A bundle of joy in Santa’s sack

When you decide that you want to have a baby, there’s nothing more joyous than discovering that you are pregnant.

At first it’s a private joy, shared between you and your partner and possibly close relatives and friends. Then comes the announcement and the joy is amplified with each good wish. Moms relive their own emotional high, recalling the anticipation of a baby coming into their life.

Christmas time always reminds me of my first pregnancy. After a year of “trying”, which included some medical intervention to deal with fertility issues, the confirmation that I was on my way to creating a baby, was the best gift I’d ever received and it will never be topped. I didn’t even feel compelled to compile my usual extensive wish list. Nothing needed…wish granted.

Among the staff at City Parent and our sister publications and enterprises, there is always at least one person who is pregnant and someone off on maternity or parental leave. We get to anticipate the birth, gush over images of the new babies and welcome them in for visits.

I’m hoping the new parents have people in their lives that can grant some of the wishes listed in “How to help new parents make the holidays special” http://cityparent.com/posts/1421-how-to-help-new-parents-make-the-holidays-special. The article points out that when babies arrive around the busyness of Christmas, parents might experience more stress than if their new family member was delivered at another time of year. No matter when baby arrives, some help with meals and shopping is always welcome.

In addition to a lot of extra chores, babies also bring the opportunity to experience life through their eyes. As babies get older, Christmas is a chance for parents to rekindle childhood traditions and start some of their own. Santa left ash boot prints on the fireplace hearth at our house for the boys to see when they grabbed their stockings from the mantel in the morning.

When I was little, the sound of sleigh bells could be heard just after my brother and I had been tucked into bed. We would squeeze our eyes shut and hope that Santa thought we were sleeping. He was clearly easy to deceive since the fact that he delivered our gifts meant he actually thought we’d been “good” all year.

Pretending and playing isn’t just for kids. It brings us joy, just like new babies.