Your First Christmas...

Hi Max!

It's almost to the point where I can really talk to you instead of talking to you via a blog! It seems like you are understanding what I am saying and everyday you look more and more like a little man.

You're two months old today. Today is your first Christmas. I wonder if this will be the only Christmas in a long time where you don't pitter-patter your little feet down to the fireplace to see what Santa brought you. But this morning, it was just me pitter-pattering down to the fireplace at 6 a.m. to see what Santa had brought me. I tried not to wake up Sheri. I always wonder why she doesn't get as excited as I do about Santa's arrival and the treats he leaves. She's pretty laid back about the whole thing.

I tip-toed down. Why I was tip-toeing is a good question since our floors don't squeak and it wasn't like anybody else was awake. I half-expected to see a little elf or maybe even Santa putting the finishing touches on the gifts, but alas, no Santa, elves, or reindeer this morning, but there were presents. Yea baby! There was a present for you, me, Lucky, and Sheri. It was tempting to open all of them and then re-wrap them before everybody woke up but I thought better of it. I grabbed mine. I held it with an almost spiritual reverence. What was inside?

Isn't that part of the joy of Christmas? It's the joy inside the boxes. It's the thought and the time and the care that makes the gift. Rarely is there a letdown in that box. There may be a letdown following Christmas as the day never matches the hype (music, ads, market blitz, it's everywhere, how could it not be a letdown), but rarely is there disappointment when opening a gift from someone you love, in this case a fat man in a red and white suit.

{Aside: Here is a text message I sent Sheri on Tuesday: "Sheri if a fat guy starts shoving you in a bag, don't sweat it. I told Santa all I wanted for Christmas was you." I'm cute and romantic that way. =0}

I started tearing the wrapping paper. That's an interesting thing to: do you take it off delicately at the taped locations so that it can be folded nicely after opening or do you just grip it and rip it? In this case I went with the latter and in seconds a ball of wrapping paper was on the table. "Yes!" I exclaimed loudly, but not loud enough to wake you or mom.

There in my hands was exactly what I wanted for Christmas! Exactly. How does Santa know what to get me every year? I suspected Sheri had some connections to the big guy, but it is uncanny how often he can come up with that one gift to make me the most happy. I put on the good face and say the right things, "Oh, it doesn't matter what I get this year, whatever I get will be great. I have everything I need. Everything else is just icing on the cake. Blah, blah, blah." This year, I really wanted an armband to hold my iPod. Sounds simple and small, but I have the bigger iPod (not the Nano) that plays videos as well as audio and it's been hard for me to find.

Well, no problem for Santa! There in my hands was a black armband for an iPod! Sweet! I immediately opened it, went and found my iPod with video screen, put it into the slot, and PRESTO, I was ready for listening. So I tuned to some of my favorite tunes and walked around the house with my new iPod armband, iPod, and some 80s music or something like that. There I was in my PJs dancing a jig when I caught something out of the corner of my eye.

Sheri scared me nearly to death. She was at the end of the hall just looking at me like, "Are you a crazy person? It's 6 in the morning and you're dancing on the kitchen floor." She didn't say it, but I think that's what she was going to say. I kind of shrugged, turned off my iPod, and decided that I better do something constructive.

I took the dog out for his morning ritual and grabbed the newspaper. God had blessed us with an inch or two of snow. Enough to make it a white Christmas, but not enough to make driving too treacherous. Lucky marked the entire yard as his own and then we went inside. I fed the little dog and started the coffee.

After drinking a couple of cups of coffee and reading the paper (no elliptical this morning - it was an Off Day), it was time for you to get up and eat. It was Christmas so as promised, I took an extra turn with feeding you. I mixed the formula and went to get you. There you were a sleeping angel. My God, you are a beautiful baby. Angelic face, so healthy. You were starting to stir and I knew I had caught you at a good time. We went into your room to the "feeding chair".

You drank a good 5 ounces, had your two burp moments, and the day was really starting without incident. Good start.

We loaded up for the Soetaert's (your mom's side - remember my Thanksgiving comment when Sheri asked, "If a group of mouse is called mice and a group of birds is called a flock, what is a group of turkeys called?" I answered, "Soetaerts". I'm funny like that. :).

Upon arriving at the Soetaerts, it was not Hi Michael, Hi Sheri. It was ""Where's Max?" You, my little boy, are a loved kid. During the entire day, you were a human baton as aunt, uncle, cousin, grandparents, and anybody else - even some people I didn't even know - took their turns holding the golden child - yes, that's you. What was amazing is how good you were all day! We fed you on schedule and you chirped a little bit while trying to burp, but even though you didn't get your mid-day nap, you were an angel all day. Amazing.

You were especially amazing during the gift-opening part of the party. As 43, yes 43 people including 15 kids, made jet-level decibel noises, you, my little darling, SLEPT! I couldn't believe it. I had to take out my hearing aids it was so loud. And you were sleeping in my arms. Incredible. It was so loud. Kind of like the clucking of a bunch of turkeys. :)

As we packed up for our ride home, I reflected on your day. To you, it must have seemed like every other day in a lot of ways. You were fed on schedule all day. You slept normally except for your mid-day nap and you occasionally miss that anyway. You got Christmas presents, but I'm not sure you enjoyed them or realized they were for you. You've had occasions with all the family members so no newness there. I just wonder if you realized this was your first Christmas. Somehow I think you did. I don't know why, but I just think you did. You've been smiling and cooing all day and all evening. I've never seen you so expressive of your happiness. Maybe you could tell that there was joy all around you. You can sense that I believe.

Well, another baby's birth is the reason for the season and we never lose sight of that, but I have to tell you that this Christmas was the most special in my life, and it wasn't because I got a black iPod armband. It was because I got to hold you and share you with loving family members. I got to be there all day mentally as well as physically for your 1st Christmas. I got to celebrate the greatest gift I've ever received in my life.

Merry Christmas Max. I love you.

To Your Success,

Max's Papa (Michael)