Emily M. DeArdo

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Hailey

Blogmas '22 Day 11: Welcome, Miss Hailey

blogmas, Hailey, familyEmily DeArdoComment
a newborn baby girl wrapped in a red swaddle with her hands on top of each other. Her eyes are closed and she has a red headband with a red rose in the middle, lace, and a small brass bell. She's sleeping in a basket.

Hailey Rose DeArdo

December 15, 2022 at 3:24 A M

6 lbs, 2 oz, 20” long

Hailey was the best Christmas gift this year! She obviously could not wait to get out and spend Christmas with us, so instead of being a New Year’s baby, she’s a Christmas baby.

She is so sweet, and really, is there anything sweeter than a newborn at Christmas? I don’t think so, especially when I get to spend Christmas Eve with a snuggled up baby on my chest.

A newborn girl in a red sleeper is asleep on a woman's chest. The woman is earring a navy blue sweatshirt.

Because she was a little early and there’s so much respiratory crap going around this year, the pediatrician asked us to wear masks if we’re holding her, hence my face gear. :) But it’s me!

Music: This is one of my FAVORITES—”The Seven Rejoices of Mary”, sung by Loreena McKennit.



Blogmas '22 Day 6: Maddie's First Christmas

blogmas, Madeleine, family, ChristmasEmily DeArdoComment

It actually ended up being a first Christmas for both my nieces—Hailey, as I wrote in an earlier post, wasn’t supposed to celebrate hers until next year! But she decided she couldn’t wait and had to have it now.

She spent her first Christmas Eve snoozing on my chest, which I have to say is a great way to spend Christmas on my end.

But for Miss Maddie, who is almost a year old, her first Christmas was very exciting!

She loved her Advent calendar—the little figures with their velcro backs were very intriguing to her (and sometimes they got stuck on her clothes!). She loved playing with them and placing them on the nativity scene.

She also had a couple of trees—one in her room:

And one that she could play with:

It had a train and ornaments too!

Her Advent/Christmas corner!


Madeleine did go to see Santa! She wasn’t scared of him, I don’t think, more…intrigued.

And YES, Santa commented on her missing boot! :) Maddie is still fighting against shoes and socks.


And they went to see the lights at the zoo!

For her first Christmas she got….a tricycle! That’s foot powered! I have never seen one of these and I think it’s adorable.

My sister made some great meals, which of course Madeleine enjoyed.

She wants food, lots of food!


And her birthday is at the beginning of January, so it’s going to be party-palooza for Maddie over the next week or so. In my opinion she had a highly excellent first Christmas!