First Cereal

What's up, Everybody?! Bella here! Just rocking out on some tummy time! Still haven't really rolled over much more than a few times here and there, but that's because I am taking my time for mommy. Once I get going, I'll be a crazy, rollin' machine...and mommy likes me in this stationary stage! There will be plenty of years of chasing after me, and that I am sure of!

Here is Daddy, Mommy, and me in Tennessee running a booth for a conference we went to for Daddy's work. I played with Aunt Traci in the hotel room, but Mommy and Daddy hung out here most of the time! I think I got the better end of the deal!

This was a favorite shot of me at Christmas time that Mommy never got around to posting. I was watching Daddy making Gingerbread house dough! No, I didn't sit up on the counter the whole time (so don't turn anyone into CPS!) It was just for the photo and Mommy was with in arm's reach away!

Mommy probably told you about her work arrangment where I get to go to a sitter's house for Child care 3 days a week in the morning time. Here I am with my favorite babysitter, Coley, and my buddy, Baylor. Baylor is just over a year old and likes to come up and kiss my forehead alot and cries if I cry! He is very emphatetic! Coley reads to me and plays with me alot. She is really really great! I hope Mommy stays with her for a long time! (The shot below was how Mommy found us last week when she arrived!)

I heard a rumor that people think I'm such a quiet baby, but I want to assure you that I am not! I jabber alot when Mommy is working. I sometimes keep this chattering going for an hour until Mommy finally puts a "cork" (aka. pacifier) in my mouth for some peace and quiet!

Mommy took this video of me when I wake up because she thinks I am so darn adorable and funny! I smile alot when I see her face after my 3 hour afternoon nap! Actually, this one below was after a 3 1/2 hour nap! (And you people, think I keep mommy too occupied all the time....Nope!)

Here I am eating my first rice cereal! At first I was not quite sure what to think, but I knew I should be pretty excited about it because of the smiles and laughs on Mommy's and Daddy's faces! I got the hang of it later on and I even showed off for the camera Mommy had in my face, while Daddy fed me!

Mommy thought I was making sounds like Bob did in the movie "What about Bob?" when he was eating the corn on the cob. I moaned and groaned alot about the wonderful new favors I was encountering! Mommy was making me laugh with her faces while Daddy continued to TRY and keep my attention with the food. Don't tell Mommy, but I think Daddy probably wished Mommy wasn't in the room when he was trying to feed me. She is my greatest distraction...but I don't mind, and I DID manage to eat my whole milked down Tablespoon of cereal after 20+ minutes! (Not sure it took that long, but it felt like it!)

Few more pics from my first meal for ya!

First Illness

Bella caught her first nasty bug....sickness bug I am talking about! When in Tennessee for Chris' work conference January 3-8th, Bella started getting really hoarse, raspy and stuffed up. She started coughing pretty bad, had a fever, sneezed alot, and just sounded all together congested. She also was a bit more fussy then usual...or I guess I should say she was fussy at all...normally she never is, so we knew this was out of HER ordinary!

My sister was watching her up in the hotel room for us while at the conference and she told me that she stood in the bathroom with the shower running hot water to force a little steam/heat through Bella's airways to help clear it up/out. Unfortunately, her little body was already exposed!

Thankfully, she was still pretty happy and did not cause too much of a fuss, but her little hoarse cry and voice was quite heartbreaking to listen to...so very very sad for this mommy!

With some medical advice from qualified individuals, we decided to forego a doctor's appointment try and let her ride it out as we figured it was just a virus and the docs would have just told us to do the same things we were already doing. Her fever did break, however, along with the horrible coughing spells, sneezing, runny nose/drainage she had going on, she started wheezing a bit on that following Saturday. I called a triage nurse to tell of the situation and all that had been going on and that the wheezing was something new and causing me to be a bit concerned. I didn't want to be the new, first time mom that took her child in at the slightest sniffle, but the wheezing mixed with the horrible, horrible coughing spells was definitely justification for a phone call! So, at 6:00pm that Saturday (10th), we took Bella to an urgent care facility designed specifically for pediatrics.

We were the only ones there, so we walked right in to get started. Bella's saturation levels were only at 93%, which is not that great and basically means...baby can't breath real well! They started her on a breathing treatment of albuterol to clear the airway and see how she would react and if the levels would come up. PRaise the Lord, they did! They came up to 98% after just a few minutes on the machine and stayed consistent. That saved us to an overnight trip to the hospital! WAHOO! The doc called Bella the "Happy Wheezer" because even through it all and the first treatment, she just sat there on Daddy's lap smiling underneath her mask at anyone that came into the room! It was pretty dang cute!

She was diagnosed with bronculitis which is pretty much what bronchitis is for adults, but affects a smaller breathing tree in the lungs for babies. Working hand in hand with that was a left ear infection she got as well. We were given Amoxicilian for the ear infection, and our insurance bought us a new breathing machine that we got to take home and use on Bella for the next week every 4 hours!!! Can you tell how excited we were?!?! :)

Anywho, that was our life for the past week and a half. We tried to start prolonging the breathing treatments as recommended since her wheezing had gone away...or so we thought, but when we went in last Tuesday to our docs, she confirmed that sure, the external wheezing went away, but she was still wheezing internally. BOO! So anywho, we had to move the treatments back to every 4 hours. Chris was a REAL trooper pulling most of the middle of the night treatments at 1am and 5am since I came down with it all too. When I started feeling better, we began swapping back and forth on those treatments until Monday when we ran out of the prescription. DARN! :) Seriously, though, Bella is doing very very well. She hasn't even coughed since last Wednesday and sounds back to her normal self. Bella would normally sleep right through the nighttime treatments even though we had to pick her up and hold her pretty upright. She lost not a wink of sleep that time, but Daddy and I sure did!

I take her into the docs yesterday for a follow-up to the follow-up. I was anticipating a full recovery and that's what I got! Looking forward to longer nights of sleep in the near future for parents!! :)

Here is a sad little picture of her with her mask and treatment going! For the most part she would just sit there on your lap calmly until it finished, but there were a few times when she would cry alot and not want the mask on and would pull at it...but who could blame her?!?

Bella would hold the mask in place herself sometimes! Daddy wanted me to make sure I got it on camera!

Couldn't leave you with a sad little picture of her breathing treatment! A smiley little baby is always better!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!

Every time I THINK I am going to get ahead on my blog, it seems that life gets in the way and I never have a moment to sit and post! Some of my friends are so good at posting really thoughtful messages about life, challenges they face, new baby accomplishments, travels, etc, but I just never seem to be able to keep up and remember! It has nothing to do with having a baby now to take up all my time and attention because I have to admit...Bella is a piece of cake (really, she is!!) I think it has more to do with the fact that the last thing I want to do when I get off work being around a computer all day is sit on the computer some more!

Alas, I've decided to give up on being the perfect blogger and post when and if I am able...besides, family probably only want to see photos and videos anyway. They could care less about the writing!! :) So for the family out there....enjoy! For the friends, will try and post something meaningful soon!

In the picture above, I joined mommy and daddy on my first trip around the neighborhood to deliver cookies and treats to all of our neighbors! We started a tradition to deliver a goodie bag to all of the people on our street and the street next to us around the corner either for Christmas Eve or New Year's, and I really had a good time! The neighbors all loved me! I was quite the hit...even over the goodies!

Mommy didn't really let me stay up for the ball dropping on New Year's Eve, but I partied hard prior to my slumber! (Thanks for the cool bib, Aunt Lori!)

I got to go to Nashville for Daddy's work conference and Aunt Traci (who lives there) spoiled me! She let me try a peanut! (Okay, so not really! It was all posed for the camera, but before mommy snapped the photo, I did get a very, very quick lick of the salty shell before anyone noticed! I have quick, quick hands and EVERYTHING goes to my mouth instantly!) Doesn't appear that I'm allergic! :)

Here I am with mommy and daddy in Nashville at the Orpyland Hotel where I got to stay! I got good use out of my hat and coat there!

Mammaw and Pawpaw Warner slobbered all over me and my cheeks in Nashville too! As you can tell by my face, I sure didn't mind!

Here I am with Aunt Traci again! She babysat me in the hotel while mommy helped daddy with his work 3 day work conference. We had a really really good time! Aunt Traci said I was the easiest baby she ever watched!

Here are a few pictures of me with mommy's gingerbread house! I just really liked the sugar. Boy, I sure can't wait to get my mouth around that peppermint and those M&Ms soon! I can't take my eyes off of them!

Opening presents from Grandma and Grandpa Shondelmyer on Christmas Day! I actually pulled a few bows here and there!




Here I am soaking up some lovin' from Grandma and Grandpa Shondelmyer on Christmas Eve! Mommy is really good at getting me to smile for pictures!


My first trip to Cabelas. Pawpaw W and Cousin Travis would be so proud!


Daddy bought mommy a new digital camera for her birthday just before Christmas and this was the first shot on it that she took!