First Day of School for Bella

Today was Bella's first day of home school. She did so good. She was in her stander for 30 minutes!! Her new therapist showed us all kinds of new stuff for us to do with Bella. I feel really good about the therapist and what she will be able to do to help Bella. It was a great day!! I couldn't be happier with the way her first day went.
Now off to the library with all the kids :)

Wordless Wednesday

It's been a long time and I miss blogging!!

Hmmm. Where should I start??

We have been busy over the last few months. Annie gave us a couple of big scares. She had a massive grand mal seizure at the beginning of December. It was completely out of the blue. She was laying next to me in bed chattering away and then the next thing I know she is seizing. I panicked. Even after all I have been through with Isabella you would think that I have learned to stay calm under pressure....not this time. I FLIPPED. I was home alone, so I called the paramedics. My sister rushed over to be with Bella and the other girls. Matt was making a mad dash home from work. Annie had been seizing for 20 plus minutes at this point. She was turning blue. The paramedics gave her Valium and ativan to stop the seizure but in turn she needed help breathing. So in my living room they intubated yet another one of my babies. We took two med flights that night and ended up in the PICU at Childrens Mercy. They had no reasons for her seizure and she has had two since. She is fine other than that. She is perfectly healthy and happy. They are not going to put her on medication unless she has another. So it is just wait and see. The last two have been less traumatic. The Valium they gave us to give her at home stops the seizures, Thank God!!

On a happier note, she is pulling up to everything and cruising around the furniture. She is such a ham!! I love her sweet smile :) She will be nine months in a few weeks. It just does not seem possible.

As for miss Bella. She is doing great. She is starting home school next week. She will have a PT, OT and speech therapist come in once a week. She will also have the preschool teacher coming into our home once a week. I am so excited for this new chapter in Bella's life.

As for the vent, she is off all day (13 hours) unless she is sick. I am so proud of my Bella Boo. She defeats the odds and surprises us each day.

Abby and Maddy are great. The are getting so big. They are such great helpers!!

We are good and other than the few curve balls that get thrown our way......Life is great

Annie at Childrens Mercy in the PICU

Bell, Annie and Maddy


Matt and I with the girls at their baptism
Maddy with her Godparents

Annie with her godparents

Bella with her godparents

Christmas morning

Annie at the hospital

Life at the Gudde House

All dressed up for Halloween. Bella was a black cat. Abby was a witch, Madison a vampire and Annie was a skeleton.

Annie playing with Bella.

Isabella is growing up so fast. She is almost as tall as Madison and is weighing in at around 30#. We took her to the seating and mobility clinic at Children's Mercy this week. They fit her for a kid cart which is kind of like a wheel chair. It will be really nice for her to have when she starts school next month. I can't believe she is going to be three in a few weeks. I am just so proud of the her and all that she has accomplished thus far. She is a mover and a shaker. She scoots all over the place on her back. She is (on good days) off the vent for almost all waking hours. She is doing so well. I just can't even put into words how proud I am of her. I thank God everyday for her being in our lives. She is such a blessing.

Annie is getting so big. She is almost 7 months old. She is crawling all over the place and is trying to pull herself up. She is a little chatter box and just loves being around her big sisters. She is such a joy!!

Abby and Madison are great. They are loving school. They are such good big sisters and are always helping me out with the little girls.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!! GOD BLESS

Isabella is almost of preschooler!!

That's right, Isabella is suppose to start preschool in January. I don't think she will actually start in January if the flu is still this thick around here, but she is eligible to start then. I can't believe she will be three in two months. It is crazy how fast this last year has gone. We are continuing to wean off the vent. She (on good days) can be off the vent for up to 11 hours!! She is rolling all over the place. She may not be able to crawl or walk, but she makes up for it with rolling and scooting :) She follows commands like when you ask her to activate a toy she will. She seems so aware of her surroundings. I can't really explain it, but she laughs and smiles at appropriate times. She has her own way of interacting in a conversation. She doesn't talk or sign, but she has her own body language that lets us know that she understands what is going on. She amazes me everyday and I thank God everyday for our little miracle!!

Annie is growing like a weed. She is now 5 months. She says da da da, na na na, ba ba ba. She can sit up on her own for a few seconds. She is also trying to crawl. she gets up on all fours and rocks. Her and Bella are the best of buds except when Annie pulls Bella's hair and then Bella starts kicking Annie and both babies start crying. (it is really kind of cute)

Madison and Abby are enjoying school. Abby is now having to wear glasses. She takes after her mommy and daddy and is as blind as a bat. So, other than trying to ward of the flu, we are all doing great here. The kids keep me busy. What more can I say!!

SORRY!!!!

We are soooo busy around here now that school has started. Everyone is great. Annie is rolling over and laughing out loud. Isabella is staying off the vent most of the day and is really only using it at night. Except the last few days she has had a lot of sinus drainage so we have been on the vent more than usual. We went to Kansas City a few weeks ago for our regular check up. We are working on starting to eat by mouth. She is getting so big!!! Abby is in second grade and Maddy is in her second year of pre-school.

Enjoy the pics. They are first day of school pics and then wedding pics. Matt's brother got married last weekend and Matt was the best man and Abby the flower girl.

Picture Galore

Now this is what I call BED HEAD!!!
Any and Bella at Kaleidoscope at Crown Center. Erin and I made them tiaras.

Outside of Kaleidoscope. Abby and Maddy with Grace and Kinsley Acker. The girls had a blast together.

Aunt Erin and Maddy showing off the bows they made at Hallmark

The lego display at crown center. It was awesome. I didn't know they could do such things with legos!!

Lego man looking in lego mirror at lego self!!

At the Dr.'s office for Bella's check-up. She had a great check-up. She is off the vent pretty much all day now. She continues to need it at night and periodically throughout the afternoon and evening. She is moving right along though and doing fabulous.

In the car Bella was snuggling with Annies blankie and laughing at something

Precious!!!

Maddy wishing me a happy birthday

Uncle Kevin pretends to give Maddy a ride.

Funny girls

My sister Erin, our best friend Amber and I

Me and my handsome husband. He had a surprise 30th for me. It was a cocktail party. It was the best birthday. Our good friends Micah and Jason and Amber and Mike came down from KC just for the event. I was sooooo excited!!

Us and the Ackers at my surprise 30th Birthday party

Annie in all her cuteness

Looks like she is waving at the camera


Enjoy the pictures. We are super busy as always. School is getting ready to start and we seem to be running in a thousand directions everyday. Hopefully it will slow down a bit soon!!

s

Proud Mommy Moments

BELLA IN HER STANDER. DOESN'T SHE LOOK LIKE A BIG GIRL?

ISABELLA PLAYING ON THE GROUND ON THE 4TH. IT WAS THE FIRST TIME SHE EVER GOT ANY DIRT ON HER. I FREAKED!!

MY AUNT JUDY WITH ANNIE

THE GIRLS AND I AT THE ZOO IN INDEPENDENCE


ABBY AND MADDY ALWAYS WILLING TO POSE TO PICTURES

THE GIRLS AT THE PLAY PARK

SORRY A SIDEWAYS PHOTO ;)

MADISON FEEDING THE DUCKS

THE GIRLS AND I VISITED A LOCAL ORCHARD AND PICKED OUR OWN BLACKBERRIES. IT WAS SO MUCH FUN. THE GIRLS HAD A BLAST

I LOVE THIS PICTURE OF MADISON PICKING BERRIES

ABBY IS PROUD OF HER HARVEST

ABBY AND MADDY WERE SUCH GOOD LITTLE BLACKBERRY PICKERS

LOOK AT ALL OF THOSE BLACKBERRIES. I PUT UP 8 GALLONS!!

Bella continues to wean off the vent. We can now take her into stores while off the vent, we went out to eat and she stayed off the vent!! It is amazing how much easier it is to get around without the vent. I am just so proud of her. And as always she is just as happy as can be. She is such a blessing in our lives!!

Annie is growing like a weed. She smiles and coos all of the time. She even did a little giggle the other day. Well, it was more like a coo with a hop!! She is just so precious :)

Abby and Maddy are growing up so fast. Maddy will start her second year of pre-school and Abby will be in the 2nd grade. I can't believe how much they have grown this summer.

10 more days until my 30th birthday!! WOW. I can't believe I will be celebrating my 30th and that I am the mother of 4 beautiful girls and so lucky to have such a wonderful husband whom I adore. I think my 30's are going to be awesome!!