate four years of wedded bliss today, and Annie celebrates a half-birthday as today marks 6 months since our family got a whole lot more precious.  I’ll write more about both of those occasions later.  For now, I’ve got some being at home to do.