How to Make Baby's First Christmas Special Amid COVID-19

We're Keeping (and Making) Our Own Traditions

Image Source: Emilee Janitz

We'll miss inviting our family members and friends over for our annual Christmas Cookie Day and sharing meals during the various Christmas dinners we attend on both sides of our family. But we have reminded ourselves that Christmas isn't cancelled and have upheld as many traditions as possible while isolating at home. We decorated the tree as a family, made the cookies we look forward to each year, and have had our favourite holiday movies playing on repeat.

In place of some of our usual social traditions, we've also been looking to create new traditions, including going out for drives to look at Christmas lights and making salt-dough ornaments out of our little guy's handprints.

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We're Bonding as a Family Unit

Image Source: Emilee Janitz

Unfortunately, many of our extended family members are unable to isolate at home. This means the only interaction our son has had with his family members aside from his parents has been through our mudroom window and the occasional wave from a safe distance outside. While it's been sad not being able to spend time with extended family, we're using the opportunity to bond as much as possible as a new little family of three (five if you count the dogs).

Since my husband and I both started working from home at the beginning of the pandemic, our relationship has never been stronger, and the love and bond we feel now between ourselves and our son is indescribable.

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We're Cherishing the Small Things

Image Source: Emilee Janitz

To keep from being dragged down by the obvious disappointments, we're wrapping ourselves up in the small moments and cherishing them for what they are. The pandemic will inevitably end, and holidays will once again feel normal. Our son will never be this little again. We're making a point to take the time to appreciate him and this phase of our lives, capturing plenty of photos and videos along the way. Will we have large family dinners and gift exchanges this year? No. But we will have baby snuggles and the sound of infant coos.

Sure, this Christmas looks different from those of the past and certainly from what I envisioned for our son's first. But different doesn't have to mean bad or ruined. For us — with a little extra effort and a change in perspective — different will mean special and memorable.

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