That Christmas we wore matching pajamas 2016

Last year, I thought I was having the best Christmas ever. (Apparently I was having so fun I totally forgot to even blog about it) I had a newborn, after so many years of waiting. I bought her presents, wrapped them and, well, opened them for her. It was incredible. How could it get better than this?

But this year. This year was so much better. And I’ve heard crazy talk that next year will be even better.

For starters, I bought us matching pajamas.

I made some attempts to get photos of her alone in her pajamas, but like most things I want in life, Olivia decided it wasn’t important.

From the looks of things, she’s either giving me a colossal fuck you in interpretive dance, or this is my glimpse into her teenage years. (I’m sorry, Mom.) So I gave up and decided to give you bloopers.

Chris prepared the dough for – brace yourselves – Cinnabon Cinnamon Rolls for the next morning. Olivia thought it was fascinating.

I thought he was going to accidentally fold those cheeks into the batter, but luckily he caught himself in time.

I mean, it looks so easy! You just let this stand mixer do the work?

We got the dough rolled and wrapped so that all he had to do in the morning was cut them, proof them, and bake.

Christmas Eve morning, we woke up and Olivia waited impatiently for the cinnamon rolls to finish by deciding to try her hand again at the child-proof locks with her faithful sidekick keeping watch.

Bested again.

She seemed perfectly happy with her yogurt and strawberries, but did get a little piece of cinnamon roll. But that was it. Mama is a monster like that.

After breakfast, we went downstairs to open presents. Growing up, this was a tradition in our family: to open our gifts Christmas Eve morning. I think it was to spread out the holiday since our stockings from Santa would be Christmas morning.

She was very interested in her gifts. Namely opening them. The toys themselves were ok. I actually got almost all her toys secondhand to save money, but I guess it defeats the purpose when you buy too many. But she did get a tunnel (new) and a rocking horse for outside this summer and I got some crazy good deals on all of the toys.

When I found the Little Tykes school bus at a consignment sale I about DIED. I used to have this (actually I think it was my sister’s) and we played with it all the time. It came with all nine of the little people and I can’t WAIT to play with it!!!! (Olivia can join in too if she wants.) Chris and I didn’t get each other gifts this year (with the ultimate gift of a baby and everything), but Toby got some new toys too. Little does he know I’m purging all his other disgusting toys.

By the time we were done with that, it was 11:00 and I was freaking out because we were planning on going to church at 1:00. But then she slept until 12:45 and then we ate lunch and I prepped the food for our family Christmas that evening and I knew she really needed a second nap that afternoon since I knew she’d be up later. So we missed the 3:00 service and I was pretty upset because, hello Christmas. It was definitely one of those moments of “parenting fail.”

This was the only two pictures I took that evening since it’s hard manning a camera with a baby who loves nothing more than to race around the house and dodge a variety of legs. But check out that adorable Christmas shirt!

She partied hard all night and passed out around 10:00. I wasn’t sure how the night would go, but she ended up sleeping in all the way until 8:45. It was perfect because it gave Chris and I time to get ourselves ready. When she woke, I had a Very Serious conversation with her that she should really do that more often, nursed her, and then brought her downstairs to see what Santa brought her.

A sled!!! And pretty books (to be supervised with at all times. Girlfriend likes to chew). Toby’s stocking was missing from the picture because Santa brought him a bone and he decided early that morning to tear through his stocking to get to it.

She loved pulling things out of her stocking even if her arms weren’t quite long enough to get to the bottom. After that, she helped Mom and Dad open their stockings.

How did Santa know I wanted colorful pens for my new planner?? Olivia was trying to figure out what they were, while still trying to hold the Reese’s candy cane and Mama’s colored tabs. Multitasking. She’s been practicing.

We then whisked over to my parents for brunch and more presents from her grandparents and aunties.

I mean, the picture doesn’t do justice to how excited she was to open more presents. Especially when they are more babies and a new baby bed.

But really, she enjoyed herself. (How can I convince you she really did enjoy herself?)

We then went to my aunt’s house on my mom’s side for a ham dinner (which Olivia loved, until she didn’t and threw it on the floor). She had a blast. The girl loves attention and knows how to work a crowd. Toddle around, act shy when someone approaches you, break out into huge smile and thrust whatever is in your arms at said person as peace offering (be it a doll or a piece of chewed cracker), then wave arms wildly, politely ask for object back and then toddle away. Bonus points if you turn around without falling to give one last smile. Loves attention, I tell you.

It even works when taking family photos. You just have to demand Grandmas’s necklace and when Grandpa is acknowledging you, turn up your head to give him your world class cheesy smile and wait for him to crack up so Mama can take a hundred photos of it. Then turn back toward the camera like nothing ever happened.

So it was a good Christmas. An even better Christmas and it flew by and now it’s over until next year. And for once, I’m sad to say goodbye to another passing year. 2016, while wrought with some pretty annoying things, was good to our little family. Watching her grow right before my eyes, those are the moments I wouldn’t trade for the world. And while the holidays are hectic and stressful because our money is so tight, I hope she always knows how incredibly loved she is. I hope I always keep in mind that it’s us she wants, our time and attention and the toys… they’re fun to play with. But Christmas is so much more than that (though I failed miserably this year at it.) and I hope I can instill that in her. Good thing I have a few years to get it right before she starts having memories. 🙂

P.S. Sorry not sorry for the photo dump again.