not exactly according to plan

when i pictured lauren's first christmas, i knew she would not be as interested in the presents as the wrapping paper, so i carefully wrapped her things with big pretty bows. we were going to videotape it and have jake in the background in his big pretty bow, her grandparents smiling approvingly, etc. we were supposed to see ryan's family on christmas morning and mine in the evening.

instead, we made it out of our house on christmas eve in a feverish state, and drove to my parents' house so they could take care of us, leaving behind one present for grandpa and one present for lauren which would not fit in the car (truthfully the grandpa present is not bigger than a shoe box but i put it in a giant box to trick him because he always guesses his gifts!)

in the wee hours of christmas eve/christmas morning, i woke up feeling really really sick. Let's just say it was no longer just a pink eye/ear infection/sore throat/coughing problem but had moved into being the other kind of flu. i felt so so so so sick. spent christmas day in bed with a 102 fever.

while ryan & i were upstairs recovering, uncle peter videotaped lauren opening her gifts and from what i hear, she was the belle of the ball. my mom took care of her all day. my dad fed her solid food (she for some reason has a very healthy appetite for baby food with her grandpa like no one else). i'm so glad she was healthy and that her other relatives could be there for her. my brother's girlfriend's family was also there. it was the first time they'd met lauren and they don't have any babies in their (immediate) family so they were excited to see her first christmas and they got her gifts as well.

yesterday was my cousin charlie's birthday and when we called to wish him a happy birthday, we found out that my cousin andrea was also sick on christmas with a similar flu thing. i hope one day ryan, andrea & i can look back on this as "the christmas when we got sick", in other words that it will be the only sick christmas.