Christmas Recap (in words)

Brenna's first Christmas was a success, although I can't say I'll remember much of it.

Here are some highlights:

• Brenna did cut her first tooth on Christmas Eve (finally)! I attribute this to 50% of her miserableness on the 23rd. She really took the song, "All I want for Christmas is my two front teeth..." to heart.

• We went to church with Grandma, Pop, Danny, Matt and Kevin. Jamie and I took turns taking Brenna to the back about halfway through when she decided the place needed a little more noise.

• I was very scared Brenna would be too sick to enjoy Christmas. She still had a lingering, terrible cough and some eye crust, but she wasn't too sick to have fun. In fact, she LOVED opening her presents, and she got a ton!

• I was the one that was too sick to enjoy Christmas. I talked to my mom on the phone on Christmas Eve, and she told me that poor little Maura was sick all day long at my sister's in laws. I felt so bad for her - what awful timing for a child on Christmas! And then I proceeded to throw up all night long at my in laws. Jamie emptied/sanitized the trash can at least 5 times throughout the night. I told him he was a great mom. After that, I was just dry heaving, but I didn't sleep for one minute. By the time Christmas morning rolled around, I got up to exchange presents, but I was delirious. We were all very fortunate, and everyone was very generous. I wish I had more life in me to enjoy it all. I feel bad that I was such a dull, dumb dud on Christmas morning, especially since it was Brenna's first. It was something I had looked forward to for so long. I wish I could do it all over!

• We left Scranton at 11:00 a.m. and drove home. We arrived at my parents house at 2:00 p.m., where exchanged more presents. My Aunt Mare's family decided not to come because our house was obviously a germ fest and their oldest son, Kevin, is getting married tomorrow, so they didn't want to chance it! Smart choice! Maura was feeling much better, but Rob was sick, and I was still delirious. I had chills. (My mom thinks I had the flu, she said I was talking crazy to her at one point when she came to talk to me, which I don't remember.) So, after presents - again, we are very fortunate - I went up to my old bedroom, and I slept all day long, leaving Brenna with Jamie and my parents. I came down for dinner, but I couldn't eat anything more than a roll.

• Maura decided she would be my nurse. She kept coming in to check on me, and she was very concerned, saying things like: "You okay, Aunt Meghan?" "Aunt Meghan, you feel all safe?" "Aunt Meghan, I put water here if you need it. It's right HERE." She kept bringing me her new toys to comfort me! "Aunt Meghan, just jingle your bell, it will make you feel better." And, she would tell Jamie and anyone else who came to check on me to leave! She is soooooooooooo funny.

• Yesterday, December 26th, Brenna played happily with all her toys, and I felt much better. Jamie had to work and I just thank God I could take care of her by myself. I had to ask my sister and my mother-in-law to clarify who gave us certain presents as we went through them because I honestly couldn't remember all of the day before!
  

• Today I woke up to Brenna laughing. I went in her room and she was standing there, like, "Hi, Mom. Were you up? I was. I was just waiting for whenever you got up." She laughed and laughed. Jamie had off today, and I let him sleep in a little because he had been doing so much with me out of commission, so I took her downstairs and we played with her toys again. She pulled herself to standing on her Leapfrog table and new Little Tikes Activity Walker (from Grandma and Pop) like it was no trouble in the world; as if she had always done it so effortlessly.

• Jamie installed Brenna's convertible car seat today, and we took her out to Panera, Old Navy, Costco and Lowes. While we were in the car in Lowes parking lot, Brenna's antibiotic decided to leave it's nasty side effect, and she had a major blowout running all over her clothes, down her legs, on MY sneakers, etc. Jamie and I were cracking up and trying to figure out how to handle the situation. We stripped her, which she thought was awesome, and she laughed hysterically, thrilled to be naked in Lowes parking lot! Our Brenna is back... and our Brenna is an exhibitionist.

• One of my most favorite milestones took place tonight. I was folding laundry and put Brenna in her crib to keep her out of the way for a second, and she immediately popped back up. I laughed at how quickly she can now do that, and I said, "Hi!" and I waved at her. She smiled and waved back at me. I thought it was a fluke. So I did it again, and SHE DID IT AGAIN!!! I called Jamie in to confirm it was real, and together we did it about six more times, each time with Brenna responding to our waving by smiling and waving enthusiastically back at us!
  

It is a good thing that there are 12 days of Christmas because Christmas Day would have probably left me a little disappointed since I was too sick to take it all in, but a day like today, and a gift like Brenna waving hello to us makes up for it!