Getting ready for our Denver trip!

Isabella, my mom and I will be heading down to Denver Thursday morning for Isabella's 3 week checkup with her neurosurgeon. As usual I have the knot in my stomach I always do before her checkups. I am always afraid that something will happen.... But this trip is different, Saturday we will be going to the Denver Zoo for the NICU Reunion!! I am so excited for that! It will be so fun to see the kiddos, nurses and doctors from last year. I can't believe it's been 15 months since Isabella was in the NICU. It went by so fast. And it will be Isabella's first trip to the zoo!! Lots of pictures will be taken and posted when I get home.

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On a sad note, Isabella's pediatrician Dr. Wang will be leaving us to go back home to Thailand at the end of the month. She has had him since she came home from Denver. He and I have such a great relationship and we were always on the same page about Isabella's care. I am just praying the new doctor coming in will be like him. I have a meeting with him the 1st day he takes over, to discuss everything and make sure we are all on the same page.
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From your child with special needs: "If I had words I would tell you that every day is Mother's Day for me. That you are the sun in my sky.... That without you, I wouldn't have been able to make the progress I am making. Thank you for being my Mommy. Happy Mother's Day." HOPELights♥

Isabella Jeannette's Easter Pictures 2011!

Here are Isabella's Easter pictures by Moffatt Creations!

We just love Andrea's work and of course Andrea :)!

The Dice Family's Eventful Easter Weekend! 3 States in 3 Days, Colorado, Nebraska & Wyoming!

Happy Belated Easter to Everyone!

Our weekend adventures started Thursday when Isabella had a horrible seizure. This was the longest seizure she has had. That evening her shunt incision site and fontanel (soft spot) started to swell. I called her neurosurgeon in Denver and she told us to get down there the next morning. She was pretty sure that her shunt had failed and she would need surgery to have a new one placed. Tyler and I were both up after a restless night at 2:30am, and were on the road before 6am. When we got down there she had a CT scan done and blood work. She was admitted and it was late afternoon before we got a room on the ped’s floor. Her neurosurgeon tapped the shunt to check if it was still functioning and also to draw a sample of the spinal fluid. Thankfully, the shunt was still working; the excess fluid had pushed its way into the soft tissue around the incision site. She adjusted the shunt’s pressure valve, and within half an hour the swelling and bulging soft spot had disappeared. Her doctor wanted her to spend the night for evaluation and also to wait for the culture to come back for the spinal fluid. Our favorite nurse from last year’s hospital stay had her again that night, Elizabeth. That relieved me to know someone who cared about Isabella was going to be with her that night while we rested. The next day her cultures came back negative for any infection and she was released! We have to go back down in 3 weeks for a follow up. After leaving Denver, we headed to Gering, NE to see her great grandparents for Easter, which was the original weekend plan. We had a wonderful visit with them, a perfect end to a stressful weekend.
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I am a parent of a child with special needs. Everyday something seems to happen that reminds me how different we are. Our lives. Our schedule. Our responsibilities. Listening to the stories of other families. But then I stop and think….it’s ok. I am in you and you are in me, together that makes one very happy family. HOPELights♥
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1 Year Evaluation! & Easter Picture!

Isabella Jeannette had her 1 year evaluation at the Child Development Center of Natrona County today and it went fantastic!!
It is so hard to believe it’s been a year, it flew by.
I feel so blessed with the team we have there, Kelly, Ivonne & Sandy.
She has made tremendous strides since this time last year, and I couldn’t be prouder of my miracle baby!
Here are the highlights (these reports are long!):
*In the area of gross motor sills, Isabella can sit supported and reach for switch toys. When pulled to sit, she is starting to flex her head forward. When placed on her stomach over a roll, she is starting to lift her head into extension especially when the light box is placed in her visual field.
*In the area of fine motor skills, Isabella is able to hold a placed rattle and move it around, operate a switch toy and bat at toys placed at either side. She recently imitated banging the rattle on the tray and shaking it.
*In the cognitive skills area, Isabella enjoys looking at pictures in books, especially tactile or shiny books. Her favorite toys appear to be sensory toys which move and/or make sounds. Isabella especially enjoys the app her mother has downloaded onto her iPad, which helps with her tracking and reaching skills.
*In the area of social-emotional area, Isabella is very bonded with her parents. She discriminates strangers, responds to voices and turns to her mother’s voice often during therapy sessions.
*Summary- Isabella has been seen for therapy consistently over the past year. Her parents are very involved in providing her with a nurturing and stimulating home environment. Despite medical setbacks, she continues to be a resilient and joyful child who inspires those around her.
And to make my day even better, they told me I was a wonderful mommy. That never gets old to hear.

Grandma's Birthday..... a little late! & an update

My mom's birthday was April 2nd and we had a blast celebrating it!
Dinner, gifts, then off celebrating with drinks.
Isabella of course enjoyed the ice cream and cake. She has such a sweet tooth.
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Update on everything.
The last couple of weeks have been very hard. Isabella and I have both been battling colds, strep and now I have a virus that makes my throat hurt horribly.
Last Monday I took Isabella to her dr and he started her on breathing meds. When she hadn't improved on Wednesday she had to go get RSV and Pneumonia testing :( These, thankfully, came back negative. The dr said we just had to let it play out. I ended up at the er on Thursday since my regular dr couldn't see me. They diagnosed me with strep. So Isabella and I both started a round of antibiotics. She started feeling better over the weekend and now is back to her smiling, happy self. She was even holding her head up by herself at PT today!

And the verdict is.......

We received Isabella's Waterway Babies system and the verdict is......
A HIT!!
She was a little scared at 1st, since she has never been able to move around in a water setting by herself. Once she was reassured that she was not alone, she seemed to enjoy it. There was a few times where she did fall asleep and startled herself awake. She really enjoyed the warm water.
This is such a great system! <3 I would recommend it to everyone!!

Isabella is WY OLM Official Princess!!!!!!!!!!!!

We are home recovering from a busy, busy weekend!!
Isabella competed in the Wyoming Our Little Miss State Official Pageant 2011 and did AMAZING!! I am so proud of my little princess. She is such an inspiration. We also had the pleasure of meeting some terrific new people.

Isabella won the following:
Wyoming Official Princess
Wyoming's Livin' Doll 2011 0-2 (For the 2nd year in a row!!)
Prettiest Eyes
Prettiest Hair
Best Casual Wear
Best Interview
Best Party Dress
Best Personality Photo
(these were out of ALL the contestants!)