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.
Monday, May 30, 2011
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.
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.
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:
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| PawPaw and Bella taking a nap |
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| 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.
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| Before the service |
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| During our presentation |
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| After the service |
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| 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:
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| Party People! |
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| Bella took a nap in her G'Mommy's arms. The party had just started and she was already worn out! |
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| I didn't expect presents...but had a blast opening them! |
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| Uncle Curt giving Bella her party snack! |
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Community group family! |
Friday, May 27, 2011
A Walk to Remember!
Chris and I finally tried out Bella's baby carrier. Her waist is still a little short for the carrier. Her head barely peers over the top. Chris enjoyed carrying her around. I reminded him that I had already carried her around like this while pregnant! :) We had a nice walk around the block at sunset. Precious memories!
Pics:
Pics:
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| Ready to go! |
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| She's not too sure what to think about this... |
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| Family shot 1 |
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| Family shot 2: Don't you just love her expression? |
Thursday, May 26, 2011
Best Friends!
Bella Rose is so lucky to have a friend like Emery. Emery is cuddly, cute, and always stylish. The best part is that Emery has an awesome mom who just happens to be one of my closest friends! Emery and Bella are 12 days apart in age. I can't wait for them to grow up together! Play dates coming soon!
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| Bella and Emery at their first meeting. |
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| Bella and Emery now! |
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| Holding hands! |
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| Emery was done holding hands...but Bella wanted to comfort her! |
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
3 Months!!!
Thanks Leah for letting me steal your blog update format! :)
WEIGHT: 12 lbs, 3 oz. (with clothes on)
HEIGHT: If I had to guess I would say 22-23 inches
CLOTHING SIZE: Bella just started wearing her 3 month clothes (Thanks to Cambria and Ms. Betty for buying tons of 3-6 month outfits for the summer). She is still wearing a few newborn clothing items but they are getting tight. Even her nursery teacher commented that her feet were too big for her newborn sleeper! She is still sleeping in her swaddles though (thank goodness they still fit)
SLEEP: We have had a crazy month for sleep! Bella started sleeping in her own room at 7 weeks. However, she developed a very rough cough and an ear infection around 9 weeks. So we moved her back in the room with us while she was sick. Last Wednesday (at 11 weeks) she was given a clear bill of health so we tried to move her back into her room. She was NOT having it -- she cried all night and we finally moved her back in the room with us around 3 a.m. Now, her cough is back...so she is in the room with us. And of course I wake up every time she coughs (the joy of having that motherly instinct).
On a positive note, she is sleeping 9-10 hours at night! Some nights she has gone as long as 11! She falls asleep quickly too! All we do is put her in her swaddle, stick the passy in, and she is good to go! To calm herself when sleeping, she turns her head from side to side or rubs her feet together. So cute!
Her naps during the day are still a struggle. She isn't sleeping too much at nursery. On the weekends, she crashes -- taking tons of naps. Her naps last anywhere from a cat nap to a full 2 hours! You would think that we would enjoy her frequent napping...but we want her to play with us on the weekends! :)
EATING: Bella has been eating 6.5 oz. every four hours. It does seem that she is always ready for her early evening bottle right when we are sitting down to eat -- oh the joys of parenting! At night, she eats right before going to bed and doesn't wake up to eat until morning! However, this past week she has been taking in less (4 oz. every 3 hours). We will see if this is just a fluke or if she is changing her eating patterns! The doctor said we can introduce rice after her 4 month check up! I can't wait to see how that goes! Also, Bella is a good burper. It doesn't take long to get 1 or 2 burps out of her.
MILESTONES: Bella is cooing away! She loves to talk with Chris and I. Her favorite word is "arger". We mimic her sounds and she really gets going. The best time to talk to Bella is in the morning after she has had her first bottle.
She is also holding her head up really well! She is able to sit in her Bumbo for a short time -- after awhile her head gets heavy! Bella hates tummy time. She will do fine for about 30 seconds, but then she will start crying. She holds her head and shoulders up but doesn't push with her arms. She is definitely not rolling over as of yet.
Bella loves to talk to herself in the mirror. When she has play mat time on her back she talks to herself and kicks her legs (most of the time her legs don't touch the ground).
Bella is very attentive. She likes to look around the room. She loves the sound of running water. She likes to track us as we clean up or cook.
She loves to hold her arms close to her chest (almost as if she is modest and wanting to cover her nipples). She also likes to keep her hands balled up in a fist. However, we have been doing arm massages and stretches. She is starting to stretch her hands and arms more.
Bella Rose only cries when she is hungry or extremely tired. She is not a fussy baby and such a joy to be around. I love when she cuddles up with me! So sweet!
FAVORITE TIME: Bella loves to play "airplane" with Daddy. He flies her around the house and she takes it all in. She also likes to sit outside in her vibrating chair or swing while Daddy works in the yard. Leave Bella alone for a little while and you will hear her talking to herself. I think the other day she was singing along with the t.v. With Mommy, she likes to cuddle and laugh! She has laughed 3 times while Mommy was being silly.
We are trying our best not to let her look at the t.v. but she finds a way every time. The other day we turned the t.v. off and she started crying. So we turned it back on-- she stopped crying. Off--crying, on--stopped crying. So we are being even more vigilant to keep her from the t.v. :)
12 weeks photo:
WEIGHT: 12 lbs, 3 oz. (with clothes on)
HEIGHT: If I had to guess I would say 22-23 inches
CLOTHING SIZE: Bella just started wearing her 3 month clothes (Thanks to Cambria and Ms. Betty for buying tons of 3-6 month outfits for the summer). She is still wearing a few newborn clothing items but they are getting tight. Even her nursery teacher commented that her feet were too big for her newborn sleeper! She is still sleeping in her swaddles though (thank goodness they still fit)
SLEEP: We have had a crazy month for sleep! Bella started sleeping in her own room at 7 weeks. However, she developed a very rough cough and an ear infection around 9 weeks. So we moved her back in the room with us while she was sick. Last Wednesday (at 11 weeks) she was given a clear bill of health so we tried to move her back into her room. She was NOT having it -- she cried all night and we finally moved her back in the room with us around 3 a.m. Now, her cough is back...so she is in the room with us. And of course I wake up every time she coughs (the joy of having that motherly instinct).
On a positive note, she is sleeping 9-10 hours at night! Some nights she has gone as long as 11! She falls asleep quickly too! All we do is put her in her swaddle, stick the passy in, and she is good to go! To calm herself when sleeping, she turns her head from side to side or rubs her feet together. So cute!
Her naps during the day are still a struggle. She isn't sleeping too much at nursery. On the weekends, she crashes -- taking tons of naps. Her naps last anywhere from a cat nap to a full 2 hours! You would think that we would enjoy her frequent napping...but we want her to play with us on the weekends! :)
EATING: Bella has been eating 6.5 oz. every four hours. It does seem that she is always ready for her early evening bottle right when we are sitting down to eat -- oh the joys of parenting! At night, she eats right before going to bed and doesn't wake up to eat until morning! However, this past week she has been taking in less (4 oz. every 3 hours). We will see if this is just a fluke or if she is changing her eating patterns! The doctor said we can introduce rice after her 4 month check up! I can't wait to see how that goes! Also, Bella is a good burper. It doesn't take long to get 1 or 2 burps out of her.
MILESTONES: Bella is cooing away! She loves to talk with Chris and I. Her favorite word is "arger". We mimic her sounds and she really gets going. The best time to talk to Bella is in the morning after she has had her first bottle.
She is also holding her head up really well! She is able to sit in her Bumbo for a short time -- after awhile her head gets heavy! Bella hates tummy time. She will do fine for about 30 seconds, but then she will start crying. She holds her head and shoulders up but doesn't push with her arms. She is definitely not rolling over as of yet.
Bella loves to talk to herself in the mirror. When she has play mat time on her back she talks to herself and kicks her legs (most of the time her legs don't touch the ground).
Bella is very attentive. She likes to look around the room. She loves the sound of running water. She likes to track us as we clean up or cook.
She loves to hold her arms close to her chest (almost as if she is modest and wanting to cover her nipples). She also likes to keep her hands balled up in a fist. However, we have been doing arm massages and stretches. She is starting to stretch her hands and arms more.
Bella Rose only cries when she is hungry or extremely tired. She is not a fussy baby and such a joy to be around. I love when she cuddles up with me! So sweet!
FAVORITE TIME: Bella loves to play "airplane" with Daddy. He flies her around the house and she takes it all in. She also likes to sit outside in her vibrating chair or swing while Daddy works in the yard. Leave Bella alone for a little while and you will hear her talking to herself. I think the other day she was singing along with the t.v. With Mommy, she likes to cuddle and laugh! She has laughed 3 times while Mommy was being silly.
We are trying our best not to let her look at the t.v. but she finds a way every time. The other day we turned the t.v. off and she started crying. So we turned it back on-- she stopped crying. Off--crying, on--stopped crying. So we are being even more vigilant to keep her from the t.v. :)
12 weeks photo:
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| 12 weeks old today! |
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| Am I teething??? |
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Our Bumbo Rockstar!
Bella Rose is holding her head up high! While visiting with Jeneane and Curtis, Jeneane suggested that we put her in the Bumbo. I thought she might still be too young...but we tried it! She loved sitting up in her seat. We put her in the center of the room so she could see all of us talking. She explored the Bumbo with her hands checking out how everything felt. Finally, she was so comfortable that she leaned her arm along the arm rest like she was a pro!
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| Looking to Mommy for guidance...this is all so new! |
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| Hey, I think I like this! |
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| Up close! |
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| Next day, I'm a pro! |
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| Getting sleepy.... |
Thursday, May 19, 2011
11 weeks old!
Bella is growing fast! Even though she is 25% for her height...she has already started wearing some 3 month clothing! I am holding on to her wearing newborn clothes b/c I don't want her to grow up!
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| Posing for her 11 week picture! |
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| Still a tiny girl! |
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Coldstone!!
Our friend, Brandy, gave us a gift card to Coldstone when we had Bella. Saturday was a beautiful day to be out and about! It was warm enough for ice cream but not too hot to walk around outside at the Avenues! It was a great Saturday afternoon with the family!
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| Jealous that she can't eat Coldstone! |
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| Apparently something was really interesting on the ceiling |
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| Still mad she can't eat ice cream...but getting ready for her milk! |
Monday, May 16, 2011
Mother's Day
Mother's Day weekend kicked off on Friday when we went to visit my mom. On Saturday, after I treated her to breakfast at Cracker Barrell, we exchanged gifts! She gave me a super sweet card and a book of prayers to read with Bella! I gave her a brag book with photos of Bella Rose! My mom loves photos so it was the perfect gift!
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| Opening her gift! |
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| Opening my card |
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| So excited to read this to Bella! |
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| Mother's Day shot! |
Next, we headed to Birmingham. There we spent time honoring Chris' mother and grandmother. On Mother's Day, I woke up to breakfast in bed! My husband is such a sweet heart. We spent the day with family and then journeyed home. Once at home, Chris presented me with a card and gave me a gift Bella Rose had "made" for me at nursery. I locket with her picture in it and a card with her feet/hand prints! So sweet! I cried tears of joy when I received the gift! :)
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| My breakfast in bed! |
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| Mother's Day cousin photo! |
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| Family photo! |
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| Best present EVER! |
Saturday, May 14, 2011
Ear Infection, 2 month check up, and Shots!
Bless our sweet Bella's heart! We noticed that Bella had a cough a week ago. She would cough so hard it sounded like she was gagging. Bella Rose is SUCH a good baby; she hardly ever cries unless she is hungry. So when she started getting more irritable, plus the cough, plus not finishing her bottle...we knew something was wrong! Sure enough, our Bella Rose has her first ear infection! :( So she has been on antibiotics and infant tylenol for a week now. She is feeling better already!
The next day, we returned to the doctor for her 2 month check up! Bella Rose was 11.7 lbs and 21 inches. She is 75% for weight, 75% for her head, and 25% for her height...she's a shorty! :) Dr. Saade said he wanted to see her back in two weeks to check on her ear infection
Even though she was sick, she was still able to get her first round of shots. The doctor bet me that I would cry when she got them. I told him that I didn't cry when she was born, nor did I cry on her first day of daycare (although I did cry the night before), so I doubt I would cry at her shots. The nurse encouraged me to look away...but I refused! I wanted to stare those shots in the face. She yelped out in pain...but once I inserted the passy, Bella was a-ok!
We went home and took a nice long nap!
The next day, we returned to the doctor for her 2 month check up! Bella Rose was 11.7 lbs and 21 inches. She is 75% for weight, 75% for her head, and 25% for her height...she's a shorty! :) Dr. Saade said he wanted to see her back in two weeks to check on her ear infection
Even though she was sick, she was still able to get her first round of shots. The doctor bet me that I would cry when she got them. I told him that I didn't cry when she was born, nor did I cry on her first day of daycare (although I did cry the night before), so I doubt I would cry at her shots. The nurse encouraged me to look away...but I refused! I wanted to stare those shots in the face. She yelped out in pain...but once I inserted the passy, Bella was a-ok!
We went home and took a nice long nap!
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Growing Bella!
See how much she has changed in just 2 months!
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| 1 day old |
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| 1 week old |
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| 2 weeks old |
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| 3 weeks old |
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| 4 weeks old -- 1 month! |
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| 2 months! |
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| 2 months! |
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
My sleeping angel
Obviously, babies sleep a lot...but no one looks cuter doing it than Bella! Bella has to be swaddled; otherwise, her hands are all over her eyes or she pulls her hair/ears. I love when she sleeps with her mouth open!
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| Mouth open...just like my daddy! |
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| Folding my hands! |
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| Praising the Lord in my sleep! |
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| Cuddling with Daddy! |
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| Cuddling with Mommy! |
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