Making the Best of It

I was SOoOO in the Christmas Spirit this year. Nothing was going to stop me or get me down this year. Even though the jerk does every year...but I digress.

Sunday we trekked to Ottawa with my parents for Christmas with the huge extended family of my Great Grandma Anderson at noon. Then Christmas with the family of Grandma Randel was to follow and linger into the evening until we came back home to Wichita. Well at Grandma Anderson's the kids get to do Gingerbread Houses. It's becoming a really fun tradition now that this generation is getting to be the right age. We knew with Molly's allergies we needed to keep her FAR from that table - anything could fall on the floor and then it's all hers. For quite some time we succeeded...then at one point I saw my uncle carrying her over there to sit next to his daughter. I assumed (I know - that's where I went wrong) that he knew not to let her have anything. About 10 minutes later Molly was vomitting in Richard's arms all over both of them. Good thing we brought that extra set of clothes! So we went into the restroom and got her all changed and good. She wasn't happy...but who would be after puking so much? Richard needed to go to Wal-Mart to buy new clothes. So we load up in Dad's truck and head for Grandma Randel's. Molly pukes again. Wonderful! Good thing we also brought pjs! She also started itching really badly on the way. Within 30 minutes her face was very swollen and she was covered in hives. We got some Benadryl in her and got her to sleep and eventually the swelling and hives went down. We ended up having a pretty good evening after she woke up and she ate really well. My uncle came over and told us that she had eaten a couple M&Ms at the Gingerbread House table. So now we knew what the issue was exactly. But at this point all was good.

Monday morning we woke up and Molly had her lovely morning rice milk. She drank half of it and then ralphed it immediately. I thought it might be a fluke so when she asked for her milk again I let her have the rest. Bad idea Krissy! She puke it immediately too. I called her dr. and she said that it's probably still just the allergic reaction...her body's doing what it needs to in order to get rid of the allergen. To go ahead and have her drink liquids slowly through the day and eat soft foods.

So I give her a water...and she drinks it a little quicker than I'd like her to, and immediately it comes back up too. So on to the pedialyte. - At least she doesn't like it, so she drinks it much slower. Soon enough comes the big D. I'm still believing what the dr. said...UNTIL...

Around 11:30 when my own stomach flipped! BLEH!!! So for the next 36 hours I spent my time running from the changing table for Molly to the bathroom for myself. I got Richard to come home early from work after my puking started. I couldn't take care of the 2 of us any longer. Then at some point through the night I must have passed out during one of many poo sessions because somehow I ended up falling to the floor and hitting my head really hard adding a major headache to my list of pain.

Then just as Molly and I were feeling much better last night and we all headed to bed...Richard caught it around 3:30am and has been down ever since. He seems to feel even worse than I did. He says I must just have a higher tolerance for pain...but I know I'm a wimp - so he must have it pretty badly.

We had planned to do Christmas at my parents' tonight. But I knew Richard wouldn't be ready for that yet. So I called them first thing this morning to halt the smoking of the turkey. We are tentatively on for tomorrow evening now at our house, which originally we had planned to spend at Richard's sister's. But that's ok - he won't feel like getting out of the house at that point even if he is feeling somewhat better.

We were also VERY excited (at least I was) that we would be at our own home for the first time in our relationship and would get to actually attend Christmas Mass at our own parish. Well, mass times were today 4:30, 7:30, and midnight and tomorrow 9:30am. We had planned to go to mid-night - b/c it should be very beautiful and hopefully Molly would sleep through it. But I went ahead and went to the 7:30 with just Molly and myself. I was pretty sad that we didn't get to go as a family. But I know it's nobody's fault. And there's nothing we can do about it. I'm even more sad, though, that I called my sister-in-law to see if she wanted to go with me and she couldn't go at that time...but then called me around 9:30 to see if I wanted to go to the midnight mass with her. I definitely would have. But I had already gone.

So that's my Christmas whine. I hope Richard starts feeling better soon! I'm trying really really hard to stay in the spirit and just mosey around the extra junk.

Oh but wanna know my Christmas miracle??? I left my wallet in my shopping cart at Dillon's. And when I realized it 2 days later and called said Dillon's they actually had it!!! How wonderful is that?!?!?!? I'm so glad good people exist!!!

The Best Husband EVER!

So yesterday was my birthday. Happy Birthday to me! We had gone a few weeks ago to Best Buy so I could show him what kind of camera I would like for my b-day. And there was a special deal going on so we went ahead and got it that night and a cute little case for it. Then when the Black Friday ads came out it was in an ad for almost $50 cheaper!

Also in the ads I found Gilmore Girls Season 7 for $14. And I HAD to have that! So Richard said that could be for my birthday.

Well, when Black Friday rolled around we decided I'd go shopping and Richard would stay with the baby. So I went out and bought the cheaper camera AND Gilmore Girls for myself for my birthday.

This is SO unlike us. Richard always loves to surprise me with gifts on my birthday.

So the plan for yesterday was that I was going to have no idea what we were doing. I only said I wanted to spend it with Richard and Molly.

Richard came home from work with DELICIOUS chocolates from the Sweet Shoppe in Hallmark. I love that!!!

Then for dinner we went to Mr. Goodcents (my all-time favorite "light" eating destination. - because we're eating heavy tonight with my parents.) And now I can eat the whole meal, so that was fabulous!

Afterwards we headed to west Wichita. I thought he took a few turns that made me think we were headed to my parents to drop Molly off or something. And I started getting anxious thinking that I didn't want to do something without her, I wanted all three of us to be together! But one last turn sent us on the path to wonderland!

I LOVE CHRISTMAS LIGHTS!

Richard had decided that we would go Christmas light hunting for my birthday. And the night before heard on the news about a place that you drive through with thousands of lights flashing to the beat of wonderful Christmas music. And that's where we went! The Lights of St. Paul. Oh it was wonderful! Definitely the best birthday I've had in a long time! He's so thoughtful! This video shows clips of it...but some are in daylight which definitely doesn't give it the same effect.



We also went over to Lights on the Lake at Heartspring - not quite as good but still wonderful!

(Funny story though - earlier in the day I had posted on a forum that next year on this day I would LOVE to be looking at Christmas lights for my birthday - How did he know!?!?!)

Then we hunted around town finding more and more, and eventually Molly even perked up to the idea! She started pointing and even waved at a couple blow-up Santas!

The best husband ever! :D