Archives

Thursday, February 23, 2006
Our Family Blog
We've started this blog as a way to keep in touch with family and friends. We are expecting our first child any day now! Hopefully, we will be able to update the site frequently with our family news!
7:51 PM

Wednesday, March 15, 2006
My, This Womb is Comfortable
Courtney is at home today...waiting for her stubborn child to make his/her appearance in the world! Contractions have started, however, they still aren't "regular" enough to warrant a hospital trip. I am getting ready to scour the cabinets for some Tabasco sauce. Where's a fresh jalapeno when you need one?
If the contractions aren't doing their job by tomorrow evening, we will be checking into the hospital (Clarian North) at 6 p.m. This could very well be a St. Patrick's Day baby!
We'll definitely keep everyone posted! Our hospital suite is freakin sweet (pun intended) and comes fully equipped with internet access. I'm really hoping to post some entries during the stay, but that all depends on how well the drugs work.
1:01 PM
1 Comments
Welcome to Xanga!!! This is a great idea to keep everyone in the know. I hope that Mac n Cheese worked last night and that you're actually sitting in the hospital right now reading this instead of at home.
Love you!
the Elsers
Posted 3/16/2006 at 6:9 AM by nolanelser

Thursday, March 16, 2006
Cervidil Schmervidil
It's 8:00 p.m. and I'm a little bored already. They have decided to skip the Cervidil entirely (SWEET!) and I'm on my Pitocin drip. And a saline drip...and a penicillin drip, which burns like the devil. Buuuuuut...I get to have popsicles whenever I want.
Anthony is doing great...if he's anxious, he's not showing it. He's been such a pro through this whole thing! However, I think he's a little disappointed that our room didn't come with one of the whirlpool tubs. I think he might have had visions of himself soaking while wearing a top hot, Arthur-style. Maybe in the postpartum suite.
Later daters.
8:04 PM
1 Comments
Hey guys!
Mmmm popsicles!
I'm wishing and praying for you three!!
Posted 3/17/2006 at 10:36 AM by HellFluff

We just checked into labor and delivery. The bambino is resting comfortably in utero for now. The Labor, Delivery, and Recovery Suite (LDR) is oh so very nice. We highly recommend one if you have the means.
All for now.
Saint Mary, Saint Joseph, Saint Patrick...Pray for us.
6:25 PM

Saturday, March 18, 2006
Our New Family!
Our first child has arrived! Isabella Rienne Basso arrived on March 17, 2006 at 4:11 p.m. She weighed 8 pounds 2 ounces and was 22 inches long. She is absolutely beautiful, even by unbiased standards. As soon as we get home, I will be able to post some digital pics.
The labor was pretty standard, I think. Our only snafu was that my first epidural didn't take and I have to have a second one inserted. Whatever. I only "pushed" for about three hours. Dr. Denman eventually had to use the vacuum to help the head through, but then our gorgeous baby girl arrived with no complications!
Thank you so much to all of our friends and family. Our pregnancy and birth would not have been as wonderful as it was without all of your help and support. Isabella looks forward to meeting all of you, (especially Nolan, her future husband.).
Kisses to everyone!
3:44 PM
1 Comments
I think my future wife is the prettiest girl I have ever seen. Please let me know when I can come over and practice our wedding kiss.
We all hope you're doing well.
Love,
Us :)
Posted 3/19/2006 at 12:46 PM by nolanelser

Tuesday, March 21, 2006
Isabella--Our Perfect Little Girl
Our daughter may be the most perfect baby ever formed. We just can't get enough of her!
Her first days at home have been relatively smooth. She is a bit jaundiced, so we are using a bilirubin blanket. We call her glow worm when she's hooked up to the blanket. She's also known as Chunky Monkey (due to her delicious cheeks), Stinky Minky (when her diapers necessitate calling her that) and Bella Boo (because she's our little Bella Boo). We've discovered that she's a cuddler, and doesn't really enjoy sleeping in a crib, bassinet, Moses basket, or any other creation that Mom and Dad can come up with. She really much prefers to sleep in your arms or on your chest, if you please. It's really hard to not accomodate her request!
2:20 PM

2 Comments
She looks jsut like you C-Dog! She's beeyoutiful!!
Do you call her Bella or Isabella?
Posted 3/21/2006 at 4:31 PM by HellFluff

So THAT'S what she looks like with her eyes open. Ok Miss Isabella...Auntie Kelli will be coming to visit you again just as soon as she gets back from Texas...I will miss you (and your mom and dad, too!!!)
Posted 3/22/2006 at 7:7 AM by nolanelser

Thursday, March 23, 2006
Does It Get Any Better Than This?
Things just keep getting better at the Basso household! Bella Boo is establishing a nice little schedule for herself, which now includes sleeping on her own in her bassinet! The last two nights, she has been sleeping at 3 to 3 1/2 hours at a time. And her alert periods are getting longer during the day. We try to read books and hold philosophical discussions during this time. However, Papa is worried that we are giving her a complex, because we tend to tell her how perfect and beautiful she is (Momma thinks this is okay, tho).
Nana Adkins just went home after helping Momma and Papa out for a few days. She was a godsend, as she was more than willing to provide hours of cuddle time while Bella's folks got some much needed sleep. And Bella quite enjoyed "foot-nibbling" with Nana.
1:23 PM

Sunday, March 26, 2006
Bella's Open House
Saturday was our first open house, which was well attended by various family members. Bella quite enjoyed being cuddled virtually all day. GreatMamaw Powers came with Long's doughnuts and brownies, making Momma and Dad veddy veddy happy. Greatgrandma Judy & Greatgrandpa Charlie brought some much needed stuffed animals; and Nana & cousin Madison brought Bella's first sunhat and overalls. Nonie Franklin brought Uncle Charlie and my first set of "accessories", including a purse and bracelet (Bling!)
6:00 PM

Thursday, March 30, 2006
Track and Field
Bella enjoyed the sunny weather today by attending her first track meet. Daddy is the throwing coach (discus and shot put) for the Ritter track team (GO RAIDERS). So Momma popped baby Bella in her yellow hoodie and sweatpants and went to the meet to cheer Daddy on. Then we met Uncle Sam and Aunt Jami for dinner at O'Charley's, where Bella enjoyed listening to our conversations. Tomorrow Bella gets to meet her Brebeuf admirers...should be interesting.
9:29 PM

Just Chillin'
We've just been chillin' this week. Anthony has been on Spring Break, so we were able to take a few day trips. On Sunday, we visited Mamaw after church. Bella quite enjoyed herself (see pics here). We went to see Nana and Gpa Noses on Tuesday, and on Wednesday Bella took her first trip to Broad Ripple and the Monon Trail. Uncle Sam and Aunt Jami were along for that trip, which was very nice.
5:58 PM

Friday, April 07, 2006
Bathtime for Bella!
After an eventful week with both mommy and daddy at home our sweet little Bella needed a bath. We were apprehensive at first, not knowing if our little darling would protest at this new adventure in hygiene, but just as with her previous sponge baths Bella met the endeavor with much delight. For posterity's sake we documented the occasion like we were on assignment for National Geographic (cover story: The Bathing Habits of North America's Most Adorable Babies). You can take a sneak peek at the photos here before it hits the newsstands.
Bella shed not a tear during the entire process, and smiled and cooed at the liberal application of lavender lotion once she had dried. Add one duckie-onesie and two duckie-socks and we had one happy bambino! we hope the rest go this well!
10:52 PM
Comments
Awwww, hee hee! She's thinkin' "who's that gorgeous naked chick in the mirror~oh~it's me!!"
Posted 4/11/2006 at 9:23 AM by HellFluff

Saturday, April 08, 2006
Last Sunday
Kindly suspend your sense of chronological order for a spell and allow me to tell you more about last Sunday:
The day began with Bella's second trip to her church (La Chiesa del Santo Rosario) during which she was both relatively quiet and awake. After mass we stopped to see Mamaw Powers, which made for a very pleasant afternoon. (Thanks, Mamaw, for the homemade subs and snacks!) To round out Bella's full day we went to Friday's with the elder Basso's, who treated to a terrific dinner. Mille Grazie!
We had hoped for a trip to Target for provisions, but alas - Bella - and mommy & daddy were too tuckered out. We returned to the homestead hoping for a leisurly (lazy) evening, and it was - at first...
But around bedtime a storm front rolled in, bringing with it what we like to call the "Rainbow of Death" - a storm so tremendous that its radar image looks like a rainbow of, well, death. So, amidst the thunder and lightening we retreated to the master bedroom and watched the radar attentively on our little t.v. (courtesy of Courtney's brother, Zach. thanks, man). Daddy stockpiled flashlights and batteries in the bathroom and created a mountain range of pillows and blankets while mommy clutched an oblivious baby Bella and gazed anxiously at the radar. To see this particular R.O.D. click here.
The sirens blared outside, and then we hear a sound that was no siren at all, but a banshee-like moan. It grew louder, and louder still, all the while fluctuating in pitch. It sounded like a train, but make no mistake my friends, it was neither a Peace Train , nor a Love Train , nor a Soul Train nor any other such benign locamotive. No, dear readers, this sound was what meteorlogical types like to call straight-line winds, which in our case were sustained at 50 mph, and gusting to 70 - 80 mph. (enough to blow out windows in the Regents Bank Building downtown! Click to see the damage.) Daddy gave the word, and into the bathroom we ran, listening to the weather report from the confines of our commode.
Thankfully the storm passed with all of us unscathed. We lit up the phones calling and being called by different family members. At one point Anthony was dialing Nonna Franklin while she was in fact already on the line! Bella slept through her first encounted with the dreaded Rainbow of Death, but Mommy, a would be Storm-Chaser, has a new respect for the wrath of Mother Nature.
12:30 AM
1 Comments
Oh no~The Rainbow of Death!! LOLOLOLOL
Posted 4/11/2006 at 9:25 AM by HellFluff

Monday, April 17, 2006
Hoppy Easter
Bella & Co. recently celebrated her first Easter! The celebration began on Saturday evening, when the Basso family attended the Easter Vigil at St. Bernadette Church on the eastside. Bella didn't really like the echo-effect of the sanctuary, so she and Momma spent a lot of time in the vestibule. Bella napped, and Momma read old church bulletins.
On Sunday morning, Aunt Jami, Uncle Sam, and Mamaw came to our house for an Easter breakfast. Uncle Sam was reunited with his beloved pancakes and Bella enjoyed her first Easter basket from Mamaw. It included a heart-shaped pendant (complete with diamond chip) that read "Daddy's Little Girl"
After breakfast, the Basso family traveled to Marion, to eat Easter dinner with G-parents Johnson, and Nana and Gpa. Bella would have liked to run around on the floor with the dog and cats, but no one really wanted to put her down long enough. So she slept instead.
For pics of the big holiday, click here.
7:08 PM

Thursday, April 20, 2006
Conversations with Teddy
Bella is now sharing her sparkling conversation skills with a new friend. His name is Teddy. They met at Old Navy. Teddy now resides in Bella's crib.
1:54 PM
1 Comments
Okay, now this is the funniest and CUTEST picture in the world, LOL~LOL LOL LOLOLOLOLOL
Posted 4/21/2006 at 9:10 AM by HellFluff

Friday, April 21, 2006
Date With Daddy
So tonight was prom night at the high school where Papa works. But Daddy didn't go to prom because he had a date with Bella! Mommy had been invited to a friend's birthday party, giving Anthony and his sweet Bella their first Daddy-Daughter Date.
Early in the evening Aunt Jami and Uncle Sam stopped by to drop off the most wonderful gift - Bella's Christening Gown. Her baptism is Sunday afternoon, and we couldn't be more excited. Mille Grazie to Jami & Sam for such a beautiful gown.
(They also gave Bella a small headband to wear for the baptism, which is designed to double as a garter for her wedding day. WEDDING DAY!? Oh my Goodness! Daddy has a few year to figure out what use she might have for it in the convent! In the meantime, he's adding the Carmelites to the speed-dial and shopping for a shotgun.)
After Jami & Sam departed we enjoyed the Space & Sky volume of the Baby Einstein video series while playing on Bella's new activity mat. Bella giggled with delight as the colorful rings and small animals swayed to and fro, all the while reaching and stretching her arms upward.
After the second viewing of the Baby Einstein video she was pretty pooped. Daddy prepared her a nightcap (yumm...Enfamil) and laid his sweetheart down for a restful night in her crib with Teddy.
Definitely one of the best nights of Daddy's life.
10:23 PM

Tuesday, April 25, 2006
Bella's Baptism
Sunday Bella was baptized into the Church. Hooray!!! The Baptism followed the Mass for Divine Mercy Sunday, which was beautiful. Many of Bella's extended family came for mass as well. The readings were done by other theology teachers from Daddy's school, and Bella was blessed with three wonderful godparents (seen below).
The planning was a bit hectic, especially because Daddy is such "Church nerd" and fusses over details. It was like planning for a mini-wedding. By the time the big day rolled around we were calling it the Griswold Family Baptism, because the more we tried to make things "just right" the more things started going haywire. But thanks to the presence and love of so many friends and family, things truly went off without a hitch.
And along the way we realized that in our attempt to make the baptism "perfect" we were always going to fall short: Every baptism is perfect, because every baptism makes the recipient a new member of the Body of Christ, and it is from him that the perfect grace of baptism and all other sacraments flow. Nothing we can do will improve on that.
Nonetheless, it was, in every sense a perfect day, and one for which we are most thankful. Grazie to Fr. Peter, the godparents, lectors (readers), and to the faithful parish acolyte, Vincent, and all who helped make the day so joyous.
"You have put on Christ. In him you have been baptized. Alleluia, Alleluia!" - from the rite of baptism.
8:35 AM

Friday, May 12, 2006
You're Going to Do WHAT with Those?
BellaBoo received her second round of immunizations yesterday. Our poor little trooper had a total of four shots, two in each chunky leg. Needless to say, our angel was just that...an angel . After an initial bout of screaming (and who wouldn't?), she calmed back down and let the Tylenol take effect. The yummy grape flavor was especially comforting. However, Momma and Papa didn't handle the shots as nicely. Bella seems to remember Papa saying, 'Next time, I'm gonna drop that nurse if she brings a needle in the room." Momma replied, "You aren't coming next time."
For everyone keeping track, Bella now weighs 11 pounds, 5 ounces (75th percentile!) and is 22 and 7/8 inches long.
Then, one of Papa's students came over to babysit Bella for a few hours while Momma and Papa got some much-needed cleaning done. The apartment is sparkling now, thanks to Nikki Alison's help! Miss Nikki will definitely become the regular sitter for the Basso household! Bella quite enjoyed playing and talking with her.
After having some more scrumptious Tylenol and a nice massage on her achy legs , Bella went to sleep and gave Momma and Papa some quiet time. Ahhh....Parenthood!
Kisses to everyone!
10:34 AM

Thursday, May 18, 2006
I Heart Aunt Jennifer and Uncle Chris
Check it out! Aunt Jennifer and Uncle Chris sent an awesome gift box yesterday that contained my new Cardinals attire! I wanted to try the hat on right away, so after I woke up from my nap a little bit, Momma popped it on my head. I look bee-you-ti-full! Thank you Stoces family! I can't wait to meet you (and cousin Ruby).

I think that this hat will go really well with my church dress. What do you think?

Hugs and Kisses to Everyone! Love, Bella-rina
8:15 PM
1 Comments
Aren't you the cutest Cardinal fan EVER!!!!
Posted 5/31/2006 at 8:52 AM by HellFluff

Monday, June 05, 2006
Vocab Word of the Day
Our Bella-rina is growing up too fast! It seems like she has a new vocab "word" every day. She's a little social butterfly who responds to conversations and smiles. Her new favorite thing is to bat her lashes like Scarlett O'Hara and gurgle at you (in babyspeak, she's saying fiddle-dee-dee). She rolled from her back to her belly twice at Mamaw's this weekend, but has shown no intention of repeating that trick. Twice was enough.
The Bassos enjoyed a wonderful day at the park on Sunday. Bella napped in her stroller while Momma and Papa took some laps around the park. Of course, they beamed every time someone commented on their beautiful baby! She just gets more wonderful every day.
Papa is out of school for the summer and is looking forward to spending his days with the little Sugarplum. The Sugarplum is looking forward to picking out which toys she would like Papa to purchase while on the Internet.
Momma is starting her new job this week. She was promoted to Assistant Director of College Counseling. Bella quite enjoys Momma's new office, because she has room to play now.
If you are reading this and are in the Indianapolis area, please visit the Italian Street Festival on June 9th and 10th. You can't miss the delicious Italian food and drink! For more info, check out http://www.holyrosaryindy.org/.
5:30 PM

Monday, June 19, 2006
Can't Help Falling in Love...
with you.
7:33 PM
1 Comments
Oh what a BEAUTIFUL princess!! She looks just likeyou C-Dog!!
Posted 6/20/2006 at 8:57 AM by HellFluff

Wednesday, June 21, 2006
Just Bringing You Up to Speed
The Sugarplum is taking a little nap, so Momma thought she could use the quiet time to give a little update!
Bella now weighs over 14 pounds (still mostly cheek-weight). She can roll over from her back to her belly, when she feels like it. And she thinks that she is old enough to stand up and walk. She practices by "stepping" up Papa's chest. She laughs out loud when Momma or Papa tries to clean underneath her chin with a diaper wipe and also finds it hilarious when they blow "raspberries" and shake their heads at her.
Her favorite toys at the moment include Senor Quackers (a duck rattle), a piano given to her by Granny and Grandpa Great, and an Exer-Saucer on loan from the Elser Familia (see photo below).
We will be having our family photos taken at the end of this month. And the Basso Family is looking forward to our trip to St. Louis in July! Bella would like to visit the Brewery. And we can't wait to see all of our friends!
Last, but not least, we wanted to call attention to the last two photos on this entry. Bella got to meet her great-great-grandma Roberta a few weeks ago. Bella's arrival marked the beginning of the FIFTH generation of Johnsons, as follows: Great-great-grandma Roberta, Great-grandpa Charlie, Nana Stacey, Momma Courtney, and Bambino Bella. Yay for longevity!
11:27 AM