The Christmas season is always a crazy busy time, but I underestimated just how much longer it would take to do everything while parenting a toddler. Rob has very demanding work hours, and December has also been the busiest month I’ve had at work since I went less-than-half-time last summer. We finally decorated our tree (beyond Ryan’s sock) last week, which we normally do right after Thanksgiving – since it’s so much work, we like to be able to enjoy the finished product for several weeks. (We are very grateful to the genius who invented the pre-lit artificial tree, or it still wouldn’t be done!) Ryan is enjoying his first Christmas tree -- we know this because he frequently points to it and says “ba!” :-)
(We're so happy that we need a gate around our tree this year!)
We managed to bake a few batches of toffee and shortbread this week, but never did get around to putting lights on the tree outside or candles in the windows (food always takes priority around here). Next year we’ll be starting all of our holiday projects in October!
The one thing we really wanted to get done by Christmas was our adoption video. Rob has been hard at work on it and has it just about ready. We're looking forward to sharing it with our families next week, and may also create an abbreviated version (the full version is 30 minutes) to post on our blog.
To our family and friends awaiting a Christmas card with Ryan’s picture, those will finally be in the mail this afternoon. Another thing I didn’t realize before becoming a parent and putting my son on the couch in his Christmas sweater to take his picture for our cards, is how impossible it is to get a 1-year-old to sit still for 5 seconds and/or sit still and smile at the same time. Every time Ryan smiled or laughed, he would also wave his arms in front of his face or start rolling around on the couch, and any time he sat still momentarily, he became very serious. Some of his expressions and antics were too cute or funny for us to delete many of the pictures that weren’t quite what we had in mind for our cards:
(Could he possibly look more disgusted with the picture-taking process!)
And best of all...
(Next year I think we'll spare ourselves the challenge and just shell out for 50+ 3x5's of his pictures from Target!)
Ryan likes his "Christmas in the Manger" book, especially the page with the 3 Wise Men, and the picture of Baby Jesus at the end, which he always studies for a while.
His all-time favorite book is still "Goodnight Gorilla," which we’ve had to read a minimum of 10 times a day since October. He even makes a gasping sound right on cue when we reach the page where the zookeeper’s wife opens her eyes and discovers the gorilla next to her in bed.
He still carries his Fisher Price phone around for a good part of the day, and has been receiving quite a few calls lately. Apparently this one was for Daddy:
Even in mid-December in the northern U.S., Ryan resists getting dressed and prefers to walk around in his diaper all morning. Funny how in subtropical Taiwan they always had him all bundled up, but in the cold of winter here he prefers to stay undressed!
We understand Santa will be bringing Ryan some great new toys and lots of new books! Ryan has already given us the best present (besides just being here) – he started saying “mama” and “dada” this month!
Merry Christmas to everyone!
The one thing we really wanted to get done by Christmas was our adoption video. Rob has been hard at work on it and has it just about ready. We're looking forward to sharing it with our families next week, and may also create an abbreviated version (the full version is 30 minutes) to post on our blog.
To our family and friends awaiting a Christmas card with Ryan’s picture, those will finally be in the mail this afternoon. Another thing I didn’t realize before becoming a parent and putting my son on the couch in his Christmas sweater to take his picture for our cards, is how impossible it is to get a 1-year-old to sit still for 5 seconds and/or sit still and smile at the same time. Every time Ryan smiled or laughed, he would also wave his arms in front of his face or start rolling around on the couch, and any time he sat still momentarily, he became very serious. Some of his expressions and antics were too cute or funny for us to delete many of the pictures that weren’t quite what we had in mind for our cards:
(Could he possibly look more disgusted with the picture-taking process!) 
And best of all...
(Next year I think we'll spare ourselves the challenge and just shell out for 50+ 3x5's of his pictures from Target!)
Ryan likes his "Christmas in the Manger" book, especially the page with the 3 Wise Men, and the picture of Baby Jesus at the end, which he always studies for a while.
His all-time favorite book is still "Goodnight Gorilla," which we’ve had to read a minimum of 10 times a day since October. He even makes a gasping sound right on cue when we reach the page where the zookeeper’s wife opens her eyes and discovers the gorilla next to her in bed.
He still carries his Fisher Price phone around for a good part of the day, and has been receiving quite a few calls lately. Apparently this one was for Daddy:
Even in mid-December in the northern U.S., Ryan resists getting dressed and prefers to walk around in his diaper all morning. Funny how in subtropical Taiwan they always had him all bundled up, but in the cold of winter here he prefers to stay undressed!
We understand Santa will be bringing Ryan some great new toys and lots of new books! Ryan has already given us the best present (besides just being here) – he started saying “mama” and “dada” this month!
Merry Christmas to everyone!
posted by Karin and Rob @ 11:46 AM
5 comments
5 Comments:
We read "Good Night Gorilla" every single night (many times) as well! Thankfully, I think it is a fun book too!
Merry Christmas Rob, Karin and Ryan! We too will be having a merry one. We recieved our referral on Dec. 17th!
Holly and John Tennyson
He is such a sweetie. We also love "Good Night Gorilla" and would recommend "10 Minutes Till Bedtime" by the same author.
Megan laughs on cue when we get to the page where the zoo-keeper's wife turns on the light. The story we tell is always different 9as we have to make it up as we go) but she still laughs at that page.
Funny Christmas pic story. I like the one where he's pulling the seater up over his head.
Kevin
Karin and Rob...great pictures, especially the one where he is starting to take his sweater off!! This is definitely going to be one great Christmas for many of us!! And you're also right about everything taking longer...I didn't expect that either! Merry Christmas to you and all of your family!! : )
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