Christmas, Christmas, and More Christmas!

What a BUSY past couple of weeks. It started off with Jaycie missing her last day of school -which was pajama day - because she was sick. She wasn't excited about pajama day, so I had bought her some new cute Christmas PJs hoping that would help convince her it was ok to wear PJs to school. She kept telling me "No, I wear clothes". Even when I brought home the new ones, "No I wear clothes". I put them on her the night before the last day of school, thinking maybe she would just leave them on and go onto school. She was hesitant about even putting them on for bed! I told her she didn't have to wear them to school, and she agreed to put them on for bed! Little Stinker! But then she woke up running a fever, and didn't get to go to school, so I guess she was right after all, she didn't have to wear her PJs to school!

So Jaycie was sick all week, running a fever, coughing and all that fun stuff. I missed out on finishing my Christmas shopping Monday with my Mom since Jaycie didn't go to school. So I HAD to go Wednesday evening. Then luckily Brad took off Thursday so I finished up then.

Jaycie is usually real good about sharing, and she shared her cold with Kaylie! Kaylie started coughing Thursday, and running a slight fever Friday. That is a VERY scary sound hearing a 7 week old cough and sound like she is choking! We watched her fever very closely Friday and Saturday (Dr said anything over 100.4 in newborn is considered ER trip!) Luckily it didn't pass the 100.4 mark and it broke Sunday! But that awful cough is still with us! Jaycie also shared her little cold with Mommy. So all 3 of us were coughing and yucky through the weekend and for Christmas!!

We started our Christmas celebrations Friday at home with just the 4 of us. Santa knew we wouldn't be home for Christmas morning and the gift he was giving was too big to deliver to Abilene, so he planned a special early delivery for Jaycie and Kaylie! So we woke up Friday morning for our "Christmas morning". Santa brought Jaycie and Kaylie the play house Jaycie (and Daddy) wanted! It's big enough so Daddy and Mommy can play in it, too! We took our time going through Jaycie and Kaylie's stockings and presents and pretty much let Jaycie set the pace for everything, so nothing was rushed. Here's some pictures from our morning!

Then Aunt Nicole, Uncle Mike, Macaela, and Taryn came in town Friday evening and stayed with us thru Sunday afternoon. We hung out at home Saturday and Daddy brought home a bounce house for the kids to play in. It was pretty cold outside, but of course that didn't stop the kids from jumping in a bounce house! My Dad stopped in for a quick visit and brought all of us our gifts. Then we all went over to my Mom's for dinner that night. And then we did our "Christmas" with my family Sunday at our house. We opened presents late that morning and then had our Christmas lunch. Then we were able to get Jaycie down for a nap and everyone else packed up and on their way home. Here's some of those fun pictures. Jaycie had a blast playing with her cousins and sharing all her new toys and playhouse with them!

One little funny Jaycie story from this visit was that after all 3 cousins had a bath together that morning, I had dressed Jaycie first.I had just put her in some pants and a shirt. After her cousins got out of the bath and dressed, they came out in some dresses. Jaycie was eyeballing them watching them very closely. I knew exactly what she was doing. She was just very quietly following them around, watching them in their dresses and admiring their dresses! Then she came up to me and almost whimpered, " I want dress like cous". So although I don't let Jaycie pick her clothes, I let her change into a dress like her cousins. That is why she is wearing her Christmas dress in the pictures!

THEN Monday morning we left for Abilene to go spend Christmas with Brad's family. We stayed with his parents at their new house. His Grandma from Pampa came in town too. Jaycie was a little leery of the new house, so that put her a little out of her "normal" Jaycie behavior. But then Aunt Holly, Uncle Art, Ally, Samantha, and Kase all came over for the celebration. Jaycie was happy to see her running buddy Kase. They went straight to playing when he walked in the door! Brad's family opens gifts on Christmas Eve, so we let the little ones take a nap after they had lunch and a little play time. And then we opened gifts before dinner. It was a fun 2 days: Jaycie again had fun with her cousins, especially her and Kase since they are so close in age, Jaycie slept with us and made a nose dive and fell out of bed that morning, and Kaylie got spoiled rotten being held the ENTIRE time!

It was a good time with everyone, of course, it is the holidays and it just always seems rushed. I didn't do so good on packing for this trip - I think due to my lack of sleep ( up coughing half the night and then of course nursing!) I forgot several things: Jaycie's night time diaper (luckily there was one hidden in her diaper bag!), my cough syrup (I literally did not sleep that night!), Brad's Grandma's and his sister's Christmas cards and pictures, and I know there were a few more small items but I already forgot what I forgot! Anyways, we made it through another holiday season and we are very thankful for all that we have! Here's several pictures from our Abilene Christmas!

I did do a post about Jaycie that is new, but it is a few posts down. Apparently even though I didn't post it earlier and just started working on it earlier, it still posts it in that order?! If you can change that I couldn't figure it out, oh well!