Thank you all so much for sharing your Christmas traditions. I read every single comment (y’all left some long comments and I loved it) and really enjoyed reading about your favorite traditions and the way you plan to spend your Christmas this year.
There are so many things I want to remember to do for Hudson for his first Christmas. The hope is also that we will continue to do the really special things every year for him and for our future children.
I realized on Saturday that we had not yet taken him to visit Santa Claus. I’ve avoided those areas at the malls for many many years, so it was strange to think about getting in line to take a picture with Santa again. But I couldn’t let my baby boy miss out on that!
On Sunday after church, we ventured to a side of town (full of chain restaurants, our best mall, and shopping centers) that I rarely go to because I don’t deal well with gobs of people. This is why we never eat at Olive Garden, too. I don’t like crowds and I prefer local establishments. Okay. Enough with that rant.
So we’re at the mall, and we get in line to see Santa. I seriously thought we’d be in and out of the mall in 30 minutes tops. Nope. The line rivaled the line to get on the Texas Giant at Six Flags on the fourth of July. Insane. Line. To. See. Santa.
Then after about fifteen minutes we realized that the line had not moved at all and we started to wonder what was going on. Then we discovered that the camera had broken and no one was sitting on Santa’s lap. Poor Santa. Poor tons of people in line.
(My mom informed me that North Park Mall in Dallas gives you a number when you visit Santa Claus and they assign a time for you to come back. Genius Dallas folk.)
Hudson started to get restless and I just knew that we’d never last long enough to meet Santa on Sunday. So we left. We knew that we’d bring him back, but it made more sense for me to bring him back on a weekday morning when the crowd was smaller. But I didn’t want Todd to miss it.
So Hudson and I got dressed earlier than usual this morning and then we ventured out to the mall again. I never go to that side of town and there we were again!
We stood in a very short line this morning behind a very kind family. Hudson was very talkative and was charming all the people around us. I taught him how to say “ho ho ho” while we stood there and explained to him that he needed to tell Santa what he wanted for Christmas. He was so excited to sit on Santa’s lap. The sweet elf behind the camera even let me take a picture with my own camera after I bought one of her pictures!
When we finished up with Santa Claus, Hudson and I just strolled around the mall (and I didn’t buy a thing). He fell asleep and I enjoyed just walking. I got a Caramel Brulee Latte from Starbucks and enjoyed having some time out of the house. He slept for about thirty minutes and then we went on home.
You think he was happy to be on Santa’s lap?
I scrolled down and said ‘OH MY GOSH” out loud. That’s all I can say. I love this little guy.
He is such a little ham! I love it!!!! Just presh!!!
What a cutie! I love that smile and outfit.
Look how PUMPED he is to see Santa!!! Too cute, as always! And that is one legit looking Mr. Claus as well!
What an adorable, happy baby!
Omg, cuter than cute. Even Santa is mesmerized!!
He has the sweetest smile!
what a doll! cutest santa picture ever!
Oh my goodness. I love watching that little guy grow, he is so stinking adorable!! LOVE that outfit he has on.
Super cute pic…Hudson is the happiest little guy!
Oh look at that precious smile!! We always went to the no longer existent Woodhill Mall to see the “real” Santa Claus as my mom called him. But the best mall in Cola’s Santa is looking pretty good!
That is the BEST Santa photo I’ve ever seen. Even the background is gorgeous. He is sooooo precious Erin!
How cute!!! Your little one is SO adorable!
Oh my gosh – what a great picture! Hudson had the exact opposite reaction to Santa than my friend’s little boy. 🙂
I am also not a fan of the chains and the holiday mobs!! What a cute picture!! He hearts the jolly man!
Look at that grin! So adorable- I think my uterus is hurting now 🙂
What a precious picture with santa, especially since most kids cry! You were brave to go to the mall on a sunday in December!
Wow, that is the happiest baby I have ever seen on Santa’s lap. ADORABLE!
I love the picture. He is adorable!!
Seriously, that sweet boy has no fear because most babies would be screaming their heads off. Precious photo!!!!!! 🙂
He is so cute! I remember going to see Santa was always an ordeal. My mom has a Santa pic with the kids from every year framed and she puts up a display of them all each Christmas.
Awww loving it! My nephew did not have the same happy reaction unfortunately haha. Looks like Hudson was loving it!
He´s so adorable.Congratulations!!
Oh my gosh, happiest baby and Santa picture ever! That’s great–I love it.
My little sis got her picture with Santa at NP last year and it really is genius because my parents got a time that was like 3 hours away, so, they went to lunch, went shopping and then it was time for Santa pictures–no real waiting in line. Genius.
Seriously very cute! How awesome that he wasn’t scared a bit – looks like he’s loving it! And what a terrific Santa!
Love that smile!!
SO cute!!!
He’s a cutie patootie!! You caught a great smile! My mom told me I was deathly afraid of Santa when I was little, but my little guy has always been pretty fond of him! I remember the days when Walkie was little and would just hang out in the stroller – I would walk for hours at the mall just looking!
What a happy baby! That is just so stinking cute!!!
This is such a cute photo!
Sweet boy! I’ve never seen a baby so happy to sit on Santa’s lap before! Such a cute Santa set-up too!
That is too sweet! I am taking my little one on Monday of next week. I hope our picture turns out as cute!
You are so lucky! Mac hated Santa the first year we took him. This year was better though. Love the Starbucks Creme Brulee Latte. I am addicted to them. Enjoy this time with Hudson. It goes so fast. He is so cute! Oh and I hate the mall too. I also hate chain dining. Unfortunately I live in town that only has chains.
HOW PRECIOUS!!! You’re such a good mommy! 🙂
Oh he is just the most precious little boy ever! So glad you were able to do this!
Precious!! And Santa even looks like Santa! How adorable!
aww, beautiful, happy baby boy!!!!
new to your blog and love it!! 🙂
That is adorable!! My oldest son (26 months) freaked out… screaming, reaching for me, I truly felt like we were torturing him! My youner son (5 months) was so beyond tired with the first Santa we sat with, and by the time we got to the good mall Santa he was sleeping. Here’s to hoping that next year will turn out better. 🙂
You got a GREAT picture of your little man. Absolutely PRECIOUS!
That is such a cute Christmas picture!!! I LOVE IT! I also love that you taught him how to say “ho ho ho!” haha
SOOOOOOOOOO ADORABLE!!!!!
Absolutely adorable! He is such a happy little guy 🙂
I love it! What an adorable Santa picture! Hudson is just too cute!
I still haven’t taken our little guy to see Santa yet. I think I’m going follow your lead and hit the mall on a weekday vs. this Saturday.
Erin, that is such a precious photo- Hudson seems like the happiest baby ever!!
Eeee!!! SO CUTE!! That little guy just loves the camera!! I’m pregnant with our first and my husband I I were at the mall this weekend, and when we saw the line for Santa, we talked about how that would be us next year, and with our luck, our child will be screaming his/her head off when we hand them over to Santa! Something to look forward to next holiday season 🙂
Oh, I love it!!!!!!
I love how happy he looks! LOL, Santa seems to be thinking, “Oh, I like this kid! A happy one, for once.”
What a story for a baby’s first Christmas. I’m glad he ended up getting such a cute picture!
oh man he’s just the cutest 🙂 i love that boy!
wish i could see him more 🙁
love, his ‘aunt’ catherine
Love that picture. A tradition in our house, we have a lovely, long… red velvet ribbon and each year, a Santa picture has been attached to that ribbon. My children are in their 20’s and they were gracious enough to do the Santa picture til the end of high school. So I have about 20 pictures on this ribbon and everyone loves to look at it each Christmas. Just a thought for you.
What a cute picture!! He is just the cuties little man. Congrats on one of your local malls having a pretty good santa too.. much better then the ones we had back in the 80’s!!
What a happy boy!
OH MY GOODNESS ~ that is the cutest picture EVER!!!
I cannot handle his cuteness. Seriously. And I want a pic like this next year for sure!
This is so cute. I took BabyGirl to the Christmas Festival at church on Saturday and she saw Santa. I guess, technically, she didn’t though because she was asleep. We got her picture made anyway.
Merry Christmas!
WHAT??? You don’t go to Olive Garden??? You are missing out! There are always crowds of people there for a reason. Yuuuuuummmm!
OMG, can you say A.D.O.R.A.B.L.E!! What an awesome picture! I hate that TC missed out on that too, but this picture almost makes up for it!
PS. Got the new Rebel TI…I’m in love!
That is one of the cutest Santa pics. ever! So many times when kids are that young they get scared by Santa, but it’s great to see Hudson enjoying his first visit!
CA-YUTE!!!!!!!!!
So precious! I can’t believe he wasn’t afraid of Santa. What a great keepsake.
YAY! He looks so happy! The screaming kids always make me sad when I see the picture of them with Santa. Glad it came out so good! 🙂
He looks THRILLED!!!! I think he hearts Santa! That is a great thing!
ohmygosh my heart just melted….
Sweet Hudson!! I am glad he got to meet Santa!! He looks so excited 🙂