Ingredients:

• One very pregnant, 28 year old, still figuring out who she is as a wife, mother, woman.
• One OB/GYN with New Year’s Eve plans. She delivered your first baby who arrived very quickly and doesn’t want to take any chances that she will have to leave her NYE party to deliver this baby.
• One toddler, 21 months old. William, the firstborn. He broke open your heart.
• One Rose Parade and Rose Bowl, January 1st which matters when you live in Pasadena right above the Rose Bowl.
• One Christmas Day celebration hosted by the very pregnant woman for her parents, her in-laws, and grandparents. 

 

Planning for Christmas Day

            Several weeks before:

Decorate the house for Christmas as early as possible to enjoy the holiday spirit while you can. Part of you is not really enjoying the holidays so much as you are feeling required to create a special memory for everyone else.

Purchase presents early. Remember you are on a budget and live in less than 1200 sqft. 

Wrap presents. The good news is that your toddler will be happy with any sort of wrapping job you do. Some presents can simply be wrapped with a bow. You are not known for your wrapping. In fact while working at A Child’s Fancy, the toy and bookstore in Pasadena, you were specifically asked not to wrap presents.

Invite the family over for Christmas Day. Let them know it will be an early Christmas Dinner. You need to prepare for the days ahead. You do not want guests to linger.

Dream about what you will serve on Christmas Day.

          1 Week before:

Get real and plan a simple menu. 

Remember to ask your husband for help. You still feel uneasy about becoming a stay-at-home mom, even though you discussed this before you got married. There is a consistent urge to prove your worth, to earn your keep.

Make lists and check them twice.

Clean the house.

          3 Days before:

Confirm your guest list.

Make sure you have a gift for everyone. Plus a couple of extras, in case someone surprises you and becomes uncharacteristically generous. Remember you are on a budget.

Grocery shop.

 

          2 Days before:

Start prepping any recipes you can.

Finish last minute wrapping.

Clean, again.

          1 Day before:

Try to remember it is Christmas Eve, slow down and enjoy the day.

Aspire to go to bed at a reasonable time.

Clean, again.

Christmas Morning:

Open a few presents with William and husband.

Make sure to eat a good breakfast. In reality, make sure William eats a good breakfast.

Christmas Afternoon:

Feed William lunch.

Help the family unload their cars as they arrive.

Try to find counter space for all the gifted food and treats.

Keep an eye on William.

Serve coffee, tea, water and some snacks to the family.

Bring in chairs from the dining room to circle around for the main event-watching William open more presents.

Rely on the grandparents to entertain William and maybe get him down for a nap while you finish preparing the Christmas Dinner.

Christmas Dinner:

No nap for William, oh well.

Time to eat.

Get everyone’s attention.

It is going to be a buffet, of sorts.

Encourage the family to grab their plates and dig in.

Try to remember to be gracious when receiving a compliment about the meal when in your head you are making a list of all the things you would do differently next time.

Curb your desire to clear plates just a little too quickly.

After Christmas Dinner:

Usher the family out while saying thank you.

Remind the family members  who have volunteered to help on December 27th that they need to arrive at the house no later than 5:30am.

Clean up from dinner.

Ask husband to put William to bed.

Take down the Christmas tree and all decorations. Christmas is done. There is a new person joining the family soon.

Finish cleaning the kitchen.

Take a moment to survey the house. It is quiet. Take this moment to breathe and think.

Get ready for bed.

Check on William.

Sleep.

December 26th:

Visit with family.

Take a bath and shave your legs.

Double check your hospital bag.

Enjoy watching William playing with his new toys.

Clean, again.

 

Before I go to bed, I check on William. He is sweetly asleep. I whisper, “I am about to rock your world.”. I am scared. I love him so much. How could I possibly love another human as much as I love him. I have been greedy? My desire to have another child fueled by the unexpected opening of my heart.

December 27th:

5:45am departure for the hospital. The same hospital where William was born. Leave William asleep in his crib. He will wake up to the grandmothers.

3pm-ish John Arthur Rygg is born, an easy labor.  He looks completely different from William. John is long and lean. He has dark hair and dark eyes. His complexion is darker, slightly yellow. Full-blown jaundice will develop later. He looks like an old man.

He is perfect. 

I love him more than I can say.

My capacity for love is infinite. 

I didn’t need to worry. 

Still, I am relieved and overwhelmed.