EVANSVILLE, Ind. Theres no better place to nap than on Santas soft, bowl-full-of-jelly belly.
Just ask 6-month-old Zeke Walters, who fell asleep in line while waiting to visit the big guy at the Eastland Mall in Indiana last week. His parents, Donnie and Kelli Walters, thought about taking their baby home and returning when he was awake, but Santa wouldnt have it, according to Yahoo Parenting.
Santa came over and said, Please stay and keep him asleep, Donnie Walters told Yahoo.
Santa who has 33 years of experience under his belt (or, in this case, his suspenders) lay across his big green chair and asked Zekes parents to lift the baby out of his stroller. They placed the baby right across Saint Nicks chest somehow managing to keep him asleep. In his other arm, Santa clutched his trusty book The Night Before Christmas and closed his eyes to join Zeke in the land of slumber.
If the ensuing photos dont put you in the holiday spirit, nothing will.
Walters posted the images of his sons nap with Santa on Facebook, and theyve since gone viral over multiple social-media platforms, including Reddit and Imgur. The original Facebook photo has been liked and shared hundreds of thousands of times since Thursday.
Its been just amazing, the response weve gotten to it, Walters told the Huffington Post. Im getting messages from all over the place.
Walters, a stay-at-home dad and disabled Army veteran, said he has no idea how the photo spread so quickly but that the response has been overwhelmingly positive. People seem to be as moved by the sweet interaction as he was.
Of the 22 million views and the numerous amounts of comments, there hasnt been anything negative said, he told Huffington Post. Everybody is just so sweet and so kind and saying how its their favorite picture.
This isn't the first time this particular Santa has made headlines. Last year, 3-year-old Gracie Lynn saw him eating a meal alone at a local restaurant and decided to give him some company by joining him at his booth, according to WFIE News.
Photos of that interaction went viral, too.
Just ask 6-month-old Zeke Walters, who fell asleep in line while waiting to visit the big guy at the Eastland Mall in Indiana last week. His parents, Donnie and Kelli Walters, thought about taking their baby home and returning when he was awake, but Santa wouldnt have it, according to Yahoo Parenting.
Santa came over and said, Please stay and keep him asleep, Donnie Walters told Yahoo.
Santa who has 33 years of experience under his belt (or, in this case, his suspenders) lay across his big green chair and asked Zekes parents to lift the baby out of his stroller. They placed the baby right across Saint Nicks chest somehow managing to keep him asleep. In his other arm, Santa clutched his trusty book The Night Before Christmas and closed his eyes to join Zeke in the land of slumber.
If the ensuing photos dont put you in the holiday spirit, nothing will.
Walters posted the images of his sons nap with Santa on Facebook, and theyve since gone viral over multiple social-media platforms, including Reddit and Imgur. The original Facebook photo has been liked and shared hundreds of thousands of times since Thursday.
Its been just amazing, the response weve gotten to it, Walters told the Huffington Post. Im getting messages from all over the place.
Walters, a stay-at-home dad and disabled Army veteran, said he has no idea how the photo spread so quickly but that the response has been overwhelmingly positive. People seem to be as moved by the sweet interaction as he was.
Of the 22 million views and the numerous amounts of comments, there hasnt been anything negative said, he told Huffington Post. Everybody is just so sweet and so kind and saying how its their favorite picture.
This isn't the first time this particular Santa has made headlines. Last year, 3-year-old Gracie Lynn saw him eating a meal alone at a local restaurant and decided to give him some company by joining him at his booth, according to WFIE News.
Photos of that interaction went viral, too.
