Christmas Day ER Visit

When we got to Keith's mom's she had snack food out as always. There was a bowl of cashews at Gabriel's level, so of course he gravitated towards them. Keith bit one in half for him and a couple of minutes later, he went back for another one. At that point we got him some lunch. My mother-in-law and I noticed that he had red spots on his chin and that he was probably having a reaction. We immediately pinpointed the cashews. It was the only thing he'd eaten that he'd never had before. 

As time went on he got whiny, his new norm, but then we were able to tell that he wasn't feeling well. His nose starting running and he began to cough. At this point Keith went to get him some medicine. His coughing increased and we could see more spots. Keith came back with the medicine and we had to force it down. We lifted his shirt up to see how is body was looking and he was starting to break out in hives all over. At this point he was wheezing along with everything else. It was a group consensus that I call the pediatrician's office to get the on-call number. We called the doctor and they said we should take him to the hospital. So we grabbed our stuff and headed out the door.

It was the saddest thing heading to the hospital; he was wheezing, coughing, and crying. You could tell he was so uncomfortable. That's one of the worst feelings as a parent; having a crying child in the car and you can't do anything to help them. It's the longest car ride until you get to the destination where you can comfort your baby. 

Once at the ER they took us right back. They asked what was going on and had us undress him. The hives had gotten so bad. The picture doesn't show how red and swollen his skin was. They got him a shot of epinephrine pretty quickly, then we had to give him three liquid medications. It was so sad, we had to force him to swallow them (cheek squeeze, nose plug) and he was screaming. If that wasn't enough, as soon as we finished with that, he had to get a breathing treatment; he cried the whole time. After all that torture he got a giant otter pop and loved it. I could tell he was getting sleepy, so I laid down with him. As he was dosing off they came in to get an x-ray of his chest. After that he was finally able to take a nap, uninterrupted. They had us stick around for two hours to make sure he was ok, then they sent us on our way with a prescription for an epi pen and advice to get in touch with our pediatrician the next day.

So we've decided that it's best we don't give him any kind of nuts until he's talking and can tell us if he's having a reaction. Poor little buddy had a tough day, but he bounced back quickly.

Christmas Day

We woke up and opened our presents and stockings. The giraffe and bouncy light up ball were a hit! After we detonated the Christmas bomb, we headed back up to my parents' for breakfast. 

 

Once home for a few hours, we headed up to Keith's mom's. We got there about an hour and a half before everyone else and then had to leave to go to the hospital (story to follow).

We got discharged from the hospital and went back to his mom's to have dinner (after everyone else) and to open and give Christmas presents. 

the darling personalized book auntie kelli gave gabriel

 the awesome rug keith's step-dad made for our family

pretty amazing!

It was a great day, minus our little hospital visit. I got spoiled and I think my boys did too! I look forward to next year when Gabriel is more aware of what's going on.

I love this time of year and I'm always sad when it comes and goes so quickly. But I'll be glad once New Years' is over and all the goodies and lavish food disappears. 

It's shrink time!

Christmas Eve at The Sudweeks Home

I started the day off by making a batch of sugar cookies. I'm not the biggest fan of them and I don't like to make them either. It had been years since I made them and I remember why I'd waited so long. Let's just say Santa will be getting chocolate chip or Rolo cookies from now on.

While the cookie making was going on, Christmas movies played. I took a little break and watched a little bit of The Polar Express with Gabriel. He was captivated for a few minutes.

Christmas Eve is a pretty big deal for my family. So far, we've gone to my parents' every Christmas Eve. This year I made my mac n' cheese for dinner and ended up overseeing the feeding of mouths. After dinner we had the usual nativity acted out by the kiddos. 

 shannon helping "mary" ride the "donkey"

 the angel gabriel

 Christmas Story leg lamp

 

the awesome Christmas sweater my sister gave my mom

Following the nativity we received our Christmas jammies and our Christmas book. 

Gabriel at 14 Months

I know most people don't keep up the month-to-month advancements with their babies once they get passed a year old, but I'd like to. Gabriel continues to change so much and I want to remember the little things about him.

So here are some new things about Gabriel.

• He likes to step up onto things (ie his airplane, boxes, books) and then (try) to step off.

• He likes to ride is airplane, facing forwards and backwards.
• He gives loves, but pretty much only to little kids. It's the sweetest thing!

He's giving baby Jesus a love.

 

• We're only allowing the binkie at naps and bedtime. If he sees it, then he gets so upset.
• He's really started to throw fits. The day has come that my baby boy isn't easy peasy. Hopefully we'll be able to get over this phase quickly.
• He's finally gotten the hang of tipping his sippy cup up so he can drink out of it. Now to get him completely off bottles.
• He loves, LOVES his face blankie. I'd rather have him attached to that then a binkie or bottle. And I love it, it reminds me that he's still a baby.
• He has 12 teeth.
• He runs to a wall or corner and stands there. I'm pretty sure he's hiding and it's so cute!

• He loves clementines and will still eat pretty much anything you give him.
• He doesn't really say many actual words, but he is vocal and we're working on the words.
• He loves music! Every time music comes on he dances, whether it's a subtle sway or full-on squat bounce and arm flailing.
• He likes to pull the books (the ones he's not supposed to) off the shelf and look through them.

• He is such a busy body and so full of personality.
• Whenever we pull up to my parents' house and get out of the car, he barks. He does this because of their dog. 
• He is so SO smart. He figured out how to open the doors at church.

Well that was a lot, but he's changing rapidly. He's such an angel and I love him so much. He makes me laugh and smile so much! He's my little baby!

Talentless

This post is something I've had an internal debate about; should I blog about this or just leave it be. Seeing as the topic keeps invading my thoughts, I've decided that it's best I post it and get it off my mind. 

I'm giving a disclaimer of sorts. I'm not writing this to have a pity party or get sympathetic attention, it's just something I feel like sharing. 

So here it is. 

When I look at others' blogs and instragram pictures, more often then I'd like to admit, I'm left feeling inferior and like I have nothing to give. Because of the advancement of the Internet, we are bombarded by everyones' creativity and talents. I look at all these girls and I do exactly what I shouldn't, compare myself. 

I'm not creative and crafty, I'm not a genius photographer, I'm not thrifty, or a fashionista and stylist, I'm not a fitness guru, I don't have impeccable interior design skills, I can't host lavish and beautiful parties. I'm pretty much just mediocre at everything I do. I don't stand out from the crowd in any area. I'm just a normal girl, with normal "jobs".

At times I ask myself if I should be looking at blogs and instagram. Why look at things that make me feel like I have nothing to offer, lower my self esteem, and make me jealous? Yes, I said jealous. I openly admit that I get jealous when I look at peoples' lives and want to be able to dress like them, have a house like them, be popular like they are. I wish I had some amazing talent that people admired me for, but the simple fact of the matter is, that I don't. 

A little while ago I gave a lesson in Young Women's about self confidence. The one that should have really been taking that lesson to heart and taking it's advice was me. How can I be teaching these teenage girls about having self confidence in themselves, when I, their leader can't even say that for myself. A few weeks later, another leader gave a lesson on talents. That lesson too, was probably meant more for me then the girls. Try as I may to see what talents I have, I just can't seem to find them. Maybe because what I define as talents aren't the talents I possess.

So I guess the moral of this story is: I need to recognize that the things I think aren't talents, really are talents? (confusing much?)

Or maybe it's that I need to keep trying to discover my talents?

Or I need to learn not to get jealous and compare myself to others?

Whatever it is, I still have yet to figure it out. 

The Big 3.0. For Keith

My wonderful husband celebrated his 30th birthday yesterday. 

If you know me, then you know I'm a planner and plan things way in advance. I was so focused on the surprise party, I forgot about breakfast, a card, and decorating our home until the day before. 

For a couple of months, I'd been trying to figure out the best way to surprise him and after talking it over with his mom, we figured something out. We always go to her house for dinner to celebrate his birthday and that was the plan yesterday. Well, it was really a surprise party with his high school friends (even though only a couple showed up) and some family. After the surprise part, we had dinner with family. 

Too bad Keith knows me all to well and that I'm a big one for surprises. So he knew I'd do a surprise party for him. And it was confirmed to him Saturday when he spied me out the window with my neighbor helping me bring the cakes up that I'd baked at my mom's house and that he never saw in our kitchen. He didn't say anything until we were driving up to his mom's. He kept saying things like, "did you make a chocolate cake?", "I wonder where Tyler and Chelsea are?". Eventually I couldn't hold it in and just laughed, but never confirmed the surprise. Once we got out of the car at him mom's I told him to act surprised. Little butt, he spoiled all my planning to make it a surprise. Oh well.

It was a good time and nice to see some friends that we don't see too often. We got to eat plenty of cake (I had made two and his mom made one) and my favorite mac n' cheese recipe. Seriously, if you want to try the best mac n' cheese ever, you have to try the recipe I use!

love the calendar, right? 

if you know a teenage girl that'd like it for Christmas, then you're more then welcome to it! 

Love that man!

Lady Killer

This is what Keith calls Gabriel all the time. I refrain from doing so, because I don't want my little baby to grow up to quickly, or at all for that matter. But I have to say, I can't resist saying it when I see these pictures!

He is a lady killer! 

this one will go down in history as one of my all-time favorites 

 

I know I'm his mom, but I must say, he looks like a Baby Gap model in these pictures.

Our First Gingerbread House

Well I can't speak for Keith, but this was mine and Gabriel's first gingerbread house making experience. Yes, it's true, I've never made (or more accurately defined, assembled) a gingerbread house and I'm 27. That is why it went on the Christmas bucket list. 

I bought a kit at the grocery store a week ago and it's been patiently waiting to be assembled. It proved to be a great Sunday evening activity.

The whole I cut in the icing bag was a little too big, so the designs are rather sloppy. I guess that's what happens when you've never made a gingerbread house; you learn from experience. Next year it will be prettier! So have a good chuckle at our pathetic assembly of a gingerbread house. 

 keith's side

 i did the front and right side

At least it was a good time and I could tell Gabriel was hoping we'd let me go banana's on the thing. Maybe he can be the deconstruction crew, clothed in a diaper and sitting on a plastic table cloth. 

Grandma's Christmas Workshop #2

The second workshop was held today.

pre-workshop 

my parents have a pile of Christmas stuffed animals and it's basically tradition for the kiddos to get in them and get their picture taken.

 

the workshop

We (meaning I) attached the kids' pictures to the snowflakes to send to cousin Elder Bramwell and to take to Great Grandma Suds. The kids also wrote or drew pictures for Elder Bramwell.

We also made marshmellow snowmen and I attempted to teach the kids how to finger knit. I say attempt, because there just wasn't something quite right about the way they were turning out. 

My grandma Sudweeks taught me how to do it when I was a wee one and I did it throughout the years growing up. My mom still has some that I made and she even used one as a bow on my Christmas gift last year. So I am now determined to figure it out!

snowmen idea found on pinterest

The boys (there are a lot of them in our family) were getting rather rowdy, so my mom purposed some arm wrestling matches to try and keep them from yelling, running, and jumping all over the place.

This is what ensued.

my mom and ethan

shannon had to put up quite the fight

The final workshop is next Saturday. Crazy that we'll already be that close to Christmas!