"Christmas Morning!"

Since we'll be headed to the airport one week from this time for our trip to Chicago, we've decided to celebrate our Christmas morning as a family of three today. Last night, we busily wrapped all the presents as Cameron slept. Lots to wrap since tonight we'll also be celebrating with my immediate family & re-creating Christmas Eve with homemade pizzas, appetizers, drinks & presents!

I figured I'd sleep in a bit with it being Saturday and all, but I guess I must have been too excited since I was up & ready to go at 6:30 this morning! So, here I sit, relaxing with candles & the tree lit while listening to Christmas music as I wait for Cameron & Mike to wake up.



These are my gifts from Mike & I don't have the foggiest idea as to what it could possibly be!! He assures me I'll love them, which I'm sure I will, but I'm clueless! I guess I'll find out soon enough!

A Million Bucks!

That's how I've been feeling lately! Within 24 hours of getting that steroid injection at the walk-in clinic, the inflammation & sores in my throat were so much better! The doctor said that it would help for 2-3 weeks, so I'm hoping that whatever mystery virus that was/is lurking in my system is long gone by then!

Still Sick!

Since the doctor at the walk-in clinic on Sunday assured me that my throat would be feeling better within 24 hours of taking Amoxicillin, I was pretty sure I'd be feeling relief by Monday. Unfortunately, things were not at all better & if anything, I'd say my throat felt worse. At work yesterday, I was only able to eat a bowl of cream of wheat & an ice cream cup. For dinner, Mike grabbed me a milkshake from McDonald's but it burned my throat too bad to drink.

When I looked in the mirror last night, not only was my throat looking horrible, but I began to notice a rash forming on my hands, arms & stomach. As I searched the internet, I noticed Amoxicillin could potentially cause a rash which may be harmful & that a visit to the doctor was needed. When I woke up today, my throat was absolutely no better & the rash was looking worse, so I knew I'd have to pay another visit to the doctor.

Long story short, even though I tested negative for the Monospot blood test, the doctor is convinced that I have mono. Regardless, since mono is a virus, there is no treatment for it, so the doctor didn't feel that it was necessary to pursue additional work-up. I also tested negative for the in-office swab for strep, but since this test has a 15-20% false negative, he also sent a swab into the lab for a more specific test.

The doctor gave me an injection of Decadron in hopes of decreasing the inflammation in my throat for at least some relief. I've still only been able to eat a Nutri-Grain bar today & even that caused so much pain that tears were stinging at my eyes as I finished it. I also downed the rest of my milkshake from yesterday night.

But for any of you who may cross paths with me soon, please do not run & hide! I may not even have mono & even if I do, I obsessively wash my hands/use hand sanitizer & I'm not coughing or sneezing & even when I do, I use a tissue & immediately wash my hands. The doctor informed me that I can go about my schedule as usual with work, etc. I am convinced that if I do indeed have mono, that I got it from Cameron. I read that babies can carry the virus, but that symptoms are usually very mild for them. Either way, I have to be careful to not infect him since I know nothing for sure. I'm not sure what's worse... not being able to kiss Cam or having the most insane sore throat I could ever imagine?

Strep Throat

Friday after donating blood at work, I started to feel like my throat was getting sore. I ignored it & went about my day until it was later at night & I was at Lauren's wine/cheese party & I started to feel very achy & sick. By the time I got home, I had full blown chills & I couldn't stop my teeth from chattering.

Yesterday I never got out of my pj's & stayed on the couch all day long. My joints & muscles were so sore, I had no energy & I felt like I would pass out after five minutes on my feet. Thank goodness I have such a wonderful hubby who took care of Cam so I could rest.

This morning when I woke up I was in agony with a sore throat & felt like I would die each time I swallowed. When I looked in the mirror, my throat looked like raw ground beef with white spots dabbled about. I am certainly not one to run to the doctor & absolutely not one who takes antibiotics... I think this is the second time in my life I've taken them. But, I knew something was up, so while Mike & Cam went to church, I went to a walk-in clinic by my house. I had a 101 degree temperature & as soon as the doctor looked in my throat, he knew it was strep throat.

Apparently after fifteen years old, you no longer have to have your throat swabbed. So, I left with a prescription for Amoxicillin in hopes of feeling better soon. Thank goodness I got sick when I did because of this would have happened two weeks later, we'd be on our way to Chicago & I'd be one miserable traveler.

Christmas Cheer!

I was trying to come up with some new ways to decorate for Christmas this year & decided to hang some ornaments from our kitchen light. I went to Dollar General & got some awesome deals on really nice ornaments, pine cones, a spoon rest for the stove & a really cute Santa cookie jar for the counter.

Seriously, check out a dollar-type store if you're looking for holiday items. Many things are priced higher than a dollar but still a heck of a lot more reasonable than you would spend in a "regular" store. There was a huge variety of gift bags, wrapping paper & bows too.





This is the trifle bowl I filled with pumpkins & gourdes to decorate for Halloween... at least it's put to good use since I don't often bake.





Nothing like a cozy, glowy house to come home to at the end of a long, stressful day!

So Much To Be Thankful For!

Even though this is Cameron's 2nd Thanksgiving, I kind of, sort of consider this his 1st since he is so much more aware, active & fun. This holiday season means more to me than any other before since I feel so blessed to be Cam's mom. Last year at this time I was far too overwhelmed to truly enjoy being a mom & now I am a whole lot more comfortable playing the role of Mom!



My little man is officially walking! I thank God each day that I have been blessed with a healthy baby & I don't take it for granted for one second. Sure, I have my moments where I'm overworked, overwhelmed, exhausted & just ready for Cam's bedtime so I can take a breather. Then before you know it, I'm missing him once he is actually asleep for the night.



Watching this guy grow & change on a daily basis is rather incredible! Cam is like a sponge right now & I'm amazed at the new tricks he's constantly pulling out from his sleeves. We've been tinkering with teaching Cam sign language since he was six months old & last week he did his first sign! Of course, it's "more" & has to do with his main passion... food/eating!



I'm thankful for my hubby & the amazing dad he is! Watching Mike & Cam together warms my heart!



And so what if my baby enjoys eating wood chips & sand & drools more than any kid on the earth! Who cares that you have to be careful when giving him food as he tries to smash as much in his mouth as he humanly can?!

I am thankful for my wonderful family & friends & all the happiness & love they bring to my life. Yes, my family is absolutely insane, but I wouldn't change a thing! I am thankful to have a warm, cozy home to come to & to never be without food on the table.

So much to be thankful for.

Food, Food & More Food!

I love absolutely everything about Thanksgiving; the quality time spent with family, the cooking, the smells & the general warm, fuzzy feeling I have. Growing up, I always knew I wanted to host Thanksgiving when I was older & had my own house. Well, now that time is here & that's exactly what I've been doing the past 3 years & I'm loving it! But, there's no way I'm taking all the credit for our meal since I have lots of help from family!



Cheers, Mom! Here's to enjoying a wonderful holiday season with so many things to be thankful for!



Cranberry sauce simmering away the night before Thanksgiving. Thanks again for giving me the recipe, Lauren!



Gotta have some healthy food amongst the not-so-healthy food!



Plenty of apps to choose from! Lots made from Tastefully Simple & also deviled eggs from Melanie as well as my homemade hummus.



The bird is stuffed & ready to go!



And now it's ready to be enjoyed!



Thanks for carving the turkey, Dad! FYI, the turkey is on the left! Ha ha, gosh, I am just so darn funny!



Look, I'm like Fred Flinstone eating my brontosaurus leg!



Here is my Thanksgiving plate; 2 types of stuffing, sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, turkey, cranberry sauce & green bean casserole! YUM!



And here's the whole gang, sitting down to enjoy our meal!