It is another beautiful day in Southern California, sun shining, cool brisk air, not a cloud in the sky!! How grateful we are to be living here!!!! Ha! Ha! It truly is almost too good to be true!
MERRY CHRISTMAS to you and those you love!!! Have so much fun today!!! Take advantage of the quiet moments to revel in all the wonderful parts of your life!! You are alive!!! You are cognoscenti!! You have others around you with whom to share the blessings of you life!!! You are in a country where you have the freedom to go where you wish and pretty much do what you want!!
Enjoy your day and your family. Have so much fun!!! Create traditions for you and yours that you can practice each year and share in your memories.
Your first Christmas with your new baby will have innumerable firsts! Take more photos than you ever thought possible! You will not want to forget a single one of them!! Baby and Santa, baby and grandma, baby and you….. What ever your religious or cultural celebration includes, you will not want to miss out on any of the fun!
Talk about the traditions you want to establish for your family. This will be a life long process. Do you want to open gifts on Christmas morning or Christmas Eve? What special meals do you want to share? Often couples bring these ideas from their family of origin. What you grew up with will feel most comfortable to you. Also, there will be ideas you come across through friends and experiences that you want to incorporate into your own family. Somehow, once you have children, these traditions are of much greater importance. Below find a list of possible topics you may want to consider.
With whom do we want to exchange Christmas gifts?
What kinds of gifts do we want to begin for baby? Example: A silver bell ornament with baby’s name and the year on it; pajamas to wear on Christmas morning (photo included); a book or Lego set to add to the collection…..
Where do you see extended family members fitting in? What are the expectations of your extended family and your mate?
Where do you want to spend Christmas Eve? At your home? At Grandmas? At church?
Do you have special meals in mind? Do you want to begin traditions of particular foods or experiences unique to your family?
These are starting points to begin conversations about what you want to see in your family over the years. Do not be overwhelmed! You do not have to begin everything you want to do immediately! Baby will be unaware initially. Also, this will be a fluid process. Even with the best of intentions, some things just won’t work. That is OK. You have the rest of your life to figure it out!
In our family we share waffles with strawberries and whipped cream for Christmas morning breakfast. As time has progressed we have added breakfast meat, special juices, and a tea assortment. As the kids have matured they have begun to participate. Where we used to purchase the pre-made Belgian Waffles, now our daughter brings over her waffle maker and makes them fresh. We have tried many recipes looking for the perfect waffle! Ha! Again, don’t stress out! Enjoy putting together your family holiday. The possibilities are endless.
As your kids grow up you will want to consider adding an annual trip to the symphony to experience the ‘Nut Cracker Ballet’ or ‘A Christmas Carol’. Some friends enjoy tomato soup and the film ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’ as part of their family tree decorating tradition. We enjoyed taking our kids to the mall for a ride on the carousel and to see the Christmas decorations. Plan these kinds of activities early in December as the closer you get to Christmas, the more congested those places will become. Look for special holiday activities in your area. Our mall has a Tree Lighting event. Our local harbors have Boat Parades showing off beautifully decorated yachts. Amusement parks will have special events for Christmas.
What ever events you choose to enjoy, share the holiday spirit. Don’t take offense to someone wishing you “Happy Hanukkah” if you are not Jewish and vice versa. Go with the flow! Political correctness is on it’s way out. The song ‘Always Be Humble Kind’, performed by Tim Mc Graw at this years County Music Awards won for Song of the Year! (Link below) Consider the feelings and needs of those around you and have a ball!!! JUDY
Eastman Doula Services Blog 