Riley Hospital for Cabella

We had our yearly (a little late) hip appointment for Cabella at Riley Hopsital.
Dr. Loder said everything looked amazing and you would have never known. YES!!!

He would like to see her back in THREE years!

What a beautiful blessing. 

After having Cabella I struggled with postpartum which I have never had before...yes the stress of a newborn but a newborn with a physical disability was very different- we had to travel to Phoenix which was a three hour trip from our house in Arizona and we had no family close by to help with this hard journey and Levi's work was awful...yep awful I said it. 

So sad that on one occasion, Levi did a conference call in the children's hospital waiting room and got threatened his job because a child (not one of ours but a child in a wheelchair waiting to see our same Ortho) was talking/crying in the background. 

On another occasion he missed our appointment because he had to work and our ortho surgeon mentioned to Levi the next appointment that he should be more present with our family during this difficult time and not make his job a priority if he wanted his child to walk. Ouch. 

Hints why he no longer works for that company. 

  

We would travel three hours to watch 'the best of the best' adjust a few straps and send us on our way for another week. 

This seemed so ridiculous to Levi and I and we often contemplated adjusting the straps ourselves, Skyping with the Dr, taking it off just for a bath....but we never did. She wore that full body brace for 14 weeks (which seems such a short time now but then it was SO long.)

 Her doctor told us in the very beginning he was the strictest with using the brace and he said if you follow exactly what I say she won't need surgery. He was Right. I am SO glad we listened. 

HEY CORALINE OVER HERE!

Look at Cecily Smiling!!

Then after our trip to the hospital we went to dinner and then we had set up an appointment to drive the NV Passenger Van. It holds 12 people and was amazing...expensive but amazing. 

We will probably ponder the idea for a LONG time. 

It is easier to car shop now that we have so many little people are options are very limited. 

Which isn't a bad thing to resist temptations! 

We only had the three little girls with us on the trip - Clairana and Nephi got to stay with Aunt Woody which made things easier and I am sure more entertaining for them. 

Christmas Art & Cards

 Clairana & Nephi took a weekly art class throughout December and these are the gems they ended up with! 

Christmas Cards!

I did not get a card out this year and honestly I don't think I have missed sending out cards once since Levi & I were married 13 years ago!
I told myself I wasn't going to stress over it even before Cecily was born.

We normally send out over a 100 so it is a task each year!
Next Year Everyone, I Promise!
I LOVE getting them from all the people we used to live close to.

Here are the ones we got this year!

Wright Family & Harrington Family - we go to church with both of them here in Indiana

Family Ones! Rice Family (Levi's side) & Bell Family (our FAVS in AZ aka Levi's sister and her little family)

Lake Havasu Friends! Nelson Family, Mooneyham Family & Vanderjagt Family

Washington Friends! Dement Family, Cosler Family & Jensen Family

Cecily Edithe

So Sweet! 

Little People are SO much Work but SO Perfect. 

Book Club - The Christmas Doll

 Book Club for the Littles! 

This month we did The Christmas Doll which the kids and I read last year but it is SO good that we loved it again.

I am excited for my nieces to get old enough to treasure this one too. 

It is always interesting what little parts the kids pick up on the second time around.  

This book is about orphans who end up finding a doll shop....it is such an emotional but sweet story.

I actually collected 'breakable dolls' when I was little and so my mom saved them for me and I un-boxed them for the event. 

The kids were excited to look at all of them. 

Plum Pudding for dessert! They ate this at the very end of the book -
I never would have guessed it to be so difficult to make!

Craft Time!

Our CC director, Denae, with Cecily

Lyla & Cabella 

Coraline's favorite doll

Paper Dolls! 

Nephi's paper doll

Old Photos - Dustin & Danielle

Taped on Bow for the Win. 

 My dad, Troy, went out to visit family in California because there was a death in the family and sent me text messages of these gems he found at my Aunt Kay's house. 

New Years Eve!

It has been a crazy week of weather here in Indiana - we had a polar vortex...

We had our internet/television go down but everything else in the house is working properly with these crazy negative temperatures. 

The kids and I have not left the house in almost a week. 

Which amazingly enough we do not have cabin fever but we have baked and started lots of projects. 

New Years Eve Events

Levi took the big kids to an NYE party which they watched the ball drop on Netflix so they were home by 8. 

Then we got a call from the Smith family to come join them for a swim so of course we did! 

We did this last year too, they always get a hotel room for the night and we get to reap the benefits of coming to swim for a couple hours. Such a fun family time! 

Clairana and Nephi - Pros. It is SO nice to have two kids that are such great swimmers!

Coraline with Levi and the crazy Bella Lou in the background - Bella likes to jump in over and over and over again.....

Cecily and I were getting a little tired..... She likes to go to bed early and hang out at 2 in the morning!

Extras

These two are becoming closer all the time.

Such a great holiday book!

She calls Cecily her best friend and argues with everyone that she likes her the best. 

Clairana drew this picture of her cousin Ensley. 

Holiday Read Aloud