Isabella's First Birthday!!

We had such a great birthday with Miss Isabella. I know it is sentimental and silly, but her is her birth minute picture. 8:07 am on the dot!

We opened presents in the morning and here is Isabella "helping" Joe put her bounce and spin pony together.

Isabella admiring her new pony.

At the party...after singing the birthday song, and preparing for cake...

And get ready for it....

And here it is! Poor girl! So sad, but so cute at the same time. There were so many people there that she just couldn't handle the attention. Directly following this picture, she stuck her arm in the cake and that was the end of it!

Opening presents...a true princess!

Our little family!

Good times...

and great friends!

12 Month Check Up

Isabella had her 12 month check up today. Her ears looked good and her chest sounded great. She is 29 inches and around the 50th percentile. Sadly, she is only 17.12 lbs and in the 5th percentile. She had lost quite a bit of weight when she was sick and is just having a hard time gaining it back. She had an eating breakthrough about a week ago and now only eats table food. Which is great, but now I worry that she is not getting enough of all the good stuff. Although the doctor is pretty sure that genetically she will just be a little girl, she wants us to go in two weeks from now for a weight check, just to make sure that she is starting to gain that lost weight back.

Dear Isabella,

One year ago today at 8:07 am, my whole world changed. It is amazing that I lived so many years without you, but literally the moment you arrived, I couldn't imagine life without you. I didn't want to imagine life without you. I dreamed about you for so long and finally...

On the outside, you are so beautiful. You still have the softest skin. And I can never resist smothering you with kisses. When I used to rock you to sleep, I would rub my cheek against yours over and over again, and smell and feel that sweet little breath of yours. I didn't care if I woke you. It was the best feeling in the world.

You got those big cheeks from me. I used to hate them on myself, but I now love that I passed those on to you. They make you so squishy and so lovable. Your once blue eyes have settled on a light brown. And your hair is also a light brown. Sometimes it even looks like it has some golden highlights. You definitely get that from your daddy :) You have your Nonna's nose and your Daddy's lips. When you were born, Auntie Lisa told Daddy that those lips belong on a girl :) You have lost your baby fat and are looking more and more like a little girl instead of a baby.

On the inside, you are just as beautiful and complex. You are so curious. You study everything over and over, literally turning things over and over in your tiny hands. You touch everything, and of course, want to put everything in your mouth. You are super observant, never missing a thing. You always know what is going on around you.

You are so fun to play with, and I am so blessed to get to spend my days with you. Daddy's big joke is that I can't go an hour without you. I can, I just don't want to. We have so much fun during the day that by the time Daddy comes home, it is one big party. And speaking of your Daddy...

He utterly adores you. You have him wrapped so tightly around that little finger of yours. Hopefully, you won't figure this out too soon though! You actually squeal in delight when he comes home from work. And you can hardly wait for him to put down his bag so he can hold you. He is so good to you, and I hope that you will always see that. He is truly one of the best daddies in the world.

You are so sweet, always smiling and laughing. The silliest things make you laugh and I love how easy that is. Life is so simple when you are a year old. You love handing me things and hearing me praise you for it. I tell you good girl and you clap and clap. We do this ALL day. But I don't mind. It makes you so happy.

Isabella, you, my baby girl, are the most precious thing in this world. I am so proud of you that my heart bursts. I hope that one day you are as proud of me. I didn't know this kind of love until you were born, and every day my heart grows bigger and bigger for you.

I look forward to the day when you can talk. I can't wait to hear you say you love me, even though you won't know what that means for a while :) You are truly a gift from God, and every day I thank Him for blessing me with the gift of you. You are so loved by so many people and you have no idea. Your grandparents, your aunts, uncles, and cousins- you can make us all smile a bit bigger.

I know that you will grow to be a kind, generous, loving and thoughtful person. And already, I know you are so much better than I am. You bring out the best in me and Daddy, and we both thank you for that. And thank you for being the light of my life. At the end of the day, if you are well, so is my world.

Love, Mama

RSV Checkup #3

We got such a great report from the doctor today!!! Both ears are clear, and after listening to her lungs the doctor said that Isabella sounded like a whole different baby from last week. We still have to continue the inhaler, but only during the day. I don't have to wake her up at night any more!! And her oxygen level was much higher than it had been all week! Every time the doctor would tell me good news I would say YEA! and Isabella would start clapping. It was pretty cute. She is totally back to being herself: literally running around all day and playing. The sign of a healthy Isabella. The only thing that I am still a little worried about is her weight. She's lost 12oz since being sick and I am just hoping that she starts to gain some of it back soon. We go back on the 22nd for another checkup and her 12 year wellness.

Thanks for all of the prayers and well wishes! They worked, and hopefully we don't relapse again :)

RSV Checkup #2

We went in this morning for another checkup and this time my mom was nice enough to come with us. Sometimes mommies need their mommies, too! Isabella's lungs sounded better, but there was still a little wheezing so we need to continue the inhaler, but didn't have to do a breathing treatment which was good. Her right ear just can't seem to get better- it was full of puss again. But her left ear looked a bit better. She got another antibiotic shot and we continue oral antibiotics tomorrow, as well as the oral steroid. The doc was pleased with her progress, and hopes that she will look even better when we go back again on Thursday. All in all, not too bad of a report. Thanks for the prayers :)

RSV Checkup

We went back to the doctor this morning for a check up. First she got her ears checked and they looked much better than yesterday. Still red, but not bulging with puss. We are thankful that the first antibiotic shot worked, and hopeful that the second shot that she got this morning along with the oral meds that she will start tomorrow will clear her ears altogether.

The doctor listened to her chest and didn't like what she heard so we had another breathing treatment. The doctor listened again and this time said that it sounded like Isabella had a washing machine in her chest. Not what I wanted to hear. So we did yet another breathing treatment. Isabella was so good during the treatments today, so much better than yesterday. She was so tired from me waking her up last night to give her the inhaler, that she just slept through it all. And it also helped that Daddy got to come with us this time :)

After the second breathing treatment, the doctor said that she was still wheezing, but sounded better. So we are to continue using the inhaler though the weekend, still every four hours, and we start a low dose steroid today to help with her lungs, and finally we start the (hopefully) final antibiotics for her ears tomorrow. All of this combined with a weekend full of prayers, and hopefully we will come out of Monday's appointment with good news.

And sadly, Isabella will be missing her best friend Jack's first birthday party this afternoon :(

The Return of RSV

I want to scream!! Isabella just cannot seem to get better. Her RSV symptoms seemed to disappear, but not being very knowledgeable on the subject, I had no idea that it can seem to go away and then flair up again. And this can continue for up to 3 MONTHS. My poor girl. But let me go back to Monday.

We went in to check on her ear infections and I was sure that the doc would tell me that she was fine and that would be that. Well, not quite. Her left ear was clear, yea! But her right ear, full of puss, boo! Okay, more medicine. No big deal. Sorry if this is tmi, but this antibiotic really did a number on her tummy giving her some serious diarrhea. I knew this was a side effect but it got so bad, with the addition of horrible diaper rash, that I decided to call the doc just to see if there was anything else I could do. When talking to the nurse I mentioned that her cough and runny nose had come back and the nurse suggested that we go in this morning.

We went in this morning at 8 am and an hour and a half, one breathing treatment and one shot later, we were done. It was pretty awful, but we already saw her oxygen level go up from the breathing treatment. We go back tomorrow for another antibiotic shot and to recheck her oxygen level. I have to give her an inhaler at home every 4 hours for the next 24 hours, so hopefully that will also help with her oxygen level.

Oh, and one of her one year molars is coming in.

I have to admit though that for the most part she is quite the trooper :) She is still smiling and playing and in a relatively good mood. She even picked up dancing yesterday! I'll try to post a video soon.

Please pray that this doesn't get any worse.

Laundry Basket Ride!