Sydney's First Christmas

This has been absolutely my favorite Christmas ever! Better than when I was little and I got new roller skates AND a dollhouse, and even better than when Rob took me to New York City to see the tree at Rockafellar Center. We told Sydney that what we really wanted for Christmas was a smile from her. A TRUE smile, not just the happenstance "gas grins" that she'd been giving for a few weeks.

We decided to celebrate Christmas on Christmas Eve this year. We had to be at Rob's parents' house by 11 on Christmas morning, and I knew that meant we wouldn't have any extra time for breakfast or opening our gifts to each other before that, so we just bumped everything up a day. Some might say that we cheated, but I don't care- we had a wonderfully relaxing Christmas at home on Thursday before a fun family Christmas on Friday. One of our only Christmas traditions is to go to the Gaylord Opryland hotel to see the lights. If you've never been there, it's a huge, extravagant hotel here in Nashville and it's decorated beautifully for the holidays. Several years ago, when Rob & I were dating, he took me there and that's where he first told me he loved me. I've made him take me back to the exact spot every year since and tell me he loves me again! As a result, we have a picture of us together every year at Opryland, and I wanted one with Sydney. So on Wednesday, our Christmas Eve, off we went. (I'll skip the part about how Sydney had her first big blowout diaper on the way there and we had to change her in mid-air between the front & back seats of the car!) It was fun to stand there by "our fountain" and tell her how our family sort of started in that very place. Afterwards, we went home, drank hot chocolate, read the nativity story from The Jesus Storybook Bible, and watched a Christmas movie. It was a great night.

We got up on Thursday morning, our Christmas morning around 8 and got to enjoy being lazy for a few minutes. I fed Sydney, and then laid her down between us in our bed. We just stared at her and talked to her for a while before we finally decided to go downstairs and start the celebration. Sydney decided to take a nap instead of opening her stocking, so Rob & I had a little time to enjoy giving each other gifts while she rested.

   

After Syd woke up, she gave us her gift to us...

          

We could not have asked for a better surprise!! Once she got it figured out, she didn't stop smiling for a while- it was so sweet! I wish I had a video to show you- her right cheek comes up first, and then the left side follows. We've had a blast this weekend spending time together as a family. The best part is, we know that our Christmases to come are only going to get better as Sydney gets older.