Our Family Christmas...

My sweet and awesome crew on Christmas morning!

The kids love getting a stocking full of fun stuff.  We always start with the stockings and spend a good amount of time looking through it all.  The girls got Star Wars figures that have a button that makes them make noise and shoot out candy. Kezzie also got a Luke Skywalker book.  Their stocking is where I put their new tree ornament.  Keziah got a donut (she loves to eat donuts), Adah got a Dorah ornament, Eden got a penguin and Austin got a fish with a tape measure on it.

Starting with the upper left corner: Austin received a nice Dremmel tool set.  He was pretty excited!  Keziah is 'helping' Adah open her box full of different bath toys.  Even Bella got some cuddles on Christmas morning! Eden is enjoying her bead drum. Eden patiently awaits Keziah opening her giant gift.  Below that is Austin had just opened his knife case to hold his collection of pocket knives.  Back over to the left is Eden enjoying one of her gifts and next is Adah enjoying her little people camper set.  Below those two pics is Keziah looking at all her Junie B. Jones books she got.  Next is Eden playing with her jack in the box Curious George. Eden enjoying her bead drum again.  Back down to the left corner is Keziah trying out her balance on the new balance beam that Austin made them.  And Austin is helping Adah test it out.  Keziah opened up her storage case for her American Girl doll and all her accessories.  And the big picture is of Austin showing the girls their new Star Wars sticker book that has TONS of stickers and character descriptions.  Which brings me to the next group of pictures...

The girls are VERY much into Star Wars as of recently.  This is the awesome case full of figures that Brian had when he was younger.  It's in the shape of Darth Vader (Adah's favorite character-weird, I know).  Both girls can name all the characters at the drop of a hat.  I don't know if I should be embarrassed or impressed, but this has been something the girls have really been able to connect with Brian on and for that reason I will continue to feed this new obsession!  Even if it's something I have no desire to learn!

The rest of the day...

We weren't really sure what to do.  I didn't have anything planned for a meal because I wasn't sure about where we would be that day since it was Brian's family's year to be together, but it turned out his sister and her family were going home that day and that's why we had Christmas together the day before.  So we decided last minute that we would head to CF and spend the rest of the day with my family.  My Aunt Cindy and Uncle Perry were in town with their four kids and there was going to be plenty of food and family and fun so we just couldn't resist!  The kids had a blast and I was so glad to be around my family for the day.  I think I walked in the door, took a deep breath and said, "Ahhh, now this feels like Christmas!"  Don't get me wrong...I LOVE being at home with my husband and kids and thought very hard about just spending the day at home relaxing with them, but there is something about being with your mom and dad that makes it feel so warm and cozy!  Not to mention have a good home cooked meal to share!  We came home later that night exhausted and feeling very thankful for our Savior's birth!

Christmas Eve

The girls really wanted to have a slumber party in their sleeping bags, on the floor, in their room (yes, they already share a room but sleep on bunk beds).  I had to capture a picture of them sleeping!  So sweet!  I was a little worried that with the excitement of the next morning being Christmas and with sleeping next to each other on the floor that they wouldn't even go to sleep, but after just a little talking, they both zonked out!  Such angels! 

Our Christmas tree ready greet the kids as they come down the stairs!  Can't wait to make some memories!

The stockings are stuffed and hung (with lots of care)!

Uglum/Coyle Christmas 2012

We spent Christmas Eve with the Coyle/Uglum clan.  It was so nice to wake up and go in our jammies.  It made it feel a little more like Christmas day!  Here we are opening and enjoying our gifts.  The girls each got sleeping bags and long sleeved gymnastics outfits (which they wore the whole time we were there).  Adah received some animal masks from Mat and Steph and they have been a huge hit at our house! Although I didn't get very many photos of Austin (big shocker), he was there and had a good time.  He mostly got clothes that he wanted.  He was very happy about that!  He did have a fun time going over to the golf course with Riley and Mat to do a little snowboarding too!

The kids made their own pizzas for lunch!

When we needed some quiet time we put on a little nick jr.  The girls are obviously in love with their sleeping bags, enjoying a snack!

We just had to get a picture of the kids in the animal masks.  They were a huge success!

We try to do a family photo every year.  I really wish they would have turned out better...here's the best one!

Smith Christmas 2012

We celebrated the weekend before Christmas with my side of the family.  We started out Friday night getting together with the Alderman's because they were unable to come on Saturday.  Friday was like Christmas eve and so we did our traditional hors d'oeuvres and everybody brought one to share.  We had a great time and the cousins all had fun playing together.  Molly loves backpacks and she struck big getting one from each Emily and I (we found out she also got one from her other grandma)!  I don't think Gavin was too disappointed either!  We got him the new loopz game!  It got late and kids needed to go to bed so the Alderman's and Thilges' went home.  Us and the Recker's all stayed the night.  Here are some pics from our evening...

The next morning the kids woke to find the tree covered in gifts and a delicious breakfast in the oven!

Some of my favorites of Eden!  She took a little break and took a nap, then when she was up and all dressed she opened some more!  She is really starting to get the hang of this present thing!

Some of my favorites of Kez!  She is getting so grown up!  Is 5 when people usually notice a big change?  I just think she is looking so grown up, and talks like it too!!  Austin received many great things but unfortunately every time I took his picture there was something in front of his face.  This is the only good one I got during gifts.  In this one he opened the blanket in the picture below it.  My mom made several of the grandkids their own blankets!

And of course some of my Adah favorites.  Not very many...but I love the one of the sun shining in and Austin is helping Adah put on her new slippers (both girls received slippers).  He's such a great brother!

Here are some great photos of others.  Bennett got some new skates

I made mom a basket full of rocks with each family member name on them.  They are to be used in helping set the table on Sunday mornings!!  I found this cute idea on pinterest and she loved it!

Here she is opening it!

Austin got a paper airplane launcher and he and Keith are trying to assemble it! (I guess I did get another good photo of Austin!)

They are all ready to head outside for a bit! (L-R: Ethan 6, Bennett 4, Adah 3, Keziah 5)

All trekking down the stairs...Em making sure nobody trips and falls!

Another great year in the books!  We are so blessed and grateful for the family we have.  

Poor Reckers, though...Rylan and Aria were puking in the night/morning.  It made for a tense kind of day not knowing if we were all being exposed, but in the end it turned out ok.  The Reckers did end up going home Saturday evening though, got some much needed rest and were feeling better in no time!  

Merry Christmas all!

Eden is ONE!!!!

I cannot believe it was a year ago we were sitting in the hospital holding our little miracle and trying to figure out what in the world was going on with her.  God has blessed this year in many ways and I honestly don't think I would change any of it.  Eden is amazing and learning more every day. And the things I am learning by watching her are irreplaceable.  Each milestone she reaches I can do nothing more then  look to heaven and thank our Creator.  Eden is fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139:14) and no matter how she develops, she is God's child and His plan for her is more magnificent than I could ever imagine.  I just feel bad for all you people that don't get to see her everyday because she is truly a miracle!!

I honestly haven't done a very good job this month of keeping track of much of what Eden is able to do!!  I am too busy enjoying her! She did however get another tooth...Eden got her fifth tooth 11/23/12 top right tooth next to the front one.  Eden is amazing and I could go on forever about her as she is growing right on track for her age!  She continues to pull herself up to things and shows interest in trying to get around vertically.  She has figured out that she can go up the stairs but doesn't have a clue how dangerous it is or how to properly go back down.  She is still a very good sleeper, sleeping through the night and taking two naps during the day.  As long as she isn't teething she is a completely healthy and happy baby.  She has been getting teeth non stop since her first one appeared, it seems, and when that happens she has a sore bottom and slight fever.  You can tell by the pictures that she has a lot of energy and many smiles to pass around!  Her laughter is so contagious.  It's something I miss when I go to bed and look forward to seeing every morning.  Happy Birthday precious Eden!!  I'm so glad God gave us you!

UPDATE: 1/9/13 Eden had her one year check up today.  She had to have three shots but handled them pretty well.  She screamed when they did them but wasn't really affected otherwise.  She was just about 20lbs. and almost 30".  It was a pretty uneventful visit.  I like those kinds of visits!

Naming another!

Keziah has been trying to think of a name for her American Girl Doll.  We have gotten online and looked up doll/baby names and I have listed many to her.  She just keeps saying no, no, no!  I didn't really think she was listening to the names I was saying so I started saying them faster and she said, "mom, slow down.  I can't think if I like it."  It was time for bed so I told her we would think more about it the next day.  It wasn't until later that afternoon that I was putting Eden down for a nap that she met me on the stairs all excited.  She said, "mom, I got the perfect name.  Anna."  It was like she just knew.  It wasn't one I had said before either!  I asked her how she came up with it and she said she just thought of it.  She hasn't swayed from it since.  I think it fits her doll perfect!

A little craft...

How cute are they?  Adah is so goofy with her eyes crossed!

This is what I get when I say "Say CHEESE!"

My cutie...always has hair in her face!

Keziah's Pre-school Concert

Keziah had her pre-school Christmas concert today.  She did a great job.  You could actually hear her voice quite well which isn't too surprising, I guess!  She has a very strong voice and always has ever since she was born!  See if you can find her!

Here is a video of some of her singing, but I quit recording because I didn't think the picture quality was very good but I wish I would have kept recording just to at least get the songs.  They were so cute!  You can definitely hear Keziah's voice!!

Even Keziah's doll got dressed for the occasion!

Such a beautiful girl!

And so it began...

Today marks a day in history I have a feeling...

Daddy was flipping through the channels and stumbled across one of the Star Wars movies.  He paused for a bit to get his fill before moving on to the next channel.  But, the girls actually caught a glimpse of it also and wanted more.  And so it began...their love for Star Wars.  We finished out the movie but they just wanted to watch more and more.  I couldn't believe how my 2 (almost 3) year old was getting into it let alone my 4 (almost 5) year old.  I don't even get into it!!  Well, they are hooked now so I guess that will make Christmas shopping a bit easier!  Here they are watching and anticipating what's going to happen next.  There were a couple times when the girls were so nervous about a fight that they had to cover their eyes.  It was so funny! I just can't get over it!  I have a feeling Brian and the kids are going to have a lot of fun catching up on all the Star Wars movies.  You can tell he enjoyed it because he just stood by the TV pointing out characters and explaining different things.  He gets super excited and enjoys that they all have something in common!

Of course Austin refused to be in the picture (cause having your hands over your face is way better)!

Here's Kez hiding her face out of worry!

Birthday Princess!!

Adah got this skirt and princess set for her birthday.  She looks like a little princess!

Partaay Time!!!

It's party time.  And it was filled with so much fun!  It is hard to believe that Keziah is FIVE! Five years since I had my first baby for the second time.  I always say that because there are so many years in between Austin and Keziah!  Five years goes by so quick!  And we celebrated Adah turning 3, which is hard to believe also!  She is always just thrown into the mix and I often catch myself expecting the same things out of her as I do Keziah even though they are two years apart.  Some day this won't matter as much but right now portion size, chores, bed time, etc. is all/should be different for Adah.  It's hard to remember sometimes though!  What's even more hard to believe is that an entire year has passed by since I gave birth to my littlest baby!  This has been the longest yet shortest year of my life with all the unknowns and appointments.  God has been faithful through it all.  As long as we put our trust in Him, he will never let us down.  He continues to amaze me at his blessings he gives.  What a miracle Eden is...more on that in another post!

Here we are singing Happy Birthday to each of the girls.  They loved their cake!  We also had cake pops and dipped pretzels for dessert!

Seriously, please ignore my terrible singing!!!

MY BABY!  She's almost one!  Here's Eden having her first taste of sugar!  She acted like she had done it a hundred times though.  As soon as we set the cake down in front of her she knew exactly what to do.  I cut the cake up a bit for her but that almost made it worse as she would try to fit a whole chunk into her mouth.  There were a couple times where she was swallowing pretty hard to get it down.  She was so hyped up after just a couple bites but also just really excited that everyone was around her and paying attention to her.  She kept trying to share her bites too!  She's my super sweet one year old!  

Now it's "present time, present time, open a present and see what's inside" (a song right out of Blue's Clues).  What a lot of gifts.  I guess when you have three opening at once it can get a little crowded!  Each of the girls got some really neat things.  To name a few (sorry if I don't mention your gift), Keziah got the American Girl doll that she has been wanting, a few doll outfits and a bunch of craft stuff.  Adah got a Gymnastics Dora and Dora coloring/activity/sticker books. Eden got a puppy that claps and sings and some books and puzzles.  Thanks to everyone who gave and even those who didn't.  We appreciate all of you and your friendships!

Here's a close-up of the cake I made.  I found the idea on pinterest made out of two round cakes! Super easy and cute!  I came up with my own idea for the outline since I didn't have nearly the patience to do what the picture on pinterest showed!  I think it still turned out pretty nice!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SWEET GIRLS!!!

Gooood Morning!!!!

This is how I found Miss. Eden this morning when I came in to get her!  She has been pulling herself up for a while now but just discovered that she can even do it in her crib!  She was so proud!

All you need...

is a laundry basket and a dining room table and they are entertained!  I must say Keziah is pretty strong to be able to push both of them around!  

Christmas decorating time!

The girls stood here by the fireplace for a very long time...You can't tell what they are up to but there is an Advent calendar type nativity set that they are looking at.  It was so funny because even though Eden really didn't know what all the fuss was about she still hung around to be with her sisters.

 

Eden had her hands resting on Kezzie's back for the longest time as if she was giving her a hug.  I took a few other pictures of them all that I'm not going to bore you with by posting, but Eden's arm is around Kezzie's back in most of them.  Although Adah and Eden's relationship is getting stronger with Kez in school, Eden definitely prefers Keziah right now because she does more entertaining than anything with Eden.

A nice big smile :)

Our bootiful tree!

Attack!

If you are anywhere on the floor, Eden will come attack you.  She loves when you get down to her level.  She especially loves to tackle Keziah.  Kezzie thought it was funny for a while and then she just got irritated that she couldn't get up and move around!  Eden just stood there pounding on her back and trying to climb her!  It's great to see a normal and healthy bond between Eden and her siblings!

Keziah is getting into crafts and drawing so much.  This is one of many drawings she is creating these days.  Whether it's on the iPad or regular paper, she is becoming a creative artist!  Here is a picture of a monkey hanging with his bananas!

Psychological Evaluation

Eden had a psychological evaluation today.  We knew it was probably pointless to do but we were encouraged by professionals to get it done early in Eden's life so we had a benchmark to go from.  The whole reason we had to do it was to try to get Eden on Medicaid to help pay for medical bills.  In order for her to get medicaid she has to be approved for one or both of two waivers.  Either the Ill and Handicap waiver or the Brain Injury Waiver.  So, to first determine if she qualifies for either of those we had to do a psych evaluation.  We were set up for a two hour session with one of the U of I's psychologist. She wasn't very familiar with Aicardi Syndrome so she was reading up on it before we got there.  She had no idea what a great miracle was going to come through her door.  I think about a hundred times during the evaluation the lady couldn't even finish her sentences she was so amazed at Eden.  There were so many things she did to test Eden and Eden just kept passing each one and in the process surprising us all.  For example: we asked her to point to the puppy she pointed, we asked her to then point to a ball and she used her other hand that was closest to the ball to point to that.  There was a test where she laid out two white napkins and hid a bracelet under one of the napkins.  Eden didn't even hesitate, she just lifted up the napkin to find it.  The lady then hid it under the other napkin and Eden used her other hand to lift that napkin to find it.  Eden said Kitty at a picture of a cat while we were there, she was pulling herself up to the table in the room...the list goes on and on!  At the end of the session, which despite our greatest efforts to fill the whole time slot only lasted a little over an hour because she was passing tests left and right, the psychologist said, 'well the good news is she is developing at a 15 month old level (she's 11 months), the bad news is you definitely don't qualify for either of the waivers!'  Hey, we'll take it!  We couldn't be happier or prouder!  What a little miracle Eden is!

In an attempt...

In an attempt to take a picture to put on the girls' birthday invite, I ended up getting some cute ones of them together!  Here are the littles in my life!

I ended up using the picture in the middle but since Adah isn't looking at the camera I photoshopped the head from the lower left corner picture in and also removed the fan from the background.  I would show you the final product but I must have deleted it after printing them off!  Ooops!  Just use your imagination...you seriously couldn't tell at all!

Adah is 3 YEARS OLD!!

Oh how this picture says a thousand words about who Adah is!  Her smile, her beautiful hair, her jammies, the way she sits in her chair, and lets not forget the giant pancake in front of her.  I can't believe how fast 3 years has gone.  She is getting smarter and taller by the minute!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY sweet Adah!

We celebrated the day not doing too much...Adah opened a gift from Austin (a ceramic owl that he let her pick out of his room), a Dora coloring book and Dora gymnastics movie from the rest of us!  And to top the night off she got to have one of Kezzie's birthday treats from school (aren't we nice)!  Hey, she'll have cake at her birthday party...she isn't too deprived!!  Kezzie was at least nice enough to let her wear her birthday crown from school!

UPDATE: On January 8th Adah had her well-child visit.  She weighed in at 31.5 lbs. (50th%), and was 37.5" tall (75th%).  She did not have to get any shots but I have to make note that she was actually disappointed about this (I secretly think she wanted the sympathy!).