"Bella saves Bella!"

Bella took her ISR Self-Rescue swimming test today... She did amazing!  She is so much safer around water now!!  Next summer she will get a refresher, be taught additional life saving techniques and swimming.  

She wanted to wear "cover ups" over her clothes like she does with her swim suit and of course I had to have on one too!   I love you Precious and I am so proud of you!!

Projects and hugs.

We got back Wednesday from our trip and Thursday/Friday Bella and I started a couple of projects.  We made "Handprint" memories for everyone.  She had a millions hugs for me in two days...making up for lost days! We went shopping a couple of times, read books, played games, "flew" around as Toothless and Hiccup (for those that have never seen "How to Train Your Dragon" they are the main characters), and she had so much fun! We did FaceTime with Danny..which is always fun..and when we had hung up Bella called him back all by herself!  (I must remember to turn the wi/fi off when we are done...and I need to be sure she doesn't see me do it because she remembers!!)

It was also a sad week....another CF'r gained her angel wings...Breathe easy, Jordan Ulrich. 

It makes us so aware of how lucky we have been with Bella and it makes us fight even harder to keep her healthy and to find a cure for this evil disease.  I know people look at us so strangely when we wipe down everything when we go out to eat, or when she rides in a shopping cart it gets wiped down, but they have no idea how important it is for Bella..they don't realize how susceptible she is to common germs that would never bother anyone else..they don't realize that a common cold could lead to something so much worse...they don't know...they just don't know how every meal requires enzymes so that she will be able to absorb the nutrients from the food she eats, that the enzymes help her poop, that without the correct balance of enzymes she could have serious bowel obstructions and become malnourished and they don't know that she sits for two CPT's every day for 20 minutes while we pound on her chest to break up any mucus in her lungs (she will be getting her vest soon),  that she takes two albuterol treatments and a breathing treatment every day...and those enzyme capsules?? she swallows them whole at the same time!!   If people are sick we avoid them like the plague...her hands and our hands are washed so many times during the day that I'm surprised that we have skin left...but she accepts the "clean up/wash up" without argument... So maybe we are over-protective...I don't care.  We fight to keep her healthy and we live in fear that her health could take a serious turn at anytime. And we love her with every fiber in our bodies.

 

Planes, Trains and Automobiles

This has been a somewhat quiet week. Jessica was on vacation this week so Bella was only over for swimming lessons..but we had a couple hours together when Mommy had to run some important errands so I told Bella all about Grammy and PaPa's upcoming airplane trip to Florida.  I told her we would be flying in the plane, renting a car and staying by the ocean.  She asked if we would be in "PaPa's car? Daddy trk?" She wanted to look up and see the "plane" we were going to be in and see if it was in the "sky" outside!  We just had to settle for birds flying outside for now!  We got silly and she was showing her "cookie" smile!

Friday Mommy and Daddy are going to both be over for her swimming lesson!

I'm going to miss The Precious while we are gone.

Almost 2

Tomorrow Bella turns 2.  I don't know where the time has gone!
I remember her arrival...the look of pure love and adoration in her parent's faces...the first time I held her...the phone call from Bryan about her diagnosis...watching her take her first steps... so much in 2 years.
I love her so much...I truly thought my heart was filled up with the love I had for my husband, sons, and daughter-in-law...but suddenly a spot was filled to overflowing when Bella arrived. Being a grandmother has changed my life. I know I probably drive people crazy with pictures, or talking about her so much, but she is so darn special and we cherish every single minute we have.

    Checking out her "kitty" sticker she put on the floor!

Bittersweet

What a week...
Bella floated for a few seconds on her own,
We all celebrated the 4th of July together,
And I had to say goodbye to my fur-child, Nick.

All dressed up for the 4th!

Hugging her little buddy, BeanBean 

I never get tired of her reaching over and saying "GumGum" and then snuggling into my arms. She woke up and the first thing out of her mouth was "where BeanBean?".  I haven't told her yet that BeanBean is gone. Not sure how.