Friday, January 21, 2011
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Happy First Birthday Party!
Isla's first birthday party was so much fun! I can't believe how great she was with everybody and everything going on. Thanks to everyone for coming!! A took some pictures with my camera, but its been acting funny so I don't have many great ones (if I don't figure out what's going on with it soon, I'm buying an DSLR!) She took some with her camera too though and will be sending those to me tonight or tomorrow. My cousin took some also so I will get some pictures posted eventually. Be sure and check out my cousin's blog post on Isla's party....see the Cookies are My Canvas link on my blog roll. LOVE the pictures of Isla eating her cookies! She was not at all interested in her birthday cake, but when momma sat down to eat a cookie, she took it from me and went to town! A huge thank you to A for being my gopher Friday night and Saturday, to J for fighting his carpal tunnel to ice cupcakes and the bumble bee cake and to C for the cookies!!
Meanwhile, momma's been fighting a sinus infection. I felt pretty bad the night before the party but party day I was too distracted to be sick. Saturday night I realized how much my face hurt from the sinus pressure but Sunday I took some ibuprofen and felt great! Isla and her little friends had a play date and that was the ONLY thing I did all day. Then about 4:00, everything caught up with me and all the sudden, the sinus infection beat me. Luckily Isla had a well baby appointment yesterday so I called and asked them to pull my chart so I could be seen at the same time. The antibiotics seem to be working already. I considered going to work this afternoon, but I don't think I'm going to push it. I'll be lazy the rest of the day while Isla is at daycare.
Speaking of daycare, things are going well there. We started earlier than expected because P's mom was having some health issues. She thought she'd need surgery so we went ahead and started ASAP. Mimi's feeling better though and Isla seems to enjoy being around other kids. We cry (ok, usually just Isla, but sometimes both of us) most mornings at drop off. This morning there was a different teacher there for early morning drop offs. Isla seemed to be familiar with her already and she just asked Isla if she needed some snuggle time to start her day. Isla went to her and was cuddling when I left. When I drew attention to the fact I was leaving, she started to pucker up a little, but Miss E just snuggled her tighter and she was fine.
I really like the 2 main teachers in Isla's class also, but I don't get to see them very often because of the way their shifts overlap. I do get to talk to them when I pick Isla up early on Fridays and my mom sees them on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Plus they make notes on Isla's daily sheet. Miss B asked if Isla plays with dolls a lot at home. She just got 2dolls for Christmas and she plays with them but not a lot yet. But apparently Isla likes to mother the little babies in her class. If their swings or bounceys stop, she goes to them and tries to push or bounce them. She wants to help give them their bottles (although she still won't hold her own!) and goes to get a teacher if one of the babies is crying and there's not a teacher right there with the baby. I think this is funny cause if Isla is fussy and we're not in the room, Speckles comes to get us.
Speaking of bottles, we decided Friday night to try to cut out her early morning bottle because she never wanted to eat breakfast. She'd have a bottle at 4:30 or 5, then not want anything to eat, but drink her juice at breakfast at daycare, then not want any lunch, take her after lunch naptime bottle, and then be starving at snack time. We took that bottle away Saturday morning and she did great! So when it was naptime, P took her with her sippy cup to go down for her nap and it worked wonderfully. But the success we had Saturday wasn't repeated Sunday or yesterday. I asked the doctor if we were trying to do too much at once and she said it sounded like we were. So we're going to leave out that early morning bottle so she'll keep eating breakfast. I'm afraid if we pushed her to give up the naptime and bedtime bottles right now, we'd end up with sleep problems and too many tears. Dr. S just says we need to get rid of the bottle by 18 months so we have plenty of time. Isla was ready to give up the daytime bottle before daycare so I expect that once she's had a little more time to adjust to being there, she'll go ahead and let that midday bottle go. Then we'll work on the nighttime bottle. Luckily, it's not really a bedtime bottle. She usually takes it at 6, then goes to bed at 7. We usually try to "top her off" with a couple more ounces of it, but we're going to stop doing that to break the association between sleeping and bottle so much. She doesn't seem to care if she has any more at that point or not anyway.
Whew--big post! But that's what's going on these days in Isla's World. More later.
Meanwhile, momma's been fighting a sinus infection. I felt pretty bad the night before the party but party day I was too distracted to be sick. Saturday night I realized how much my face hurt from the sinus pressure but Sunday I took some ibuprofen and felt great! Isla and her little friends had a play date and that was the ONLY thing I did all day. Then about 4:00, everything caught up with me and all the sudden, the sinus infection beat me. Luckily Isla had a well baby appointment yesterday so I called and asked them to pull my chart so I could be seen at the same time. The antibiotics seem to be working already. I considered going to work this afternoon, but I don't think I'm going to push it. I'll be lazy the rest of the day while Isla is at daycare.
Speaking of daycare, things are going well there. We started earlier than expected because P's mom was having some health issues. She thought she'd need surgery so we went ahead and started ASAP. Mimi's feeling better though and Isla seems to enjoy being around other kids. We cry (ok, usually just Isla, but sometimes both of us) most mornings at drop off. This morning there was a different teacher there for early morning drop offs. Isla seemed to be familiar with her already and she just asked Isla if she needed some snuggle time to start her day. Isla went to her and was cuddling when I left. When I drew attention to the fact I was leaving, she started to pucker up a little, but Miss E just snuggled her tighter and she was fine.
I really like the 2 main teachers in Isla's class also, but I don't get to see them very often because of the way their shifts overlap. I do get to talk to them when I pick Isla up early on Fridays and my mom sees them on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Plus they make notes on Isla's daily sheet. Miss B asked if Isla plays with dolls a lot at home. She just got 2dolls for Christmas and she plays with them but not a lot yet. But apparently Isla likes to mother the little babies in her class. If their swings or bounceys stop, she goes to them and tries to push or bounce them. She wants to help give them their bottles (although she still won't hold her own!) and goes to get a teacher if one of the babies is crying and there's not a teacher right there with the baby. I think this is funny cause if Isla is fussy and we're not in the room, Speckles comes to get us.
Speaking of bottles, we decided Friday night to try to cut out her early morning bottle because she never wanted to eat breakfast. She'd have a bottle at 4:30 or 5, then not want anything to eat, but drink her juice at breakfast at daycare, then not want any lunch, take her after lunch naptime bottle, and then be starving at snack time. We took that bottle away Saturday morning and she did great! So when it was naptime, P took her with her sippy cup to go down for her nap and it worked wonderfully. But the success we had Saturday wasn't repeated Sunday or yesterday. I asked the doctor if we were trying to do too much at once and she said it sounded like we were. So we're going to leave out that early morning bottle so she'll keep eating breakfast. I'm afraid if we pushed her to give up the naptime and bedtime bottles right now, we'd end up with sleep problems and too many tears. Dr. S just says we need to get rid of the bottle by 18 months so we have plenty of time. Isla was ready to give up the daytime bottle before daycare so I expect that once she's had a little more time to adjust to being there, she'll go ahead and let that midday bottle go. Then we'll work on the nighttime bottle. Luckily, it's not really a bedtime bottle. She usually takes it at 6, then goes to bed at 7. We usually try to "top her off" with a couple more ounces of it, but we're going to stop doing that to break the association between sleeping and bottle so much. She doesn't seem to care if she has any more at that point or not anyway.
Whew--big post! But that's what's going on these days in Isla's World. More later.
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Happy Birthday Baby Girl!
One year ago tonight, like down to this minute, I was in the bathroom and called out to P that I think my water broke. A few minutes later, I was still gushing and called out that I was pretty sure it broke. An hour later I was checked into the hospital....15 hours later, Isla Beth came sliding into the world. What a year!
I'm taking off work tomorrow and Isla's staying home from daycare (we started daycare last week--more on that later). Grandma is taking us shoe shopping because.....DRUMROLL, PLEASE....She took her first steps on her own Friday evening! Then we'll go to lunch with Grandma and/or Grandma and Grandpa and go see Daddy at work. Maybe we'll pick up treats to take to his coworkers.
Saturday is the big party. Really I have no clue how many people are coming. I should sit down and make a tentative list soon so I have some clue how much pasta to make and how much salad to order. I'm baking cupcakes and J is going to frost them for me and my cousin the cookie-guru (see her blog on the blogroll) is making some decorative picks for the cupcakes. She's also making bee and bear cookies. So excited--can't wait!!
I'm taking off work tomorrow and Isla's staying home from daycare (we started daycare last week--more on that later). Grandma is taking us shoe shopping because.....DRUMROLL, PLEASE....She took her first steps on her own Friday evening! Then we'll go to lunch with Grandma and/or Grandma and Grandpa and go see Daddy at work. Maybe we'll pick up treats to take to his coworkers.
Saturday is the big party. Really I have no clue how many people are coming. I should sit down and make a tentative list soon so I have some clue how much pasta to make and how much salad to order. I'm baking cupcakes and J is going to frost them for me and my cousin the cookie-guru (see her blog on the blogroll) is making some decorative picks for the cupcakes. She's also making bee and bear cookies. So excited--can't wait!!
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Sunday, December 26, 2010
Merry Christmas!
What a wonderful first Christmas for Isla! That was just enough snow yesterday morning to make everything look white without any messiness on the roads. Christmas Eve we had lunch at my Grandmas. Isla did really well around people she doesn't see often and was in a good mood while we were there. Grandma, Grandpa, and Mimi went to church with us at 4:00, then I took her and Daddy home and I went back to work in the nursery for the 6:00 service. We didn't have many kiddos though so I came back home around 6:30. Daddy had already fed Isla and given her a bath so when I got home we read Christmas stories, had a bottle and went to bed.
Isla loved opening presents Christmas morning. Her favorite part was eating the wrapping paper. P and I each had to go in to her mouth, digging for paper a few times. She loved her new toy pots and pans and her little backpack looks so cute on her! I didn't realize her little riding push toy would have so many pieces so Santa didn't think to have it put together before Christmas morning. P put it together today and J was pushing her around on it. She LOVED it!! Isla was napping yesterday when her grandparents and our neighbors came over for brunch. After our neighbors left, she got to open more presents. Last night we went to Grandma's for ever MORE presents! She got quite a haul including a ball popping machine from Mimi, books from T and T, a big teddy bear from T and K, a bee pillow pet and doll from Grandma and Grandpa, a shape sorter and a Glo Worm from K and D, and a pillow with blanket and another little toy from K...whew! I'm sure I missed some stuff. Mommy got a Garnet ring (Isla's birthstone) and an opal ring. Daddy loved the calendar of Isla pictures with Winston!
It looks like we may be starting daycare earlier than planned. I need to call tomorrow and see if she can start in a few weeks. The last time I talked to them, they had an opening as of January 17th. Isla has a doctor's appointment that day and will get shots so I don't want her to start that week but if possible, we'll let her start January 24th. Mimi may have to have surgery and not be able to babysit for several weeks. I'm excited about her starting daycare--she's definitely ready to be around other kids to play and I think the schedule will be good for her. At the same time I'm nervous about the change and how she'll do. My mom still wants to babysit some so she'll either continue to come over a couple days a week or pick her up a couple afternoons a week. If we get to start the week of the 24th, mom will plan on watching her the previous week while she's getting over her shots. Mom will also try to start her on the same schedule daycare will have her on. Daycare should make things easier weather wise this winter, but I hope it doesn't mean a winter of sickness. We have been so lucky and blessed that Isla hasn't ever really been sick.
We have lots of new pictures. I'll try to post some in a day or two.
Good night!
Isla loved opening presents Christmas morning. Her favorite part was eating the wrapping paper. P and I each had to go in to her mouth, digging for paper a few times. She loved her new toy pots and pans and her little backpack looks so cute on her! I didn't realize her little riding push toy would have so many pieces so Santa didn't think to have it put together before Christmas morning. P put it together today and J was pushing her around on it. She LOVED it!! Isla was napping yesterday when her grandparents and our neighbors came over for brunch. After our neighbors left, she got to open more presents. Last night we went to Grandma's for ever MORE presents! She got quite a haul including a ball popping machine from Mimi, books from T and T, a big teddy bear from T and K, a bee pillow pet and doll from Grandma and Grandpa, a shape sorter and a Glo Worm from K and D, and a pillow with blanket and another little toy from K...whew! I'm sure I missed some stuff. Mommy got a Garnet ring (Isla's birthstone) and an opal ring. Daddy loved the calendar of Isla pictures with Winston!
It looks like we may be starting daycare earlier than planned. I need to call tomorrow and see if she can start in a few weeks. The last time I talked to them, they had an opening as of January 17th. Isla has a doctor's appointment that day and will get shots so I don't want her to start that week but if possible, we'll let her start January 24th. Mimi may have to have surgery and not be able to babysit for several weeks. I'm excited about her starting daycare--she's definitely ready to be around other kids to play and I think the schedule will be good for her. At the same time I'm nervous about the change and how she'll do. My mom still wants to babysit some so she'll either continue to come over a couple days a week or pick her up a couple afternoons a week. If we get to start the week of the 24th, mom will plan on watching her the previous week while she's getting over her shots. Mom will also try to start her on the same schedule daycare will have her on. Daycare should make things easier weather wise this winter, but I hope it doesn't mean a winter of sickness. We have been so lucky and blessed that Isla hasn't ever really been sick.
We have lots of new pictures. I'll try to post some in a day or two.
Good night!
Sunday, December 19, 2010
So much is going on...
Dear Isla-
There's so much I want to record for you but I'd much rather spend my time playing with you and helping your explore your world than sitting here writing. There's a greeting card I bought for you months before you were born that I still haven't written in for you. There's so much to say, it won't all fit in a card. I also have the journal I try to write in for you, but momma's bad about doing that also so I'm typing a letter to you here.
I can't believe you are almost a year old! I'd been thinking about your birthday party for a long time and suddenly it's time to take action! We're going to have a big party to celebrate our first year together. I have your invitations written, the room reserved, and the menu planned. I'm typically anti-theme, but a bumble bee theme (with some bears) has come about for your party since you're momma's little Isla B(ee). Our cousin C is planning on bringing I and A to the party and will bring some of her pretty cookies too! Momma's going to try to decorate little cake balls to look like bumble bees and I'm going to make you a little bee cake all for you!
Every day is magical these days! You are exploring and learning so much! You LOVE the kitchen cabinets and Grandma gave us a stash of plastic bowls to keep in there for you to play with. Your favorites are the big ice cream pails--you have 2 and you turn them over and push them ALL over the place! Usually you're on your knees when you do this, but sometimes you get brave and push yourself up on your feet. You also love all momma's cookbooks on the bookcase in the kitchen.
You love books in general. Unfortunately you're most interested in eating them these days. I want you to LOVE books and hate to take them away from you so we try to focus on clothe books and other ones you don't destroy by chewing on them. Hopefully we can get in the habit of reading books together soon. Right now you're more interested in turning pages and chewing on corners but we keep trying.
You're also chewing on your bed these days. It's a "life long" bed so I hope that we are able to sand out your teething efforts and restain them so that you're not embarassed when you're 14 and your friends see the little baby teeth marks on your furniture.
Speaking of teeth, you have 8! I'm pretty sure at least 7 of them are all the way through. One might still be playing peek-a-boo with us. So far, you haven't had just a horrible, horrible time with the teething but you do drool terribly and chew on everything in site. But I'd rather deal with those inconveniences than have you in terrible pain with the things. You're also getting better about letting momma brush your teeth too.
Grandpa is one of your favorite people these days. You look for him whenever you hear his name and Grandma says you go looking for him when you hear him at their house. You spent the night with them for the 2nd time Friday night. I think they want you to spend the night more frequently but momma likes having you close.
"Hi" is your favorite word and has been for awhile, but "yeah" is gaining ground. You are also starting to mimic sounds--I told you to "sit down" in the bathtub the other night and you replied back "si-dow" several times. You FINALLY said "mommommommma" last night. Once. And once today.
For the past few months, we've been having play dates at our house and you're really starting to interact with the other kids. Last month you took S's pacifier out of his mouth. Today you tried to take his bottle away from him.
Oh--bottles! After how many months of trying EVERYTHING to get you to take a bottle, you've FINALLY decided you like the things. Just when it's almost time to take them away from you. Today, you saw a bottle in your diaper bag and went after it. Then S was on his mommy's lap and you tried to take his bottle. Both times I made you bottles and you gulped them down in no time. A few months ago you showed no interest in them, no matter how little you'd eaten. You still won't hold the bottle yourself very often. That's okay, momma likes holding your bottle for you.
Today you kept taking me and daddy into the bathroom. You'll even go in when it's dark in there! You lead us over to the tub--walking, holding on to our fingers--and stand there. You love your baths! The first time you did that this morning, daddy went ahead and gave you a bath. He let you play until you pooped in the tub. You've done that to momma a couple times too.
It's almost Christmas! You've been so good with the tree. We put it in the dining room this year so it wouldn't be quite so tempting. You've not bothered any of the pretty ornaments so far but there are a couple packages you keep trying to get. I want to start so many traditions--I already have your new pajamas for Christmas Eve! You wore them to see Santa this year and the pictures are adorable! Well, the ones when he walked up behind you are. Once you sat on his lap, you cried. I want to read the story of Jesus's birth to you each Christmas and take you to church Christmas Eve after taking a family picture by the Christmas tree. When you are bigger we will bake Christmas cookies, buy "angel gifts" together for others, and find ways to show others God's love.
Last weekend I found myself calling you "little girl" instead of "baby girl." I can't believe how fast time is going.
I have so many hopes and dreams for you Isla. I want you to grow up loving God and your family and thinking about others. I want you to always know how special and wonderful and beautiful and loved you are. I want you to how much joy you bring to your mommma and daddy and all your family--something I don't think I truly understood until you got here. I look at you and I am overwhelmed with love and I realize that's how Grandma feels about me. I hope you have a little baby someday so you can feel that feeling also.
It's time for momma to go to bed, my sweet Isla. I'll try to write to your more, either here or in the journal.
I love you. You'll always be momma's baby girl.
There's so much I want to record for you but I'd much rather spend my time playing with you and helping your explore your world than sitting here writing. There's a greeting card I bought for you months before you were born that I still haven't written in for you. There's so much to say, it won't all fit in a card. I also have the journal I try to write in for you, but momma's bad about doing that also so I'm typing a letter to you here.
I can't believe you are almost a year old! I'd been thinking about your birthday party for a long time and suddenly it's time to take action! We're going to have a big party to celebrate our first year together. I have your invitations written, the room reserved, and the menu planned. I'm typically anti-theme, but a bumble bee theme (with some bears) has come about for your party since you're momma's little Isla B(ee). Our cousin C is planning on bringing I and A to the party and will bring some of her pretty cookies too! Momma's going to try to decorate little cake balls to look like bumble bees and I'm going to make you a little bee cake all for you!
Every day is magical these days! You are exploring and learning so much! You LOVE the kitchen cabinets and Grandma gave us a stash of plastic bowls to keep in there for you to play with. Your favorites are the big ice cream pails--you have 2 and you turn them over and push them ALL over the place! Usually you're on your knees when you do this, but sometimes you get brave and push yourself up on your feet. You also love all momma's cookbooks on the bookcase in the kitchen.
You love books in general. Unfortunately you're most interested in eating them these days. I want you to LOVE books and hate to take them away from you so we try to focus on clothe books and other ones you don't destroy by chewing on them. Hopefully we can get in the habit of reading books together soon. Right now you're more interested in turning pages and chewing on corners but we keep trying.
You're also chewing on your bed these days. It's a "life long" bed so I hope that we are able to sand out your teething efforts and restain them so that you're not embarassed when you're 14 and your friends see the little baby teeth marks on your furniture.
Speaking of teeth, you have 8! I'm pretty sure at least 7 of them are all the way through. One might still be playing peek-a-boo with us. So far, you haven't had just a horrible, horrible time with the teething but you do drool terribly and chew on everything in site. But I'd rather deal with those inconveniences than have you in terrible pain with the things. You're also getting better about letting momma brush your teeth too.
Grandpa is one of your favorite people these days. You look for him whenever you hear his name and Grandma says you go looking for him when you hear him at their house. You spent the night with them for the 2nd time Friday night. I think they want you to spend the night more frequently but momma likes having you close.
"Hi" is your favorite word and has been for awhile, but "yeah" is gaining ground. You are also starting to mimic sounds--I told you to "sit down" in the bathtub the other night and you replied back "si-dow" several times. You FINALLY said "mommommommma" last night. Once. And once today.
For the past few months, we've been having play dates at our house and you're really starting to interact with the other kids. Last month you took S's pacifier out of his mouth. Today you tried to take his bottle away from him.
Oh--bottles! After how many months of trying EVERYTHING to get you to take a bottle, you've FINALLY decided you like the things. Just when it's almost time to take them away from you. Today, you saw a bottle in your diaper bag and went after it. Then S was on his mommy's lap and you tried to take his bottle. Both times I made you bottles and you gulped them down in no time. A few months ago you showed no interest in them, no matter how little you'd eaten. You still won't hold the bottle yourself very often. That's okay, momma likes holding your bottle for you.
Today you kept taking me and daddy into the bathroom. You'll even go in when it's dark in there! You lead us over to the tub--walking, holding on to our fingers--and stand there. You love your baths! The first time you did that this morning, daddy went ahead and gave you a bath. He let you play until you pooped in the tub. You've done that to momma a couple times too.
It's almost Christmas! You've been so good with the tree. We put it in the dining room this year so it wouldn't be quite so tempting. You've not bothered any of the pretty ornaments so far but there are a couple packages you keep trying to get. I want to start so many traditions--I already have your new pajamas for Christmas Eve! You wore them to see Santa this year and the pictures are adorable! Well, the ones when he walked up behind you are. Once you sat on his lap, you cried. I want to read the story of Jesus's birth to you each Christmas and take you to church Christmas Eve after taking a family picture by the Christmas tree. When you are bigger we will bake Christmas cookies, buy "angel gifts" together for others, and find ways to show others God's love.
Last weekend I found myself calling you "little girl" instead of "baby girl." I can't believe how fast time is going.
I have so many hopes and dreams for you Isla. I want you to grow up loving God and your family and thinking about others. I want you to always know how special and wonderful and beautiful and loved you are. I want you to how much joy you bring to your mommma and daddy and all your family--something I don't think I truly understood until you got here. I look at you and I am overwhelmed with love and I realize that's how Grandma feels about me. I hope you have a little baby someday so you can feel that feeling also.
It's time for momma to go to bed, my sweet Isla. I'll try to write to your more, either here or in the journal.
I love you. You'll always be momma's baby girl.
Monday, December 13, 2010
Saturday, November 27, 2010
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