15 months!

On the 22nd Dahlia turned 15 months old.  Due to the fact the she is still bald, still not crawling and teeny tiny, I constantly have to remind myself she is in fact 15 months old and not 6 months!  At 15 months she still loves to be cuddled and be held.  We try to work on tummy time each day, but unfortunately most of the time she just wants to lay there and relax.  Dahlia does love sitting up on her own and playing with her toys.  She can also turn herself around in a circle, while sitting.  She also loves watching Barney, when I turn it on she'll get very excited and say, "Bah! Bah!" She  loves playing with her brothers and sisters. Sometimes she will babble on and on to them, but if they annoy her or get in her face she will scream at them and try to slap at them.  It makes me laugh when she screams at them; it is very apparent she is the youngest of five! I can't believe that next month it will have been a year since her heart transplant.  This past year has just flown by!

Merry Christmas

Last Christmas Dahlia was attached to a Berlin Heart waiting for a heart transplant.  We are very blessed to have her home, with a healthy heart this Christmas.  I had lots of plans to make this Christmas perfect.  Unfortunately most of them fell apart because I and some of the other kids were sick.  On Christmas Eve, I could barely get out of bed.  Dahlia was also recovering form RSV.  Luckily we caught it in time and she started breathing treatments and was able to stay out of the hospital.  I am praying that she does not catch this new virus because it is a monster.  Even though Christmas did not go as planned we still had a wonderful time being together and celebrating the birth of Christ.

happy birthday Dario!

I can't believe that Dario turned 10 years old today! Has it really been ten years since he was born! Dario makes my job as a mom really easy. Everyday when he comes home from school he always starts his homework without me ever having to tell him. I really appreciate how responsible he is. Recently he taught himself how to ride his bike and picked it up in only two days. Unfortunately someone stole his bike a couple of days after he learned how to ride it. For his birthday he wanted to go to Chuck E Cheese, which has become a birthday tradition since he was two years old. I wonder how many more years that will last!

christmas tree farm

On Saturday we went to a nearby Christmas tree farm and picked out our Christmas tree. The kids love running thru all the trees and picking out the perfect tree.  We picked out a tree that was way too big for our living room. It takes up almost the whole room, but makes it smell so good!

thankful

Because of you, I heard  my baby say mama for the first time.  Because of you, she has grown to know and love her brothers and sisters.  Because of you, we were able to finally bring her home from the hospital with a new, healthy heart.  Because you said yes, despite your own heartache and tremendous loss, you gave her the gift of life.  This Thanksgiving and everyday we are thankful for Dahlia's new heart and the selfless donor family who thought of others in their own hour of need.

a day at the park

Playing outside

I took Dahlia to play outside the other day and she discovered leaves!  She was cracking me up with all the silly faces she was making and how excited she was.  When she was in the hospital for almost the first six months of her life, she was confined to a hospital room and never saw the light of day. Now that she has a second chance at life, little things that are normally taken for granted, like going outside to play are never taken for granted.  We will always remember where Dahlia once was and how far she has come, and not a day goes by that we don't think about her donor.

happy birthday ava!

Today Ava turned six years old.  When she came home from school she was so excited to show me the birthday crown and gift bag her teacher gave her.  Ava is such a sweet girl who is always cheerful, always willing to help me with baby Dahlia and Laila.  Her sisters and I really miss her while she is away at school each day.

happy halloween!

happy birthday laila!

Today Laila turned four years old.  At four years old she loves washing her hands over and over, all day long; putting soap on tooth brushes left out on the bathroom counter; stealing her sister's medicine syringes and filling them with water to squirt on people.  She loves cuddling her mama and giving her baby sister way too many kisses; sassing off to her big brothers and daddy and playing barbies with her big sister.  We love our sweet, sassy little Laila and all the sunshine she brings into our home!

a little break

Recently we went on a little get away to South Toledo Bend State Park.  My sister and her family joined us and we had a nice, relaxing time.  We stayed in the cabins there; my kind of camping!  In the past we had always gone in August and it was always so hot, that being outside was miserable, unless you were swimming.  This time we had perfect weather and were able to enjoy being outside.  It was also perfect weather at night for a campfire and s'mores.

glasses

Back when school started Dario told us that he couldn't see the board anymore.  So we took him in to get his vision checked, and sure enough he needed glasses.  Brian and I both started wearing glasses around Dario's age, so it didn't surprise me at all that he needed glasses.  Luckily children's glasses are much more stylish now, than back when I was a child!

this past weekend

We spent this past weekend with my sister's family and celebrated our niece Lorelei's first birthday.  It is always cute seeing Dahlia and Lorelei together.  When Lorelei saw Dahlia she patted her on the head and tried to kiss her cheek.  I can't wait until Dahlia learns to walk and those two can run around and play together!

dahlias

Beautiful dahlia flowers for baby Dahlia's first birthday.  It still amazes me that Brian and I both chose the exact same, uncommon name for our baby without ever mentioning anything to each other.