Four calling birds, three French Hens, two exhausted parents, and a cranky baby in a onesieeeeee!
If I were to sum up our pre-baby Christmases in three words, they would be …
- Gorging
- Presents
- Relaxing
If I were to sum up Christmas with a baby in three words, they would be …
- Magical
- Hectic
- Exhausting
Yes, Christmas with Baby Boy was magical. We did all of the setting-out-cookies-and-milk and reading “The Night Before Christmas” and hanging stockings (on a speaker, since we don’t have a fireplace) that I’d planned to do.
It was exciting and fun to wake up on Christmas Day in our own home (for the first time ever), and help Baby Boy tear into his pressies. We were blown away by the generosity of our family and friends, who also showered the little guy with clothes and toys and books. It was fab!
And it was also … freaking exhausting. And hectic. And we had to lug around about 500 lbs of baby STUFF for three entire days of visiting and dinners and brunches and merrymaking — including a super-heavy Playard (for naps), and his new beloved Stride-to-Ride car/walker.
If I stop and compare this Christmas to last Christmas, there are many, many differences. I knew this one would be different, because we’d need to take Baby Boy’s naps and feeds and STUFF into consideration. But even though I thought I was SUPER-PREPARED for all of it, I STILL found it exhausting and overwhelming at times.
He was tired. Very tired. He never actually missed a nap, BUT the ones he did get were extremely short, because he was napping in new environments and wasn’t fully settling. While we slept at our place every night, we were on the run for all of Dec. 24, 25 and 26. We were constantly visiting. There were crowds. I found it tiring, so it’s no wonder Baby Boy did.
Today I plan to stay at home with him, to let him relax and nap in his own crib. I’ll admit, I probably missed being on his regular schedule just as much as he did!
I crave routines and structure, so while I love Christmas and did have a great time visiting everyone, I was also looking forward to getting back into our normal rhythm. Naps for Baby Boy at 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. sharp. Doing laundry. Puttering around the condo. Yeah, I am just that cool.
I’m not sure what I would do differently next Christmas. I had packed all the right stuff, and tried my hardest to help Baby Boy nap in new surroundings.
I think I just have to accept that Christmas and the surrounding days are just … he’ll be a bit tired/cranky no matter what, but it’s only for a few days.
The schedule can be paused for a few days, and can be picked up after everything is over. I guess that is the lesson learned.
Now if you’ll excuse me, there is blissful silence coming from the baby monitor — he’s happily napping inside his own little bed — so I’ve got to take advantage of this free time. I think there are a few chocolates left in my advent calendar …
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Heather's Handmade Life 