"Always find time for the things that make you feel happy to be alive."
After a crazy 2016, I found the above quote to be my theme for the holiday season. Every day I remind myself to do one thing that makes me happy. One of those things, is taking photos of my baby Arlo.
This year was his first Christmas! In true perfect timing, he learned to clap on Christmas Eve. He clapped after he opened every present. It was adorable!
We were blessed to be able to travel to Lewisville, Lowgap, Virginia, and Winston-Salem, North Carolina to see most of our family for the holidays.
In the days leading up to Christmas, I took these photos, to remember the magic of Arlo's first Christmas.
He took those off in the second after I snapped that photo, haha!
I LOVE making presents look pretty. After I wrapped my presents, I put Arlo in front of them, but the moment was missing something. I saw a roll of wrapping paper nearby. I handed it to him and let him have fun! That's what it needed, genuine, messy kid fun.
One December afternoon, Arlo fell asleep on my lap. I had been planning to try and take a photo of him wearing a santa hat while sleeping. Now was my chance. I carefully lifted him up, grabbed my camera, grabbed the santa hat, and tip toed upstairs to the bedroom. I put him on our white comforter and carefully put the santa hat on his head. To my surprise, he kept sleeping! I'm so excited he did, because I was able to get these photos that just tug my heart strings.
The amount of love Arlo received on Christmas day made my heart so happy. A bit to our dismay, he received A TON of toys, which now need organizing. We're minimalists, but we just couldn't get rid of anything because we thought about each person with each toy we went through. Plus, Arlo loves them all!
The day after Christmas I gathered them all together, sat Arlo in the middle, and in true form, he lifted a mallet up to his mouth like a cigar.
I call this,
The Christmas GodFather
I think Arlo loved his first Christmas!
I hope you all had a wonderful holiday season with those you love.
~ Alisha