....and just like that Christmas has come and gone! Christmas was extra special this year; not just because we had a little one to buy for and be excited with, but because I had a baby that reminded me through out the season just how powerful it is that our Savior came as a baby.

The Lord of all creation was once just like my little baby. He needed to be nursed, changed, clothed, and swaddled. He needed to be burped, rocked to sleep, and soothed when he cried. Our King relied on his mother to keep him alive, when he had come from Heaven where he needed and wanted for nothing.  It is nothing less than shocking that our Redeemer chose the most vulnerable way to become man and having a baby in my care this Christmas season gave me new insight into the humility that Christ had coming to earth in that form. (Not to mention a new appreciation for Mary - it is sometimes nerve wracking and stressful caring for a baby, wondering if you're doing the right things - imagine knowing you were caring for the Son of God!) I'm so thankful for this Christmas season because in many ways I was able to focus more on the true meaning of the season than I ever have before.

An addition to the reflection on the birth of Christ, we also enjoyed 2 days packed full of family time, gift giving, gift receiving, and food devouring fun! Reaghan did add a new sparkle of exciting to all of the festivities. Including adorable clothes! I had so many Christmas outfits for Reaghan to wear that she had 5 wardrobe changes on Christmas Eve!



























Sticking with our tradition we spent Christmas Eve with Mark's family at his parents house where Reaghan changed her outfit again so she could match her cousin Brooklyn.



Christmas morning we opened our stockings and a few gifts under the tree and helped Reaghan open her gifts! We even video taped me carrying her out to her stockings. It was a sweet morning friends. She didn't know what was going on; setting up her stocking and wrapping her presents was definitely more for me and Mark than it was for her - but I hope she'll treasure the videos when she is older.









After our morning home, we headed over to Mark's granny's for lunch and a few present exchanges. I was surprised at how many bought presents for Reaghan.

We were only there briefly before heading to my parents where we stayed for the rest of the night. We got there just in time to sit down for dinner with them. Growing up my parents always had stockings and a big gift for us setting out in the morning and then we would wait until the evening to open up the wrapped presents under the tree. This continues to work out well for us, so my married sister and I get a chance to see our siblings and parents open their presents and share in the gifting!

Reaghan's 3rd month of life has largely been spent celebrating and getting ready to celebrate the biggest holidays of the year. She enjoyed her very first Thanksgiving, made her mommy's birthday super fun and has been smiling and cooing her way through the Christmas season so far. I'm only 5 days late posting this, but here are some specifics on what she's been up to:

• She has chunked up a little bit and definitely gotten longer! No appointment this month, so we aren't sure on the specifics, but we can tell she's grown! She's wearing a range of clothes sizes 0-3 months, 3 months and even some 3-6 month outfits are starting to fit her.
• She is consistently sleeping through the night! She will go to bed around 10-10:30 and sleep until about 8am. Every once in a while she will sleep until 9 or 10 in the morning! Since she is starting to creep towards the 12 straight hours of sleep at night, we are going to start backing up her bed time with a goal of putting her to bed around 8:30ish. (I'll just add though, that I've come to realize even the most perfectly thought out plans/goals may need to be completely rethought when working with a baby!)
• Speaking of sleeping, she is still in her Rock N Play next to our bed, but I know the time is coming to transition her to her crib. She is sleeping so good at night I'm afraid to mess with it! But she is getting to be a big girl and soon needs to be in her own room. Maybe the start of the New Year!
• She is smiling and cooing all of the time! Especially when she wakes up in the morning. She can showcase her lung power when she wants to with a few excited squeals as well!
• She always seems like she is on the verge of laughing but hasn't quite figured it out yet. She has let out a random chuckle here and there - the first one being the day before Thanksgiving.
• Mark said she rolled over for him Thanksgiving morning from tummy to back! I quickly ran and got the camera and tried to get her to do it again, but without success. She hasn't done it since so I'm beginning to wonder if the whole thing was made up. ; )
• She prefers to sit up and be able to look around, she has enough head control to sit in her Bumbo Seat! She loves watching movement and activity! 
• Tummy time is her least favorite. She only lasts 5 or 6 minutes at a time before a total meltdown ensues. She also doesn't prefer to lay on her back on her floor mat, but we are working on getting used to independent play so mommy can get things done! 
• Her favorite toy is a baby Einstein light up music toy and rattle. She is fascinated by it.
• She is starting to grab things with her hands and pull them towards her mouth. I've noticed she uses her left hand quite a bit... I wonder if we'll end up with a lefty!?!
• I started back to work on December 8th, so she is now taking pumped milk from a bottle a few times a week. She spends Monday afternoons with daddy and Wednesday afternoons with her Aunt Erin. She likes to make daddy work for her affection and also made her first afternoon home with him quite memorable with a diaper blowout and refusing to nap. It's gotten better. :)
• She seems to recognize familiar faces but really is a social butterfly and will smile at just about anyone. She is almost always okay when other people hold her or pass her around but every once in a while mommy is the only one that can make her happy, and I'm totally okay with that.
• She is starting to lose her hair on the top and on the back where her head rubs back and forth - but so far she has kept her beautiful blue eyes!
• She fits all of the classic signs of a baby beginning to teethe. Her hands are always in her mouth and I have to make sure I put bibs on her to keep the constant drooling from ruining her outfits.

I am slightly obsessed with making sure I do as many cute and lasting "Baby's First Christmas" activities as possible so that when Reaghan is grown and gone we can look back and reminisce about all of the precious things we did with her during her first holiday season. At that future time, 50 year old me will most likely get a lump in her throat and tears in her eyes and blubber on and on about our wonderful first Christmas as parents! But in order for that to happen - activities like today have to happen!

It's 11:15 at night and all I can think about is the fact that I have to go back to work tomorrow. Can you believe that? I can't. I can't wrap my mind around the fact that this Wednesday my baby will be 12 weeks old. I've been on maternity leave for 12 weeks! People always say time goes by really fast once you have a baby - that your kids grow so fast - they aren't kidding around. It really truly does.

There were so many things for me to be thankful for as we celebrated this past Thanksgiving Holiday, but of course number one at the top of my thankful list is this little Turkey Bum cutie...