It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas!!!

It's technically looked like Christmas at the Walker residence for quite some time.... Since November 9th to be exact :) Due to parent-teacher conferences, my school had given us 2 days off in early November and I decided to take advantage and get the decorations out while I could. In retrospect, it was a great decision as I had emergency surgery the following day and have basically been out of commission ever since. Brecken was super excited to find the "Kikis tee" that night and points it out to us daily ever since. He also enjoys looking at our Christmas village and points out the "boo cah" (blue car) and all the "gites" (lights). He pets our Christmas tree like it's a third puppy and has only broken one of the ornaments so far while helping to decorate the tree. In his defense, Mommy probably shouldn't have started with the nice, breakable ones first in showing him how the whole decorating thing worked. And after the ornament fell on the ground and shattered, he ever so innocently pointed to it with one chunky finger and shrieked, "No NOH!" (his version of "oh no!") while looking at me with questioning eyes. He did NOT like that I had to throw it away and didn't know why we were promptly done with the decorations for awhile :) We have wrapped a few presents, and while Brecken gets excited about the tape, he gets irritated that he can't help with the scissors..... He doesn't know why he can't rip the wrapping paper, and especially doesn't understand why we would want to hide toys under this special paper instead of playing with them. He is also the our little "tester elf" has he plays with all of the presents prior to wrapping them to make sure they are 1.) fun 2.) sturdy and 3.) broken in before the recipient receives them. What a good helper! You'd think with a post title like I put, I would have pictures to show, right? Wrong. I'll work on it though....

On another note, Brecken has turned into quite the daddy's boy since my time in the hospital. It was heart wrenching to see Brecken so scared of mommy when he came to visit, but completely understandable given the funny smells, sights and sounds while there. Not to mention mommy had tubes coming out of her arms and walked carrying a pole everywhere! Everyone told me not to fear and he would be fine once I got back home...... While he's not scared of me anymore and certainly hugs and cuddles, I am sad to report that I 100% am NOT his favorite. When I pick him up from school and we get to the house, Brecken tears up the stairs shouting "Dada? Dada? Dada?" He rushes to our bedroom to look for Eric.... Then in the kitchen..... Then in the living room. When he doesn't find who he is looking for, he turns to the top of the stairs and stands at the gate yelling "Dada! Dada!" while longingly looking at the door. Ouch. My womb LITERALLY aches as I watch my bug-a-boo want someone other than ME!!!!!!!!!! Don't get me wrong, I know he loves me and I am happy that he loves his daddy so much, but....... :(

Just the other day, Eric commented on how much Brecken changes each day and how he seems to learn 5 or more words every single day! It's true! I was just telling my friend Lissa how I can literally see his brain expanding right before my very eyes. It is the coolest thing..... Right up there with the NKOTB reunion tour!!!

Brecken continues to do great in the sleeping department.... Typically deciding that it's "ni ni" time on his own after a busy day at school and crawling into bed himself while blowing us kisses and telling us "buh bye." One area of improvement lately, however, is that of eating. It's been tough going on our 8th straight week of an ear infection. Our good little eater that didn't know how to be picky and would eat anything in sight has changed into a finicky little bugger who says "no" to everything and turns his head in a defiant "I'm not putting that into my mouth" way at the sight of virtually everything. It's a vicious cycle: He gets sick.... Doesn't have an appetite because of illness.... Doctors say not to worry about what he's eating/ drinking as long as he's getting something.... We let him eat differently than normal so that he is at least getting SOMETHING..... 2 months of being able to say "no no" to veggies and having mommy & daddy go along with it and give fruit smoothies instead = PICKY PICKY BRECKEN. It's hard to know when to stand your ground and say "You eat this or you starve" when you have a 105 fevered child who hasn't swallowed anything in 24 hours looking up at you. Call it an excuse. Call us bad parents. Whatever. We'll look at it as one of the few challenges we've had to experience with our almost 18 month old and figure it out.

48 hours from now we will be post surgery.... A new little boy with tubes in each ear and a brand new lease on life! Or at least, we hope to be! If everything goes according to plan (which we've realized nothing EVER does!), Brecken will be cleared for surgery tomorrow at his pre-op physical and then checking in for surgery on Thursday morning at 6:45!!!!