CHRISTMAS!!!!!

Dear Kate,

We finally made it to the big week!  Christmas is here!!!  We headed back early Sunday morning (from Mimi's house) and, since we don't get to have a private family Christmas moment with just the four of us (we are either at Mimi's house on Christmas morning, or with the Clark family), a couple of years ago we started a Christmas tradition where just the four of us go out to eat somewhere nice, or unique or just whatever we feel like doing as a family and then afterwards, open up the presents from each other.  This year we went to Stoney River, a nice steakhouse that usually we wouldn't take 15 month old children to, but since A) it was Christmas and B) we made reservations for 5:30, we thought we'd be fine.  And, we were!  You did great.  You also LOVED Mommy's blue cheese salad wedge (and so did your sister) and that just thrilled me more than anything else.  By the time we got home you were ready for bed, but we forced you to stay up just a bit longer to help open presents.  You could not care less about opening presents.  You want them open, you just don't want to open them, so your sister had the pleasure of opening yours and hers!  You got some pretty neat things including a cute little bag to take to the gym nursery...

And this lovely zebra, bought specifically for you by your sister!  She was very proud.  

You also loved your new shopping cart riding toy thingy, that makes LOTS of noise.  Like lots.  Didn't know that prior to purchase, but I guess I should have known...

Sister got a basketball, but I'm thinking you were more interested in it!

And at this point you just wanted Mommy to put you to bed.

You were sound asleep in no time, which was good because we had a big day ahead of us.  Christmas Eve!  Now, when we do Christmas with the Clarks, Christmas Eve is our big night.  And this year, we got to have Christmas Eve at our house for the first time EVER!  Mommy was super thrilled for this long awaited event and what a treat it was! Everyone (all the Clark family) came over on around 4 and we just had tons and tons and tons of fun laughing, eating, playing, laughing more, eating more, and playing more!  We ate a lovely ham that Daddy cooked along with a couple side dishes and Mommy loved her table setting.  So much that I did NOT get a picture of that either.  Things are a little calmer when you are not having events at your house, I have concluded :) Aunt Carly got a picture of all of us, but other than that, this is the only picture I got of you on Christmas Eve!

Part of that is, like I mentioned, because things were a bit crazy trying to get dinner ready for 22 folks but another BIG part of that was because you were having MAJOR mommy issues, as in you didn't want anyone else to hold you except Mommy.  You carried this issue through Christmas day and into the day after, just FYI.  It was ever so exhausting and while I want to blame it on teeth or fevers or something, I got nothing.  I mean you are getting every possible tooth in, but still, I think you just love you some Mommy :)
To say the least, we did not keep you up to open presents on Christmas Eve with the family.  As seen from the previous night, you didn't care to even open any and it was past your bed time anyway, so you and Christopher went on to bed while the rest of the crew stayed up opening gifts and playing games.  Maybe next year you can stay up.  Maybe :)
BUT, you were up early as can be for Christmas morning.  Like as in 5:45.  You slept in the pak n play because Christopher was in your bed then Aunt Jill was in there after he left (your room, not your bed!) so I'm hands down blaming that early sunrise on that!  HA!  You were content on rolling around in Mommy's bed for a bit then we got up and looked at all the presents Santa brought you, while waiting on all those sleepy heads to wake up!!  Boy, did you rack up.  Santa clearly thinks you are as sweet as I say!

Sister got a whole bunch of spices (for her 'pretend' soup) and you loved putting them in your new wagon with your twin babies!  

We had a delicious Christmas morning breakfast with all the family and shortly after you were down for a much needed nap!  Eventually we all needed naps and/or to rest a bit so we either napped (little ones) or watched Christmas Vacation in the media room.  We had lunch at some point, but I'm pretty sure it wasn't the appropriate lunch time, which makes it all the better that we just chilled all day long.  And later that afternoon, the adults (and Harrison and Spencer) decided we needed to head out to see a movie, so we asked Miss Lauren to watch you and Abs and Caroline while we caught the late showing of The Hobbit.  But before that, Kipper and his crew popped back over for some yummy ham and beans!  A wonderful Christmas day!!!! Oh, and you did finally get to open all your presents, or well, Mommy and Daddy opened them for you.  You were blessed with all kinds of gifts including your first pair of Toms (pink sparkly!!), new books, princess little people castle, this really cool activity cube, and your very own power wheels four wheeler thing that I'm pretty sure you won't ride until Spring/Summer, but now you can ride along your sister in her jeep!  Blessed, I say, very blessed!
On Wednesday, the day after Christmas, we hung out most of the day doing nothing other than straightening up and resting.  The Ing crew stuck around another night and left around lunch time on Wednesday, so after they were out of there, we were absolutely pooped!!!  I am pretty sure I was sound asleep by 7:30 on Wednesday night.  I was that tired!! 
Thursday probably goes down as one of the the worst days ever for Mommy.  It started off with me waking up in a twin bed, so that didn't feel too good (see your sister's blog...).  You, Abby and I were trying to head out of town (back to Munford for more family Christmas events!!!) and were trying to leave by 12:30 because we needed to be leaving Mimi's at 5 for dinner reservations with the entire family.  Well, sweet Katie Bug, darling precious daughter, you were not feeling it that morning, to say the least.  Daddy had to go to work, so he left that morning and Mommy scrambled around trying to pack bags and bathe everyone.  You, in the mean time, just screamed.  A lot.  I know it may seem like I am complaining a lot about you being needy or whiny, and while you are going through a pretty tough stage right now for Mommy, nothing prepared me for this type of morning.  I tried as fast as I could to get us in the car, and, alas, we made it but you and Abigail were still in your pajamas, no teeth brushed and I had wet hair that had not been brushed.  And it was 12:30.  You immediately fell asleep, thankfully, and I just prayed that I packed what I needed.  Well, we weren't even half way and your sister said she had to potty and I noticed we were low on gas.  You were waking up already (boo!) so I went ahead and stopped at the truck stop.  Well, sometimes things work out for a reason, sort of.  We walked in the truck stop and before I could look up Abby was running towards the corn dogs and about that same time you, my dear sweet Kate, decided to throw up all over yourself and Mommy.  In the middle of the gas station.  With nothing but my keys in one hand and my credit card in the other.  It was awful, to say the least.  I stood there for a minute (or well, like 15 seconds) just stunned, and then you vomited again, on you.  And me.  So I quickly yelled at Abigail to follow me to the bathroom.  You proceed to throw up again so I try to lean you over the garbage can but unfortunately it was one of those small  hole garbage cans and well, my aim wasn't at it's finest.  At this point you are soaked with throw up, my sweatshirt is covered along with my hands and my feet, that had flip flops on them (because I didn't even have time to put tennis shoes on, it was that bad that morning!).  Again, I'm kind of standing there stunned because I'm just not real sure what I do since I don't even have a diaper bag on me.  Abby needed to potty, and that was the only reason we were in the gas station.  I decided to TRY to take a few paper towels and wipe what I could off while Abs was going potty, but as you can imagine, that didn't really help matters.  I also was concerned about you, and A) if it was going to happen again and B) if you were about to throw a fit because you were covered in funk, but you were just in a daze.  I kind of felt the same way.  It didn't help that a million people were walking in and out of the bathroom too.  Abs wrapped up her business and we headed to the car.  I had to then dig through your 'not packed very well' bag to find something to put on you and throw your stinky clothes in a plastic bag.  I got you changed and buckled in and then proceeded to find my bag and a shirt to put on, which, since I'm going into all the details, I'll let you know that somehow a button got caught on my 'wet hair pulled in a bun' hair and my shirt got stuck on my head, yes the shirt covered in puke, yes while in the parking lot of the gas station, yes, while it was ridiculously cold.  Yes, I told you it was a pretty bad day.  I finally got it off, threw it in the bag of stinky clothes and took about 200 wipes to clean my hands and face off.  It didn't work, since some was on my pants and of course, my feet.  BUT, it doesn't stop there.  So then I am finally ready to load up and head home when I go looking for my keys.  Couldn't find them anywhere, even after I searched through that aforementioned stinky clothes bag - yeah,the one with all our vomit clothes in it.  Around the same time I was about to have a breakdown, a lady from the station came walking out with a set of keys asking if this was what I was looking for.  Yep, I was.  I was given the "bless your heart look" and it was all I could do to not hug that lady, which she clearly knew what was going down based on the bathroom we sort of left in a mess.  SO, now we're ready to roll, but what do I do?  Go home or keep heading to Mimi's???  I was iffy on coming in, but Mimi insisted it was just something sour in her stomach so we kept on driving that way.  I was a bit nervous (and nerves were shot, to say the least) that it might happen again, but we made it to Mimi's just in time for her to bathe you while I quickly showered, again.  We made it to dinner reservations at exactly the right time and everyone seemed healthy for the time being.  No one would have known otherwise except your sister needed to tell EVERYONE!  And by everyone I mean our ENTIRE family (well, with just a couple exceptions).  We all met at Rendezvous, the famous rib place in downtown Memphis. 

And you were just fine as can be, well, as long as you were in Mommy's or Mimi's lap, or walking around.  AND, apparently your stomach was settled because you LOVED you some ribs!!!

I was still a bit leery (and a bit exhausted!!), but you seemed perfectly fine and ate away.  I avoided milk products, but clearly couldn't steer clear of ribs :)
After a delicious dinner, we ALL headed over to the Peabody to have an after dinner drink/run around. You kiddos loved the fountain and you LOVED getting to just roam all over the place.  Mimi was nice enough to chase you where ever you went.  You were distracted for a bit by the lovely piano player, but then would get back to walking here there and everywhere!  
On Friday, all the older woman in the family went to see Les Mis at the movies (PS - WONDERFUL!!!) and the bestest babysitter in the whole wide world came over to watch you, Abby and Clara Lee at Mimi's house - that is, Bebe came over!  Now last time she just had to play with you for a bit then send you to bed, but this time, it was from 11 to 5!! So lunch, snacks, naps, and LOTS of playtime was on the agenda and man alive, did she ever pull it off.  Before we were leaving she asked if she could give you 3 a snack and I said I'd show her the snacks and she informed me that no, SHE had brought the snack, that it was this edible art project thing with yogurt and she had everything she needed.  Uh, yeah!  Awesome.  THEN, when we got home we found out that A) you three kiddos ate TONS of pizza  AND B) Clara Lee ate tons of fruit (unusual for CL) AND C) All THREE of you napped D) Abby and CL in the same bed E) without tv!!!! I mean seriously Bebe!  Ash-ash said CL hasn't napped since she was 2, so we've officially decided Bebe needs to just come live with us.  Too bad she just turned 14 and needs to finish up that school stuff...Oh, and she even was smart enough to send us a picture of you doing your fancy edible art project!  

That evening we didn't do much other than just chill and catch up on some sleep and on Saturday, we hung out at Mimi's that morning and that afternoon, we headed down to Mammaws for the big "Christmas" dinner.  It really was a whole bunch of soups, but delicious all the same, and everyone, again, was there!  And, believe it or not, so were more presents!!  Mammaw got you a bike!!! I know, right, 15 months old and a bike.  But this bike is a super cool bike because it does not have pedals OR training wheels and it claims that if you can walk, you can ride!  We will see.  It's been to cold to try it right now, and, well, you haven't been interested in it so I'm not forcing it. But you did try your new helmet on, which I'm pretty sure I will keep permanently on you since you want to climb on everything!

You had fun playing at Mammaw's and visiting with everyone and, as you very well know by now, you went to bed while the rest of us stayed a little longer, hanging out.  Regardless, you had a good time and I was happy that we could make it to that family get together.
Sunday morning came too soon and back home we went, which means our Christmas month of fun comes to an end.  But man alive, even for 15 months old, even for going to bed through a lot of the events, even if you wanted to be in Mommy's arms all the time, you sure did have a good time and it was so fun to see that sweet smile on your face all through this wonderful holiday season!  Love you so much baby girl and Merry Christmas!!!