Her hair is wild and her smile vibrant. She is ready to start her little day. I take her out of her bed, as I always do, but today is different, and she doesn’t know it yet. Down the stairs waiting for her is our Christmas tree, which wasn’t there the night before. She grabs her favorite Mickey Mouse stuffed animal (she calls him “Ha”) and is ready to leave her room. We get to the top of the stairs and she says “Mama carry,” like always. But when I go to pick her up, I realize that she means Ha and not her. For the first time ever she wants to walk down the stairs by herself. So I hold her Ha and her little hand and we walk down the stairs. Her face lights up to see the Christmas tree waiting for her. She says, “wow pitty yites.” I guess we both had surprises for each other that day.
I am 32 weeks pregnant, so decorating was not high on my list of to-dos, but I wanted this year to be special—and it is. This is my last Christmas with only one child, and my first Christmas in our new house. I can’t believe how many changes have taken place in the last year, and I am looking forward to all of the changes that the next one will bring. Wishing you and your family a very Merry Christmas and a Happy, Happy New Year!
