A Year in Review: A Look Back at 2009

The year 2009 had many ups and downs for our little family. Here's a look back at everything we've been through this year...

January:
*Isabella rolled over for the first time.
*Jason celebrated 2 years with Kellermyer.

February:
*Isabella started saying "hi."
*She sitting up on her own.
*I started working part-time so I could spend more time with Bella.

March:
*We took our first trip out to Phoenix, AZ to see Aunt Donna and Uncle Jim.
*Bella learned to clap her hands, and she started scooting across the floor on her bottom.
*She said DaDa and Nana.

April:
*Isabella started crawling and pulling herself up. She would walk around while holding on to things.
*She said Mama.

May:
*We watched the triplets graduate from high school.

June:
*This was a rough month. We lost Grandpa and then a few days later I lost another dear friend.
*We helped Ann and Nellie celebrate their first birthdays!
*Isabella got her first tooth.

July:
*We went on a family vacation to Hilton Head Island, SC.
*Isabella played in the ocean for the first time!

August:
*We celebrated Isabella's first birthday with a princess party!
*She started walking.
*Bella had her first surgery. A week before her birthday she had tubes put in her ears.

September:
*I celebrated my 29th birthday.
*I had surgery for endometreosis and cysts on my ovaries.
*We had a great time at the Longanecker's annual Blueberry party!

October:
*I had a small surprise party for Jason to celebrate his 29th birthday!

November:
*We hosted our first Thanksgiving in our home.
*Isabella got MRSA and was really sick. It caused me plenty of stress!

December:
*We had a great Christmas and enjoyed all the family time we had!!
*Isabella had her second surgery. She ended up with an absess on her bottom from the MRSA. She had to have it lanced opened, drained and packed.
*After completing treatment, we thought she was on a successful road to recovery. The MRSA is starting to come back. Bella is on a second round of antibiotics and they feel this should get rid of it before it gets to the point it did last time.

Here's looking forward to 2010! We are hoping the new year will be good health and happiness to us all!!

Until next year...

Christmas Slide Show

Bella's First Performance

At church on Sunday December 20, Bella participated in her first performance. Pappy took her up front for Children's Message. After the message, they had the kids performed "Jingle Bells" by playing bells. So Pappy got to help Bella play. She was definately enjoying the attention. We were able to capture a few pictures because I happened to throw the camera in the diaper bag as we were walking out the door for church.

Until next time...

A Standeford Family Christmas

Yesterday, we ventured down and spent the day in Monrovia to celebrate Christmas. We had a great time hanging out, ate some good food (and awesome cookies, Thanks Rox!), Bella got to open up her gifts from everyone, and Ann and Nellie opened their gifts from us. The girls had a lot of fun tearing into their presents! Afterwards, we dressed the three girls up in their Christmas dresses and attempted to take their picture. They weren't really having it. I'm not sure if between me, Rachel, or Roxanne, if any of us got a decent picture, but the girls definately looked cute. Enjoy...

Until next time...

Everything is A-Okay

Bella went for her follow-up with the surgeon the other day. What an experience that afternoon was? She had an appointment at the rehab center at 3:15. They knew she was going to the surgeon that afternoon so they took a picture of the wound and measurements so he wouldn't take off her new dressing. Then, they cleaned it all up, repacked it, and dressed it. Her appointment with the surgeon was at 4:00 and right down the hallway. So we just headed on down to the surgeon's office when we were done. We got there at 3:45. We waited...and waited...and waited. Any of you who have toddlers know how much fun it is to wait in a doctor's office for an appointment. In the mean time, Bella pooped and of course I didn't have any of my emergency dressing for her bottom with me. I wasn't planning on being at the doctor that long. Thankfully I had a diaper and wipes though. By 5:00, we finally got back to see the surgeon.

I gave all the paperwork to his nurse, including the picture, thinking we would be in and out of there. RIGHT!! First thing he asked when he came in the room is if she got a balloon. I told him no not yet. Next thing I know, he's blowing up a rubber glove and tying it for her. I'm thinking in my head, "Dude, we just sat in your waiting room for almost an hour and a half and here you are making a stupid balloon out of a glove!" Next, he takes off her new dressing. She only had it on for a couple hours!! He threw it all away, including a piece of silver foam that probably cost us a fortune and that they are using to speed up the healing process. He tells me they are using way too much tape, she's getting irritation (you'll see the humor in this shortly) and that I should just put panties on her to hold it in place. She is not potty trained! She doesn't wear panties!

So he looks at the wound and is pleased at how it is healing. He says she won't have to come back to see him but to continue at the rehab center. Then he slaps a piece of gauze on top of it and adheres it with a piece of tape at least 6 inches long (are you as confused as I was...lol).

That was my exciting afternoon on Tuesday. I think I got a few gray hairs now!! At least we got a good report. Also, they decided at the rehab center that she only has to come every other day now!! Which is great! We are finally on the road to getting our normal life back!! YIPPEE!

Until next time...

Bella's Surgery

As most of you know, Bella contracted MRSA and ended up getting an abcess on her bottom. I took her to her doctor on Tuesday and he sent us right over to a surgeon to look it over and set up a time to have it lanced open and drained. Due to the size, her doctor didn't feel comfortable doing it right there in the office. She had to have general anestetic, so they did the procedure as outpatient surgery. The surgeon set it up for Wednesday morning at 6:30 am. Daddy snapped some pictures with his cell phone while we waited.

The surgery went well and Bella was excited to come home. The worst part was taking her back the following day to physical therapy so they could change the packing and dressing. The outer hole is probably the size of a nickel and the inner hole is about the size of a golf ball. I had to hold her down on her tummy whille they pulled out the old packing and put in the new. She screamed and cried the whole time. It was the worst thing I've experienced yet as a mommy. I'm hoping the healing process will go quickly and our poor little princess will be back to her normal silly self!!! Until next time...

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

The other day we dug out our Christmas decorations and got to work. We turned on the holiday music to get us in the mood. Isabella had fun helping me go through all the decorations. She would hand me ornaments as I would put them on the tree. We got our stockings hung on the fireplace, Bella's "Little People" manger scene (an early present from Ann and Nellie) set up, my decorations throughout the kitchen, and we even got lights hung outside this year!! It's really starting to put me in the Christmas spirit.

Our Mess

Bella helping out

Mommy, this looks like a good spot

The finished product

The stockings are hung

Bella's manger scene

We even went shopping the other day and got most of Isabella's Christmas shopping done. We have a few more things to get and some stocking stuffers and we'll be all done. I'm excited to have most of our shopping done with 3 weeks left!! Until next time...

Thanksgiving Squared

This year we celebrated two Thanksgivings, one in Plymouth and one in Crawfordsville. The first one was on Thanksgiving Day. We hosted our very first Thanksgiving at our house. We had a really nice turn out. My mom and Dad, Jenn, Justin, Randy, Mechelle, Austyn, Clyde, Steph, Kasey, Korey, and my mom's good friend Alice came. Also, Kurt and Lauren and the kids stopped by for a surprise visit. It was so nice getting to spend time with the family. We had so much good food to eat. I was quite proud of myself. I made twice baked potatoes, gooey chocolate caramel cake, and a cherry and pumpkin pie (actually Sara Lee made them, I just put them in the oven.) Isabella enjoyed all the time she got to spend with her cousins.

Our second Thanksgiving was the following Saturday at Papaw Waltz's house in Crawfordsville. We headed down Friday afternoon and spent the night with John, Rachel, and the girls. Then Saturday we went to Papaw's to spend time with the family and celebrate Thanksgiving. It was nice seeing family that we haven't seen in quite some time. Unfortunately Bella wasn't feeling too well so she was kind of grouchy. She did love playing with Ann and Nellie. It was fun watching the three girls play. It's crazy how fast they've grown.

We are so thankful for our families and the time we got to spend with them. Until next time...