A "little" fun around the house!

Bella found some of my socks, a gift from Brett one Christmas, and now thinks it is the coolest thing to wear them around:o)

Pictured here is the newest addition to our household, Dexter, a miniature Dachshund. We are currently underway on the long and tedious process of housebreaking, and stopping bad chewing habits. Neither Levi nor I have had a puppy in quite a while, so it is proving to be an interesting ordeal.

Here he is standing next to one of Bella's sippy cups, so you can kind of tell how little he is. Bella thinks it is awesome to have a puppy her size. Hardest thing to not get her to pick him up, because she REALLY wants to, but she often misses his belly and gets his neck. Poor dog just goes limp and takes it. I think they will be great buddies and Bella is having fun with him. Sabre alternates between acting the crotchety old woman who doesn't want to play, to romping around a little and having fun with him. She is probably still adjusting, and I can tell she is trying to teach him how things are done, for example peeing on the dirt...

New Toy

We got Bella a new toy yesterday. Didn't take her long to figure the whole thing out, but she dropped the hammer for the more effective slapping the balls through with her hands. She is having fun at the moment, and we can always hear what she is doing with this toy. This along with more noisy books from Grandma Deborah are making fun times!!!

A work in progress...

Well, Bella had another doctors appointment today. A followup of a followup of a followup. The ear infection that she has had for the last two months looks better than it has in a long time, but is still not gone. But no fever whatsoever, yay! Fever has always been the sign that Bella has developed another infection, or that the infection is getting bad again. She has been on every antibiotic that you could imagine at this point to no avail. Now the infection has started to move down to her chest, and she sounds a bit wheezy and crackly. So the doctor is putting her on a nebulizer, and then also a round of steroids. After one breathing treatment at the doctor's the crackling was already gone from her lungs, so that is promising. We will continue to do that at least three times a day, we rented a nebulizer from the doctor's office. The steroids are only a five day treatment, once a day. Along with all of that Bella also received a shot of antibiotics. We will go to yet another followup appointment tomorrow to determine if she needs another booster of the antibiotics...
I am really hoping that this kicks the infection. I hate seeing her have to go through all of this, although she is amazingly well-spirited. Perhaps she has gotten so used to being sick that it no longer causes issue with her temperament...? The doc also gave me the number to an ear, nose, and throat specialist, and mentioned multiple times at today's visit that "when" she gets tubes in her ears how much that will improve her susceptibility to such infections. And with her having to go to daycare she is exposed to those infections more often than if she were at home. Tubes she said, would also equalize the pressure in her ears so that there wouldn't be as much suction, which is a lot of what pulls congestion to the ear and causes the infections in the first place. All in all an informative and hope building day.
That is the main point of interest at our house at the moment. Went to the mall yesterday and the McDonald's playplace. We took Jaysen and Jorden with us to give Grandpa some downtime. They all three seemed to have a grand time, and Bella always enjoys having some other kids around to play with...even though she doesn't play with them so much as next to them.
Sara

Pictures and more pictures

I really hope this works for everyone. David has a site like this and does journal entries kind of and pictures all the time. So I just check it from time to time and keep up that way. Just an idea. That way we don't have to worry about people not getting it, or email changing the way they do pictures. Also you wouldn't have to save as many emails in your boxes:o)

Nasty Palo Verde Beetle that was on the porch. There has been one other that showed up. It almost dropped right on Levi off of the ceiling. GROSS!!!!!

Father's Day weekend 2007. Went to visit Papa Doug and had a grand time in the water.

MMM Broccoli!!!!!
Ignore the bbq sauce and focus on the piggy tail, kee hee!
Mommy and Bella

Pictures got a little out of order with my upload, more of playing at Papa's

Trying to teach Bella to get a drink from the hose...
Sprinkler fun!!

Nap time
Levi and Sara at Tyler and Toni's wedding
Sara and Levi's Grandma
Bella, Toni, and Tyler
Sara, Bella, Levi, Tyler and Toni

Scrunchy face!!!
Bella loves Pansy's doggie bed
Snack time with Bella, Jaysen, and Jorden
Being funny with Daddy and Bella
Mommy and Bella

Deborah Hardy, Douglas Dee Hardy, Sara Dee Hardy, Rowena Grace Hardy, Bella Grace Winckel
Four Generations: Douglas Dee Hardy, Sara Dee Hardy, Bella Grace Winckel, Rowena Grace Hardy
Mohawk!!!
Box house that I made for Bella, she still plays with it.

Mommy and Bella

Sweetest Baby

This is one of the sweetest pictures, and I know it is one of Mom's favorites:o) Mom and I waited and waited for her to fall asleep so we could snap this picture!