December 2014

Warning:  Long post coming up!

December is always busy, but this year it felt like we had the perfect balance of activities and down time.  You would think that it would be hard to have a newborn during the holidays, but I loved it!  I wrote earlier about how my recovery after Mack was born was so great and I especially felt that way during December.  I was able to get out and do so many fun activities with my kids and still really enjoy having a newborn in the house.  It felt so good to have the energy and to feel good enough to enjoy all the Christmas fun with my kids. I think I'll take Christmas season 2014 and put in on repeat for the next few years.

Brothers!

In the first month and a half of Mack's life he went to two ENT appointments, two sleep studies, and three appointments with the pediatrician.  For a while there it felt like we were living at the doctors' offices.  After all of that he was diagnosed with sleep apnea caused by a deviated septum.  Mack has to be on oxygen anytime he is asleep to keep his oxygen saturation levels high enough.  We are hoping he will grow out of the need for oxygen as he gets bigger and everything opens up, but he will likely need surgery at some point.  Hopefully not until he is at least a teenager.  His next appointment with the pulmonologist is at the end of March.  We're crossing our fingers that his next sleep study will be the last and that he will be able to get off of this oxygen!

Nativity animals have to work overtime around here.

Nothing better than snuggling with this little dude.

Decorating the tree.

These two are the best little friends.

Christmas came early this year!  Mya and Owen got to open some early presents when Grandpa and Grandma were in town.

I love the series of expressions on Mya's face when she met Santa this year!

It was like she was really studying him and trying to decide what to believe.

Checking out the whiskers.  I love this!  Somehow I missed it in the middle of all the action.  So glad Shawn caught it on camera.

I think she approves!  And Mack too.  Owen... he's still not so sure.

Playing at the City Creek fountains before going to see the lights at Temple Square.

Probably my favorite picture of these two from December.

Proof that Mack was there with us.

Isn't he handsome?

Not too happy with his baby brother.

Owen has always had the most expressive face.

This is not even staged.  Those older two crack me up!

All three of my little loves.

Mack has had no shortage of attention since his arrival.

And yes, he especially loves Mya.

Playing outside in December.

One month old!  And looking very tired.  Probably because he didn't sleep much that first month (despite what the next two pictures look like).

I just love his hair!

And that face!

Mya and I went on our first Mommy daughter date!  I tried to take her ice skating at Station Park, but the wait was an hour and a half long, so we headed to the Bountiful Rec Center.

She LOVED it and was so darn adorable in those tiny skates.

The first fall or two were a little hard on her confidence but she bounced right back and was skating around on her own without the walker by the end of the night.  I love spending one on one time with this girl.  She is so much fun!

How Mack really feels about the shirt our home teachers gave him.

How we told the home teachers he felt about it.  ;)

The kids are always very eager to share their favorite toys with the baby.  Why is it that they always try to do it when he's asleep though?

Mohawk!  Combating the grandpa look of the cannula.

Like I said, no lack of attention from Mya

or Owen.  Unfortunately.  Owen ripped Mack's tender grip off right after I had put it on!  This bright red spot lasted for a few days.

Christmas Eve PJs.

This year's picture was just as hard to get as last year's.  This next series of pictures kill me.

Owen!!!  So great!

The squinty eyes.

Annnd some semi-smiles.  How does Mack look so tan, btw?

This was the setup Christmas Eve when I headed to bed!  I made that teepee the day before and was pretty happy that it came together in time.  It was so much fun getting everything ready for the next morning!  Giving is definitely better than getting.  Although getting is pretty fun too.

These goofballs loved hanging out at Mimi's house between Christmas and New Years.  We walked by one day and found them all laying down eating cereal off the floor with no hands.  They are so weird.

Touchdown!

Bowling with the Barfi.

Owen was just a little bit tired.

Mya won a dollar for getting a strike!

Nap time!

Later that week I decided to take the kids sledding.  I honestly don't know how I had the energy to do it without Dunc, but he was working and I didn't want to miss out on the fresh snow!

After getting everybody bundled up, we left Mack at my parents house and headed to a hill in Fruit Heights.  

We had a huge cloud of powder every time we went down.  It was awesome!  The kids were a little bit whimpy and only went down a few times each, but it was still worth it.

I'm hoping we get more snow next year so we can have more sledding days like this!