The Neverending Christmas

Christmas goes by too quickly. One day its here, and then its over. 3-4 weeks of preparation for just 1 day of celebration. Then its just a long wait until next year. That's what I used to think. This year, I'm not so sure.

It started on Christmas Eve morning. Clearly Kaylani's not old enough to truly appreciate Santa/Christmas since we had to wait for her to wake up. And when she finally did wake up (at 7:30am), we pumped her full of anticipation and excitement by talking about the presents and Santa. So when we went downstairs, she didn't give us the reaction we expected. But that wasn't necessarily a bad thing.

Kaylani rounded the corner and immediately saw the presents and said "Santa brought me gifts!" But the best part was when we told her to look at the cookies and milk she left for Santa. That got the following reaction:

"Santa ate all the cookies. And he drank all the milk! I'll be right back"

Then she picked up the cup and plate and went to the kitchen as Mommy and I stood there in disbelief at as she ignored all the unopened presents to clean! It was a great moment that we'll never forget. And after she came back, she went straight after all the presents (mostly hers, but also ours too). She opened everything from us and a few others, including a giant teddy bear (that she asked Santa for), a countless number of Dora related toys, and much more. But that was just the beginning of Christmas.

Sadly, we left most of that home (especially the giant teddy bear) and were off to Yin Yin and Yeh Yeh's house for the annual Tam family Christmas (which is always on Christmas Eve). There, she opened up more presents, including an awesome train table and a Geotrax set. For the rest of the day, she played played played, and in the morning, it was off to the next stop.

After a quick 5 hour Christmas Day drive, we made it to Titi Glenda's house for more present opening, which was a baby changing table/sink/highchair playset. She also got a new tricycle from Madrina Maria, and then a magnet book and xylophone from Titi Mayte and Tio Alan. And it didn't end there since she got a purse from Titi Carmen the next day, and a shopping cart of groceries from Titi Sonal a couple of days after that. So that brings us to December 28th, but we still weren't done.

New Year's Day might as well have been Christmas Day part 2 since Kaylani woke up to her train table actually assembled. Ever since she set eyes on it, she's been super excited and jumps all around while playing. She's actually so excited that she won't even let Papa play with it (which is a problem since its Papa's first train table too).

Anyways, now that we're well into 2011, you'd think Christmas was over, but you'd be wrong. We still have 1 more celebration coming up (3 Kings Day) which Mommy celebrated growing up in Puerto Rico. So we've got at least 1 more morning with a gift coming up, but with much less fanfare. And until Kaylani goes a few days without Christmas (or when we take down the tree...which will be interesting), she'll probably keep talking about Santa bringing her gifts everyday. In the meantime, here are some pictures from Christmas. Enjoy!

Kaylani's "First" Christmas

Officially this will be Kaylani's third Christmas, but it feels like HER first, even though it's not OUR first. Subtle difference in language, but big difference in events leading up to Christmas.

Christmas shopping for us started about a month ago. Okay, all lying aside, it really started about a week ago (but we had ideas and intentions of starting a month ago). The past 2 years with Kaylani, we bought her small gifts that we knew she would play with then or at some point. And we let her open them, touch them, and pose for pictures with them. But this year feels different. This year, we think she's really going to enjoy Christmas. So far, everything she's done confirms that.

For example, while trick or treating at Peddlers Village the day before Halloween, she saw a Santa doll and said "Santa says 'Ho Ho Ho'". And right before we went to cut down our Christmas tree the Saturday after Thanksgiving, Kaylani kept telling me to "get out of the living room so Christmas could come in," which was because I was telling her the tree was going to go in the corner. And when we took her to get her picture taken with Santa, or when we saw him at Houlihan's during lunch, she told him she wanted a "big oso (bear)."

And the top moment that Mommy saw (Papa missed) was when Santa came around the neighborhood ona fire truck, and personally came to our door because he was Kaylani standing there. Her face when that happened was PRICELESS, and even brought Mommy to tears. To this day, she still says Santa gave her a candy cane (which he did), and also that Santa will bring her gifts.

All of that just makes us want to make the holiday season more and more special for her. We keep buying small gifts here and there because we know she'll love it, or more stocking stuffers because they're "perfect", or more decorations (like a Santa cookie plate) so we can really start our own tradition. Because we've got some traditions already (like Christmas Eve night at Yin Yin/Yea Yea's house with the family), we're gonna have Christmas come a little early. When Kaylani wakes up tomorrow, we'll do our own little Christmas morning before heading over. And if I had to guess right now, I think her face is going to be priceless when she sees all her gifts under the tree and the cookies eaten. She'll be so excited that she probably won't even notice that the couch smells a little bit like milk since Papa sat on the milk she left out for Santa and spilled it all over. And because of that, I can't wait. Merry Christmas!

Christmas in July!

I've been hearing a lot of Christmas in July sales going on lately. Our local Macy's even has inflatable Christmas trees adorning the front of their entrance. I used to think that all of this was just another marketing gimmick, but now, I'm not so sure. It kinda felt like Christmas in July today.

For starters, Kaylani woke up nice and early as if it was Christmas morning and she was too excited to sleep in anymore. The first time she got up was around 11pm, likely because she sensed that Santa was going to touch down on the roof any minute. And instead of just lying there awake, she did what any excited kid trapped in her crib would do...she flopped over on her belly and started crawling around while looking for a way out. After being flipped back over (by Daddy...not Santa) and falling back asleep, she made it all the way until 2am before she was on her belly again. Around 5:30am, she had enough and she was determined to sneak out through the corner of her crib. After being unsuccessful for 30 minutes, she called for Mommy and Daddy to come get her so she could see what Santa brought her.

Fortunately for us (and unfortunately for Kaylani), Santa missed our house last night, so Christmas in July was not going to involve any presents at home. Instead, we packed her up and hit the road at 7am so she could nap (in the car of course) before swim class. After a nice 45 minute nap, and a quick nursing, it was into the pool we went. This time, Kaylani received a present from Daddy...in the form of another underwater dunking. The first one went better than last week, and the 2nd time was definitely much better. We didn't take any video so you'll have to take my word for it...as cruel as it sounds.

Next on our day of activity was Sloan's 2 year birthday party at The Harrison's. This is where it really felt like Christmas in July. Not only did Kaylani get presents from Santa Danika (2 more of Darby/Sloan's toys), but she also got something even better...her first pony ride! After all of the other kids who actually knew what was going on got a turn, Kaylani plopped herself on the pony and went for a walk around the yard. She laughed, she rode, she kept leaning forward to see if the pony would go any faster like her buggy. And to top it all off, she got to play in a sandbox for the very first time too.

But our day didn't end there. During a trip to the mall, Kaylani got a few new outfits from Gymboree, and then at Babies R' Us, she got her next presents in the form of a new pajamas, an inflatable duck bath thing, and the biggest present of all...meat! Yeah, you heard that right. We've decided Kaylani's done enough of the veggies and fruits, and we're moving on to meat. We stocked up on sweet potato chicken, vegetable turkey dinner, and country chicken apple something (can't remember the last one exactly). We also bought a few new foods like pumpkin apple, sweet potato cinnamon, and green bean casserole for good measure because we obviously don't have enough food.

Then we sped home, took Kaylani for a ride in her "broom broom buggy", or "vroom vroom buggy" in English, and finally spent some time at home. For dinner, we cracked into the sweet potato chicken and she ate it all up with little problem (only time will tell what it "looks" like on the way out). Then, Daddy got a little light-headed blowing up the duck bath, and we threw her in that too! She also seemed to like that too, with the only problem being she keeps trying to climb out of the damn duck (no real need to say "damn" there, but it just fit).

Anyways, our long Saturday is finally over and Kaylani is passed out in her crib. Mommy and Daddy are pretty beat too, and lucky have 0 plans for Sunday. Maybe we'll sleep in...or maybe we'll wake up at 6am and hang out with Kaylani all day again. Either way, it's 8pm on a Saturday night which means it's time to get this party started ready for bed. In keeping with the whole Christmas in July thing, here are some pictures from today and the last couple of days for you. Merry Christmas (in July)!

Merry Christmas!

So Christmas has come and gone, and this year it was a bit different than the past ones. We didn't have presents to open, no big fancy dinner, and we didn't have anywhere to go, but it was still the best Christmas I've ever had.

Both of Mommy and Daddy's parents were here with us, and most importantly, we had Kaylani. She makes every day special, and holidays even more special. I'm sure she didn't realize that today was Christmas, but she sure seemed to enjoy it. From her staying asleep at Church this morning, to her smiling in her bouncy by the fire at night, I hope she had as good of a time today as I did.

Christmas is over, but the memories will last me at least a year. But for now, it's on to the new year! Merry Christmas everyone. Hope you enjoyed it as much as I did!

Opening presents on Christmas Eve

My family was never strict on traditions , and that was definitely tru about Christmas. We would have the big dinner on Christmas Eve and open presents, and then Christmas Day was spent playing with all our toys. For us, it worked out great to do things this way as we got older, especially when both my brother and I had significant others and their families in our lives. Christmas Eve became a Tam family tradition in a way, so I guess we were pretty strict about that.

Well this year, we did everything on Christmas Eve Eve at my house because of some schedule conflicts. It went great, but everything was kinda off today. There were no presents to open, no big dinner planned, and it felt just like any normal day. I wasn't sad necessarily, and I got practically everything I asked for the day before so it's not like I was expecting more presents. But it was Christmas Eve, and I felt like I should open something. I mean, especially with Kaylani now, we should start our own traditions, or at least make sure to stick to some of our old ones.

Knowing how I felt, Kaylani helped me out. Around 8 o'clock tonight, she decided to give me one more present to open. She knew that I wanted to open something, to have that excitement of Christmas Eve still, so she delivered. She gave Mommy and Daddy a big ol' present...in her diaper. After all, it is the only thing she could physically give us.

Being Christmas Eve, we were going to skip bath time, let her stay up a little later, and just sit by the fireplace and enjoy. But when she was sitting on Daddy's lap and mimicked the sounds of an elephant without using her mouth, our plans were altered. I thought it could have just been a lot of noise, but a small stain appeared on my jeans and I knew I was wrong. It also made me wonder how poop could possible get through 2 onesies (not just one), and a pair of pants. It just doesn't make sense, but I guess that's a different story.

Anyways, it's Christmas Eve, and Kaylani is all clean and as good as out right now, so it's time for Daddy to see how his new camcorder records in the dark. Keep an eye out for videos in the future, but for now, check out pictures from the last 2 days (separated into 2 albums), which include Kaylani's 1st Christmas. And if you're wondering why I'm wearing a tie, it's because I'm ridiculous, embarrassing, and ridiculously embarrasing to my family. Anyways, Merry Christmas to you and your families!

What a Christmas!

As most of you prepare for the craziness that is Christmas, we're starting to wind down and get ready for the New Year. Tam Family Christmas happened tonight so that we could open presents with my brother, sister-in-law, nephew, and niece before they headed up to Connecticut. It may have been a few days early, but it wasn't any less special.

Kaylani had a great "Christmas." She woke up, went for a car ride, took a nap, looked around, took some more naps, and was held all day by someone. And I'd say her first Christmas went great from a presents standpoint as well. She got clothes, books, a bouncy, toys, videos, and pretty much everything a 6 week old would want, and probably what kids of any age would want to!

And since this was Daddy's first Christmas as a daddy, I had a great haul as well. The 3 most special gifts were a HD camcorder (keep an eye out for videos of Kaylani coming soon!), a collage of pictures of Daddy, Mommy, and Kaylani, and a large framed picture of the "I thank the good Lord for making me a Yankee" signed by Mariano Rivera!

Being a Dad is pretty great in case I haven't mentioned that lately. Kaylani's first Christmas is something I'll never forget, even if it happened before actual Christmas. But for now, we've all had a crazy day and need to get some sleep, so good night, and have a great Christmas wherever you are! And Happy Hanukkah too!

Let the holidays begin!

Today was my first day of holiday vacation. I don't go back to work until January 5th, but I'm pretty sure that I'm not actually on vacation. Just to be clear, once you have a baby, vacation isn't the same anymore. It doesn't mean you can go to bed late, and wake up late, and it definitely does not mean that you can just get wasted every (or any) night. There's a whole lot more responsibility in your life now, which means that vacation as you know it has changed.

Don't get me wrong though, it's not necessarily a bad change (as long as you don't like to sleep and you don't like to drink). I spent all day with Kaylani, which is now the 3rd day in a row. That's something I haven't been able to do for 3 straight days since my 1 week of paternity leave. Sure the first part of it involved her first shots (wasn't as bad as I thought, but still sad to see her cry during and after it), and the second part was spent making sure she was comfortable (which includes holding her to sleep and rocking her all the time instead of trying to put her down), but it was a lot of fun for me. After all, I got to spend my 3rd straight day with her.

Tomorrow will be the 4th straight day, and to make things even better, tomorrow is Tam Family Christmas #1! My brother, my sister-in-law, and Kaylani's 2 cousins are here. My parents are here. And Mommy's parents are here too, which means we get to open presents 2 days early! It also means we have a full house including 2 newborns, a 2.5 year old, and 8 adults, but hey, if that doesn't scream "holidays" to you, then I don't know what would.

Speaking of family, I've got to finish putting Kaylani to sleep (up past bedtime also screams "holiday") and then go pick up Mommy's parents at the airport. Tomorrow will be a packed day, but just like when I was a kid, it's hard to sleep the day before "Christmas", no matter which one it is.

So for now, good night, and Happy Tam Family Christmas Eve #1 to you all!

It's coming...

Every day it gets a little closer. It's been on the calendar for weeks now, and it's getting harder not to think about it. I don't even know how to prepare for it, and I definitely don't know what I'm going to do when it comes. I think I'm going to put everything off until the last minute, because if I don't, I might just break down.

Unfortunately I'm not talking about Christmas. I'm actually ready for Christmas. It's what happens a few days before Christmas, and also what's going to happen a few days after that's on my mind. Let's talk about one at a time though, and since a few days before Christmas is only a few days from now (yikes), that comes first.

This coming Monday, Kaylani has her 8 week checkup, which is actually 2 weeks early. For all of you who have kids, you know what happens at 8 weeks. For those who don't, you're about to find out. At 8 weeks, Kaylani will get her first series of...shots. Shots, in my book, are no good, no matter what age you are (or what type of "shot" we're talking about). The worst part about these shots are that they're not being done on me. I can take a shot (again, no matter what type we're talking about), but I'm not exactly sure I can take watching Kaylani get a shot.

It's seriously been on my mind since we scheduled it 1 month ago. I remember taking my dog to get shots and having to hold him down when the doctor stuck him with the needle. He would whimper sadly and I'd be sad. Those were feelings I had for my dog 12 years ago, which expalins why I'm completely afraid of what's going to happen when the doctor pulls out the needle and Kaylani doesn't whimper, but cries. She'll put on her sad frown, cry hysterically, and there won't be much I can do about it...except be sad with her.

Apparently they also get sick for a day or two immediately after any shot they get (which apparnetly happen pretty frequently for the next year)! That's also kinda sad since it's only 3 days before Christmas. Is my baby girl going to be sick for her first Christmas? Is she going to be dazed and out of it? I know she won't remember any of it anyways, but still, I really hope that she won't look back at pictures 5 years from now and see herself crying. She'll ask why she was so sad on Christmas and I'll have to tell her she got shots right before it. Then she'll associate Christmas with getting shots, and hate Christmas forever.

Oh man, maybe we should skip the 8 week checkup...

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

I'm not sure what is scarier: the fact that Kaylani is 4 weeks old today, or that Christmas is less than 3 weeks away. With time at a premium nowadays, we took advantage of the weekend and headed out to get some key Christmas activities out of the way. This being our first year in our own house in the Northeast, there were a few necessities we had to buy before we could pick up our tree. So a trip to Lowe's for a tree stand and some lights and basic ornaments (great sale going on right now!), followed by a lunch break for all of us at Houlihan's (very kid friendly!), and then it was on to the tree yard.

We picked a short, fat tree that reminded Mommy of Daddy (her words), tied it to the roof, and we were off. While we were at it, we also picked up a ring of firewood (~100 pieces) because Christmas isn't officially Christmas unless you've got a fire going (also helps to keep non-Santa people from coming down the chimney). So now, the tree is up, the fire is ready to go, and the lights/ornaments are sitting in a bag next to the tree (hey, you can only get so much done with a baby around).

Actually, the reason we're not officially ready for Christmas is that we had our first holiday party tonight. It was at our friend's house and we were a little nervous to take Kaylani to her first party EVER! I mean, it was definitely kid friendly (there were about 7 kids, rhe youngest of them being 15 months), but still, we weren't sure how Kaylani would behave. But like every other adventure we've had, she did great!

And like every other adventure we've had, we also had a poop related incident. We thought we'd be safe since it was at a home less than 10 minutes away, but we had a little miscalculation. Apparently we were in a bit of a rush since we didn't refill the diaper bag after our afternoon errands. We had 3 diapers, which for 3 hours, is normally plenty. But what started as an easy pee change turned into a "three-fer" when pee turned to poo, and poo, turned into more poo. In case you didn't notice, the "public blowout" tracker in the upper right has been increased to 4.

Kaylani had finished eating, pooping, pooping, and eating (in that order) and we were ready to go back to the party. All seemed well, but we were out of diapers. We were essentially flying without a net, and if she decided she wasn't done, well then we would have been. She ended up not going again until we got home, and she was great. She was passed around from person to person so that they could get their "newborn fix" out of their system, and she stayed her cute little self for each one of them. I actually would not be surprised if there was a mini "baby boom" 9 months from now!

So it's been a long, eventful day, and all 3 of us are ready to call it a night. The original plan was to finish decorating the tree tonight, but it ain't gonna happen. It's time for this one to get some sleep, and that one to stay asleep, so come back tomorrow and hopefully I'll have pictures up of our entire family's first Christmas tree! Oh, and it's snowing right now (and sticking!) so maybe Daddy will have to shovel tomorrow with a Baby Bjorn on (just kidding).

Go ahead and shoot! I dare you!

We've had friends tell us to get professional photos done while Kaylani is still really young. "It's easier now" is what they say. So I figured, if it's easier, why don't we do it ourselves? I have a camera. I have a baby. I have a blanket that looks nice, and I even have a Christmas tree (okay, it's a tiny fiberoptic tree that we used when we lived in Florida, but it'll do until we get our first real tree this year). Well let me tell you, it's not easier. It's a lie.

We took over 100 pictures yesterday, trying to get Kaylani in a cute enough picture to put on a Christmas card. That doesn't even include us in the pictures since just trying to get her to look cute for us was hard enough! What's funny is that almost any other time, she'll lay there, and just stare straight ahead for a picture. Sometimes she'll even smile (or have gas) for the camera, and all is good. But put her in a Christmas outfit and tell her we need to get these shots in, and everything goes out the window.

Not only did she wake up, but she cried, she opened her eyes real wide (yes, the obvious "wide half-Asian eyes" jokes are being purposely left out of this blog), and she did some weird things with her hands and arms. Speaking of which, doesn't she look like she's giving some sort of "W" with her right hand in the picture above? I think she must know her Daddy's from West Caldwell and that's what we used to do back when we were "cool."

Anyways, since you've taken the time to come here, it's only fair for me to post the outtakes from our photo session (along with some other normal pictures from the last 2 days). Enjoy the cute outfits, the funny faces, and the wonderful backgrounds at Studio Tam! Oh, and by the way, I've now added captions to the latest pictures and will try and do so going forward. I figured I should have some of the essence from the original JonTam.com in here!