Sam's First Christmas

First off, a belated Happy New Year to you all! The start of a new year is always exciting, everybody is full of updated ambitions and have new goals to achieve for the year. It's amazing how four days rest, in the company of family and friends, can completely reinvigorate you and give you the energy for another 365 days!! I know that in our household, 2015 goals have been written down, a holiday has been planned and we are excited about what the new year has in store for us!!

As most of you know, this past Christmas was Samuel's first! To be honest, at 4 months old, the day was more for the adults but we still helped our little man get into the spirit! Camping, Christmas shopping, a visit to the Santa Shack, dinner at the Christmas markets, putting up our Christmas tree, visiting Santa for a photo and watching Christmas carollers kept us busy during December. Carols by Candlelight and Christmas lights have been saved for another year when the little guy can more appreciate it. I was quite proud of myself that I managed to keep the purse strings tight while shopping for Sam this year. His gifts included items that would have been purchased throughout the year anyway (spoons and bowls, non-slip bath mat, clothes etc) but it sure was difficult to resist the sales and the beautiful kids toys. I soldiered on with the thought that just looking at the Christmas tree would bring Sam more joy this year, than unwrapping presents!!

When Sam is a little older, I hope we can begin the tradition of watching a Christmas movie or reading a Christmas book on Christmas Eve, but this year it was a family affair involving beer, prawns and board games! We dressed in our matching Christmas pyjamas and went to bed, waiting for the big guy in red to come.

On Christmas morning, we had what might be our last Christmas sleep in with Sam waking us at 7am. Lots of food was eaten and an abundance of gifts were given, even our Hessian table runner and place mats were given a good work out. For all of the attention Sam received and the number of people in our house, I still struggle to believe how beautifully behaved our little man was. After sleeping in, he went down for his 40 minute morning sleep while presents were being opened and then slept for three hours while we prepared, served and ate lunch, waking just in time to save me from the dishes!! Such a good little boy.

With Aunty T and Uncle C on Christmas morning

Christmas Lunch!! (Do you like the placemats??)

Being the first grandchild on my husband's side of the family and the first baby in 10 years in my family, Samuel's Aunts, Uncles, Grandparents and Great Grandparents showered him with gifts, love and attention. They really weren't as good at keeping the purse strings as tight as I had. One thing is for sure, we won't need to buy him anything this year! We have had a lot of fun trying out and playing with the presents he received.

Trying out our new canvas swing

Playing with Scout

Rocking the new sunnies with Grandpa on New Year's Day at the beach

More Books!!

Giving Sophie the Giraffe a good suck!

Presents stored away for later in the year

Hanging in the Bumbo

A whole CD of songs with my name!!

Did you have a little one at home who had their first Christmas?? How did it go? We can't wait until Sam is a little older and is understands Christmas. Afterall, I believe that it is the excitement that little kids bring that keeps the magic of Christmas alive!