Blog Frustration

I like using the Blogger (Google) App on my iPad if I have pictures on my iPad....it is really nice.  But, sometimes my pictures are on my Canon so I have to download them to my laptop then upload them into the blog through the Blogger website.  For some reason, even though I am rotating my pics and saving them before I upload them, the Blogger website wants to change them back to their original orientation so they post incorrectly on the blog.  The editing features within the blog do not allow a change in rotation so I'm stuck with either no pictures or upside down pictures unless the pictures are stored on my iPad.  So, that is why I have not been posting.  If anyone reading knows how to fix this issue please let me know.

Christmas 2013

Christmas seemed so short this year.  Mark had to work the day before and after so we didn't leave til late afternoon on Christmas Eve to head to my Mom's and and were only there til the following evening.  We had alot of fun though!  

On Christmas Eve our tradition is to go to my Dad's side of the family for the evening.  We eat dinner, load up into about five or six car and drive around Christmas caroling to friends of the family and then come back and just hang out for several hours, opening presents late in the evening.  Every year before now Olivia was just a hot mess and I ended up leaving early to take her back to my Mom's to sleep while Mark stayed behind.  This year I was VERY surprised that Olivia was mostly happy the entire evening and we actually stayed til midnight.  The last 30 minutes we were there she was fussy but up until then she had a ball.  She absolutely LOVED caroling and playing with her second cousin Nathan.  We even moved his carseat to our car so they could be together for the drive.  Every year I try to make something homemade for my aunts and uncles.  This year I made East Coast Applique's Dove Ornaments on my embroidery machine.  

The next day Olivia woke to find that Santa had visited her at Nana's house and later my brother and his wife came over and we enjoyed lunch together and more presents.  I had been very sick in November and December so I actually finished sewing Olivia's Christmas pants on Christmas Eve! 

Great Wolf Lodge

We took our second trip to Great Wolf Lodge in early January.  We have enjoyed both of our trips to the Concord, NC location but have agreed that the next time we are able to go we would like to check out the Williamsburg, VA location.  Each time we've gone to Concord we have ended up at IKEA and spent more time than we expected, missing out on prime water park time.  So, in the future we will try to separate Great Wolf Lodge trips from IKEA trips!  Here are some pictures from our trip.  This was the first time Olivia ever went bowling.  She was not nearly as interested as we had hoped but that was likely because of the huge game room next door that she saw on her way in.  We also made sure she visited the Cub Club before we left.  She talked for two days before we arrived about wanting to make a necklace there!

The Worst Is Over

Thank God!!  After a weekend of constant tears and high fever I was able to get Olivia into the pediatrician where she was diagnosed with double ear infections, sinus infection and bronchiolitis....yowzers, no wonder she was inconsolable!  Three doses of antibiotics later and she is on the mend.  Other than a little remaining ear drainage and a cough she is mostly back to her normal self.  Now to get back to getting ready for Christmas!

Right before Olivia got sick we went to storytime with The Grinch.  Much like the Chick Fil A cow, she was afraid and fascinated all at the same time!

Sickly Woodhouses

What I haven't mentioned in my last few posts is how sick I have been.  It started November 20th with cold symptoms and 3 weeks later has turned into bronchitis, surprise surprise.  Asthmatics rarely just have a cold.  So, Christmas shopping, crafting and card preparing have all been on the back burner.  If I recall I have spent this same period of time sick for several years now which really makes for an unenjoyable and stressful holiday season.  I say this every year but next year I plan to start much earlier.  At any rate I can handle me being sick but my baby, well, that is another thing entirely.  Olivia spiked a temp last evening and has been horribly ill for the last 24 hours.  It is clear now that she has an ear infection since I see pus draining from one ear!  Ick!  Here's my baby girl in her TV watching cocoon and shortly after.  Normally I try to limit TV but when it's the only thing that helps the tears subside I'm a pushover.

New hair

The last few haircuts I've had have gotten shorter and shorter but today's takes the cake!  I don't even have hair on the back of my neck anymore!  This will take some getting used to.  I see alot of scarves in my cold neck's future!

Return of the Bicycle

We bought Olivia a very nice Trek bike earlier this year.  Unfortunately, during the summer she fell while riding it and has been afraid to get back on it.  This weekend we took the bike back to the store and had the training wheels adjusted so the bike is not as wobbly and she has fallen in love with the bike all over again!