Christmas Staycation

Dear Norah Bird,
Sometimes the easiest decisions to make end up being the best decisions. One of the best decisions your Dad and I have made in a long while was the decision to spend part of our Christmas vacation here at home. This year Christmas Day fell on a Tuesday and so your Dad planned on taking Monday and Wednesday off of work so that we could travel to New York to visit family. We were blessed at the last minute to learn that your Dad actually had more vacation time to use than he thought - something we thought was spent earlier this year when you were in and out of the hospital five times in four months. So he was able to take all of Christmas week off.

Where most of Dad's vacation time went in 2012.

Normally, our inclination when we have time off is to spend all of it in New York. In the first year of your life, we've made the 7-hour drive (for our 5 hour drive morphed into a 7+ hour drive once you arrived) from Delaware to new York eight times. Eight. That's a lot of travel for a little Norah Bird. And in almost every case, we leave for these trips as soon as Dad gets out of work and return as late as possible on the night before he has to return to work. Oh - and while you're too young to ever be able to remember this when you're older, I should mention that these trips are made in a itsy bitsy teeny weeny 2005 Subaru hatchback, of which your car seat takes up 2/3 of the passenger space. With your Dad's and my knees pinned into the dashboard, Oakley almost has more room in the back hatch sandwiched between our luggage.

We love seeing our family and living away from them is difficult at times. Especially because we want you to know them as you grow up. And I know that these trips are going to get more and more infrequent as you get older and our weekends start to fill up with your extracurricular and social activities.

But, frankly, your Dad and I were just burnt out and we felt that it was time to start spending our vacation time together as a family. At least some of it. So after traveling to New York for only five days (up and back in a snow storm - your first!) we spent five wonderful, cozy, snuggly, playful, relaxing days here at home. Doing a little bit of this, a little bit of that, and a whole lotta nothing. Daddy didn't even hunt, and I didn't do any sewing or craftiness. We took care of some things like grocery shopping and other errands, but mostly we just enjoyed not having anywhere to be or anything to do.

Our first order of business was to open the presents left by Santa! He left you lots of presents to unwrap very slowly. Which was fine because we didn't have anything else to do.

Santa visited the Shampine house!

New toys are just as fun for the stay-at-home mom!

We enjoyed lots of time in our pajamas doing what we love to do - reading lots of stories. Over and over. And your Dad and I just can't resist because you're so cuddly when you're being read to and because you surprise us daily with the words that come out of your mouth.

We got creative with our new art supplies and with testing out some new hair dos. We played in the snow. We reached new heights and cheered for the Orange. We enjoyed lazy days in our pajamas in front of the fireplace. And I, for one, enjoyed every minute of it and I know your Dad enjoyed spending so much time with you too.

Morning stories with Dada.

Coloring with your new crayons!

Brushing your own hair.

Norah emulating Donald Trump.

Mom managed to get one rubber band in...part way...kind of.

Our first snow of the season in Delaware!

You can now reach the light and fan switches!

Go Cuse!

Yay!

We also used our time together to get out and do some things around the area that we don't usually get to do. We went to Longwood Gardens for the first time to see the holiday lights display. What a treat! Your Dad and I enjoyed a nice walk through the gardens and displays in the afternoon while you slept all snuggled up in your stroller. We then grabbed a bite to eat before heading back out to see the lights. You were in awe! You even enjoyed the bus ride to and from the parking lot - although you didn't enjoy being held still for it too much.

"You want me to wear mittens? Ha!"

Norah Bird and her Mama all bundled up.

All snuggled in.

We spent some time watching the fountain lights.

Norah Bird with her Daddy.

Bus ride back to the car.

We got to go to the Delaware Children's Museum one afternoon. You had a lot of fun but because you're still not walking yet, I'm not sure you got as much out of it as you might when you're a little older. And even propping you up on our knee, some of the displays were a little too high for you. But you had fun exploring and, as usual, what seemed ordinary to your Dad and I was extraordinary in your eyes and worthy of much more time than we would ever devote to such things. We try to be patient with you in your explorations because you're taking so much in. And so if we take you to a museum and you want to spend half an hour playing with some toy cars, then so be it.

Turning the gears.

We love our toy cars!

Pit stop!

We spent lots of time playing with the cars inside the train car!

Paper butterfly wind tunnel.

They go up! Up! Up! Up!

We love hats!

Safety first!

Something else just become more interesting...

"Ha! You can't contain me!"

You always find the ball in any room!

Jackpot!

An igloo made out of milk cartons.

Wow!!!

You even had your first solo trip down a slide.

We also found time to enjoy "ringing in the new year" (aka hanging out New Year's Eve afternoon before your bed time) with some friends. Considering we rang in 2012 while in the hospital with you for your first kidney infection when you were barely 8 weeks old, bringing in 2013 with a healthy and happy Norah Bird was all that your father and I needed. What a year it's been. We are so very blessed to have you and I hope that 2013 brings much more family time together.

Four couples, four babies, one camera - would you believe this was the first and only shot?!

Happy New Year, Baby Bird.
love,
Mom