My little Sugar Plum Fairy's 1st Christmas

Christmas was everything I had imagined and more. As soon as the two lines popped up and it really sunk in that a baby was on the way last year, I had already made the calculations for Christmas. I knew my bundle of joy would be right at 6 months old on that glorious Christmas day. I could already imagine the chunky baby sitting up and probably more interested in the box than the cute toy I had rushed to get on Black Friday. And just a year ago to the day, was when I told my mom I was having a girl. {See HERE for the reactions, they are so awesome}. And to be honest, I might have gotten a little ahead of myself in the imagination department. I was already thinking of traditions such as cuddling and reading Christmas books in our Christmas PJs, setting cookies out for Santa after spending the weekend baking and decorating cookie cutter sugar cookies, and with the fire place going laying by the tree looking up at all the lights.

This was totally not how Christmas went. I didn't go Black Friday Shopping, and there were no cookies of any sort. I rushed around on Christmas Eve buying bags and stuffing because I just didn't have to energy to wrap up anything with cute winter wrapping paper and my famous Christmas ribbon bows. Ellie could not shake a bad cold and was running a fever. So our Eve was spent in her room with the humidifier going and vapor rub galore. It was her first real bad cold and this mommy was devastated it had to happen right during the Holidays (we now know she had an ear infection too). This is what my day looked like...

But we trudged on. We got in the cute Christmas PJs and tried reading The Night Before Christmas. We finally got her to sleep (in our bed, of course) and Santa's Helpers went to work. After setting it all up, which didn't take long at all. We stepped back, snapped a cell phone picture and retreated to our bed as well for a long winters nap.

Christmas Morning, we were up and at 'em. Ellie, not so much. She hesitantly looked at all her toys and put all of them slowly in her mouth, as trying to introduce her taste buds to her new friends. 

Lyell and I exchanged gifts also. Last year, we got each other hardwood floors and there was really nothing we needed right now. So we decided on gag gifts :) Gag gifts are what we do best. Actually, one of my favorite gifts was Ellie's high chair. I have been dreading dinner time because she can pretty much get herself out of her mama & papa chair. My ultra favorite gift is what Ellie got me, a small gold necklace with a tiny "E"  on it. I haven't taken it off since Christmas morning. And my favorite gag gift, which I told Lyell we need a concert soon so I have a reason to wear these in public...BART SIMPSON PANTS...ummm...#YOLO!!! Super stoked about these :)

Off to my parents we went. Over the river and through the woods...to Grandmother's house we go. They were waiting on us and everyone had eaten breakfast and was ready to rip into the prizes under the tree. We all take a spot in the room and start divvying it all up. I am ever good at taking pictures during this time. So much is going on. I try to soak it all in but I always seem to miss people opening my gifts.{This is a LONG time issue with my family. An issue I have personally tried to resolve in the "Robinson Family Household Court System". At last, my brothers always win this fight. They want to act 6 and run and rip everything to shreds in five minutes flat, then walk around and see what everyone else got.} This actually deserve its own blog post....so lets get back. Ellie is truly loved by my family and she got so soo much cute stuff. She watched as the piles of paper got higher than her and shoved bows in her mouth like candy. We then played with everything, ate a wonderful Christmas lunch, took pictures, gave hugs and said our goodbyes. And off we were again. 

Ellie, at this point took a nap in the car and was acting all better when we arrived to the Sloan's. Early dinner was ready so we dug in to the ham and all the fixings. Ellie played quietly with one of her new toys while we ate and chatted up how our day had gone so far. And under the tree we went again. I will have to admit, Ellie did the best here. She kicked her feet and waved her hands at each new present presented to her. The cutest stocking of all times was filled with great goodies, or as Roger and Sheila put it...anything that made lots and lots of noise! We feed Ellie and pasted her around for cuddles as we played Christmas music. You could say the Sloan's are as smitten with Ellie as I am. I got the wallet as was drooling over with some nice suprises in it. I don't think I would change one thing about Ellie's first Christmas (maybe being 100% healthy). We all had to work the next day, so we hugged and waved goodbye as we headed back to the mothership and passed out.  It was the merriest Christmas, indeed.