Merry Christmas

The girls in their Christmas Aprons, ready to make some cookies last night.


We took a total shortcut this year and went break and bake.

But that is okay, break and bake snikerdoodles are good too!!!

Hey sis quit posing and get to breaking.

Els on HoHo watch last night. She kept pointing and blowing kisses. Truth be told, she really wasn't looking for Santa, she was looking for the horses. The little red head is fascinated with them. She might be my future horsewoman!!

Putting out cookies and milk for Santa. Ellison didn't want to leave any for Santa. This was the last picture of the night.

And this was the first one this morning. She couldn't wait to get her hands on Santa's leftovers.

Yummy!!!! Cookies are delicious.

This little lady got an iTouch from Santa and she has been totally obsessed all day. I just had to stop her from setting up her own email account. She was half way there on her own. It is amazing how quickly these kids can master technology today.

Watch out world, Santa made this little thing even more mobile.

Ellison wasn't interested in opening any of her gifts this morning. She would tear off little pieces of paper and then just stare at the package. It didn't upset Hadley in the least. She enjoyed opening the extra presents.

She was however, interested in eating the snacks Santa left in her stocking.

A brief interest in opening packages.

The view from here, it has been snowing all day. Not a firm snow though a wet messy one, but a White Christmas nonetheless.

This was the Christmas we had to fend for ourselves. Neither Wayne nor I have ever had to cook Christmas dinner for ourselves. We have always celebrated with our families and the last several years my parents have come up and my Mom has cooked. This year my Mom was sick so we had to go it alone. We stuck with simple and everything was edible and pretty good. We may be able to contribute next year and help out a little more!!!

OMC

Oh my cuteness!!!

Gingerbread Fun

Yesterday Hads and I sat down to make a Gingerbread House she had been given. We had fun even though it was a little hard. She had fun decorating it the way she wanted and we got to spend some time together.

We didn't ask The Red Head to help, she was a little busy, being on the move and all.

Early Christmas Celebration

Aunt Mary came up to see the girls on Wednesday and they got to celebrate the holiday with her a little early. Ms. Ellison became a little obsessed with her Aunt Mary and didn't want her to leave.

This little girl got a little overly excited about opening the presents.

Ellison loved the Panda bear.

Aunt Mary dancing Wii Dance with Ellison. Ellison got so tickled she loved it.

Ellison trying to do it herself, but not quite understanding.

Christmas Attire

Hads was able to wear her Christmas dress from last year and it fit her perfectly. I'm pretty sure she will have my height challenges, I think it fit her exactly the same as it did last year. She may not be growing taller, but she is getting so grown up, check out those glossed up lips. She doesn't go anywhere without putting on the gloss.

Oh my cuteness, this thing will not sit still for a picture. But love, love, love this dress Ms. Amanda gave her. She will be wearing it next year as a top.

This is the girls in their BellBell original tops, so cute and matching.

This is an example of 90% of my pictures of the red head, she wants no part of the process.

Jolly Ol' St. Nick

A visit to see Santa

A couple of weeks ago the girls had tickets to go see Santa. I had the pox, (sniff, sniff) trying to look at the bright side the pictures will be a total surprise to me. Anywho, Wayne took the girls and they had some fun Daddy Daughter time. He took our camera, but would you believe the batteries went dead. I mean seriously with the way things have been going lately, who would think our camera would go dead. So Wayne snapped a couple of iphone pictures of the girls and with a little help from picnik, this one turned out pretty cute. Ellison holding so tightly to the candy cane she won't get to eat, so sweet.

Dear Santa,

Did you hear the one...

about the woman that almost fell into her Christmas tree and knocked it over. Oh wait, that one is no joke, that one was me a couple of days ago.

So what have we been up to, well we went on this amazing two week trip to Hawaii, cut off from all civilization, oh wait, that was just a morphine induced dream I had. So where to begin, so much has been going on. It might be easiest just to give a brief update on everyone.

Ellison Ann - Well she got tubes in her ears shortly before her birthday and her ears are doing FABULOUS!!! A couple of days later she got the chicken pox and spent her birthday doing more itching than blowing out candles. Other than having both of her birthday parties cancelled, due to her health issues and my health issues, chic appears to be on the mend. She is one fiery little red head that has so many opinions about so many things, but that is a post for another day.

Hadley - Hip X ray several weeks ago is all clear. Staph infection several weeks ago cleared up. Then she got a sinus infection, then fifths disease, she got over those and then this past Saturday she started running 104 fever and Wayne took her to the doctor and she had strep. She has continued to run a fever and I took her back to the doctor today. The strep isn't better, she now has a sinus infection and she has a new place of staph on her back. They didn't have to drain it this time, but she had to get a shot. When the nurse came in to give it to her, she hid under the table. I wish that I had the forethought to take a picture, because the number of times I have wanted to hide under a piece of furniture in the last month can not be counted. It just totally sums up how I have felt this last month, priceless. Every time I think about it I laugh out loud, pretty sure I should be mortified, but my sense of humor at this point is twisted. So she has gotten the shot and I'm not sure that I will survive her drama, the chicken pox might be more appealing at this point.

Me - So when I last posted, we had finally ventured out as a family of 4 for dinner and then I developed the chicken pox. The chicken pox have been horrendous. There just aren't words. I went to the doctor on Tuesday after developing the pox on Sunday and the doctor just looked at my like I was pitiful, gave me some cream and sent me on my way. By Thursday, I was covered in the most heinous rash I have ever seen and had about as much energy as a dead battery. I drug myself back to the doctor, this time my regular doctor. Before my doctor could come in, the doctor in the office next to him, had come over to shine the light in my eyes sum me up and exclaim with a little too much excitement, that he "hadn't seen a case of adult chicken pox in 15 years and golly was mine a bad one." I then got brought a beautiful surgical mask and gloves so that I didn't contaminant the office further. I'm gonna let you close your eyes, visualize a woman covered in pox, with a surgical mask that looks like a ducks bill and surgical gloves for a minute and then pick yourself up off the floor. The two doctors consulted together and came up with an appropriate course of treatment, which involved lots of drugs. Home I went and began to improve for a couple of days. By Monday, I started developing a terrible neck ache, then Tuesday it developed into a headache and each day got worse and worse. Finally, Friday I gave up and Wayne took me back to the doctor. They were concerned that some type of infection had set in and admitted me to the hospital. After an MRI, CT Scan, Spinal Tap a second MRI (to make sure what they were seeing was real {the irony was lost on me at the time, but I see the humor in it now}), and two nights in the hospital it was determined that it was not life threatening and simply a migraine and my bodies way of dealing with the stress. (Note to my body, please consult with me when deciding how to deal with stress!!!!!!) I was sent on my way with pain meds and have slowly began to feel better. There are some bad days, some okay days and some not so okay days. I go back to the doctor on Friday, hoping I get released to go back to work.

Wayne - Our man of steel, he has thus far avoided all the germs that are floating around our house, fingers crossed!!!!

I'm not sure of the reason for this journey, but I know there is one. I am grateful for all the extra time I have had with the red head. I'm not sure how much of it has been "quality time" but I have gotten to see her go through lots of changes and see her little personality develop so much. So even if that was the only reason, we will be grateful and pray for a HEALTHIER 2011!!!

Mom thank you for your help, sorry you are now sick, all your girlies send their LOVE!!!!!

ME

Last night we ventured out for the first time in a couple weeks as a family. We went out to eat. I captured a few pictures on my iphone of the red head drinking out of straw and coloring. Hadley being all cheesy. It will be my last trip out for a few days. This morning, we realized our house has been hit by the chicken pox again. Here's hoping my case is mild.

Happy Thanksgiving

We spent Thanksgiving at Wayne's sisters house. We have had Ellison Ann's new car seats for some time, but they just haven't made it in the vehicles. Someone had the bright idea that this would be the trip to turn her forward facing. She wasn't really a fan, which just speaks to the differences between her and her sister. Because we flipped her sister before it was even legal because she screamed so bad every time she was in the car.

Hadley and "her" Mikki. Thank you Mikki for letting Hadley hang from you like she was a growth for the entire time we were there!!!!

Cousin Mikki also, let Ellison play with her Blackberry. It made the little red head quite happy!!!!

Hadley harassing her Aunt Mary.

Snuggle time with Grannie Sue.

Mikki, Ellison, Grannie Sue, Hadley and Josh.

The Family, just one with the red head looking....please. It looks very similar to our pumpkin patch picture.

....and then they were a family

As I was putting up the new header I realized that I hadn't documented the story of 3 here on my blog. I'm sure the heading ...and then there were 4 is obvious, but there is a story there.....

I found out late in May of 2004 that I was expecting Hadley. You would think that I would run home and tell Wayne immediately, but I didn't. You see it was just a couple of weeks away from Father's Day. With the creative juices of my friend Stacia, we came up with the perfect way to tell him on Father's Day.

I had a plate painted that looked like our dishes, but had writing in the center that said....and then there were 3. I wrote him a beautiful note:

I'm a dream that's now a reality,

I'm a prayer answered,

I'm a testament of faith,

I'm a hope fulfilled,

I'm a symbol of love,

I'm a promise of what's to come,

I'm a part of you,

I'm a baby waiting to be held by my Daddy.

Happy Father's Day 2004

The plan was to cook Wayne breakfast Father's Day morning and as he ate he would see the words, I would then present him with the card and poof there would be a wonderful moment.

What happened was not a wonderful moment. After containing the secret for 2 weeks, I couldn't contain myself any longer. I woke Wayne up at 5:30 AM to a breakfast of scrambled eggs, toast and grits. He was so groggy from the early hour that when he saw the writing he told me I had burnt the eggs and started digging around on the plate. He scrapped all the food to the edge and read the words....and then there were 3. I handed him the card, he slowly read it, I waited for the light to register, surely by the 7th line, nothing. Surely by the 8th line, nope nothing. Okay by the end, nope nothing. He didn't get it, he thought I had written it for someone else. I had to EXPLAIN IT TO HIM. Finally, the light bulb went on and he started to jump up and down....and then there were 3.

....and then there were 4.

3 AM

I woke up this morning at 3 AM and felt as if I couldn't move my neck. It felt like it was 7 different kinds of jacked up. As I began to come to, I realized I was sleeping on a fraction of my pillow and almost hanging off the bed. When I rolled over, I realized why. What's a girl to do at 3AM but grab her iPhone and snap a quick picture of this cuteness. Because seriously, who cares if your neck is 7 kinds of jacked up, when this is snuggled up to you even if it is covered in pox?


On a different note, she was back to sleeping in her bed the week before her ear surgery and then the two nights after her surgery, before she got the pox. Not necessarily a fan of co sleep, but I am a fan of sleep and she has proven to be pretty easy to transition back to her bed when she is healthy, so we go with it.

Did someone say cake?

With every sweet little bite we laughed. Chicken pox, smicken pox they won't get us down.

Happy 1st birthday sweet baby girl!