3 Year Home Sweet Home

Ok be prepared lots of Bella pics of her Summer Time fun... It is hard to believe it has been 3 years since we brought home our tiny little girl. So since I have not updated in a while lets get you all up to date on the Bella Baby.

Lets start with this little girl since day one has had a mind of her own even on her due date. And she still does. She does everything in her own time and when she wants to do it. Down to potty training, we have had a battle of the minds on this one and so far no luck. She knows the potty, she loves her princess panties, she does not hate the potty but she does not really want to be potty trained just yet. LOL She talks like crazy. In three years we never made a trip to the ER for healthy issues, but this summer she got a new princess chair and managed to fall backwards out of chair and hit the back of her head. We called 911 because she had what seemed to be a seizure. EMT's said she seemed fine and had us take her in. Doc at ER confirmed she is ok. Seizure like symptom was an over stimulation of nerves causing muscle contraction. She is ok and is her normal self. mom and dad on the other hand were a nervous wrecks! Once we got back for the doctor to check her out first thing she asked him was for chicken. This summer we took her to the beach. She loved it lucky for us we have her big brother who takes her to do things that we might not do like go in the ocean. LOL She loved the big waves knocking her down, she just got back up and waited for the next one.

I also spent my first long weekend away from her in three years. We made a trip to Houston to pick up her big brother it was nice to get away for a weekend just the three of us. We love our Bella but we were three for so long that it was nice to just be three for a short time. She loves all things princess, this is her reading a bedtime story to her baby.

She spent the weekend with her Aunt Misty and Uncle Joey and got in to Graycie's polish and did her own toe nails.

This was after we spent the day in the ER, we took her to Chili's to feel better. As you can tell sprite & mac/cheese made everything better

Happy Late Mother's Day

0....1....2....3

“I knew you before I formed you in your mother’s womb. Before you were born I set you apart and appointed you as my prophet to the nations.”

“O Sovereign Lord,” I said, “I can’t speak for you! I’m too young!”

The Lord replied, “Don’t say, ‘I’m too young,’ for you must go wherever I send you and say whatever I tell you. And don’t be afraid of the people, for I will be with you and will protect you. I, the Lord, have spoken!” Jeremiah 1:4-8

Bella's 3

So I decided that this will be my last Bella's post for a while probably not another one for a year. But don't worry she will make apperances on my other blog ;)

I could take a long time telling everyone who reads my blog that Bella is the love of my life and that I can't imagine spending the day without her even when I do take a break after an hour I can't wait to get back to her and I spend that whole time wondering what she is doing. I think instead I will just share some picutres with you all of Bella's past 3 years.

So Bella has come a long way from the 15oz 3 years ago
1st Year











2nd Year

My little Junk Baby

In case anyone was wondering if Bella has become a real Trashette the proof is in the boots.

She loves her pink Junk Gypsy T-shirt and her pink Cat Daddy Cowgirl boots. Not to mention some silver spoons. She is becoming just another member in the Talking Trash Family.

3/9/09 23 weeks 1 day Bella's survival rate jumped from 10% to 53% this is probably because most hospitals do not consider 22 weeks to be viable yet and for our hospital under 24 weeks it is the parents choice to put them on the vent. We had to choice to put Bella on the vent.

Among babies born alive at 22 weeks, fewer than 10% survived; at 23 weeks, 53% survived;

Last Day

Today was our last day of therapy with ECI. Seems like it was just yesterday we started I can't believe we are three years later and done. I can't imagine not having the help from all the therapist at ECI over the last three years. They are the one thing that helped keep me from going crazy.


So lets talk about Bella, well she will be 3 next week can you believe it this time three years ago I had no clue what I was having and was in the hospital trying to cook a baby girl.

Today it is three years later and we are 5 days away from her 3rd birthday. A birthday that doctors told us we would never have, not a 1st, not a 2nd and never a 3rd birthday. Doctor said we should never put her on the vent because if we did we would never get a chance to hold her alive. Last night our crazy little girl woke up at 3am and knocked on her door and said "momma come mer". And before I put her back to bed I held her. Everyday that we wake up and get to hold her I thank God for that day.

3/8/09 22 weeks 6 days... I was told not a viable baby. A micro preemie born before 23 weeks gestation has no chance of survival to 10%.


Today before I put her down for a nap she said I love You.

10 Years

10 years ago today I said I do. I said I do to a wonderful caring man and a perfect little 6 year old boy. Our 10 year journey may be one filled with lots of bumps in the road and some heartache but I always remember how truly blessed I am to have these two men in my lives and I wouldn't have it any other way. On this day I try to remember the vows we took 10 years ago. No one ever thinks about the for worse only the for better. Marriage is so much more than just good times; I am grateful for the strong family the lord has blessed me with to be able to weather the storms.

3 years ago on our 7 year anniversary our whole word was almost riped apart by the word viable. This week I have yet again been reminded of how great our God is and how blessed I am.

My son Brandon is one of the strongest 16 year old kids I know. He has had more heartache than most of us adults have in a life time and he walk strong and does not dwell in his swore, his mother would be so proud of the amazing job she did to raise such a young man.

This week he asked me to print a paper for him for school and as I was printing it I saw that it was a paper that started out with him talking to his mom so I saved it to read later. Little did I know this story was about his journey 3 years ago and what it was like for him. As I read the paper I also got word that a very good family friend had given birth to her son at 30 weeks just 3 oz under 3lbs. So as I am reading this and getting this news it brought back so many memories of our own journey. I think some times it is nice to have a good cry and remember just how much God has given me. My tears are of the great gifts I have been blessed with. The two children God has blessed me with to raise who love each other more than anything else. A husband that supports my dreams to be home to care for our family.

I am so grateful for all that God has given me.

Busy....Busy.....Busy

The next few months for us is crazy. February my husband and I will be married for 10 years. Seems like we just got married and now 10 years has passed. So what do you get for 10 years together well I tough I wanted a new ring and then I decided I don't need a ring as much as I need a new building for my new business I am running out of room in the garage and running over into the house with my vintage wedding photography props and need a space to keep my clutter organised. Or he could get me new cowboy boots this would be handy for upcoming Zapp Hall right!!!! Guess we will see what I get. Owe and I also asked for a bunny. LOL I would love chickens but we don't really live in the country; plus the fear of snakes makes me think that a good idea.

It is also getting closer and closer to Bella's 3rd birthday.. Big plans I am SO excited about it. 20 children 5 and under. :0 She had a small first birthday a big 2nd birthday but this will be her first party with so many kiddo's. Wish me luck I will post more details as they come.

So lets see Bella is going strong
She is a crazy 2 year old
We just transition her to her crib converted to a toddler bed, this was the big task we have ever had with her. I think this was harder than the 5 months in the NICU. She wanted nothing to do with the toddler bed we bought her so we then tried decided to convert her crib and see how she did. It was not easy but easier than the toddler bed. So now we have a new toddler bed that we spent an hour putting it together just to have to take it apart.
she is talking like crazy..
We are thinking about putting her in preschool soon two days a week she has a lot of energy she needs to run off with some other 2 year old.
We finish with ECI in March.

She loves her Wheeler....


And painting..

Stationery card- Bella's 3rd Birthday

Giddy Up Pink Birthday Invitation

Shutterfly has unique and fun birthday party cards.

View the entire collection of cards.

Bella's 3rd birthday is just around the corner, can you believe it she will be 3 does not seem like it has been 3 years. Found these cute invitations on shutterfly will have to get some of these

Christmas 2011

Christmas Morning (Brandon and Bella)

Uncle Joey (AKA Joey Angry Bird Game)

Nana (showing off her gift from Pop)Bella's Great Grandpa, Great Aunt Judy, Great Uncle James and Pop at our christmas dinner

Pop and Nana

Bella open her Santa Gifts

By the time Christmas Morning came around Bella had the gift open down. It is crazy how fast they learn how to open presents. She got some gifts before Christmas from her Great Uncle & Great Aunt and Great Grandpa that I let her practice on first. They took her some time to open but then by Christmas Eve when we got to Nana's to open she got the whole open present down and once she was done with her gift began to open Graycie's good thing Graycie is crazy about her. I did each of the kids a tree this year that we did not put out till Christmas Eve and under that was there gifts from Santa. As Brandon is 16 I had to put more time into the idea I had for his tree. I started by getting Kiss Christmas lights and ornaments and then I found a lava lamp ornament at Hobby Lobby. Then to fill in I went online and found different classic rock band concert poster images and printed them tiny and put them on card stock. I think he liked it as he asked if he could keep it all year in his room. Bella's tree was done in candy and cupcakes and it was pinks and greens. Loved the colors once it all came together.

Most of you know my mom says she is not crafty but growing up I remember her Christmas tree not being the Department store trees they are today and not filled with ornaments we had made her. I guess they were the start of her Dept store trees. She made bows and then made ornaments out of small mirrors she got in the homecoming mum store and some red ribbon. To us it looked like she had spent 100's on her tree, the same fake white tree went up every year and was retired this year after 30 years of severs to our family. But it is not in a garage sale it is stored in my parents christmas building, thats right I said building. Not attic or garage building. This spring my mom said we will be pulling everything out and have ourselves a family day and she will hand down some of her christmas stuff to us. In later years the bows, fruit and mirror were replaced with Hallmark ornaments, now they hallmark ornament are replaced with new things for the grad kids