A status update...

I'm sure by now all of you have heard what happened to us at 5:00am on January 24th. I just figured I needed to write a post to let everyone know all of the latest details and some fun facts about our beautiful Isabella.

First I need to start by thanking each and every one of you for your thoughts, prayers and generosity. I can't begin to express how much this has helped us throughout this whole LONG process. It's so humbling to know how many people care and are there when we need them most. From the bottom of my heart, thank you all.

We are finally settled in to our "new home." We found a really nice townhouse not too far from the house and we moved in last Tuesday. The insurance company is providing the townhouse as well as furniture rental for the duration of our stay. As nice as this place is, there is still a part of us that really misses being in a single-family home.

Isabella has adjusted amazingly well. During our 9-day stay in the hotel last week, she really struggled sleeping and ended up sleeping each night in a real bed with each of us alternating who slept with her. We were afraid she wouldn't go back to a crib at all after this. Fortunately, we were wrong. A wonderful couple from our synagogue donated a crib that their grandchildren had outgrown. From the first night in the new place, Isabella slept as well as she'd slept up until the fire. She's such an angel. As a matter of fact, she's almost sleeping later (which is fantastic). She back to 11-12 hours of sleep at night and a long 2-3 hour nap in the afternoon. I guess all she really needed was a room of her own and a full-size crib (the crib they provided for us in the hotel was a port-a-crib). With the exception of the very first night after the fire, she hasn't asked for any dolls/toys we lost. The biggest blessing, other than us all getting out unharmed, is that Isabella is so young she'll never remember ANY of this. Thank G-d for that. I wish David and I were that lucky.

We've been to the house a couple of times since the 24th and as far as I'm concerned, I'd be happy if I didn't go back for a LONG time. Not only is the smell awful and nauseating, but just being there gives me the creeps. If I had to decide right this second whether or not I'd want to live on that lot again, the answer would be a resounding "no." David and I have discussed it and he feels the exact same way.

Unfortunately, we don't have an update on the status of our insurance claim on the house. The last conversation we had with our insurance adjuster indicated at the very minimum, the house will have to be taken down to the studs. We're keeping our fingers crossed for the house to be "totaled" because that would be the fastest and easiest way for us to move on. As far as items in our house being salvaged, they were able to get our Ketubah, a few framed pictures, our china and everyday dishes and a couple miscellaneous items. They are attempting to treat a few items of clothing, but unless it removes every single particle, it's just not worth it. We found out the hard way that David and I (especially me) are HIGHLY allergic to the smoke. I ended up having to go back to the ER that Tuesday for a breathing treatment and was put on a steroid to open my throat and lungs. Not fun.

We are SLOWLY starting to rebuild our wardrobe. David bought a couple of suits so he could go back to work as well as a few other work-related clothing items. Each of us bought a couple pairs of jeans, a few tops and a few pairs of shoes. Shopping used to be fun for both of us, but as you know, it's easy to find things when you're not looking for them - we're struggling to find versatile pieces. We don't want to change the way we shop (bargains, bargains, and more bargains), so we're trying to find as few regularly-priced items as possible and hold out for the sales in July. We'll see.

On a brighter note: Isabella will be 22 months tomorrow. Amazing, huh? She talks all of the time. She's surprisingly easy to understand. She now says "cudduls" instead of "diddoo." She announces everything she does. For example: if she's running she tells you "wunning," if she's splashing in the tub or pool she says "pwashing," or if she's hugging one of her dolls she says "ugging." It's so cute. She has mastered how to indicate what belongs to whom (i.e. mommy's chair or daddy's shoes (still says "yoos", though)). She's just so playful and fun. I love this age. Isabella has also gone to the bathroom in her "big girl potty" several times, but don't get too excited, she's still nowhere near being potty-trained. We're in no rush - I'm fine with changing diapers for a few more months.

I regret to tell you that for the time being, there won't be any pictures or videos for a while. We haven't replaced our camcorder/camera. We felt there were other more important things we needed to replace first. Hopefully we will soon. I don't want to miss any more opportunities to capture Isabella's "cuteness" on film.

Thank you all again for your love and support. We honestly could not survive this with our sanity intact without you.