Happy Holidays!

We had an awesome Christmas this year! It was really nice to have so much time off work to spend with each other.  As I write this - we are getting prepared to go back to work for our first full work week in 2 weeks.  Will is going to be somewhat shocked (and not just from the VERY cold weather we are expected to have tomorrow, uh hum - like -25 below zero windchills - what??), to not get to wake up and watch the Tow Mater Tall Tales episode on Netflix that he got to watch pretty much every morning of break (do we spoil him?? Ok, maybe a little!)

Anyway, our break started with a trip up to NE.  We got up there Friday night, and woke up Saturday to host all of the Mack's at Mom's house.  It's always so nice for everyone to get together - even though we were missing several Mack's, our house is always full, and lots of love and laughs.  Sunday - we got to spend the day and have lunch with Don's two daughters, their spouses and their kids.  We somehow got it to work that most of the kids were taking naps while we enjoyed a pretty mild/quiet lunch, and we started opening gifts and gradually the kids woke up and opened gifts.  It was really nice and Mom/Don currently have 5 grandkids (with Baby #6 in my belly) 

Monday, we drove down to KC and met Dad there to celebrate Christmas with him.  Unfortunately - over the night Sunday night, Will woke up just screaming, and was burning up hot.  I don't know exactly what his fever was (left our dang thermometor at home in KC) but he definitely had one.  Once we got that somewhat down with Tylenol, he basically tried to kind of sleep with us/on us, and frankly none of us slept well that night.  Turns out Will just caught a terrible head cold, was coughing and just really misreble.  We tried to hang out at Amy and Cody's on Monday as long as possible, but thought it best to take Will in to the Dr. since the next day was Christmas Eve and likely closed.  He didn't have an ear infection, which was my fear, and basically told us to bring him in one week from then to check again.

Tuesday was Christmas Eve, and we decided to do our stockings from Santa at our house that morning.  Unforuntely, Bubs was still feeling very sick, his poor nose just couldn't stop running.  He would tell me 'boogers' if he wanted his nose wiped.  And really, it was about every minute he needed a kleenex.  We went up to Bill and Marilee's around noon - and got to see all the family!  Brian, Michaela, and Lily were all there and was fun to get to spend some time with them, Angie/Brett and the kids, and Joe and Elaina (Michelle had to work ;( )  Anyway, we had a light meal before mass, and then went to church at 8:00pm.  I was pretty worried with how Will was going to do, because he had been so misreble, just whining and sick, but he did pretty well at church and just was really wanting to snuggle with Mama (only good thing about them being sick is all the cuddles I get, but I always just want to take the sick for him - breaks my heart!)  Anyway, we spent the night up at Bill and Marilee's Tuesday night.  Will woke up once crying, and really wanting milk - so I ran down there, and then I really didn't sleep well or get back to sleep then.  So, Will slept in a little bit on Christmas morning (not too long - the kids were waiting patiently downstairs!!)  Even when he woke up, he was still in a pretty sick mood - but was fun to see Brady, Emma, Elaina open their gifts - the kids were all very blessed!  Finally, finally after Will's nap that afternoon, he woke up and seemed to be feeling much better.  Could have been the allergy medicine that Brett had us try for him - it really seemed to help clear him up quite a bit.  So, Will opened gifts then - it was just a long drawn out day for presents!  We all stayed in our pajamas for most of the day and just relaxed with each other. It was a great way to celebrate Christmas.

I was glad for Will that he got to sleep in his own bed Wednesday night, and by Thursday he seemed much more back to himself.  We had a nice, relaxing day - Patrick and I have been watching Breaking Bad series, so we watched several of those during Will's naps during our break, and later that evening, Will and I met up with some of my college girlfriends at Harry's Country Club.  We started a somewhat tradition to meet over Christmas at Harry's - with Erica, her son Beckham (who turned 1 end of Oct.), my friend Carlie and her son Miller (turned 1 in July), Caitlin, Susan, and Janelle.  Anyway, great to spend time catching up with them and getting all of the little guys together.  Patrick went to see Anchorman 2 with his brothers - and enjoyed that of course!


Friday night - we celebrated and got together with Patrick's friends over at Brad's house.  Annie McKenzie came over to stay with Will - and we had a great adult night out!  We had our annual gift exchange and played Cards Against Humanity and had lots of laughs! We stayed out pretty late, well, of course, we got home around 11 and then had to watch some Breaking Bad.

Saturday - the big Altenhofen Christmas get together - which was up at Bill and Marilee's.  Was really great to see everyone there too, and got to spend some good time seeing everyone and catching up.

Sunday - Lily's baptism day!  We woke up and went to St. Therese for mass and got to be there for Lily's baptism.  We went to Michaela's uncle's house for baptism lunch (um, probably the most gorgeous house I have ever been in or seen in real life. It's in Briarcliff (next door to Dwayne Bowe the Chief player's house) and just everything was so well decorated, intricate, and just beautiful!!  The only NOT beautiful thing, during Mass Will was being quite a pistol. He usually is pretty good in church, but was very whining and just out of sorts.  Well, turns out, he started having bad diarrhea, and the Flu of Christmas 2013 hit him.  Poor guy - he could NOT stop pooping :(  Horrible smelling, and just you could tell making him misreble.  Well, that fun little bug hit me Sunday night.  I could tell before bed I was feeling pretty nauseous, and was praying it wouldn't turn into throwing up (I HATE throwing up).  I definitely was in and out of the bathroom most of the night Sunday, and ended up having to run downstairs to other bathroom to throw up around 3am.  Right around that time, Will had pooped through 2 different PJ's and sets of sheets.  Bless Patrick - he kept running down there to take care of him, while I was getting sick and could barely move.  It was pretty bad.  My stomach was very unsettled all of Monday still - and I was nervous to eat anything or drink water even, but mine wast mostly through.  Will kept pooping though.  I was going to take a vacation day, but ended up taking a sick day all day on Monday.

Tuesday was New Year's Eve - our only plan was to really just to go to Amy and Cody's and hang out, have dinner, but decided not to do that, since we were all sick.  So, we basically got out of house, only to grab some dinner at Governor Stumpy's in Waldo---I was still not sure what sounded good to eat, but thought we should try to do something.  Will's diaper had to be changed twice just at the restaurant, and of course by then, it was not fun for him, as his little bottom was SO red and sore.  Patrick and I tried to be as festive as possible, and we played a round of Gin Rummy, watched some football, and stayed up for the ball drop and to kiss/wish each other a Happy New Year!

Will's favorite things during/around Christmas break 2013:

• Watching Cars the movie - or specifically the Tow Mater episode on Netflix - he wakes up asking to watch this, and even includes Cars or McQueen in his nightly prayers
• Eating waffles, maccaroni, and cookies - hard for this guy to eat when he was sick so much, but he did manage to do well with the foods listed above
• Playing cars, Thomas the Train, wrestling with Dad, building tunnels/forts, doing flashcards, and playing the 'animal' app on my iPad, play dough, finger painting
• Going to Target and riding in the cart, which always turns into him pushing the cart by himself of course
• Reading Curious George and the Puppies - I swear, we have read that book to him each about 50 times alone, just over this break!  That kid seriously loves the book and says George and puppies over and over through the day :)  Other fave book is Big Red Barn.  I love that he loves books though, and even starts reading them himself, and he really does know several of the words that go on each page - so fun to watch him learn, retain and understand things we just tell him, and watch his vocabulary grow and him start speaking in full sentences (one day he just says to me, "What's happening Mommy?" - and just cracked me up!) 

We continue to laugh at him all the time, at the funny things he says and remembers, and just how sweet he is.  He really is a sweet, kind-hearted boy (for the majority of the time, when he's not getting possesive about his toys and not wanting to share, most of the time he does pretty well though)

2014 has started off great - we are all on the mend, we have had some good times just playing, and lazing around the house, getting ready for Baby Girl to make her arrival (3 more months!!) and feel very, very blessed with all God has given us.  I am anxious to get some things going at work, before having to tie them up for awhile, and anxious for this sweet girl to come and to get to meet her.  I love wondering what she will look like, will she have lots of hair like Will, how he will react to her, and just how much more love has and will fill my heart.  I love feeling her kicks!  They are definitely getting stronger and can see them outside my clothes now too!  I'm feeling pretty large, and other than the restless leg and the pressure when I lay down at night, I'm feeling great otherwise!! It's fun though - lots of friends and co-workers are pregnant now too, all at different stages, but fun to experience it with them!  So far, this girl has lots of boys around her, so we are hoping for a few girlfriends :)  But, we have warned Gwynnie that her new bestie is coming soon ;)  The girls will be about a year apart - so that'll be fun!! Who would have thought - my sister and I both having a boy, and then a girl - my Mom called it when she predicted girl, b/c 'I do everything like Amy' :)  True Mom, very true :)

Anyway, hope this finds you well (if you are indeed still reading this novel of a blog entry) and wish you all the best in 2014! My 'word' or phrase for the year is Confidence.  Just to put that in writing for when I need to come back and remind myself.   Hope you have a year of blessings, love, and laughter.  Cheers!