Wow She's Changing

Thanks for your help, Emily!

4 Months Old

Izzie turned 4 months old today. She has been our source of joy since the day she entered into this world. She is changing every day. I wish I could pause time and keep her in this moment.

Changes this month....

She has gotten sooo long. She is wearing 6 month clothes, but most of them are way too big in the waist.
She is starting to lose some of her baby hair, and her new hair is coming in a blond color.
Her eyes are still changing from blue to brown.
She has let out a giggle a couple of times this month.
She is a pro at rolling over both ways now. She travels (No more leaving her to play under her baby gym for an extended period of time. She winds up across the room!)
Her hands and everything else wind up in her mouth.
She can sit herself up while reclining in Mommy's lap, but she can't sit unsupported.
She can support her own weight but cannot balance enough to stand alone.
She hugs me when I hold her up on my shoulder.
She is finding her voice and babbles non-stop.

In honor of this special day, Daddy and Mommy gave her a cool new "developmental" toy.

It has happened

I knew this day would come, but I never thought that it would sneak up on me so unexpectedly. I have gotten old. Yesterday a college rock band came to our school and performed for the students. They sang for an entire hour, and the only song I recognized was "Old Timie Rock n Roll" I knew that the songs they sang must be popular because all the kids were "jammin out." I just didn't know any of them. Wow, I have lost touch. Oh well.

This week I have been forced to consider my own mortality. I went to take out a small life insurance policy on the princess (yes, I feel creepy for even typing this), and learned that I had to rewrite my policy in order to add her. Greg and I had to make decisions about who would manage her trust if something happened to us. Some deep thinking going on this week.

Thought you might enjoy some pictures of our week.
Does it get any better than this?
Yeah, Rambaldi, she may look sweet now, but wait until she can grab your tail!

I think we need some new long pants!

What's Up With Us Lately

Well, not just a whole lot.

Izzie is recovering from her RSV and double ear infection. She has been sleeping alot but eating less here lately. She went back to daycare on Monday, and they were more than happy to have her back.

My high school band marched in the MLK parade yesterday. The kids were bummed out because they had to come march in a parade on their day off, but they understood that the reason for the parade and the day off were one and the same. So, we marched, we played, we went home.

G is a big gun buff so after the parade we went to a friend's house where he could shoot his guns. He didn't take all of his guns, but he did take 5 of them. He doesn't care so much for shooting animals, just targets and 2 liter bottles full of water.

Well, it has been 20 days since we cut off our cable. No television programing in this house. Yes, you read it right. Since we got pregnant we have battled over the idea of how we were going to screen what she saw on TV. The solution came to me in an epiphany right after Christmas. Just turn the blame thing off, so we did. And... we are still here. We have not run a muck. I read much more. The house is quite, and we eat supper in the dining room instead of the living room. I have gone to blockbuster twice to rent some episodes of House, but we watch them while she is napping. When people ask why we turned our cable off we tell them because television programing is not Godly and is not what we want our daughter to see. (This shuts up any nay-sayers!)

Speaking of supper, I must go cook now. Have a great night!

Not Me Monday

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.

This week I was not thankful for my DH who stayed home all week with the Princess. He fed her, gave her medicine, administered breathing treatments, and even put up with her incredible fussiness.

I did not leave one of my 7th grade band students out in 30 degree weather because rehearsal ended at 5:00 and at 5:20 I needed to pump so badly that I thought I might explode!

When we took the Princess back for her follow up RSV check up we discovered that she had a double ear infection. I certainly did not beg the doctor to please not write us a prescription for any more $200 ear drops.

I did not neglect to bathe my child from Sunday until Thursday because she just didn't feel good. I figured that since she had fever that a baby wipe bath would do just fine.

I didn't think to myself when the daycare called to tell me to come get Izzie "If I had figured this out this weekend I could have saved $50 on daycare this week."

I did not suddenly wake from my Saturday afternoon nap when an orange cat fell from the headboard and landed on my head!

I did not drive over 70 miles yesterday to the nearest Babies-R-US to get a new breast pump funnel because one of our dogs ate mine. The dogs probably were not drawn to it because it still smelled like milk. I always wash it out right away after using it, even when it is midnight and I am a pumping zombie.

Anyone need any animals???

So, what did you not do this week?

Sick Princess

Izzie was diagnosed with RSV on Monday. Although it is not nearly as bad as McMuffin's case, she still feels pretty awful. Lots of coughing and sneezing and wheezing. She is taking breathing treatments 3-4 times a day. G is at home with her all week b/c I don't have any more sick days left until next school year. Pray for him as well as her. His tolerance with the screaming is not very high, and at 7:00 am when I left he was already spent for the day.

I Know He Didn't

Christmas break seriously messed with Izzie's schedule. When we started daycare at the beginning of December she did great and started sleeping through the night. This week has not been nearly as easy. All week she has consistently gotten up between 4:00 and 4:30 am. In an attempt to make light of our sleep deprivation my DH offered this suggestion.

DH: Hey baby, I think we should get one of those hamster water bottles to put on the side of Izzie's crib. We could fill it with formula and if she wakes up she can just roll over, eat, and go back to sleep.

He was kidding; at least, I hope he was kidding ;)

New Trick

Izzie has a new trick. Yesterday she learned to roll from her back to her tummy. (She has been rolling tummy to back since she was 18 days old.) She has been amusing herself (as well as her parents) ever since. She will roll back to tummy then tummy to back over and over again. The cutest thing is that she grunts and fusses the whole time! Maybe I can post some video soon!

Not Me Monday

Time to play Not Me Monday sponsored by MckMama. If you want to play along, click on the Not Me Monday button on the side of my page.

This week I did not try to relish every minute of the last week of Christmas Break. After all, I love my job, and I don't even care that starting this next week I won't get a single weekend off until Valentine's Day. I love to take my band kids to clinic even though it will mean that I will
1. Have to spend time away from my DH and beautiful daughter.
2. Have to find a place to pump in the midst of nasty grumpy old men.
3. Function on even less sleep than I am getting now (which isn't much!)

I did not spend infinite amounts of time praying over a precious little baby boy whom I have never and probably will never meet. I did not feel like part of MckMama's family. I didn't check her site 4 billion times a day just to see if she had posted updates on McMuffin. I didn't cry a little bit when rocking my princess because I couldn't help but think of little Stellan.

I didn't freak out when we went to visit G's Aunt, and she put my baby on a horse. I didn't obsess over the fact that they were nasty, and she came off the animal with a piece of horse hair in her little hand. I didn't make G stop at babies -r-us and buy hand sanitizer as soon as we left.


I did not laugh at my husband when he sheepishly admitted that he had made a little mistake with his new smoker and burned a hole slap through our front porch. I also didn't beg him to let me take a picture of the hole and post it on Not Me Monday (denied)

I did not take the princess to the after hours clinic (again.) I was not in the least bit relieved when they told me that it was an ear infection (last time they sent us home with not so much as an antibiotic.) I didn't almost stroke when I went to pick up her ear drops only to learn that a bottle smaller than my thumb cost $200.

I did not, in an attempt to give her medicine right away, choose to give my daughter the liquid amoxicillin in the car. I did not get it all over me, her, and the ceiling of our car.

Day of Firsts

Today was a day of firsts for Ms. Isabella. Today she was diagnosed with her first ear infection, given her first antibiotic and first bottle of ear drops. She made her first trip to the mall and then her first trip to Old Navy. (thank goodness for our travel system Uncle Sean gave us!)

Over all, she is not feeling that bad. She started fussing about 6:00 yesterday afternoon and was pretty cranky until 10:00 when the screaming started. This morning she was pretty happy go lucky. I wondered if we should even take her to the after hours clinic. G piped in and said that I could stay home if I wanted to, but he was going to take her to the Doctor's office (no need for a repeat of last night!) It seems as though we have caught the infection before it got very bad. Pray for a speedy recovery.

Some Deep Thoughts

Do you ever feel "overly" blessed? Well, that is where I am tonight. I am overwhelmed by the love and grace the Father has shown me and stand in awe at the bounty of blessings before me.

I sometimes wonder "why me?" Why, Lord, did you pick me? A sinner unworthy of You. I often times feel like the little "dumpster puppy" at the pound. Of all the other dogs in the kennel, I feel like Jesus said "That one, daddy. I want that one." I have done nothing and could never do anything to deserve His love.

I know that there are times in our Christian walk when we must go through the valley. These are the times when we depend the most on the Lord. But today I feel like I am on a mountain. Don't get me wrong. I am depending on Him plenty. The very essence of my being is rooted in Him. It's as if I have nowhere to go but down, but I don't ever want to get off this mountain.

I see so much pain in the world. Hunger, poverty, sickness, death, the lost, depression, infertility, hopelessness. I feel so blessed that none of these are part of my life right now, but I hurt for those who are dealing with these issues. I wish there was something I could do to help. Unfortunately, I cannot, but I pray for you to the one who can, the Lord God Almighty.

Thanks for reading my thoughts as I ramble tonight. Have a blessed night.