(IT WAS A) MERRY CHRISTMAS!

...Until about 8pm, that is, when Gabriel had a complete meltdown, which then triggered an acid reflux attack.

But before that, Christmas was quite pleasant and Gabriel clearly enjoyed his nearly five-month-old self. Below is a photo similar to our Christmas card this year, but Gabriel is fidgeting, though smirking. It was a close second.



The plan was to have breakfast ready for everyone by 9:30-10am.. but we have an infant, so what were we thinking? We were up until after 3am overnight Christmas eve wrapping presents once Gabriel finally fell asleep and we were able to get to work.

9:30am came very early. We didn't even notice Tom and Kate knock at the door, having just arrived from PDX with a sweet Volvo rental (heated seats!). We later found out they went to Shari's for coffee and a snack before swinging back by.

By 10am, we did hear the doorbell ring and through the front window noticed nearly everyone gathered outside the front door - include Charlotte.. even she was up and ready to go - and we weren't. So, we let everyone in - many wearing Hawaiian shirts in anticipation of the Hawaiian Christmas dinner - and fired up the stove for pancakes and bacon. By 11am, everyone was eating.

By 11:30am, Gabriel was ready for his pre-noon nap (he's getting quite regular about it), so we handed out everyone else's presents and began to open them. By 12:30, he was up and the major work was to begin.

Gabriel received all sorts of neat toys and other gifts, too many to comprehensively list here. But the immediately big hits were:

-A plush palomino rocking horse that makes galloping sounds and whinneys from Uncle Tom & Aunt Kate;

-A musical train with flashing lights from Gramma Judy and Grampa Koke; and

-A toy aquarium with moving fish, bubbles and soothing music (link goes to a demo - play with the aquarium on the internet!) from Great Aunt Suebee and Great Uncle George.

Presents for Gabriel that Mom and Dad especially look forward to are a cd/clock/radio with a soothing nature sounds CD from Gramma Dianne and Grampa Dave, and some lullabye CDs from (Great Gramma) Me-Ma.

But that isn't to say gifts from everyone else weren't appreciated or enjoyed; we just listed the ones Gabriel took an immediate shining to and those that we hope will help coax Gabriel into sleeping. All three of us thank everyone for their generosity in making Gabriel's first Christmas exciting for him and memorable for us. Thank you all!

Everyone able to be here:
Uncle Tom & Aunt Kate
Gramma Judy and Grampa Koke
Gramma Dianne and Grampa Dave
Great Gramma Charlotte
Gabriel & his Mom and Dad.

POST CHRISTMAS STRESS DISORDER

All the well-meaning stimulation definitely took a toll on poor Gabriel. He didn't show signs of problems during the afternoon while the Hawaiian dinner was being prepared. But by 8pm, right after I left for Judy & John's (?!) to finish preparing the Kahlua pork and get the ribs going, Gabriel apparently snapped. Nobody could console him, including his mommy.

Deciding to give him some peace and quiet, all but Jill and Gabriel arrived at John & Judy's for dinner. But the tempest continued, so I left for home to help calm him. By nearly 9:30pm, Gabriel had calmed down enough to eat, so I spun back by to grab some food for Jill and myself. They were waiting for us - and they didn't eat until 10:30pm (!!). The food was a hit, and apparently they all had a great time, though it was late and fatigue had set in for everyone.

Sunday the 26th was low-key to get Gabriel back into a normal pattern. In between naps, he played on the floor with me for quite a while, I helped him walk around the living room, and he went for a walk with his Mom, Dad, Gramma Dianne and Grampa Dave. All was well.

TRIP TO TILLAMOOK

On Monday, while Gabriel and his Mom stayed home to rest, everyone else piled into the Volvo and we headed to Tillamook for a visit to the cheese factory. Everyone stocked up on curds, ice cream, cheese and other goods after a hearty round of samples.

But after that, we visited the Blue Heron cheese factory, which has many more samples of foods and is, in my opinion, a more fun place to visit as a result. Cheeses, sauses, jams, jellies, spreads, and wine are among the many things you can try. Plus, they have a cafe where they serve everything and they have a large collection of farm animals that are quite entertaining in and of themselves. I picked up a jar of sugar-free black raspberry preserves and a small stilton with cranberries, sealed in red wax.

The weather was most agreeable, and the evening was only sullied by the surprise closure of the Bavarian Sausage & Delicatessen in Metzger between Christmas and the New Year. Oh, well Tom, better luck on the next trip!