2 months away from being 2

Stella is 22 months old today and her 2nd birthday is right around the corner! I know it has been quite awhile since I have blogged an update but she has been doing really good (minus two "regular" kid illnesses). We decided that today we would finally change her car seat to be forward facing (she has been over 20 pounds for about a month and her legs were starting to get cramped against the seat when she was rear-facing). She is loving her new view in the car and had fun taking a short ride around the neighborhood. 

You can watch a video of Stella enjoying her first forward-facing car ride HERE

We have also finally decided that it was time for Stella to go in the nursery during church so she could play with other kids and not be so disruptive to us (and the people around us) during service-I know it might be hard to believe but she can scream really loud! The first time we decided we were ready to let her go in the nursery was two Sundays ago...I was the one pushing for her to have the opportunity and David was a little nervous about it. I definitely thought I was ready for this, that was until it came time to say goodbye. I spent the entire time of worship in tears and David was constantly checking his phone to make sure they didn't text us that something was wrong (he even left service to check on her). Stella was FINE and she had so much fun but we were wrecks-it was the first time we had trusted someone besides a family member to take care of our baby and it was a lot harder than I imagined. This last week was a little easier (there were no tears!) and David and I both think it is the right decision to let her play with the other kids. She is in the infant room since it is the best match for her developmental age and it is good for her to see the other kids around her trying to start to crawl.

We also just got Stella a new high chair so that she can sit at the table with us while we are eating.

She loves sitting up high in her new chair and having her at the table with us is helping her be more willing to explore new tastes. She is still getting all of her nutrition through her gtube with a blended diet (she is tolerating the blended food really well and rarely vomits!!) We have found a few things that she enjoys to "taste" by mouth and we try to introduce new flavors and encourage her to eat more of the things she enjoys every day. 

Stella is two months away from turning TWO and she has the attitude to match her age! She is hilarious, playful, and stubborn and she can clearly communicate what she wants and throw a fit if she doesn't get it. There have been some moments when I have to remind myself to be thankful for her stubborn personality. 

This coming week I will be blogging a lot more than usual in honor of CHD Awareness Week. I really want to encourage you to check in on the blog the week of February 7-14 and I would love for you to share it with others as I share facts about heart defects, how it has affected our lives and how you can help spread awareness.