Talk about a memorable Christmas!

I am still reeling from everything that happened this past Christmas weekend. Talk about eventful! I even promised myself that I will be diligent in posting our entire Christmas holiday celebration this year as I am really bad in chronicling such momentous occasions. Sad to say, due to unforeseen circumstances, it didn't happen quite as planned.

To give you the view of the entire story, I have to start with  December 24. So, I was finally feeling better after more than a month of being sick. As I wasn't done with my Christmas shopping for Mai, we all decided to brave the mall on what I think was the busiest Christmas shopping day of all. It was a tad stressful as shoppers and vendors were a bit mean by then, probably because they just wanna get the heck out of there. I mean, who wouldn't!? Anyways, on our way to the mall, Malcolm had back pains, but as it wasn't an unusual thing with a person with a pinched sciatica nerve, he brushed it off. Needless to say, I stayed in the mall for a LONG time and while I was hopping from store to store, my ever patient husband back pains grew even more painful. He finally asked if we could go home. That was almost 9pm. By the time we got home, he was in so much pain. He took an 800mg ibuprofen and asked if I can massage his lower back with bengay. With that, he was able to fall asleep but not even a an hour later, he woke up in an even more excruciating pain that he can neither sit nor stand up. He then said that the pain was radiating to his left side and he felt like throwing up. By this time it was past 11pm, so I hurriedly called the advice nurse as I was unsure if this were symptoms of appendicitis (now thinking back, our appendix is on the right side...), and the nurse scared me even more when she reprimanded me why I haven't brought my husband to the ER yet! I don't even remember hanging up on her anymore because the next thing I knew, we were all racing to the front door to go to ER. I think I was in my panic-stricken mode because I remember I was talking/yelling a lot that I even made my daughter cry. Needless to say, it WASN'T my proudest moment. Anyways, by the time we got to ER, they admitted Malcolm right away. I, on the other hand, picked up my last coherent thoughts and apologized to my obviously hurt child before that horrible day ends. I asked her what made her so upset and she said that she wasn't in bed sleeping, so Santa might not even make it to our house. In my stress, I totally forgot that! So I explained to my ever smart daughter that given the circumstances, Santa would probably understand why she wasn't asleep yet! Ok, so back to the hubs-- when they finally asked me to go talk to his doctor (as I requested not to give him anything until I'm able to talk to his doctor), he diagnosed the pain to be caused by kidney stones but had to remain in the hospital for a series of tests. As Mai wasn't supposed to be there, I opted to bring her home for a while but without the doctor promising that he would contact me before they do/give anything to my hubs. By that time, it was already almost 1am. I was SO TIRED and Mai had already fallen asleep. I, on the other hand, couldn't sleep even if I was so doggone tired! I guess I was worrying too much and that paperwork that the nurse made me read before I left the hospital about resusitations/wills/etc. really didn't help much to appease me. So I wrapped the remaining presents I bought for Mai, cleaned the house a bit and prepared hot cocoa and cookies for "Santa" (as instructed by my daughter before she went off to dreamland). Just as I was about to nap, Malcolm calls around 3ishAM and asked me to pick him up. So off I went again. By the time this all ended and I was able to hit the sack, it was already 6am... just to wake up again a few hours to open Mai's gifts.

The rest of the week turned out to be uneventful as we stayed home most of the time (except to have Christmas dinner at Sizzler). Yesterday, just to let my body recuperate as I started coughing again, I forced myself to sleep until noon. I woke up and it was G-ood! However, it really did feel like Christmas came and went without me "feeling " it. I can't believe that after all the anticipation, it happened like the FLASH hit me. Oh well, what matters is, alls well that ends well. I'm glad my hubs is ok and that Mai still had her joyous experience of Christmas this year. And there is always next year to make up for this one, right?

But I do hope everyone had a GREAT Christmas and here's to a wonderful New Year! God bless everyone!