Christmas Wrap Up

This Christmas was a good one for the Mayes (and Hanson) family. There is nothing quite like a really excited three year old to bring some fun to the holiday season. Lana met with Santa twice this year to make sure he remembered to bring her “Pet Shop Toys” and to reassure him that she’d been a good girl this year. Meanwhile, we discovered the wondrous behavioral tool known as Santa’s Naughty List and milked it for all it was worth. And though Lana was counting the days until she could open presents, she went to sleep on Christmas Eve without too much protest and slept until we woke her at 8:30 am. A far cry from a little girl who once upon a time jumped up and down on her bed on Christmas Eve yelling, “SANTA IS COMING!” until she threw up.

Samantha, on the other hand, pretty much slept through the entire holiday. We tried to exercise restraint in buying presents for her since at just two months old she really didn’t know the difference between a new toy and an empty toilet paper roll, but we still ended up with a pretty big pile of baby clothes, shoes, and toys.

Here’s a sampling of what we found under our Christmas tree and at the grandparents’ houses:

Lana: Littlest Pet Shop toys, My Little Ponies, Barbies, a dollhouse, Hungry, Hungry Hippos, and a Wonder Pets Flyboat.

Samantha: Baby rattles, onesies, Robeez shoes, and lots of Pampers Swaddlers.

John: Clothes, shoes, Wii accessories, and Rock Band 2 for Wii.

Jennifer: Clothes, gift cards (for when I find my waist again), and a Flip HD video recorder.

Rico: A penguin toy and yummy dog treats.



To conclude, here’s the transcript of Lana’s first ever letter to Santa, composed with some help from Daddy. Anyone who knows Lana at all will recognize her contribution to the letter.

Dear Santa,

Merry Christmas! Thanks for coming. Here are some cookies and milk for you and the reindeer. Remember, don’t pour the milk because it will spill and make a big mess. Have a safe trip home and I will see you next year.

Love,
Lana and Samantha

Two Month Update

Dear Samantha,

Two months old already -- where does the time go? It’s amazing to me that, despite the fact I’m up almost round the clock, the days and weeks are flying by. I spend a lot of time awake at 2am or 4am or sometimes both because you still insist on eating every three hours or so, and only occasionally reward me with a stretch of sleep longer than four hours at night. The old tricks that helped Lana sleep so well so soon seem to have little impact on you. We spike your bottle with rice cereal -- you wolf it down and demand more a few hours later. We swaddle you in a Miracle Blanket -- you grunt and groan until we free you and give you back your much beloved thumbs. You remain a lovely, pleasant, easy to get along with baby and settle down the second a bottle is inserted in your mouth, so I don’t dread the nights the way I did when Lana would scream until my ears bled. But sweet will only get you so far, kid. Mama needs to sleep.

The lack of sleep has, however, become easier to handle due to the emergence of your heart-melting, dimpled smile. I knew from past experience that the time would come when I would reach down to pick you up and you would grace me with a smile that says, “Hey, you’re that woman that pumps milk for me, stays up at night with me, and cleans poop off me. I think I like you.” Sure enough, that moment came at 4am on December 9th and it was even better than I remembered. It sure as hell made the 4am wake up call easier to swallow.

Since then you’ve smiled and cooed and made me yearn for more free time to spend gazing into your sweet, round face. I have no small amount of guilt about the additional demands on my time (most notably your sister) that prevent me from holding you as much as I would like. Fortunately, you demand very little and you have an amazing set of grandparents to help give you the extra attention you deserve. Please know that although I may not always have you in my arms, you are always in my heart.

Love,
Mama