Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, Happy Birthday, Get Well Soon, etc. etc.

Happy 2009! We've been just a little bit busy with the holidays, a quickie vacation, a birthday, but most of all. . . being sick :0( It started just before Christmas with the stomach flu spreading like wildfire through the house- every one of us got nailed. But poor Gavin who had never thrown up before was lying in his bed, flat on his back, throwing up and in between trying to catch a breath, he was yelling "I'm choking! I'm choking!" I don't think I ever jumped out of bed so fast. So guess who gets it next? Then while I'm lying in bed I hear the cutest little dry heaves- my Lauren was next. Then came the manly heaves that echoed through the house and I knew Hunter had it. I told Todd he had stay strong long enough for me to get through it. Which he did for a day. So that was no fun. Christmas with all the extended family was cancelled and we ended up just having a quiet holiday at home. Hunter and I actually felt well enough to go to my sister's and spend time with her family, mom, dad and Aunt B. while Lauren, Todd and Gavin took a nap at home. It was a quaint little holiday with no shortage of good food and good company. Then Gav and Lauren got sick with ear infections, Gavin had that "hand, foot and mouth" disease -and- a double ear infection. We tried to celebrate New Year's Eve but Lauren had to wake me up at 11:45pm and Todd never did get out of bed. Hunter had his buddy over so the kids had a good time. We left on the 3rd for a quick trip to the Dells and no sooner did we get home, and Gav's sick again with strep throat. In between all that I've been working, trying to keep up with house, volunteered for Lauren's Christmas party, volunteered to drive the girls to Oak Park to tour Frank Lloyd Wright's studio, managed to squeeze in Lauren's 10th birthday party at the movies (you have to see "Hotel for Dogs"- too cute) and play nurse both at home and at work. I had my first "bad" experience at work with a patient who's blood pressure bottomed out after her epidural but I learned A LOT that night both about my patient and the "invisible patient", as we call our babies. The other nurses I work with are amazing- the support and team work is incredible. I've never felt so encouraged to succeed as I do with this amazing team of women and doctors. Delivering babies is not always fun- it's as scary as "you-know-what". So to de-stress from all that, I distract myself at home and got busy venetian plastering my office. It's finally finished! My next project will be the master bath. I can't wait to finally finish this house! We've been here 4 years already and there's so much to do- but absolutely no time to do it. Lauren is now in art club and volleyball in addition to girlscouts and Hunter has art club with indoor winter track coming up. When Gavin's not sick he's busy running around behind me undoing all the cleaning I just did. I'll never get ahead as I struggle to just keep up! But one day these kids will be grown and gone and I'll give anything to have this time back so I try not to complain (too much :0) Next we're getting ready to celebrate Gavin's 3rd birthday and I'll start studying for certification in labor and delivery so there's enough to keep me busy. Todd's busy at work trying to keep his company afloat. They've been hit pretty hard- no one needs semi's right now. Hopefully this will be the year our economy bounces back!