Merry Christmas (Weeks Later)

My Christmas post is a little sad this year because Lola was so sick, so probably has something to do with the delay. 

 

This is what Christmas looked like around here…

We had a pretty sick baby that wasn’t up for any fun.  Her fever would get as high as 104 which in returned caused a funny little rash.  It was unusual to see Lola so sleepy, sick, and up for no fun.  It was disappointing, but I was pretty focused on getting her well.  We attempted to make it everywhere to be fair to everyone, but it was no secret she felt miserable and our plans fell apart quickly.  A few days before Christmas, after several nights with little sleep, Clay moved our full size mattress to the den to make the nights easier.  It was a little WT but really helped since this lasted for well over a week.  For moms that find themselves up all night with sick babies- plop a mattress down in your den and it makes life a lot easier!!  Since you got a sick one, probably no one will be over anyways to see how ridiculous your den looks!  It kept my insanity!  

We did manage to get to spend Christmas Eve Eve with Gram and Popper!  We had a great time, and I think Lola was excited to get out of the house for a bit!  She did g-r-e-a-t for two and a half hours then looked up and said “Bye-Bye” and blew Gram a kiss and went to the door… I had to laugh and apologize because it was awfully rude of her yet kind of cute too.  Even Gram was laughing because Lola was so matter-of-fact about it all and knew she was ready to go.  We got home and she played quietly for a bit then c-r-a-s-h-e-d!  That was her best day.  I thought she was on the road for recovery.  It got worse.  Much worse.  I should have taken pictures during her downfalls. 

Here is a great pic of Clay and his parents: (notice no Lola- this is rare these days!)   I am using my new flash which I love and of course brought my camera over in my new camera bag!  For some reason I didn’t get any stinking pictures of Lola opening her presents and she got this really cute sleeping back from PBK which would have made a cute-o picture… I guess we were all busy opening gifts!!!  I am lucky because my MIL can go great stockings too!  It’s my favorite part!  And as a family gift we got an iPad!  It’s weird to think life existed in our house before that thing.  Lola and Clay LOVE it and I have to admit- it’s nice to have to look at my favorite blogs while Lola sleeps!

Lola was busy attempting to eat so she missed out on the pic but I think it’s the most she had eaten in the past several days and still wasn’t much!

Lola got a Mrs. Potato Head from Gram and Popper and I do believe it was a great gift because it keeps her busy for a while!  She loves playing with it!  But she has already mastered the iPad and can even look up Youtube videos!  It’s crazy!  I wish she would have stayed in that mood forever!  It was nice while it lasted!

Christmas Eve afternoon we attempted to make it out to Sandy and Mike’s and we weren’t there long when Lola was ready to go home.  It might have been silly for us to even try, because when we left she seemed on the home-body side, but we were ready to see family and friends and celebrate some!  Bless her heart- we were there and back home all in about 30 minutes and her fever went up to 102 and she started throwing up and as soon as I sat down with her she was out and slept for hours, well past 7 p.m.!   A schedule was so non-existent!  We left our gifts there because we didn’t have time to gather things up- but Gran had gotten me a rotary cutter and I was so excited to get my hands on it.  That came a week later… but I LOVE it!  Clay packed up some food and it was sad to have to head back home, but I guess it wasn’t a surprise.

Christmas Eve night is Nonna and Ba’s party and it was in their new house, so a couple hours after it started we  managed to make our way over there for a bit.  Since they have been working so hard to move in and been very busy, Lola was quite ready to see them!  Lola did great!  She was excited to see Savannah and played well.  We had to keep her from being too huggie which I am sure Savannah appreciated!    Since we got there late, the night came to an end all too quickly and we had to go back home.  Er… I was so tired of being home!   Lola seemed exhausted (and so did I).  Of course, good ol’ Clay doesn’t get exhausted easily!  We love him for that!

I was so excited about Christmas morning, although at this point in the week, I was a little more excited about some solid sleep.  We all slept in till 11 or so!  Fabulous.  Lola woke up in what seemed like a great mood.  I thought we were for sure on the up and up.  We opened presents and had a blast!  Santa refused to go over board and did his* shopping early, but I think that backfired because I Santa bought more than he realized!  oops. 

Normally Santa sets everything out but since Lola slept in the living room Daddy had to distract her with our new iPad while Santa’s helper set out her presents.

Lola seems to love her stocking as much as I do! Yay!  And she loves her felt foods!  The pies were the best things ever!  We play with them everyday!

 

Lola loved her Sesame Street Dolls- she got almost everyone thanks to Uncle Nick, Aunt, Kebby and Nonna and Ba.  I was buying several when I realized I couldn’t afford them all, especially since I swore I was done for her- so the fam all got some for her too!   Look at her smiling at Zoe!

Clay keeps putting that dog in the picture!  Hahaha- looks so funny!

I just want everyone to know that this picture is perfect proof she has Nonna hair… sorry Lola.  Look at that next in the back!  I wonder if it will get dark like Nonna’s and Uncle Nick’s (and secretly Aunt Kebby’s)!

  

Lola got a puppy for Christmas! We saved him for last!

 

She LOVES him…

After Lola got to play with what Santa brought her, we bundled up to make it to Nonna and Ba’s so we could open our gifts and eat a very late breakfast.  Kebby was patiently waiting…   I love having a sis so much younger.  Keeps youth in us all!

Aunt Kebby wasn’t feeling picture time…

But Uncle Nick and Clay were!

I told them they looked kind of like a couple, so this happened…

They are so silly and apparently BFFs.  It’s been so much fun!  Sibling night is on the up and up for sure!

Lola had a few good moments… glad I got them on camera…

Could this be the worst picture ever?  Everyone looks beautiful, just really not into anything…

Lola became glued to Nonna…

Dad always does a sweet little Christmas message to us and Clay read the Christmas story!

Lola didn’t end up opening many gifts!  Glad I got some cute-o pictures like this one!

As you can probably tell, I was designated picture taker.  No one else even had a camera out!

Lola has gotten comfy in the rocker… thanks are starting to go down hill… Ba is opening his special gift from me!

I stitched Ba’s hand, my own, and Lola’s together and choose the verse 1 John 2:17 and explained why.  He loved it, but so did I and I really wanted to keep it! ;)

In my stocking was a fabulous No Smoking sign (I collect them)!  Thanks Mom for getting it!  Gotta’ love Etsy!

Lola began to loose it especially after we had a nurf gun fight and Nick drilled me in the face so I kiddingly beat him up- oh man… Lola wasn’t having any part of Christmas gifts… I tried to get her and show her the fun things hiding behind the paper…

 

Lola takes a minute to change her baby’s diaper… such a good little momma.

This picture cracks me up because Mom is just smiling at her baby Nick.  Hahahaha…

Dad got some Levi’s!  Way to set the trend Clay!

Mom opens a few!

Such a sweet picture…

Maw-Maw and Paw-Paw got Lola a wagon that has two seats in it and it was a HIT!  Helped pick up Lola’s mood for sure!  She helped Paw-Paw put it together!  Like mother, like daughter.

Does Lola start to look a little zoned out?

Ba and Nonna’s new house has a built in Wagon Track!  Haha…

Kebby taught Lola how to put her hands up like a roller coaster!  Hahahaha!

Me and Lola’s turn! (My feet- hehe.)

Nonna and Lola’s turn… (not kidding- this keeps going!)

Clay and Ba looking at the iPad.  Ba is pretty interested!

We love Paw-Paw! 

My favorite two men!

Our pictures really seemed to capture Lola’s best moments. I felt bad because she was soooo fussy that I felt like it was ruining Christmas.  I know Kebby could have done without it the cries and Lola kept making Nonna take her away so they could rock alone so Nonna didn’t get to enjoy seeing us open what she put so much thought and time into.  It was sad.  Ba kept asking “What is wrong with Lola?” And I just kept reminding them how sick she really was.  She just felt horrible and after 3 hours she had been pushed to the m-a-x.  We had to leave pretty abruptly and literally within half a second of being buckled in, she was sound asleep- snoring and all.  Funny because Clay was talking to her in the front seat and we turned around and she was out cold.  Hahaha. 

She proceeded to sleep for the next FOUR hours!  Yep!  In fact it was so boring at our house I begged Clay to go back to my parents to get some home cooking and watch the game.   He refused for the first hour- then had this little boy look and asked if I really didn’t mind!  haha… I didn’t.  I was just stuck in that rocking chair for hours rocking her so she could sleep.  When she finally woke up that night- I fixed her soup and gave her a good bath and just snuggled with her.  She needed the attention, patience, and calmness.  

Sorry Lola- but you kind of were a Debbie Downer this Christmas.  We decided we still loved you though!

As you can imagine, I was pretty bored being home all this time so I baked up some cupcakes Christmas Eve morning!  I love Christmas foods!  Or cupcakes made to look Christmas-y.

And I managed a new recipe: Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies… Yep, they are green.  A little unappetizing, but Clay liked them and they seem to be a good enough hit!  They have mints and chocolate chunks in them and are made from a sugar cookie base, not choc chip base with a little mint extract.  Interesting cookie for sure.  

 

Other pictures (as if I don’t have enough!)

I thought this one was so weird.  She was sick and all week we wore big T-Shirts… she has on Kebby’s here.  Kebby laughs because it kind of fits her… hahaha.

Whenever Lola felt okay Christmas week, we took advantage and played, played… calm play- but still got moving!  Notice her snotty nose and me obviously looking house-bound.

This was before Lola was sick. 

Our tree!  I made the star at the top out of fabric I loved but was so itchy so I never used it- made a perfect tree topper!  (houndstooth)

Scrap fabric made perfect tree accents-

We had to redo Lola’s handprint while it still fit!

Never thought this would happen in a million years- Elmo on my tree. 

Dollar spot at Michael’s:

Easy ornaments to make- I wanted to fill my tree up with more ornaments and different textures but didn’t want to buy ornaments… ideas like this worked perfectly.  Just noticed how these pictures would look so much better with a real tree- but I am VERY allergic!!

 

P.S.  Did I ever show pics of Lola’s tree?  We made it more kid friendly and fun this year versus foo-foo.  No more foo-foo- ever!

Made felt ornaments- no breaking these!  These flowers were strung on a garland from Hobby Lobbby for $1.  I got a lot of flowers for that price… I hand-stitched them so no sewing machine required folks!

Made the tree topper more girly and friendly.

So the entire Christmas week home I made it through thanks to this little cup of hot chocolate greatness.  Homemade and delicious!  It acted as my coffee.

Mix a big box of dry milk (the one that makes 8 quarts), a pound of confectioner’s sugar, 16 oz of nestle cocoa, and 8 ounces of coffee creamer…   then fill your cup a quarter full, add boiling water, marshmellows, reddi whip, etc… It makes so much you can share.  You can get some cute jars at the dollar tree!

The day after Christmas I took down everything, cleaned the house, removed the mattress from the den and got ready for Lola to get well.  We stayed in the rest of the weekend and finally she is better.  Her molars are coming in and her cheeks are bright red and she tells us her “teet hurt.”  I can’t wait till she is 100%!  Looking forward to Spring now.    How many months???