Preston's First Christmas



Our favorite rush delivery

To start off the celebrating we got in line for our first ever visit to see Santa!  I was designated line holder while Rob ran around with Preston checking out the last minute Christmas deals.  After a 45 minute wait we were up in the Enchanted Forest with Santa in view.  We listened to some of the children's reaction to Santa Claus and several were not enjoying themselves as much as others.  After we heard several screaming and crying Rob and I exchanged a hopeful look that this wouldn't be Preston's fate on Santa's lap. 



Pointing to the stars

Thankfully Preston did SO WELL and we even got a smiling picture to capture the memory.  I think we will have to make a trip to see other mall Santa's next year.  I really liked this one but I want to see what other malls have to offer.  We have 4 malls within 10 miles of us so we have lots to choose from.  The Santa shopping will continue next year along with making more Santa memories for Preston. 

Christmas morning we were up and ready to start the stockings. I was drinking hot chocolate and Rob was rubbing sleep out of his eyes after a long night at work.  Poor guy. Preston had a stocking filled with food in it.  He got some good practice taking things out.  He had his little Christmas bib on and his Santa's little helper pj's.  The pj's had this adorable hat but I couldn't find it for the life of me.  After the stockings we started Preston's pile and I would tear off a little of the paper and let him rip the rest.  He enjoyed that and my reaction to the gift was quite entertaining for him.  With an attention span of about 5 seconds for each gift we were on to the next.  Preston was a very GOOD boy this Christmas!



Opening a gift from Nana

Preston was surrounded by his gifts and in a little bit of daze from the unwrapping Rob and I started to open some of ours.  Rob opened one from me.  I wasn't looking at him when he actually opened it up.  Yet when I turned around this is what I saw!  A long, white undershirt down to his ankles!  He said something to the affect of "is this a dress?".   I thought I got him a large but apparently in my shopping haste I didn't catch the three XXX's in front of the "L" in large.  I burst into laughter and couldn't stop!  This was like a nightgown!  Preston was staring at me laughing and started to smile himself a little realizing I wasn't upset.  What was I thinking?  It definitely stirred up the gift opening excitement this year. What can I say...I will be stuck in the returns line for eternity.    



Rob's new undershirt

It was a wonderful Christmas 2011, there was still a part of me missing my traditional celebrations back on the east coast.  This is my second year missing it.  Last year I was so large and pregnant I could barely make it down to the mailbox let alone make it 3,000 miles to New England.  What a difference a year makes.  Our tree had ornaments half way up, we had to take off ribbons from the gifts to avoid swallowing and we forgot to get batteries for some of the toys that were not included.  A welcomed change, of course, Preston will understand the concept of Christmas and Santa a little more next year and we get to look forward to many more Christmases with our son!

And I heard him exclaim as he drove out of sight.  "Merry Christmas to all and to all a goodnight."