This isn’t our first Christmas as a family, nor is it Ella’s. This year marks her second Christmas, but it is full of so many holiday firsts. There are so many parts of the holiday and season that she is experiencing for the first time as an active participant and it’s amazing to watch her experience it all. Last year she was eight months old, had recently met her new parents and had only been in her new home and country for a month and a half. This year, she’s queen of the world and loving every second of it. She truly relishes every new sight, sound and taste and we’re on the constant lookout for new things for her to take in.

She had her first candy cane this week after helping me hang some on the tree. It was a cherry Life Savers one and she was absolutely thrilled with it, to say the least. She sat down and savored each lick while regularly throwing back her head to say “Mmmmmm!” The sugar fest didn’t last all that long, though. You see, Miss Ella has no problem being dirty, but she hates to have things stick to her. So her candy caned hands filled with cat hair, dust and all kinds of goodies rather quickly and she decided to take a break from the treat.

It’s her first time being able to enjoy the Christmas lights in our house and others. As we drive around at night, she remarks how pretty everything is, and insists that the lights in our house are on most of the day. She knows exactly where every strand of inside lights are, where they get plugged in and how to get an adult to plug them in for her.

It’s also the first time Ella got caught sneaking a peek at her presents! Her big gift from her daddy and me is an awesome easel with storage bins and a chalkboard one one side and a paper roll on the other. We found it for half price over the weekend and are so excited because she loves to draw and color. Well, storing it somewhere is an issue because it’s big and heavy, so it’s propped up against the wall next to the tree with a towel covering it. The other morning I walked by the living room to see Ella holding up a corner of the towel peeking underneath at her present! Of course she didn’t know what she was looking at, but it was so funny. There’s a first time for everything!


photo credit-Rebecca H.

More Reading:
Holidays With a Toddler
Getting Through the Holidays as You Wait
Ella's Daddy