Christmas 2012

Everyone has always told me that once you have a child, Christmas becomes even more magical.

Who wouldn't love Christmas with that face?

Everyone was right.

Nate with all of his gifts!

We stuck to our Christmas traditions and had a truly wonderful time.  Fortunately, due to when Christmas fell this year, we got into town a few days earlier than normal (which is usually 1 AM on Christmas Eve).  We had a few days to get ourselves together and help Mom get everything prepared for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

Helping Mom make Christmas dinner... dealing with the turkey.  I was thoroughly grossed out!

On Christmas Eve, we had brunch with my brother and sister-in-law (Wes and Amy), and my nephews and niece (Nick, Lucas, and Ainslee).  Nate got his first taste of waffle and he LOVED it! 

I get a waffle?

Okay, I'll eat it!

Waffle destroyed!

 He also got to open a few gifts, and it quickly became clear that he was most impressed by the paper in which his gifts were wrapped!

Working on opening a present with Mommy

Paper!

This is delicious!

I was really happy that Nate got to spend time with his cousins.  Since Nick was there, he has now gotten a chance to meet all of his cousins!  That's pretty great in my opinion, especially since I didn't have any cousins until Jonathan and I got married!  He's a lucky little guy.

Nathaniel with Aunt Amy, Lucas, and Ainslee

Nathaniel and his cousins

After Wes and family left, we spent the afternoon getting ready for our family friends, Robert, Jenny, and Dave to come over.  We've spent every Christmas Eve together for as far back as I can remember.  It's always a wonderful time and this year was no exception.  We enjoyed our traditional pot roast for dinner (though rumor has it that we are changing that up next year!), and had a great time exchanging gifts and playing with our Christmas crackers, deferring to Dave to explain the British humor in the jokes to us!  Nate enjoyed all of the company and got to show off his new skill of pulling up on the coffee table for all to see!

Jonathan wearing his crown from the crackers, and playing with Nate's new Chicago Bears football toy from Uncle Bob

We let Nate open up two gifts on Christmas Eve: he got new santa pajamas, and a new book.  He had storytime with Mommy and Daddy, put on his comfy new jammies, and went to bed.  Mommy took care of hanging his stocking this year.

Santa bum!

On Christmas morning, the tree was overflowing with gifts!  Santa really came through for Nate, as did Nate's loving family!  He had a mountain of presents to open, which we gave to him little by little throughout the day.  By the end of the day, he finally seemed to understand how to really open up his gifts.  Nate's Great-Great Aunt Emma came over in the afternoon to open some gifts and for dinner.

The stockings were hung by the chimney with care...

This is how you open it, right?

Stocking presents!

Nate with Mommy and great-great Aunt Emma

He enjoyed some of our Christmas turkey dinner, and we even gave him a little, tiny taste of pumpkin pie!  

Happy family on Christmas

After a wonderful day with Mommy, Daddy, Grandma, Grandpa, Uncle Kyle, and Aunt Emma, Nate went to sleep.  His first Christmas was magical and perfect!  We look forward to many more Christmases to come!

(Of course, more pictures:)

Nate got a toothbrush in his stocking.  He loved it!

Hanging out with Daddy on Christmas morning

Reading his new Bible from Mommy

After a day of opening gifts, he finally had it down!

Look what Santa brought me!!!

Nate with Mommy and Uncle Kyle

Nate with Grandma and Grandpa