Hilary Moon Murphy

Merry Christmas

My gosh, how original I am today. A title of “Merry Christmas” written on – Christmas? Wow.

Andy and I stayed home today and had a really quiet Christmas with Cassie, and I must say that this Christmas was quite an improvement over the last one that we spent with her. A year ago, the doctor diagnosed her with a dangerous case of infant jaundice and prescribed phototherapy for her.

This meant that Cassie got to spend last Christmas, not in the arms of her parents, but in the infant equivalent of a tanning booth. She kept trying to wriggle out from under her face shield (the lights were bright enough to cause permanent damage to her eyes) and spent Christmas howling from loneliness. We held her hand, and sang to her, and told her stories, but we couldn’t comfort her. She spent the next 48 hours under the lights, while Andy and I took turns watching Cassie in four hour shifts. By the time the ordeal was over, all three of us were exhausted, cranky wrecks.

This Christmas we slept in late, and then went downstairs in our pajamas to help Cassie open her loot. Cassie got two giant stuffed animals from her Grandma Beth, and a whole bunch homemade toys from her great-grandma Murphy. Her favorite present of all was a board book that she hugged and then dragged with her all over the house.

I only received one Christmas present -- a blank book from my friend Sabrina -- but I didn't need anything more, really. My family is happy & healthy and I had a whole wonderful day to spend with them. What more can anyone ask for, really?

Ganpati-Baba has cleared his throat sternly to let me know that I did not do any writing today. I know, and you know what? I'm just going to enjoy myself and my family today.

Merry Christmas, everyone!

Hmm