Baby's First Christmas

Christmas, as in typical fashion, has passed us by all too quickly. The time leading up to Christmas celebrations was a little too busy and the actual time with family a little too brief. We were fortunate enough to spend some good time with many members of our families throughout this time. These family gatherings were of course all the more special, being that this was Lydia's first Christmas.

Now that we have joined in on the experience of Lydia's first Christmas, I am trying to pinpoint the significance of "Baby's First Christmas" What is it about this first Christmas that is so very special? After all, Lydia probably had no knowledge of what was going on and exactly what she was experiencing for the first time. She is not old enough to understand the story of Jesus' brith She was also too young to open presents or understand the concept of visiting family and friends. She was not able to enjoy the wonderful seasonal goodies and wonderful family meals. So, what was it that made this Christmas so special?

I guess that the most certain answer that I can come up with is that this time for a baby is as much special for the parents (and grandparents) as it is for the child. As a parent you get to enjoy seeing your child experience the things that you enjoyed so much as a child (and an adult) for the very first time. For us and Lydia, there were so many wonderful moments that we were able witness this Christmas. Here are some of the highlights:

It was quickly apparent that Lydia had reached an excellent age to enjoy the "season of light." She was very drawn to the many lights - lights on the Christmas tree and candlelight at Christmas Eve service. It was a marvel to see her curiosity sparked by the lights of the season.

With so much wonderful family; Lydia was bound to get some great gifts that she would be able to enjoy. Lydia was able to snuggle up with some new stuffed animal friends and even shake her own hand-carved rattle. Probably the most enjoyment has come from her new bouncy seat from Grandma and Grandpa Lee - she loves being able to make the sounds go with her movement!

Lydia was able to meet many new family members over Christmas and spend great time with all of the family. Lydia was able to make almost of all of her family feel special by sharing some smiles with them....timing was certainly perfect as Lydia had just begin to really smile more readily. Mommy and Daddy have started to get some giggles out of her in the last week too! Lydia of course had a great time being with all of her cousins (Maria, Alyssa, and Rachel). Cousin Rachel was at just the right age to be able to 'play' with Lydia. Rachel had a great time attending to Lydia - making her feel better when we she was 'sad' and tickling her in order to make her smile.

Probable the most special moment for me was when Lydia was able to make her acting debut. This came when Lydia was cast as the cutest baby Jesus that you could ever want to see! Elizabeth's mom's family has a tradition of acting out the story of Jesus' birth and Lydia did just great as the newborn baby Jesus. She definetly had the part down and helped me gain a renewed appreciation for gentle and peaceful way in which the savior entered our world. This was certainly a very worshipful moment for me and one that I will remember for many seasons to come.