Princess in training

Isabella loves to play dress up. She's quite the girly-girl and loves working around in my heels. She even has a bag full of dress up shoes she wears around the house.

Practicing our smiles

Isabella loves to smile, except for photos, especially professional photos. So, as her 3rd birthday nears and the next set of birthday pics, we've been practicing our smile. What do you think?

All cuddled up

What nearly three year old doesn't have a favorite blanket, pillow or stuffed animal to sleep with? Well, Miss Bella is no different!

She had a blue and yellow Precious Moments blanket that she CANNOT sleep without. Sleepovers - there; nap times (when she decides to take them) - there; rests - there!

She also has a favorite pillow - panda pillow. We got the pillow at the San Diego Zoo in August 2006 when we went to California to visit Uncle John and Aunt Becky. Isabella loves sleeping on it even though the panda sticks out of the pillow. Grandma Mary said that she could hurt her neck by sleeping on it so I took the pillow part out but she still sleeps with it.

And then there's the tons of stuffed animals she has to sleep with. Not dolls, not barbies. Stuffed animals - any and every kind. Sometimes I tell her there is no room in her bed for her because she has too many animals she wants to sleep with.

Our sleeping beauty...

We're still here!

We are still okay here, just very busy.

Isabella is spending more time during the week with Grandma and Papa Gaylord because my consulting firm's business has really picked up. (Yeah! But I miss the time with Miss Bella.)

We are dealing with "life" issues like trying to figure out what kind of new car to buy, spring cleaning, going potty on the "big" potty" ALL the time.

So not much to report now. We are off to enjoy this great Ohio weather (that is so few and far between.)

Laying Low

Since Isabella has been sick now close to a month, we've been staying home a lot more. We just play and watch movies - whatever makes her feel better.

I've not taken a lot of photos these past weeks because everyone is pretty grumpy, but here are a few to tied you over!

Finally some sleep and party time

When Isabella is sick, no one sleeps. She wants rocked and cuddled and kissed. Finally, after nearly two straight weeks of nights of only 3-4 hours of sleep, Isabella decided to sleep through the night Thursday and Friday. (Despite her new acute ear infection and tonsillitis, she is eating and sleeping again.)

Until last night. She was up again.

I think her left ear was hurting again. The doc told us that the pressure in her head is pretty intense. Until the eardrum tears to release the pressure, she will be in pain. I thought yesterday marked the day of the drainage. So we'll see how she is today.

Even though she was not feeling well Thursday, she wanted to see Grandma Mary for here birthday. We joined her, Papa Steve, Aunt Julie and Uncle Chris for dinner and gifts. She was good until she was done eating, then she wanted to go home.

"I don't feel good," she said. So Kevin and I packed up and went home. At least she slept that night!

Will the sickness ever stop?

We rushed Isabella to the ER Sunday night.She's been fighting an ear infection, etc. for nearly two weeks.

On Sunday, she was very clingy and kept saying she didn't feel good. At 4:30 p.m. she curled up on the living room floor and fell asleep. That was my first clue.

As she slept she started having coughing fits with a deep mucousy sound. I was scared that she had developed pneumonia. And she spiked a fever!

The ER visit as FAST! We were in and out within 20 minutes. Can you believe that?!

The doc checked Isabella out and told us that she developed a nasty viral infection. Go home and follow up with her pediatrician within 5 days.

She's still not feeling well (or sleeping well). Kevin and I are exhausted. She's up at least every two hours. We feel bad for her because she can't breathe, and her cough is horrible.

Hopefully, she will feel better very soon! (And we can get some sleep!)