The Maines Family Blog

Tuesday, December 22, 2009

Visit with the Big Man in Red...

For the 4th year in a row, we started at daddy's office visiting with all of his co-workers and then headed over to the mall to see Dear Old Santa and get lunch!

She had talked about it for weeks, tried to be brave, but the tears started once we laid eyes on him. Santa was so good walking over to her, talking to her and giving her candy. Finally she decided she would go with mommy and daddy, yet still was hiding behind us. Soooo this picture is the best we got!

Once she hopped down, she did give him high five, and told him she would like a pink bike (thanks goodness b.c. we have the insider scoop from Santa that she is getting a Princess bike and for the last two weeks she has been asking for a "boy" bike) she also wished Santa a Merry Christmas!

Tim and I talked that when she was 3 months old we had a good picture with Santa and since then it has been a family picture or a screaming child.

Maybe we will have better luck next year!

For the LOVE of PICKLES!!!

She is definitely her daddy's daughter on this one!

Yes, she ate 2 1/2 pickles and drank some of the pickle juice.! Yuck...don't get me wrong I like pickles but the juice is another thing!

For all of you who know Tim, you know how much he LOVES pickles, he can put a whole jar down including juice and all in no time flat!!!

So she's your pickle lover, daddy!

Too Cool...

For Baking....

Not sure what Bella was thinking but in the middle of making cookies she ran and got her glasses and came right back to unwrapping the Hugs!
What a funny girl!!!

Christmas at Miss Jenny's...

Making Reindeer food...

Decorating cookies...

Presents!!!

Monday was Bella's last day at Miss Jenny's before Christmas so they had a Christmas celebration. What a day full of fun and treats Miss Jenny had planned for all of them! Including Charlie and Fallyn spending being there for the day!
Miss Jenny~Thanks for all your love and special care you give Bella throughout the year!

Merry Christmas!

Sunday, December 20, 2009

Christmas with the Stafford's...

Sunday afternoon we joined my dad's side of the family for a nice Christmas dinner.

I had my camera out before everyone got there trying to get a cute pictures of Bella in my rocking chair and then forgot to get it back out so didn't get anymore pics!

Minute in the Snow...

Izabella really wanted to play in the snow, so after church we got some good throwing of snowballs in!

We are looking forward to a big snow so we can really play in it!

Christmas at Aunt Sharon's....

Anxiously awaiting to dig into their gifts!

Look it is Flicker the flashlight!!!

Grandma and Bella enjoying a game!

Always having fun with the annual gift exchange!

Doesn't Uncle Butch look cute in his new wild side snuggie!

New "Do"

Bella was in a great mood after her bath the other night so we decided to play beauty shop and flat iron her hair.

In the process...

Admiring her new do...

Look how long it is!!!

Cutie with her long straight hair but we do LOVE her curls!

Crafty...

Thursday afternoon I was wrapping presents and Bella wanted something to do with the paper. We took the scrap wrapping paper cut it up threw in some pom poms, and markers and she decorated her teachers cards and some other paper!

Jessica in town...

One of my dearest and oldest friends, Jessica, and her new hubby, JJ, where in town for the Holidays.

We all met for a great dinner at Usual Suspects and to catch up!

Of course the visit wasn't long enough but it was great to share a night with 2 great friends!

Annual Ear Check...

Wednesday we went to Riley Children's Hospital for Bella's annual hearing and ear check.

Since when we learned last year that Bella has all a cochlear, inner parts, and one day she can hear out of that ear...these next few years are just maintenance follow up visit.

They will not do surgery on her ear until she is around 7 or 8, they will start with the construction of her outer ear done by a plastic surgeon and then followed reconstruction of her inner ear by Dr Miyamoto. This will be a couple year process with 4-5 surgeries.
Dr Miyamoto just continues to reinforce that we "keep the good ear good".

This year we were able to check her hearing through her cognitive skills. (in years past we were just able to do sound wave hearing screens because of her age)

They did a few test which they thought she still may be too young for but she did great and with that found out she continues to be in the normal hearing range with her "good" ear.