"But you have to follow through..."

Recently I've been making an effort to follow through 110% with every aspect of my life. If I've made plans with a friend, then I put forth effort to follow through with those plans. If Bella wants me to read her the same book, over and over again, I read her the same book until she is satisfied. If I do a load of laundry, then I make sure the laundry is put away by the end of the day. Following through brings me closure, which makes me happy. Shouldn't that make everyone else happy? Maybe not...


Every now and then I have a friend (or family member) that doesn't have the same mentality as me and I need to learn tolerance. Sometimes Ian says he will do something, but he doesn't complete the task right away or doesn't complete the task to my liking (I'm bad, I know). I often overreact and lash out at him (I'm a Lasher, right?). In his mind, he followed through with the task he was given and the task has been completed. But in my crazy mind, he didn't follow through... which is just plain wrong. I should be satisfied that he vacuumed, even if he did miss a few spots. Rather than complaining, I should simply come behind him and finish the task, to my satisfaction. The initial vacuuming made my overall job easier, right? Absolutely! 


What I'm trying to convey is that while we all must follow through, the degree to which we all follow through may vary. Rather than being disappointed that something didn't go my way, I should be elated at  every ounce of effort the person put forth.

Speaking of following through... I REALLY need to catch up on this blog! So much has been happening and there is so much to share. I promise to update my blog, in the near future. I won't set unrealistic expectations for myself, but I will put forth as much effort to updating our blog as possible. 


Love always,
Ian, Kim & Bella

Out of the loop...

Have you ever felt like you were out of the loop? I certainly have, it's a terrible feeling and I'm currently feeling out of the loop.

Bella (thankfully) still naps twice a day and so we usually don't begin our day until about noon. This means we miss out on morning outings. This isn't a big deal because I'd rather Bella be well rested than cranky and out & about. We are getting to the point where Bella's friends are napping just once a day (or not) and so we're missing out on music classes and play dates.

Recently, Bella has had more appointments than normal. She has physical therapy twice a week, her helmet appointment once every two weeks and she has had several appointments with specialists, too. We have spent so much time (and money) on doctors that we probably could have made for a medical degree by now!

Last week, we missed out on a trip to the aquarium and a birthday party. This week we're going to miss out on a music class and a play date. Poor Bella has 4 appointments this week! She went to physical therapy today, she has an appointment with the neurologist on Thursday and physical therapy and an appointment with the cranio-facial specialist on Friday. Enough is enough!

We are optimistic that this week will be pivotal in Bella's treatment. We are meeting with a neurologist to rule out any neurological issues with Bella's overall development. We are not quite as concerned at this point because she is pulling up and cruising, like she should be. She isn't walking on her own (at 13-months) so this may still be a concern to the doctor. We are meeting with the cranio-facial specialist to determine if Bella can be discharged from her helmet. In this case, I'm expecting the worst and hoping for the best.

Bella's health is first and foremost in our lives. I will do whatever it takes to ensure she is physically and developmentally on track. We have hit a few hurdles and we're hoping to jump past these hurdles shortly. Please keep Bella in your thoughts and prayers this week.

Goodnight y'all... this mama is exhausted, both physically and emotionally.

Love always,
Ian, Kim & Bella

Playing Catch Up

I went to read a friend's blog today, only she hasn't updated her blog since early April. I wrote her a note on Facebook and asked what's going on with the 'ole blog and realized that I'm such a hypocrite. I've seriously neglected my blog for over a month! So much has happened and I have so much to write about, but alas, so much to write and so little time to do so. 


Here is a little bit of what has happened within the last month: 


- Bella turned 1-year-old and we celebrated with family and friends.
- Bella's Pop came to visit for 2 weeks.
- Bella's Didi came to visit for a long weekend.
- We booked a trip to Baltimore for my cousin's pending nuptials.
- We planned a trip to Disney World for a long weekend (yet another trip to visit the mouse). 
- Bella development and health update.


When Bella goes down for her nap this afternoon, I have every intention of playing catch up... should make for some fun reads later on this evening, umm, I mean in the near future. I have major catching up to do people! 


Love always,
Ian, Kim & Bella