Delaney 10 months

I can't believe Delaney is 10 months now!!! I just love this little girl! She makes us laugh all the time and her personality is so sweet, upbeat and animated. I am amazed at the expression her little face has and how happy and well-adjusted she is. She is curious, silly, active and loves to cuddle...and she is like this all day long.




Here are her newest skills:

Eating - Feeding herself everything, which means watching the ground constantly. Her favorite food is still fruit puffs though (although grapes are a close second)

Clapping - She has figured this out much earlier than the other two did. Anytime someone says "Yeah!" she is clapping. So cute!

"So Big" - When you ask, "How big is Delaney?" she shows you just how big. Makenna and Camden ask her all day long because they love the reaction.

Talking - She makes the sounds bababa, dadada, mamama, papapa, nanana and probably a lot more!

Lauging - She laughs at herself and others on her own now, it's fun to make her laugh without having to tickle her

Walking- Not walking on her own yet, but with a little push walker. Not sure if the walking will take place before she's one, but it doesn't really matter

I really don't want her to get any bigger or older. Christian and I are having so much fun with ALL the kids, we'd like to freeze them all at their current ages, just for a little longer. It's funny how people always warn you to treasure your kids because it goes so fast, but even if you do treasure your time with them, it goes fast. I wish there was a way to solve this!

Below I have a video of "So Big," but the clapping isn't quite like she usually does it. In the video you can see her little two bottom teeth.

Merry, Merry Christmas

Our family had such a wonderful Christmas. It was busy, but I'd have to say it was the best one we've had so far. The kids really understood it much better, and it was so fun to see Christmas through their eyes.

Christmas Eve
For Christmas Eve, we went to Christian's family to hang out, eat pasties (a pastry with meat and potatoes inside and a tradition of his grandfathers) and open just a few gifts. Doesn't the Christmassy Jello look yummy?



After our time there, we hurried home to get everything ready for Santa. We put out milk and cookies and left the reindeer food Makenna made at preschool, got in our pajamas and read the 'Twas the Night before Christmas. The kids were really excited and had lots of trouble falling asleep. Makenna was up from 3am-5am because she couldn't wait for morning. She was just giddy!!

Christmas Day

Christmas morning, I carried the kids down the stairs with their eyes shut so they could see what Santa brought at the same time. They were in awe!! Santa brought them both bicycles!! They wondered how he knew they wanted them when they forgot to ask. Santa just knows!


He also brought Camden a new train, which I would say Camden is now obsesed about!

Makenna got a Tinker Bell doll and cradle, among many more gift for both of them.

Delaney made out with a new activity walker and a stocking full of little toys and goodies.
And of course, cupcakes. The kids have asked Santa for them the last two years, I guess a tradition is born.

We actually had time to play with the new toys this year before getting ready, so the kids and I took a bike ride to get the mail.


After that, the challenge of getting a family of five ready. I love getting the kids dressed up. Somehow Camden's picture got deleted when he got a hold of my camera, but he is in many other shots.




Then it was off to my parents. We hung out there for a few hours, let the kids nap, and then the rest of the clan showed up. Makenna, Nanny and Nana did a puzzle.

Delaney looks like she is singing to me.


The group was Megan's family of five, Michelle's family of four, my parents, Nanny and Gramps, and us. In total 18 people, 8 of which were kids. There were so many presents, but as usual, we opened them in record time. I actually don't like the chaos of everyone opening at once, but I guess the kids enjoy it. Some of the highlights were Makenna's new doll "Alaska," an Eskimo doll my parents bought while on their cruise,

and Camden loves his new real basketball and real guitar.


The kids got so many cool new toys and Christian was excited to get 5 new Wii games (some are supposed to belong to the kids)!! MarioKart is a blast! I can't wait to go shopping with my new giftcards!

Megan got an Indy Board, which I want now too, here we are all trying it out. Makenna did great with Uncle Greg!








It look like someone is picking Daymon up!

Next it was off to Christian's parents for presents and dinner. It was presents, food, put Laney to bed, presents, put Makenna and Camden to bed, presents. It took a long time. Quite the opposite of my family, we open presents much slower at his parents. It was nice to see what everyone got though. Makenna and Camden got some new books on tape, which they now love, and other exciting new toys. Highlights included Makenna's new glittery shoes she was dying to have, Camden's new Thomas the Train laptop and both kid Little People sets (doll house and car garage). Delaney even got a new PowerQuad (will post picture of this later, we don't have it at our house yet). Not a lot of picture because I thought I forgot my camera, I'll have to get the pictures from Amy's camera, thanks Amy!

Overall a fantastic Christmas!!! So much fun!!

Christmas with Aunt Kelley

For those of you that don't know Kelley, she has been my best friend since I moved to AZ 14 years ago. Actually, we have now been friends for over half our lives. We have remained close through high school, college and now. Because she is such an important part of our lives and the kids, she is Aunt Kelley.

Now, Aunt Kelley spoils the kids. She spends way too much and always does whatever they want to do when she comes over. If I go shopping with her, she wants to buy the kids everything! When I tell Makenna and Camden that Aunt Kelley is coming, they have a list of things they want to do with her. The list always includes tea party and Chutes and Ladders (which Kelley bought for them last Christmas). She does so much for them, and I am so lucky to have her!

Anyway, she came over this past weekend to give the kids their presents. The were just as excited to see her as to get their first taste of Christmas.

The kids definitely knew how to get started!

Camden hung the ornaments on the tree.

Such a cute picture of Laney and KelleyLook at Delaney's legs. She was so excited about her new toy she was kicking and squirming all over!Thanks Aunt Kelley!

Two Christmas Programs in 1 Day!!!

Makenna had two performance in one day, and boy was it an exciting and eventful day!!! (warning...lots of little kids videos!)

Preschool Singing Program


First, the preschool singing program with two of her cousins, Riley and Logan. Makenna did a great job, and sang her heart out! She was the loudest singer and reminded me of my cousin Amy when we were kids. She belted out each song, kind of more of a shout at times, with her great memory she had everything memorized. The teachers told us they were surprised because she is always so shy when she first arrives at school that they thought in front of all the parents she would be nervous... but not our little performer. She loves the limelight! Here is just one of the many songs they sang.

Jingle Bells





They also sang songs they sing everyday in preschool. Makenna has been singing the zoo fun song for a year now. I need to find an old video from last year!



Here are the singing cousins, Riley, Makenna and Logan.

Holiday Showcase

Later that night, Makenna performed in two dances at Flip Zone's Holiday Show. She was so excited to be back on stage. First she did the dance that will soon be combined with the rest of her performing team to form one big group dance. There are 60 girls on the team from ages 4-14. They will be performing this at the Globetrotters on January 10 and many more performances over the next 5 months. This was the first time she got to wear her "rockstar" costume!
Rock Star


The next dance was exclusively for the Christmas show, but Makenna's favorite! She still wanted to practice her "Hippopotamus Dance" today. The girls looked adorable in their red tutus. In the beginning Christian accidentally is filming Makenna's friend Emma, but then he figures it out.
I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas


Despite some technical difficulties, the show was a success. I had to work backstage and Christian sat with the kids and the many family members that came to cheer both Makenna and Julia on (Julia was in two dance as well and did fantastic!). Camden and Delaney clapped for their big sister. Thanks to everyone that came!!!

And what did Makenna ask me when I put her to bed? "When do I get to perform again?" What a fun and exhausting day!

Christmas Cul-de-Sac

Christian's parents used to live in a neighborhood with a cul-de-sac famous for Christmas lights. The cul-de-sac is still there, and the house Christian's parents used to live in is still there, Christian's parents just are not. They have moved to a house closer to us. Despite how far away their old house is, we decided to take the kids over to see the Christmas lights. We had Christian's parents, his brother Ross and fiance Amy, and the five of us. Coordinating that was difficult!

The kids loved the lights, and each house kind of has it's own theme. Camden's favorite house had trains all lit up. Makenna really liked the HUGE rocking chair at a house that had lollipops lining the driveway and sidewalk (of course she busts into her Lollipop song because she has a dance to it). Delaney liked it all, and just sat in the stroller mesmorized. One house is "Bethlehem" and they allow you to walk through their backyard which is set up to tell the story of Jesus' birth. One house had a Santa the kids visited. Other house themes were Santa driving motorcycles, Santa driving airplanes and talking to the air traffic controllers in the tower, Santa at the beach, and even a house with a mini ferris wheel! There were tons of lights, music and people walking around. It was a beautiful evening, much warmer than past years and it was worth the drive to see the kids so excited. A great evening!

If you live in Arizona, the cul-de-sac is in Rancho del Mar at Guadalupe and Country Club. They collect canned food, and on Christmas Eve and some weekends they have carolers.

Santa Claus is Coming to Town

The kids are really excited for Christmas to come! Here they are "performing" a song for you. Makenna made me set up a stage and everything!

A Sad Anniversary for Christian

Well, it has been a year now since Christian was afflicted with this terrible hive problem he has. For those of you that don't know, a year ago, Christian started breaking out in hives every day. It started just on his hands the first day, the next day it was on his hands and arms, and by day 4 it covered his whole body. It always starts in the morning, and by the evening or even early afternoon they disappear. It is a terrible thing to have as they often would cover his face and completely change his appearance, and his job is constantly meeting new people...not a great first impression.

Since the problem started, Christian has seen multiple doctors. He has had every allergy test they could order including dyes for clothing. They tested to make sure it wasn't a problem with his blood...negative. He has tried every allergy medication, nothing helps. He went to a dermotogolist who had no idea how to proceed. He went to a homeopathic doctor and tried accupuncture, it didn't work. He tried meditation to see if it was stress related, it made no difference. He tried blood tests at the homeopathic doctor and nothing came out of it. The only thing that can for sure make the hives go away is using steroids, but they are dangerous to take and the doctor won't prescribe them except in extreme situations. He's only taken them on three seperate occasions. The doctors have no idea what it is, and it is so frustrating because they really don't seem to care to find out. They just throw their hands up and say there is nothing further they can do.

The triggers are just as confusing. He gets them on his hands every morning and it seems random if they go all over his body or not. If he gets too much sun, he gets hives on his face. If he sweats, he gets hives where he sweats (not good in Arizona).

Through research on the internet, he found a man that claimed it was detergent. Not just any detergent...all detergent. He said if you got rid of all your clothes, sheets, towel, anthing with fabric and bought all new stuff and washed everything in baking soda, they would go away within 6 weeks. Christian tried that, but he has to touch the kids, so that wasn't working. So, I got rid of all the kids clothes, bought new ones and we wash all our clothes in baking soda. This solution seems to be helping, but he still has hives everyday. He now takes detox baths (it is a bath with scalding hot water with certain minerals added, the idea is to sweat the chemical affecting you out and have your body absorb the minerals instead...the water is SO hot, I don't know how he submerges his whole body for 30 minutes!) This seems to help to, but again the hives are there every single day.

This is a long post, but there is SO much Christian has done to try and solve this problem. It has been so hard on him and I feel so bad for him. It is so difficult to see him work so hard and still feel so helpless. He is distracted by it and then feels guilty that he is focusing so much attention on it. I don't know how he deals with it at all. I really hope this time next year I am writing that he solved the problem. It really sucks!!!

We're going to the Zoo, zoo, zoo

Shhh, Makenna didn't go to preschool today, instead Christian, Makenna, Camden, and I had a jam packed day at the zoo and movies. It was such a fun day! We dropped Delaney off at Nana's and were on our way. Now we don't go to the zoo very often, to be honest it is too expensive and too far away. This makes the trip quite special though, because so far we have only gone once a year.

To begin the day, Makenna's favorite animal was a giraffe because it is yellow (her current favorite color, her favorite animal was a flamingo for the last year though), and Camden's favorite animal was the elephant.

We saw the giraffes right away.


Next was the flamingos. Camden thought it was pretty cool how they can balance on one foot and sleep at the same time.


Makenna and Daddy


Camden and Mommy


Our two little explorers


Next we went to the little monkeys. There is an exhibit where you go inside and the monkey's are jumping all around you, climbing on ropes, jumping to the trees, moving way too fast to take a picture!

Then we saw the huge orangutans. Look at Bubba (that's his name I think).


Next we stopped to try and hang like the monkey's do.


Then we saw the wallaby's. The kids thought it looked like Roo from Winnie the Pooh. Here they are inside a wallaby.


This same area had a play area for the kids. Here is the spider web. Look, Makenna's been captured!


Camden too!


Makenna wanting to be taller than Daddy.


Like daughter, like mother.


Like mother, like son!


Next was the saguaro slide.


Potty break.


Riding Camden's favorite animal.


Getting a closer look at the pond.


Next it was off to Harmony Farm, a kids petting zoo. The kids loved the goats, and the goats loved the brushes they used.


The Farm had a tractor Camden was dying to drive.


And a swing for both the kids.


Makenna and Camden hatching.


Jack the huge horse smelling them.



Lunchtime.



Makenna doing her prarie dog impersonation.



Can you find Makenna and Camden in the picture?


There they are.


At the end of the day, Makenna still liked the giraffes best and Camden still liked the elephants. Goodbye zoo! See you next year!


So, on the way home, I had an idea that we should go to the IMAX because there is one on the way, and how often do we not have Delaney? Nana said okay, so we killed some time eating at Chilis (fine by me!) and then went to see the new movie Bolt.


Now we never go the movies (I think this was only Camden's second movie ever). It was quite exciting! The movie was so entertaining and it was in 3D so we got to wear cool glasses and the kids didn't take them off the whole time. The animation was incredible and the kids were enthralled the whole time. Highly recommend the movie.


Overall a VERY exhausing and wonderful day. We look forward to Laney joining us next year.