it's too hard to think of a title

pig tails!just looking out the window for some birdiesall cozied up watching her showcute, pregnant molly! she came to visit during her spring break and we had a very relaxing few days together. it was her last time coming here before she has her baby so we had to live it up by getting manicures and pedicures and staying at a hotel one night. of course, we also did lots of tv watching, shopping, and eating yummy food. i took this in the dressing room, but its a good view of sweet little baby swansonher first Easter

trying on her grandpa's hat

i just had to document this on the blog. she has been in a stage (sweet mercy, PLEASE let this be a stage) of whining practically all day long. right before i turned on the camera she was rocking back and forth in the saucer and laughing. and that's how it goes with her: one second totally happy, the next a whining mess. good thing we love her so much!

crawling and blowing kisses

*sorry about the first 20 or so seconds in the blowing kisses video. i've really got to find some way to edit my videos!

another month gone by

i'm not a writer and i wish i were. i want to eloquently express how much i love my husband, love our baby, am thankful for what God has done in our lives. its overwhelming at times. i see other families with sick babies and my heart breaks. breaks. how do they do it? would i be able to do it? cling to God and His promises in the darkest of times? know that no matter what, He is good? i hope so. i pray so. i just have to cling to Him now. and thank Him for this time in my life. for my husband. for our baby. its because of this persepctive i have right now that i am soaking up every second i have with this girl. she's growing and changing so fast and i don't want to miss a thing. (grrrreat, now that song is in my head. they totally ruined that line for me.). here she is. ten months old. with pink eye. telling me that she's 'all done.'
where's isabella?

the ones i love most in this world

the first video is of the new face that she's making. the second is from this morning. please excuse my singing.

a few other updates:

she enjoys banging her head into things. or hitting herself in the head (like the monkeys falling off the bed and bumping their heads). she also enjoys screaming or yelling. (she does it out of joy and she thinks its funny. we think its funny too...unless we're out somewhere and get death stares from people who do not find it cute and endearing). she still prefers to feed herself but is a little more compliant when we try to feed her. she roars when we ask her what a lion says. (although it could just be her yelling...the girl REALLY enjoys the sound of her own voice). one of my favorite things (and my aching back's least favorite) is that if she sees something she's interested in while i'm holding her, she'll lunge for it. she'll try to crawl up and out of my arms to get to it. i don't really know why, but i just think its cute. she spends a good portion of her days waving at things. pictures on the wall, fans, lights, clocks...those sorts of things. we now have to go around our house waving 'goodnight' to things. she would be happy if we sang and read to her ALL DAY LONG. also, when i brought her to the doctor for the whole pink eye thing, they weighed her. 16 pounds, 14 ounces. i'd say that switching her to formula has made quite a difference.

i better wrap this up. she's getting frusterated with the nobs on our tv stand. why can't i pull them off so that i can put them in my mouth?!

sweet mercy.

(that was for you, mike).