Elliot's First Christmas

22 December - 26 December, 2014  

Merry Christmas, Elliot!!

While it would have been wonderful to take Elliot to Minnesota for Christmas to meet family and friends, Devin and I decided months prior that we would stay in California for the holiday.  Not only is Christmas in MN cold as, it's usually pretty hectic and we didn't want to try to navigate multiple family gatherings with a one month old.

Staying in California allowed us the opportunity to spend Christmas in Tahoe with the Harkness family (Jill, Jason & Shal, Shaila, and Navya) and Nancy and Jeff.  Jason and Shal rented a house in Tahoe Donner for the season, so despite being in California, we still had snow and chilly temperatures for Christmas.  All told there were 7 adults, 3 children and 3 dogs at the house!

As usual, Devin and I waited until the last minute to pack.  It's one thing to pack for the 2 of us and Yeti, but this was our first time packing for Elliot.  The amount of "stuff" we decided to bring for 4 days still takes my breath away.  ;)  Clothes, diaper bag, pack n play, boppy, stroller, pump, car seat - unreal.  I like to think we'll get better at this.     

Elliot's first "road trip" was a successful 3 hours to Lake Tahoe.  He did pretty well and slept most of the drive. We pulled over once so three of us could eat, one of us could have his diaper changed, and one of us could pee on a tree.  (Yeti, not Devin.)

The house was great!  It had enough beds for everyone, a nice kitchen, and a cozy living room where Jason and Shal had put up a beautiful Christmas tree - it was a very comfortable place to spend Christmas.

Elliot and great auntie Jill

Best Buds

Shaila started ski lessons this winter (yay!) and we all met her for lunch after a class at Squaw.  It was so much fun to see her in her PINK gear!  Pink ski pants, jacket, helmet, mittens, and boots!  I'm excited for the age when we can get Elliot out on the mountain like that!  (Jason was the only other one to ski - the snow wasn't great but he had a season pass so he'd go out for a few runs while Shaila was in class.)

Navya and Shaila pushing Elliot in the stroller.

Ohhhh, my little peanut!

One of the only times I really used the Moby Wrap.  

I really liked it, but wrapping is a clumsy process.

Watching ice skaters and making s'mores.

(Yes, it looks like his head is on fire.)

***Christmas Eve***

Merry Christmas to the loves of our lives!

Yeti, trying to rid himself of his elf hat/ears.

I can't wait to see these two in action once Elliot can keep up!

Seriously, best buds.

***Christmas Day*** 

Shaila (3.5 yrs), Elliot (1 mo), Navya (1.5 yrs) 

Devin, building a trampoline. 

Jason, building a doll house.

We had such a lovely time in Tahoe - it was a fabulous place to spend our first Christmas with Elliot.  We are so thankful to Jason and Shal for hosting a wonderful Christmas this year!

The best gift

That I ever got

Didn't really weigh a lot

It didn't have a ribbon 'round

And it sometimes made a terrible sound

The best of all it seems to me

It wasn't 'neath the Christmas tree

And yet, I guess I'd have to say

That is made all the other presents twice as gay

The best gift that I've ever known

I'd always wanted most to own

Yet in my dreams of sugar and spice

I never thought it could be so nice

The best gift that I'll ever get

Was sometimes dry and sometimes wet

Was usually pink but oftentimes red

As it lay so innocently in its bed

The best gift of the year to me

The one I hold most dear to me

A gift that simply drove me wild

Was a tiny newborn child...