Christmas 2014

Clearly I'm behind the ball, but the time after Christmas means back to work.... We had a great Christmas at home and spent lots of time with our extended family. It should be no surprise that Jack made out with gifts like a bandit, all of which have made their way into his mouth.

We were selected, I'm sure based solely on perceived talent (aka having a small cute baby), to be Mary, Joseph, and baby Jesus for our church's Christmas play. There were three rehearsals and Jack breezed through the first two like he was an old pro and gave me hope that the actual performance would be less stressful than I had imagined. Christmas Eve Day was the last rehearsal and performance and Jack's plan that day was to dispel the old "no crying he makes" part of Away in a Manger. He fussed through the rehearsal and then screamed bloody murder as I rocked him in the church's nursery, trying to get him to sleep before the service. We were pretty convinced that Mary would be pantomiming holding her sweet newborn, but the second David picked him up to bring him on stage he gave one cry (right at the part about Mary giving birth, such a pro) and then just stared out at everyone for the rest of it. David ended up holding him because if there is one thing we have learned as parents it is that once you have them content you don't DARE change anything....until they start crying again. Our version of the nativity is a progressive one where Joseph was a doting father and Mary sat nervously waiting for another screaming fit. We both gave a huge sigh of relief when it was all over and we knew we had made it through semi-tear free.

Christmas morning we opened presents at our house, just the four of us including Oliver (you'd be surprised how many people buy him gifts, I think it's the Mohawk), and it felt like the best way we could start off Jack's first Christmas. The rest of the day was spent eating and opening presents at David's parent's house. 

We're both thankful for all of the people in our lives who have been there for us during 2014 and the first months of Jack's life. More than anything, to anybody who I texted with a PLEASE TELL ME THIS GETS BETTER, and who didn't think I was a terrible mom because they had also been there, thank you so very much. We love all of you, here's to a better 2015 (yes, I know we're almost 1/12 done with 2015, humor me).