Christmas Stories

Mason ready for company to arrive!

Best Pals

Mason and Colton

He was in good spririts on Christmas Eve.

Leaving cookies and milk for Santa!

Merry Christmas little guy!

Some new Ugg's for Christmas!

Notice my son passed out in the background with his "bucket" beside him.

Feeling a little better once he opened his train set.

At Keith's parents' house, not feeling well.

Anisa and I ... Merry Christmas!

Poor Mason, sick on Christmas.

My nephew Colton, so sweet!

Keith and I on Christmas Day at my parents' house.

Christmas started for us on Christmas Eve as usual. My family gathers at my gradnma's annually on Christmas Eve for food and festivities. A grand time was had by all! We had yummy snack food, a gift exchange, and a Texas Holdem' game ... that's my family for ya! It was a late night and at the conclusion we left milk and cookies out for Santa, of course and a carrot for Rudolph.

I was so excited for Christmas this year because Mason actually "gets it." He knew Santa was coming, (if he was good, and I used that numerous times a day until Christmas!) And all he wanted was Thomas the Train & Friends. So, I envisioned us waking up that morning to the excitement of the presents and all Christmas has to offer! With that being said, you knew that wasn't going to happen.

About 1am Mason woke up crying. Keith and I took turns trying to get him back to bed. He finally went to sleep about 2:30am. That did not last long, for he woke up again crying. Keith and I were sooo tired, and this was getting a tad bit frustrating, and very unlike Mason, he's usually a very good sleeper. We struggled to get him back to bed again. Keith and I laid in bed as Mason began to cry AGAIN. Keith said we'll just let him cry it out. After about 10 minutes of constant crying Keith went in to check on him. "Joelle", Keith calls from Mason's room. I go in and Mason had thrown up everywhere. He was in shock saying "ooh yuck Mommy what happened?" We changed his jammies and bedding and got him back to bed. Time has gotten away from me now, but not too long after that episode, Mason woke up, and I enter his room to find he has thrown up again! I change him and his sheets and brought him to bed with Keith and I. Yes, this is against my #1 rule of no co-sleeping, but he was sick, so it's okay. We all dozed off. Then Mason woke up and wanted a drink. So I give him his glass of water and told him to take little sips. Well he chugs it because the poor thing is thirsty. We lay back down, I roll over on my side, and the next thing you know ... blaaaah ... all down my back. Are you kidding me!? Mason then says, "what happened?" Oh, Mason. So I change jammies, Mason changed jammies, and Keith changes, and I strip our bed down.

By this time it's 6:30am and Keith said, why don't we call it a night and just get up now. What the heck, we haven't gotten any sleep anyway and it was obvious we weren't going to. So we got up. Mason was very unenthusiastic as he crashed on the living room floor in front of his presents, and with his puke bucket beside him he passed out, finally. So Keith and I sat quietly and exchanged our presents, waiting for Mason to wake up. All morning Mason would wake up, puke in his bucket and pass back out on the living room floor. What a rotten Christmas for my little guy!

Mason finally woke up and we got moving, as he wasn't throwing up anymore. We went to Keith's parents' house for lunch and opened presents with them and his sister, Liane, and her kids, Bret and Olivia. Then we went to my parents' house for dinner and opened presents with them, Chad, Anisa, and Colton, and my Aunt Sheila who is in town from Philadelphia. The day turned out to be better than it started. We enjoyed the time spent with our families and all the good food. Mason was kind of in a daze all day, running a fever and just feeling down. He wanted to be held and just wasn't his happy go lucky self. But I know he liked all of his presents even if he didn't feel up to playing, especially all the Thomas the Train stuff that Santa brought him. I must say though Mason was sick, Keith, Myself, and Mason had a very Merry Christmas this year and Santa was very good to us!