Tonight I was giving Andrew his bath and he was having a great time. He was being so sweet just playing and splashing. Then, we got out...
For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. Ephesians 2:10
Happy Holidays!
This year we had a very eventful Christmas. We did a lot of traveling, saw a lot of family, ate a lot of food, and had a lot of fun! Even though we did spend a lot of time in the doctor's office. I thought I'd break it down into days to make this post easier to read. I hope you enjoy reading about our Christmas vacation!
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 20- CHRISTMAS IN OKLAHOMA CITY
We left Saturday afternoon and headed to OKC to visit Jason's family. We got there and dropped Andrew off (who was starting to develop a little cough) with his Nana and went to Ted's to get our Mexican food fix. After that, we went over to Jason's grandmother's house and had Christmas with her and Ronnie and Mike and Amy and their kids Sarah and Jorja. Andrew had a good time playing with his cousins. He is starting to walk from person to person, but not more then 7 or 8 steps at a time.
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 21 AND MONDAY, DECEMBER 22
As it turns out, the little cough that I mentioned before was not just a cough it was pneumonia. Just a touch of it, but enough to cause us to have to go to the doctor twice. We found this great walk in clinic on Sunday when I had to go for a urinary track infection (glamourous I know). After I had been to the doctor there, we decided that we should take Andrew the next day if he wasn't sounding better. He wasn't so Jason took him- I was out for most of the day due to pain. The doctor gave us a nebulizer and albuteral to put in it that he could inhale. This stuff works wonders! He was feeling great within a couple of days! The downside is that the albuteral wires him worse then a sugar high. He was literally sitting on his knees and boucing up and down for a long time. I guess better that then a sick baby!
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 23- EMILY'S BIRTHDAY
After getting the all clear from the doctor, we loaded up and headed to Conway. Tuesday was Emily's 23rd birthday and we always have a family party at Mom and Dad's house to celebrate. Andrew was still feeling kind of sick, but was glad to see everyone.
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 24- CHRISTMAS EVE AND DAD'S BIRTHDAY
Andrew woke up on Chirstmas Eve feeling much better! I guess he knew that Santa was coming! We spent the afternoon at the store for Dad's birthday. We always have a BBQ lunch on Christmas Eve down there and we enjoyed getting to do that.
On Christmas Eve we had a long standing tradition of getting everyone on my mom's side of the family together for our own Chirstmas Eve "program". It started when my great grandparents were alive and has continued since then. My great grandparents have three daughters (one being my grandmother) so we have our three branches of family that gets together. It is pretty special, because it is difficult to get together with everyone during the year.
Andrew loves to play rough! He thinks it is so funny to climb on people and push them over. He just laughed and laughed! I think that baby Jesus probably enjoyed playing with them wise men when they came to visit him in Bethleham!
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 25- CHRISTMAS DAY!
We got up Christmas morning and waited for Andrew to get up! He slept in until about 9:30...you've gotta love that! We opened presents and played with Andrew's toys. We also got a new dog- Biscuit. It's a fur-real friends dog. It can do tricks! I think it's histarical! Andrew thinks it's a horse! We had Christmas lunch at Mere and Don's and stayed there and visited for a while. Jason had to go back to work on Friday so he drove home (with a full truck load) and worked then came back Friday evening.
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 26- CAROL AND JENNY COME TO VISIT
Carol and Jenny came down to visit us. Andrew enjoyed playing with Jenny- or bossing her around and taking her toys I guess would be more accurate. We played a lot and mom cooked a really good prime rib and Mere and Don came over to eat with us. We had a great time visiting.
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 27
We headed to Little Rock to do some shopping and returning. It was Jason, Andrew, Mom, Dad, Emily and I. We ate at a really good Mexican place. When we got home, Mere and Don and Nancy and Cecile and Natalie came over to play with Andrew. Andrew loves his cousins Cecile and Natalie- we think he said "Natalie". He also loves his great grandparents and his great great aunt Nancy!
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 28- DON'S 80TH BIRTHDAY!
Today was a really special day, it is my grandfather Don's eightieth birthday. We had brunch with family at Michelangelo's in Conway. Don is my grandfather and Andrew's great grandfather. Don and Mere (my grandmother) took me all over the United States in their motor home(s) when I was young up to high school. I loved to travel with them. Don also helped to teach me how to drive- he drove me out to the middle of the pasture at their Texas farm and got out of the truck and started walking to the house. He told me that I could just meet him back there with the truck. So I did. He also let me drive the car all the way back home to Conway. I'm so glad that Andrew gets the chance to know Don. His middle name is Harrison after Mere and Don.
Also, Andrew is pretty much walking now!
TOMORROW (IN ONE MINUTE IT WILL BE TODAY) MONDAY, DECEMBER 29
I will be taking care of this mess. We have unloaded everything and just piled it in the living room. I'm going to have to sort it out and put it away. Oh what fun!
Tubes Are In!!
Andrew's surgery went well this morning. We were in and out of the clinic within an hour and a half. He was furious before because he couldn't eat and furious after because he wanted to go home. Once we got in the car he calmed down and once we got home he was playing with his toys happy as could be! It is pretty amazing, he has been talking constantly (no surprise there!) but the sounds he is making are much more clear and we've actually heard some new ones! He also has been trying to take more steps! He finally took a three hour nap (and so did I!) and has woken up happy and is playing in his playroom right now. You'd never know he had this done, except that every 5 minutes he is NOT pulling on his ears! Yea! We really liked Dr. Lee at NWA Ear, Nose, and Throat. He did a fantastic job and was very quick to get us in and get it done. We'd reccommend him to anyone! Thanks for thinking about us!
Time For Tubes
Today was our visit with Dr. Lee, the ENT. He suggested that it was probably a good idea to get tubes put in Andrew's ears ASAP. So we decided not to delay the process and will be getting them in tomorrow morning. It was either then, Christmas Eve, New Years Eve, or later into January. We decided to go ahead with it and hopefully we won't have any ear aches over the holidays. So we will be heading to Mercy (not the hospital, just the pediatric clinic) to get the tubes in at 7:15 in the morning. I'm sure that it will all go well. I'll update tomorrow afternoon.
Santa Claus Is Coming To Town!
We have finally finished decorating our house for Christmas. We didn't do too much, but we did get our tree up, stockings hung, and house lit! I'll share pictures of the decorations if and when I take them. Here are just a few of Andrew helping.
Andrew's Ears
Andrew has had what I have decided to call the Neverending Ear Infection. He has had this ear infection since early October in both ears. The problem is, you would never know that he has an ear infection because he never acts like his ears bother him. So I took him in October for congestion and we discovered this problem. It wouldn't have been a big deal, except that we have had other ear infections- I think about three. So, the Dr. put him on amoxicillan for 12 days- which Andrew thinks tastes great, so no problem there- then we went back and it still wasn't cleared up. That time we tried Omniceph (I can't spell these meds. I just do it how it sounds). It didn't work, so we went for the "power drug" Augmentin. Now, I had previously taken that for a horrible sinus infection and it made me SICK- like, miss a day of work sick! Apparently, if you take it with Activia yogurt it doesn't make you sick at all- so Andrew now loves Activia. You would think that the third time is a charm, but you'd be wrong. We went back on Thursday and they were better, but not where they should be so he got a 500 mg (HUGE) shot of Rocephin. He had to go back this morning and get another one, then Monday for his third and final dose. If this doesn't work, we'll be on antibiotics for about a month and then probably on to tubes. I'm not scared of the tubes, but I really would rather not have it done if we can help it. The main reason is that he cannot get water in his ears and if you've ever been around for bathtime, you know that is almost impossible! I'm sure we could get some good ear plugs, but who wants to put ear plugs in their one year old's ears? The sad thing is that the Dr. said he is probably hearing somewhere between 20-40 decibels lower then we are and the fluid could be affecting his balance, which makes since, because right before the infection started he was taking steps like crazy and now, he's not. Or, this could be because he's stubborn- who knows? The good thing is that Andrew feels great and we are still having lots of fun! We went to the square tonight to look at the lights. Andrew really enjoyed it! He especially liked the camels and the ponies. I took more pictures, but they our for our Christmas card, so you'll just have to wait!
Happy Thanksgiving!
Thanksgiving came and went very quickly for us this year. We made it to both families for quick visits, ate a lot of food, and did a lot of driving. The good part was that I got to spend two days home with just Andrew and I while Jason was at work. Andrew and I did a lot of playing, packing, and napping. Andrew doesn't really nap more than an hour at school, so when he's home he'll take a good two to three (yes, three) hour nap at home. So, instead of being productive I nap with him. It's great! On Wednesday afternoon we loaded up and went to Conway for the night. We spent Thanksgiving at my aunt LeAnne and uncle Larry's cabin in the deep woods. On our way home from there we stopped at Wal-Mart and got all of Andrew's Christmas toys!! I DO NOT do Black Friday, Saturday, or Sunday shopping due to my extreme dislike of crowds, lines, and slowpokes. My theory is that I should go ahead and get what I want to get before the holiday rush and while the stores are fully stocked for the days ahead. It was perfect. I got everything I wanted to get for Andrew in under an hour! We stayed in Conway and ate some more then headed home about seven after Andrew was bathed and in his pj's. Jason had to work on Friday so we didn't leave for OKC until 5:30. Andrew stayed awake until we were about thirty minutes away and then passed out. We laid him down and he didn't make a sound until about 8:30 the next morning! Andrew had a great time visiting with his cousins who are three and almost one. They did a lot of playing! It was great to get to see all our family. We hadn't made trips home since July. Here are some pictures from our travels.
Now it's on to Christmas. I've decorated our tree and I'm trying to finish the rest of the house. I'm not doing to much, but I'm doing more then last year. I have to say, I don't enjoy decorating. I am not creative or artsy. I can't make anything. I get these great ideas and then have to rely on stores to have EXACTLY what I'm looking for already made. It never seems to happen the way I want it too. Oh well, somehow Santa still comes and it's a great day! I'm just trying to decide who is going to be the one to tear up the tree...the cats, the dog, or the boy. Stay tuned!
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