Wednesday, July 13, 2011

Bath Time!

Bella Rose loves her bath time! She loves to kick her legs in the water and reach for her duckies! She gets so happy after her bath when she cuddles in her robe! Her hair is so long we are able to give her a mohawk. I can't wait till she starts taking baths in the big bathtub!

Monday, July 11, 2011

Baby Einstein!

I have been begging Chris to put together Bella's Baby Einstein play station! Chris said the box listed 4 months as the appropriate age...so we waited. :(

A few weekends ago, Chris and Uncle C.J. put Baby Einstein together and Bella loved it!  Even though we had to prop her up with blankets, she loved to put her hands on all of the toys.

We have seen her grow so much while playing with this toy. At first, she would sit in it lopsided. She could only put one foot down. Also, she would push her rings down the bar but couldn't not pull them back up.  She also could not turn around in her seat.

Well, now she is a pro!  After the 4th of July (which we think she had a growth spurt), she was able to put both feet down.  And she was able to pull her her rings on her bar (thank goodness because I was tired of her crying every time she couldn't get them up).  Now she turns all the way around in her seat! Precious!

Her new thing is spitting out her passy and trying to put the toys in her mouth. Unfortunately none of them will reach her mouth! :) She keeps trying though...bless her heart!

Meeting her new friends!

Excited!

Checking it out!

Trying to decide what to touch first

Concentrating on her next move!

Friday, July 8, 2011

Visit from Uncle C.J. and Auntie Em

**My goal is to post every weekday to catch up on not posting at all during the month of June!

Chris' best friend from college, C.J., and his wife Emily came to Atlanta for a weekend to visit with us. When I say C.J. and Chris are best friends that is really an understatement.  C.J. and Chris lived together for 10 years! They are like brothers more than best friends. C.J. joked at our wedding rehearsal dinner that they are common law wed!

C.J. had previously met Bella (only briefly) when the guys came in town for Wrestle Mania! Auntie Em (as she wants to be called) had not yet met Bella Rose!  We did throw Bella off of whack by having her stay up until 11 p.m. so she could see Emily and C.J. when they arrived. But she quickly rebounded after several naps on Saturday!



Emily and C.J. cooked all our meals (delicious french toast casserole and homemade spaghetti) and even left us some spaghetti to freeze for the future!

Bella Rose enjoyed hearing Emily speak to her in a high pitched voice and she enjoyed playing "ride a little horsey" on Emily's knee.  Uncle C.J. and Chris put together Bella's Baby Einstein Play Station too! It was a great weekend!

Auntie Em and Uncle C.J. with Bella

Cracking up to "Ride a little horsey"


Bella loved when Emily leaned her backwards!

The yummy french toast casserole!

Putting together the Baby Einstein Play Station

Bella enjoyed reading with Auntie Em!

Thursday, July 7, 2011

Sleeping Beauty!

Bella may not sleep through the night..but she is a napping pro!  She can sleep anywhere: Boppy, play mat, pack and play, daddy's legs, on the floor, Mia's arms, swing, or vibrating chair...she even nodded off in her Bumbo!  Her favorite sleeping pose is her hands on her ears or running her hands through her hair.  She also does the "Buddha" by putting her two little feet together!

Napping after playing at her play mat



Right after Chris bounced her on his legs!

Lovin' sleeping on a blanket after Daddy pulled her around the house!

Napping while Mommy made Daddy' Father's Day Breakfast

Cuddled up sleeping after a long Father's Day

Tuckered out after swimming on the 4th!

Mia keeps her cool by showing her some love with the fan!

Wednesday, July 6, 2011

Working at the Car Wash!

Bella Rose had to have an excuse to be in her bathing suit!  Daddy got up early to wash both cars one Saturday morning...so Mommy thought this would be a great time for Bella to wear her bathing suit!  Bella was all ready to get wet, but Daddy was afraid to spray her with the hose. Instead, she enjoyed watching her daddy wash the cars while she sat in the shade!  In a few years, she will be washing the cars while Mommy and Daddy sit in the shade! :)  Daddy picked some flowers for her to hold! She is really good with her hands!

Too cute in her bathing suit and sunhat!

Holding her flowers from Daddy!

Waiting on Daddy to spray her!

Amazed at her dad's car washing skills!

Friday, July 1, 2011

Coming soon...

Hey folks!

I know it has been awhile since I have posted! I've been super busy with summer school and family/friends visits on the weekends! But...I'm done with summer school so look for more regular posts coming soon. 

Here's a preview of what's to come:
  • 4 month check up and shots
  • Father's Day Weekend
  • Talking up a storm!
  • Teething update
  • Bella's Big Baby Belly -- moving on to rice cereal!
  • First trip to the Pool
  • Up all night!
  • New toys!
  • Squeals, thrills, and joy!
  • Baby Einstein is a genius!
  • My little Buddha
But for now...since it is the 4th of July weekend, I'm leaving you with a picture from Memorial Day -- Bella will be repeating this outfit tomorrow at our family reunion!


Have a safe and happy 4th of July!

Sunday, June 12, 2011

3 Month Milestones!

I am afraid I am going to forget all of these milestones! So I started documenting all the cute things Bella does! I tried to get it all in order!  These events take place between May 19 and June 16!

3 months old!

12 weeks: Loves rubbing eyes when tired and frequently pushes passy out of mouth

12 weeks: starts to put hand on the side of her bottle



12 weeks: stares at hands constantly

12 weeks: holding items in hand -- flowers, shirt (lifting up shirt), hair brush
12 weeks: laughed when I sang "Shake your Groove Thing"

12 weeks: pays attention to my singing when I say "Blue" and "That's the Night When the Lights went out in Georgia" (must like country)

12 weeks: sleeping between 9 and 12 hours a night (usually 9-10)

12 weeks: Still pulls her hair or rubs her ear to go to sleep

12 weeks: loves to sleep with her hands behind her head

12 weeks: Always smiles when Chris lifts her above his head

12 weeks: Being outside calms her down when she is hungry...give me time to make the bottle!

13 weeks: Eating habits changing...not eating every 4 hours and not eating same amount every time.

13 weeks: kicks her playmat so hard that she wraps up like a burrito, loves to try and catch her mirror on her playmat between her feet!

13 weeks : Teething kicks into high gear...lots of chewing (tries to put our fingers in her mouth, leans forward to bite us) and cranky behavior, plus change in eating, puts passy to the side of her mouth to chew on it

13 weeks: using her shirt or bib to move the passy closer to her mouth to put back in

13 weeks: holding passy in hand and moving it in and out of mouth

13 weeks: taking hour plus naps in her crib

13 weeks: becoming more clingy (realizes when we aren't near her)

13 weeks: likes to use Alabama rattle (even though she hits herself in the head)

13 weeks: rolling from tummy to back (only for Jeneane!)

13 weeks: Scooting -- in play mat or crib. When I lay her on back she scoots herself off the mat completely or spins to lay opposite way (horizontal to vertical or vice versa)

13 weeks: Smiling while sticking out tongue.

13 weeks: likes to kick legs when sitting in her Boppy. She likes to press her feet against the couch.

13 weeks: super cuddly --lays head against your head when sitting up, rubs my face during cuddle time, honked my nose

13weeks: interlocks fingers

13 weeks: tummy time lasting longer than a minute

14 weeks: gets fussy if she doesn't have something in her hand (loves to hold an empty water bottle or her brush)

14 weeks: grabs toes on her own while sitting up

14 weeks: held teether on her own with both hands and put it in her mouth by herself

14 weeks: rubs/tickles my stomach while I feed her a bottle

14 weeks: pushes/swats bottle away from her when she is full

14 weeks: reached up to touch her items hanging on her playmat

14 weeks: talks so you will look at her!

15 weeks: brushed her own hair! -- I have witnesses
15 weeks: laughed and giggled when I breathe heavy and fast

15 weeks: laughed to Aunt Em's ride a little pony

15 weeks: sat in Baby Einstein Activity Seat...feet wouldn't touch bottom. First time sat there and stared. Second time in seat kept leaning forward, mouth wide open to try and chew her toys.


Shew! I'm tired...and Bella just turned 20 weeks! Now to catch up on the last 5! :)

Friday, June 3, 2011

Hands!

Bella is getting better at using her hands.  She tried to help hold her bottle! Precious!

Wednesday, June 1, 2011

Going to work with Mommy

Last Friday was my last day at Marietta High School (well, before summer school starts).  All of my classes were finished and all I had to do was work on grades.  So...I decided to bring Bella to school. All of my co-workers had asked to see her and were excited when I brought her. I had a few students stop by to see her too. Several girls offered to babysit.

She did so well!  She didn't cry at all! She slept in her stroller and sat up in her Bumbo!  What a trooper! 

She wore her big girl outfit so that she could meet the big kids!  :)

Getting ready to go to the big kids school

After school photo shoot -- one day with the high schoolers and she thinks she is a model!


Showing off her big girl dress!


Monday, May 30, 2011

Bella keeps holding on!

Chris has been working with Bella on learning how to grasp things with her hands and hold on.  Here is a sweet video of how he taught her to hold her brush.

Sunday, May 29, 2011

Baby Dedication Weekend!

We had a lovely weekend with friends and family celebrating Bella Rose's baby dedication. We kicked things off on Saturday afternoon with the arrival of my mom and Chris' family.  We had a nice family dinner at our house.  Our nieces went on a walk to the pool with Chris, PawPaw babysat (aka fell asleep) with Bella, and the mom's went for a walk around the block. 

PawPaw and Bella taking a nap



She loves how her PawPaw calms her down!


















After a relaxing evening with family, we woke up early for Bella's baby dedication. It was a lovely service. We were blessed to have friends and family present for the big day.   During the ceremony, pictures of Bella and a recorded prayer we wrote for Bella played while we stood center stage.

Bella did so well! I took her passy out just before we went on stage, and she didn't cry at all!  I was so proud of her...especially since she has had a bad cough and has been cranky.


Before the service

During our presentation

After the service

Family photo!

After the service, we went to O'Charley's for lunch. Then, we went home to get ready for our party. Ayleiah and Leionna were big helpers; they helped stir the punch and the lemonade. They were also greeters!  We had a great party! Jeneane made awesome cupcakes, a pie, and phenomenal chocolate covered strawberries! I made my special party punch, bought some ice cream, and had two delicious Paula Deen pound cakes.  Thanks to all who attended! We are blessed to have an amazing "family" away from home!  After the party, Bella was knocked out.  She took a nice long nap which gave us time to recuperate. 

Party Pics:

Party People!

Bella took a nap in her G'Mommy's arms. The party had just started and she was already worn out!

 
I didn't expect presents...but had a blast opening them!

 
Uncle Curt giving Bella her party snack!

Community group family!

Chillin' with her BFF -- Emery!