It was a Merry one!

D enjoyed his 2nd Christmas...much more so than his first. Although let's not forget the cuteness that was my two month old last Christmas:

D was just much more of a boy this Christmas - he's growing up so fast it's ridiculous, and looking so grown up these days.

Santa brought a few new things to D. Not too many as we knew "grandma santas" would be buying for him as well. Plus this is the last year that he really won't understand what day it is...nor will be able to shop WITH him and let him play with is toys in the cart :)

I mentioned a few of the books we got him in a previous blog - we ended up with one more (a 10 Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed book that has "poppies" (like on bubble wrap except they work again and again). We also got him the Little People school bus - as he was completely infatuated with the thing at Target. Plus it's a trip down memory lane...even if I don't like it as much as the original version that many of us had as kids.

The "big" gift was something Dain and I were planning for him for a long time. And even though it wasn't pricey...it's large in stature and in awesomeness. He loves the thing. It was set up for him for when I brought him downstairs on Christmas morning...and he immediately dunked his T in it. Dain was so proud. Here's a little snippet of him enjoying it today

He made out like no other this year - with awesome gifts from aunts, uncles and grandparents. He got a bubble lawn mower from Uncle Evan and Aunt Marcy, his first Lego Duplos from Uncle Danimal and Aunt Stephanie, a recycling truck made of recycled materials from Aunt Theresa (soooo proud of that one!), a trike with a push bar from Grandma Denise and Grandpa Dain, too many books to mention from everyone (books are the best toy for him always) and a handmade rocking DINOSAUR from Grandpa Dan! It's unbelievable that he crafted this thing himself! We don't have a full-size shot and it was sadly too big to bring home right now (D's not quite big enough for it yet), but here's a glimpse. (His legs come no where close to touching yet, you can't tell from the photo but it's really tall). The rockers are bones! And we were informed by my 4 month old dinosaur-loving genius nephew Joey that this was a Brachiosaurus, not a Brontosaurus because of the bump on the top of his head.

It was 2 full days of festivities for the little man - and he was exhausted in the middle of it all. Here's him on Christmas morning waiting to leave for Grandpa Dain and Grandma Denise's house. (This exhausted face has only been through one of the days at this point!) He was so wiped and ready to fall asleep that he was just laying on the middle of the living room floor staring at the TV.

Here he is at the end of the two-day stretch, finishing up festivities at Great Aunt Patty's house. The face says it all...and it's my favorite picture from the holidays, and maybe ever.

Hope all your holidays were merry and bright - and you ended with more energy than poor D did. He loved every tired minute.