My dear, dear Hallie,
What a FUN month we had with you! For starters, you began laughing, which we all just absolutely love. It is the sweetest, happiest sound. All of us regularly try to find a way to squeeze another one out of you, which means we regularly look very silly- but all for a good cause!
Our Christmas trip to Tennessee provided your first long car ride (4.5 hours). You did really well, I'm happy to say! I was a little worried about your ears, while going up and down the mountains, but you slept almost the whole time and never seemed to notice. We have you "paired" with Lily in the van, and she likes to take care of you as we ride. This was, obviously, your first trip to Tennessee, and you seemed to enjoy the fun of being there right along with the big girls. You were able to "meet" (distanced) Mamaw and Aunt Donna in their shared driveway and show off some of the sweet outfits they had given you. You got to meet Ray Ray, too, but that was less distanced, as we were all staying in the same house.
We're still in the heavy reflux phase of your babyhood, and BOY, do we ever go through bibs and burp cloths at the speed of light! I usually can't make it quite until the next round of laundry (every 48 hours) before needing burp cloths, so our dish towels and hand towels are frequently pressed into service. While I would NEVER rush you to grow up, I won't miss all the reflux, I have to say.
We've never had a baby quite as young as you during Christmas time, and it was just precious to have someone so small in our lives as we reflected on Jesus as a wee baby. You were so jolly and smiley and happy to be with all of us. During one of the Sundays of Advent, we sang "What Child is This?" during our virtual service, and I was so struck by a part of the song I had never really thought about before:
O raise, raise a song on high
The virgin sings a lullaby
Joy, oh joy, for Christ is born
The Babe, the son of Mary
The imagery of Mary singing a lullaby to Jesus was so poignant to me, as I daily sing little songs to you as you're falling asleep. You always seem so happy to hear my voice, and this was the first Christmas that I really thought about Mary doing the little things that mothers do, like singing a lullaby to her baby because He was happy to hear her voice. You helped give me a deeper understanding of God With Us; I wonder if, at each stage of our lives, we will have such tangible moments of experiencing Emmanuel. I hope so.
You are a joy and light of our lives.
LOVE YOU,
Mommy
Your sisters made sure you were surrounded by friends
4 Months
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