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I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas

It's my favorite time of year again. Christmas will always be special to me but there's something even more magical about this time of year since having babies. The joy on Lucy's face is something I'm thankful for every day of the year but especially during the holidays. Joey is still too young to really get the wonder but each bright light that passes by his little face.

He's only a little over a month old but already he's his dad's mini me in every way. I'm convinced that I didn't do anything to create this child besides carry him and then give birth to him. Joey was the greatest gift I've ever received for Christmas, although Steve insists he's actually going to get me something since Joey came on Halloween and Christmas was two months later and therefore didn't count.

Shortly after Joey was born Steve and I sat down to discuss our family and what we wanted from the future. We both decided to slowly rebuild us. He swore to me that Sharon had remained gone, the last time he saw her was way back in June. And I believed him. At this point if he wasn't at work, he was here with me and the kids. He was on his phone a lot and it worried me for a bit but he insisted that it was nothing that I needed to worry about and in the spirit of moving on and starting over, I believed him.

We also decided that he should move in. With Joey being so little and winter settling in, we didn't feel comfortable shipping him back and forth. So Steve sold his home in town and took up residence in my last guest room and I was so thankful that he was here and we were able to split the duties of having a baby.

Something that I had already known and was glad I was proven right, was how good of a dad Steve is. I knew he was going to be good just by seeing how he was with Lucy but Lucy is a four year old and babies are different beasts. But he took to it like a duck to water. The diaper changes, the late night feedings, the crying. He was there almost immediately, tending to our son. Honestly, he was making me feel inadequate. But I was happy he was here.

We were staying at my parents' tonight, Christmas Eve, since it would be easier than trying to lug the baby out there in the morning. I forgot how much stuff a newborn had and the ever-growing pile of baby things that were next to the pile of Christmas gifts for the morning. I was struggling with getting Joey into his carrier while Lucy was dancing around with Sirius following her, barking in time with whatever Christmas Carol she was singing. Steve was running back and forth from the house to his truck, trying to load everything up.

"Come on Joey. Please work with me here. I know you hate being in here but you got to bud. Lucy can you please sit still? You and Sirius are making me dizzy." She smiled at my discomfort but ceased her spinning.

"Mamma, I have a question."

"What's up sweet pea?"

"How is Santa going to get us our presents if we're not at our home?"

"Bold of you to assume that you're not on the naughty list." She narrowed her eyes at me and placed her hands on her hips, nailing my look down to a tee. "You don't need to worry. Santa sees all. He'll know where we are. Just like he knows you snuck those cookies while I was baking the other day."

"Busted." Steve said as he came inside and took over getting Joey in the carrier.

"Of course for you he'll settle down enough to get buckled in. What am I doing wrong?"

"Nothing love. He's just a daddy's boy. Which is fair since Lucy is you inside and out." I smiled, looking over at my daughter.

"You're right. Ok let's go! Grammy and Poppy are waiting for us!" I said, taking Lucy's hand in one of mine and the diaper bag in the other. We got the kids hooked up in their proper seats and were sitting in the front going over the checklist one final time. "Our overnight bags with our clothes?"