Maddy has been much worse today and what I'll say now is that a little while ago it got really bad.... I have never had a bigger testimony building moment ever as what happened then.

Even the best intentions....

I talked about all the precautions we were going to take to keep sickness out of our house but I went out more often than planned because it wasn't as easy to stay home all the time with an older sibling in the picture. We stayed home from church for a while but finally decided to go for the first time a week ago. So after all those stores and other activities and no sickness... what happens right after we go to church the week before Christmas?

Abi comes down with a cough. Which within a couple days after Christmas was accompanied by a runny nose. Which yesterday was added to with an ear that hurt and within moments of that the biggest tantrum I have ever seen from my little girl. At that point Doug and I knew she was sick. She just doesn't act like that. I had to physically hold her down to get her socks and boots on, carry her to the car, and carry her to the walk in clinic from the car.

So, as we wait in the waiting room my little girl that never sleeps during the day fell asleep on my lap. We go back. She throws a fit about being weighed of all things so they had to weigh me and then weigh me holding her. They take her temp and it was at 102.

So, long story short she has an ear infection.

This is actually the second one she has had in her life but she was no where near this sick last time. It is heartbreaking actually.

We came home and she immediately fell asleep on the couch so when Doug's parents got into town they didn't get to hang out with her as she slept until we took her up to bed around 9 after they went back to their hotel.

all through the night I went back and forth between feeding Madeline and taking care of Abi.

Today she has been on the couch all day going in and out of sleep and watching cartoons when she is awake. I have never seen my kid sit still this long. She goes back and forth with the fever. She is miserable but being so sweet.

Also, yesterday she ate a few bites of oatmeal for breakfast, a couple of sips of chicken soup for lunch and a few saltine crackers and since then she has eaten about 3 cheerios and two bites of a piece of peanut butter toast. It is crazy.

We are trying our best to keep Maddy from catching it but she does have a little bit of a snuffly nose so I'm a little nervous. Needless to say, after her blessing this Sunday (assuming Abi is better by then) I am going to be hibernating once more for the duration of January.

Christmas morn

Abi woke up at 6 but we had made a rule that we had to wait until 7 to go down so she and I played Barbies in her room for awhile.. which was actually really fun.

Another favorite tradition is that Santa leaves the kids a stuffed animal in their bed with them so they know he has been here when they wake up.

Abi got a little pink elephant

and Maddy got a cute little reindeer..

At seven I rushed down the stairs so I could capture Abi coming down. I think it's so funny that she has that head flashlight thing around her neck. It's Doug's and she loves it but I don't know why it made an appearance Christmas morning. She wore it almost all day.

She opened the Big one first which was the Loving Family Doll house.  When she opened it she said, "It's what I have been dreaming about!" She then said that about everything she opened!

After her Santa presents we opened stockings.

Then she opened Madeline's presents and stocking for her.

Then we opened the rest of the gifts under our tree from each other, friends, and family. Our friend Carrie sent these quilts for the girls.. a doll one for Abi and a big one for Maddy. They were amazing.

Madeline just kind of chilled in this chair watching all the fun.

Abi got a lot of books and was really excited to get her very own cookbook.

Also she was so happy to get some doll house furniture from Grandma and Grandpa. 

Doug and Abi setting it up

we also ate a lot of treats..

and snuggled some more...

and played A LOT!

the whole day went by really fast. I watched my new Harry Potter, Doug tried out his new headphones, and Madeline tried on her new camo's from Grandma and Grandpa while Abi played to her hearts content.

Christmas Eve

I love Christmas Eve and Christmas so they tend to be fun but this year was really amazing.

The kids were both happy and on their best behavior (for the most part- Madeline did have some normal baby fussy moments) and I was able to get a lot done.

I made sausage muffins (a family favorite we only have on special occasions) for breakfast..

tracked Santa all day on Norad..

made pizza for dinner..

hung out...

Doug brought up an old Lego castle from the basement and he and Abi spent most of the day building it and then she played with it the rest of the day..

we decorated the cookies for Santa

and since we were missing the Van Wagenen live nativity in Utah we put on our own Christmas program with scriptures, stories, and songs and used these new flannel board pictures Doug's mom (Grammy) sent. It was great.

One of my very favorite traditions growing up was getting new pajamas on Christmas Eve so we always do that but I have added that we also each get a new book.

I went with a red theme for the jammies this year since the girls nightgowns I made were red. I never know what book to get Doug since he isn't as big of a reader as I am but this year I decided to get him Digital Fortress by Dan Brown because he listened to it on CD and liked it plus I haven't read it and love his books so it's kind of for me too!

my jammies and book

I was so excited for Abi to open hers. She loved the nightgown and the bonnet I got her at Williamsburg. She got If you take a mouse to the movies and enjoyed that as well.

Madeline wasn't as thrilled with her nightgown, bonnet, and book.

We quickly changed into our jammies and took some pictures..

After Abi went to bed we watched The Nativity Story and spent some extra time with little Maddy.

Then I snuck down in the morning to make sure Santa came. He did!

Leading up to Christmas

I had to run an errand at the first of the week and when I came back abi gave me this picture she had colored for me. I thought Doug had helped her but he said he didn't. I was pretty amazed.

So what else did we do leading up to Christmas?

We spent a lot of time around the trees.. enjoying the lights and beauty.

finally decorated our gingerbread men

snuggled

Abi was thrilled with her puzzle she got from the advent tree on Wednesday. It was what she always wanted apparently.. it was Sleeping Beauty.

Merry Christmas!

I had to sneak away and write this down really quick so I don't forget it. We just finished setting up all the rooms in Abi's new dollhouse and as I sat back to admire it I said, "Wow, Abi. I think this is the coolest dollhouse in the world. I wish I had a dollhouse like that when I was little." (In fact I did have a really cool one that I also got from Santa the year I was four .)

She says, " Well, Mommy, you can play with it with me."

"Thanks Abi."

"You can do whatever you want!"

I was about to say thanks again when she added,

" You just have to do what I tell you to do."

Nice.

Merry Christmas Eve!

We're having a great time around here... breakfast was so fun, getting the house all in order (washing sheets so we can sleep in clean beds in our new pjs tonight!) Doug and Abi are putting together a lego castle from a previous Christmas, I've got dinner ready so I don't have to do it later... everything is so magical for me on these two days. We all wake up so happy.

So, pictures will come later but as for now.. have a great Christmas eve and Christmas and don't forget to go to Norad Santa and track where Santa is all day!!

Our last week

Saturday Abi opened the package from my sisters family that had the new Gap hoodie in it and when I talked to my sister I found out we were supposed to open the package for Madeline too because it had a somewhat matching hoodie in it. I wanted a picture but Madeline wasn't too willing.

Will Madeline Van Wagenen please raise her hand. A sea of Madelines.

December 13th. One month old.

Sisters make the best of friends...

Monday we went to Target and Abi got to pick out a prize with the money she got from my parents. She picked a Polly pocket and an Icee.

Tummy time. I loved how Maddy was straining to look up and see Abi.

On tuesday Iprinted out some nativity coloring pages and Abi and I colored them and hung them on a door.

Wednesday we made a"gingerbread house" with graham crackers and frosting. It was not my best work. Abi even said, "Mom, it doesn't look very pretty" during the construction phase but she did quite well decorating it.

Thursday we made a craft house.

and Abi had her 4 year check up. She did so well this time and even talked to the nurses and dr. Shocker!

Friday we made gingerbread boys and girls. Well, I made a bunch and let Abi play with the leftover dough making her own.

Today we went ice skating! It was great. Maddy and I sat up in the bleachers and watched.