Bennett experienced his first Christmas primarily through his mouth.
Archive for December, 2008
Oral fixation?
Wednesday, December 31st, 2008
Christmas and West Nashville
Monday, December 29th, 2008I’ve just checked all of my regular blogs and it seems that everyone but me has already posted pictures from Christmas along with some adorable anecdotes about their kids. I got on here with the intention to do the same but suddenly sorting through all of our holiday pictures seems too daunting a task for tonight. Maybe I’ll post some later when I’m not feeling so lazy.
Corbin is finally well. He was all done throwing up by Christmas but didn’t even begin to regain his appetite until Saturday. Chris and I both come down with that same awful stomach bug and took turns running to the bathroom for most of Christmas Eve, Christmas day and boxing day. Bennett is the only one of us who has not contracted the stomach bug, but never one to be left out, he has instead come down with a rather bad cold. Thankfully we had decided that we would spend most of Christmas day in our own home with the kids this year anyway, so we didn’t have to cancel any plans. I must say that despite the sickness it was a lovely Christmas. Bennett amused himself with wrapping paper and bows while Corbin enthusiastically unwrapped each and every gift that the grandparents brought over. We had a sweet and very relaxed time as a family and my only regret at the end of the day was that I did not ask for a new shelf or chest to store the ridiculous amounts of toys that were so lovingly bestowed upon my children.
Chris is now off for the rest of this week which is a wonderful relief since so much of last week was overshadowed by sickness. Today we dropped the boys off with two different sets of grandparents and had a little midday date just the two of us. We went out for a nice lunch and then wandered around the mall and bought Corbin a new lunch box and first day of school outfit (I’ll write more on this later). When we were done shopping we decided to take a trip out to west Nashville so that I could finally see the house that Chris grew up in. It might seem odd that we’ve been together for over seven years and lived in Nashville for most of that time and I had never seen his old neighborhood, but I guess we just didn’t get around to it until now. It was cool for me to see all these places that he has told me about, and it was a bit surreal for him to see streets, houses and fields that seemed so vast in his childhood memories but in reality are quite small. I have to admit that there is something I envy about the fact that my husband’s entire history is contained within one city. He has so many memories of places as they were, and also the opportunity to see them as they evolve over time. His grandmother recently told me that our boys are seventh or eighth generation Nashvillians on Chris’ side. This is kind of funny to think about in light of the fact that they are only first generation American on mine.
Holiday Woes
Tuesday, December 23rd, 2008Poor Corbin is still quite sick. We thought he was on the mend over the weekend but he has had a bit of a relapse (which is code for spiked a fever and vomited all over his bed in the middle of the night last night) so I took him back to see the doctor this morning. She seems to think it is just a very bad virus that is going to have to run its course. Its very long, very ambling course. The main thing she instructed me to do is keep him hydrated. Apparently she has never met my child! Its hard to get the little bird to eat and drink at the best of times but now that he has a very raw throat and green snot to accompany the fever and nausea, it is virtually impossible. If this goes on much longer Bennett will outweigh him by the end of the week.
OK so enough of my moaning. Here are a few pictures of happier holiday times, and lets just hope that he rallies in time for Santa. (This would be the same Santa that I have been instructed to ’scare away’ if he tries to take any of our toys…I’m thinking we’re not totally clear on the concept)
And it Begins!
Monday, December 22nd, 2008Puke’in
Friday, December 19th, 2008We had to take poor Corbin to the emergency room today. He had been throwing up for almost 12 hours and was unable to keep down even the tiniest sip of water. This afternoon I called his pediatrician to see about bringing him into the office but he advised me to go straight to the ER since it sounded like we were dealing with dehydration. Over the past few years I have had my fair share of emergency room experiences but this was the first time that one of my children was the patient. Taking a kid to the emergency room may be a fairly commonplace right of passage for a mother to go through, but commonplace or not, the experience was really unnerving. Corbin tried so hard to be brave but he was feeling just awful and he was so dehydrated and uncomfortable that he spent a good deal of time in the waiting room pleading loudly for water and flailing in such a way that made it very hard to hold him. Now I understand that from a medical standpoint it is counter productive to give fluids to a person who can’t keep anything down. But having to deny my crying child a simple cup of water made me feel like the most cruel mother on earth. It was just not a very fun way to spend the afternoon.
That being said, the wait was not too bad, the nurses were friendly and the doctor was kind and compassionate. He actually was a young father himself and understood the importance of avoiding a painful IV if at all possible. Instead they gave Corbin a Zofran (which, oddly enough, is the drug that basically kept us both alive during my pregnancy with him) and then later a Tylenol suppository. Within about half an hour of taking the Zofran he was able to eat some ice chips and then later a glass of water and a Popsicle. We were eventually sent home with a prescription for the antinauseant and instructions to keep him on the BRAT diet for the next 24 hours. So although there are many other ways that we would have preferred to spend the afternoon, the entire experience could have been so much worse. Chris was able to come home early from work to meet us at the hospital, Nana Vickie was here to take care of Bennett within half an hour of us calling her, and my mother came and met Corbin and I in the waiting room of the ER and stayed with us until after Chris arrived. Once again I am just in a thankful state of mind tonight. I am thankful for family and loved ones, thankful for access to good health care and deeply thankful for healthy (or at least back on the road to being healthy) kids. Please just be praying that this virus passes over little Bennett, particularly as his very first Christmas is now only days away!
Jingle Bells
Friday, December 19th, 2008Christmas has happily consumed our household over the last few weeks. We’ve been listening to holiday music 24/7, decorating gingerbread houses, reading the Christmas story, baking festive treats, shopping for gifts for friends and loved ones, and even enjoying a rare snow shower. But the holiday merriment reached new heights last weekend when we participated in a true Nashville Christmas tradition…..we went to see the lights at the Opryland hotel!
We decided that this adventure would be a little taxing on Bennett since he is not yet mobile and quickly tires of his stroller, so we dropped him off with our wonderful friends the Brandons who promised to spend the entire evening doting on him. Then we took our giddy first born and met up with the infamous Gracie and her parents for a quick bite to eat. At the restaurant the kids’ excitement was adorable as they stood side by side pointing out the window and shouting greetings to the imaginary Polar Express that had just pulled into the parking lot. (the restaurant’s dozen or so other patrons might not have found their elated shrieks quite as adorable as we did, but whatever, its Christmas!)
After we had eaten we loaded into the cars and headed out. Gracie’s mommy and daddy made it to the hotel about 20 minutes before we did thanks to the brief detour we took into Mt. Juliet (for some reason I feel the need to mention at this point that it was Chris in the driver’s seat) but anyway, we eventually made it back to Opryland and began our Christmas adventure. Corbin and Gracie were basically mesmerized the entire time. They ran circles around the giant Christmas tree, oohed and aahed over the miniature hot air balloons and climbed onto their daddy’s shoulders to watch a lounge singer accompanied by what appeared to be several of the taller (and slightly sleazier) female Christmas elves sing a frantically paced version of Jingle Bells. Watching the performance obviously inspired the children because as we reached the gazebo they launched into their own 20 minute rendition of the song! They marched side by side through the rest of the hotel, singing at the top of their lungs and occasionally altering the lyrics to reflect what they were seeing – as in ‘Jingle waterfall, Jingle Santa, Jingle trees trees trees!” Then after a leisurely hot chocolate/juice break we ended the evening with a stroll outside around the giant light tree and past the massive, white nativity scene.
The entire evening went incredibly smoothly and it was wonderful to see this familiar sight through the bright new eyes of these two little cuties. Gracie’s parents reported that she was out cold within moments of leaving the hotel, but no such luck with our eager little caroler. Corbin continued to regale us with various versions of Jingle Bells, over and over, and over and over, the entire way home. What can I say, he’s nothing if not festive! It was hard to get any good pictures of the kids that night (mostly because they never stopped moving!) but here are a few of the shots that we did get.
Gratitude
Tuesday, December 9th, 2008Over the last few day, as I have been running around trying to finish my Christmas shopping, trying to get a handle on the dishes and the laundry, trying to make my children behave at a stream of parties and get togethers, I keep experiencing these moments of overwhelming gratitude. I have so many things to be thankful for during this holiday season, during this life season. It tends to affect me the most when I am doing something small, like singing Christmas songs with my boys in the car or loading the dishwasher after having dinner together as a family. All of a sudden a lump forms in my throat and I find myself close to tears as I think about God’s goodness and his faithfulness to us. My children, my beautiful healthy children, have a roof over their heads. They have nutritious food to eat, clean water to drink and warm clothing to wear. They are able to play in our front yard without fear of harm. They have never heard the sound of gunfire or a bomb going off, never seen an adult enact physical violence on a fellow human being. Their current circumstances are not forcing them to grow up more quickly than they should.
And my wonderful husband has a job. A job that he enjoys, that provides for his family, that allows him to spend time with the people he loves while still earning a living. He has a car that has been running for over 12 years, that we owe no money on and that he is able to drive to and from work every single day. Because of this man, this job and this vehicle, I am able to stay at home and be with my boys during these tender early years. This is a profound blessing to me, as is the fact that as a woman I also have the option and the freedom to seek employment for myself when and if I feel led to.
We have family close by who love us, support us and are deliberate in their efforts to be a part of our daily lives. We have friends who keep us accountable, make us laugh and hold up our arms when we are tired. We have a wonderful church where we have the privilege to hear the gospel preached week after week. We live in a country whose laws protect so many of the above mentioned privileges and freedoms. We are really and truely, abundantly and supernaturally blessed beyond measure. Its so far beyond my understanding that I often wrestle with the question of why.
Why do my children have food to eat while so many others go hungry? Why do they have access to vaccinations and medications that will keep them healthy when so many others are dying of diseases that were cured long ago? Why do they have warm beds to sleep in, parents to care for them, toys to play with, schools to teach them? What can I do to help ease the suffering of so many? My hands are small, my body is weak, my heart is sinful and flawed and even if I had unlimited resources I could never even begin to scratch the surface of the profound need that exists in the world all around me…..
But,
here is what I know to be true.
God loves us beyond our comprehension, and He is able. He made the ultimate sacrifice when he sent his son Jesus to redeem this fallen world.
Now Jesus is alive in me. And although he does not need me, out of His abundance he blesses me with the ability to serve those who he loves.
My prayer is that the outpouring of the gratitude that I am experiencing would be more than just words and emotion. May the revelation of the magnitude of what he has done for me and is continuing to do in me cause my heart to say in earnest, send me Lord, I will go.
Say What?
Tuesday, December 2nd, 2008I know lately I’ve been queen of the mini blog. But lets face it, I have two boys under three and I hardly have the mental capacity to read the cooking instructions on a frozen dinner let alone sit down and write something long and meaningful. So instead I’m just going to share a few of the outrageous things that Corbin has said to me over the last two days.
Yesterday as I was putting his shoes on he put his arm around me lovingly and said, “Mommy, you really don’t look very cute.”
Today after his nap I was summoned to his bedroom by a panicked shriek. I raced in and found him sitting up in his bed and staring at the mirror on his closet. When I asked him what was wrong he replied, “Look! My hair is different….its not very cute…..Whose hair is this!?”
Shortly after that he asked me if I thought Bennett was ready to get up yet. I told him that he was still sleeping to which he replied, “Yeah, Its a hard time to wake up right now.” when I asked him why he thought that was he said, “I don’t know, I guess I just made that up.”
Then a few minutes ago as he was eating his snack he looked off into the distance thoughtfully and said, “sometimes I like to put my feet in my snack….but I guess that’s not a very good idea.”
