Annabel Leigh Villadiego

Happy Valentine's Day!

2012-02-14T11:05:00.003-06:00


Be Mine!


Sweetheart!


My Silly Valentine!

Lovely! Wait...is that Stinky's foot in the background? :)

Stinky Bizzzzzy Bee!

2012-02-09T13:40:00.001-06:00

Stinky has been a little busy bee lately. In the last two weeks she has met with the neurologist, the GI doctor, and a great PA for a new G-Button replacement!

Neurology Visit: Even though the EEG did not show any seizure activity we met with the neurologist to discuss her seizure like 'symptoms'. The neurologist did confirm that an EEG may only show seizure activity if the patient happens to be having a seizure during the EEG. I described in detail what we've seen at home and he said that it sounds like seizures to him, but it is hard to diagnose without EEG tests showing seizure activity or without witnessing a seizure while in progress. So that's when I said ok then, how about a video showing the so called seizure? He said that sounds great, and took a look. After reviewing the two videos that I recorded on my phone, he did say that yes, Stinky is having some seizures. I'm so glad I recorded them! She is taking some medicine for it now, twice a day and so far so good! We will monitor her progress and we meet back with the neurologist in a month or so.

GI Visit: The vomiting continues so we saw the stomach doctor again to discuss our next option. Stinky is now taking Erythromycin four times a day. This antibiotic sometimes helps with issues regarding motility and I found out that quite a few other Trisomy 18 kids take it and it does help. So we will be taking it for 30 days and we hope it helps for us, too. See the pic below of Stinky in the exam room, waiting to see the doctor:

New G-Button: Well, Stinky's G-Button broke again and thankfully it was late at night and after her last feed! It was just the safety plug that plugs into the feeding port, so we were still able to feed her the next day, too. Our GI Doc made an appointment for us and we had it replaced with no problems! Poor Stinky cried right when it happened but she was already smiling in the car on our way home. I asked the PA if I could take a quick pic of the new button before he pulled the old one out and put the new one in. Even though this is how she eats everyday, it is so weird to see the button first and then think of how it is in her tummy and works just fine! Pics below are Stinky smiling again, before the button change of course...then a pic of the button before it was popped in, and a pic of her new button while she's eating. So awesome how it works!

Long Time--No Post!

2012-01-15T14:09:00.001-06:00

Greetings from Stinkerville! Long time--no post, indeed! It is getting harder and harder to keep up with the blog, but I'm trying! Annabel is hard work. Annabel plus Ava (walking and now eating regular food) is even more hard work. We are busy, busy girls. So busy that blogging is only possible when that rare event occurs: Annabel and Ava both napping at the same time. So now is my chance, and we have several updates for all to read.

First, we had a very Merry Christmas: in Orlando, Florida! We did what I thought was nearly impossible, we drove there and back..you can read all about that below. But while there, we had such a lovely time. Annabel got sick just one time while we were there, she did great! Both girls had tons of fun, and we were so happy to be part of Ita's 80th birthday party celebration. Thank you to the entire Burbano and extended Families that we shared time with...too many members to name, but we love you all! Great company, great music, great food! Sadly, we were all too busy enjoying such quality family time that we have just have one photo to share from our Florida trip:

Group Photo at Ita's Big 80th Birthday Bash!

Second, the drive to Florida and back: crazy stressful! It took us two full days to get to Florida and two full days to get back. Jorge did all of the driving with me in the backseat with the girls. So not only was Annabel getting sick during the drive there, but so was Ava. Turns out she gets carsick after two hours or so. And then we also had to make frequent stops for diaper changes, cleanup and feedings, etc. We are so thankful for Rocio and Glen, who followed us all the way there and back and helped us out each time we had to stop. We made that long drive each time by driving all day the first day, stopping in Louisiana to stay overnight, then getting up early and driving all day again. Finally, we made it home safe with one tiny crack in our windshield and after dealing with a blown tire at 9PM on a busy two lane highway. Did I mention the drive was crazy stressful? Did I mention how thankful we are that we had family following us? :) Now, with that being said, we were oh so happy once we got back to Texas! Nothing against Florida, it is a lovely state....but home sweet home, right? So naturally, the girls celebrated their sweet Texas Homecoming in their brand new outfits they got for Christmas. Thank you, Uncle Brian:

Stinky says, 'Hello Texas!"

Ava says, "Howdy, Texas!"

Next, Annabel's EEG appointment. Remember, we had the appointment scheduled shortly before Christmas? The test itself was quick and easy and Annabel did great. They wanted her to fall asleep for the test and she did just that...but not after tossing and turning and rolling around a bit, of course. They had to wrap her head up because the electrodes kept coming off her head:

Well, the results came back with 'abnormal' brain activity. Of course we expected that with the Trisomy 18. The EEG did not show evidence of any seizure activity, but the doctors still want Annabel to see a neurologist. So we have an appointment at the end of this month. Not sure what will happen then but we will keep you all posted.

Lastly, we hope our readers enjoyed their Christmas and New Year, because we sure did. This was the best Christmas ever! The best ever because we are so blessed. Stinky is still with us! And can you believe that she will be turning 3 in April? Truly Amazing:

Mommy with Annabel


Daddy with Ava

Snotty Stinky

2011-12-13T16:17:00.001-06:00

Stinky is feeling a little better but we are still suctioning snot like crazy! We are trying our hardest to keep her well so that we can visit with family during Christmas.

In other news, Stinky has an appointment to get an EEG test on December 21st. We are concerned that she might be having seizures. Based on what we've read and heard, seizures are fairly common in our Trisomy 18 babies. We've seen seizure like behavior a few times and our GI doctor said that the vomiting issue could be related. We will keep everyone posted, of course!

In the meantime, please enjoy the pic below. It was taken while she was eating and she was talking non stop. Her face is so cute and animated!

A Very Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-28T15:35:00.001-06:00

Happy Thanksgiving from Stinkerville! We had a lovely time here. MeeMaw and PawPaw arrived on Wednesday and stayed through the whole weekend! And we were so excited when Uncle Kevin and Aunt Chasti came to visit us on Saturday. The girls had a great time with their cousins Alexis, Ryan and Kolby.
Poor Stinky got sick a few times when our company was here. That's nothing new, she had a good four days in a row that were vomit free. And we are always thankful for that, by the way! Other than that, she was a little congested but still happy and she had a great time! But now that all of our visitors are gone, Stinky's acting like she doesn't feel too good. She doesn't have a fever but she is very congested right now and we are on snot suction detail once again. We will keep a close watch on her, as always. Little Stinker, you better start feeling better soon! Please enjoy our pics below. We were too busy eating and playing to get more pics, sorry!

Stinky acting silly!

It was tough trying to get a decent family photo..Stinky was too busy looking at her MeeMaw and Ava was way too fussy. Clockwise, starting with Jorge: Jorge, Carrie with Ava, Kolby with Ricky, Alexis, MeeMaw with Annabel, Kevin, Chasti, PawPaw and Ryan.

Great pic of PawPaw and Ava playing outside!

A Lovely Dress for a Lovely Girl!

2011-11-02T18:40:00.002-05:00

This dress was handmade by Ava's Abuelita (Ita). Ita is a very talented seamstress, don't you agree? The dress is 16 years old! Ava's cousin Jessie wore it when she turned one year old and her cousin Victoria wore it when she turned one year old. Stinky was just too tiny for the dress on her 12 month birthday but we hope she will get chunky enough to wear it someday! So it is our birthday dress family tradition...and Mimi keeps it safe and pretty at her house so it will be ready for the next little Villadiego girl!

Happy 1st Birthday, Ava!

2011-11-01T21:42:00.001-05:00

12 Months Old!

1 Day Old!

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-31T21:27:00.001-05:00

Stinky as Little Red Riding Hood!

Ava as Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader!

1 More Day til Halloween!

2011-10-30T19:31:00.000-05:00

Stinky Skelebones with Bubba Binky!

Ava Skelebones with Ghouly Glasses!

The Ultimate: Stinky Skelebones with Bubba Binky AND Ghouly Glasses!

Stinky Laughing!

2011-10-26T00:14:00.000-05:00

Before you watch the video, a few things: that weird snorting/growling sound that you hear is from our dog Ricky. When we play with him he gets very excited and that is the sound that he makes. Annabel loves watching him though and she always laughs once he starts making that sound. We didn't catch Ricky on video. But try your hardest to ignore Ricky's noise and concentrate on hearing Annabel's sweet laugh. We love it!

I apologize in advance for the shaky view. Also, I played around with the editing tools on Youtube. This one is called '1960s'. I like it, it does make the video look old school.

And finally, make sure you pause our Halloween Music so you can hear her sweet laugh!

7 More Days til Halloween!

2011-10-24T20:47:00.003-05:00

Mommy's lil' Pumpkin!

Mommy's lil' Monster Feet!

11 More Days til Halloween!

2011-10-20T20:54:00.001-05:00

Little Miss Stinky Spider!

Miss Stinky Spider and Little Sister!

Not sure on this one. Ava pretending to be a spider? This was her pose when I said, "Smile, Happy Halloween!"

The Countdown Has Begun!

2011-10-10T17:23:00.001-05:00

21 More Days Until Halloween!

Summer Vacations Part 3

2011-09-06T16:39:00.003-05:00

New York City!

The girls didn't get to go, but look at their cute NYC shirts: a gift from their Grandma Mami.

Summer Vacations Part 2

2011-08-29T11:58:00.003-05:00

Costa Rica! Enjoy the pics below..Stinky and Ava wearing their super cute dresses from Costa Rica-a gift from their Tio Luis.

Next week: New York City!

Summer Vacations

2011-08-22T12:11:00.005-05:00

Summer vacation? But isn't everyone 'Back to School' right now? Mostly everyone, yes! But we are still at home here in Stinkerville..our day to day activities will remain the same even though September is just around the corner. We have enjoyed a great summer but we are done with this awful heat! Most days it has been just too hot and humid to get Stinky and Ava out.

So while the girls have kept cool inside all summer, our friends and family have gone here and there and everywhere for some fun summer vacations! Each new trip results in new outfits and toys for the girls. We thought it would be fun to share some pics from each trip. This week: Hawaii. Next week...Costa Rica!

Below: Stinky and Ava in their dresses from Hawaii...gifts from their Grandma Mami.

Tummy Trouble Update

2011-08-15T16:42:00.003-05:00

Stinky's tummy troubles continue: she is still vomiting at least once a day, sometimes two times a day, maybe four days in a row each week. She usually has a couple of days that are vomit free but then it starts all over again.
We are still feeding her at a much slower rate and she is now taking her reflux medicine twice a day. Our next step is to try a new formula and see how that goes. We will keep you posted on that once we begin the new formula!

Besides the current tummy trouble, Stinky is still hanging in there and we keep busy with our different therapy appointments and playtime. Take a look at the most recent pics below. The first two are Stinky playing with her new therapy ball: a new toy from her Occupational Therapist. The last pic is Stinky playing with her little sock monkey: a gift from her GAB.

Stinky and Ava

2011-07-19T15:52:00.002-05:00

Stinky loves playing with Ava!

Happy 4th of July!!

2011-07-04T23:17:00.000-05:00

Stinky Swims!

2011-06-13T16:01:00.003-05:00

And she loves it! She splished and splashed and had a great time. We've decided to add swimming to our weekly therapy activities!

Stop It, Stinky!

2011-06-08T14:13:00.003-05:00

Stop throwing up, Stinky! We've had some gross vomit issues recently. Lately Annabel vomits pretty often and at different times of the day, sometimes in the morning, sometimes at night...sometimes once a day, sometimes twice a day, etc. We usually have three or four days in a row vomit free, but then she gets sick again on the fourth or fifth day. The episodes are so random and so it is hard to determine the exact cause. Is it reflux? Is it the rate the food is going in, do we need to slow it down? Is it her constant congestion? Is it because of her low muscle tone?

We went to the stomach doctor and we are trying two new things: she is taking reflux medicine and now she gets her formula fed to her over an hour. What does this mean? It means the dreaded pump is back...ayyyyy! Annabel used to eat with the pump when we first brought her home. Then after she got her G-Button we slowly started feeding her via syringe bolus feeds and she did great for a long time. With the bolus feeding, it takes maybe 15 to 20 minutes to feed her. And now with the pump feeding it takes an hour to feed her. We will check back in with the doctor in a month or so for a progress report.

It is time consuming but we don't care! As long as Stinky stops throwing up, that's all that matters! Oh, and it is quite an ordeal now that we have Ava, too. She is constantly on the move and she is always interested in her sister's feeding issues. So Mom has a hard time trying to figure the best place to put Annabel during her feeds now!

Stinky before her feed begins..

Stinky during her feeding. See the bag of formula and the pump? And the tubing connected to her and then draped over her chair? She likes to play with her piano while she eats.

And see where little Ava always ends up? She can't get to the pump or tubing and so she plays with her toys on the floor next to Annabel's chair. She had just fallen asleep next to her 'cell phone' when I took this pic.

Happy Mother's Day!

2011-05-08T19:37:00.003-05:00

"A mother's arms are made of tenderness and children sleep soundly in them."
-- Victor Hugo

Annabel's 2nd Birthday Party

2011-05-03T10:57:00.002-05:00

Thank you all for sharing Annabel's special day with us. We had a fabulous time at the party. We can hardly believe it's true..our Annabel has turned two! We love you, Annabel Leigh!

Annabel Loves Ava

2011-04-26T09:53:00.004-05:00

This is what I get to see every morning: after breakfast Ava gets in bed with Annabel for some quality snuggle time. Look how happy Annabel is when she's next to her little sister! This always makes me smile.

Happy Easter!

2011-04-24T11:12:00.000-05:00

G Button Replaced!

2011-04-22T12:13:00.002-05:00

We just got home from the hospital and Stinky's new G Button looks great! Wow, we were there almost three hours but the actual procedure only took five minutes to complete. The surgeon simply pulled the old broken one out and popped a new one back in!

Stinky cried a little when the surgeon took the button out, but she soon calmed down after we held her for a while. She reacted the same way she acts when she gets her shots.

The first pic shows Stinky in her hospital t shirt waiting for the doctor. Then a picture of the new button..and then Stinky already rolling around on her tummy now that we are home!

Broken G Button?!

2011-04-21T21:01:00.003-05:00

This weekend we were surprised to see that Stinky's G Button had broken. We assume it is from normal wear and tear, the daily opening and closing of the lid each time we feed her, etc. Everything else appears to be in working order on the inside, anyway...it's just the outer lid that has broken. We have an appointment to get a new one 'popped' back in tomorrow morning. We were told that the procedure should only take 15 minutes to complete. And we are thankful that the procedure does not require anesthesia!

Stinky had her G Button placement surgery in October 2009. So we are also very thankful that we haven't had any major problems until now...it's hard to believe that she's had it for a year and a half! We will post tomorrow after her appointment, and hopefully with some good pics of her new button!

See Stinky smiling away, despite her broken button. We've been covering it with cute band aids until we can get it fixed!

Surprise Party..Like Totally!

2011-04-15T11:22:00.003-05:00

Annabel's uncle turned 40 last week and the family celebrated with a surprise birthday party. The theme: Totally 80's! Everyone wore their best 80's gear and the surprise party was a great success!
Annabel and Ava both left the party early with Mom; the loud 80's music was a bit too much. But we did get some cute pics of the girls in their costumes right before the party started!

Below: Stinky dressed as Punky Brewster. And Ava dressed as the 80's workout girl like Jane Fonda, Olivia Newton John, etc. They look so cute!

Stinky Stands!

2011-04-06T15:46:00.003-05:00

Stinky tried her stander today while wearing her AFOs and her new shoes. She did great! She really seemed to enjoy seeing everything from such a different perspective! The plan is to start slowly: she will spend just ten minutes in the stander each day. We will meet with the therapist in a couple of weeks for a progress report/therapy session.

The photos below show just how big the actual stander is...it makes Stinky look extra tiny! The second photo shows Mom and Stinky holding hands while the therapists check out the equipment. And for the last pic, look how happy Stinky looks-playing with her piano while standing, yay!

Happy 23 Months, Annabel!

2011-03-30T16:49:00.003-05:00

Annabel is 23 months old today, yay! Just one more month until she is a whole TWO YEARS OLD! So we celebrated today by going to the doctors office to get her last and final RSV shot for the season, woohoo!

She has been all smiles today! Does she know that Mom and Dad are getting super excited about her special day coming up? In the last two photos, doesn't it look like she is dancing?

Stinky and Her AFO's!

2011-03-21T14:44:00.003-05:00

AFO=Ankle-Foot Orthotic. Stinky's new leg braces! We just got them in today. These braces will help restrict ankle movement when Annabel is in her stander. They will also provide support during her physical therapy with general weight bearing and sitting up, etc. We will slowly begin wearing the braces for a little bit each day until Stinky gets used to them. Then we need to find some new shoes that will fit over the new braces..that makes Mom excited, because buying new shoes is always a good thing! Once we have the shoes, we are set for April 9th. That's the day we are meeting with our physical therapist and our rehabilitation specialist to begin working in the stander! We can't wait!

Below: Stinky is modeling the brace in the first photo, super cute! The second photo is just a close up so everyone can see the cute pattern that we chose for the braces. The last two photos show Mom's hands holding the braces: truly some of the smallest AFO's ever made!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

2011-03-17T11:37:00.001-05:00

March is Trisomy Awareness Month!

2011-03-04T09:09:00.002-06:00

Spread the word!

Stinky's New Shades

2011-02-25T17:09:00.002-06:00

Annabel is very sensitive to sunlight. We finally ordered some special sunglasses for her and they are just her size! Now we can't wait to go outside and play!

More Teeth! More Smiles!

2011-02-22T15:20:00.002-06:00

Poor Stinky...she has just cut tooth number eight! They have been coming in one right after the other and Stinky has told us all about it! We've had some sleepless nights and crazy days and on top of that...she caught a nasty stomach virus, too. But the pics below show Stinky having a good time despite it all...

Little Girls-Big Chair

2011-02-15T15:33:00.002-06:00

Happy Valentine's Day!

2011-02-14T09:47:00.000-06:00

Sunny Days

2011-02-12T18:02:00.004-06:00

This post is for Stinky's fans that do NOT live in Texas. Our fellow Texans know that it is not unusual to have ice and snow one week and then have warm and sunny days the next. Today is the first beautiful day of several more to come: temps in the high 60s and low 70s!

We had to turn off the heat and we are dressed accordingly..even Stinky agreed it's just too warm for pants today!

Stinky's Therapy Toy

2011-02-10T16:32:00.000-06:00

Snow Days Part Two

2011-02-09T18:35:00.002-06:00

Another snowy pajama day! Stinky looks bored, but really she was all smiles before we got the camera out. Ava was a good sport, though.

Stinker's Super Bowl Soiree

2011-02-06T22:13:00.005-06:00

Stinker getting pumped up for the game!

Homemade football cake by Mom and Dad...team effort and our first time!

Mom and Stinky watching the game.

Dad and Ava watching the game.

Stinker enjoying her party!

Snow Days

2011-02-03T11:29:00.002-06:00

It's bitter cold outside and the roads are covered in ice! So we haven't left the house since Monday morning. Mom and Dad are getting cabin fever but the girls have enjoyed playing all day in their pajamas!

Happy 21 Months, Annabel!

2011-01-30T14:35:00.002-06:00

Playing with her little sister..

Tummy Time with her PawPaw..

Sunday Dress Up

2011-01-16T22:21:00.002-06:00

Stinky is finally feeling better so today we played dress up with her little sister. The girls just love animal print!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

2011-01-06T17:00:00.008-06:00

We are a bit late on our Season's Greetings from Stinkerville. But it is only because we've been busy enjoying a wonderful Christmas and New Year!

The Most Wonderful Christmas Ever: Annabel is still with us and doing great! Ava is now with us and doing great! We went out of town, spent quality time with our families and then made it home safely! We are so very thankful.

Now for some updates on our Little Big Stinker: She now weighs fourteen pounds and eight ounces. Go Stinker! She has graduated from size 1 diapers to size 2! She got her very first haircut on Christmas Day and it is sooo cute! In addition to her two bottom teeth, Stinker now has one tooth up top, sort of to the right..it's a cute little snaggle tooth! And we are thrilled to say that she has been rolling around and lifting her head up so much! Annabel now tries to lift her head up on her own as soon as we put her down on her tummy. We are still trying to capture that on video, so pictures will have to do for now.

We didn't know if we would get to spend one Christmas with Annabel..and we just celebrated our second with Annabel and our first with Ava. We are truly blessed and thank God for the time we get to spend with both of our girls. See the pics below!

The girls with their big brother, wiped out after our fun trip.

Annabel smiling at her little sister, as usual!

Annabel holding her head up, good job!

The last pic is Annabel with some nasty snot bubbles! Mom and Dad both caught a stomach bug/cold and now Annabel has it. We took her to see the doc and so far she's doing ok. Mom and Dad are now on snot suction detail and we hope this cold will be gone soon. No fever yet and her breathing is still ok. We are fighting this cold with all we've got, but please pray that our Stinky gets over it soon! She's still smiling and playing and that makes us feel better.

2010-12-17T15:38:00.001-06:00

Happy 19 Months!

2010-11-30T21:13:00.002-06:00

Annabel sitting pretty in her new special stroller. We are so excited about the stroller, it will provide great support and positioning for Annabel. How nice that it arrived on her birthday, too!

Can You Hear Me Now?

2010-11-29T11:25:00.004-06:00

Stinker's first phone: Call 555-too-cute!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2010-11-26T12:51:00.002-06:00

Sleepless Days and Sleepless Nights..

2010-11-15T15:32:00.002-06:00

But not for Stinker! When Ava wakes up crying, Stinker continues to sleep soundly. Sometimes she will open her eyes just for a minute and look at Ava for a bit...but soon after she is back to sleep again. We are so happy that (so far) Stinker isn't losing any sleep over her little sister!

Big sister, meet little sister...

2010-11-07T21:17:00.004-06:00

It was this last Wednesday that Carrie and I came home from the hospital. After two full days, we both missed Annabel so much. She was in capable hands as Meemaw was gracious enough to come stay with us and look after her.

We had some very surprising news for her.

Carrie and I had of course spoken to Annabel to explain she had a little sister coming. She obviously could tell that something was different about mommy's appearance and the way she walked so slowly the last couple of weeks :)

When we arrived home we woke Annabel up from her mid day nap and introduced her to her new little sister, Ava Joy. I don't think I've ever witnessed a more beautiful sight.

A little more about Ava:
Ava arrived 11-01-10 weighing 6lbs 15oz and measuring 19 3/4" in length. She is lovely.

Mom is still tired, but she is recovering nicely. I have to get back to the office tomorrow, which will be interesting since we have been operating on about 3 hours of sleep per night.

Regardless, we are so grateful and feel very blessed.

More photo sessions to follow soon, no doubt.

Good night!

JV

Happy Halloween!

2010-10-31T20:36:00.003-05:00

Stinker as the cutest ladybug ever!

Then she passed out...

Two More Days til Halloween!

2010-10-29T11:26:00.001-05:00

Five More Days til Halloween!

2010-10-26T22:18:00.001-05:00

Seven More Days til Halloween!

2010-10-24T20:31:00.001-05:00

Go Rangers!

2010-10-22T21:31:00.001-05:00

Fourteen More Days til Halloween!

2010-10-17T19:00:00.001-05:00

Twenty More Days til Halloween!

2010-10-11T17:08:00.003-05:00

Our Stinker is feeling much better now, thank God! And we thank you all for the continued prayers.

We're taking all the necessary precautions with the change of season and Annabel is scheduled to be getting her flu shots and RSV shots soon. We need her to be well for Halloween and for the arrival of her little sister.

Appointment

2010-10-04T13:28:00.001-05:00

Annabel had her check up today. Dr Z. said that her lungs sound better today than they did on Friday and since her fever has gone away, she doesn’t see any need to put her on antibiotics. She said it appears that we’re on the downward slope of the illness :)

Carrie and I are staying vigilant with our care and Annabel has even cracked a few smiles at us showing us that she feels a little better.

Please continue to pray that Annabel stays strong and gets well soon.

JXV

Annabel update

2010-10-03T15:42:00.001-05:00

Annabel just turned 1 year and five months old and over that span she’s come across a few bacteria and viruses that all babies encounter. We’ve been fortunate that she’s fought those off spectacularly thus far. Friday, her doctor diagnosed her latest bug as acute bronchiolitis. A fever, fatigue, thick mucus, vomiting and dehydration have accompanied this latest illness. Again, all babies experience this but unlike other non-T18 babies, effects from the flu, RSV, or bronchiolitis can be much more serious. Children with congenital heart defects, AIDS, or transplant recipients especially are at an increased risk for more severe complications. At times, hospitalizations are required for oxygen administration or to provide fluids intravenously.

We have not taken Annabel to the hospital, but that’s primarily because we are equipped with oxygen, a suction machine, a nebulizer and a pulseoxemeter at our home. Right now we are just giving her plenty of rest, electrolytes and love. She has a follow up appointment with her pediatrician tomorrow morning.

They say that this usually runs its course in 7-10 days, so we’ll be monitoring her and suctioning her little nose raw for the next week or so. I sure hope it doesn’t linger beyond that. It crushes me to see my little baby so tired and weak.

-JXV

Happy 17 Months, Annabel!

2010-09-30T09:52:00.001-05:00

BCF=Best Cousins Forever!

2010-09-17T12:21:00.002-05:00

Stinker's cousins Gabriel and Marissa came by to visit last night. We all had a great time. Ricky just had to jump in and get into the picture at the last minute. We tried to correct his scary red eye, but no such luck!

Stinker After Her Bath..pause the music first!

2010-09-16T13:04:00.001-05:00

Happy Grandparents Day!

2010-09-12T11:56:00.002-05:00

Today Annabel is sending much love and thanks to: Great Grandma Ita, Grandma Mami, Abuelo, and Meemaw and Pawpaw. Thank God for Grandparents!

Wow Stinker, Is That a Double Chin?

2010-09-10T13:30:00.002-05:00

Happy Labor Day!

2010-09-06T12:21:00.002-05:00

Pretty in Pink!

2010-09-02T16:58:00.000-05:00

Happy 16 Months, Annabel!

2010-08-30T11:15:00.002-05:00

Sweet Sixteen Celebration...just taking it easy, hanging out in her special purple chair. She's getting so big. Sixteen months! How did that happen so fast? We love you, Stinky!

Stinker Is Ready to Go Shopping with Mommy!

2010-08-19T09:27:00.001-05:00

Oh! Darling!

2010-08-15T09:58:00.004-05:00

Little Stinker just loves Abbey Road!

Happy 15 Months, Annabel!

2010-07-30T18:10:00.003-05:00

Stinker now weighs 11 pounds and 1 ounce! Woohoo! And she is almost 26 inches long. And we are very pleased to announce that we have finally graduated from Newborn Diapers to Size 1! Look below to see the difference!

Happy Birthday, Meemaw!

2010-07-25T15:34:00.003-05:00

Meemaw visited this weekend just to share her very special 60th birthday with Annabel! Tim, Tara and Tristan came by Saturday night to join in the celebration. We had a fabulous time!

Feeding Therapy

2010-07-20T20:11:00.002-05:00

Annabel still gets her nutrition via g-tube feedings everyday, but we sure are enjoying our oral feeding therapy with different baby foods. She is definitely trying to eat by mouth...little by little, of course, and on her own 'Stinker' time. See below: Butternut squash and corn.

Special Delivery!

2010-07-13T21:56:00.004-05:00

Look at Annabel's new blanket that arrived in the mail today! This blanket was handmade by Jaxson's mommy and we sure do appreciate it! Please click on the link below to learn more about Jaxson and the blankies for babes blog!

..oh and one more thing, Annabel's nanny Layce confessed that she is the one that requested this sweet blankie. Thank you, Layce!

Happy Independence Day!

2010-07-04T12:05:00.001-05:00

Happy 14 Months, Little Stinker!

2010-06-30T19:46:00.002-05:00

Happy Father's Day!

2010-06-20T12:37:00.002-05:00

Tummy Time and Swing Time!

2010-06-15T18:46:00.002-05:00

Thank You!

2010-06-07T22:53:00.002-05:00

For Stinker's fans: we finally got the slide show ready, so take a look! Before viewing, please consider the following:

We had over one hundred guests show up to help us celebrate our '365 days with Annabel' celebration. Thank you, all!

Pay attention to the last two pictures in the slide show. Annabel's magnolia tree bloomed for the first time shortly after her one year birthday. For those of you who don't remember, take a look at our old posts from July 2009. We planted a little magnolia tree for Annabel's three month birthday..isn't it so tiny, delicate and beautiful, just like Annabel?

Little Stinker's Slideshow

2010-06-07T22:50:00.000-05:00

This slideshow made with Smilebox

Lilian Grace

2010-06-01T11:43:00.002-05:00

A few weeks ago a friend of mine emailed me to tell me that one of her close friends just had a baby, Lilian Grace, who was later diagnosed with Edward's Syndrome. Not too long after, Lilian's mom reached out to me to let me know she had seen Annabel's blog and it had given her and her family a sense of comfort. It is a wonderful feeling that our journey with Annabel has the ability to help another family cope with their similar situation.

Please keep Lilian Grace and her family in your prayers. You can visit Lilian Grace's site here.

Sunday Baseball Day

2010-05-25T19:05:00.002-05:00

Daddy and his friends went to the Rangers game on Sunday. Stinker decided not to go to the game, so she stayed home with Mom instead. She did wear her Rangers gear to show her support, which made her Dad very proud! We are still fighting the stinky congestion, but she is smiling again and acting like she feels much better.

Stinky Congestion!

2010-05-17T15:00:00.002-05:00

Little Stinker hasn't been feeling too good lately. She was very congested and had some retractions so we took her to the doctor to make sure everything was ok. The good news: her heart and lungs sound good, so it's most likely the congestion that was causing the retractions. Poor Annabel is so tiny so even a small amount of congestion can make her breathing labored and lead to her lungs getting sick. Mommy has been on 'snot suction detail' for the last four or five days and now the congestion is getting much better, thank God! Both Stinker and Mommy are exhausted and ready for this stinky congestion to go away! Take a look at Stinker, passed out after yet another round of our 'saline drops in the nose/pat the back/suction the nose' routine.

Beautiful Birthday Girl!

2010-05-08T11:52:00.003-05:00

We are still working on Annabel's party pic slideshow. But in the meantime, take a look at the pics we took before the party began. Doesn't she look gorgeous? We thank Lyla's Mom and the Velarde Family for sending this beautiful dress and matching bow..and just in time for her birthday party!

Happy 12 Months, Annabel Leigh!

2010-04-30T10:29:00.002-05:00

Little Stinker is one year old today! It is truly a miracle that we have shared 365 wonderful days with her so far! Stay tuned for pics from her big birthday bash that we have scheduled for tomorrow afternoon. For right now, she's just relaxing and taking it easy on her birthday.

Stinker Is Ready For Summer!

2010-04-21T21:08:00.003-05:00

She's ready to go: swimsuit and shades, check!

Hey, how did that cute little foot get in the photo?

Doesn't she look like she's talking to someone across the room?

Stinker's Bathrobe!

2010-04-12T21:38:00.000-05:00

Happy Easter!

2010-04-04T15:29:00.004-05:00

Stinker in her Easter Dress..

Ricky in his Easter Scarf..

Happy 11 Months, Annabel!

2010-03-30T20:14:00.002-05:00

We told Annabel that we are making this birthday celebration very small and casual...because we are just too busy planning her big 12 month celebration for next month! She seems to be ok with it so far..

Smile

2010-03-28T21:59:00.002-05:00

Sleeping Beauty..

Restless Stinker!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

2010-03-17T11:27:00.000-05:00

Stinker Has Some Teeth Now!

2010-03-14T16:48:00.006-05:00

She has two, in fact...on the bottom, right in front! We can't wait until they are completely up and out and in view so everyone can see them! Until then, just trust us that they are there. She will not stop chewing her fingers, not even long enough for our new denim dress photo shoot! Well, she did finally stop after a while..look how cute she looks!

Nice Weekend!

2010-03-07T20:45:00.003-06:00

Stinker had a lovely time with her MeeMaw and PawPaw this weekend. Take a look at some pics of Stinker's bath time and her new outfit that they brought for her birthday!

Special Delivery!

2010-03-02T19:22:00.002-06:00

Nurse Kerri came by today to wish Annabel a Happy Birthday. She surprised us all with the cutest little Bundt Cake: sweet and tiny and perfect, just like Annabel!

Happy 10 Months, Annabel Leigh!

2010-03-01T20:21:00.003-06:00

We celebrated ten months yesterday with another Villadiego Family Party. We ate lasagna and salad and then we had yummy brownies and turtle cookie treats for dessert. The family brought us tons of diapers and wipes, yay! We had a super time and Stinker enjoyed the party, too.
In fact, it was one of her 'wildest' parties yet: Stinker was having so much fun squirming around and her g-button popped open and she leaked some formula all over Grandma Mami! But hey, it's not really a party until the star has at least one wardrobe change, right? :) So we went to the bedroom and cleaned up, but before we could get a new party dress on...Stinker decided to pee all over Mom and Dad's bed. And she was smiling the whole time, of course. A wild party, indeed! We love you, Little Stinker!

New Dresses..Part Two!

2010-02-27T10:51:00.000-06:00

New Dresses!

2010-02-25T12:05:00.002-06:00

Stinker wearing one of her new dresses that she received in the mail. She was delighted when she saw the surprise package from her Uncle Kevin and Aunt Chasti! Thank you!

Life in Stinkerville

2010-02-20T20:18:00.004-06:00

It's time for a little update on how Annabel is doing lately. Remember, no news is usually good news regarding her general health issues! But she recently saw the pediatrician for her nine month check-up. NINE month check-up! That's good news already, right? The doc was happy to see that she weighs seven pounds and six ounces now...and she sure has grown a lot in length...she's up to 24 inches! Perhaps she's made to be tall like her daddy. We are still feeding her via her g-button and so far it's working out great. We get to do bolus feeds now and that means we don't have to use the very slow machine pump anymore. We get to try rice cereal and fruit now and we are trying that daily. Sometimes she likes it, and sometimes she doesn't care for it at all. But we are excited just to try! We are also reintroducing bottle feeds little by little and we'll see how she does with that.
We saw the cardiologist again and her heart is pretty much the same since our last visit. We take this as good news: her heart hasn't gotten better, but we are thankful it hasn't gotten worse, either. She still takes heart and lung medication. And she is still comfortable and pain free. And she smiles all the time! She hardly ever fusses or cries, and for that we are thankful, too! Each day with her is truly a blessing!
Which brings us to our final update..her therapy. Stinker has such a busy schedule with her nutritional therapy, physical therapy, occupational therapy, etc. We do daily exercises and she sees specialists once a week. Little Stinker makes progress in her own special ways, for sure...and she is working hard to accomplish little bitty tasks that most babies can do at a very young age. Right now she is working very hard on trying to hold her head up all by herself. Most Trisomy 18 babies have difficulty doing this for a number of reasons: very low muscle tone, in particular. We engage in tummy time in order to strengthen her neck and back muscles. Today she did great. She lifted her head all by herself a couple of times and she was able to hold it up for maybe five seconds before she got tired, each time! It was just Mommy and Stinker when she did it, and boy was Mommy proud, excited and so thankful all at the same time! Of course we made sure the camera was near before we began so take a look below. Thank you for checking up on Stinker and thank you for the thoughts and prayers. And keep on...don't stop! She is still here for a reason!

This is how Stinker looks before we start tummy time. The usual: just laid back, happy and smiling.

Way to go, Stinker! Hold that head up, girl!

And this is how she looks once we are through with the exercises. Just exhausted, bless her heart. Definitely deserves a nice nap!

Happy Valentine's Day!

2010-02-14T16:34:00.000-06:00

It's Almost Valentine's Day!

2010-02-12T14:26:00.003-06:00

Stinker in one of her new outfits. Notice her new bracelet! She's really showing it off in the last pic!