Olivia's First Christmas

Olivia sporting her "My First Christmas" Santa hat sideways.

I'm cuter than my new baby doll!

Hanging with Aunt Sharon and showing off her new shoes.

Well, not exactly the holiday family portrait we imagined.

Three generations of the girls at Christmas.

The Davis Manse fully decked. Sort of.

Back inside, Teddy's cheerful.

Staircase in all it's Christmas glory.

Our smallest of our five trees. This year, we only got four up and the fourth was only partially decorated.

Our main tree in the living room.

Same tree in its nighttime glow.

Detail shot of same tree.

First Christmas morning!

Ohhhh, I'm starting to get it now.

Wrapping paper is yummy!

Daddy put the finally touches on his precious gift.

And I'm totally cool with that.

I'm SO excited it's Christmas!!!!

Christmas dinner. My mom seems to look stoned in 99 percent of the pictures taken of her. Sorry, Mom. You know it's true.

Mmmmmmm Christmas roast.

Well, that's all folks. Mommy, Livi and Boo-Boo kitty are ready for some R&R after a long two days.

Has a month already passed since Christmas? Seriously where does the time go?

Since she was born, I had dreamed about Olivia's first Christmas. Because I was born two days before Christmas, it's just my time of year. I love to deck the halls. I love to buy gifts and send Christmas cards - and receive them. I still enjoy watching "A Christmas Story" repeatedly (as well as many other Christmas movies). I adore the sounds of the season. All I wanted for Christmas this year was for Olivia's first one to be perfect.

I wanted all FIVE of our trees up. I wanted the exterior of the house to glow. I wanted her to wear at least three of her Christmas dresses.

It turns out perfection is even more of a monumental task when both parents work full time, have to spend quality time caring for their 9-month-old baby girl (not that we're complaining) and squeeze in some holiday baking and shopping. Man, I'm exhausted all over again just thinking about it.

So we only got up four out of our five trees and one was only partially decorated. Entire strands of exterior lights kept going dark and apparently they don't make matching ones any more. I got our cards out but never got the cards sent to us strung up in our archway. I heard very few Christmas songs. And I didn't watch one Christmas movie. Oh, and the weather was so warm, it was too hot for most of Livi's special holiday dresses. Thankfully, it turns out perfection is a matter of perspective.

Well, there's no doubt Olivia's first Christmas was a successful one. Adorable Christmas dress? Check. Plenty of wide-eyed moments? Check. Spoiled baby girl. Check, check and check!!!!!

After we returned home Christmas Eve from Disney we rushed home preparing for the relatives to arrive for a night of good eats, a Yankee Exchange and mostly just basking in Livi's glow. Olivia looked darling, I must say, in the dress Aunt Carole sent down from Massachusetts. There's no doubt our sweet daughter LOVED being the center of attention, too.

She didn't know what to make of the present thing but she really dug the wrapping paper. In fact, she thought it was so tasty, she swallowed some. Then she laughed her head off. Strange child we have but oh so cute.

She got lots and lots of gifts, including gifts sent all the way from her Massachusetts family. She got adorable clothes from Auntie Beth, Uncle Chris and Cousin Gracie, and even more stylish clothes from Cousins Cheryle, Joe, Justin and Courtney. She got lots and lots of books, mostly Dr. Seuss from Mommy and Daddy. Nana and Grampy gave her a baby doll and a toy computer since she's always trying to use her folks' laptops. Uncle Rich gave her a cool talking pig. And among her favorite gifts were a baby stroller to help her learn to walk and a plush baby doll from Auntie Sharon, Uncle Mike and Cousin Sarah. Yep, she cleaned up for sure.

Livi even enjoyed a lovely roast beef dinner at our house Christmas Day when we hosted her Nana, Grampy, Uncle Rich and his friend Geremy. By the end of the day, we were all full - and exhausted. The only thing missing, really, was our Massachusetts and Miami family. But we did have ourselves a merry little Christmas. Perfect, I guess you could say, after all.