iPhone Photos: Week Five

01: Star Wars battling with Ethan! This is one of my favorite things to watch.  02: Just hanging out. watching TV in my chair.  03: Giving Collin his bath. Isn't this how everyone does it? So much easier.  04: Invitation making for my Seester's non-wedding-eloped-reception-barbecue-party-thing.  05: Um, yeah. We learned how to climb this week. Mama is thrilled.  06: Favor idea for sister's wedding I got from here.  07: Yo Gabba Gabba distraction while Mama practices her photography lighting skills.  08: Amazeballs Beatles cupcakes a FB friend posted.  09: Googling ground beef recipes because I only had ground beef left to make & was fresh out of ideas for cheap & easy things to make.  10: A print I MUST have from Nellie Design.  11: Cuddlin's & kissin's.  12: The Spectacular Collin! Watch as he rides his dragon with no hands!!  13: I seriously need to reorganize my work space.  14: Letting Collin play with my camera. Yup. I'm pretty much cray-cray.  15: One hand in the Wheat Thins & eyes on the Brobie.  16: Money!!!! Told ya. We are pretty much crazy around here....& no. We are not rich. Just cashed a paycheck is all.  17: A package from my Daddy! I love fun mail days!  18: What was inside our fun package! A UofM sweat suit for Collin! Perfectly sized for next winter! My Dady ruuuuuullleeessss.  19: A hat in our package, too! But this one is for Mama!  20: Hat cuteness. I diiiieee!  21: Mama's special marinade. London broil. Mmmmmm. Thank you, Fresh & Easy!  22: Collin's first sushi roll! It was just a spicy California roll...that wasn't even spicy. He wasn't a fan.  23: Collin's first doodle!!!



Blue Christmas

Collin had a pediatrician appointment first thing this morning. I spoke with a nurse last night & after five days of fever & coughing, she told us it was time we come in to have Collin examined.

Only we didn't get any answers.

His ears were checked for infection. Nothing. Chest listened to for pneumonia. Nothing. Body checked for a bite or rash. Nothing.

My poor Boobah (one of my many embarrassing nick names for Collin) was so scared & being poked & prodded at by nurses & doctors was enough for him to have a complete breakdown. Fun.

The ped thought it might be a case of flu, but wasn't convinced since I'm not sick (I decline to get a flu shot every year). She ran a quick swab test & told me Collin also needed blood work. A five day fever had her stumped.

Awesome.

I had to hold Collin down as he fought me & started at me confused & bewildered. Scared & sick. Worst. Mom. Day. Ever.

Once we were loaded back up into my car. I had a mental Mommy breakdown. My African Lizard Flu concern was no longer at ease. I wanted my baby to feel better already. I hate seeing him so sick & hate that he doesn't understand why he is feeling badly.

The blood results came back around 2PM. Negative for flu, blood work was normal...aside from a low white blood cell count. Which is because he is fighting off some kind of viral infection. Doc said she thought it could possibly be the tail end of a flu & that is why it's not showing up positive on the swab test.

She told me if we had any travel plans for the holidays, that we should cancel them because we aren't 100% sure what he has & because he needs to be closely monitored over the next 24-48 hours.

Awesome.

We were already packed up for LA.

After discussing it with Greg, we decided that he would still go down to LA to be with his side of the family on Christmas Eve....& so he could take Meaghan & Ethan to see a doctor since Ethan lives there with his Dad. Collin & I would stay here. Suckage.

I was worried Ethan would wake up & open his elf gifts before I got back from the ped's office, but he was still sleeping when we returned home. Poor guy was up all night coughing & with chills.

Collin spent most of the day sleeping & Ethan spent it in our recliner watching Netflix cartoons on our Wii.

{ Sickie Ethan with his elf gift. }

{ Open, open, open! }

{ "Holly!!!! The elves got me what I wanted!!!" }

{ Collin is more & more intrigued with these gifts as the days pass by. }

{ "Mama! The elves brought me a weapon of mass destruction!" }

{ Okay...maybe it was a book! }

{ Collin loves books! Just like his Mama! }

{ Bokeh obsession. }

{ Blood work boo-boo. Sad face. }

{ Eating some dinner. Very politely. }

{ Keeping up manners...even when he's sick. Atta boy! }

{ What a proper man! }

{ Told ya! Obsession. }

{ Chocolate?!?! Not moi?!?!?! }

Greg, Meaghan & Ethan left around 7PM. Collin went to be shortly after.

I miss my husband.

I miss the house being full of people & life. That is what Christmas is about.

Life happens & Greg will be back Christmas Day, but I'm still sad & lonely.

It is way too quiet around here.

...& I'm alone with all of the chocolate.

Germs from Hell

{ Collin waiting at the pediatrician's office & Ethan falling asleep during a breathing treatment. }

Right now, my house is full of mucousy, coughing, sniffling, sneezy, feverish, miserable boys. Ethan (Greg's grandson, who is visiting for Christmas break) started feeling sick yesterday & had a temperature. Collin's fever never really went away completely. We had a few false hopes when we got normal readings, but they were dashed away within hours. Ethan's cough got so bad last night, Meaghan had to give him a breathing treatment for his asthma. The kid was so exhausted, he fell asleep during it! And those machines are not quiet

These poor kids.

I took Collin to the doctor. She had no answers for me. It's not an ear infection, not pneumonia, not a rash, no bite marks anywhere. She said possibly the flu, but that she can't be sure since it is day five.

She ordered blood work.

Blood work, people!

On a 13 month old!!!

I am so thankful she is being thorough......but Oh. Em. Gee.

I hated pinning him down for the four vials of blood they drew. It was even worse when he looked at me with those pitiful eyes filled with fear & despair. Seriously. I felt like the worst Mama evaaarrrrrr.

I am now anxiously waiting for the results from the lab so someone can finally tell me WTF is going on with my poor kid.

Baker, Baker, Cookie Maker

Funds are tight this year. I know we aren't the only ones struggling to provide a good Christmas for their family. Instead of buying gifts for our families, this year, we decided to bake goodies for everyone. It's a great way to show you care & are thinking about them & it's also light on the wallet. Is baking for a family of 34 (yes, you read correctly, my husband's family is 34 strong...35 including myself) easy? H-E-double hockey-sticks, no!! But I did put more time & effort into these cookies than I would have any other gift from off of the store shelf.

Collin's fever is up again. Ethan is now experiencing the same symptoms. He was feeling so sick, he didn't even remember his elf gift until late this afternoon. I'm pretty sure this illness isn't from Collin's vaccines, now that I factor in these two things. I have an appointment for Collin at crack of my ass in the morning to see his pediatrician. I am not a morning person. I must seriously love this kid.

Plus, we are supposed to leave for LA tomorrow evening. Bag packing, present checking, blogging, medicine grabbing, laundry washing, dog feeding, cat feeding, window checking, door locking car loading.....& pediatrician appointment.

Way. Too. Much. To. Do.

Good thing Collin can cook.

{Chocolate covered pretzels.}

{Snickerdoodles.}

{Peanut butter cookies.}

{Rice Krispy treats.}

{Elf gift unwrapping.}

{Elf gift nomming.}

{Collin's elf gift, a wooden toy car.}

{Ethan's elf gift, a set of stamps.}

{Mama's chef.}

{"Zees is how ve stir ze sauce."}

Gingerbread Houses & Christmas Tree Photos

It was another rainy, gloomy day today. You won't hear me complaining...except for the fact that it provides the most craptacular lighting for photos. Dude. Seriously.

My apologies ahead of time for the grainy, dull photos.

Collin is still not completely recovered from his sickies. He is still weak & tired. Eating very little. Drinking no milk. Just water. I'm hoping tomorrow I will feel comfortable enough to give him milk again.

Poor Ethan. He will never want to visit us again. All the, "Ssssshshhhhhhh! Collin is sleeping!" Has got to be annoying the kid. And the rain! We have a park around the corner from us. It's sheer torture for the kid. Bummer.

Lucky for him, I bought a gingerbread house kit for him to decorate. He waited patiently...the elf gift was a nice distraction...until Collin went down for a nappy. Then he was sent to work.

After Collin woke up from his nappy, Meaghan & I decided we needed pictures of our boys by the Christmas tree. Tell me Collin doesn't look completely adorbz & pathetic all at the same time? My pobrecito!

The Old Man is Snoring

It's raining, it's pouring! The old man is snoring!

It's another grey, cloudy, rainy day & I couldn't be happier about it! When you live in the desert, rain is a welcome friend...especially when you're missing snow. This is what winter is supposed to feel like & this is Christmas is supposed to be like.

Cloudy. Rainy. Wet. Fever breaking. Healthy baby. Elf gift unwrapping. Lazy. Leftover chili. Garfield cartoons. Animal naps. Baby naps. Warm fireplace. Christmas tree gazing.

I wish I could bottle this day up.

I'm of to watch some Christmas movies, now. Hallmark channel, whaaaaaaat?!?!?!