Can we do Christmas every day?

After a solid week of a child who was refusing to eat, sleep, or be entertained by anything for more than 2 minutes, Christmas had been the very last thing on my mind.

Historically, I have been a Christmas freak - a girl version of Ralphie from "A Christmas Story" -calling up family members and taunting them about their Christmas gifts, playing The Muppets Christmas CD infinitely, and checking my stocking every few minutes to see if the "Elves" had stopped by (this was a tradition my parents started when I was little to take the edge off of the wait, and till this day I still hope for surprise stocking stuffers to magically arrive...)

But this year, no matter how hard I willed it, the Christmas spirit could not battle Livija's constant grunts of boredom, fits of frantic frustration at the bottle, or pacifiers chucked across the room like they were coming out of an automated tennis ball machine. Additionally, Livija's shrieks at the television anytime Santa appeared, was not assuring me she was ready for Christmas either.

With Christmas Eve approaching (the night my family opens presents) I dreaded the hours that the family would be at my house, and when Livija would freak out from overstimulation. I envisioned a baby who as soon as she saw the living room full of presents and oogling Grandparents, would spit-up in shock and whiz her pacifier at my sisters dog doing figure eights around the Christmas tree.

When the time arrived to wake Livija from her slumber and introduce her to Christmas, I carefully put her in her Christmas dress. To my surprise, Livija looked at herself in the mirror and posed like a supermodel - she loved it! We sat together, admiring the corduroy masterpiece with applique bears, and shared a moment of hope - maybe this wouldn't be so bad after all!

I brought Livija down the stairs, and a reception of "oooohs" and "ahhhhs" and flashes on cameras greeted my little Tyra. No fat lips, no cries of despair, Livija was psyched to get this Christmas thing rolling! She patiently endured the hand off between the cooing Grandmothers (who haven't quite figured out that Livija is neither deaf nor blind, and does not need voices at rock concert decibels or faces so close she could lick them) and sat willingly in her Grandfathers lap (and, in fact, promptly charmed the crowd as she grasped his beard).

As Mommy started to open a present for Livija, to my surprise she grabbed for the package in eager delight. She tore at the paper, grasped the ribbons, and spent the whole time with mouth gaping in 1st Christmas merriment. There was no overstimulated, crying baby. Not once was a pacifier squealed for. Livija was lovin' it.

After two hours of presents, the tell-tale rubbing of the eyes came. I wound her down with a good bath, but she was too tired for food or stories. I prepared myself for another long night of being up every half hour to replace the pacifier or re-wrap the swaddle. However, to our wonderful Christmas wonder, Livija slept peacefully (well, peacefully for Livija...she was still up three times and needed to be fed, but that's magical to us).

This morning she has been happy as a clam, and even woke up to slurp down 6 ounces. We still have Christmas Day to get through, and one more party to endure, but I'm already wondering, can we do Christmas every day?????