Saturday, January 3, 2009

Bug's First Christmas


We originally wondered if we'd be able to get down to the beach to spend the holiday with my parents and brother. The snow and ice had made travel here in Seattle pretty nasty. With Andy's determination we headed west just as soon as he got off work the night before Christmas Eve. We made it down without problem and Lily was able to sleep most of the way. We had a feeling that grandma and grandpa might want to snuggle with her a bit before we put her to bed at their house.

She managed about an hour of cuddles and then we whisked her upstairs to sleep in her moses basket in my old room. Mom had to work Christmas Eve and my brother, Matt was driving over the mountains from Boise, Idaho where he is currently working on a project for work. He really can't turn down the per diem pay so he's been doing a lot of traveling for work this past year. Anyhow, with them not around the house, Lily had some grandpa time. Eventually mom was released from work early and Matt made it safely to the harbor.

Christmas Eve dinner was a feast of salmon and family. Lily got into her new holiday jammies and eventually made it to sleep. The next day was a whirlwind of food, gifts, and holiday jolliness. Lily got the royal Reichenberger treatment. She now has her very own rifle, flannel shirt, and rocking horse. She also got three great new stuffed animals: a polar bear, a reindeer, and a mammoth. Andy got wool socks and cast iron. I got rain gear so I won't get too soaked as I ride my bike to work. The day was a great success.
Grandma loved her new boots and Grandpa and Uncle Matt were looking forward to trying out their "seasonal beverages." It was a fabulous holiday, but the thing we learned was that babies' usual routine goes right out the window during the holidays. Luckily they are resilient and relearn routines in just a couple days. We wouldn't have done it any other way.