Happy 1st Birthday, Isabella!!

On July 31, 2009 at 8:23a we welcomed our beautiful daughter, Isabella Francine Vargas, into the world, into our family & into our hearts.
I remember my labor & delivery as if it had just happened last week! It seems impossible to me that a full year has passed since that eventful morning when my water broke. Whenever I'm upset, angry or nervous I tend to clean so there I was, mopping the floors at 3 in the morning, when Auntie Carole came to watch over Kyle so me & Daddy could go to the hospital. The ride to the hospital is only about 10 minutes but to me it felt like 10 hours. I told Daddy to run the red lights, flag down a police escort, speed as fast as he could. The night before I went into labor I had a dream that I gave birth to you in the Jeep so my mind was racing with all sorts of thoughts as we made our way to the hospital. When we arrived the nurses skipped setting me up in the labor room & instead brought me right into the delivery room. You, my little love bug, were tired of living in cramped headquarters. You wanted OUT. Surprisingly I wasn't feeling any contractions at the time but you can bet I didn't blink twice when the nurses asked me if I was ready for the epidural. I have no tolerance for pain & seriously would've taken street drugs to ensure that I'd be comfortable during delivery if they'd been offered to me. You were patient & waited for the epidural to work (thank you for that!) before you made your entrance into the world. Unfortunately, the epidural itself made me very sick & I had all sorts of reactions to it afterwards but really, a small price to pay when all was said & done.
It really does seem like someone hit the "fast forward" button on your first year! Here are some wonderful birthday photo's:
One of your presents from me, Daddy & Kyle:

Daddy took you to the store & bought you a balloon:

Your "big" birthday gift from me, Daddy & Kyle was the big cook-out celebration we had for you! The weather was GORGEOUS - mid 70's, partly sunny, no humidity & most importantly of all..NO RAIN!

Lots of friends & family members helped to make your day so very special - we couldn't get pictures of everyone but here are a few:

Uncle Mike

Auntie Nancy Borrelli - who also gave big brother Kyle a gift, too! She got him a very cool tape measurer that actually looks like a little stuffed dog!:

Mr. Mike & Joan:

Joey & Briana:

Auntie Helen & her daughter Erin. Erin also brought her two daughters, Meghan & Rose. Kyle had a BLAST playing with the girls!!:

Auntie Joan, Auntie Rita, Uncle Rick, Auntie Nancy S, Auntie Janet-Lee & Cousin Brandon are in this photo:

Ina (Coppers Mom), Auntie Carole & Cousin Dawn-Marie:

Dawn-Marie & Auntie Nancy B:

I love this picture - look closely, Bella Bug. You've got the cutest look on your face, holding your Birthday Princess balloon. You have your feet crossed & seriously, you look like such a princess!!!!: (in the background - Ina, Gary, Joan & Mike)

We had a tent & a screen tent up "just in case" it rained..

Dawn-Marie & her daughter Gracie, plus Auntie Joan:

Auntie Nancy (to the left) and Auntie Carole:

Ina & Gary:

You received lots and lots and lots and lots of gifts!! Here are just a FEW pictures of the very many things you received:

Joan made this teddy bear (we later named the bear "Lady") especially for you - Lady is wearing denim overalls decorated with lady bug buttons. She has lady bug earrings, too & also has a beautiful hat decorated with..you guessed it..lady bugs! :)

You received SO many adorable outfits!!!!

You also received quite a few dolls & some other great toys - a musical book, a musical walker-stroller, a ride on/walker, some pop-up toys, some great books & just a variety of awesome baby toys!

Shortly after the Dr told us that you were a girl I fell in love with the Lady Bug Theme (hence why we call you our little "bug") - your whole room is decorated in lady bugs & I try to find lady bug decorated clothes for you too because I just think they're adorable! So it only seemed appropriate that I have a lady bug party for you! Our friend Marie made these BEAUTIFUL lady bug cakes for you -- I'm still in awe looking back at them via the pictures. These cakes came out PERFECT!!!!!!!!!!!!:

This cake was SO big! It fed almost 40 people..with left overs too!!:

This "little" cake was ALL yours! (I still can't believe just how big this 'little' cake was...!!)

Here comes the cake...

At first you really had no idea what to do with this lady bug! You kept poking it with one finger:

Then you decided to use both hands:

Your first bite (keep in mind here..until now you had NEVER had any sweets!)

Once you actually swallowed that first bite you decided that this cake was really, really good! (and it was!)

It was so good, infact, that you tried to share it with others. Look at your face..hahaha! You look like you have a goatee!

Ina fed you some more cake too:

Meanwhile the children decided to go for a dip in the pool - Megan, Rose, Kyle, Lawrence & Grace

Kyle shows off his jumping skills (later Joan & Mike told me that the girls taught him how to do the "batman jump" - and apparently that's what he was doing here!)

Lawrence shows off his jumping skills!

Tamra came to wish you a Happy Birthday, too!

You're very close in age to your cousin Juliana - she was born on Daddy's birthday, August 27th!

There was a time, not so long ago, when you looked HUGE compared to Julie but now you're both just about the same size!

And so, all in all, you had a wonderful 1st Birthday!

We love you, our beautiful little Bug!