First Haircuts

So, this Christmas break I decided to take both of the kids to get their first hair cut.

First, the most dramatic (and traumatic) was JR. I managed to not get TOO emotional (the tears did creep in) as they chopped off his beautiful curls. I really, REALLY wanted to keep them, but he was getting wings. We tried a "mullet" to see what it looked like (bad). So, I gave in and got him a "big boy" haircut. Truthfully, he looks better - but I miss those beautiful ringlets.


Of course - our big girl Janna went too! Hers was a little less dramatic. Basically the same cut that I had TRIED to make. Just a little more even.



The last picture REALLY freaks me out. She looks about 15 in this picture. Jeff and I are really in for it.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Well, wouldn't you know - it wouldn't be a holiday at our house without....someone is getting sick! JR woke up Christmas morning at 6:30, considerably earlier than his sister (who decided to sleep in until 8 AM - UNHEARD of). At 9 AM, when JR was curling up with his blanket on the floor - I thought it was a bit odd. I also thought he was the teeniest bit warm before he went down for his nap at 11:30. So, when we took his temp at 2 PM - 104.2 - I wasn't surprised. At least we were able to get through the morning before he started feeling to crappy. Dr.'s verdict (after a strep test) is a viral sore throat. No biggie, should be doing better in a few days.

Anyhow, here's our holiday:

On Friday, family friends came over and we did Ginger Bread houses. The kids weren't as into them as we would have hoped, but hey :) It was fun anyway. We got up Christmas Eve and had a breakfast of strawberry crepes. JR wasn't having the crepe part, but the whipped cream and strawberries were cool. Ms. Attitude wasn't having any of it.

After breakfast we headed outside for some burn-off-some-pre-Christmas-steam. I swear, even though the kids really didn't KNOW what they were in for...they sort of did.

The kids went down for late naps, and I got to work...a couple of my creations -

Apple Pie, Jeff's new favorite:

And Holiday Rum Cake:

Then we played, fed, and dressed for candlelight service. The kids did pretty well - as well as you could have hoped for a 1.5 year old and 3 year old.

Then home and Christmas PJ's.

With the kiddos all nestled snug in their beds....Mr. & Mrs. Claus got to work. Finally Christmas day -

Of course, we made sure to take the new wheels for a spin....I can't get over how quickly little kids take to riding a bike. The whole pedaling thing is a bit beyond JR, but he likes riding!

And....we have meltdown time. Poor kid was so tired he couldn't even see straight, he just wanted to go to bed.

So, pretty good Christmas all things told. The kids have been happily playing since yesterday. Big news in the house is that Janna is sans diaper - ready or not! We just went cold turkey, per the ped's recommendation. It also appears that Janna has given up her nap. Her schedule has completely shifted around, and now she's skipping the afternoon nap but sleeping until 8 AM. Between the two wheeler, no diapers, and no nap - I really feel like I'm down a baby. She's all grown up now..sniff, sniff....

Anyhow, we hope the holiday was good for everyone else. I'm already contemplating next year....

A tale of Christmases Past....

So, In preparation for the upcoming holiday - I went ahead and downloaded/backed up my photos to make room for new ones on the cameras. We purchased a small camera on super-duper reduction this year - so my kids should be good and BLIND with the two flashes coming at them at once this year...lucky them.

Anyhow, since it is Christmas break and all, I took about two hours and organized all our photos into electronic "folders." It was pretty nostalgic looking back at all the Christmas holidays that Jeff and I have celebrated together. So, I thought all of you might enjoy looking at the Christmas seasons as we have known them.

Christmas 2002, the first season that Jeff and I celebrated together. The above was taken at the annual holiday party that Jeff's parents put on. In '02 they made it a "congrats Jeff and Hollee" party.

Christmas 2003, this year we stayed in Florida. We decorated our 550 square foot apartment and went to Disney. It is thoroughly amazing that Jeff and I decided to have a baby after that trip. It was our last Christmas alone. Sorry about the fuzzy pictures - it gives you the idea, though. Christmas, 2004. Jeff made 4 bars at work this month - making him the senior most of flight instructors. Of course, it was Janna's first Christmas - but she was really too little to be part of it. We spent Christmas with Jeff's parents and flew to see my family just after.

Christmas, 2005. I'm pregnant - again. We know we're waiting for J.R., and we are anxiously preparing Janna for life as a big sister. We were in our first house this Christmas, and Janna really enjoyed all of the special "events" around Christmas.

Christmas, 2006. J.R. is here!

Christmas, 2007:
This has already been such a fun Christmas season. Janna is really old enough to "get" what Christmas is all about. We've been to a holiday parade, looked at lights, and watched Christmas movies. J.R. isn't totally sure what the deal is, but he is certainly picking up on Janna's enthusiasm. Tomorrow - we might get a chance to go to the winter festival just a short drive north. On Christmas Eve, we plan on taking the kids to the candlelight service. Then, of course, it's CHRISTMAS!

In case we don't talk to you in person before Tuesday - a very Merry Christmas to you and yours. I know that we feel incredibly blessed this holiday. I hope all of you feel the same warmth and comfort we do as we prepare to celebrate our Savior's birth.

Christmas Card Preview

MRSA is NO fun.

In the last month or so, JR has had three white head pimples about the size of a dull #2 pencil tip. I pointed the first one out to the doctor, and she gave me an antibiotic ointment to treat the minor infection. It worked. So, when two more sprouted up in the same area (diaper) - I treated the same way. One burst and drained with nothing major happening. The other one, however, turned into quite the infection.

We put JR to bed on Halloween night with the white head looking the tiniest bit angrier. When JR woke up the next morning, the inflamed area was the size of a softball. Jeff called me at 7:15 AM with "Hollee, when does Children's open?" We got JR in that morning. The doctor diagnosed JR with an infected bug bite. He told us to treat with antibiotics, warm compresses, and topical treatments.

The initial one completely stopped draining, so we sent him to daycare the next day. It never occurred to us that the one NOT draining pus was really the problem. We picked the kids up Friday at 4 PM. By 6 PM, JR felt really warm. I took his temp - 103.2. I called the doctor and she told me to head over to the urgent care.

When I got there the doctor, who is the pediatric infectious disease specialist in the area, took one look at JR's belly and explained that we would need to give him IV antibiotics. I asked (still totally oblivious to the severity of the issue) if we could get him the meds in the clinic. The doctor shook his head and said we would need to be admitted for 24-48 hours.

So, I called Jeff and told him that our Thai take out, champagne, and cigars would have to be put on hold for a bit. I gave him my list of needs for the hospital, and he packed it all up for me, grabbed Janna, and headed for the hospital.

JR's white blood cell count was double the normal level (at 20,000), and his blood showed inflammation in the body. He was also quite feverish and not eating normally. The poor kid had to endure about a dozen IV's and 3 blood draws. When his abscess finally opened up and started draining, he had to deal with warm compresses and uncomfortable bandages. It really took a bit for the antibiotics to get going, as the infection was quite significant. While JR's life wasn't ever in danger - had I waited much longer we may have been in some serious trouble. He was diagnosed with MRSA and ended up being in the hospital for almost 72 hours.

JR is now home, and the abscess is healing nicely. He is on two different antibiotics, and it seems that the abscess has finished draining. However, there is still a significant "knot" under the skin that Jeff will ask about tomorrow at the follow up. By the end of JR's hospital stay, he was O-V-E-R people screwing with him. He also knew what it meant when a nurse came to get him out of his room (someone was going to stick him with a needle). The last time they did this he looked at me like "mom, are you going to let them do this to me?" Really, the whole experience was quite heartbreaking, and I am glad it is behind us. I think Janna is too - she really didn't act quite right while we were all split up.

Here's JR the day after we got to the hospital. He's still pretty sick here, you can tell by the flushed skin and dull eyes.
Watching TV in the "nest" Mommy created. On his rightarm you can see the splint/cast set up they had to create to keep him from pulling his IV out.
Another good one of his cast. He's drinking apple juice here. It was about the only thing I could get in him for the first 24 hours, that and goldfish.
Here's JR in his "space ship." His crib made me really sad - I felt like he was in jail every time I locked him in it. However, it was the only place I could leave him safely when I had to run to the bathroom. So, I called it his space ship. It was this very high-walled metal crib with a hard plastic clear "roof" on it. He would stand up in the crib and knock on the plastic. I'm so glad HE at least loved it.
I just had to get the picture of the gown opening in back.
This final picture makes me just want to scoop him up and rescue him from everything. He was such a little trooper.
Last night Janna and JR started to fight over something and I couldn't help and smile that they were both here to drive each other crazy.