First Christmas

Baby wasn't cognizant enough of the holiday to require waking the family at first light to see what Santa had left. When everyone drifted downstairs for breakfast and, eventually, the exchanging of gifts, baby showed precocious skill in assisting her mom and dad as they opened her presents, grasping at the paper and ribbons and tugging for all she was worth. Upon seeing the book or toy her efforts had helped uncover, she chose to celebrate by trying to put each of them in her mouth -- no matter what the size.

We had decided, in the end, that bringing her to a church service 3000 miles from home, when we were already tired ourselves, was too big an effort. And, while the day had many smiles and special moments, I think I will want next year to get baby to church for a Christmas service, if only to imbue the day with a kind of stillness that is difficult to obtain in any other way.