Christmas in November

Every year I make myself wait until December 1st to start "doing" Christmas.  No Christmas music, no decorating, no Christmas cookies, no shopping.  Not until December.  It was my own little rule for myself.  I don't know if I was worried that I'd get sick of it all by the time Christmas actually came around, or if I felt bad for poor old Thanksgiving getting lost in the shuffle.  Either way, if I heard Christmas music on the radio prior to December 1st I would quickly change the station. 

Not this year!  Nope, I threw caution to the wind and when I got into my car on Tuesday morning after working a night shift I was greeted with the lovely sound of Christmas music.  And I kept it on.  I even said to myself, "Why not?"  (Yes, these are the ridiculous conversations I have with myself.  Whether or not to break my own stupid anti- "Christmas in November" rules.)

So I'm cruising along highway 40, feeling kinda bad-ass, singing along to my favorite holiday jams, when I get a phone call from Mike.  I'm in a chipper mood (Christmas music has a way of doing that for you), but when I answered the phone I knew something was a little bit off.

"Guess what?" Mike asked.

"What?"

"I walked in Addy's room this morning and there was brown stuff smeared all over her and all over her crib.  But it wasn't what I thought it was.  It was vomit."

Christmas spirit balloon ...... popped.

My poor baby girl!!  Her very first time getting sick.  It was inevitable I know, but every parent still hates to see their child sick.  I'm just glad that it was Mike there and not me.  Because I most likely  would have cried.  He took it in stride, as he does with most things.  He stripped the bed and bathed our baby, and she looked good as new by the time I arrived home (albeit a little bit cranky).

I went off to bed and Mike woke me at noon so that he could go golfing.  He was gone no longer than 5 minutes before I got up and started vomiting. 

"Oh, please no", I was thinking.

I did not want to be sick and sleep deprived and have to take care of a sick baby alone.  Yet another one of the million times I asked myself how single parents do it.  At least I knew that Mike would be returning eventually.

I texted Mike asking him to "golf quickly", not even knowing if that is really possible.  Neither Addy nor I vomited any more after that, but we both had some issues from the other end, if you catch my drift.  And she was a cranky mess all day.  Fun times.

 I really underestimated how difficult it is to take care of a baby when you are feeling like garbage.  I just wanted to curl up in a fetal position and sleep, but Addy was not too keen on that idea.  I felt like a really horrible mother, but looking back it's kinda funny.  I kept trying to get her to take naps, but really how many naps a day can I expect one little baby to take?  Normally she takes two, so when I tried to force a few more in there, she let it be known that she was onto my scheme, and she wasn't going to play along.

But eventually our knight in shining armour returned, and he took over baby care.  Mike fed Addy dinner and gave her a bath, while I bathed myself and managed to eat a little something for the first time all day.  I went to bed pretty early, slept like a rock, and by the next morning all was well with our little world.  I woke up to this sweet face:

Thank goodness!

We headed to the mall and I noticed that Santa is there already.  And it's early enough in the season that there was no line to see him.  But Addy was not Santa ready, so the next day (yesterday) we got all done up and went back to the mall.  (Yup, I went to the mall two days in a row.  Unheard of for me.  I am not a mall goer, to say the least.)

Addy was in such a pleasant mood yesterday that I thought it would be the perfect day to go see Santa.  Here is what she wore:

The cutest little elf!

But, as expected, Santa was nothing short of terrifying to our baby girl.  So here is Addy's first picture with Santa....

Ha ha, I laugh every time I look at this!

Then, they asked me to jump in and save her....

Not bad, but I think I like the other pic better for the sheer amusement factor.  Plus, I'm not in it.

This was the first time that Addy has exhibited any type of stranger anxiety.  But I'm sure Santa looks awfully scary to such a little tyke.  I really thought she'd be OK with it, because she has never minded being held by anyone.  But she clung onto me like a little monkey and obviously showed her displeasure when I peeled her off.  Ha ha!  It was fun though.  Fun and very funny (for everyone except the little girl in the elf outfit ;) ).

Yesterday was also weekly picture day, and we got that done really quickly since Daddy was there to help.

The day ended well, and Addy came out of her first Santa experience unscathed (minus the photo evidence that proves otherwise!).  We listened to Christmas music to and from the mall, and I sang all of the songs out loud to her, which she loved.  Christmas is such a magical time, and I know Addy is too young for it to mean much to her this year, but I want Christmas to last as long as possible.  And if that means starting "Christmas" in November than so be it.  After all, it's always the right time of year to give to others, and be joyful and thankful for all of the blessings given to you.  I know that I am.  Merry Christmas .... a little early!