The 2011 Christmas Tour

Tonight concluded the Christmas Tour of 2011 and I'm sorry to say I didn't take as many pictures this year as I have in previous years.  Honestly, I was just proud to show up to each celebration awake, dressed and with wrapped gifts since we haven't been sleeping much at all lately.  An infant and the holidays is a tricky combination and didn't leave me with much energy or time to be a good photographer.  I promise to do better next year!  

Our first get-together each Christmas season is usually at my Meme's house on the 23rd, but sadly it was postponed due to her being under the weather with the stomach bug.

On Christmas Eve we met my Aunt Lisa and Uncle Jim for brunch at Broadstreet to exchange gifts and visit.  They live in Fairhope, AL and we don't get to see them very often because Aunt Lisa is going to school to become a Nurse Practitioner and Uncle Jim is on the road a good bit driving his truck.  He had actually just gotten into town from a trip right before we met on Saturday so we were thrilled he was able to join us.  After we finished eating he took us on a field trip to let Sam check out his big 18-wheeler.  

I had never been inside of a big truck like this one before and had no idea how roomy it was!!   All five of us piled in and Aunt Lisa and Sam started checking things out.

It wasn't long before we needed the expert to show us how it all worked.  Uncle Jim was so sweet to let Sam explore and even cranked it up and let him drive around the parking lot in his lap.  Sam was absolutely beside himself when he got to help him turn the big wheel!  

After we finished driving Uncle Jim's big red truck it was time to meet Daddy and baby Jack at Lili and Shuffie's house to open one of Sam's gifts from them.  They decided to give it to him a day early since it was definitely an outdoor-only toy and the weatherman was predicting rain for Christmas day.  

Wow!  His very own electric golf cart with a set of clubs in the back.  He loved it!

After nap time on Saturday we loaded up and went to Bobi and Pop Pop's house to eat Christmas Eve dinner and open presents.  Baby Jack got to eat his dinner first!  :)

Hey Sammy!

Our first Christmas as a family of four - what a blessing!

Cute cousins!

After we ate and opened presents it was time to sing Happy Birthday to Jesus.  Those two little voices were so sweet singing!

Before we packed up to go home and get ready for Santa, everyone went out to the front so the boys could put out some reindeer food!  Thank you to Didi for making it!

Most of Christmas Day we spent at home, just the four of us, being lazy.  After we looked at everything from Santa and opened some other gifts I cooked us a big breakfast and then we played with toys and took a nice long nap while it poured down rain outside.  It was perfect sleeping weather!  After we got up from our nap it was time to go eat dinner and open gifts at Lili and Shuffie's house.  We went over in the same pj's we had been wearing all day and Sam insisted on taking his scooter to show them how he could ride around.  

Monday was Christmas at Adam's Mimi's house with all of the aunts, uncles and cousins.  We ate a delicious lunch and then had family pictures before it was present time.  We missed having our newest family member in our picture but baby Jack was resting at Lili's house under Dr. Sherwood's orders since he still hasn't gotten his first set of shots.

The Eaton Family 

The whole crew!

Sam and Banks had fun playing with the vet kit that Banks got from Mimi.  These two always keep us laughing!

We had our last Christmas celebration tonight at Newks with Mammy and the Colliers.  After we ate dinner everybody met at Bobi and Pop Pop's house to open presents and play for a while.  

Thank you to all of our family for the wonderful gifts, meals and most importantly the time we had together!  

You're a Pretty Cool Guy, Dad!

Christmas Morning

Sam has been such a good boy all year long so we weren't surprised when we woke up to find some great present from Santa on Christmas morning. The big guy even left a few little things for baby Jack!

It was so much fun going to get Sam from his room and walking out with him to see what Santa had left. He was very cautious as we went down the hallway from his room to the living room. He kept thinking that Santa was still at our house waiting for him to open his gifts and he wasn't too sure if he liked the thought of that. We explained that Santa had so many stops to make in one night that he wasn't able to stay and there was nothing to be afraid of!

Sam was so excited about his new scooter so we let him ride it around the house some since it was pouring down rain outside. He did great and got the hang of it in no time!

After a few laps around the house on his scooter, Sam had to stop and check out the rest of his stuff. He got a Lego Table, some games, all kinds of sports balls, an Alphie Learning Robot, a microphone and a helmet to wear when he rides his scooter outside.

He had lots of hugs for the cute little stuffed pup that was in his stocking...

...and had a great time going through all of the other stocking stuffers.

Merry Christmas and be safe, friends!

Ready for Santa!

Nap Time Concert

When we heard Sam singing over the monitor during nap time we would have never guessed this was going on .... a Christmas carol concert on his bedside table stage!!!

Jack's Mohawk

I've tried for a while to get sweet boy's hair to lay down but it certainly has a mind of it's own. I'm thinking now......why fight it? Mohawks are cool! ;)

Santa Claus Came to Town!

Tonight, we took Sam to the Bass Pro Shop to visit with Santa before it is time for him to head back to the "North Pold" as Sam calls it. I wasn't sure how he would react since he is afraid of mascots - like Trusty at the Mississippi Braves - but we have been talking about Christmas and what a nice guy Santa is for a while so I was hopeful everything would be fine.

Our wait in line gave Sam a chance to check out Santa from a safe distance and get comfortable with the idea of talking to him. When we made it to the front of the line Sam just walked right up and got in his lap - all smiles. He had been talking for weeks about asking Santa for "a ball and a toy" and that is just what he told him.

Adam snapped a picture on his phone before Sam hopped down from Santa's lap and I thought it turned out so cute. As Sam was walking away he turned around and told Santa goodbye and also added, "I'm going to eat chicken nuggets and french fries!" Everyone around us laughed and I'm sure Santa was thrilled to hear about our dinner plans. :) Sam was such a sweet boy while we were there and I just know Santa has lots of great things ready to bring him on Sunday!

Together Again

This will be the first night since last Monday that everyone in my family will sleep under the same roof and I am beyond thrilled about it. Having a sick baby is tough but having a sick baby and not being able to take care of him is even worse.

The nightmare started late last Tuesday. I was up rocking Jack in our bedroom when I heard Sam getting sick over the monitor. Adam jumped out of bed and ran to his room to find that he had thrown up all in his bed and continued to throw up while Adam took him to the bathroom. He was as happy as he could be once Adam got him cleaned up and I won't ever forget his sweet little smiling face walking in the kitchen and telling me..."I just coughed a little and had to spit...I'll be ok." Adam walked in shortly after and started talking to me about whether I should take Jack and get out of the house just in case this was the stomach bug and not just something that Sam ate. We knew that a five-week old did not need the nasty bug that had been going around and since I was Jack's only source of nourishment that meant that I would have to go with him. It broke my heart to leave my sick boy but I knew he was in excellent hands with his Daddy.

At 2 a.m. Jack and I headed over to Bobi's house and crashed in her guest room. I hardly slept a wink all night because I kept checking my phone for updates. Adam texted me throughout the night as Sam continued to throw up almost every hour until it finally stopped around 7:00 Wednesday morning. The picture above was taken right before they were finally able to doze off and get some rest - his eyes look so tired. :(

Sam had a pretty good day Wednesday so we were hopeful that the worst was over. Unfortunately, very early Thursday morning Sam got sick a few more times so Adam made a pallet in his room and rested with him while the sheets were washing and drying.

When Sam woke up Thursday morning he was running a fever for the first time since he had started getting sick Tuesday night so we both felt like it was time for him to go see Dr. Sherwood and see what was going on. She took one look at his throat and said it looked awful. His strep test came back negative but she felt sure that it would be positive later that afternoon so she gave him a Rocephin shot and 10 days of an oral antibiotic. She advised that Jack and I hunker down at Lili and Shuffie's house until Sunday to be safe.

He was so proud of the sucker he got for being such a big boy while he got his shot. I have had two Rocephin shots in my life and I can definitely say it is the most painful shot I have ever gotten - easily worse than penicillin. Love my brave boy!

Just when we thought the excitement was over Sam got sick again Friday afternoon and then Adam followed about an hour later. At this point we were wondering if Sam maybe didn't have a stomach bug on top of the strep that had caused his vomiting earlier in the week. Adam was sick Friday night and by Saturday morning he was much better and these two boys sent me a picture of their smiling faces. I was so happy to see them and wished I could jump through the phone for a big hug!

Saturday night I got a picture of this handsome boy and I was so happy that everyone was on the mend. Sunday he started having a very upset tummy but we were thinking it was probably from the antibiotics being too hard on a belly that still wasn't up for a lot of food. Yesterday morning Adam dropped him off at Lili and Shuffie's house for her to watch both boys while I met Jan at our house to clean and get all of the germs out before we brought Jack back home. All day Sam just didn't act like himself and by the time I got back to Lili's she had noticed a rash going across his ribs. I called the after-hours clinic and they recommended I bring him back in to get checked out and make sure he didn't have Scarlet Fever. The after-hours doctor said his throat looked clear and that it might take a few days for him to feel better. I wasn't so sure that he was fine because he just wasn't acting like himself. Sure enough...we had barely walked out of the clinic last night and he threw up everything he had eaten all day long. Now what?! I had left Jack with Lili on my way to the after-hours clinic because Adam was stuck in traffic coming home from work and now I didn't know if I needed to be around him since I had been thrown up on and we still didn't really know what was going on with Sam. Lili was kind enough to offer to let Jack spend the night with her last night. I know she was exhausted after already having a newborn at her house for six days so Adam and I both really appreciated her taking care of him by herself for one extra night! This morning Sam woke up and was still dragging around and wouldn't eat so we went to see Dr. Sherwood. I just didn't feel comfortable with the care we had received the night before at the after-hours clinic and wanted to let someone I could really trust check him over. She took one look at his throat and said it still wasn't healed and that we were going to have to be very careful with his stomach for a few more days. I was relieved to know that he did in fact still have some symptoms from the previous week that explained why he still wasn't feeling like himself. After hearing last night that his throat was fine I left the visit very confused as to why he was still dragging around and having an upset tummy.

After we got home from the doctor today he seemed to perk up a little bit so we spent some time outside playing just the two of us. It was some much needed time together after our week apart and I was so happy that he felt like having a little fun after the rough few days he had been through. Later today, after nap time, I went to get Jack from Lili's house and brought him home. It was the first time in a week that we had a sense of normalcy return to our house and boy did it feel good! I hope Sam will continue to get better and feel great by the weekend so he can enjoy the holidays and all of the toys that I bet Santa will bring him!

There's Sam!

Never a Dull Moment

Making Daddy Proud!

Gingerbread Train with Lili

Cooking with Fred

Fun in the Big Tub

Jack had his first bath in the big tub tonight. Not only did we have to wait until his cord fell off but he had to grow a little bit to fit in his blue tub!

It went much better than I expected and only a few tears were shed.

I had a very handsome helper :)

Two clean boys!

Ride 'Em Cowboy

The Eaton's Christmas Party

Tonight, the Eaton's hosted a Christmas party and we were so glad to be able to join in the fun. Sam has been so excited about anything and everything to do with Christmas so I knew he would have a great time.

Sam enjoyed the delicious food Didi made for us.

After dinner it was time to bundle up and get ready for the hayride through their neighborhood to look at Christmas lights.

Banks, Didi and Hayes all snug and ready to go!

Having fun with my sweet boy!

Sam had the best time waving at the things people had out in their yards (Santas, snowmen, etc.) and even people that happened to be outside. I felt like we were in a parade - it was so funny!

When we got back to their house we were surprised with a very special visitor - Santa!!! Sam wasn't too sure about him at first but he knew it would be ok to get close as long as he had his Daddy nearby.

Once we got inside all of the kids took a turn sitting in Santa's lap and telling him what they wanted. I wasn't sure if Sam would go up to him but he cautiously hopped up in his lap and had to stare at him for a minute before he would speak. He couldn't believe his eyes!

He told him he wanted "A ball and a toy" :)

After his turn with Santa he got to have his picture taken with one of the elves. She was handing out treats to all of the kids!

Sam was still very interested in Santa even after his turn was over...

and Sam did his best "Ho, Ho, Ho" for Santa!

Before it was time for Santa and his elf to leave we were able to get all of the kids together for a picture. They are all precious!

Banks and Sam were so cute standing at the door watching Santa leave. All of the kids AND adults had such a good time. It was so sweet watching the excitement on all of their faces and seeing the magic of Christmas through their eyes. Thanks to the Eatons for a really fun night!