Clean Bill of Health

Today we took Jack to see his pediatrician for a follow up exam. He came through with flying colors! According to the doctor we shouldn't baby him or treat him any differently than we normally would. When we asked if it was still OK for us to take him to Disneyland next week he said absolutely. "If he throws up it'll be because of the ride, not the accident. He's totally fine." We still can hardly believe how blessed we are.

Tonight we will be sticking close to home. I have boeuf bourguinon in the oven and Moet & Chandon in the refrigerator. Even in the pre-Jack era, we prefered staying home, cuddling on the couch with a good movie instead of going out to to deal with crowded dance floors and drunken mobs.

We hope the New Year brings you health, prosperity and happiness! Honestly, this year was so fabulous, it'll be hard to top.
Happy New Year!

Strawberry Goatee

It's not blood!! Today on the way back from the park Mommy gave me some strawberry snacks. They were yummy! I got them on my cheeks, chin, mouth, lips, nose and hands. Mommy and Daddy thought it was cute. They said so long as I'm healthy I can get as messy as I want! Bring on the mud!

Grace of God

Let me begin by saying that Jack is OK. Our family suffered the scare of a lifetime last Sunday when Jack managed to squeeze through the bannister railing at Grandma's house and fall 10 - 12 feet down onto stairs and a hardwood floor. Grandpa and Daddy had just installed a permanent gate at the top of the staircase to keep our little adventurer from going up and down without an adult. Unfortunately, it allowed us all to let our guard down, thinking we had created a more safe environment for him. As it turns out, the bannister spindles near the stairs are spaced a bit wider than the others. Jack recognized this and squeezed through, trying to bypass the gate. Since we did not actually see the events unfold, we can only speculate about what actually happened. But it appears as if he fell about 10 feet down, landing on one of the lowest stairs on his left shoulder blade and then falling forward one or two stairs to rest face first on the hardwood floor. The events from that moment until we got to the hospital flash by in freeze frame fashion. We remember racing to the landing, then being on the floor next to him, then upstairs with him on the bed, then in the car driving to the emergency room. The wonderful nurses and doctors at Little Company of Mary took us in instantly. He was given an IV, neck collar and then off for CAT scans and x-rays of every part of his body. Here is the point at which we realized that we had been involved in a miracle. He is fine. Doctors could find NO evidence of ANY broken bones or internal injuries. No brain injury, no neck fractures, no damage to any organs, no internal bleeding, no dislocated joints, not even a cracked rib! The only injuries he sustained were a few bruises on his forehead, back and shoulder and a good sized abrasion on his left shoulder blade. Dr. Carr's diagnosis was "a miracle." We ask that you join us in praying for God to keep Jack free of any negative effects from this terrible accident and thanking Him for working such an amazing miracle for us. We are confident that His hand broke Jack's fall and His arms carried us all through to safety.

We had planned on returning from our Christmas travels and posting about our lovely dinner with family and my dad's surprise 65th birthday party. Instead, we returned home with a Christmas miracle. Our hearts and heads have never been more clear about the joys of the season. We hope you are all having safe and memorable holidays.

Christmas Vacation

That is a warm peanut butter cookie with a melty chocolate kiss. Thanks to The Ruffin's for sharing some Christmas cheer...Jack loved it! His face was covered in chocolate.

We are having a quiet Christmas Eve at our house tonight. Watching National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation and waiting for Santa to drop in. Jack had his best nap ever, just to make sure he was on the nice list. We hope you all have a wonderful evening and a merry Christmas tomorrow. Give each other a hug for us.

Check-out Lady

Dear Grocery Store Check-out Lady,
Thank you for your brilliant parenting tips today. There is nothing more helpful to a stressed-out mother than having you explain the naptime, lunchtime, shopping time cycle while a wailing two year old screams in the shopping cart. Your diatribe regarding how YOU managed your children when they were little (in order to avoid scenarios like mine) was both insightful and inspiring. I hope to one day be a perfect mom like you and raise perfect children who never cry due to teething, feeling ill, or just plain being cranky. Perhaps your position in the express lane is not your calling. Have you considered a daytime show like Dr. Phil? Maybe until the networks call you can just scan and bag my 15 lousy items QUICKLY, so that I may get home sooner. Thanks.

Christmas Tree Lane

Last night Rob and I took Jack to Christmas Tree Lane to see all of the houses decked out for the holidays. It was a first for both Jack and Rob! The displays were excellent. We saw many Santas, "no" men (as Jack calls them), penguins and reindeer. One house even had two electric trains set up in an elaborate snow town. There were lights, garlands, wreaths, trees and more lights. There were carolers singing in Spanish, nativity scenes with life-sized camels and more than one inflatable Grinch:-) Jack was amazed, thrilled and totally delighted. He was adorable bundled up in his hat, mittens and parka. We all had a wonderful time and I believe we started a new family tradition.

Duct Tape

For those of you who are fans of duct tape...yet another use for it. If your two year old is angry that you are making him take a nap, and he strips down naked to get even...duct tape the diaper on with the seam in the back. He'll get pretty mad, but he won't pee on the sheets:-)