Up the Hill Adventures: Then: A Very Merry Michigan Christmas

Our first family Christmas photo. I think we look a little shell-shocked.

Oh my gosh, Christmas then…it seems so long ago now! Jack was just shy of 4-months for his first Christmas, which was spent in Michigan. The night before Jack and I left for Detroit, we were able to celebrate Christmas with his Rhode Island family. Sadly, I don't have any photos of him from that night...I think I was preoccupied with making sure that we were prepared for our flight. That following morning, the two of us embarked on Jack’s first flight (Marc joined us on Christmas Eve). It was a challenging day, being the only adult in an airport with an infant. I didn’t bring a stroller since my mom had a couple waiting for us back at her house. I had planned on just carrying Jack around in a sling that day, but of course when we got to the airport, he wanted nothing to do with it. This meant that I didn’t get to do the following all day: eat, drink, pee, relax. We had a layover in Baltimore that kept getting extended. Luckily there was a vacant rocking chair where I could sit with Jack, with enough space on the ground (a rarity during holiday travel) to put a blanket for Jack to stretch out. It wasn’t a horrible day, but it was definitely a challenge.

Taking a siesta on the airport floor, and giving mommy's arms a rest.

Once we arrived in Detroit, though, we had a great visit! Jack got to meet his Uncle Alan, Great-Grandma Lenore, and all of mama’s family for the first time. We had a wonderful trip, and were grateful that Daddy made it safely to us on Christmas Eve morning. We spent Christmas Eve with my extended family, and it was so nice to have everyone in one place. Jack seemed to enjoy Christmas morning, although he really didn't seem to care too much about the presents. That's okay, though, he enjoyed being with his loved ones, and that's what Christmas is really about!