I can honestly say that last Christmas was the worst Christmas ever, and I’m counting the time I drove home from Chicago on Christmas Eve and had to deal with ice the whole way through Michigan, a massive accident after the border, and not getting to my parents’ house until almost 3 AM.
Last year was brutal for many reasons. Of course, I had no idea I’d be around for Christmas since I was admitted to the hospital in November. With the pregnancy I was having, it just seemed hard to celebrate and then the ice storm had us lose power and hot water for two weeks and meant dividing our time between my parents’ and a hotel.
With me being in the hospital and the one who adores Christmas, we didn’t even bother putting up the tree. My Christmas tree last year was the hospital’s which was decorated with notes about drunk driving. Festive.
This year, I feel like I’m combining the two years. I started my Christmas spirit way earlier this year. The shopping is pretty much done, save for my nephew’s gift, the tree is up and decorated and the music has been playing for a couple weeks.
My Christmas tree is a little Charlie Brownish, I’ve had it almost ten years and some of the lights don’t work anymore, but it’s still pretty; filled with decorations from my childhood and vacations. The kids love it, fascinated by the lights, Buds asking about the ornaments, his favourite a wagon full of puppies.
I really do love Christmas and the feeling it brings, so much so that Ella’s middle name is Noël, in hopes that she too would be full of love.
Adventures With Multiples 
“My Christmas tree last year was the hospital’s which was decorated with notes about drunk driving. Festive.”
LMAO! I never even noticed the drunk driving notes.
It’s hard not to think of this year as baby’s first Christmas, though when I see ornaments, etc. with that phrase it doesn’t feel quite right because it’s technically not true. I feel better knowing she’ll get the full experience this year: spending it with happy family members, stockings hung by the fireplace, her Grandma’s ridiculously delicious cooking, waking up to see a backyard full of snow, presents under the tree (I predict she’ll like the paper and boxes more), decorations galore. We’ll feel so much better having a Christmas with no PICC line, OG tube, ventilator, or having to ask before picking her up to hug her. And no hospital cafeteria food, either!
I had to laugh at the drunk driving ornaments!! How depressing!
My twins were born on Dec 14 although we’d thought for sure I’d still be stuck on hospital bed rest on Christmas Day. I remember sitting in the car Christmas morning, heading to the hospital to see the kids in the NICU, talking to my husband about how freaking weird this all was – it’s Christmas, you know?! It all seemed so wrong. This Christmas will be the second “real” Christmas for us with the kids, and I hope that the more of them we get under our belts as the years go by, the less vivid the memory of that first, awful Christmas will be. Hope you have a lovely day with your family this year.