Kylie's Grandma Nancy bought her such a beautiful dress for her to wear for Christmas.  I was instantly in love with it when we saw it, and the matching tights and shoes...simply beautiful!  I took the shoes to a store with me to try and match the color to make a headband.  I found the perfect match, and it all came together so perfectly for our princess!

 

With everything all put together, we were off to meet the big guy!  So here are some pics I got of her before we headed out. 

 

 

 

 
 
 
 
 

Despite what Matt may say, she is not praying for me to stop taking her pics :)

 

 
 
 
 
 
They had this old truck outside the store with lights on it...Kylie thought it would be fun to hop on the side. 
 

 
 
 
 
 

 Here we are getting close look at one of Santa's elves.

 

 
 
 
 
 
 

Look, it's one of Frosty's friends!

 

 
 
 
 
 
 

Kylie and Matt playing with the electric race track.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Time to drive the trains

 
 
 
 
 
 
Okay, so the big guy wasn't scheduled to show up until later that afternoon, it's okay because it was good practice and she got to sit in his chair for this sweet pic!

 

 

 

 

 

This girl absolutely loves to make silly faces.  It is almost tiring for me to do her hair in the morning, because she keeps on making silly faces at herself in the mirror.  I try to enforce a no wiggling, and no faces while I do you hair, but she just can't help herself....she is her father's daughter aka goofball.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There's my sweet girl!

 
 
 
 
 

Okay, so I think this way from Operation Meet Santa take 2. 

 



 
 
 
 
 

She's got her letter to Santa with what she wants and good things she did this year (last year).

 

 
 
 
 
 
First time she sat by Santa all by herself, and we didn't need to be in the pic too!  She smiled for the pic they took, and that was incredible!  Yay for her getting so big and doing so many great things!
 

 
 
 

They had a carousel at Bass Pro too and she was so happy to get the Polar Bear!

 

 
 
 
 
 

Beautiful smile and looking at the camera! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This one is just too sweet!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We went over to visit Frandma to make a gingerbread house she had gotten for us.  I thought working on it with her would be for some fun and sweet memories to share.  These girls were hard at work.  I think it was the first gingerbread house for all of us, so that made it more fun!

 

 

 
 
 
 
 

I think it turned out great!

 

 

 

 

 

After we were all finished, Kylie asked Frandma to read her a book that Frandma used to read to Matt when he was little.   I couldn't help but snap a couple pics of the two ladies.
 

 
 
 
 
 

This is one that would just melt your heart!

 

 
 
 

A quick snapshot of Kylie wearing a Christmas outfit I made her.

 

 
 
 
We were so happy to join our friends and the celebration of their sweet little girl's first birthday!  Sorry, I didn't get a good shot of the three of them together but this one sure is cute! 
 

 
 
 
 
 

Kylie was so happy to see her friend Dylan at the party...just look at how cute they are together!

 

 
 
 
Our little lady was under the weather, so we hung out on the couch for a few days watching movies and laying low.  She just looks so sad when she is sick :(

 

She was finally fever free, but not really up to snuff for her last OT session.  Yep, she graduated from OT and it was to be her last session, but we opted out to play it safe since she was still pretty run down.  We did get to drop off some gifts for her OT.  A scarf and a photo book I made of Kylie and her OT, as well as pics of Kylie doing things she didn't do before but can now do....all thanks to her OT!



Christmas Dream Come True!

Once again, forever behind on blogging...buuut, I have a great excuse :)  Apparently, I have reached my limit on pics posted on the blog.  Google says I can change that buy paying to upgrade...umm, no.  So I got around that, but posting pics to Matt's Google+ account, and then I have to upload them here.  A total pain, but it beats paying Google.

I can not believe that I didn't post about this yet.  This was one of the best days we had in 2012.  Kylie has grown and made leaps and bounds of progress in the last 6 months or so of 2012. Our hearts will always be on a bit of a roller coaster, but for the first time in a long time, I feel like nothing can stop her from achieving anything her heart desires.  She has just come so far, and a lot of those hopes and dreams we had for her when she was born are getting some color back in them and are even getting checked off the list!  Kylie is a ROCKSTAR!

So the big, BIG achievement was her Christmas program at the Lee Ann Britain Infant Development Center.  Last year was hard, oh was it tough on our hearts.  This year we talked with her docs, and formulated a plan.  We would drop her off with someone, have someone else go film it, and give her a chance to shine stress free...not feeling like she has too many eyes on her.  The plan was tough, because we just wanted to be there to watch our girl shine.  We wanted her to know that we wanted to be there so much, but couldn't allow the risk of her getting anxious about things. 

We also did not talk to Kylie about the program, and just let her do the talking.  She told us how last year she cried, but this year she was doing it.  I will tell you, when the little lady sets her mind to something...you just let her go.

Last year, it took a long time for things to get going and for her class to go on stage.  So we decided that we would not get there so early, and eliminate the chance of her getting stressed from being there so long and having to wait.  Haha...things were in gear this year, so we were actually almost late...oops! 

It all worked out just great, and we didn't leave...we hid behind a giant pillar...wish someone would have snapped a pic of that!  Kylie's OT was even assigned to attend, just to be there for support if Kylie needed it. Oh, and I also made a last minute weighted lap blanket for her to have too.  You will love this, Kylie's OT was more there for Kylie to chat with, and she held Kylie's weighted lap blanket....Kylie didn't need either one!  So her OT scooched further and further back, so Kylie could show us how incredible she is! 

 

 

 

 

 

I was instantly in tears when I saw her go up there, and the thing is...she was just so relaxed, looking all around while she sat up there.  It was just BEAUTIFUL!  She is amazing, just amazing.  I know there have been so many positives along the way recently, and all I have to say to God is, "don't worry, I got the message loud and clear...she is destined to great things and so much more."  Praise God for such precious moments that we will never forget. 

Purple, Platters, and Piggies

 

I still need to make up for not posting my Epilepsy Awareness post.  To be honest, I started typing it up and put some pictures in the post and it made me kind of depressed.  Sometimes it's hard to look back at where Kylie has been, and how much she's gone through.  I know it could have been far, far worse than what it was, but nonetheless it was a journey no child or family should go through. 

 

 

 

We did paint Kylie's toes purple for Epilepsy...she loves to have her nails done!

 

 

 

  

 

 

I follow a crafty blog, and the blog host was having a giveaway of these ruffle scarves.  They had three different colors they were giving away.  What do you know...we won the mom/daughter matching set of lilac scarves!  They came in the mail on the 2nd of November, so we got to wear them!

 

  

 

  

Kylie's school has an event every year called the Tiny Tim Gala...they have a dinner and silent auction, as well as a live auction to raise money for her school and the NICU at the hospital.  It was on Kylie's birthday, and since we felt this may be her last year at the school, we needed to go.  Kylie went to grandma's...here she is all ready to go inside and see Grandma Nancy!

 

 

 

 

 

Grandma Nancy took this pick before we headed to the event.  We've got our purple on for Kylie!

 

 

 

 

 

 

I know they look kinda black, but I had painted my toes purple too!

 

 

 

Here is a pic someone took of us at the event.  We were stalking the table of the items that the kids at Kylie's school had made.  Each class decorates some pottery using their hand prints, footprints, etc.  They are just adorable and quite a keepsake if you can get the highest bid!

 

 

 

 

 

 

We won the platter for Kylie's class!  A sunflower made out of all of their handprints and fingerprints too!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kylie wanted her picture taken all by herself before we put her to bed.  She loves her Strawberry Shortcake Jammies!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

She decided to wear my shoes too :)

 

Haha, and then she wanted one with me too...this is a first!

 

My sister send Kylie a box of presents for her birthday.  She warned us that there was lots of confetti...and she was right!  It was actually coming out of the box when it arrived.  So we decided it would be best to open in the garage.  Good thing, just look! Kylie thought it was funny :)

This is such a fun game and great for so many different areas in kiddos development...love it!



 

 

 

 

For the first to ever, we had a night away with no Kylie. She spent the night at grandma Nancy's.  She was a superstar and did great, and talked grandma into making her pancakes in the morning :)

 

It has been warmer than usual this time of year, so we were outside playing and Kylie decided we need to play some hopscotch. 

The more we played the better she got at hopping on one foot from one squared to the next...she loves it too!

All smiley about something.  Love that she is wearing the necklace I made at VBS this year...she also wore it to school that  day too!

Catching up with Tinkerbell

Okay, so I am getting behind again, but here's a try at catching up.  Kylie told me she wanted to be Tinkerbell for Halloween, so I started searching for patterns and tutorials online, and this is what I came up with...

 

 

 

 

 

 

Of course, our little Tinkerbell just couldn't be a true Tinker fairy without some shoes, so I made those too...Yay, now I can say I made some shoes...or slippers :)

 

 
 
 
 
 

Just the prettiest little Tinker you ever did see!

 

 
 
 
 
 

Here she is with the Tinkerbell pumpkin I made for her....she loved it!

 

 
 
 
 
 
 Kylie's one school sells pumpkins and we have bought our pumpkins there every year, even before we had our little princess.  Here is a pic I snapped of the photo that was posted outside her classroom after all the kids picked out their pumpkins.  Look there, she had a great big smile too!  (On the far right)
 
 
 

Kylie's class had a little Halloween party too, and here was a cute pic I snapped of all the kids praying before they got their snacks to eat.

All the kids lined up to sing a cute little Halloween song...she did great and smiled too! She sure is getting so big and doing so many new and great things. 

Here is Kylie at her other school and all the kids were smiles for a group picture...look at that grin on our Tinker!

 

Doing some trick or treating at school

 

Kylie with one of her friends from school

 

So I had to pick Kylie up from school early to trick or treat at Matt's work, and no other kids were there yet, because we got there before it started.  Needed to get that nap in so we would have a good night trick or treating :)

Love this little moment!

 

Me and my Tinkerbell :)

 

Kylie had school pictures, and we finally got them back.  I always worry how she will do, because this has always been a tough area for her....just having all the attention focused on her for a photo can be too much.  Her school gives us the option to purchase the CD and we can print as we please.  I love that they do this, because they do a handful of pics because they know how tough it can be for some kiddos.    Here is the first pic.  Ughh, just broke my heart to see her anxious body language...poor girl.

There were a couple more to follow the first one, and then we got this one...yay, we got a smile!

 

 

This is the best one of all, and we love that she smiled for two pics!  Now we know we need to work on that proper body posture (less anxious) and she will be posing for all her pics!