Harper's First Christmas

This Christmas was extra special for us as we got to celebrate it with our sweet Harper Rae. It was so much fun shopping for and wrapping her presents and seeing her crawl all over them under the tree leading up to Christmas. She loved having a huge Christmas tree in the house and spent a lot of time playing under it and tickling the bottom of her feet with the branches :)

On Christmas Eve-Eve we drove down to Virginia Beach where they had a Christmas light display along the ocean that you drove through on the boardwalk. I held Harper in my lap so she could see the pretty lights and she was fascinated. We brought hot chocolate and Mimi's famous Christmas candy to enjoy during the show!! (Thanks again Mimi!) The lights were really neat and it was refreshing to roll the windows down and smell the salt water and beach. I miss that smell!! 

On Christmas Eve we roasted a chicken and made all of the yummy sides that go along with Christmas dinner. Harper ate everything that we ate and LOVED it, especially the cornbread dressing! We listened to some Christmas music and opened one present that evening before going to bed. Harper had a blast tearing the presents open but was more interested in eating the wrapping paper than figuring out what was in the box! Harper is definitely loved as she got a lot of stuff in the mail from family back home!! Thank-you all so much! She only woke up once that night (around 10:30) but was able to be rocked right back to sleep! Woohoo!

On Christmas morning we woke up with her around 5:30 a.m. then I made some homemade french toast for everyone and enjoyed some coffee!! We then piled up all of her presents from family and Santa and watched her open them. She had a blast and was getting so excited and bouncing up and down. She also loved playing with the wrapping paper after I would clean up and try to crawl into the boxes that I set aside. Kids will be kids, right :) She just learned how to push a toy and walk behind it and is doing really good balancing. She can let go and stand by herself for a couple seconds so I think if she keeps this up she will be walking in a month or two. She is a very happy and very active little girl. She loves to explore things. She smiles nonstop. She LOVES her Sadie and will spot her from across the room then turbo crawl to her laughing the whole way then just lay on her and pat her. Sadie loves her so much too, probably because she gets half of what I give Harper to eat! Harper is quite generous with her food :)

Again, we got pretty sad thinking about being away from our loved ones in Texas once again. It is hard to describe because we are so grateful that we have each other at least but it is just not the same not getting to get dressed up and go to a party at the parents/grandparents house like we had for 25+ years of our life. Next year we are going to go back home for Thanksgiving so that will be something we definitely look forward to!!

We love and miss you all and thank you all for the wonderful and thoughtful gifts!!

P.S. Less than a month we will find out the gender of Baby Redford #2!!!!!!