This is my life...

A blog that I read regularly did a posted yesterday called "A little bit awkward, a little big awesome". When I read the title I thought to myself that I HAD to make a blog post like this. It's a perfect description of my life!

A little bit awkward:

Showing up for my OB appointment a week before my actual appointment. The right day and right time, just a week early!

Having my daughter YELL "toot toot" in the middle of a store because someone else on the isle passed gas.

Calling my husband at work and instead of asking for SSgt Laurence I said Jonathan, then hung up from embarrassment.

Having to cross your legs when you sneeze, then looking up to see 3 other moms looking at you sympathetically. I guess I wasn't as discreet as I thought.

Having an elderly lady tell you that your daughter needs a jacket on because it's cool outside. But she DOES have a jacket on and you don't know what to say.

Tearing up and then crying during a college football game because one of the players went down.

Having a friend ask you a question that you really don't want to answer because they really don't want to know the truth.

A little awesome:

My husband getting up at 4:30 with our wide awake daughter because I tossed and turned all night.

My daughter - enough said.

Feeling a little life moving inside of me, which is, by the way, the most amazing thing ever.

Having a clean house AND being caught up on laundry. It's amazing the things that make you happy when you get older and become a mom.

Getting the exact gift we wanted for Isabella's birthday and spending $20 less than we expected! SWEET!

The fact that the hair on my legs virtually stops growing when I'm pregnant. Nothing better than that.

Putting up my Christmas tree in another 10 days! I know Thanksgiving comes first, but why can't we celebrate Thanksgiving with a beautiful Christmas tree in the background?

Having awesome friends and family, near and far, who love and support you. The life we live because of Jonathan's career is hard at times, but we have met some awesome people who have changed our lives, and that's what it's all about! And family is family! :)

So that's my awkward and awesome. Is it weird for me to blog about things other than Isabella?

To finish it off, a little awkward and a little awesome photo style.

AWKWARD!

AWESOME!

A Mental Picture

I've been a horrible picture taker. I haven't pulled out my camera nearly as much as I would like for months. I have some great pictures of Isabella in my head though and I would like to share them with you. Here they are, in no particular order:

Picture 1: The look on her face when an acorn she dropped was stolen by a squirrel. "Hey, I wanted that 'sgirl'".

Picture 2: The big smile she gets on her face when we talk about the baby. I love my mental picture of her hugging and kissing my belly.

Picture 3: Isabella standing in front of the GIANT aquarium in Atlanta staring at all the fishes with amazement.

Picture 4: My little dragon trick or treating for the first time at Boo At The Zoo.

Picture 5: Her face this morning when her Nana gave her a stoller for her babies. You would have thought someone had put a table full of cake and cookies in front of her, she was THAT happy.

There is so much I wish I could share. We're loving life right now and just enjoy our time together. It won't be too much longer and we'll have another baby to love.

Barn Owl Promitives Giveaway

I'd love this sign. It's cute, and it's British, and as you all know Isabella was born in England!

Check it out!

Do You Still Love Me?

Of course you do! I may be the world's worst blogger, but I'm the only person in the world blogging about something you all love - ISABELLA! So let's get to it.

Almost 2 months ago Isabella turned 18 months old. We took her for her well check up and everything was great! She weighed 21 lbs 7 oz, and was 31.5 inches long. Can you believe she it? She had a huge growth spurt and grew an inch in one month. Um, that's crazy! She has a fat head, that we already knew. When the doctor measured her head she said "Well, we know she has a big brain!". Love it.

She is running around, talking, singing, dancing, causing chaos, and most of all, leaving a trail of toys everywhere she goes.

She has big brown eyes that could charm the pants off of anyone. And unfortunately I think she already knows that.

She's smart.

She's independent.

Oh, yes, and she is STUBBORN!

She can say anything she wants to say, but 99% of the time she doesn't want to say ANYTHING when we want her too. Stinker.

We love the little person she is becoming, it's a miracle every day watching her grown and learn.

I love her guts.

**This pictures is from almost exactly a year ago (Jul 21, 2009 to be exact). Look how much my baby has grown!

Love Love Love

Here are a few things I love about my daughter:

• The way she smiles SO BIG when you come to get her out of bed in the morning.
• How her eyelashes seem to go on forever.
• The fact that she loves animals of all sorts.
• Her big yummy chocolate eyes.
• The way she gets sad when she sees someone cry.
• Her laugh.
• The way she sits and "reads" her books with such enthusiasm.
• How she says "sorry" by gently rubbing your face and then giving you a kiss.
• Her adorable baby curls.
• The way her lips pucker up when she is falling asleep so that you have to steal one last kiss before putting her in bed.
• Her "elbow dance".
• Her neverending willingness to share.
• The way she studies everything.
• That she is FEARLESS.

Of course I could go on and on forever! I'm so glad that I'm her mommy, I wouldn't trade it for anything.

Time Is Taking My Baby Away

Two nights ago we converted Isabella's crib to a toddler bed. Personally, I wasn't ready for the change, but Jonathan's upcoming shift change made it necessary. It may seem like a really small thing, but for me it's just another reminder of how my baby is a baby no more. Although I've spent almost every day of her life with her and watched her every move she turned into a big girl without me even knowing. The days came and went, and now my baby is almost a year and a half old. Time, it seems, is not my friend. On the bright side my beautiful baby is now a smart, funny, loving little girl. Still beautiful, but so much more too! By the way, she loves her new bed.

Her Mother's Daughter

We went to The Children's Place today to get Isabella a swimsuit. Because we weren't going to be very long Jonathan carried her in, we didn't bother with a stroller. When we got to the section that has the clothes for her size she wanted down. The first thing she did was ran over to some shoes and said "cute"! That's my girl!

This picture has nothing to do with the shopping, but it was taken today and it's CUTE! See, I really am trying to be a better blogger.

Isabella Is 17 Months

Isabella never had a 15 month appointment because she was sick and on antibiotics for most of March which pushed her 15 month appointment to yesterday, the day before she turned 17 months old. The appointment went well despite having to wait forever because there was only one doctor and one RN working! Isabella is 30.5 inches tall (I don't think she was standing up straight, but who knows?) 25th percentile, they said she is falling to the short side which is weird because she has always been kind of tall. No worries though, because I'm short and Jonathan is no giant. She weighs 21 lbs, between 10th - 25th percentile, which is where she has always been. And her head is 18 1/4" which is the 50th percentile, again, kind of where it has always been. If you are wondering, she gets that melon from her Daddy.

The nurse was wowed by how good a patient Isabella was, and the doctor too. When they stuck her finger she didn't even flinch. She was amazed by the blood and loved watching it flow from her finger. She even smiled as she watched it travel up the little tube that they use to test for lead. She was so well behaved while she was being examined. The doctor was impressed and said we have a very laid back little girl. She was in and out in a flash, she said it usually takes her twice as long because the kids fight and won't be still. That's our good girl! Everything was fine with Isabella, she is perfectly health! The only concern was that Isabella hasn't been on vitamins and she should have been for the past 5 months. We didn't know this, of course, and the doctor who saw her at her 12 month appointment didn't mention it at all. So glad we decided to switch doctors. She had to get 2 shots, and although she did cry a little, it didn't last long, not even a minute. Because she was such a good patient the nurse gave her two "treasures" which pleased Isabella so much she blew the nurse a kiss.

I meant to talk to the doctor about potty training but forgot. Isabella is showing a lot of signs that she is ready to start, so we are going to take a very laid back approach and see what happens. I would love to have her potty trained before the next baby arrives (no, I'm not pregnant, yet!), but we aren't pushing it. She is a smart girl, she will let me know when its REALLY time. I cant remember if I posted it here or not, but one time last week Isabella asked to sit on the potty and she actually used it as soon as she was on it! I'm so proud of my big girl!

This picture has nothing to do with the appointment, it's just here for your viewing pleasure!

A Conversation With Isabella

Me: Isabella do you like your new shirt?

Isabella: No

Me: It's pretty!

I: NO

Me: You're wearing it.

I: No thanks.

Me: Don't tell your mama no.

I: fake crying

Me: You're wearing the shirt Isabella.

I: Okay.

We Went On An Edventure

Yesterday we took Isabella to the Edventure Children's Museum in Columbia. We had a great time! I was a little worried that Isabella would be too young, but she was really into it. She got to do all kinds of things, like play music, learn about Africa, go grocery shopping, drive a firetruck, learn about building homes, and so much more! She even got to "ride" on a John Deere tractor which made her screech in delight. It was a very busy day, so busy she slept through the night. I think we'll go there more often if it can get her to sleep that well! ;)

Isa's New Shoes

Isabella recently got new shoes, they were on sale!

My Daughter The Fish

Isabella is IN LOVE with water. In June we are taking swimming lessons, and I'm sure she will do great. She isn't afraid of the water at all, a natural swimmer. Here she is playing in a pool when we were in GA for Easter.

Absence Makes the Heart Grow Fonder

I'm a slacker, I have neglected my blog and for that I apologize. (Blame Facebook, seriously, I'm always on there.) There is no way I can recap everything that has happened in the past, we'll say "few", months. I don't even know where to start so I here is the Cliff's Notes of December - now.

• We spent Christmas in Florida with Jonathan's family, something we had never done. We had a great time seeing everyone and Isa got to meet a lot of her extended family. Isabella really enjoyed her gifts and got way too spoiled. A special THANK YOU to Aunt Rhonda and Uncle David for sharing their rented vacation home with us. We had a late Christmas with my side of the family after. Again, SPOILED!
• In January I had a chance to reconnect with one of my friends that I hadn't seen in 8 or 9 years! Jenny, her son and her boyfriend moved to SC about the same time we did, how cool! It was great to see Jenny again and to meet her baby and boyfriend. We had a great time playing. Isabella LOVES baby Alex and he loves her too. My Jonathan and Your Jonathan, as we have named them, have a lot in common, they have had a few good video game sessions since then. They have a lot in common, its almost scary.
• In February Jonathan had a lot going on at work so Isabella and I went to visit my family for a week. We had a good time visiting, I especially loved the naps! It snowed while we were gone and Jonathan didnt get to enjoy it because of work. Sore subject...moving on. In Febuary we also took Isabella to the zoo for the first time. She really loves the animals and being outside. She gets it honestly.
• March, oh March. Isabella was sick and on medication most of March. RSV followed by an ear infection. Two courses of antibiotics and 2 weeks of breathing treatments and we all somehow came out of it with our sanity. Isabella did not get her shots or have her 15 month check up because she was sick.  And finally in March we were very happy to hear that Jonathan's colonoscopy showed no signs of Colitis! Everything went fine with the procedure, there were no polyps, and the labs all came back normal. Great news! I've taken on yet another crafty hobby...sewing. So far I've made three adorable pillows. If I ever get a free second I'm going to start working on a little dress for Isabella. I have always wanted to learn how to sew, and I am finally working to make it happen. I'm teaching myself so I'm probably doing it all wrong, but I am determined to learn.
• Now it's April and Spring is definitely here even though it feels so much like British Summer. Isabella and I are spending time outside every day! We're in heaven! We are considering planting some strawberries or herbs, but I'd hate to get attached just to watch them die.We spent Easter in GA and out little eagle eye found 4  eggs that were hidden for the big kids and all the eggs that were for her.We don't have a lot of plans for the rest of this month, but we definitely have a busy summer ahead of us.

Since my last post Isabella started walking and promptly started running. She is always on the go and most of the time it's so much fun. She is a great "helper", and loves doing anything we're doing. She is talking now and always has something to say. She still babbles a lot, but she can say almost anything when she wants to. It's amazing when your child promptly repeats something that just came out of your mouth. Time to be careful with what we say! She'll be telling all our secrets soon. All in all Isabella is a sweet, energetic, social butterfly.

We have finally settled in here in Sumter, and into our home. ALL BOXES UNPACKED! We are loving life and feel so blessed to back in the states and so close to our families. I promise that I will do my best to keep this blog updated with stories, pictures and videos. I won't be here every day, but I promise it won't be months again.