It’s Out

After weeks of only letting David and I wiggle her tooth for a tiny amount of time each night, Bria’s tooth finally came out.  We had to numb the area with some Orajel before David was able to push it far enough forward to get it out.  The tooth was barely hanging on, but that last little connection was too much for Bria to handle.

A girl who is very excited for the Mommy Tooth Fairy to visit tonight.

Looth Tooth

Bria has her first loose tooth. 

It started out a few weeks ago when she mentioned that her bottom front tooth area was sore.  She mentioned it for several days in a row, and when David checked it he could tell it was slightly loose.  We told Bria to wiggle it everyday.  She thought it hurt to much to wiggle it, so she hasn’t been.  About a week after she first mentioned the pain she said that it felt like there was a hole in her gums.  I took a look, and sure enough, her permanent tooth was coming in behind her baby tooth. 

We weren’t really sure what we needed to do or if we needed take her to the dentist.  Luckily, one of Bria’s cousins had this same situation at Thanksgiving.  David talked to his sister to see what they did.  She told us that the baby tooth fell out within a couple of days and the permanent tooth moved forward into the correct position.  We were relieved. 

We haven’t bothered to much with Bria’s tooth, until this last weekend when she again said it was bothering her.  We reminded her that she just needed to keep wiggling the baby tooth.  The baby tooth is much looser now, but it just doesn’t want to fall out.  She is so excited to loose it, and really wants to loose it while she is at school because they get a special necklace.  Hopefully, she will lose it in the next couple of days.

Yes Mommy, I Will.

While we were at my family’s house over Christmas Bria said to me, “Mommy, I will do everything you tell me.  I will obey you all the time, while we are at grandma’s house.”

I asked her why she was only going to obey at grandma’s house and not once we got home.  She just shrugged her shoulders, knowing that she wouldn’t be able to keep that promise.  In all reality I didn’t actually expect it to even last through Christmas.  We have been pleasantly surprised, however.  Both girls have been quite cooperatively saying, “Yes Mommy, I will,” almost consistently since Christmas.  We did have a period of time while they were both sick and for a while after where they were quite as cooperative.  Upon reminding them how nice it was when they were obedient, along with reminding them of God’s commands to obey their parents, they have once again started replying with “Yes Mommy, I will.”

Ahhh! (pleasant sigh)  What a great reward for continually teaching our children according to the directions of God’s Word.  How important it is to hold firm to our beliefs!

Getting Around To It

It has been a month since I have updated the blog, and now I am finally getting around to it.  Part of the delay has been that just prior to New Years, we went to David’s family, and when we came home we realized we had left our camera at their house.  Oops!  After trying to take pictures with my iPod at Christmas, which didn’t turn out as well as I was hoping, I decided that I wouldn’t take many without my camera. 

As previously mentioned, we spent the weekend before New Years with David’s parents, celebrating Christmas with them.  Due to our illnesses, as well as other’s illnesses we came home Sunday afternoon.  David had to work New Year’s Eve as well.  We had a nice time with David’s family.  The girls played with their cousins as much as they could.  They also had fun opening gifts too, especially the dolls that grandma made dresses for that matched the dresses that she made for the girls.  Our time there was short, but we needed to get home to continue recovering from illnesses.

Bentley and her baby with the matching dress.  We haven’t been able to get a picture of Bria with her baby yet.

We spent New Year’s Eve with our girls here at home, letting them stay up only slightly later than usual, due to the afore mentioned illnesses.  David and I enjoyed just veg'ing on the couch for the rest of the night.

Bria didn’t have to go back to school until the following Monday, which left us the rest of the week to catch up with laundry and cleaning as well as take on a variety of other unexpected tasks.

Bentley wasn’t ready for Bria to head back to school.  They had played so nicely together over Christmas break that Bentley actually missed Bria when she went back to school.  As soon as we got back home from dropping Bria off at school, Bentley asked if we could go get her.  How sweet!  It seems that has worn off now.

The illnesses just seem to keep going around in our house.  David has had another severe case of pink eye in the last couple of weeks.  A week ago Bria started complaining about her tummy hurting and ended up with the stomach flu.  A couple of days later, Bentley and David had it as well.  They all still have some symptoms of it.  I have done more loads of laundry in the last week than I can even keep track of.  We are still hoping that I can avoid getting this nasty bug.

A finger and toenail painting session just prior to Bria getting sick.

Christmas

This year for Christmas, we traveled to my parents’ home.  We spent the weekend prior to Christmas through Christmas Day at my family's.  My siblings and I all thought it felt a little unusual to be there so much before Christmas day; we weren’t always rushing around to get things done.  This Christmas was relaxing with lots of time for rest and fun, and not nearly as much work.

We did most of our usual traditions with the church Christmas program on Christmas Eve, followed by my parents opening their gifts from church family, and enjoying mom’s eggnog (I think my sister may have actually made it this year).  We stayed up late playing the came of Pit, which was tons of fun.  Some of us were laughing so hard it made us cry and gave us sore stomach muscles.

Bentley entertained herself before the Christmas program by dancing in the front of the church.  Uncle C danced with her for a while.  It was really adorable.

Unfortunately, the late night and several coughing spells through the night made me quite miserable for Christmas Day.  We started the morning with our tradition of my dad reading the Christmas Story from Luke, opening our stockings, then opening our gifts.

This is the pile of presents just before we opened them.  My brother and I were taking pictures so we aren’t in this picture.

During the time we were there, most of my pictures were taken with my iPod rather than the camera.  Once I looked at the pictures on the computer I realized they weren’t nearly as clear as they first appeared, so I won’t be sharing many of those pictures.  Here are just a couple of pictures of the girls during the gift opening:

Bentley loving up the new bedspread for her's and Bria’s bed.  They couldn’t wait for us to put it on their bed when we got home.

The gorilla from Uncle C and Aunt T that is just as big as Bentley.  She had a great time tackling, hugging, and playing with it while we continued to open gifts.  She named him George, after Curious George.  Here at home she carries him everywhere.

Bria really likes this blanket from Uncle N that says “Tractors are for Girls”. 

The girls have really been enjoying their new clothes and toys.  Thank you everyone for all your generosity.  I really appreciate that we emphasize that even though we open presents that Christ is the center of Christmas.  Bria has continued to say since we’ve been home, that Jesus is important, not presents.  I hope that both girls will continue to realized that truth every year when we celebrate Christmas (and all through the year).

Christmas Concerts

The week before Christmas, we had our church Christmas concert and Bria’s school concert.  Both our families came to see both concerts.  It worked out very nicely that they were only one day apart.

David ended up being the only one in the church concert.  Bria, Bentley, and I were still coughing and/or had sore throats the night of the concert.  David has had a cold at least as long as Bria, but he seemed to be doing well enough to sing for the concert. 

For being a small church, with only a small group of singers, they did a wonderful job.  It was enjoyable to sit in the audience and listen to the songs I had practiced for months.  Hopefully, my occasional coughing and sneezing didn’t disrupt the music too much.

The men singing their song.  David is the second one in on the right.

Bria’s concert was the next night.  She had missed the whole week of school prior to the concert because of her cold, which came with a fever.  Finally on the day of her concert, she was doing well enough to go to school.  She was nervous about standing up in front of everyone to sing.  Once she saw her dress, however, she was excited to show it off, and her nerves seemed to settle down.  She did a great job of standing calmly and participating in the singing and actions of her songs.

Bria is at the very left end.

Bria and Bentley before the concert.

We really appreciate the grandparents coming and helping us while we were all sick.  My parents stayed an extra day, and I went to with David to one of his meetings so I could finish up the Christmas shopping.  By the time David’s meeting was done, we were both feeling run down from being sick.  Instead of staying for the date night we had planned, we just headed back home.

The next day we were supposed to go caroling with the church, but we were all too sick to participate.  Even our pastor was sick and couldn’t make it.  Unfortunately, David’s dad also got sick from being at our house.  That week was full of activities and illness.

Sick x4

Yuck! Everyone in our house is sick at the same time.  Since Thanksgiving one girl or the other had pink eye, then David started getting a cold, then both girls got colds, and yesterday it was my turn.  No one has gotten over their colds yet, but I am really hoping that David’s and the girls’ will be done soon. 

Bria has already missed enough school this year from all of the other times she’s been sick (tonsillitis, pink eye, etc.).  David and I are part of our church’s Christmas concert coming up on Sunday, and at this point there is no way we can sing if our throats and voices continue to be this bad.  Please be praying for all of us: that we will all get healthy and be able to make our commitments.