Last Christmas I Gave You My Heart

 Last Christmas was the first Christmas I shared with Brady. He was supposed to head to his parents house in Oklahoma after we had Christmas eve lunch at my Aunts house but he decided to stay with me through Christmas morning instead-- we were engaged at the time. We spent the night at my parents house and we were able to share Christmas morning together.

We hurriedly packed after our gifts were unwrapped and the living room looked like a war zone. We left and arrived at his parents house Christmas morning and stayed with them until January 1st. His parents and I had seen each other several times throughout the 9 month period Brady and I had been together-- though we had never spent more than a day or so together. Last Christmas was when, I believe, they started warming up to me, excepting me as part of their growing family. That trip made them comfortable with me marrying their son. And I am so glad that we took it because little did anyone know at the time but Brady and I were about to switch our wedding date from May 19th to January 8th, just a few short days after we left his parents in Oklahoma.

This Christmas has been no less eventful. Our little bundle turned one month old four days before Christmas. She has brought so much happiness to us. Her birth brought Brady and I closer-- something I didn't necessarily think could happen. It's incredible how love can grow. I thought I was tapped out. I didn't think there was any possible way I could love him more but that little bundle made it happen. We had lots to be thankful for this Christmas.

When we found out we were pregnant in March discussions began. Where would we go for the holidays? Which family would we spend each event with? How could we make it fair? To me, so far, that is the hardest part of being married. Deciding which family to spend each Holiday with is terribly terribly hard because there is no real way to make it fair.

Sister sleeps with one eye open just to make sure you don't go anywhere.

I'm such a homebody, much like my Dad, I don't want to travel, I don't want to leave my house. It's my center of command. It's my Starship Enterprise. It's where I do my thinking, my planning, and it's where I conquer. I don't like to spend much time in other peoples Starships.

Obviously though there are two families to work with and one lives in Oklahoma. And even though I don't like to leave my command center-- they are so so worth it.

This year was a bit different though. We were going to have a baby around Thanksgiving time. Because we knew we'd be stuck in Texas come the end of the year we decided to have Easter and 4th of July in Oklahoma.

We spent Thanksgiving in the hospital but Christmas was big this year. We had a new baby and the only logical conclusion-- since there was no way I was going to travel to OK with a one month old during RSV season-- was to host Brady's family over at our place.

I excitedly started planning.

We spent Christmas morning in our Starship.

 Christmas afternoon was spent at my parents house with my siblings-- watching movies like we do.

Monday the 26th Brady's parents and sister came for Christmas. It blessed my heart to see Avey bless theirs.  His sisters hadn't had a chance to come down and meet her yet-- his parents had come down right after we had her but weren't able to hold her because she was in the NICU.

This was all rectified.

Christmas was different this year. It was the first Christmas morning I didn't wake up in my parents home. It was my first married Christmas-- my first Christmas as a mother.

It was the best Christmas.
It was the best Christmas.

And I can't wait till next year.