What Baby's First Christmas Really Looked Like

Christmas with a baby is magical… but it’s rarely perfect. Now that we are back into our routine, I wanted to share what George’s first Christmas was like. While most of it was so magical, there were a few small hiccups along the way. I mean, who ever has a perfect Christmas without something going slightly wrong or not going how we planned? That’s okay though — sometimes those moments make the best memories.

Family Christmas Traditions

By far, this was one of the Christmases I was most looking forward to. Seeing George be a part of one of my favourite holidays felt so surreal. Though he didn’t really understand what was happening a lot of the time, it was more about establishing some Christmas traditions for our new little family.

We don’t have too many traditions just yet, but the first is putting cookies out for Santa, of course. Now, I know what you’re going to say — George is just a baby; he won’t know what’s going on. You’re totally right, but we did it more for ourselves than anything, and we documented it too. One day, we’ll be able to show him that he’s been putting milk and cookies out for Santa since his very first Christmas. It will be so fun to see how he changes over the years while doing this.

The next tradition is wearing matching pajamas. I’ve wanted to do this one for so long. Brandon wasn’t as excited about it as I was, but I made him do it. I’d love to do this every year so we can get cute pictures Christmas morning — or at least try, because you never know with kids. This also leads into getting our yearly photo in front of the tree in our pajamas. This is something Brandon and I have always done, but it was even more special with George.

Christmas Day Chaos

This year wasn’t anything too crazy, but I’m sure in the years to come it will become more hectic. First thing once George woke up, we cuddled in bed for a bit and then got to opening presents. It was so fun watching him try to rip the paper. He didn’t really know what he was doing, but his little face when he saw his new toys was pretty funny.

Once we finished our little Christmas morning, we went to my parents’ house so George could open his stocking and presents from his Nana and Papa — and, to be honest, so Brandon and I could open our gifts too. We started with breakfast and then moved on to opening presents. This was a lot for George, and by the end of it he was getting cranky because he was tired, so he had a nap before we got ready to go to my aunt’s house.

After his nap, I was getting George ready and had him laying on the couch. He’s been getting so good at rolling that he chose to show me right when I looked away. Even though I was standing right there, he managed to roll his way around me and onto the floor. Poor little man cried more because he scared himself — and me, to be honest. I picked him up right away for a cuddle, and the emotions hit me hard. I went straight to my mom and cried about it. By that time, George was completely fine, and it was me who needed to calm down. Needless to say, we’ll be much more cautious when he’s on furniture.

Not only did George have a little scare in the morning, but he also had one in the afternoon — for a totally different reason. My aunt has a big dog, Fen, with a loud bark. George hasn’t really been around big dogs with barks like that, so as soon as we stepped foot into my aunt’s house, Fen started barking like crazy. Every time he barked, George would startle and cry even harder. Seeing him so scared was heartbreaking. I would calm him down, and then Fen would bark again. I ended up leaving the room and feeding George to comfort him and give Fen time to settle. After that, everything was fine, but it still felt like George was having a rough day. It was a day full of fun, with a few bumps along the way.

Navigating Sleep During the Holidays

Going into the holidays, I knew we were going to mess up George’s sleep a bit — from sleeping in a pack and play in a different environment to falling asleep in the car and transferring him to bed. Luckily, he sleeps well in the car, so he had a good nap on the way to my aunt’s house.

At my aunt’s, we had him sleep in the pack and play, which he has done before, but he fought his nap so hard. It was a different space, and he kept wanting to look around and take everything in (I was definitely thinking, come on little man, just go to sleep). We finally got him down, but he only took a short 26-minute nap. I was just glad he got some sleep, though I knew this was going to mean a grumpy George. He did really well… right up until it was almost time to leave.

He was getting very fussy, but once we left, he fell asleep pretty quickly in the car and slept the whole way home. The hard part is always getting him out of his car seat and into bed. We had already changed him and put him in his pajamas before leaving, so that was a huge help. I was able to get him out of his car seat just fine, but as soon as I put him down, he was not happy. After a few minutes of soothing, he settled and ended up sleeping well that night. I was very proud of George for how he handled sleep while being out of our normal routine.

A Season We'll Always Remember

What would Christmas be without a few hiccups? To me, those imperfect moments make for the best memories. Baby’s first Christmas may not be perfect, but it’s one we’ll always remember. I’m already looking forward to future Christmases and seeing the magic through George’s eyes. This coming Christmas will be especially fun, as George will be a year and a half (I know, still a ways away!). It will be so special to compare and see how much more into it he’ll be. I’m hoping for a smoother Christmas, but I’m not too worried if we hit a few bumps in the road. This time of year fills me with so much joy, and I can’t wait to share that joy with George as he grows.