My Christmas List

I'm an adult, but there is still no shame in knowing what my heart desires for Christmas! Besides, making a Christmas wishlist is a nice way to window shop! Though I have realized I have kind of expensive taste, haha. Which is why this is only a wishlist. But here it is anyway:

Blue Topaz Earrings  - Because I think they're beautiful!

Green Amethyst Earrings  - Because I realized that mint green amethysts may be my favorite gemstone.

Aquamarine Earrings  - I like earrings okay!??!

I Am Loved Ring  - I love this whole collection of jewelry but I especially love this ring

I Am Loved Pendant  - Again, I love this collection.

Hello Kitty Headband  - Don't mock me.

Cupcake Jammies!!  - I mean, obviously I like these.

And then there is a whole slew of Tiffany's jewelry because isn't it every girl's dream to own some Tiffany jewelry?
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But like I said, these are all just the most frivolous wishes I have. Honestly the thing I want most this year is lame. Anyone who knows me will tell you that I am pretty into tradition and sentimentality (to be honest that's what makes me love most of that jewelry, it's sentimental stuff). My tendency toward these things has only been heightened with motherhood. This is only Aaron and my second Christmas married, and it's Gabe's first Christmas. So this year, my biggest wish is to have a perfect Christmas. I want to dress up for a candlelight Christmas Eve service and then have Christmas cookies in front of our fireplace while opening gifts and leave cookies for Santa and celery for the reindeer and a big breakfast on Christmas morning and to be around every single one of my family members (extended and all) at the same time for a meal and gifts and snacking and lots of laughing. I don't even care that he won't remember it! This might sound intense or unrealistic but this is actually how all of my Christmases as a child went (minus the Santa stuff). So I know it's doable. And now as an adult I look back on those Christmases where I got to see both sides of my extended family and be around all my cousins and aunts and uncles and grandparents and parents and brothers and I cherish it. Not because I'm sentimental or because I love traditions, but because it was the best possible way to spend Christmas. And more than anything this year my Christmas wish would be to have another Christmas like that, in fact it would be to have all of my Christmases like that so that my son can grow up knowing the same joy and excitement I did. The kind of joy and excitement that only comes from spending time with people you genuinely love and enjoy. The kind of excitement no wrapped gift can create. And to be honest it breaks my heart a little (or a lot) that for at least the foreseeable future he will miss out on that.

Gosh. I honestly didn't start this depressed....whoops...haha.

My prayer this Christmas is that God shows Aaron and I how to create the best possible Christmas for our little family so that when my son is an adult he looks back and feels the same way about his childhood holidays that I do about mine.

The New Baby

It is hysterical to me that almost as many people have congratulated me on getting an iPhone when I had a baby. I definitely get why people love them, I was up until almost 2am playing with it. And coolness of coolness last night at Bible study I didn't have my Bible and so I literally downloaded a Bible app in the time it took to open the meeting. Which, let's be serious, I'd awesome. AND not gonna lie, I'm totally blogging on my phone. Haha.

It was hard for me to make this switch, I'm a by of a technophobe. Plus the guy selling it to me def made me feel like I was joining a cult. He kept saying "I'm so happy for you!" I liked my phone, my simple, easy use phone that was literally JUST a phone. I told Aaron on the car ride home that this might be too much car for me. But the truth is that this is more than a phone. This phone is actually a symbol of something much bigger. Both my and and Aaron's phones were literally dying DEAD gone. And through some generosity and some extremely awesome circumstances we were both able to replace our phones with quality phones for nothing. This phone is a reminder o something we all forget: God provides. Even when it's something as simple as a phone.

Date Night

Last night, for the first time since Gabriel was born (which is almost four months in case you're counting), Aaron and I got to go on a baby free date. There are no emoticons to express my delight!!!

Listen, we love our kid, he's the light of our lives and a joy and yadda yadda yadda, but we love each other, and have missed just being an us. So we packed him up, dropped him off at Aunty Jennifer's house, and headed out, dressed to the nines(which was in and of itself lovely, mom duds have come a long way, but I have missed dressing up). Can I just say, whoever thought up that long strappy convertible dress thing is a genius. I love mine.

We went out to an upscale Mexican restaurant and had incredible food. Incredible. I've been there a couple times but Aaron never had. We both LOVED what we got (which is good because a lot of times I get order envy) and the best part was the fresh table side guac. When the "guac girl" came over with her stone mortar and pestle and created a SYMPHONY of avocado, lime, cilantro, tomato, and so on and so on, it made me decide right then and there to find me a stone mortar and pestle ($21 - I can afford that!!). Then we went to Mariano's. Mock if you must! I don't care!! Jennifer said to me "You're totally a grown up, you went to a grocery store on your date night!" but the truth is I'm weird and probably would have done that no matter what my age, even if it wasn't a grocery store as awesome as Mariano's! I don't have time to discuss their awesomeness, but lets just say, it was well worth spending some of our precious free moments in their walls (and not just because of the incredible cupcakes we bought!!). And our last stop was Capannari's for some cake batter ice cream for us and Jennifer (as a thank you for her mad babysitting skills). All in all it was the perfect "first" date!

Adjusting to parenthood isn't easy, and anyone who says it is easy is either lying or didn't have any kind of life before baby. Aaron and I aren't/weren't that way. We both love Gabriel with all our hearts, but we weren't planning on a baby right now (if at all) and certainly didn't feel we'd had enough couple time...we'd only been married lie 10 months when we found out we were pregnant, our first anniversary dinner was tricky for me since literally everything I looked at made me sick. I have missed having my husband all to myself, going out for a fancy dinner, or even just having an uninterupted conversation with ANYONE. I miss the daily interaction with the outside world that being a stay at home mom can hinder, and I really, REALLY miss being able to have the freedom to be flexible and spontaneous.

I realize that these are things that all (or most) new parents miss, and I know that being parents opens up whole new experiences that I will miss when they're gone (every time I cuddle with Gabe I pray he'll still let me hug him when he's a surly teenager). And I don't need a lecture or anyone's judgement for being honest about the things I miss from my pre-baby life. I love my son, I love my life, I am so thankful for where I am and the amazing blessings the Lord has given me. And last night, for a few hours, I got to exclusively enjoy one of those blessings.

My husband makes my knees week. <3