Samantha's first blog

Posted By pamelamyers on December 29, 2012

We didn’t think Sam would sleep especially well being that it was Christmas Eve, but she actually slept ok.  She was in our bed early in the morning and as we were all stirring, Mark asked her, “Do you think Santa came?” and Sam whispered a quiet little “yes” like she was afraid to say it out loud lest it not be true.  When we started down the stairs, she broke out in the sweetest grin when she saw what Santa had left her.

Santa didn’t wrap a few of her gifts, one of which was the Jack in the Box she asked for. She couldn’t wait to wind it up.  It only took her a few tries and she had the movement down pat.

Early on, Sam wanted to open Zephyr’s present for her.  Santa brought Zephyr a set of catnip mice, one green and one…purple!  Just like Sam asked Santa to do.  We also checked Muffin’s stocking, and Santa had left a purple jack there for him, one of Muffin’s favorite toys back in the day.

Sam also got a Kermit and another frog so they could be friends.  Sam loves Kermit.  Here, she is opening a special present from Mark, a wooden pocket knife, so she has one just like her Daddy.  She loves to have the same tools Mark has so she can help him fix things.

Sam loves to help everyone open their gifts. This was one of mine.  I honestly never thought we’d finish opening the presents.  Not only were there a lot, but Sam took FOREVER to open hers.  I thought she’d rip right in, but she took a lot of time with each one.  Mostly, because she wanted us to save every little snowman, Santa, gingerbread man, candy cane, or whatever other picture was on the wrapping paper. She wouldn’t rip anything!  We finally gave up and just started opening our own presents until she was ready to open another one of her own.  Eventually, we got through all but a few.

As expected, Santa brought Sam a bunch of doctor stuff to supplement her collection.  She also got a doctor’s coat complete with a “Dr. Sammy” badge on it.

Kermit needed a checkup, stat!

Mark and I got her some games this year.  Mark really wanted her to have Hungry Hungry Hippos since it is one of his favorites.  Sam calls it Gulpy Gulpy Gators, since that is what the similar game is on Doc McStuffins, one of her favorite shows.

It is one of Sam’s favorites too now, as you can see!

When we got through all of our presents, and Sam opened as many as she could handle at home, we went off to see Grandmom and Poppy.  Sam helped Poppy open his gift from her, a Titanic DVD special because Poppy loves all things Titanic.

One of Sam’s gifts was a trash truck!  She loves when the trash man comes down the street so now she can have her very own.

Sam’s gift to Grandmom was a photo album called Me and My Grandmom filled with pictures of Sam with her Grandmom from the day she was born through the present.  It was definitely Grandmom’s favorite gift.

Sam liked it too.  She wanted to look at each page.

Sam likes to see pictures of herself when she was little.  I think she finds herself to have been a very cute baby!

You can see Sam’s present to me in the below picture – my orange ring!

After opening gifts at my parents’ house, we went to see Mom Mom and Pop Pop.  It is much more chaotic there because Maddox is there too and usually Analiece and Joey. This year, we missed Joey, but Analiece stuck around to help the littler kids open their gifts.

One of Maddox’s gifts from us was this piano, just like Sam got for Christmas.  All the kids had fun stomping on it.  At home, Zephyr walked across ours and Sam thought that was super funny.

Sam’s special gift from Mom Mom was a snow globe. It has a Santa inside a lots of glitter. Sam loves lighting it up.

After having the annual ravioli feast, we eventually went back home and had dinner with my parents.  Sam was glad to be back home with all her toys. She made it through the day without collapsing in exhaustion, which surprised me. She also managed to open just about every gift.  We are so lucky we have such amazing Christmases.  We are surrounded by our family, we have our beautiful girl, and we could not be happier. Every year gets better and better. We know that eventually some of the Christmas magic may disappear as Sam gets older but we are focused on right now. On the joy she brings, on the joy and wonder we see in Sam’s eyes over everything that is Christmas.  The tree, the lights, the decorations, the carols, and of course, Santa.  I want to hold onto that joy and wonder forever.  And I can, just by wrapping my arms around my little girl.

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