Chinese Food and Cookies for Santa

Dear Conor,

After brunch with the Jakan Grandparents it was time to jump in the car and drive down to the Cape to get ready for Santa!

We arrived just in time for our annual Chinese food dinner.  Everyone got to go - except  Grandpa Adam but we made a special plate just for him!  The food was yummy and despite it having been a long day and the restaurant being full with a lot of stimulation you did really well!  Cousin Nolan also did really well and it was so much fun to have both you boys this year for Christmas!

After dinner we went back to the house and we let you open one present.  You opened a pair of Christmas jammies!  Mommy helped you get dressed in them and get ready for bed and then there was only one thing left to do.....leave some cookies out for Santa!

Cookies for Santa

Family Picture - Christmas 2012

Hey Santa - these are for you!

 

First Ever Christmas Cookie!  The official Santa Cookie Taste Tester!

After you went to sleep Conor I took a picture of Grandma's tree all decorated and light up just waiting for Santa!

Before Santa

Then, when you woke up early in the morning and Mommy needed to go downstairs and get some extra wipes Mommy saw that Santa had come!  So I took a picture with all the lights off - I didn't want to peek at what Santa had brought until everyone else was awake!

Clearly everyone had been good this past year because Santa not only came but he piled lots of presents under the tree!

Merry Christmas Eve!

xoxo
Mommy

Jakan Family Christmas

Dear Conor,

On Christmas Eve morning Grandma and Grandpa Jakan came over to have Christmas Eve Brunch with us and exchange gifts.  Mommy found a vegan Belgium waffle recipe so Daddy could have some too and I bought Veggie sausages so you could have a little protein with our waffles.

You started the morning in Christmas-y jammies but a leaky diaper meant you had to be changed just before they got here :(

 

Grandma and Grandpa were so excited to see you and to be celebrating Christmas with you!

Christmas 2012

We decided to open presents before having brunch because you tend to get sleepy during the mid-morning and we wanted you to have a nice time exchanging presents with your grandparents. 

Its Santa Conor

 

Hunter trying to help you open presents

Selecting a present to hand out.

Daddy always yawns when opening presents

Conor is not sure why Daddy is yawning

Pajamas!

Grandma and Grandpa LOVED your plate!

Grandma also loved her new purse!

Good Job Grandpa!

Even you thought it was great!

My sweet and silly boy

So loving

Who is making you laugh so hard?

Its Silly Daddy!

Daddy opened a special present - the mug that you painted for him

Taking a rest with Mommy - before a diaper change!

Hunter helps you open your first gift.

Its music class instruments!

Grandpa opens our present - James Bond!

Daddy's popcorn maker

Super Friends!



What is this?  Its to the whole family.

Red Claw Tickets! (and a tee shirt and basketball)

Playing with the basketball

Sweet Boy and his little curls

Grandpa bought you a rocking horse.  You weren't sure about it at first and then it scared you.  Mommy and Daddy put it away until you are bigger!

 

What a GREAT Christmas!

We had such a nice Christmas brunch with Grandma and Grandpa.  The waffles came out really yummy and Grandpa liked the sausages even though they were made with veggies and not meat!  After brunch you were 100% ready for a nap so we said Merry Christmas and Goodbye to Grandma and Grandpa so that you could get a little rest in while Mommy and Daddy finished packing the car for our trip to the Cape.

Thank you Grandma and Grandpa for such a special Christmas Eve Brunch!

xoxo
Mommy

Christmas Details

Dear Conor,

This year I didn't do all the decorating that I usually do because I wasn't sure how you would handle all the changes at once.  So, every few days I put something else out to see what your reaction would be.  Mommy and Daddy love Christmas and even though we aren't usually home to celebrate Christmas in our home we like to decorate it as though we are going to be.

Here are some of the details!

The Dinning Room with the Christmas Seaside Village

Our Christmas Tree.  The shelf has Christmas books on it and while Mommy had a gate around the tree during most of the month she put it away on 12.22.12 so we could all enjoy the tree.  Can you see the balloons left over from your birthday?

Even Hunter gets decorated!

Mommy did not have a lot of time to bake this year (I usually make tons of cookies to bring with us to Grandma Mary's) but I did take time one night after you went to bed in order to bake cookies for you to leave for Santa.

And one more just because Hunter is so cute!

Merry Christmas!

xoxo
Mommy

It's a Grandpa Tom Christmas

Dear Conor,

You are one lucky boy because you got to celebrate Christmas 3 times this year!  The first Christmas was with Grandpa Tom on December 23, 2012.

We went to Grandpa's around noon with the hope that you would take a short nap on the way over (which you did and so you were a happy baby!).  Uncle Sean and Auntie Lindsay couldn't make it because Nolan wasn't feeling well but everyone else was there to celebrate.

While we were waiting for Grandpa to set the timer on dinner you enjoyed dragging a paper bag around the room.

Once Grandpa was done Daddy and some of the adults opened gifts until it was your turn.  Auntie was itching to have you open hers first so you did!  Her gift will be so much fun to play with for years to come!

Opening gifts is HARD work!

Leaving with your new soft sensory blocks

Then it was time to open the gifts from Grandpa, Andrea, and Uncle Justin.  Grandpa got you a LOL Elmo!  He was so excited to see you open this gift.  You weren't sure at first but once Elmo started moving you thought it was the funniest thing.

Auntie look!

Grandpa also got you a neat train.  When you press the smoke stack it makes all kinds of train noises and each cart has a different challenge for you!

After dinner and some more visiting you were getting pretty cranky - it had been a long day - so it was time to head home but not until you gave Grandpa some Christmas LOVE and then some extra hugs because it would be a while before Grandpa came back up!

Merry First Christmas Celebration!

xoxo
Mommy

PS.  You also loved the box that was under the tree!

PPS.  We also had to celebrate Auntie Cathlin - she and Jarrod got engaged on December 22, 2012....which means Auntie also got you an Uncle for Christmas :)