Attitude With Gratitude

I know I am supposed to be showing y'all all the photos I took of our trip to Warrenton, but I thought I would shake things up just a bit and give y'all a Bella Update!!! You know how it is...some things just take priority, right? Right!It is just amazing to me how one little girl can change so much in just 10 short (depending on how you look at it) days! She is gaining every day. She now weighs 1 lb. 9 oz. and is 12" tall! I'll probably be using exclamation points a lot throughout this post since it is really hard for me not to get excited when I talk about her and how blessed we have been, so bear with me please. She's opening her eyes and taking in the world around her. Jenn and Roby have begun reading to her and she really responds to singing!

Doesn't it look like she is wearing the hospital version of a bikini? She is even starting to fill out her diaper...in more ways than one! Precious!

She is receiving three feedings of breast milk in addition to her nutrients through her tiny feeding tube. Her blood pressure monitor line has been removed and she continues to hold her own blood pressure without any medications. Praise God for all the miracles He continues to work over her. Her respirator is being turned down daily and she is taking some tiny breaths over it. Her lungs continue to get stronger and the hope is to have her weaned off of this particular one soon!

I think I told y'all about how she came out kicking....well, she continues to develop quite an attitude! She just will not keep those little arms or legs still. She does a little cat dance with her feet even when she's sleeping! As you can see, the umbilical lines have been removed. She would not keep her hands off of it! This tiny trashette has quite an attitude just like her mother and I am looking forward to the day when she rolls those beautiful eyes at Jenn just like her mother did me. Revenge will be sweet!

As Easter approaches this coming Sunday, I wanted to say thank you to all of you who continually hold us in your prayers. She is a miracle, but not of modern medicine, but of God who provides the knowledge and wisdom to those wonderful physicians and nurses who are taking such good care of our Bella! It is He and He alone who controls all that continues to happen with her and for that I want to say thank you Father and to You, all the glory!

I just keep trying to think of ways to say thank you to all of you, so I've decided to do little giveaways along the way starting with this one. At Easter, in addition to decorated eggs to be hidden for the kids, we hide cascarones. I don't know if y'all are familiar with this tradition, but my family just loves them. I gotta tell you though...they are messy!!! And for some strange reason, it is usually my head that is the designated target! Here in Dallas you can get them at the grocery store and even at Walmart, but what I am going to do is send a dozen to one of you. Now we are going to have to do this down and dirty for me to be able to mail them out in time for your Easter egg hunt, so here's the deal pickle! If you are already a follower, fantastic! Your name will automatically be put in the Easter basket. If you are not, just become a follower before Wednesday morning say eightish and I will have Peter Rabbit put his paw in the basket and draw out a name. I'll do a quick post naming the winner, who will then e-mail me their address and it's off to the Post Office quick like a bunny!

So if you'd like to play along let me know! A comment is always appreciated and might get you an extra entry! And in the words of that wascally wabbit (or was it that pig?) That's All Folks!!!!