Saturday, December 11, 2010

Visiting Santa and Baby Audrey

Before Christmas, Ellie started seeing the commercials for Bass Pro Shops' Winter Wonderland with Santa, and she mentioned many times how she thought Pop would like to take her there.  So, Pop was happy to oblige and we all tagged along for a trip to see Santa.
While we waited for our turn to see the big guy, there were lots of other activities for us to do.  The kids played with trains and Ellie got to write her letter to Santa.  She had lots of things on her list at home (nearly everything in the Toys R Us catalog), but she just picked out her most special requests for the letter...a pillow pet, a Barbie, a Whoopsie-Do doll, and a train for her brother, Max.  (Isn't she sweet for thinking of her brother in her letter to Santa?)
After she was done writing the letter, she took it to the mailbox for the mailman to pick up.
Max and Daddy tried on various hats while waiting on Santa.  Max is very into hats now.  If Jason puts on a hat on the weekends, then Max usually insists on wearing one too.  He only has one little hat that fits his head, so Santa will probably bring him a few new ones for Christmas.
Finally it was our turn.  I wasn't sure how Max would react to Santa, but he made us proud.  Ellie kept talking to Max before hand to prep him for sitting on Santa's hat, and when it was our turn, they both ran right up to him.  Ellie told him the specific things she wanted from the letter she had just written, and told him how she had been trying to be a good girl all year.  Ellie also told us afterwards that Santa said to leave him cookies and chocolate milk on Christmas eve...she didn't want us to forget.
After visiting with Santa, we all headed to Columbia to meet our new niece.  My sister was due on Christmas eve, but delivered a few weeks early.  Audrey Catherine was born on December 9th, and she is perfect.  Ellie was very excited to get to hold another baby.  Max was trying to love on her too, though he was a little more interested in playing with Ella and all her toys.

Last summer when our nephew, Cole, was born during our family vacation to Lake of the Ozarks, Max was rather jealous whenever I would hold the baby.  He would even try to pull Cole out of my arms.  This was a little concerning to me, seeing how I was newly pregnant at the time...how would Max handle our new baby in the family?  Well, I needn't have worried.  By the next time we saw Cole (about a month later), Max was completely different.  He wanted to see Cole and kiss him, and was very gently with him.  This came out again when he saw baby Audrey.  There didn't seem to be any jealousy, and he was very sweet with the baby.  I hope this continues when our baby boy arrives in a couple of months.
Sweet baby Audrey.  Isn't she precious?!

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