Dalley's Dialogue: A Christmas Newsletter

Hey.... How you doin'?

It's been so long, I bet you don't even recognize me.

Sorry..... I've been busy.

I was given an assignment by Mom to write up a family Christmas newsletter... and send it out to all of our friends....

(I do everything around here.)

She just didn't say WHEN to have the newsletter done by...... 

LOOPHOLE!

So, I am just getting to our Christmas newsletter now. 

MERRY LATE CHRISTMAS!!!!!

Right now Dad is living back in Morgan, UT. with my Uncle Jordan and Aunt Bre while he does his next rotation.

He left Monday and we already miss him like crazy.

(Twinzies!!!!)

Who's going to sing me cowboy songs as I fall asleep, while he's gone?!

I stole his hat.. so maybe he will have to come home to get it. I'm pretty sure he needs it to wear to work.

Dad only has 8 more months left of school!

8 Months!!!

Can you believe it?

That's like.... the length of a pregnancy.....!

Unless you're Mom..... and then it's like the length of two pregnancies.

Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha.

Too soon???????

Anyway.... in 8 short/long months... we will be finished!

And then Dad can hang out with me all day long.

Mom says he has to get a job... but he might want to hang out with me instead.

I'm going to try to convince him that staying home to play with me is the right decision....

Wish me luck.

As for Mom.....

Me and Mom get to hang out all day long!

Dad's been trying to capture a few more "real life" photos of me and Mom.

Mom doesn't LOVE this new hobby of his... because she says she never gets ready anymore... and looks "homeless".

so Mom said to just never post the pictures online.....

Oh man... she's going to regret the day she put me in charge of the family newsletter then!

Commence embarrassing picture slide show!

Bathtime....

Corn starch explosion!

Mom snuggles!

And... more snuggles....

.... and I think that's enough snuggles. 

Somebody help!!!

And last but not least.....

(OOOOOOh....She's going to be so mad at me for this next one!....)

But... I'm gonna do it!

Princess Leah Mom!

AHHHHHHHHH.

It was worth it! Oh boy...was it ever worth it!!!

I'll suffer the consequences later.

As for me...

Every day gets better and better.

I got to experience my first Thanksgiving.

I got to go see the tree my friends Mel and Dana donated in honor of me and my big sisters at the Festival of Trees.

My friends Mel and Dana even made me my own mini "Festival of Trees" tree.

I get to keep this one!

These guys are the best!

I also turned 1 year old!!!!

We made cookies for my birthday.

I got into a friendly competition with my cousin Ellie about who is the "Master Cookie Decorator"....

She won this year.

My cousin Stone consoled me in my defeat...

But .... don't you worry....I've got my game face on for next year...

A few days after my birthday party... was Christmas Day!

Christmas outside of the hospital is VERY DIFFERENT!

IT'S WAAAAAAAY BETTER!!!!!!

Even though Mom and Dad both had a cold.

Last Christmas I lived in a hamster cage.

So this Christmas we made up for it!!!

I got some cool presents..

Books....

Some cool new toys...

Some awesome wrapping paper....!!!!

(Why can't food taste as good as this paper?)

But the most exciting thing I got......

MY TWO FRONT TEETH!!!

Not even kidding.... right in here. Right there on the bottom.

I tell you what... this is the stuff they write songs about.....

Even though I loved getting some Christmas presents...

The best part about Christmas was not even the gifts.

It was getting to be with some of my family.

Even though SOMEBODY....(ahem ahem)...

I won't mention any names...

Did NOT get me a pony!!!!

Ah.. well...

Maybe next year...

Well.. that pretty much sums up our holiday festivities.

On one hand.... I'm sad they're over...

On the other hand.... I can't wait for spring when I can come out of isolation.

That's going to be a good day!

To close the family newsletter... here are a few updates about my health..

I now weigh 16 lbs!

I wear 3-6 months clothes but I'm ALMOST growing out of them.

I am a rolling MACHINE.... and I do it whenever I feel like it! Back to front... front to back. You name it.... I can do it.

I love to make weird faces.

I still don't eat anything by mouth..... however...my taste buds have become a bit more refined and I no longer like dum dums...

Red Vines are all the rage theses days.

Anyway, Mom says she wishes she had just a fraction of my aversion to food.....

The only thing I'll attempt to swallow... is water.

Mom says water is gross....

But she's crazy. I think it's quite refreshing.

And I still need oxygen to help me breath... but I am getting stronger by the day and I'm needing less and less help from the machine..

Which is good!

I'm ready to get rid of these tubes!

And get this crap off my face!

Well.. I think that's it.

It's a new year and I am going to take this one by storm!

Even though parts of last year were really hard... and really scary....and I spent half of it in the hospital.... and we didn't know if we would make it.....

Most of the year was pretty awesome.

And... I think that's how life is.

The bad days can't have to determine the entire year.... or the path of your life. 

I think things happen to us that change us... and we can just decide to let it change us for the better.

And some years will be better than others.

But as long as we lift each other when we're down and lend a helping hand... 

     

and love the people around us..

then everything will be okay in the end.

But that's my two cents.

I hope you all have an awesome year.

I sure plan on it.

And I hope to meet all of you in person as soon as the weather warms up.

Love from our family to yours.