Christmas 2011

Well, we went and we are back.  I'm so glad that I went and didn't back out like I tried to do on Tuesday night.  The babies did just about as good as you could ask, and of course Bailey did great.  We went on Wednesday and got back today, Christmas Day.

I am not able to take as many pictures these days as I would like, but I did get a few this Christmas.  We had to change up Christmas at Mom's this year, too, because of the babies.  We usually to to church and then back to Mom's to eat supper and exchange presents.  This year, we did presents before church, ate a snack, went to church and then back to Mom's to eat again.  I was so excited that it worked out that the twins got to go.  We haven't taken them to church yet, but that's a service where everybody has their small children with them so I didn't figure it would be a problem to have my two infants.  They did great!  I had to get up with Ellie about 10 minutes before the service was over and Elissa made all but about 5 minutes.  That made my Christmas.

Here are a few pictures that I took:

Uncle Will with Elissa and Ellie.

Cute little socks with E's on them that Will and Terrah got for the twins. The bows are just adorable!

Ellie was enjoying watching presents be opened with Aunt Erica.

Elissa was enjoying hanging out with Uncle Bo during the present time.

Erin digging in!

Sweet Andrew digging in!  He is the cutest thing I have ever seen!

Pappaw enjoying gift time!

Uncle Will enjoying gift time!

Andrew!

OH my!  Just what Bailey needed.  Thanks Uncle Will and Terrah.  Maybe when she gets big enough to shoot it, you can teach her.   For now, it's locked in the gun safe.  She loves it though.  She has told everybody about it.  I'm proud that Uncle Will got to get her the first pink "real" gun.

Ellie was not the best sleeper on the trip because she wanted to see everybody and everything that was going on around her.  She fell asleep in Aunt Maggie's lap watching everybody open presents.

I wanted a picture of the big kids on Christmas Eve.  This was after church and supper and as everyone was leaving to go home and get ready for Santa to come.  This was the best I could get. haha!

  Uncle Will!

Aunt Maggie and Uncle Bo!

 Will being Uncle Will with the big kids.  He IS a big kid!!

Uncle Chris and Aunt Erica!

Ellie and Elissa's stockings at Mom's house!

Looks like Aunt Maggie and Uncle Will were playing with the camera!  Too funny!  I found this when I was downloading pictures from the camera.  haha!

I got no pictures this morning of Santa stuff.  But Santa came to see Bailey at Mimi's house and at home.  Santa was good to the sweet girl.  Of course, Santa came to see Elissa and Ellie on their 1st Christmas, too! I don't think anyone was lacking in the "getting" department this Christmas.  

This whole week I had the song "Little Drummer Boy" in my head.  It's not a song that we hear that often anymore, but the words just kept playing over and over in my head.  Have you ever really listened to that song?  The little drummer boy goes to see the new born King he is being told of, and told to bring his finest gifts to Honor this newborn King.  But the little drummer boy has no fine gifts, he has nothing worthy of giving to this King. So, he brought his drum and played for Him.  But the part that really rings true to me is this:  he not only just played for the newborn King, but he played his BEST for Him. 

I feel a little bit like the little drummer boy sometimes. I have no possession worthy of giving to the King.   I am worn out and sometimes running on nothing but shear exhaustion.  I hit the floor running in the morning to the tune of two staving infants and when I hit the pillow at night, it's usually right after wrestling with 3 sweet babies to eat and get to sleep.  So who am I fooling?  Not only do I not have anyTHING worthy of giving the King, but I sometimes don't even have anything worthy IN me to give Him.  

But we are so blessed and been given so much.  These babies, as I've said before, are nothing but a direct miracle for the King himself.  Of course, all babies are.  But when I look at all 3 of my sweet girls, I am overwhelmed with the joy they bring me and the fact that the King picked me to be their mom.  When I think about our families, our own Mom's and Dad's, I am overwhelmed by the gifts that they are not only to me, but to my girls, too.  All the aunts and uncles, cousins, great grandparents- such blessings in our lives.  Sometimes I look at Sid and my heart could just explode for all he has given me.  I couldn't have picked a better man to be the father of 3 sweet girls.  Just blessed in about every way imaginable.  

But I feel so like the little drummer boy.  Just poor and ragged and worn out and nothing to give.  This song reminds me that it's ok to feel like I have nothing to give, because I do have something to give to Him. I can give of myself to Him and give my best.  I don't think my best and His best are probably the same. I imagine God to be such a loving God that he doesn't care when I worn out.  I imagine that He's standing by, ready to fill me up when I ask.  I imagine that my best for Him is ok!!! 

"I played my drum for Him.

I played my best for Him.

Then He smiled at me."

I hope that everyone had a King filled Christmas and as we go into the New Year, it is my hope that I can be like the drummer boy.  I might not have anything worthy of giving Him, but I can give of myself.  I might be tired and worn out and poor, not feel worthy enough of giving myself.  But if I play my best for him, I think He'll take it!!!

Merry Christmas Everybody!!!

Come they told him, a newborn King to see.  Our finest gifts we bring to lay before the King, so to honor Him.  Little baby, I am a poor boy too.  I have no gifts to bring that's fit to give the King.  Shall I play for you?  Mary nodded, the ox and lamb kept time.  I played my drum for Him.  I played my best for Him. Then He smiled at me!

Bailey Turns 3!

I have been trying for over an hour to blog about Bailey's birthday.  Because I'd like to get it up on her actual birthday, for archive's sake, and because this will be the 3rd time I've loaded pictures and the 2nd time I've typed words, I think I will leave most of the wording and just take you through it in pictures.

Most of you know that Bailey was born 4 weeks early and had a terrible start in this ole world.  She was in very critical condition the first couple of days of her life.

The day she was born.

A few days after birth, after she had come off all the breathing tubes and heavy duty machines.

The day she came home, January 1, 2009! Oh how I love that sweet blonde headed girl, Erin.  I realized today just how much I have missed by moving away and it hurts me sooo much!  I love you EK!  You are a shining star and your Aunt Ba loves you sooo much!

Bailey at 1!

Bailey at 2!

Bailey at 3!!

Ahh! I could just eat her up!  

So this birthday, we are Mom and Dad's in Oneonta.  I knew there was just no way that I could have a house full of people at bedtime for the babies and pull off any kind of get together.  So far, we've done just family birthday's on a small scale usually on a week night because everybody's weekends are so full this close to Christmas.  So I brought her home so that Mom could help me out and of course she did a stellar job!  Bailey has had a great day!!  

She kept telling Mom she wanted a Cars birthday cake and I kept saying NO!  Well, guess what???

She got what she wanted.  That is not exactly what Mom intended the cake to look like, but considering she had two infants alone all afternoon, I think she did a pretty fantastic job! haha!

Bailey spent the day making cookies...

at Leslie's house with Erin and Andrew. I'd say she had a pretty good time because when I picked her up, she had an all out fit, I mean kicking, screaming, running out in the rain, didn't want to go fit.  She cried all the way.  I felt so bad for her. But little did she know that Erin and Andrew were coming for her birthday in a little bit to Mimi and Poppy T's house.

Here's another trip down memory lane.  This is the grandkids at Bailey's 1st birthday....

And here they are now...

(it was VERY close to eating time and Elissa had no clue what was going on.)

Andrew loves these babies.  He loved them in October when I was home and he still loved them today.  It's so funny to see him with them.  He wants to hold them and love on them just as much, if not more, than the girls do.  Bless his bones, he is the sweetest of the group!

Here's that sweet blonde headed little girl again, a little bit more grown up and with Elissa.  

And these are just some random pictures from the night.

Mrs. Tina brought Bailey a birthday present (and a gift for the girls) and painted it with her.  So sweet of you  Mrs. Tina.  Bailey had a blast with her new BFF.

Ellie Jane, named after my grandmother, Barbara Jane, who sadly passed away on this day a few years ago. I like to think it has only been a few years, but it has been a little longer than that.  My Mammaw loved  me so and I wished like I've never wished for anything before that she was here to see my twins.  It would tickle her to death that I followed in her footsteps with that!

 
Maggie with Ellie, all ready for bed!

Ha!  Chris and Maggie don't look any more like brother and sister than Ellie and Elissa look like twins!  These girls couldn't be more different!

Bailey had played hard all day, with no nap, so by cake time she was ragged it looking - but she was so excited when we started singing happy birthday to HER!!!

And finally-blowing out the candles!

I hope you made a big wish sweet girl, and I hope all your dreams come true!  We love you so much and you I never knew that being a Mom was so special until you came along and showed me.  You make our house more lively each second we are blessed to have you in it.  I can't imagine what life was like before there was you!  You are a great big sister to Elissa and Ellie and they love you so much, too!  

And thanks Mom, for making it happen this year!!  I've just had to take a breathe and realize that we are slowed down for the moment.  It won't be long all of my girls can load up and go without having to drag half the house out the door with us.  Sid and I long for that time again!!!

Christmas Has Begun

Christmas started out great for the Whitehead's this season.  We usually do Christmas at Ne Ne's before Christmas, but not this far before.  This year, because of other things going on and me trying to get to Alabama, and have a bunch of babies, we decided to do it on Saturday so we could get together earlier in the day and not at night.  So we went to Ne Ne and Jerry's on Saturday and Mammie's today.

The babies have done great considering.  It's 7:15, and knock on wood, both are in the bed for the night. We didn't take too many pictures at Ne Ne's house.  I haven't been the best picture taker lately.  I guess my hands are full of other things.  Like babies!!!  Ellie has gotten to where she will not let you put her down and most of the time she wants nothing to do with anyone but me.  As soon as we got there, she started that so Ne Ne got her and held her while she was working in the kitchen.  We started talking about her and laughing about it and looked over and Ellie was sound asleep with Ne Ne carrying her around like that.  

Later, after opened presents and had supper, the babies were playing on the floor.  The big babies had to get on the action, too.  I think they were jealous of Pappaw playing with the babies.

  Elissa was yawning, not screaming!

Today at Mammie's, we went out to take pictures and why we stood in that one spot for pictures when there are acres and acres of land is beyond me.  The sun was brutal.  Kylie and I hate to have our pictures taken in the first place, but alas, some things you just give in to.  Our mother in law is one of them!  haha!  Just kidding, Ne Ne!  

We wanted to get some of just the kids.  Poor Brady had a big job.  He had Elissa and Bailey!!!  Mason just sat and sat and held Ellie and didn't move.  

I wish Ellie was looking in some of these because to me, Ellie looks a lot like Mason.

I thought these next two were cute.  Brady was trying to best to tame a beast, I mean beauty!

This is Mammie with her kids -Ne Ne, Charlette, and Ross.

I wanted a picture of my three girls but didn't get it again today.  Every day I try to make it my mission to get a picture all of all them together so that I can have one from this Christmas, and every year, it never happens.  There are also never any pictures of me, but someone took this on my camera, so I included it to prove I do exist.

We plan to go to Alabama sometime this week, but now that my break has been cut short I don't exactly know what I'm going to do.  Some certain princess has a birthday on Thursday.  I really wanted to be in Alabama for it this year, but I guess we will just see what the beginning of the week brings.  Tomorrow, I take Elissa back to the ENT for a follow up from 2 weeks ago. There isn't really anything new for me to tel him so we'll see what he says this we.  Probably the same ole thing.  Actually, she seems to be a little better, so that's great news.  I'll update when I know something.  

The babies have done terrible since they got their shots on Thursday.  Ellie has run a temp and been super super fussy.  Elissa has done ok.  But both babies are very restless and not sleeping good.  That makes for an awfully long day!  

We hope everyone is having a great Christmas so far!

Be sure to check out the past few posts if you missed them.  Super cute pictures of my baby girls!