"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

Bella's Official 1-Year Stats

We accidentally scheduled Bella's 1-year wellness appointment with the wrong doctor last week, so we rescheduled for this week so we could see Dr. Hosemann. Dr. Hosemann is our favorite pediatrician and she has seen Bella for all of her wellness appointments so she really knows Bella the best. Anyway... here are the 12 month stats:


Height: 31 inches (95th percentile) - What a tall girl! I'm hoping she inherited my family's height genes.


Weight: 24 lbs 10 oz (95th percentile) - She is finally evening out and losing the baby fat!


She received FOUR shots today! I was under the impression she was only going to receive three vaccinations today, however she received four. She was such a trooper and did really well (all things considered). Dr. Hosemann gave Bella a clean bill of health and congratulated us on our happy and healthy 1-year-old daughter!


On a more serious note... Dr. Hosemann has referred us to Dr. Fernandez, a neurologist at All Children's Hospital. It's more of a precautionary visit, as Dr. Hosemann wants to rule out any neurological reasons for why Bella has issues bearing weight on her legs. While she isn't technically developmentally delayed, she is having some issues pulling up on her own and appropriately bearing weight on both of her legs. This was not what we were expecting to hear today, but it is, what it is. Bella will see Dr. Fernandez in May, so please keep her in your thoughts and prayers. 


Well, Bella will be up from her nap soon, so I'd better get going.


Love always, 
Ian, Kim & Bella

Happy Birthday Bella!

I cannot believe I'm writing this post, but today is Bella's 1st birthday! She will officially be 1-year-old at 11:30am, so I'm going to relish the next few hours of having an infant. It's hard to believe, but this time last year I was laying in a hospital bed getting ready to give birth to my baby girl. She is taking her last nap as a baby and when she wakes up, she will be a big girl. We are so blessed to have her! 


Bella hasn't gone for her 12-month wellness appointment yet, but her are some approximations:

Height: About 31 inches   

Weight: About 25 pounds

Clothing Size: Bella is generally wearing 12 month clothes due to the fact that she is finally evening out in height and weight. She does wear 18-24 month clothes, but only in Gymboree. It really depends on the outfit and I'm so glad that she is finally wearing age/size appropriate clothing!

Sleeping Pattern: Bella is a sleeping champ! She takes two 2-hour naps a day and sleeps through the night. She is such a good sleeper and we are very thankful! She has even started putting herself to sleep, as we have dropped the bedtime bottle. 

Eating Pattern: We've been weaning Bella off formula and mixing her formula with whole milk. We're giving her only organic milk (when we're at home) and we're hoping to give her mostly organic foods. She isn't a picky eater, but some days she refuses to eat a food that she gobbled up the previous day. We try to get her to finish the food, even if she fights us a little. Hopefully our method will pay off in the long run and Bella will eat what is put in front of her. 

Milestones: Bella is cutting her first molar and several other teeth. She has about 8-9 teeth and seems to be cutting new teeth every week. The molar has been difficult and we're relying on Humphreys teething tablets, Motrin and Orajel. Bella is crawling on all fours and has this mastered. She has been pulling up on furniture and we're hoping she will start cruising soon. Bella still says words like "da-da", "ma-ma", "out" and has added words such as "dog" and "car". She recognizes both Ian and I, as well as Grandma and her little friends. She loves to point at things and has been working on pointing at things to let us know her preference. 

Friends: The usual crew... Connor, Carter, Tyler, Layla, Camden, Luke, Taylan, Logan and Lily! Bella's friend Gia has been in Ohio since January and we're hoping to see her soon! The McGill kids are also great neighborhood friends of ours! =) Birthday party season is in full affect and we've been celebrating a birthday (or two) nearly every week.

Current Events: We had AWFUL weather in Tampa last week. We had several tornados within a 1/4 of a mile from our house! It rained so much and the wind was absolutely wicked. Trees were uprooted, fences were blown away, roofs were blown off and people were without power for days. Luckily our house and neighborhood faired very well.


Happy 1st Birthday Isabella Eve! We love you very much and cannot imagine our lives without you!


Love always,
Ian, Kim & Bella

Bella's 1st Birthday Party!

Bella is going to BEE ONE! Today we celebrated Bella's birthday with our family and friends. After months of planning this special day went beautifully and we could not have planned a better party. 


I spent a lot of time planning and making things for Bella's party so I was quite pleased with how well everything turned out. I designed the invitation from a store on Etsy (my new favorite website) and made all of the decorations, including the cupcake toppers and birthday banner. It's all about the details so I really enjoyed working on Bella's birthday party. So here we go...

We woke up bright and early this morning to get a jump start on the day. We had a few last minute errands to run, like picking up the food from Publix and balloons at Party City. My dad and I ran errands while Ian stayed at home with Bella and finished up a few things around the house. We ordered party platters from Publix because we were hosting nearly 40 people, including 10 children. Subs, wraps, fruit and veggie platters and other snacks were served and everyone seemed to enjoy the food. 

We didn't have to order a cake because our amazing neighbor, Sara, offered to make Bella's birthday cake and smash cake. I left the design of the cake in Sara's hands and knew that it would turn out to be great. I was correct in my assumption because both cakes were absolutely BEE-autiful! Not only was the cake beautiful, but it was also very yummy, too. Sara makes a homemade buttercream frosting that was so good and that's saying a lot because I'm not a fan of buttercream frosting! She also made a dozen cupcakes with the prettiest shade of yellow frosting! Thank you so much, Sara!

Ian gave a speech and thanked everyone for being a part of Bella's life and then we sang her "Happy Birthday", which she loved and clapped for herself. We stripped her down to nothing but a diaper and so she could eat cake in her birthday suit. Bella then had the opportunity to live it up and make the biggest mess of her short, little life, but being the girly girl she is, she was very dainty in smashing her cake. She was adorable nonetheless, but it took a little coaxing to get her to get into smashing her cake. The black, yellow and white icing made for a messy clean up so we opted to give Bella a quick bath after the cake smashing.

After a quick bath, we opened gifts and took a few family pictures with our good friend and hired photographer, Jessica. Bella wasn't really in to opening gift and after each gift, she wanted to play with the new toy, book or clothing she received. This child did not need any more toys, but she made out like a bandit. She received many great gifts and she was eager to play with her new toys. She played with her friends until it was time for everyone to leave. After a fantastic 1st birthday party, the birthday girl was pooped and went down for a 3 hour nap.

We are very blessed to have such loving, caring and supportive friends and family. Thank you to everyone who laughed with us, cried with us and were there for Bella's first year of life. Bella is very lucky to have been born into a family with such a great support network. We wouldn't have made it through this first year without each and every one of you. We love you and we thank you from the bottom of our hearts. 


Even though Bella's actual birthday isn't until April 5th... Happy Birthday Beautiful Bella! 


Love always,
Ian, Kim & Bella

Disney Vacation

Well it's back to reality after a wonderful vacation in the world of everything Mickey Mouse... Disney World! We returned early this evening after driving back from Orlando and picking up our dogs at Grandma Ruth's house. It's been a long day and we have a lot of unpacking to, but I'd rather write about our vacation.


A little background information:
My friend Stephanie and I wanted to do something special for our kids' 1st birthdays. Stephanie's son Connor will be 1-year-old on April 7th, just two days after Bella. We ultimately decided to plan a long weekend at Disney World. We booked a townhouse, using the website home away and planned a few meals at the various parks. 


Wednesday: Downtown Disney
Stephanie and I packed up her mini-van and headed up to Orlando with Connor and Bella in tow. I was quite proud of our organizational skills. We were on the road by noon and arrived in Kissimmee just after 3:00pm, after a brief stop at Target for a few last minute things and lunch at Steak and Shake. We hit the road and arrived safe and sound. Both of the kids took naps, which made for a quiet and enjoyable car ride. We met the property manager and received the keys to the townhouse and proceeded to unload a mini-van full of "stuff". We had dinner at Downtown Disney and walked around for a bit. Our husband worked all day and joined us at the townhouse shortly after we returned home from our outing. We were all exhausted so we called it a night and went to bed. 


Thursday: Magic Kingdom
We had an ambitious day planned and were in the Magic Kingdom by 9:00am. Stephanie and I ordered Connor and Bella ADORABLE his and her outfits for the day from our new favorite website Etsy. We took pictures and mapped out our day. We got our fast passes for Space Mountain and proceeded to ride a few rides with the kids. We took them on the carousel, Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger, the Haunted Mansion and the Tomorrowland People Mover. Bella has been on most of these rides before, but since she is much older and more aware since the last time she's ridden these rides. She sat on our laps, held onto the lap bar and giggled at the various sights she took in. The adults (sans Stephanie) rode Big Thunder Mountain Railroad and then it was time to head to Main Street for lunch at the Crystal Palace. Stephanie and I had made reservations for a lunch with Pooh & friends at the Crystal Palace. It was so much fun and Bella LOVED it! She loved seeing the characters walk around from table to table and loved interacting with the characters when they approached our table. Lunch was awesome and truly the highlight of our day. The adults (sans Stephanie) rode Space Mountain and literally screamed like we had never ridden it before. They revamped Space Mountain and it is AWESOME! I won't give away too many details on what is different, but it was great. The kids really enjoyed themselves, as did the adults, but we were all exhausted and headed back to townhouse for dinner. 

Mama Lasher, Baby Lasher and Daddy Lasher

Stephanie, Connor and Scott / Ian, Bella and Kim (duh!)

Bella lovin' on Eeyore at the Crystal Palace

Friday: Hollywood Studios
We got an early start and were at Hollywood Studios as soon as it opened. The guys ran to Toy Story Mania to grab fast passes and we ended up riding the ride after only waiting 35 minutes. It was well worth the wait because Bella was giggling and smiling the entire time. She loved the spinning and helping daddy hit his targets. Connor didn't enjoy the ride nearly as much as Bella and was climbing up on his daddy most of the ride. We took the kids to the Disney Jr. show and it was super cute. I've never really watched this channel, but Bella enjoyed the singing and dancing characters and I had the songs stuck in my head for the remainder of the day. We had lunch reservations at the 50's Primetime Cafe and had a blast. We laughed and joked around with our waitress, "Mom." After lunch we returned to Toy Story Mania and used our fast passes to bypass the 75 minute wait. Bella laughed and smiled again and helped me hit my targets. The adults (sans Stephanie) rode the Tower of Terror twice and we left the park after doing some shopping. Everyone was exhausted and so we headed back to the townhouse to relax and unwind.

Thank goodness for the Ergo baby carrier... waiting in line.

Lunch at the 50's Primetime Cafe!

Saturday: Epcot
We took our time getting to Epcot because it's usually the least crowded park. We got a late start because Bella woke up at 4:45am and was down for a nap by 7:30am. She took a 2 hour nap and we finally left the house around 9:30am. We took a few pictures and found the Freedman's legacy picture at the entrance of Epcot. We then made our way to Japan for lunch at Teppan Edo. We "enjoyed" our overpriced lunch and the kids were entertained throughout the entire meal. I use the term "enjoyed" loosely because the restaurant was refurbished a few years ago and it's a totally different place. They don't include miso soup and/or a salad in the price of your meal and they also serve white rice instead of fried rice. We also felt very rushed and the portions were somewhat small. But we enjoyed the time together and Bella enjoyed her first experience in a Japanese restaurant. After lunch we met up with our friends, Sarah and Shawn and their son Taylan. Shawn had never been to Epcot so we took him on Malestrom in Norway, while Sarah waited with Taylan as he napped. We continued making our way through the world showcase and stopped in Mexico to ride the Grand Fiesta Tour. After the ride, we treated ourselves to margaritas, nachos and churros. We parted ways with the Hills after our snack and decided to wait in line to meet the characters. Bella and Connor met Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck, Goofy and Pluto. We headed out of the park after this because everyone was tired and hungry.

The Lasher Family at Epcot

Just Bella and me... 

Sunday: Animal Kingdom
We packed up our belongings and loaded up our mini-vans in the morning and headed to Animal Kingdom for lunch. The Freedmans arrived at the park before us because, as usual, Bella was taking a nap because she was up early that morning. We met up with the Freedmans just in time to have lunch at the Rainforest Cafe. The kids LOVED the animals and the loud noises they heard throughout lunch. After lunch we went inside the park to take a few pictures and do a little shopping. Bella has been to Animal Kingdom several times so we didn't do too much at the park. This day was really bittersweet because it was the last day of vacation and I knew that tomorrow it would be back to reality. We were on the road by 1:00pm and were back in Tampa by 2:30pm. We picked up our dogs and headed home to unpack and decompress from vacation. 

It was REALLY sunny this day... 

Some mouse ears for Bella!

We had a WONDERFUL vacation and we enjoyed spending our vacation with our friends, the Freedmans. We can't wait until next year... or our next vacation.


We have a busy week ahead of us... appointments for me, appointments for Bella, Pop's arrival and Bella's 1st birthday party. So little time, so much to do! Wish me luck.


Love always,
Ian, Kim & Bella

Judgement

"Never utter these words, 'I do not know this, therefore it is false.' One must study to know; know to understand; understand to judge."

I am a mother and I'm doing what is best for my child. This sums up how I've been feeling over the past couple of days. Since becoming pregnant and bringing Bella in to this world, I have been judged. Judgement accompanies motherhood but sometimes it gets to be too much. I am able to accept constructive criticism, but being criticized and being judged are two different things in my opinion. Here are several issues I feel that I've been subject to judgement on (in no particular order):

Judgement #1: I didn't exclusively breastfeed for the first year of Bella's life.

Rationale #1: Bella is off the charts in both height and weight. She also is a very healthy child and has never been on antibiotics. But, if you really want to get into the details of why I didn't nurse Bella, it involved post-patrum complications for me and severe jaundice for Bella.

Judgement #2: We utilized several cry-it-out techniques in order to get Bella to sleep through the night.

Rationale #2: While we did follow her cues, we also nurtured her to the point where she feels comfortable enough to fall asleep on her own. Bella sleeps through the night, as do Ian and I. She also naps for nearly 4 hours during the day. We are a well rested and very happy family. Need I say more?

Judgement #3: We didn't co-sleep with Bella.

Rationale #3: We have a tempur-pedic mattress and umm, hello, it's called SIDS!

Judgement #4: I don't use cloth diapers.

Rationale #4: Pampers work just fine for us and I do a hell of a lot less laundry, I'm sure.

Judgement #5: I intend to keep Bella in the rear-facing position in her car seat for as long as possible.

Rationale #5: Keeping Bella as safe as possible is my #1 priority and I couldn't care less if her view of the world is a little skewed in the car seat. Also, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends keeping children in the rear-facing positioning until the age of 2.

Judgement #6: I've introduced Bella to whole milk prior to her 1st birthday.

Rationale #6: My child will be weaned to whole milk in sippy cups by her 1st birthday.

Judgement #7: Bella has plagiocephaly and torticollis, and as a result wears a corrective helmet and is in physical therapy.

Rationale #7: I have a petite frame, Bella was a BIG baby and I delivered her vaginally, all very common causes of each condition. Rather than ignoring the issues, we have chosen to correct the issues because it's in Bella's best interest.

I'm not trying to pick fights with people or spark the next great debate. I've been the victim of unnecessary judgement and it feels liberating to get this off my chest. No one likes to be judged, but it sure seems like people like to pass judgement. I will also take this as a lesson for myself, as I am certain there have been times in which I've judged people unnecessarily. I do what I feel is best for my child and I've learned to follow my instincts. Following your own instincts is often the best way to raise your child. I will never instruct you on how to raise your child, nor do I want you to instruct me on how to raise my child.

All of this being said... I am off to spend time with my very loved, very happy, very healthy, well-adjusted child.

Love always,
Ian, Kim & Bella

Back from Boca

We took a quick weekend trip to Boca Raton this weekend to visit with family and attend a memorial service for Ian's great-aunt who passed away in December. 


I was really looking for to the trip until I woke up Saturday morning. I woke up sick as a dog and felt awful! I laid on the couch and attempted to rest as much as possible before we left. I told Ian that I wasn't sure if I'd be able to make it, as Boca Raton is nearly 3.5 hours from here and I wasn't sure I'd last that long in the car. A guilt trip of a man driving across the state by himself with a baby in the backseat was soon laid and I was determined to go on the trip. Around noon we decided that I felt well enough to go and we hit the road. 


As the trip progressed, the worse I felt. Luckily Bella and I were able to take a nap for about an hour and we arrived in Boca Raton just before dinner time. We checked into our hotel room and rested for a bit. Ian and Bella then left with the rest of the family to attend a dinner at a cousin's house. I stayed behind in the hotel room and slept. I felt so achy and feverish, so my sleep wasn't very sound, but it was rest nonetheless. Ian and Bella returned just in time for Bella to go to bed, but since I was sick and unsure of what was wrong, we decided it was best for Bella to sleep in Grandma Ruth's room. Apparently Bella didn't enjoy her accommodations and woke up during the night. Ian and Bella attended the memorial service in Deerfield Beach on Sunday morning and Bella even participated in the service. She placed a stone on Aunt Helen's headstone, which is a Jewish tradition performed to let the deceased know you came by to visit them. Everyone returned to the hotel to pick me up and head over to a cousin's house for brunch. We visited with family that we hadn't seen since our wedding and we hit the road by early afternoon. Bella was an absolute angel in the car and we all survived our quick trip to Boca Raton. 


I'm happy to report that I'm feeling remarkably better, although I'm unsure as to what exactly was wrong this weekend. A 24-hour bug? Perhaps. The flu? Maybe. I guess we'll never know. I'm just thankful I'm feeling better.


We have a sleeping baby and a movie to watch, so I'd better get going. The upcoming week promises to be a very hectic but fun week. 


Love always,
Ian, Kim & Bella

BLAH!

After our night out last night, I feel BLAH! I only had a few glasses of wine and a pint of green beer, but I am paying for it today. I wouldn't say I was hungover, but I suppose I was just dehydrated and sleep deprived. After some non-alcoholic fluids and a nap, I was good as new. Thank goodness! 


We took Bella to Busch Gardens, and joined 1 million of our closest friends. Apparently Hillsborough County Schools had the day off and so everyone and their mother were at Busch Gardens today. Fear not, we found prime parking (not preferred, but prime) and ventured into the park for the afternoon. We patiently waited for snack time with the elephants, which Bella thoroughly enjoyed, as did I. Elephants are my favorite animal and I may or may not be pushing this love onto Bella. Despite the crowds and heat, we managed to stay hydrated and had a lot of fun.


After Busch Gardens, we joined our friends, the McGills, at a new Mexican restaurant near our neighborhood. The restaurant is called Luna's and it's super close to our house. I've heard good things about this place and it's been a long time coming, so needless to say, I was eager to try it. We ordered the steak, chicken and shrimp fajitas and I was honestly disappointed. Compared to our favorite Mexican restaurant, Sabor a Mexico, it couldn't compare. The atmosphere of Sabor a Mexico is much more authentic and the food is tastier. Not to mention the prices at Sabor a Mexico are unbelievable. I think we may return to Luna's due to its close proximity to our house, but will always prefer Sabor a Mexico. The company was fantastic at dinner and the kids entertained each other while the adults, sans me, indulged in gigantic margaritas. 


Bella didn't an afternoon nap so we returned home to put her to bed early. I will be following suit and dragging myself to bed. Today was a wonderful day and we truly enjoyed an extra family day. Nighty night y'all! 


Love always, 
Ian, Kim & Bella