the Christmas of outfit changes

 At about 4:30 am Christmas morning, Ellie woke up.
And threw up.

I hoped and hoped it was just a one-time event; maybe she hadn't eaten enough the day before and was just hungry? (Nicholas does this sometimes....throws up in the morning if he didn't eat dinner.)
But then, 5:00 am and another puke. And then again at 5:30. And at 6:30. 
At 7 she was sleeping soundly when the other kids all got up to go do Christmas morning.

We let her sleep while she could, and brought her up an hour later when she woke up.
She was sick all Christmas day. She'd perk up a for a bit in between being sick, and she was sort of able to enjoy the day.
  
But looking through my pictures of the day reminded me how many times we had to give this girl a bath, change her clothes, and do laundry that day.

Outfit #1: right after she woke up. She had been sleeping in this because I couldn't find her extra pajamas in the suitcase in the dark.

 An hour or so later, here's outfit #2:  

While she discovers her new tent! (From her Grammer and Papa, but we set it out with the stuff that Santa brought to balance out the fact that Nicholas got real live fish and all she was getting from Santa were some books and a stuffed rabbit.)

And outfit #3, while we opened our wrapped gifts:

 This little ceramic baby Jesus from my mom's nativity was the only thing that could calm her down when she was crying about her tummy hurting.

And here's the aftermath of the present opening when you have 11 people in the same living room:

 Notice Nicholas trying to thread his way through the box towers that are taller than he is.

And outfit #4, that afternoon while we decorated gingerbread men:

The poor girl was sick for four days.  We had planned to go home that weekend, but we didn't feel like braving a two-hour car ride with a two-year-old who actually tries to miss the bowl when she's throwing up. (Yeah, it's awesome.)  

So, we got to stay until New Years!