As I've mentioned, I'm a big fan of Christmas. Commercialism aside, there really is something magical about the season to me, which I guess goes all the way back to childhood. We did the whole nine yards when I was growing up: cutting down our own tree, making tons of Christmas cookies, hanging stockings by the chimney with care, etc. But during the past ten or fifteen years--that long, carefree stretch of young adulthood--the holidays were always kind of disappointing. Still enjoyable enough, sure. But something was missing.
Then last Christmas was just strange. I was 36-1/2 weeks pregnant, gigantic and incredibly uncomfortable. (Aching pelvis, aching back, swollen feet, horrible heartburn, braxton hicks contractions.) I was too exhausted to go to any Christmas parties. Not to mention the fact that I had exactly two pairs of pants and two pilly maternity sweaters that fit me, and was sporting seven chins. We couldn't leave town, in case I went into labor, and didn't particularly feel like entertaining, either, so we had a quiet little Christmas at home, just the two of us, bored out of our skulls, waiting for it to become the four of us.
And this year, it is. Not coincidentally, I've felt more Christmas-y this season than I have in a long time. The snow certainly helps (we've gotten dumped on three times here in Boston), but I think it's mostly the babies' doing. It's funny; they're not even old enough to be conscious of Christmas, or understand the concept of a gift, or get into the whole Santa thing. (They did, incidentally, have their first Santa encounter last week, when "Santa" visited my workplace. They were totally unimpressed.) And yet, something about having them in our life has put the shimmer back on Christmas. I guess what it really comes down to is that thanks to these two little buggers, I'm happier than I've been in years. Maybe happier than I've ever been.
More importantly, for the first time in my life, I understand the value of singing, animatronic decorations:
Happy Holidays, Babblers. Catch you on the 28th -- Elsa and Clio's first birthday.
