Hunkering down

Little Miss Frosty.

She's a jolly happy soul 😀

Well, suddenly it's winter...

So it's time to turn over a new leaf, and say goodbye to another season.

We're going to miss that perfect walking weather. Not too hot or too cold, but just right.

Fall is a great time of the year, huh? And Halloween was a lot of fun, but it came as quickly as it went. 

Now we enter cold and flu season. Germ season. Where parents like us become a-little-too-over-protective season.

Cold and flu season is an anxious time for preemie parents. My heart goes out to all of them because I understand the fear and worry.

Last winter, Arabella was extremely high-risk. So high-risk, in fact, that she qualified for Synagis (RSV) shots. The shots provide antibodies to help boost a preemies immune system so it can fight a viral infection, but they are insanely expensive (at $1000+ per shot) and only the most fragile infants qualify. Last year Bella received over $5000 worth of shots, can you imagine? But this year she didn't qualify, and that's okay, since there are other little ones that need the drug more. 

RSV is serious. It's the most common cause of pneumonia and bronchitis in infants. Just imagine how it might affect a premature infant with heart and lung conditions. The craziest part is that the virus causes only mild cold symptoms in healthy people. What would give me a slight cold or a runny nose might end up putting my daughter in the hospital, and Kiera and I never want to go back to that reality again. 

Arabella says, "See you guys in the spring", because we're officially hunkering down.

Even though she's stronger this year, she's still very vulnerable, and Kiera and I are trying to do the best job we can without losing our minds. We do what's necessary. We wash our hands often and we try to be mindful of germs in public places. We all take extra vitamins, and do all the little things to try and minimize Belle's risk.

It's not always easy. Sometimes it means saying "No" to certain people or events. 

Meanwhile, this girl continues to grow and flourish. She wants to be a big girl, and she wants to do BIG GIRL THINGS. 

She stands, she squats, she even cruises around...

She pulls herself up and let's herself down...

In a few months, she'll likely be walking by herself.

And she's getting smarter and smarter with each passing week.

"Arabella! Get down! Sit on your bum, please!" says Mom. Bella does what Bella wants, it seems.

All laughs aside, this girl's health is our #1 priority. We're not taking any chances this winter, so we're settling in for the long haul. We're getting comfy because it's going to be a long winter ahead!