Best ever Christmas!

A baby changes everything and how blessed we were sharing our first Christmas with Jailyn.  Finally our family was complete for the holidays.   It has been quite an eventful Christmas week.  Jailyn loved Christmas and is now an expert at unwrapping gifts.   Not to say she might have been just a bit spoiled.  She was a trooper missing naps and getting over the Thornbury cold.  We caught it early and it went into her first ear infection however it has not kept her down at all.   We have had 5 Christmas celebrations at our home in the past week.   Christmas eve we had the Thornbury side of the family at our home.  Then Christmas morning in our Pj's with Jailyn.  Christmas afternoon with the Comley side of the family.  Tuesday a party with Jailyn and my Mary Kay family and today Christmas with Katie and Billy who spent Christmas with Billy's folks in NJ. Christmas day was the best by far when Santa came and we video taped it and Jailyn was not quite sure what was up that morning.   I was so excited for her and as we walked out of her room my eyes welled up with tears knowing this was the first of many Christmases and a holiday I longed to celebrate with her.  We were able to Skype with Scott while she opened gifts.   It was very special with him being a part of our Christmas morning and being a world away in Japan.  Next year we hope to have the entire family home.  Jailyn got so many things from Santa and Mike and Me, lots of kitchen supplies, tea party set, her Chinese American girl ittty bitty baby I have had for 2 years, learning refrigerator ABC magnets, her first hand held Fisher Price electronic reader, Beauty and the Beast dolly, Baby Einstein videos to learn more sign language, darling clothes of course from Gymboree......Scott sent her a Barbie quad bike which she is warming up too.  The battery powered quad takes off and startles her a bit but she giggles and likes it just for a short ride.  Then both sides of the family totally spoiled her with more gifts and big sis and brother spoiled her rotten today with a a baby laptop, cleaning set she loves, clothes, dolly, videos......  Mike and I had very little sleep Christmas eve with the clean-up and prep for the next celebration and our own Christmas morning preparations and Jailyn being over stimulated and up 2 hours that night with night terrors.  The morning was so special as I stated before and then I broke down with tears of joy two more times Christmas day feeling so much joy, love and happiness in my heart.  The holidays for the past 7 years had been terribly difficult emotionally and that is No more!!!!!!  Woohoo!!!!!   I had the best Christmas present ever the gift of being Jailyn's mom on Christmas and seeing her so happy.   I love her so much and Mike even more as he is an incredible father to Jailyn.  I am blessed beyond my wildest dreams with so much love and incredible family and friends.  Mike and Jailyn complete me.  So here are some photos from our Christmas.
With love and a grateful Heart,
Linette

Christmas morning break from opening presents to have her morning bottle!

Checking out what Santa brought Jailyn Christmas Morning!

Reading the paper with Daddy a morning ritual with our love roses for Christmas on the table another Tradition Mike does for our family.

Jailyn with her Big panda she got from Uncle Bill.

In her Christmas Tree Pants I could not resist to buy Jailyn to wear!

Katie her big sister who spoiled Jailyn!

Katie, Billy and Jailyn Christmas 2011!

Mommy, Daddy and Jailyn, - Our Family Christmas 2011!

Jailyn with Grandma Fattig!

Love this photo of Jailyn Christmas morning talking to Scott on Skype in Japan.

Our tired baby girl Christmas Morning getting ready to open all her presents.

Merry Christmas! Such a Happy Christmas for Jailyn and our family!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nHLGdxmkf4w

This video was posted on my facebook by a girlfriend from my Christ Renews Group.  Thank you Brenda!  Mike and I wept as we watched especially after 3 minutes into the song and thought it was important to share with all my blogging friends and family.  Get your tissues ready!  You will have to click on image if blog does not let you watch on this site.  Click on the you tube and it play on You tube.  You will want to scroll down to the bottom of  my blog and turn the play button off the music on my sight.

Merry  Christmas!
Mike, Linette & Jailyn 

17 months old today!!!!! 6 months together!!!!!

Happy December!  Wow has the past few weeks flown by in the Thornbury household.  Life is happening and been busier than ever.  I have our Christmas photos to share and it was so special to have our picture as a family for the very first time.  It has finally happened after all these years of wanting a child and to start setting traditions and sharing the holidays.  I was so emotional on the way to our photo shoot and Jailyn hammed it up and we got so many great pictures.   It is going to be a very special Christmas at our home. Still so much shopping, wrapping, parties and celebrations with friends and family to come.  It will be so much fun with Jailyn!!!!   Can't wait!

So Thanksgiving flew by and then we lost Bob Fattig, our step father in law, Nov 29.  He was suffering from liver cancer and his time came.  It happened the busiest week I have in my MK business and the week was full of challenges for us all.  We were blessed with tremendous help from family and friends through the funeral visitation and my Mary Kay Open House weekend which happened all the same weekend.  We kept Jailyn away from all the funeral arrangements as there was no need to take our baby girl in that environment.   Recently she has had some night terrors as she still is processing the grief and emotions of the change over the past 6 months.    She is very bonded to us and struggles when I leave her.  We are very protective of who watches her and where she goes.   She is so smart and learning so much.  She mimics us, dances anytime music comes on, sings, pretends to talks on her cell phone and starting to say words.  Needless to say Bob's passing emotionally rocked our world.   We both got stressed and did not feel well and been out of sorts however we are on the mend and had a lazy day today with Jailyn (just what we needed to slow down,) Mike as the eldest son has been helping his mom through all the challenges of Bob's passing.   Mike is so good getting matters taken care of and guiding his mom.  We know Bob is at peace and we will miss him dearly.  We were so glad he was able to meet Jailyn and he just loved her smile and her visits while he was sick.   Rest in peace Bob and we will celebrate the love and the memories.

On a happy note Scott is off the carrier and in Japan and will be coming home to the states in Feb or March  and we have skyped and so glad he is not in harms way on the carrier for the holidays.  Katie and Billy had an ugly sweater Christmas party this passed weekend and it was a blast.   It was a happy time for the Thornbury's after all the heaviness of Bob's passing.  Jailyn had so much fun and Katie and Billy have made their new home their home for the holidays (quite festive).  It looks fabulous and so happy they rented their condo and were able to purchase a home in West Chester closer to both of their work.  They will spend Christmas with Billy's family in New Jersey and be with us after Christmas to celebrate Jailyn's first Christmas.

Enjoy the photos!  Happy 17th month Birthday and First Christmas Ever, Jailyn!!!  The best is yet to come!!! We love you so much!!!!

Merry Christmas!

Linette