Chapter 33

The next morning after eating breakfast, John and I set to work by decorating the apartment for Christmas. We had an artificial tree to put in the corner of the living room. It was the tree he and Randy had bought last year. They let Torrie and I decorate their apartment for Christmas. We made the guys buy a large artificial tree instead of the little artificial tree Amy and I had put on our coffee table.

We set up the tree and then put lights on. Then we decorated it with silver, gold, red, and green ornaments of balls and other shapes.

"I have a present for you and then one for Little Johnny," John said.

"Ooh, I love presents," I said.

"I know you do."

John had stepped out of the room and grabbed something. Then he came back in. He had two ornaments in hand. "Here's this one." John handed me an ornament ball that said the year and "Our First Christmas Together"

"I love the thought, but our first Christmas was last year," I said.

"I know, but it is our first Christmas in our own apartment," John said.

I nodded my head. "Plus we're practically married. We're engaged." I put the ornament on the tree.

"Very true. Then this one is for Little Johnny for his first Christmas." John showed me the other ornament. It too was a Christmas Ball, but it said the year and "Baby's First Christmas."

"Perfect," I said. I took it and too placed it on the tree. "There now the tree is complete."

"Do you want to go Christmas shopping?" John asked.

"Hell no," I said. "We have to plan before we go Christmas shopping."

"Plan?"

"Yes, we have to write down everyone we want to get presents for. Then we need to figure out what we want to get those people. That is how I have done it for years."

"I usually just give gift cards to my friends and brothers. Then I bought something for mom and dad, and the same if I have a girlfriend."

"Yes, well, this year we are going to plan on doing our shopping as a couple, except when you want to get me something and when I want to get you something."

"Hey, I'll take sexual favors," John said. "That can be your present to. God knows that's all I've been getting since L.J. was born."

"Hey, you're lucky I give you all your sexual favors. I can't have sex at all. My body can't have any type of sex until my doctor says so," I said.

"Having kids really puts a damper on the sex life."

"Yes, it does. But we're in love despite the sex, right?"

"Of course. I love you for you. You have made my life a little bit better and brighter. Then when you gave birth to our son it got much brighter."

"Same here," I said. "All I had ever wanted in my mid-teens and early twenties was to find my true love and to be a mom. I have both of those and it is all thanks to you."

"You know you didn't just make my life better and brighter. You made my parents and brothers' lives better and brighter too. They are all grandparents and uncles. They love L.J. and you. Plus Boog owes a lot to you, because his girlfriend is your baby sister."

"Yes, Melissa says that to me all the time. 'Oh, Trish, it's thanks to you that I met Sean and have a great relationship.' I toot my own horn at that one."

"Oh, yes, Boog thanks me in the same manner. 'It is thanks to you and Trish that I met Melissa and we are hopelessly in love.'"

"'Hopelessly in love?'" I asked.

"Yep. Boog says is hopelessly in love Melissa. He couldn't help it from the first time he saw her."

"Oh, your brother is so cute."

"That's what the girls have been telling me his whole life," John said.

I chuckled. "He may be cute, but you're cuter."

"Thanks."

"Do you want to watch some Christmas movies or something?" I asked.

"Let's do our Christmas shopping list," John suggested.

"Even better."

John and I both sat down at the kitchen. I had a notebook and a pen in hand. "Okay, so let's start with my family," I said.

"Okay," John said.

"There are my parents, Christie and Jake, Melissa, Grandma and Grandpa, Nana and Pappy, and my aunts and uncles…" I trailed off and wrote all my aunts and uncles' names down, the same with my cousins. "Okay, now let's do your family."

"All right, there's Dad, Mom, Steve and Chelsea, Dan and Ally, Matt and Kourtney, Boog," John said. I wrote all those names down. I then put his grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins. I read a list out loud.

"Yep, you have everyone," John said.

"Good," I said. "Let's do our friends. I'll take care of Amy and Torrie gift wise, if you take care of Phil and Randy."

"No problem there."

"Good." I wrote their names down. "Okay, I have the people at work who I want to do something for." I wrote the names down of my co-workers. "Are you going to do anything for your co-workers?"

"Yeah, I want to do something for Michael, Bill, and Charlie," John said.

I wrote their names down for him to take care of. I read off the names of friends and co-workers.

"Oh, I want to do something for my boss, because he has been a saint through the whole pregnancy. A lot of bosses wouldn't be."

"He's a family man, right?" John said.

"Correct," I replied.

"Well, there you go. I find it very cool that your firm provides a day care center for employees with children."

"Oh, yeah, we're going to save a fortune on child care costs. I do have to provide my own diapers and all that, but they'll change diapers and everything. I have even talked with the workers in the day care center and they love what they do, dirty diapers and all."

"Good, because our little man eats a lot and poops a lot," John said.

"That he does," I said. "But he's so cute."

"Of course, he takes after his old man."

I smiled. Life was good.