We are Blessed

Wow. What a beautiful Christmas. Aaron, Nile, Adeline and I (and Pete and Ceda too!) have spent the last 52 hours together, in our home. Besides going out last night for an amazing Midnight Mass, we have been cuddling, playing, telling stories, opening gifts, eating and relaxing together.  Just the four of us.  And it's been awesome!  I couldn't count how many times in these last 52 hours that Aaron and I have smiled at each other and said, "We have been blessed".
Santa did find his way.  Nile and I followed the NORAD Santa Tracker on line, and when Nile realized how close Santa was to Iowa he put his snack back in his bowl and anxiously told me he HAD to get to bed.  I have never seen him so nervous!
It has been hard to be away from family this Christmas.  We "Skyped" a little today, and that helped.  Nile hasn't complained much, he just asked if we could go to Grandma Hot Dog's next time everyone else was there.  And my mom and dad might pick Nile up tomorrow so he can spend time with Dru and Jack.  We haven't explained to him that we have been staying home to keep Adeline healthy.  I would be crushed if he blamed her for anything he missed.  But God has blessed us with the best Christmas ever...I don't think that Nile feels he has missed out on anything.

The Children's of Omaha OR called on Thursday to give us preps.  I was very relieved to hear that Adeline can have breast milk until 11:00 am on Wednesday!  The poor girl had to repeat it twice before I believed her!   The surgery is scheduled for 3:00 pm, and we don't have to be there until 1:00.  I can handle that!  I had horrible visions of pacing the hospital hallways all morning with a starving, screaming little girl.  The only thing I really had to do to prepare was to remove the cradle cap from Adeline's scalp.  And I've been giving her an Iron supplement daily.  She has been teething like crazy, chewing on everything she can get to her mouth.  She is soooo close to crawling.  I think it would be safer if she wouldn't start crawling before the surgery, but I could just see the little stinker master the art the day of.

I truly hope that we will find the time to feel this grateful every Christmas to come.  Because we are blessed.