Christmas Day with the Baby

Christmas at the house, and the baby got the full treatment: red snowflake hat with earflaps, red jumper, held up for everyone in front of the fireplace next to her grandpa in his own red sweater. They matched without anyone quite planning it.

She lasted through the fuss longer than expected, then went down hard on his lap — stretched out across his knees in her pink dotted pajamas, mouth open, out completely while he sat there grinning and not moving an inch. He kept a hand on her the whole time and let everyone else get up for dessert.

She came back around later on a blanket with the stuffed dog from her stocking, working out what to do with it. Mostly she stared at it and flexed her fingers near its ear. Good enough for a first pass at presents.