Our One-Woman Circus Freak

Ladies and Gentleman!

Kids of all ages!!

Welcome to the Greatest Shooooow on Earrrrrth!

If Bailey were to be given a title by us, it would probably be "Most Likely to Join the Circus."  She is just a little ball of weird lately.

She is our "Bearded Lady" (AKA Toothfull Baby), the "Strongest Baby on Earth" and our acrobatic little contortionist. 

Somehow, this kid already has not one, but two teeth.  Our other kids probably got their teeth around 10 months, but not this little freak.  She'll be proudly sporting a full grill by the time she's 6 months.

Bailey if freakishly strong.  The first thing everyone says when they hold her is, "Whoa! She's sooo strong!"  At her 2 week appointment, the Doctor put her on her tummy for a second and Bailey pushed up into a plank and held it for probably 20 seconds.  The Doctor just about fainted.  She has been able to hold her head up since day 1 and I'm sure she's going to slay it in her cross-fit competition that's coming up next week.  :)

 Bailey is our little contortionist.  She can somehow wiggle herself into the strangest positions and has even gained the new talent of perfecting the arch-backed stance every time we try to put her in her car seat.  She prefers being on her tummy and will roll herself over from her back within seconds.

She is the sweetest little freak alive and we love her to bits.

Christmas With the Krankies

So, the movie, "Christmas With the Kranks."
I watched it this Christmas season while I was wrapping a million presents by myself at 1am while stuffing my face full of Grandma's fudge.

Don't judge.

The movie is about a couple who decide to skip Christmas and then have to change plans on Christmas Eve and get entirely ready for Christmas in one day, but everything goes wrong and hilarious things happen involving ham and tanning beds and blow-up lawn decorations.

Well, our vacation was essentially "Christmas with the Kranks - Part 2." Except that it wasn't funny and I just wanted it to end.

It started the day we left, with Brooklyn getting a double ear infection and a ruptured eardrum.  Swell.

The next day while driving through the frozen wasteland that is Malad, Idaho our car decided to stop functioning.  The good news was that we got a brand new car out of the deal, so... worse things have happened.

The next day we had our Webb Family Belated Christmas Party, and all sarcasm aside, it was awesome.  We beat a pinata, Grandma's guessing jars (I've won for the last 4 years in a row + Cameron made a cool $16), went swimming, ate delicious food, had our gift exchanges, and loved every second. 

The next day we went sledding + house shopping + lunch with the hospital group.  I was reminded of the fact that I am just through-and-through a California Girl.  I was done with the snow in .37 seconds.  The kids, however, not so much.

The next day, we celebrated New Year's by coming to the conclusion that we needed to take Bailey into the hospital.  She'd been wheezing + coughing + had a stuffy nose + diarrhea + throwing up + diaper rash + fever + difficulty breathing.

Poor kid was miserable.  The Doc took a look at her and declared RSV.

Blah.

The next day, I let my Mother-in-Law talk me into doing an aerial class, which was awesome.  Minus the resulting feeling of motion sickness for the rest of the day.  This stuff is no joke.

The next day, our family finally succumbed to the sickness that was rampaging through the ranks.  We woke up to Cameron barfing ALL. OVER. OUR. BED. 

And then the floor.

And then the blankets.

And then the bathroom.

Luckily, we were able to escape with the girls for a night of riding a furry hippo all over the mall.

The next night, Brooklyn woke us up by explaining that she had also fallen ill.  And vomited.  ON the toilet.  Not IN the toilet.  Oh, no.  ON the toilet.

Good gracious.

Luckily, we snuck outside for a few hours that day and had just enough energy for a mini-snowball fight before we retired to the couch for an uninterrupted day of lounging and sulking.

The next day, Luke woke up feeling awful.  After passing out on the bathroom floor while throwing up (that's a lovely mental image, no?), he diagnosed himself with AFIB and was admitted to the hospital where everyone started speaking this strange language and using terms like, "supraventricular tachycardia" and "fibrillation" and "arrhythmia."  In English terms, basically... they chest-paddled him to "restart his heart" like you see in the scary movies where the doctor yells "clear" and the body jumps a foot of the bed.  Yea, that.

And the next day we somehow managed to make it home in one solid piece after the strangest, most dramatic, un-vacation-ly experience ever.

The 12 Days of Christmas

 On the 1st Day of Christmas my true love stared at me, while I cut out 600 people - CRAY-ZZZZZ!

On the 2nd Day of Christmas we saw something really gnarly!  It was Santa riding on his Harley.

One the 3rd Day of Christmas, my true loves came with me

For a temple session, then a scoop of ice cream (or three....)

On the 4th day of Christmas, my true love took a trip

When he broke our tramp with one mighty RIIIIIIIIIIP.

On the 5th day of Christmas we sat on Santa's knee

But not just one.  Actually... three! (Aaaaactually... four.)

On the 6th day of Christmas, we went to Luke's work par-tay

Where we ate, socialized, and got to play.

On the 7th day of Christmas, the girls put on a show

Playing the p-i-a-n-oooooooo.

On the 8th day of Christmas, Cameron got his chance

At his preschool program with his songs and dance.

On the 9th day of Christmas, we had our party with the Smith's

Good food, Nativity, and of course... White Elephant gifts.

On the 10th day of Christmas, we had a girly fest

Which was easy, cause these girls are THE best.

On the 11th Day of Christmas, we ate every square inch

And then finished off Christmas eve with "The Grinch"

The 12th Day was Christmas and it was really neat

Celebrating the birth of Christ with my family was so sweet.

Merry Christmas.

Family Pictures

The day we took family pictures....

Luke got off late +

I forgot to bring his clothes (seriously considered just having him wear scrubs in our family pictures) +

I had to smile with my mouth closed cause the. freaking. braces. +

A storm came out of nowhere and it looked like midnight at 3:30 in the afternoon +

Bailey pooped up her back and was not having any of it +

 One child got lost in the orange groves +

We got some darling pictures.

Aubrey Lyn

 Today it has officially been 8 years since you came into the world, kicking and screaming and a very scary shade of dark blue.

Your face was bruised and you were plump and alert and sweeter than sweet. 

But I remember your scream.

You were furious that you had been welcomed so rudely.  And you were not afraid to let us all know it.  You screamed and screamed, and seemed extremely offended and quite frankly, ticked, that you had been pulled from your peaceful (though confining) home into a cold and stark and hostile reality.

You were so not happy to be here.

Luckily, it was a short-lived phase.  You became our happiest baby. After that first impassioned fit, we didn't hear a peep out of you for 6 months.  Not a whine, or a cry, or a whimper.  Seriously, you never, ever cried.

You were the definition of happy.

You are a great many things and being your mom has been the greatest privilege of my life.  I love everything about you and I learn from you every single day.

So, here are the Top 8 Things I've Learned About You in Your First 8 Years.

 #1: You are JOYFUL.

You just like being happy.  You like making other people happy.  You hate it when people aren't happy.

Today you were being hyper during lunch and laughing so hard that you told me you couldn't take a drink because you were worried the water would come out your nose because you couldn't "stop being happy!"

 #2: You are LOVEABLE.

People just genuinely like you.  You are so easy-going and so fun to be around.  You make the world a more loving place.

 #3: You are a WORRIER.

You worry a lot for a girl of eight years.  You worry about your siblings.  You worry about me.  You worry about the kids in your class and whether they will turn their homework in each day.  You worry a lot, my dear.

 

 #4: You are INQUISITIVE.

There is always a question on your bright little mind.  You wonder how reindeer fly, how babies are made, how God was born.  Your wheels are always turning and that, darling, is a very good thing.

 #5: You are a HELPER.

You take care of Bailey without being asked.  You clean up the whole house just to surprise me.  You have your jobs finished + your shower done + your breakfast eaten before I crack an eye open in the morning.

 #6: You are GRATEFUL.

I've never met a person, young or old, who is more appreciative than you are.  You say thank you to me every day for cooking your dinner + helping you with homework + taking you places + watching Bailey + letting you eat snacks + picking you up from school + being your mom.  You write little notes to people for their kind acts and talk for weeks about the things people have done for you.  You notice the things people do and you are gracious to everyone.

 #7: You are CREATIVE.

You say and make and design the cutest things.  And you don't even have to copy Pinterest.

 #8: You are SPIRITUAL.

You possess a spiritual maturity that is soooo beyond your years.  You're always surprising us with your profound answers and insights and thoughts. I'm especially proud of your decision to be baptized and so honored to be your mom.

Happy Birthday, little Aubrey.

We love you so much.