Holiday Mishaps

(yep, he actually slept that way.)

We are well into the fall now, and I think it's time for a little update.  I just LOVE this time of year.  The Christmas music is on, my house smells like cinnamon, and I've pulled all my christmas dvds from their alphabetical homes, and made a neat little stack near my TV.  We have had one snow day, and I've decided that dressing babies is more fun when it's colder outside--i love all the layers, and the hats are to die for.  Jake is now past the 6 month mark and is actively crawling, teething, and babbling more nonsense than ever.  I just gave him probably his tenth haircut last night--he has this bald patch right over his soft spot that makes having long hair look kinda dumb.  I have been contemplating the usefulness of some sort of infant rogaine :)  But we love him like crazy, and I actually adore his peach fuzz head.  

Wesley has been working A LOT, in preparation for the holidays. I admire his dedication but really I'm selfish and would much rather just have him hang out with Jake and I all day long.He says that more work now equals more play time during Christmas.  We'll see if that's true.  But, life goes on, and I just keep busy with all my silly projects.  A couple of months ago I was called to be the Activity Day Leader for the 11 year olds in Primary.  So I get together with them a few times a month for fun-filled afternoons.  I love the girls, but as the weather turns colder, I am having a hard time coming up with really fun, low budget activities to do with them indoors.  I mean, we can't bake and scrapbook every week.  If anyone has any suggestions, I wholeheartedly welcome them.   

Ok I have a couple stories for you, and now that it's been a few weeks and I've recovered from the trauma of the experience, I am ready to share them.  About 3 weeks ago, Jake gave us a couple big scares.  First, in the middle of October, I was at my sister in law's house helping her make a birthday cake for her 1 year old.  We were doing a Spongebob theme, and the cake was pretty involved.  Jake was sitting in his bumbo seat on her kitchen counter playing with some spoons, and generally having a grand old time. (as a disclaimer, yes I know that you are NOT supposed to put those things on elevated surfaces. But I never left him alone in it, and he couldn't even budge while sitting in it--plus, he absolutely LOVED sitting up there, eye level with me.)  Ok, so all of a sudden I see this blur and hear a noise that makes my stomach turn over in the worst way.  Yes, Jake had figured out how to climb out of his Bumbo all in one fatal swoop.  He hopped out and right off the counter.  I was pretty much hysterical, knowing how badly he could have been hurt.  I realized that he had miraculously landed face first on top of a cushy shoulder bag, thus absorbing his fall.  He cried for about 30 seconds, then started jumping up and down and laughing.  I was not so quick to recover, but was so grateful that he had landed on something soft, and not just the hardwood floor.  I've heard many people say, "You'll never forget the first time you drop your baby".  I always disregarded this, thinking I was much too  sensible for that sort of thing.  Well, apparently not, and thank goodness my little man was ok!!!

Next story--a couple weeks later, Jake started randomly throwing up--a lot. Within 2 hours he had thrown up about 6 times.  I called the doctors office and they said to bring him in to make sure he was ok.  So Wesley packed him into his carseat while I got dressed.  All of a sudden I hear Wes yelling Jacob's name.  I came out to investigate, and Wes was shouting right into his face, and pinching his cheeks.  Jake was slumped over in his seat, breathing, but barely responsive.  I'm so grateful that Wesley was home to drive us.  We called 911 and went about 100 miles an hour to the hospital, with our hazards on the whole way.  It was probably the longest 20 minutes of my life.  They gave him some anti-nausea medication, had me feed him a little at a time and watched him for a few hours.  The doctor told us that during the winter, about half the pediatric floor is filled with dehydrated Flu babies.  It's amazing how quickly they can become dehydrated.  Once again, Jake had a little guardian angel smiling on him, and we were able to leave that night, with a weak but relatively happy baby.  I want to give a shout out to a couple people.  On the way to the hospital, I called my sister Jessica in a panic, wanting to know how to do infant CPR just in case he stopped breathing.  Naturally, I was hysterical, but she calmly explained the mechanics to me.  (So that was strike two for me--First, I didn't know where the local hospital was and had to drive all the way to Provo, and then I didn't know how to do CPR--mother of the year, right here.)  As soon as we hung up, Jessica made a hysterical phone call of her own, to my cousin Jerai, who lives in Orem.  Within minutes of our arrival at the hospital, she and her husband Phil had packed up there 3 week old baby, and were on their way over.  Phil and Wesley were able to give Jake a blessing within the hour.  I'm so grateful for family, and the power of priesthood blessings.  Thank you Jessica, Jerai, and Phil for your prompt assistance.  

Ok. I know those were long stories, thanks for reading if you did.  I normally try to write the fun-jake stories, but I felt like I needed to record these ones too--for journal keeping sake. Some of you may be reading this and thinking, "my goodness, what an airhead mother".  But those of you who have dropped your baby, know that you are not alone! It happens to the best of us.  I'm sure he will have many more bumps and bruises in the years to come.  I'm not sure if it gets any easier to handle.  I had nightmares for about a week after jake's fall, and my heart skips a beat every time I see the smallest amount of spit up.  I like my child unbruised and hydrated thank you very much.  Well that's all for now.  I'm looking forward to a more relaxing holiday season.  Although, with a toddler on the loose, who knows if I will get my wish. Stay tuned!

Jake, sporting his new teeth, plus the usual drool