How having a baby gives me an enriched perspective on Christmas

Nicole will be 3 weeks old for her very first Christmas. 3 weeks isn't exactly old enough to decorate sugar cookies, pull ornaments off the Christmas tree, or enjoy the magic of Santa, so in many ways this Christmas will be fairly normal for the Kelly family. (When I say "normal", I mean not much different than how Christmas would be without a child.)

Nicole has helped me gain a deeper appreciation for the season in a special way, though.

I was sitting on the couch, baby girl was nursing, the Christmas tree was all lit up... it was a quiet, peaceful sort of morning. My mind kept marveling over the tiny human in my arms - how helpless, meek, and innocent she was. That was the day that The Piano Guys came out with their record-breaking Nativity video. I encourage you to watch it on YouTube, it's a beautiful arrangement. It had only been published online an hour or two when I discovered it, and I watched it immediately.

During the video, we see Mary, Joseph, and the infant Jesus. The magnitude of seeing that baby in the manger hit me hard at that moment - I looked back and forth between the video and the little girl in my arms in complete awe. I had heard the Nativity story my whole life, but it had never occurred to me with such potency that the Savior of the World began His life as a tiny, helpless babe like the one I held.

Needing to be cradled, to be comforted, to be cared for. The Greatest of us all was born in the most humble of circumstances, with no bed to be laid in and no room at the inn for his laboring mother. Having a baby of my own all of a sudden opened my eyes to how truly incredible the whole situation was. How amazing it must have been for Mary to hold that teeny infant and know what He would grow up to do.

Jesus was once a baby! You guys!!! A small and helpless baby like Nicole! I suppose I can't find the words to completely and accurately convey how this realization has touched me... but thanks to my baby girl, this Christmas holds deeper meaning than any before. May we all remember the real Reason for the holiday season and take a moment to appreciate the miracle that occurred years ago in the form of a tiny, innocent baby.

Merry Christmas, everyone.