12-24-2011

Christmas Eve was also Going Home day.  The previous night Dan took the girls home so they could all 3 get a good night's sleep in their own beds.  They came back over to the hospital the morning of the 24th with a nice big Starbucks for me!  It was so nice to have our little family together for the morning having breakfast.  I had missed them the night before.  Henry and I were released from the hospital at about 11am so we were all back home again less than 24 hours after he was born.

Who does this little guy look like?

 Wearing his going home outfit.  Mimi, Dan's mom, knit this 2 piece little outfit before Magnolia was born and now all 3 of my kids have worn this outfit to come home from the hospital.  Henry barely fit so if we have any more kids they better not be any bigger than this little guy.

 Making our way to the car.  Boothe wanted to hold Henry's car seat with daddy and Magnolia wanted to ride in the wheelchair with me.

 Just getting home.  Boothe wouldn't stand with them for a picture but we caught her for the next picture in front of the door.

 My 3 children.  Wow, how my life has changed in just over 4 years.  Empty house to Full house!

 A handsome little man.

 After we got home we had a few family visitors for the afternoon and then went to the Christmas Eve service at church. Everyone at church couldn't believe I had just had a baby the day before and was there but Henry was almost 10 lbs...I felt better with him out than I did with him in!

These 2 all dolled up and ready in their Christmas dresses.

 Magnolia was an angel for the children's live nativity for the Christmas Eve service and she was the angel assigned the job of carrying the baby Jesus to Mary.  Henry was slated to play the important part of the baby Jesus if he had arrived earlier.

 She did such a good job kneeling and worshiping at the manger.  Magnolia is the angel on the left right next to Mary in blue.

 Boothe said she wanted to play the part of a sheep that night but by the time the children made their way to the front of the sanctuary she had changed her mind and just sat with us.  For the Time with Our Children part of the service she went up with the rest of the kids who weren't a part of the nativity and from there on she stole the show.  The first thing she did when she got to the front was head right to the manger and play with the straw.  Another little girl who had been instructed to not play with the straw apparently told Boothe she wasn't suppose to play with that.  So in the middle of the lighting of all the advent candles, Boothe yells "Hey mom, her said I can't play with that."  I was laughing so hard my body was shaking!  Then after Time with Our Children all the kids were to come back and sit with their parents.  Magnolia headed right to us, but no Boothe.  She was the last one up there and had decided to pick up the baby Jesus doll and carry it down the aisle.  No big deal except she was then determined to put it in the manger...which was at the front of the church!  Back up she heads with Miss Linda and Pastor Rebecca to place baby Jesus in the manger, cover him up and tuck him in.  Since that service she has wanted to play "baby Jesus" with Magnolia.  They put blankets on their heads and play Mary and Joseph with one of their dolls being the baby.  What an eventful evening thanks to our little Boothie!

Then back at home the girls took off their Christmas dresses and got to open 1 gift under the tree which I selected.  We always open a new pair of pajamas to wear Christmas Eve night.  They were excited to open the gift...but something upset Boothe....

Here is the sequence of Boothe that night opening her new pajamas...

 Magnolia just excitedly opened her gift, loved the nightgown and happily put it right on.

 Aaaaaaaaand.....she's over it!

That night, Christmas Eve, was Henry's first night at home with us.  You can't get much more special than that.  We spent the evening after the girls went to bed waiting for santa, watching It's a Wonderful Life and being in awe of this little guy sleeping in our arms.