The Most Wonderful Time of Year

1. It's Christmas Eve! I can't wait for Camden to see all his presents under the tree.

2. Snow is falling, we'll be waking up to a winter wonderland. (the only time I like snow, just fyi.)

3. Holidays mean lots of family, and I love family time.

Not gonna lie, this week has been rough to say the least. On Wednesday, Camden woke up from his afternoon nap with a slight fever. Nothing major, we gave him some Tylenol, and, as soon as it kicked in, he was his happy little self again! That night he went to bed with no problem, only to wake up crying two hours later. Every mom can decipher their own child's cry, between a sad cry, a pained cry, a whining cry, or a mad cry. It's not uncommon for Camden to wake up in the night, groggily cry for a little while, and then fall back asleep. This night, the mom side of me knew that this was definitely a pained/something is wrong kind of cry. I quickly got out of bed to see what was wrong. The poor little guy was burning up. I woke up Chase, and we checked his temperature to see that he was running a 103 degree fever. I'm really not a worry-wart kind of mom, but fevers make me a little nervous because I know that they can be indicators of something much more serious. So we took Camden to the ER that is conveniently located less than ten minutes away from our home. Thankfully, Camden was having no trouble staying hydrated, which is a concern when it comes to fevers, and the doctor was ultimately not worried about Cam's condition. The nurse gave Camden some ibuprofen, Chase and I some words of advice, and sent us on our way. Only three hours, from start to finish, and Camden was back in bed asleep!

Thursday, Chase had arranged to go to St. George to apply for a job we had fortunately stumbled upon. (lets cross our fingers that that works out shall we.) So that left me and Camden alone for the next 24 hours or so. No big deal, I love some good one on one time with my little guy. However, the poor baby still wasn't feeling 100% which made for a lonnnngggg day. I was one tired mom by this point.

On Friday morning, Camden started showing symptoms of Hand Foot Mouth Disease (HFMD), something he had unknowingly been exposed to less than a week before. HFMD isn't too serious, its a virus that causes sores around and sometimes in the mouth, as well as on hands and feet. Sadly, there's nothing you can really do to treat it, it just has to run it's course. So Camden had just kicked the fever, now he's stuck with HFMD, plus a cold! Why not, huh? 

Saturday, the sores got worse and so did Camden's congestion. The poor guy just seemed so miserable. Oh, and I forgot to mention, Chase and I have just one week to get everything packed out of our apartment before our lease is up on the 31st. It's just the cherry on top of a stressful few days! 

This brings us to Sunday, the eve before Christmas. Thankfully, I've been able to have some time to reflect on a few things. This past week has got me thinking how grateful I am to live in a world where there are so many educated doctors and nurses. There are multiple healthcare facilities within just 10 miles of our home. We can access health information by just a few taps on the screen of our smart phones. I can't imagine living in a time where I didn't have so many luxuries.

And yet, I picture the virgin Mary, a young woman who was asked to travel many miles on the back of a donkey while several months pregnant. Instead of a clean hospital, with sterile equipment and practiced doctors, Mary delivered the Son of God in a musty old stable. I can't even begin to fathom the strength that she had. I like to imagine that all of the animals in that stable that December night could feel the sacred event that was about to occur. Our Savior entered this world, and Mary became a Mother. With no medications, and no family by her side other than Joseph, Mary accomplished one of the most challenging things a woman ever endures. 

I have so much love and admiration for this wonderful woman. I love that because of her, we are able to celebrate Christmas. I love that because of her, we have a brother, a Savior, and a friend. Her example of strength is like no other. I'm so thankful for her willingness to bring Christ into the world, even under such poor circumstances. It makes me realize how truly blessed I am to live in the time that I do. I will always look up to Mary, and I love that I am reminded of her at this time of year.