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Dear Holly: Your 1st Christmas (A Very Warm One)

8 months.

Dear Holly: Your 1st Christmas (A Very Warm One)

Dear Holly,

With all the Christmas music I’ve been hearing for the past month, I realized just how Christmas-themed your name is. It’s hard to find a song without either the word “holly” or “joy” in it. I suppose it will always be too tempting for Mommy and me to say “Have a Holly Jolly Christmas” on our Christmas cards.

Dear Holly: Your 1st Christmas (A Very Warm One)

However, it would be difficult to fit your brother into that theme, as Jack has more of a natural Halloween theme.

Your brother’s first Christmas, 6 years ago, was filled with snow. However, yours was sunny and in the lower 70’s. And obviously you were more aware of what was going on for your first Christmas, as you turned 8 months old on Christmas Eve; whereas your brother was only a month old on his first Christmas.

Dear Holly: Your 1st Christmas (A Very Warm One)

Therefore, you weren’t simply a newborn baby who was completely unaware of the glory of Christmas. Instead, you were a very aware little girl who learned to crawl just in time for extra fun!

While your brother obviously helped you unwrap your gifts, and took pride in doing so, you undeniably loved being able to savor the surprise of each new gift box that was placed in front of you.

Dear Holly: Your 1st Christmas (A Very Warm One) h6

The main gift Mommy and I bought you is a ball pit just big enough for you for play in. We also got you a picnic play set as well.

You loved all your gifts. I’m really looking forward to helping you play with them; especially as Mommy prepares dinner each evening while my role is to entertain you.

Dear Holly: Your 1st Christmas (A Very Warm One)

I know that you can be just as easily occupied by playing with a Rubbermaid container on the kitchen floor. I realize and admit that so much of the fun of giving an 8 month-old little girl an array of age-appropriate toys for Christmas is getting to see your cute reactions to them.

But I’m okay with that.

Love,

Daddy

Dear Holly: Your 1st Christmas (A Very Warm One)

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Dear Holly: A Weekend of Crawling, Pink Eye, and Getting Your Picture Taken with Santa

7 months.

Dear Holly: A Weekend of Crawling, Pink Eye, and Getting Your Picture Taken with Santa

Dear Holly,

Though we didn’t take you outside to see it yourself, it has now officially snowed for the first time since you’ve been born. However, I did take your brother out for a few frigid minutes so he could play.

Actually, he helped me out by carrying some of your dirty diapers to the garbage, on his Spiderman skateboard.

It obviously wasn’t a good idea to take you outside in the cold, as you were in the middle of your introduction to pink eye.

Dear Holly: A Weekend of Crawling, Pink Eye, and Getting Your Picture Taken with Santa

However, that didn’t stop you from taking advantage of every moment to practice you newly acquired skill of crawling on the floor; something you conveniently learned just in time to show Nonna and Papa for Christmas.

You also had a lot of fun getting all dressed up to go get your picture made with Santa. Even at your young age, it is apparent to me you are totally enjoying being introduced to Christmas traditions.

With your big brother right next to you on Santa’s lap, you weren’t afraid at all of Santa, his elves, and all the bright lights. While you didn’t have a clue what was actually going on, you had a good time anyway.

Dear Holly: A Weekend of Crawling, Pink Eye, and Getting Your Picture Taken with Santa

I even got to see you open your first Christmas gift this week; one of your aunts sent you and your brother Jack some gifts. I loved being able to see you begin to tear the princess-themed wrapping paper off; with a little help from your brother.

We are now just a few days away from Christmas. As an adult, I am at least just as excited as you and your brother about Christmas. I am so excited about seeing your reaction to you opening your gifts, and inevitably, playing in all the wrapper paper afterwards.

Love,

Daddy

Dear Holly: A Weekend of Crawling, Pink Eye, and Getting Your Picture Taken with Santa

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Dear Holly: I’m Currently Obsessed with This Picture of You at the Circus

7 months.

Dear Holly: I’m Currently Obsessed with This Picture of You at the Circus

Dear Holly,

I am constantly taking pictures of you; wherever we are. But in particular, out of the hundreds I took during our family’s visit to the circus this past Saturday, there is one that I just can’t get over…

It’s the picture I captioned on Facebook with, “Fascinated by it all.”

While your brother definitely enjoyed the circus, I’m convinced that you were even more intrigued than he was. The way your big blue eyes were wide open, as well as your mouth, as you appeared to be mesmerized by what you are seeing.

From the lights, to the music, to the acrobats… you were truly fascinated by it all.

The world is still very new to you. I see it every day with you; that you are full of wonder and awe of everything that is presented to you.

But I also love how simply adorable you are in the picture. Your cuteness is very evident to me. The lights hit your skin in a way that really brings out the pink in your tone, which happens to match your cute little hoodie.

I’ve saved this picture on my phone as the wallpaper. I love to see it throughout the day- and I really enjoy showing off your picture to people. For those who haven’t seen a picture of you recently, this one is an exceptional photo to show them.

Seriously, you are such an adorable little baby girl.

You do this thing where if you are laying down and you see me walking towards you from across the other side of the room, you smile so big and so proud as if to say, “Daddy, aren’t I pretty?”

My answer will be the same every time: Of course you are… and don’t forget precious too!

Love,

Daddy

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Dear Holly: You are Officially Learning to Crawl

7 months.

Dear Holly: You are Officially Learning to Crawl

Dear Holly,

I have to remind myself that babies don’t just start crawling all at once. Instead, there is a subtle process leading up to it. And I’d have to say, you’re clearly in it right now.

It was like the moment you were able to start sitting up on your own was the moment you realized that you had the necessary basic skills to start teaching yourself to crawl.

The hardwood floor in the kitchen works pretty well for you, as compared to the carpet in the living room.

Mommy and I were seeing you go through the motions of crawling… without actually moving. You wanted it so bad. After our past couple of visits to Alabama when you saw your Cousin Darla crawling, you’ve set a goal to be able to join her.

Dear Holly: You are Officially Learning to Crawl

And you’re now showing some actual movement.

Over the weekend, Mommy motivated you by placing her phone a few feet away from you. Then I did the same thing with an empty bag of Bear Naked Granola Bites. You love squeezing empty, noisy bags. It is quite the authentic motivation for you.

I realize that you’ll be keeping me that much more on my toes once you’re able to crawl around, but I really won’t mind. This past week, I’ve really appreciated the fact I’ve been able to help Mommy prepare and clean up dinner.

Up until now, it’s been necessary for me to sit on the floor with you. Now that you can sit up, you enjoy having “activity time” on the floor.

I’m not rushing you growing up, but I definitely celebrate you accomplishing new things.

It’s like you are able to reason that the next big thing in life for you is being able to crawl. It’s like I can tell you want to do this not only for yourself, but also Mommy and me.

Love,

Daddy

Dear Holly: You are Officially Learning to Crawl

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Frankincense Actually Helps My 7 Month-Old Daughter Sleep through the Night (No, I Don’t Sell Essential Oils- Sincere 3rd Party Testimonial)

Frankincense Actually Helps My 7 Month-Old Daughter Sleep through the Night (No, I Don’t Sell Essential Oils- Sincere 3rd Party Testimonial)

I want to be clear about two things right off the bat:

First, I do not sell essential oils nor do I make any supplemental income from endorsing them; nor am I involved in any kind of platform network to promote essential oils. Similarly, I am not affiliated with any brand, distributor, or salesperson.

In other words, I truly am a 3rd party. I’m a regular guy with zero interest in selling essential oils.

The 2nd thing I want to be clear on is that a month and a half ago, I patiently/strategically/successfully trained my infant daughter to sleep through the night. Therefore, I am not saying that Frankincense is the reason my daughter sleeps through the night- instead, I’m claiming that Frankincense helps her sleep more solidly through the night, as opposed to not using Frankincense at all.

So for the past month and a half my wife, my daughter, and I have been getting much better sleep. Life has been much more enjoyable since then.

For well over a month now, there has been no need to feed our daughter after 9 PM nor to feed her before 5:30 AM; nor to change her diaper. She sleeps through the night, thanks to my deliberate sleep training strategy that I also used our son who is now 6 years old.

However, there have been many nights in which I have had to run upstairs to place our daughter’s pacifier in her mouth, after hearing her start crying during the night. Once I placed the pacifier back in, she’s typically been fine for the next several hours.

Fortunately, my wife figured out along the way that Frankincense essential oil has had a lot to do with the nights that our daughter never cries once through the night; meaning that literally I don’t have to wake up again after I fall asleep either.

To be clear, the nights my wife didn’t use Frankincense essential oil in the diffuser in our daughter’s room, our baby girl was more likely to wake up during the night and need me to slip the pacifier back in.

But when Frankincense was used in the diffuser, she was more likely to not wake up at all again until morning time.

(By the way, I never even bought the essential oil or the diffuser- my mom gave them to us.)

This is my real life. I am a real person. This is my human experience. I have no need (or monetary reason) to prove Frankincense helps my 7 month-old daughter sleep better. I simply am writing about this to help other parents out there.

I just know it works.

Now, ready to buy some essential oils from me? Just kidding.

I do not sell essential oils. Remember?