Dear Santa, I'd Like To Ask For An Extra Couple Of Hours In Every Day Between Now And Christmas. Is That Possible?

I am completely astounded by my friends who have actually found the time to blog or *gasp* mail out their Christmas cards on time, when I can barely find the time to breathe. I can not remember ever having such a busy and jam-packed December. I finally sat down Friday night and wrote everything out on a timeline only to realize that we had ONE night between now and Christmas that wasn't spoken for, and I still have one more get-together that I am trying to squeeze in here at our house, so I think that one night will soon be filled. Wow.

On the one hand, I am stressed beyond belief. Shopping, wrapping, baking, cleaning, socializing, travelling, hostessing....I don't want all of this stuff to suck the joy right out of Christmas, as it so has the power to do for someone highly stressable like me.

On the other hand, I feel so incredibly blessed that we have such wonderful family and friends to shop for and bake for and so many people in our lives that we want to have into our home during this special time of the year. I am just so grateful for each and every person in my life and so mindful that so many people are have no one.

So, I am just plugging along, trying to keep Phillip, Jack and myself well, trying to sleep when I can, trying to enjoy every moment to the fullest and trying to stop and smell the hot apple cider when at all possible.

It is not helping matters at all that our beloved child, who truly gets more precious by the day, has decided that he no longer needs to sleep. Why now, I will never know, but for some reason, Jack is waking up four and five times a night, apparently for no other reason than he wants one of us to come in and cuddle with him until he falls back to sleep. Except for the teething thing (which I suppose could be the nasty culprit) he is otherwise healthy, happy and active. Just not sleeping. And ya'll know how I need my sleep. It's definitely wearing on me, but I suppose that this too shall pass.

And speaking of the little darlin': He is just fascinated with all things Christmas. He loves the tree, loves the lighted village atop the entertainment center, loves the Christmas cookies I baked, loves the hustle and bustle all around him, loves the toy that Santa dropped off early because Mommy just couldn't wait two more weeks! You are looking at a few photos I snapped of him day before yesterday (mostly) in front of the tree. It's so hard for him to sit still now that I either had to catch him on the move, or bribe him into semi-stillness with a cookie. And let's not even mention the Santa hat - which had to be re-put on before each shot, as someone I know didn't like wearing it!

But then the planets aligned, the magic happened, and I captured this. Those eyes and that smile. I love this child. With every fiber of my being. Whether he sleeps or not. He is, indeed, our most precious gift and all we need under our tree this year!