Christmas High

 There are new toys strewn from one end of the house to the other; I have a overtired, overstimulated, very cranky baby; Jared & I are absolutely exhausted, & here I sit wishing we could do it all over again--& not just Christmas day, but the whole entire month! It was a Christmas that beats all past Christmases & I am still reliving every moment in my heart & mind so as not to ever forget it!

And you know that sort of "let down" feeling that always seems to settle in on December 26th, after all of the excitement, energy, & anticipation has fizzled out? Well, for the first time in my life, I didn't wake up with that feeling this morning. My heart is still bursting & full! Maybe it's because I experienced my first Christmas as a parent, or maybe I just haven't come down from the high yet, & that "let down" is perhaps coming later. Or maybe, just maybe, it's because this year, I squeezed every bit of life out of Christmas that I possibly could! I took the time for the important things--like making memories & traditions, spending days in our jammies doing a whole lotta nothing, dancing in the kitchen to Christmas music, & baking cookies--lots & lots of cookies! I slowed down & did less hustling &bustling. I stopped to watch every "starry eyed" moment that Jett had & made sure to not let one slip by me. I drank in the moments where it was just the three of us, all snuggled up together! It goes without saying that this Christmas was a very special one for us. I knew it would be special all along...I just had no idea that it would blow every single previous one straight out of the park!

Here are some of the moments of Jett's first Christmas that I want to hold in my heart forever & ever!

*How absolutely delicious he looked in his Christmas jammies & how it took everything for me to not eat him right up!

*The moment it hit Jared & I that we now are the "parents" & how much work goes into getting everything set up just perfectly for Christmas morning.

*The way he did his little "What's this?" when we walked into his room early Christmas morning with a camera in my hand, & video camera in Jared's.

*The way his eyes lit up when he caught a glimpse of all of his presents! I thought for sure he would be too young to even notice or care, but he knew something was going on, & his eyes were just full of excitment!

*How he jibbered & jabbered {the way he does when he's excited over something} when looking over all of his new toys!

*The way he had every grandpa, grandma, aunt, uncle, & cousin wrapped around his little finger, making them jump at his every little whimper!

*How my heart swelled with pride as our family loved & doted on him!

*How after 3 Christmases in one day, only 1 short nap, & being BEYOND exhausted, he was still a little trooper & never once had a meltdown.

*That my favorite Christmas present this year really was being able to see Christmas through my sweet baby's eyes!

It was a Christmas that no matter how I try, I will never be able to capture & explain in words. So I will relive it over & over again in my heart, & I will hold onto this "Christmas high" for as long as I can!