Ethiopian Christmas and Jude's 2nd birthday.

Jude tends to not be a morning person, just like his mama. We filled his room with balloons while he was sleeping. When he woke up he looked and the floor and then looked at me like I was crazy. After being awake for a bit he decided it was really fun. We enjoyed celebrating the first birthday in our house. Lucy can't wait for hers now.

Two months later, I am sharing these with you. I seems I'm never able to find make the time to blog. I find myself writing blog posts in my mind through out the day... I actually have a running list of titles and topics that I'd like to share. In fact, I started this post a week ago and am just now adding the pictures to go with it.

We had a wonderful celebration of the Ethiopian Christmas. It was January 7th. That is also Jude's birthday. My mom was visiting, we went swimming, got take out from Uchenna (our local Ethiopian restaurant), and wore our Ethiopian clothing. Jude got a few birthday gifts. Lucy and I got the same necklace. It was a precious day.

The chef at Uchenna gave Jude a special treat!

I'm not exactly a masterful cake decorator, but I tried and the kids enjoyed it.

A few pics of my little man looking big and 2!

Christmas and Catching up... Part 1

Christmas came and went but the celebrating has lasted the season. I think there has been so much celebrating going on around here that I haven't gotten a chance to post, or at least thats the excuse I'm going to use!

Dave's family came from Kansas and Mississippi for Christmas. It was great to have all of the family together to meet Lucy and Jude. David's brother married my best friend so that is always and extra to have her in the family. She is an awesome photographer and did a family session for us on Christmas afternoon. The kids were freezing and sleepy and refused to smile, but they still look beautiful.

And this one is just funny! It shows exactly how they were feeling.

***

On Christmas Eve we went to church with the whole family.

David and I each got each other a sweater for Christmas, I think its funny that they matched and we didn't even plan it. We really are becoming one, ha!

The kids were less than interested in sitting through the service so we ended up in the kitchen where this kids were sneaking cookies.

All She Wants for Christmas is Her TWO FRONT TEETH!

Sweet little Lucy had a big surgery last Wednesday. Thank you to all of you who were praying for her. She recovered like a superstar and is doing great.

Surgery? What? I hadn't posted about it before, but our little girl needed some serious dental work. It was done in the hospital and after a multitude of things, root canals, crowns, extractions, etc... she's got a whole new smile with no front teeth.

She is a brave little girl, full of excitement about going to the hospital. I think she understood that she would feel a lot better after the doctor helped. The morning before her surgery she woke up and asked, "Mommy, Lucy go Doctor? Lucy no more mouth ouchies? Better Better, (pointing) this tooth, this tooth all gone today?" What I find to be remarkable is that she could have had no prior understanding that she'd be under anesthesia and not feel a thing. I am certain that she thought we were going to just go to the doctor and have them yanked out... and she was still excited to get the help she needed.

This Christmas I am so thankful that our babies are home and for access to good healthcare here in America.

Here she is after being admitted, waiting for the O.R.

She started getting really silly after they gave her some meds... she took this picture.

The nurses had me lay in bed with her as they transferred her from O.R. recovery to pediatrics.

She woke up from the anesthesia very hungry... She ate four cups of applesauce.

I had worried that she would miss having front teeth. I guess that the title of this post is false then, because so far she hasn't seemed to mind having no front teeth. In fact, she might be the only child I've ever met to learn how to whistle after having no front teeth. She is very proud of her new trick. We probably won't hear her singing that old and obnoxious but familiar Christmas tune... but she sure is cute with her new grin.

Today I told her we were going to take pictures of her new smile and this is what I got.