Flamboba: A Holiday to Remember

Whew. Where to begin. Remember my last post, when I was all sweet and poignant and actually looking forward to Christmas? Well, let me just say that this was not quite the holiday I thought it would be.

First off....poor Daddy! Jason was struck with a flu-like virus on Christmas morning. That's right, after a relatively uneventful (save the closing of his show) Christmas eve, where Mommy and Daddy happily chatted by the Christmas tree while Boba snoozed in her crib, Jason had a series of chills & sweats, not to mention all-over achiness and fatigue. NOT FUN. I let him sleep in for another two hours, and he was actually okay after that (see above photo - yes, I know he is in the act of exposing Boba to the flu virus, don't get me started), but then we had to cut present-opening short so that he could get back in bed. Meanwhile, we were halfway through Katrina's MOUNTAINOUS pile of presents from her grandparents, and Mommy was trying to bake a ham in the oven and struggling to make some kind of a festive meal. (The rice pilaf was completed, but the green-bean casserole was a no-go.) Throw in Katrina's constant crying for Mommy to hold her, and wham - we had ourselves our first "memorable" Christmas. And not necessarily memorable in a good way.

But, of course, through it all Katrina was a real trouper. She hasn't shown any signs of illness yet (we're on Day 3 of exposure and I've got my fingers crossed), and she's still smiling away like a pro. Aside from this new phase (I hope it's a phase) where she screams when Mommy is out of her sight, she's still a relatively easygoing and happy baby. And as always, she is as cute as can be!

So, Mommy was on 24-hr baby duty for the last 3 days, which means I am pretty exhausted myself. Ironically, though I'm back at work I actually feel as though I'm "off" my real day job. In a few days I fly off to the Philippines, and while in the past I used to see the 20-hr journey as tedious and tiring, I now see it as a welcome reprieve from my day-to-day grind. Not that Mommyhood is all hard work, but, let's face it - it's still HARD. I'm hoping that by then Jason will be recovered so that he can take over parenting full-time. He's only contagious until tomorrow anyway, so I think it will all work out. (He has since been quarantined to my parents' house - thank god for having family nearby! Although I have to say, my parents are in the Philippines now and I MISS THEM VERY MUCH!!!)

Okay, Christmas was not all bad. Grandma Robin was here, which made everything much more joyful. Here are a few shots from that day: