Byrne Baby Blog: Joy to the World

We are so grateful to be able to celebrate Christ's birth this year! We are thankful for good health, good jobs, amazing families and how we are so lovingly taken care of by our Creator. We spent the 23rd at Beth and Matt's house enjoying Byrne family festivities. J was a little overwhelmed by presents and didn't quite know how to unwrap them. But once they were unwrapped he was off and running! Our favorite gift was a hand-painted step-stool with a photo from the cover of one of J's favorite books, Goodnight Goodnight Construction Site. Matt spent a ton of time free handing this and J loves to drag it around the house. It's almost too nice to let him use it for anything besides looking at it :)

Of course trucks were the theme of this year for our little construction site guy. Beth and Matt took JB and I out to a delicious dinner at Eurasia, and it was good to have a nice night out with them!

BB also got him a backpack and a lunch box for him to use when he goes to school next year! J will be going to pre-school two days a week at Larchmont United Methodist Preschool (LUMP) and will be sporting this seersucker monogrammed backpack from our friend's business, Short and Sweet.

Grandmom and Pop Pop joined us in Norfolk on Tuesday afternoon for Christmas Eve service, dinner and snuggling on the couch. We enjoyed the Lessons and Carols service at church, full of traditional Christmas hymns and passages telling us about the prophesy and fulfillment of the birth of Christ. We left singing Joy to the World, which is much different than the traditional candle-lit Silent Night recession. However, I do love leaving on a more upbeat, joyful note! Once we were back home, they read the Christmas story to Jackson and then tucked him in for a good night's rest.

J's favorite new thing, saying "CHEESE"

Although J was up at 5:20 or so, we waited until 6am to get him per his new "Ok to Wake" light which dictates that he not get out of his crib or call to mom until 6pm. Grandmom and Pop Pop were itching to get him but restrained themselves. I went on a run at 6:30 while waiting for JB to get up. It was incredibly quiet, almost in an eery sort of way but peaceful too. I did not see a single car, person or evidence of anyone awake in the whole neighborhood.

We lounged around in PJs, drank coffee and took our time opening gifts. J's stocking had an excavator from the dollar store in it and he was fascinated with it and refused to do much else that morning. But he did really enjoy playing with the baskets of fake food from Grandmom and Pop Pop. I have eaten many hamburgers and fruit salads in the past week and love our little chef!

After a much-needed nap, we went to dinner at the Speasmaker's house, with 15 people, 2 dogs and 2 cats. After a delicious meal, we played a 'whistle the tune" game in our Christmas crowns. J loved playing with Max!

The rain delayed one of J's gifts until the 27th, and he loved riding it in the house that cold Friday morning. We're excited to take it to the streets this week (with a helmet, of course)