What's Miss Annabelle doing now??

I've neglected my blog for far to long. We've been busy since Christmas, we also have a growing toddler on our hands. Since Christmas, Annabelle has learned to walk, she is also talking too. Her vocabulary has exploded in the last three months. She use to say about 5 to 10 words, now she talks all the time. Tim and I decided to make a list of all the words that she now says. I'm sure we are leaving a few off. I also like to point out a few months ago I bought some flash cards from Barnes and Noble with a gift card that we received at Christmas. These flash cards have helped out amazingly. I've tried to google them, but I'm not having much luck. I'll just describe them to you all. They are the touch and feel, first words, transportation and color cards. Onward to the list:

Daddy
Mommy: (I'm so happy to announce that finally will say this word on command)
Josie
Roscoe: but it's more like "scoe"
duck
tree
car & truck: are her favorites when we are outside
apple: her first word other then daddy
ball
bath
tomato
baby
sweater: although it's more like weter
cheese
hot dog
dog: which see says doggie
fish
Lily but it sounds ily
up
down

Okay I'm drawing a blank for more. I know there is more. I think everyone has to be a wallflower at my house and you will see. You might even be shocked at how she is. Usually in public it's the quiet, shy Annabelle, but at home, it's a whole other story. Which I'm sure is the case for many children.

It's been a long time...

It's been a long time since I've posted. We are already in 2011 and we are having lots of fun. Annabelle is growing like a weed. She just had her 15 month appointment on Friday. And she is up to 22lbs and 31 inches long. She has come a long ways from 4lbs 18.5 inches long. She is mobile now too. She has been walking for about a month now, and some days I look at her and think WOW! You'll be a teenager before I know it. Lets see her vocabulary has exploded too. Here's a list of what she is saying:

Dadda
Momma
Bush
Good
Dog
Bad
Yes
Linda (although I haven't heard her say this!)

Doctor is really impressed with her and wants her to say 1-2 new words a month. Now if we could just get through this winter and onward to spring we all would be doing wonderful. Annabelle is in the thick of flu season. She's been sick a few times, but nothing crazy, thank goodness. Mommy and Daddy are both sick now, so we hope to fight off this cold ASAP!

We are looking forward to several Birthday Parties this upcoming weekend, seeing some old friends home from Germany and and a few play dates too. Visit us soon. Hopefully I'll add some more pictures to the blog.

National Prematurity Awareness Day!

Today, November 17th is National Prematurity Awareness Day. This day is very special to me, not only because Annabelle was born seven weeks early, but for all of the other babies out there who were born too early. Being a mother of a premature child is difficult enough, not knowing what will happen, but with awareness, things can change and lives can be saved. While our NICU stay was short (praise the Lord), we still had huge out pour of love and support from not only our family and friends, but the March of Dimes too. I remember on one occasion arriving to the NICU without Tim, just wanting to see my baby. Just hoping that she had made progress over night. I would sit by her isolate hoping for her to keep fighting and praying for a speedy recovery. One of the MOD volunteers at Franklin Square, offered to take some pictures of Annabelle and I. It was small, but so meaningful to Tim and I.

Every year, half a million babies in the United States are born too soon, too small and very sick - that's 1 in every 8 babies. Since 1981, the rate of premature birth has risen 30%, and in half the cases it is not understood what went wrong. The March of Dimes is a wonderful organization who helps family in their time of need. Please share your story or check out other stories.

A year ago today my world changed forever...

Can you believe it's been a year ago since my precious girl was born into this crazy world. Her debut into this world was a crazy ride itself. I was admitted to the hospital on October 6, 2009 with high blood pressure and significant amount of weight gain. After having an U/S to check on the baby, it was confirmed that I had pre-e. A nasty disease that can cause death to both mom and baby if delivery doesn't take place. After a whirlwind of 14 crazy hours of drugs, epi's, lots of pain, Annabelle Renee was born on October 7, 2009 weighing 4lbs 10.5oz and 18.5 inches long. She spent 12 long days in the NICU. I hope to never experience that place again. Yes we made friends with the nurses, doctors and even some preemie parents. It was a scary place, a world of unknown, when any minute your life can be turned upside down. In our case we survived the NICU with lots of love and support from family, friends and care from those at Franklin Square Hospital. Tomorrow she has her 12 month appointment with her doctor, so I'll update everyone with her stats. Happy Birthday Annabelle. Mommy loves you very much.

Here's a few pictures from this morning in her Birthday Girl shirt:

Things that I've learned...

1. Wearing two hospital gowns is the way to go. Most of you know that hospital gowns open in the back, leaving you feeling a tad bit exposed. So yesterday I put on two, one opening in the back and one opening in the front. Wow, I sleep like a baby last night.

2. Saying Thank you to the nurses, they will let you do almost anything. For instance, I can take a shower every day if I want. I can now walk the halls in my cool outfit. Picture, socks, two gowns, yoga pants, girl with iv stand walking the halls. It's a sight.

3. I liked my old roommate! When I first arrived at the hospital earlier Saturday morning I placed in a room with another patient, who reminded me of my grandmother. We joked, talked about food, or food that we wanted to eat, what was on TV and life in general. She went home yesterday (Monday), I was alone for a few hours and then bam four hours later I have a new roommate. Who does the following things I can't stand: SNORES, COMPLAINS about not being about to reach the remote, SNORES, complains about the IV. Okay, I happen to over hear that she smoked like two packs a day, and so I guess that's why she SNORES. It's highly annoying. I want a new roommate. To bad I can't ask for a new room.

4. Hospital Food is not that bad! I've heard people complaining about the food. The two meals that I've eaten were yummy. Chicken w/gravy and mashed potatoes and french toast and a bowl of fruit. Those were the only two full meals I've had. I've also had several bowls of jello, pudding, chicken broth, beef broth, Italian ice. I can't wait to a crab cake sandwich.

Things we seem to take for grant!

When your stuck in a bed for days and can't be released your mind tends to think of other things you could be doing, or wish you were doing. Here are some of the things I really wish I was doing these past three days.

1. Showering
2. Eating whatever we want, when ever we want.
3. Hugging your family.
4. Using the restroom alone (not having to take your iv pole in the restroom)
5. Sharing your room
6. EATING PERIOD!

I may add more to this list later.

NOT my idea of a vacation!

Everyone has their ideal vacation planned in their head. Laying on the beach somewhere with a cold drink in their hands, heading to the mountains to hike for miles, road trip to the grandparents house. Our plans for Labor day 2010 weren't set. We talking about going hiking with Annabelle, possible cookout with friends, or just relaxing at home. Well that all changed on Friday night when I woke up with severe back pains. I walked downstairs to inform Tim that we needed to call Aunt Linda and we needed to head to the hospital. Earlier in the day we had visited the local express care in hopes of an answer and were shocked to learn that my liver levels were off the chart. They requested I get a CT scan immediately, which I did. But being that this was a Holiday weekend it didn't look promising for a quick turn around.

Off to the ER we went. After 2 hours in the ER I was admitted to the 2ND floor with gallstone attack. Saturday my day consisted of three MRI scan. The first one I spent an hour on my back, while the machine took pictures of my liver and gallbladder. They shot this dye into my IV line, hoping to get a picture of gallbladder. Well after an hour, my gallbladder decided not to participate in this test. So I was sent back up to my room. You also have to remember that I had not ate since 5:00 pm on Friday night and not had anything to drink since 11:00 p.m. I went back down for a second time for a shorter MRI scan that lasted 30 minutes, but again, the gallbladder didn't want to play. So around 3:00 p I was sent down for the third and finally time and finally the gallbladder made it's present. So I spent a total of 2 hours laying on a cold, metal bed. Finally after several hours of bitching to nurses and doctors I was able to drink my meal down. Doctor B wanted my liver enzymes levels to come down before doing surgery.

Sunday more blood was taken, levels were down to 400, and I was scheduled for another MRI scan on Monday.

Monday morning I had my blood drawn, was taken down to MRI for my 20 minute scan. This scan involved me laying in a tube for 20 minutes holding my breath every few minutes. It wasn't a fun and I really hope to never do it again. After my scan I return to my room where I had ate french toast and a fruit bowl. Then my entire world turned upset down. My blood test came back that my liver levels were working their way to the normal level. I'm at 300 today. Doc B arrived with depressing news, I wasn't going anywhere. A gallstone has lodged itself into my bile duct and before I can have my gallbladder removed I must this stone removed. I seriously lost it in front of the doctor. I've been away from Annabelle for three days and I was missing my little terribly.

Hopefully tomorrow (if they can fit me in) I will have this procedure called endoscope. This where a camera will be put down my throat, and then a dye will be injected into my iv line and then a cathered will be put down the line and remove the gallstone. I should only be in surgery for an hour, put under, and hopefully that will be it, but obviously there could be complications, of panceratis, which obviously would set back my gallbladder surgery. I really like to get out of here as soon as possible.

I could really use some prayers.