MMMM....cereal!

We went to the doctors yesterday for Isabelle's 4 month check up and she is right where she needs to be. She is holding her head up when she is held or on her tummy, cooing and making all sorts of fun sounds, grabbing and holding onto things and is still as curious as ever. She weighs 13 lbs. 3 oz, is 24 1/2" tall and get this, her head it 16" in diameter! Guess who she gets that from? :) She is taller than the average infant at this age and average but on the lighter side for her weight. Izzy had a slight fever today from the shots but all in all, she is doing great.

Isabelle's doctor told us that he would like to have her start rice cereal this month as early as today (granted it is only one teaspoonful, twice a day) so, Michael decided she needed a little morning snack to tide her over until I got home this afternoon....do you think she likes it? I don't think she is quite sure of it yet :)

Do "Juneau" Alaska? Isabelle does!

Our little one officially has her first set of wings on Alaska Airlines and her first set of sea legs on Regent Seven Seas as she joined us for my work's 29th Annual Advisory Board Meeting.

Last Wednesday morning (4am in the morning) we were all set for Isabelle's first flight to Vancouver. First off, can I just say, traveling with an infant requires a whole LOT of things! Isabelle's stuff took up half of our largest suitcase and, as a reminder, it was just the two of us that I had to pack for! Mom and Dad Ilich came to pick us up at 4:15am but upon their arrival to our place, we realized that the biggest trunk between our cars was my Mom's and there wasn't nearly enough room for all of our suitcases and her travel system stroller (we cant wait until she is a little bit bigger and can fit into the oh so compact, umbrella stroller). So, Papa had to take Isabelle and I to the airport separately which, besides getting him up at 4am, was fine :)

We all got to LAX safe and on time...showing off Isabelle's new passport, using the elevators to get up to the gate level and collapsing EVERYTHING to go through security. Man, that was an adventure in itself! I just thank God that Grandmama and Grandpa Ilich were there with us.

The flights were wonderful, not a peep out of her. I nursed her each time we took off and she was pretty much sucking on her pacifier or asleep when we landed. We got pictures with the captian, which I will have to post later since its on a disposable camera because my battery was completely lost its charge and I had to buy a new one in Vancouver. On the fight over, Mom and I were handing her off to one another to eat, use the restroom, etc. but, the flight home was a different story.

Isabelle and I left in Sitka on Monday, Grandmama and Grandpa Ilich stayed for three more days into Anchorage, and flew into Seattle with our friend (and an Advisory Board Member) Kathy. I was very lucky to have her there to assist me through Sitka's tiny, scrutinizing everyone who went through, security gate and getting us settled in. It was quite funny, though the tickets were booked through separate travel agencies, we were seated right next to one another. That flight was great. The leg from Seattle to Burbank however, was just the two of us. Thank God, once again, for preboarding!

As the other first class passengers started boarding right after me, I noticed "the look", which I hadn't before since I was preoccupied with Isabelle and my Mom or Kathy. I suspect they were probably thinking, "Oh crap, a baby. AND she is in first class!" And the person who got assigned to sit next to us, was probably thinking the same thing. Boy, did Isabelle throw all of them off. She slept the entire flight! After about a half an hour after take off, the lady next to me started talking with me and even offered her tray to put my drink and dinner on. She actually opened my dressing and cut portions of my dinner so I could eat with one hand. She is itching for the day her boys give her grandkids. One is married but just got shipped off to Iraq a month ago (sending him best wishes for a safe return home). I said I would keep my fingers crossed for her :)

As for the cruise, Isabelle was the star of the ship! She had everyone saying hi to her, passengers and crew alike. Only one 10 minute meltdown in the cabin with Grandmama after we left Ketchikan and that was it! I was soooo happy :) We cruised the Inside Passage and Tracy Arm and visited Ketchikan, Juneau, Skagway and disembarked in Sitka. We went shopping and found silver bear earrings for Isabelle and saw a Lumberjack show in Ketchikan (Isabelle slept through it until the super charged chainsaws came out). We went whale watching in Juneau where we saw two Orcas as well as two Humpbacks, one was a mama with her calf, and a bunch of sealions. As for Skagway, at 76 degrees, we took a nice leisurely stroll around town then back to the ship to relax. All in all, it was a great trip and, although without her papa, a wonderful first time adventure for our little one :)

4TH OF JULY!!

Our 4th of July started off with dinner and a movie the night before...a 10:20 showing of Pirates III! So we arranged to drop Isabelle off with Grandmama and Grandpa Ilich at 8 so we could meet up with everyone for dinner around 8:15. Here is the clencher...the night before, Grandmama came over to babysit while I went to the gym (I was gone 1.5 hours) and when I got home, come to find, she had a total melt down. Michael and I have been saying that her "witching hour" is between 6-7pm and Grandmama go stuck right in the middle of it. Having said that, we proceeded to have her Grandparents watch her for what turned out to be a 5.5 hour stretch and were somewhat worried that the night before scenario may happen again. We called after dinner while walking to the movies (such a new parent thing-it was funny) only to hear that she has been sleeping and guess who got her to sleep? GRANDPA! I guess the "bond" he was searching for has officially been put into place.

The following morning we proceeded to get our butts out of bed at 7 to get ready for our local Santa Clarita Valley parade with the Rotary's pancake breakfast that I have not had in about 15 years. Michael headed over to the theatre to reserve our seats...a couch from the lobby pulled out in front of the theatre with mimosas flowing freely :) People walked by commenting that this was the way to watch the parade and boy was it! Isabelle missed the first half while snoozing on my lap.

After the parade we headed home for our now 2nd Annual BBQ! We had a bunch of friends over, including the other "new kids", went swimming (which was Isabelle's first time and after she got in, loved. No crying or tears-YEAH!) and then ended with watching fireworks over Town Center at the Summit Park (aka: our backyard). She slept right through those as well.

(Pics above : Grandmama and Isabelle at the parade, Isabelle eyeing my mimosa :) , Isabelle's "fairy cubparents"- April and Jason Price in the parade for the Goose, Papa, Izzy and Mama, the newest member to the Jaycee kids club...MacKenzie! and Isabelle taking the plunge)

All in all, it was a wonderful first 4th of July!

SHE IS HERE!!

Well, as you all know, our little Miss. Isabelle Anessa arrived almost on her due date (37 mins late), on March 28, 2007 at 12:37 am and was 6 lbs, 8 oz and 20.5" long. The delivery was a piece of cake...once I got the epidural :) We checked into the hospital around 5:30ish and 7 hours later, we had our beautiful little girl in our arms. Michael (Papa) did great, considering the fact that he said he would be no where near the delivery room and actually stayed right outside the door behind a curtain until she was here. I did have one of my best friends, Amy (who was also pregnant at the time), and my Mom with me through the delivery itself "rooting me on". My other "coach", April, who is also Isabelle's Godmother, couldn't be there. She was laid up on her couch with what we found out a few weeks after Isabelle got here, the picklettes...yes, twin girls! We had several visitors at the hospital but mostly the day we got home until about 2am!! Everyone was so excited to meet her and Michael and I were on the biggest adrenaline rush ever that we didn't mind staying up. She just slept right through it all.

Since then Isabelle has met many "milestones"; She had her 2 month shots (the very first time we have heard the most heartbreaking cry/wail come out of our little one's mouth and there was nothing we could do about it), holds her head up, starting to roll herself over to her back when she is on her tummy, almost sits up without falling over (see my MySpace page for a great video that Michael caught of her while at the theatre-http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=20218509), blows bubble (yes, that is a milestone), smiles the most beautiful smile, coos, giggles and almost laughs (especially at her Papa), focuses on pretty much everything, grabs things but not intentionally just yet and so many other things. She is a wonderful (knock on wood) and very alert baby whom we hear, has set the bar pretty high for all of our friends who are having kids.

She had her first road trip up to Lake Tahoe two weekends ago for our friends Kremer and Adriann's wedding and did wonderful! Uncle Steve and Aunt Vicki came over the hill (about an hour and a half drive) to babysit her while we were at the wedding. It was a great time!

Speaking of traveling, Isabelle will be going on her first flight with her Mom, Grandmama and Grandpa Ilich on July 18 to Vancouver. Once we are in Vancouver, we will be boarding a ship and sailing to and through Alaska for an Advisory Board Meeting for my work. Unfortunately Papa cannot make it, the REP's summer fundraiser is that weekend, but we know that she will be in Grandmama's loving hands while I am in meetings. My Dad swears that when my Mom cut the cord, she reconnected it to herself...she loves this little one just as much as we do! So with flying into Canada, you know what that means...we have to get a passport which entails getting passport pictures done. Oh was that a hoot! We went to AAA yesterday waited for about 5 mins until they called my name and when they found out the pictures needed to be taken of Isabelle, no joke, 5 ladies immediately came over to assist with the pictures. Needless to say she was an angel, hamming it up for them and we got just the right shot. Now lets see how quickly her passport will be turned around even with expedited shipping!

Here are a few more pics...


2 months in the brown dress that Ash and Grandma O gave her, 1.5 months with Papa in their Red Wings jerseys & only 3 weeks old in the pink sweater and the picture with Mom and Papa below. Isabelle was a little under 2 months in the pic with the build a bear from Jackie and Randy & 1.5 months with her sis, Bear.

Lake Tahoe pics from Kremer and Adriann's wedding (June 21-24) at almost 3 months and in the Princess Las Vegas onesie from Sally, she is 3 months!

Well, there is the quick Izzy Owston update!. We will be sure to add more blog entries as the days progress. Meanwhile, we wish everyone a very happy and safe 4th of July!