Christmas

Merry Christmas!

Elijah was such a good boy in church last night at the Christmas Eve service. He loooooved all the music and lights and when the music stopped he kept the singing going all by himself.

Elijah (solo): BAAA. BADA. DA. BA. BAAA. MMAA. HHAAHA. BAAA. BABAA. MABAMABA. HHAAA. (repeat 20 times.)

We didn't try to shush him because who can shush a talking, happy, funny, cute baby? We let him talk and sing and hopefully everyone in church thought it was as cute as we did. Oh well if they didn't.

We spent Christmas Eve at Grandma and Grandpa's house with the Porta side of the family. Our little man sat at the table with us for his first big family meal. He was a very good boy. He even got to try some of Great Grandma's famous homemade ravioli. Yummmm! He was overwhelmed by all of the activity (oh my, all those cousins trying to kiss and hug him!) but he did really well despite his mama-dada-clinginess lately. He went to bed later than he ever has in his life. 9:00! (I wish this meant he slept in past 6:00 this morning, but it doesn't work that way. At least not with our man.)

Today we are relaxing at home, enjoying our first Christmas together as a family. I am so very fortunate to have these two wonderful men in my life. Dan and Elijah are the best Christmas gifts a girl could get.

Quick cute, bragging story, and then I'll upload a few of the billions of pictures I've taken over the past few days:

Yesterday while I was changing Eli's diaper, I was singing the Itsy Bitsy Spider to him. Now, I have not sang this song to him in MONTHS. As I was singing it yesterday, I wasn't doing the actions, just quietly singing the words. As I was singing through it the second time, I noticed that during the part where the spider WENT UP THE WATER SPOUT, Elijah would move all of his fingers up and down really fast with his hands together and then during the OUT CAME THE SUN part he'd throw his hands over his head. I couldn't believe it! It has literally been at least two months since he has seen me do the actions to this song, and he remembered them and DID THEM HIMSELF. I guess he retains more than we think he does. Smartypants.


Eating his first Christmas cookie


Look at my six teeth! All different sizes and shapes!




Eating. Is. So. Exhausting.


Opening his first gift!


Yummmmmy blocks


The Elijah Smirk


I could just gobble that sweet face right up


Sweet cousin Kayla moves in for a smooch, resulting in a SCREAMING Elijah. He's not quite ready for smooches, I guess. He better stay like that till he's 35.


Grandma feeding Elijah a bottle....and Auntie Christine and cousins James, Alyssa, ?? (in belly) and Kayla