Isabella does NOT like Santa. LOL

We took Isabella to the mall last night to see Santa and get her picture taken. I walked up to Santa, holding Isabella, and she seemed fine. She "shook" his hand and didn't freak out, so I put her on his lap. The moment she felt my arms leave her, she was NOT happy! She cried full on. I felt so bad! When I took her back, she CLUNG to me. She wouldn't even let Jeff take her (and I was the one who gave her to Santa!LOL). We tried a second time (there was nobody else there), but she was having none of it.

We got the picture anyway, and it's pretty cute, even though she is crying. But isn't that what most kids do the first time they meet Santa?

R.I.P. Sophie

My godmother had to put her 16 year old dog to sleep today. Sophie was a wonderful, loving member of our family, but she was in pain from old age. She couldn't get up off the floor by herself, she slept most of the time, and she was in a lot of pain from arthritis most days. My godmother made the tough, heartrending decision to let her best friend go in peace.

Rest in peace, Sophie. We love you, and we will miss you.

What a Weekend!

We had an awesome, interesting and, for one moment, terrifying, weekend.

Yesterday was Halloween, and the day of Jeff's physical fitness test for the Correctional Officer Program. He did very well on the test, and goes back on Thursday for the Oral Board. I really hope it goes well, although the academy isn't until April (unlike January, like we thought). He also found a good job posting for a maintenance man that he is going to apply for. We're keeping our fingers crossed for that one because it would be a really great position.

Our Halloween, and Isabella's first, was awesome. We spent some time over at our friends' houses (First Tammie's and then Briana's). That was a lot of fun, and everyone oohed and aahed over Isabella fairy costume. When we got home, my godmother and my friend Mandy came over to hang out, watch movies, eat pizza, and hand out candy. Our friends Jeff and Julie stopped by to see Isabella in her costume, since Julie made the tutu and wings.

My brother got here late last night. He and my dad have moved in with us for the time being. Travis showed up last night in time to eat some pizza and watch a little tv with me while Jeff went to bed. LOL.

Right before he got here was our terrifying moment. Isabella started to choke on a ribbon from her tutu that had fallen off. I froze, we all froze. Luckily, our neighbors were here and they didn't freeze. Mike got it out of her, and everything was fine...if entirely scary.

Isabella had a pretty rough day today. Just generally not feeling great. We skipped church this morning because she was really cranky and just wanted Mommy to hold her. After Travis unloaded the truck, we went to lunch. Sonoran hot dogs are super yummy.

Jeff, Isabella and I then went to our friend Julie's surprise birthday party. It was a lot of fun. Steak, tamales, salad, cake, a bunch of cute three year olds running around, and Julie's look of utter shock when she walked in and we shouted "SURPRISE!" It was a great party.

My dad got here right after we left, so we saw him when we got home. Not that any of us stayed up long. My dad is in bed, Jeff is close to bed, and I am going to get ready as soon as I finish typing this. I guess we're a bunch of old fogeys. LOL.

Happy Halloween!

We've had a lot of fun this month with all of the Halloween activities we have done. We went to a pumpkin patch, last weekend we went to the Zoo Boo, and last night we went to the Halloween Howl at Colossal Cave.

The Zoo Boo was a lot of fun! Isabella wasn't scared at all, and they had a lot of cool decorations. The Halloween Howl wasn't as much fun. It was freezing, and there wasn't a lot to do unless you had kids over the age of 3 or 4. We had some food, hung out with some friends, and packed it and came home.

Tonight will be tons of fun! Later this afternoon, we're going to take Isabella around to some friends'. When we get home, Grandma and my friend Mandy are coming over to hang out, hand out candy, eat some pizza, and watch some movies. Looking forward to it!!

9 months old today!

It's hard to believe that Isabella is 9 months old today! Where did the time go? I feel like it was just yesterday that she was a tiny thing that just slept all the time. :D Now she's a talking, almost walking, into everything, bundle of energy. She is the joy in my life.

She also got her first owie today. Took a header into her toy box. She's just fine; a tiny little scrape above her right eyebrow. It scared her more than anything.

We hung out with Grandma today. Got a lot of Grandma's Christmas shopping done. Isabella is such a good baby when it comes to shopping. She will sit in the cart, play with her toys, smile at everyone and anyone, and hardly ever gets cranky. Even when she misses her nap. We were gone practically all day today, and then I laid her down when we got home. She rolled over and went right to sleep.

Then we went over to our friends' house for dinner. We had yummy homemade macaroni and cheese, and were entertained by the enthusiastic Chloe. A really good evening...one all of us needed.

Now Isabella is fast asleep, Jeff is asleep, and I am debating over watching a little tv, playing Bejeweled, or going to bed...

First Word!

Isabella said her first clear word this weekend! And the winner is: MAMA!! That's right: Isabella says Mama. A lot. Haha. I think Jeff might be a tiny bit jealous, but we are both so excited that she said her first word. And she occassionally says it in my direction, as if she knows I am mama. 4 days short of her 9 month birthday, she speaks. LOL.

What a Week!!!!!!

Wow...I think this past week has literally been the worst week I can remember in a very long time. It started last Sunday night. After the great day at the pumpkin patch, Isabella bonked her head on the coffee table. Luckily she was fine. She had developed a cough over the preceding few days and Sunday night she coughed so badly that she ended up throwing up quite a bit. We couldn't get ahold of her pediatrician, so we went to the ER. 4 excruciating hours and one nasty nurse later, we were sent home after being told she has a cold and to follow up with her doctor. So, we all got to go to bed at 2:30 am Monday morning.

Aside from being tired, I felt fine all of Monday, while Jeff felt like he was coming down with a cold. All that changed Monday night. I woke up in the middle of the night and spent the next 6 hours sick to my stomach. It was horrible. I thought morning sickness had been bad!

I basically slept all of Tuesday while Jeff took care of Isabella. He had to take her to her doctor's appointment (follow up to the ER). Her doctor said she was fine, she just had a touch of a cold. I, on the other hand, felt like I had been run over by a semi, repeatedly.

Wednesday I felt a bit better, but Jeff felt awful. Horrible cough and sore throat. So he spent most of Wednesday and Thursday in bed. Isabella seemed better. And then Thursday evening she coughed so hard she threw up again, so her pediatrician asked us to bring her in. And hour and a half of waiting in the exam room later, she tells us it's a cold and she got in a new tooth (now she has 4 on the bottom) so the combination of mucus and excess saliva made her vomit. It's normal. Thanks for making me wait so long to hear that. Sheesh.

All of felt better yesterday. And Jeff actually got a part time job doing labor yesterday! Yeah!! It's better than having no money for the next 2 weeks. This whole unemployment thing is really taking a toll.