Tis the Season

Liam is kind of smiling at Daddy!

Bringing in the tree and Liam and Mommy waiting outside in the cold!

The decorated tree and Liam all bundled up in the chilly morning apartment.

We love December and getting ready for Christmas in the Powers' household!! This past weekend was actually a rather chilly one, which made it perfect for finding a great tree at the HomeDepot downtown. Actually, by the time we made it over there, the sun was setting, and it was actually pretty cold! But, it made it feel much more like Christmas to be cold. We picked out a lovely Douglas Fir (which smells amazing!) and decorated that night, had some yummy dinner, and just enjoyed the start of the season. We hope that the needles decide to stay on long enough, but after looking at some on the tree skirt, I am not quite so sure. We decorated with our few ornaments that we have given each other or have been given over the years of our marriage. We just have a handful non-ball ornaments, and are enjoying the gradual growth of them over the years. Liam has two on the tree now - a pair of shoes with his birth information on it, idea compliments of Lisa Racek. And another one for this year. My mom always had little ornaments that had our names and the year inscribed on them when we were little. I thought I'd start the same tradition with Liam.

So, now that we have begun such a busy season, we are trying hard to take the time out to enjoy it and not be overwhelmed by any of it. We want to remember what Christmas is all about, admittedly hard in our culture sometimes. But I think this year more than any other, I have had a glimpse of the humanity of Jesus incarnate. I am amazed as I hold my little boy in the wee hours of the morning or while he cries as he tries to poop, that Jesus too was a baby. He was completely dependent upon Mary and Joseph, and he also acted like a baby in all the various ways babies act. Born a baby and yet a King. Amazing...

Liam is doing great. We have his 3 month check up this week, though he is just now a little over 4 weeks post term. He is spending more time awake, though sometimes his awake periods are coming during the night for about an hour and a half (eek!). He has started to smile and just this morning he has smiled several times at me without me working too hard for it! What a gratifying thing, a baby's smile. He still doesn't have much of a schedule, still isn't super fond of his crib, and still loves to be held. He is a great baby though, and we adore him. Brian often comes home from work and immediately wants to hold him and play with him. He is a great dad and continues to be a fabulous husband, as he helps me in the night if I need a break from an overactive baby. He is good at getting Liam to fall asleep.

This weekend my friend Beth from college and her husband are coming to visit! I am so excited as I haven't seen Beth since my wedding. I am really looking forward to laughing with them and catching up.