Christmas

All the pictures are backwards (chronologically) so start from the bottom up unless you like the rewind feature (for all you cassette & vhs lovers... there's a little olde-fashioned lingo for you...)

Christmas was a lot of fun. Jer's family flew (and drove) from Texas and we rented a house in Pleasant Grove. Actually, it is the basement of a house and it was very nice. The couple who rented out their basement were very very nice.

We spent time reading, playing cards, shopping, going to the movies, playing the Wii and opening presents. My mom sent everyone the traditional Christmas jammies. It was awesome. (Which you will see). Jessica LOVED spending time with her new Uncle James and her cousin Ethan. She soon realized that there were more people to play with that were more fun than plain ol' mommy. :)

Jess is SO CLOSE to standing by herself (and then walking) so we got her a walker / bike for Christmas. *cough cough* I mean SANTA got her a walker / bike for Christmas. He just needed our help putting it together. She loves it.

No matter where I am standing or sitting, Jessica has to crawl through my legs somehow. If she is trying to get somewhere, and her 2 options are to crawl inbetween mommy's knee and the couch (which is the equivalent of 3 inches) or to utilize the 10 feet of space on the other side, Jessica (EVERY TIME) will choose the road less traveled. (She would have gotten along with Robert Frost very well...) So - another of Santa's presents was inspired by this little personality insight. She received a tunnel. Not just any tunnel. Santa made sure that the tunnel had a mirror at one end. Which she LOVES to stop and check herself out in.

(You can't see it but she is looking directly at her noggin in a mirror just about the same size as said noggin...)

Santa's lil' helper... thank heavens for directions!

The traditional Christmas Jammies.
Ethan and Jessica were a matching set.
(Go ahead... You know you want to... I'll even join you...)

"Aaawwwwww!!!! They are so cute!!!!"
(Especially Jessica who looks as if she is holding on for dear life!)

The women and their Christmas jammies
(left to right: Me, Angie, Rissy, Mom-in-law)

The men in their Christmas jammies (can the words "men" and "Christmas jammies" even realistically fit in the same sentence?) (From left to right: James, Dad-in-law, Jer)

Twas' the Night Before Christmas and all through the house,
Every person was stirring much louder than a mouse!
The stockings weren't hung by the chimney with care,
A miracle is needed for Santa to be there!

The children were up instead of in bed,
And Jessica was chewing a glass ball with the teeth...in her head.
Mom with her camera, & Dad in his jammies (which is the modern equivalent of a cap...)
Were about to get Jessica into bed for a nighttime nap

When in the living room there arose such a clatter,
I threw down (gently) my camera to see what was the matter!
Through the kitchen I flew like a flash,
To see a glass ball that had fallen with a 'CRASH!'

The babe with her tears like the new-fallen snow
Was sitting in a pile of glass shards below.
I quickly snatched her up when the thought did appear,
'How do I always seem to end up here?!?'

I sprang to the sink, to my hubby gave a whistle,
And cleaned up my baby with a rag like a thistle (ouch! just kidding - had to rhyme!)
I heard from my hubby as he cleaned the mess out of sight,

"Happy Christmas to all, and Jessica...good night!"

As you (hopefully) can tell from the poem up above, Jessica had a little incident with one of the Christmas ornaments! She LOVED the Christmas tree at the house we rented. She loved the decorations. I don't know how I didn't realize this but I had no clue that the ornaments were glass! I thought it was so cute that she was crawling all around, trying to eat them! (What kind of a mother am I?!?) So I just let her play around... she was crawling and a ball finally cracked and shattered all over the living room / kitchen floor. Thankfully she wasn't hurt (just startled) and we got it (and her) cleaned and calmed down quickly. Poor Jessica. No more Christmas ornaments for you! Next year sweetie. Next year. Also, you can see that she LOVED being by all the presents! Thankfully she didn't try to open any. She just stood and patted and touched. I have a feeling this is the only year that will happen. I also have a feeling that the upcoming children will also not be as calm with Christmas presents. (Don't get excited - I have no idea when those upcoming children will be baking let alone make their debut in the world. Basically what I'm trying to say is... that is not an announcement. Just a little bit of foreshadowing for you literary types... :)

Jessica looks thrilled to be with mommy.
I have no idea what my face is supposed to represent...

Jessica has become quite the snuggler. She is learning to give loves and loves giving them. There was one day when she was sitting between Jer and I on our bed and she kept going back and forth between hug for mommy, hug for daddy. Hug for mommy, hug for daddy. It was very very cute!

Well, Merry Christmas! (Belatedly... better late than never though...) I am so grateful for my family. Especially my wonderful husband and beautiful daughter. They are my life.