So this was the first Christmas where Alyse was actually aware of what was going on. While she didn't enjoy Santa at all (see previous post), she loved the idea of Santa. She also loved getting dressed up, proving once again, that she is truly a girly girl. :) Her dress this year was navy with silver, and Alyse loved it! Mainly because of the sparkles. She is all about anything sparkly. :)
Alyse was all smiles when we asked her to pose for the camera. She was just so excited to be in her sparkly Christmas dress, and to go see Nonna and Papa.
Alyse did pretty well at church. It was actually the first time she a) had been able to go to church without it interfering with her nap and b) she lasted through a whole church service without a meltdown, so it was definitely a good day. She loved the Christmas tree they had in the gym part of the church we were in. My dad and I took her to go look at it, and she loved the lights and ornaments.
Alyse let Papa walk her back to her seat. (She really just enjoyed the walking part. She loves to get up and move whenever she gets the chance.)
We attempted to take a family photo after church, but clearly, Ben and I were the only ones paying attention to the camera. Alyse was focused on Nonna and the presents awaiting her at home. At home and at Nonna and Papa's Alyse would always inspect the presents and try to sneak opening them. She really has a patience issue. I wonder where she gets that from?
Well, we finally got Alyse to smile for a family photo, but she was laughing at Nonna, so that is who she is looking at. I would still say this is a pretty good family photo. At least we are all smiling. :)
Alyse loved when she finally got to open presents. She had the most, so it was a lot of fun to see her reaction as she opened each one. This was the Little People Farm she got from Aunt Stacey and Uncle John. She loved it! Of course, I was a little too slow and didn't get her initial reaction shot. This was her face as we tried to reenact her reaction. Clearly, it didn't work. But she loves this farm and plays with it almost every day.
The top gift of the night was the baby doll Nonna and Papa gave Alyse. Aunt Jody and Uncle Scott gave her the stroller. As soon as she got the baby, she wanted to play with it, and as soon as she got the stroller, she wanted to put her baby in it. She got to push it around for a little while as the rest of us opened some presents. She loves the baby and stroller! She also loved the high chair from Aunt Jody and Uncle Scott, but we didn't have the ability to set it up at Nonna and Papa's so we waited until we got home and gave it to her with her Santa gifts.
The other gift Alyse absolutely LOVED was her pink cupcake blanket. It is a fleece blanket and is really soft. She wanted to just sit with it covering her legs as she played with her baby and stroller.
Honestly, Alyse's second Christmas was more like her first Christmas, because it was the first Christmas where she was aware of what was going on. She loved opening presents. Each toy she opened she wanted to play with right away. Ben and I got more joy out of watching Alyse open her presents than opening our own presents. She was just so excited every time.
Papa tried to get Alyse excited about Santa, but it didn't work. She was still terrified, even though it was Papa dressed in Santa's clothes. Rather than get excited and happy about Santa, she cried and said, "No Mommy." She went to Nonna right away. She wanted nothing to do with Santa. Maybe next year that will change since she will be older.
Minus the Santa incident, Alyse's second Christmas was the best so far.
