Your First Christmas

Dear Baobao,

You had your first Christmas yesterday and it was probably more exciting for your mother and me than for you even though we were a little burnt out in the run up to Christmas. We didn’t even bother getting a tree, big or small, real or fake. And when someone asks whether we get a tree, we just blatantly say we’re lazy. Even so, we still have been playing Christmas music around the house and your mother has turned me into a quasi-alcoholic with a whisky advent calendar (there were 25 shots of whisky and I think I got through 11 of them?).

But on Christmas day itself, there was no real event aside from the present-opening, and it took us a while to get to it. We tried four times before we finally started and at that point it was already 3pm. If it wasn’t a diaper change, it was you feeling tired or wanting to breastfeed. Present-opening tradition can wait; you not crying or having diaper rash is priority number one.

To be honest, we figured you probably wouldn’t remember a single thing about your first couple of Christmases, so a lot of the presents you got from our friends and family were a lot nicer than what your mother and I got you. I usually have no shame, but even I’m a bit embarrassed to type out that we gift wrapped a spatula for you…one that your mom got for free from a blog gig at that (it does have a gold handle though!).

In any case, you were just as amused by all the packaging and gift wrap as the presents, so all good in the hood. Besides, we’re firm believers in “it’s the thought that counts” axiom. Don’t let anyone else tell you we don’t love you because we got you a spatula.

And on a related note, way to go participating in your first Jui Christmas card. The degree of success depends on who you ask, but it definitely captured your spirit, which was very much “I wanna go do something fun instead of sit here and laugh at a camera.” Some part of me thinks this  attitude will last well into your teenage years.

Love,
Baba