Picture post by request

I took her favorite toy away--the TV remote!
fresh and clean after a bath

I told you she liked the remote. See the smile ?

I just love the profile views.

As soon as I figure out the Kodak Gallery versus Picture Gallery on windows I'll post more. The Kodak Gallery isn't an option when I click on "browse" to upload a picture.

1 year and 1 week update

Isabella LOVES to get in or under things. She takes everything off the shelf and climbs in the entertainment center. She sometimes tries to get on the next shelf up. She's a climber.I got a new camera for Christmas and software came with it. Well , one of the editing choices is "cartoon". On the Kodak gallery, the picture REALLY looks almost painted--kinda "cartoonish". It doesn't quite look that way here but I'm leaving the picture on here. Between getting a new computer and new software, I'm going crazy trying to figure all this stuff out.

On to better things.....Isabella went to the doctor for her 1 year check-up. She's doing great and her ears are clear again but she still has a little stuffy nose. So in my experience, her ears won't be clear for long. Anyway, after turning a year old, she seems to have changed over night. She's taken some steps. She can also stand up from a seated position. Baby food doesn't seem to satisfy her enough. I've been trying green beans, sliced (cooked) carrots, bananas, and fruit cocktail and she loves it all. I think she would rather have the chunky stuff. She's also learned how to give kisses. Very sweet I must say. She's been sleeping better. She has gotten up in the night a few times but I think she slept 5 nights in a row without waking up. She's still a "people person" and she seems to catch everyone's eye. I'll try to do a bigger picture post tomorrow.

Just a few pics

Is this not the SWEETEST picture?! She's giving Alex a hug.
She's playing peek-a-boo

Playing peek-a-boo with the blanket.

Isabella's 1st birthday!!

She liked the bows and paper too
Alex made that candle at school and HAD to use it!

Diggin' into the cake

More please!

Look at my icing mustache

This is sooooo much fun

What a mess! It's everywhere!

I forgot to rotate this one. There's even cake on her butt!

Yesterday was Isabella's birthday but we didn't celebrate until today. She seemed to enjoy opening her gifts and playing with the paper and bows as much as the toys. She didn't know what to think about the cake. This is the first time she's had something sweet like cake. I don't know how much actually went into her mouth since it seemed to be everywhere else. She had fun trying to eat it though. I hope she doesn't wake up with an upset tummy. She went straight to the sink for a bath when she got done. All in all, it was much better than Christmas when she was throwing up everywhere. I got tons of pics and video tonight unlike Christmas. Looking at these pictures, she's grown so much since we brought her home a few months ago. She looks older, her hair is longer and she has 4 more teeth. I think she's on her way to get 2 more.

That brings me to a plea for advice if anyone has any. I've posted about this before I think but it seems to be ongoing. Here's the deal....When we brought Isabella home, she was sleeping 12 hours a night without waking up. After about 2 months she started waking up once in the night. I would change her, give her a bottle, and she would go back to sleep. I thought she was teething. Well, she's STILL waking up once in the night. Even after her teeth came in. She doesn't stay up very long. I've tried letting her cry--doesn't work. She just cries harder. I've tried a warm room, cool room, night light, no night light, nothing seems to work. Any ideas from anyone? My other 3 kids were great sleepers and I don't remember them doing this or else I just blocked it out like a bad memory! It wouldn't be so bad if my alarm clock didn't go off at 4:30 every morning to go to work.

Well, enjoy the pictures. Blogger was nice tonight and let me load them all with no problems!

My look back at 2007

A lot of you have been posting about your memories of 2007. I've been thinking and thinking about what to post. My post won't be as eloquent as some of yours but here goes.....

Isabella was born on January 11th and we got her referral on January 15th. Of course we said yes on the spot. That one 3-letter word changed our lives forever. After Jan 15th, EVERY waking moment and sometimes dream moments were spent thinking about Isabella. How do I finish the paperwork? Am I doing it right? What's taking so long? Waiting, oh the waiting!! WHEN is she coming home? Who keeps changing the rules? Will she adjust ok? Will she love us like we love her?

I admit that I had "tunnel vision" most of the year. Allen and the kids got put on the back burner. I'm really sorry about that but Allen knows when I get something in my head, I don't stop. I don't think I drove anyone else crazy, just myself. We went to visit Isabella in April. I don't think anything would have kept me away. It was all I needed to make her seem real and to fall in love with her even more. The visit trip is the only thing I remember from Jan 15th to Sept 4th, when we found out at 4:30 in the AFTERNOON that we had to fly out the next morning to get our little Isabella!

That night when we got her in our arms, everything fell into place. She was ours! She DID love us as much as we loved her. We were her parents and she was our daughter. That 9 months of a blurr of worrying, paperwork, and daydreaming paid off. Nothing else mattered. It's kinda like having a baby and it's so painful but after the birth, you forget the pain. Everything it took to get her here just faded away in my mind. It's like she was ours from the moment she was born. I truly can't remember or imagine life without her. Now my life revolves around 4 kids. I can now relax and enjoy every moment and make up for putting them all to the side for a while. I know my kids are ok with it. They love Isabella so much and they are so glad she's home where she belongs. I love sharing her story with strangers if they ask. It doesn't bother me a bit. So many people comment about her that it's hard to get through a meal at a restaurant. That's okay--we love to show her off!

The one thing I will always remember about Guatemala is spending time every day with Isabella's foster family. That was priceless and we will always cherish the memories, pictures, and video we have. They will always be a part of our family. We still keep in touch which is so important to me. I love them very much and Isabella wouldn't be the wonderful little girl she is without them in her life.

This is getting kinda long so I'll end here. Bottom line-- Isabella was my 2007.