Merry Christmas 2009!!!

Let us not forget that on this night one year ago, Sid and I were at home fast asleep while our new baby girl was in the NICU down the road on the vent under a strictly enforced minimal stimulation rule, which meant we really didn't even get to talk to her, much less touch her.  At this point, we still had not gotten to hold her yet.  You can go back and read my post from last Christmas Day here. 

But tonight, on Christmas Night 2009, we are ever so very thankful that she is fast asleep in her bed with her new Bitty Baby, as she has been since before 7:00 p.m. because the past week has just worn her slap out.  The sweet girl celebrated her first birthday on Saturday, December 19th, went to her great-grandmother's to celebrate Christmas with the Williamson side of the family on Sunday, December 20th, went to her Mamaw and Papaw Whitehead's on Monday, December 21st to celebrate Christmas with them, turned 1 on December 22nd, headed to her Mimi and Poppy T's in Alabama on Wednesday, December 23rd, celebrated Christmas with my side of the family on Christmas Eve and of course had Santa early this morning, plus made the trip back home to Mississippi.  So, again, let me reiterate how worn out she is!  Oh, and I forgot to mention that on Christmas Eve she decided she needed a little walking action to get around all those people and presents that were at Mimi's so she has been walking much more, not to mention she has jabbered up a storm for the past 48-hours!  I'm not sure if we should be thankful or not to not be able to understand her at this point.

So, let's recap this in pictures, shall we???

When we first got to Jerry and Nene's (on Monday, December 21st), not everyone was there yet, but Mason was pouting for some reason.  I never really did understand it, but Mamaw was puling his leg about something to do with a bull and he was having none of it!

I watched Bailey and Brady sit in the floor nose to nose and have a chat about something and didn't think to snap a picture until she was crawling away.  So this is the best I got, but it was the cutest thing and I'm sure she was trying to sweet talk him out of that i-phone.

This is the new thing, for Bailey to get in the back of the dump-truck and Mason will usually drive her around, but he must have been off doing something else at this point so I got to snap a few great pictures of it.

Uncle Ben got some tool, you can read there on the box what it was, and for some reason Bailey was all up in his business.  She crawled all the way up in the tool box when he had it opened.  Finally he got her out of it enough to snap it shut but she still wasn't too sure about letting it go.

Eveybody knows that Bailey LOVES Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and Kylie and Ben and the boys got her this mickey that is on a rocker so she can ride him and rock  AND you can press either of his ears and he plays music too!  She cracks me up riding him.  She doesn't quite get the prop your feet up thing and rock, but she tries, and she especially loves the music and loves talking to this Mickey!

Funny story, we got Mason a huge thing of Lincoln Logs and Bailey was fascinated with them for some reason.  She loved to get in the big bucket and throw the pieces out and she also would not leave what he was building alone.  At one point he told her to go play somewhere else and Mamaw told him he had to share his toys, that he wasn't being very nice and that some little boys and girls don't even have toys to share.  And in the most serious voice, he said, "But she DOES have her own toys."  Like, that might be true for some, but for Bailey it clearly isn't so she needs to move along.

Finally, he gave up and decided to ride his "bull."  And apparently she got interested in a box.

And then she was done for the night!  Oh, those tired eyes.  Bless her bones!!  You don't see her Daddy around because he was passed out on the couch after having thrown up for two straight days and going to the doctor that morning and getting some shots.  The doctor reported that he had fluid on his ears which was what was making him dizzy and throw-up.  Apparently, the shots kicked in just about the time supper was over and we finished opening presents.  Thank goodness the next morning he was like a new man! 

Unfortunatly, I have NO pictures of the birthday girl on her actual birthday, but she was tired of the camera anyway, and we took a break for the action that day and stayed in our pj's all day and didn't leave the house.  

Now, on to Christmas at Mimi and Poppy T's.  We decided to leave a day early and I'm glad we did for serveral reasons.  We weren't as rushed and the weather was cold and rainy on Christmas Eve so we skipped having to travel in that.  We spent most of the afternoon at Maggie and Bo's, which is where the pictures of Bailey in the sleigh were taken, and then of course went to the Christmas Eve service.  Then the whole family went to Mom and Dad's for Christmas Eve supper and to open gifts.  I took pictures of the table and decorations at Thanksgiving that mother did and I just had to get them again at Christmas.  I love to blog and read blogs, and this Christmas there was an on-line Christmas tour of houses.  Of course, I didn't participate because the best part of our decorating this year was outside, aside from our tree that I just loved, but if you will remember, most of my collected Christmas decorations have been "misplaced".  So I didn't participate in the fun, but I sure wish I'd had these pics of Mom's house and I would have posted them.  She makes an ordinary house seem so magical at times.  Some call her Martha Stewart, but sometimes I think she is better than Martha herself. 

Mom and Dad's Christmas tree this year.  It's white, covered in a thick layer of fake white snow and the lights are those ole timey big bulbs that were pre-strung before the snow was sprayed on.  It is quite possibly the most unique Christmas tree I have ever seen.  I think she used this one last year, not sure, but you never know with her.  We might not see this tree for a few more years and instead see a grand real tree.  You just never know!  But this one is fun and neat!

The table all seat of Christmas dinner!

A view of the table and tree from the other end of the room!

Desserts!

Those big lantern things that I photographed at Thanksgiving and were used at Bo and Maggie's wedding last December outside the church.  At Thanksgiving, they weren't lit, but on this night there were all a-glow!

The center of the table!

Frosty the snow man!

I noticed this afternoon as we were leaving that there were many more decorations downstairs that I never even saw.  So what you see here is the tip of the decorating.  It just feels so magical to come in from the cold after being at the Chirstmas Eve service and smell the ham cooking and see all the lights and decorations and know that you are home.  Which was even more important to me this year because I'm sure it will get harder and harder to be out of town with a child on Christmas Day with the whole Santa thing. 

I read on a bunch of blogs this year that alot of parents weren't participating in Santa, or weren't telling their kids that Santa was real because this was like lying and Santa isn't the reason for the season.  I also read that some parents give their kids three gifts to re-represent the 3 kings that brought gifts to Baby Jesus.  I grew up believing in Santa and I don't think it made me feel lied to or ripped off after finding out Santa wasn't real.  I do think that our society has commercialized Christmas way too much, but to me Santa is part of the magic of the season.  Don't get me wrong, I do want Bailey to know the real reason and always be able to keep that at the heart of the season.  I'm sure as she gets older we will incorporate things into our Christmas activities to to not lose sight of this, like maybe adopting an angel or supporting a child through Compassion or serving meals to the homeless somewhere as part of our family Christmas traditions.  But to not let her share in the childhood memories of Santa-I just don't get it!

Are your eyeballs bleeding yet?  I know this is long but I was behind and I didn't want to leave anyone out so I'm getting it all in there.

My sweet Erin!Doesn't Pappaw look great????I had taken Bailey's jacket off while she was eating because it was about 100 degrees in the house with the fire and all the cooking going on!

We all opened presents after supper, but I was too busy opening all my stuff and Bailey's to take pictures.  But afterwards, I caught her playing in the bag of tissue paper, because, you know, all those toys and her new Bitty Baby wasn't enough!!!

With all the excitement, she was up until about 10:00, so I was hoping she would sleep in, but no such luck.  She slept with Mimi and Mimi was too excited about Santa coming that she got up before 6, so Bailey go up sometime right after her.  We were up before 6:30 a.m.!  I thought we'd have at least one year of not having to get up soooo early.

I took several pictures of her with her Santa stuff, but couldn't help posting this one of her in her new rocker with those cubby little legs.  She is so cute trying to get out of it, scooting down until those toes touch the floor!

Again, we couldn't be more thankful for God's mercies on this sweet baby this year and we look so forward to what He has in store for us in the coming year.  In a way, we are so ready to say good-bye to 2009 because it has been a hard year for more than a few reasons.  We are very real to the fact that things could always be worse and try not to complain too much about it. 

Ok, so even if your eyes are bleeding, mine are about to pop right on out!  So, Merry Christmas!!!!  Oh, and who is going out shopping for the day after Christmas tomorrow? I was shocked when I saw stores were opening at 5 a.m.  Now that's bad!!