Christmas

This was our picture to send out with Christmas cards this year... Its not perfect but I LOVE it. I didn't realize till a couple months ago how impossible it is to get a good picture of such an active toddler! She was actually jumping up to go look at the screen when this was taken :) I'm so happy to have a nice family picture again!!

So - I decided to make Christmas stockings this year. I had made two for Kris and I a couple years ago, but Abi didn't have one. I made a forth in hopes that there will be a 4th Milo next year - we shall see... They were pretty easy to do. The hardest part was hand sewing the piping (see the second pic) - even that was easy but time consuming. Of course I had planned to start much sooner than I did... I actually started prep for Christmas before Thanksgiving this year - something I've never done before! I was so proud of myself, but then Abi got sick and I got sooooooo far behind. I started these stockings the Friday before Christmas - but had them finished by Monday.

Poor little babe has been sick again... Hopefully we've reached then end of it! She just had a cold, but it was a bad one! We finally took her to the Dr. on Christmas Eve because she had had such a cough and it wouldn't go away! They weren't sure what was wrong - maybe an ear infection or sinusitis - but said that since it had been more than 2 weeks they were going to treat it with abx. So now - 3 weeks later and a couple days on some amoxycillin - she FINALLY seems to be sleeping better and I've only heard her cough once in the last 24 hours!! Yay!

...OK... so I started this post over a week ago and then life got so busy again that I haven't had time to finish it!

This was definitely my favorite Christmas!! Having Abi old enough to somewhat understand and then to be able to express her appreciation was heart melting!! We got her a little set of table and 2 chairs that are just her size and SHE LOVES THEM!!! Kris and Ty got them ready Christmas Eve night after Abi went to bed and left them set up in the living room. Christmas morning Abi woke up crazy early and I had her play with Kris in our room for a little while so I could finish getting things ready... On her way out to the living room she decided to make a pit stop in the bathroom to get her "pieces" (her shampoo etc....) So I said, "Abi, come here - I want to show you something!" She started to come out of the bathroom throwing a fit cause she wanted to do her own thing, but stopped short in the doorway when she saw the table and chairs. She stood like a statue for about a second and then a huge smile slowly grew on her face. She ran to the table, climbed up in a chair, put her hands over the table and leaned over and gave it a hug. Then she jumped up and ran back to me and gave me a huge hug.... ran back to the table.... ran back to hug me.... ran back to the table.... My hear melted. If that was the only thing she was excited about it would have been worth it, but it wasn't. She loved every since toy and enjoyed unwrapping immensely! (Though I must say - what is with the pulling off a tiny piece and handing it to me "tay-tchoo!", pulling off another piece and handing it to me "tay-tchoo!" she may be a little OCD like me!)

I think we just had the best Christmas that I can ever remember! I can't believe how having a child who is so excited about everything can make it all so much more magical! :)