The day after Christmas we loaded the car and headed to West Virginia. Nick's dad had planned a ski trip for everyone. Nick's brother, Jacob was in a dirt bike accident a few years ago and he hadn't gotten to snowboard since that happened because the doctor's had wanted him to wait awhile before doing anything like that again. He had been wanting to go again so bad...it was all he talked about!! That was one of the main reasons for them to plan the trip.
I have to be honest and say that I really wasn't looking forward to the trip for several reasons. Since it was getting close to time for me to go back to work I didn't want to go on the trip because I wanted to have the rest of my time off with just Lilly and I doing our normal everyday things together. I didn't want to share her with anyone else during the last bit of time that I had off of work, I was also worried about traveling with her so young and going 6 hours away. However, I knew that we had to venture out at some point and I have plenty of friends who have taken their babies far away from home, too. I also knew it would be selfish of me to keep her home and not go on the trip. I knew everyone was looking forward to getting to spend time with her!! She just happens to be the main attraction these days. ;-)
Lilly slept for a few hours when we got on the road. We stopped at a Cracker Barrel in Virginia and I fed her in the parking lot, then we went inside for me to change her diaper and we looked around for a little bit so she could have her 'awake time' before we got back on the road. They had all of their Christmas merchandise 70% off so I got her an outfit, tights, and a bow for next Christmas! It was so exciting buying her things for next Christmas because I was thinking about how much fun she will be since she will be a year old.:):) A lot of fun memories ahead!!
Playing with her turtle in the car:)
Snoozin;-)
Our car was PACKED!!
Another nap:)
She had her top knot on to keep her ears warm:)
Holding mommy's hand:)
One morning during a diaper change. She just looked so sweet wrapped in this soft, cozy blanket!! It turned into a little photo shoot!!:)
I created a pic collage to send out to family and friends because she just looked too adorable!! I put the slogan "You Must Have Been a Beautiful Baby" because that song came to mind when I looked at these pictures!! It is an old song that my Gram used to sing to my sister and I. :) She sung it when she was in a pageant as a teenager. When our Gram got sick and couldn't sing anymore before she passed away, Kimberly and I would sing this song to her. Now we sing it to sweet Lilly!:)
Lilly was watching Mickey Mouse with Emily and Kelly:)
Hanging out with Aunt Kelly in her boppy!
Talking to JoJo:)
One morning in our condo...Jacob and Emily:)
Josh and Nick, probably discussing the weather conditions! ;-)
She was holding onto Tina the Turtle!:):)
Emily came down in the floor for some play time:)
Just hanging out with the fam
Getting ready to take a nap with daddy!:)
Diaper change:) Smiles!!
Deer from our condo deck:)
Uncle Ja looking precious in Lilly's bow!:)
JoJo holding Lilly in her boppy and giving her some "tummy time" to work on holding her head up:)
Uncle Jake was feeding and burping Lilly for the first time:)
Skiing:) (Lilly and Mommy did not participate in this FUN adventure...we were in our condo all cozy and warm ;-)
A beautiful view:) Even with no snow ;)
Two of the Allen girls on their skiing adventure:)
Lilly was hanging out in Aunt Kelly and Uncle Ja's room!:) Aunt Kelly had her all set up in there with Tina hanging above her and with a warm snuggly blanket:)
So snuggly she fell right to sleep:)
Another Adventure and Lilly and I did not join in on..ATV excursion..in mud since there wasn't any snow! They said it was still fun though!!:)
Some snow on the mountain and a beautiful view:)
Lilly just hanging out!
Aunt Kelly loves to hold Lilly even if it's to feed and burp:)
At dinner:) Look at these beautiful lovebirds!!
Two more lovebirds!:)
Lilly snoozing while waiting on our table:)
Picture time while waiting:)
Seated and waiting on our food:)
Love them:)
Waiting for a table at a restaurant in the village. She was all bundled up!!
She fell asleep while we were waiting:)
Hanging out in her boppy:)
SNOOZIES!!!
Hanging out with daddy!
She's such a happy baby!!
Our trip was cut short because some of our family got bit by the flu bug.:( Nick's dad woke up Monday morning with a fever, chills, aches, and a sore throat. We kept Lilly in our room all day and had thought about leaving that night, but weather conditions down the mountain weren't going to allow us to leave. She was moaning around midnight when she had her bottle so I
checked her temperature and she had a fever of 101.6. I gave her some Tylenol and it helped it come down. We spent that night getting our things together to leave first thing Tuesday morning. His brother, Jacob woke up Tuesday morning with the same symptoms as his dad. On our 6 hour drive home we got stuck in traffic several times, which kept us from getting home until 8:30. When we left our condo I had to wait to get service to call Lilly's doctor to see what they wanted me to do about her being seen with her symptoms. The nurse talked to her doctor and called me back. She said to stop giving her Tylenol with a low grade fever so we can see if her body is fighting the infection or not. She said that she did not need to be seen immediately and to monitor her fever and any other symptoms. When we got home I checked her temperature and she had a fever of 101.6 again so I gave her some Tylenol. I turned my cell phone on a little later (the battery died on our drive home) and I had a message from her doctor's office. Apparently her doctor reviewed the notes of me calling earlier and said that Lilly did need to be seen ASAP because of her age and the high temperature. At this point it was 10:00 so we couldn't take her to an evening clinic and we had to take her to the emergency room. Nick and I scrambled around getting things ready to go up there. We knew it was going to be a long wait, but we had NO idea how long. I hated having her in the waiting room with so many sick people around us sneezing and coughing. They let me wait in another room with her so she wasn't around all of that. We finally got called back into a room. They hooked her up to a machine by putting a monitor on her foot and they checked her temperature. Dr. Fresh came in and gave her a quick exam and said they were going to start by testing her for the flu and if it was negative they would then run a catheter and do an x-ray for check for an infection elsewhere. The nurse came in to give her the nose swab for to test for the flu. She did not like that at all...she screamed. :( I was in the middle of heating up her bottle so at least she had that to look forward to after she was upset. A little later the nurse came and told us she tested positive for the flu. A million different things went through my mind. I had read that it is not good for a baby so small to get the flu because it can take such a huge toll on them. She said they were prescribing her Tamiflu. I was somewhat relieved that we had figured out what was going on and she was hopefully on the road to recovery and feeling better. The nurse came in a little later to give her the dose of Tamiflu. Lilly did not like the taste of it at all and kept spitting it out. :( We finally left the hospital at 3:00 A.M. after getting there around 10:30. We were beyond exhausted!! Poor Lilly! She was so patient while we waited and waited and waited for hours! She just sat in my arms and looked around and she dozed off a few times. I was just so relieved that we were headed home and out of that yucky, germy place!! All I wanted was for my baby to get better!!
She did not run a fever again since the one she had before we went to the emergency room!! God definitely answered our prayers to heal our baby girl!! On our ride home from West Virginia I laid my hand on her and just prayed for God to heal her!! I truly felt this peace come over me and I knew He was going to. Joy had shared a book with me that she's been reading called "The Circle Maker" and we talked about believing what we are praying to come true by praying circles around it. Now when I pray I envision circles surrounding what I am praying about!! God is so good!!! I can't thank Him enough for healing our precious baby!!!
Check it out!!!!:):)
This was Lilly bundled up on our way home.
We saw more snow on our drive home than we did while we were there!!
This was Lilly after we got home from the hospital. She was feeling pretty good!
This was Lilly on Wednesday...New Year's Eve!!
I made this pic collage to show our answered prayers!!
Happy New Year!!!
You wouldn't even know she was sick by looking at her sweet smiling face in these pictures!!
A little afternoon nap before her first New Year's Eve Celebration!!
She got to meet her first American Girl Doll, Samantha!!:):)
My mom missed Lilly so much while we were gone and she just had to come by and see her when she got off of work!
God has blessed us this year with more than we could have ever imagined! Lillian Mae Allen was an answered prayer of so many! Her life is already a huge testimony of His love...His grace...His mercy. We are so undeserving of all that He pours on us daily. No blessing is ever too small not to thank Him for. From the food that we have to eat to the clothes that we have to wear. 2014 has been another wonderful year of seeing Him at work in my heart and in my life! I know 2015 will be another wonderful year!! Despite the times where I sometimes questioned His goodness and whether or not He heard my prayers, I know through it all...the easy times and the hard times, He has been there and He always will be! He is so faithful!! I pray you are reminded of that daily...through the big blessings and even the small ones! We wish you a very happy and abundantly blessed New Year!! ☺️
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