And Baby Makes Three...: Have a Holly, Jolly, Belated Christmas!!

Um, I'm sorry...what do you mean Christmas was more than two weeks ago? That's NOT POSSIBLE. Needless to say, time has gotten away from me yet again.

When will I stop posting about how behind I am?!

Somewhere out there, my friend Holly Panter is laughing at me...thinking "Poor, silly Cait with ONE baby, thinking she can't get it together." Then, when she's done laughing, she'll take her FOUR girls aged five and under into the kitchen to make delicious, organic cookies -- which she will photograph and blog about before the cookies are even done baking. She puts me to shame!

Anyway, now that I have been properly humbled, here's our Christmas post! Hopefully, most of you who read this got a card from me -- and it most likely came after Christmas. Sorry about that. I've decided (I think) that from now on I'm goin to buck tradition and send out New Years cards. Why not?? I can never get it together enough to send cards that show up by Christmas anyway, and sending a card to ring in the New Year seems just as applicable to me (and slightly quirky, which I dig).

We were home for Christmas this year -- which was AMAZING. It was the first time ever that we didn't travel over the holidays, and it was so mellow and easy. Another great thing about this year was that my brother, Tristan, and his wife, Crystal, came into town from California to celebrate with us. We don't get to see them enough, so to have the chance to spend so much time with them was awesome.

On Christmas Eve, we went over to my parent's house, where we observed one of our stranger family traditions -- eating oyster stew to remind us of how much we hate the English (long story). Then, we each opened our one Christmas Eve present, and (surprise, surprise!) they were all pajamas again!! ;) David, Sam and I went home in our PJs, listening to carols and driving through downtown to see the beautiful lights. In the morning, we slept until Sam woke up (about 7:30 a.m...a Christmas miracle!), and then headed back to my parents' house for breakfast and presents.

Now, while Christmas is not about the presents, I don't feel bad for saying that I think we all cleaned up this year! David got a new amplifier for his truck, an i-Pod docking station, the first season of "Family Guy," and other books, DVDs and clothes. Sam got his car (photos below), a tiny little t-ball set, a musical broom (what can I say? he likes to sweep!), and tons of other toys, books and clothes. I got a Wii (my first game system!), a Tom-Tom GPS, and the best present ever -- which I will get into in the next paragraph (it deserves more than a sentence!). We loved watching everyone else open the gifts we got for them, too. The whole scene was really happy and the feeling in the room was great -- everyone was smiling and generous and grateful.

Now for the best present ever -- David turned this very blog into an honest-to-goodness, hardcover book! I have been wishing aloud for months that I could get it together enough to make Sam a proper baby book and also get all of our photos into an album -- but it always seemed like a project that was just out of my reach. So David spent hours and hours downloading everything I have posted on this blog since its inception into January 2008 and turning it into a beautiful, 300-page book. It is a baby book and a photo album all rolled into one. He thought of it all on his own, designed in all one his own, and - best of all - actually kept it a secret from me. He is so thoughtful that he even ordered one for my mom, one for his mom, and one for each of his grandmothers. He couldn't have been prouder to give it to me, and I couldn't have loved any present more.

He added his own note in the back, which reads -- "This seems like an abrupt ending, but it's only the end of this book. The memories that fill it will continue to be made. Cait is the most wonderful mother and wife Sam and I could ask for. She made everything you have just seen possible. I just put what she created on paper. I hope you have enjoyed reading her words and seeing her pictures as much as I have enjoyed bringing them together here. We love you Mommy -- David and Sam."

He is a gem -- the sweetest man I know. And that is the true gift.

So I think I've made you wait for photos long enough! Here they are, and once again, Merry (belated) Christmas to all of you! We sincerely hope that your season was as warm and merry as ours!