Merry CHRISTmas! As I celebrate Chase’s second Christmas, I reflect on this time two years ago when I was 5 months pregnant with him and couldn’t wait for him to arrive in the world. It’s so hard to believe how much time has flown and how much God has blessed my family. Indeed, every good gift is from above! Chase is still all about PB & J sandwiches. He knows exactly where the peanut butter is in the pantry and where the jelly is in the fridge. I’m having a hard time getting him to eat a good variety of food, so he’s on vitamins to ensure he’s getting proper nutrition. In spite of the vitamins, we’ve all still had colds, sinus infections, and viruses this past month…makes me appreciate the times when we do have good health and that we don’t have any serious illnesses.
Christmas lights have been up since Thanksgiving weekend, and Chase has enjoyed plugging and unplugging the lights over and over again. Knock on wood; he’s never tried to insert any foreign objects into receptacles. He’s enjoyed pressing all of the buttons on my Christmas snowmen and houses (they all sing and light up) hundreds of times. He dances whenever he hears music. Tim and I call it the “old man dance” because all he does is bend his knees and bounce without any rhythm.
Chase is starting to use more words, such as “tub, tub, tub” for bath-time and “gaw-gaw” for cracker. He also says “ow” sometimes when he falls down even though he’s not really hurt. His most often spoken words lately are “hot” and “cold.” I’ve emphasized that the oven/stove is hot and for him not to get near it when mommy is cooking. He’s also learned that it is too cold to play outside. Fortunately, we’ve found things to keep him occupied indoors, such as bringing his little mini-ATV inside of the house (good thing it doesn’t leave dents in the walls from all of the times Chase has ran into them). On our short visits outdoors this month, he’s enjoyed stomping in the snow.
Another highlight from the month of December has been dog-sitting my sister’s chocolate lab “Sadie.” Chase loves Sadie since she is much more youthful and playful than Dexter. Sadie follows Chase around the house and even stays in the bathroom while Chase is taking a bath. Chase thinks it’s hilarious when she pokes her nose through the shower curtain while he’s taking a bath.
Last but not least for Chase’s 20th month of life, he got to see Santa Claus at Bass Pro Shops. He didn’t cry or get scared, but he wasn’t overly thrilled about seeing Santa either. He had to sit on my lap with me sitting on Santa’s lap for us to get a picture. Maybe he’ll warm up to Santa next year! Ultimately, Tim and I look forward to teaching him the true reason for the season when he’s old enough to understand….JESUS! May the birth of Jesus, and moreover, the incredible sacrifice HE made for us on the cross be magnified in all of our hearts throughout this Christmas season!
