laughs

Isabella has been laughing this week. I just now am posting it. She was in her bouncy seat and batting at her toys and kicking her little feet jubilantly and laughed as William hid himself with a blanket and revealed himself again.

first chuckle

I tickled Isabella today and she gave a little chuckle. "Huh-huh"

Made plastic bag toy to put under Isabella's feet today. She loved it. She waved her arms wildly as she moved her feet and delighted in the crinkle of the bags.
She was really grinning at funny faces today.
Went antiuqing for a changing table today and saw Bonnie Busbee.

Isabella was grinning up a storm this morning. She grinned at everyone that talked to her. We are going to worry her to death for those grins! We'll have to try to catch one on the camera to post. She really follows us around with her eyes now as we move around the room.
She definitely knows me now. She quiets every time I get her, no matter how distressed she is. She loves to nurse, but has not mastered the techinique for getting her meals that way. I am still nursing, incessantly pumping, and bottle feeding her. It's tiring, but worth it for her to have breast milk.

First Smile

Isabella smiled at me today. The first one I count as real and wide awake. Yeah!

First Smile

Isabella smiled at me today. The first one I count as real and wide awake. Yeah!
She has rolled over several times since she was born, back to front in the first week in her crib on the little positioner, which has a little incline to it that probably aided the roll, later back to front on our bed when Rachel had to set her down for a minute, and today on the floor front to back, with the aid of my hand to push off of. She was on a slippery blanket on the floor. Every time I put my hand close to her feet, she pushed until she turned over.

Wholehearted Joy

I am wholeheartedly praising God because she is wholehearted!

Isabella had her echocardiagram yesterday. It was three long hours long, but after 2 solid hours or more of looking at her heart and vessels, the doctor decided that her heart was OK. He heard an aortic stenoisis, but couldn't find any physical evidence of it. That was why they studied her so long. I am wholeheartedly relieved that she is wholehearted! Big brother, William held her and comforted her through the whole procedure, doing an amazing job of keeping her peacefully asleep. Thank you my big boy!
After crying for the first 5 minutes of the echo, William gave her a bottle and got her to sleep. My big boy held her in a very uncomforatble position (for him) for those 2 hours, and worked to comfort her so that she wouldn't wake and cry again as they poked around. They couldn't study her heart with her crying so it really was a necessity. They needed her to be quiet and still to do the procedure. By God's grace, she stayed asleep.  He is good even in the details. Can you imagine that visit if she hadn't slept.?

I am so grateful!

After our doctors appointment, we treked by the nursing home to see Laura's parents, my best friend while growing up. I learned so much of what I know of life and how to live it from them and from her. She is one of those friends that I will eternally be grateful to GOd for. I never would have navigated many of the trials of my life without her help.
It was such a blessing to see them. They ate Isabella up. I love them so much . Some of my best memories of childhood are with them. I praise my sweet God that I got to share Isabella with them today. It brought tears to all of our eyes, theirs and mine. It was so precious to see them hold my sweet baby and love her.

Of course the appointment was in Jackson, which is 2 hours away. It takes me forever to get everything I need for a day together, pump, pump supplies, diabetes supplies for William, all of Isabella's stuff, etc. By the time I did her last feeding before going to bed and got bottles sterilized and filled, the requisite load of laundry, pumped one last time before going to bed, etc. it was 2 AM. We got up at 4:30 to feed, pump, get ready and load up, so I really only napped for a couple of hours that night . I went by Babies R Us to pump and feed again at 9 AM, pumped and fed in a hotel parking lot at 3PM after the appointment , and then pumped as I drove home after our visit with the Colemans, LOL! I bought a nursing apron at Babies R Us and draped myself so I could drive and pump. I cut a sports bra up to use as a harness when I pump so I can be relatively hands free! Do you think that's what they mean when they say multitasking?