Everyday life

Okay...I may be a little blog happy, but she is just too cute and funny not to share our everyday experiences. I wish I could bottle up feeling and share it with everyone...the amount of joy is just so overwhelming sometimes. Some of my favorite times are watching her explore the little things...a blade of grass, Cosmo's hair on the carpet, a line on the tile, what sounds two objects make when banging them together.

One of my absolute favorite times, ever since she could smile, is going into her room after she wakes up from sleeping all night or a nap. She gets the biggest smile on her face and squeals with delight once she sees one of us. This has started to include seeing Cosmo and Zona in the morning (the rise and shine committee). I think all three of them get just as excited. First Zona goes in and will sometime jump up to say hi, Bella will squeal, then it's Cosmo's turn to give a kiss...he's big enough not to have to jump up! Then once we pick her up and give her our hugs and kisses she starts waving her arms and kicking her feet with excitement...because she knows it's time to eat!!!

Bath time has always been another favorite time at our house. she just plays and splashes...it wears me out more than chasing her around the house. Her hair is getting so long that it is taking longer and longer to towel dry...we may have to move to the blow dryer soon.

Hope everyone is having a good week.

Swimming on Sunday

We went to church and I drooled all over my dress while I was playing with the other kids, so I had to come home and change (thanks Auntie Miriam for my dresses). It's a little hard to crawl around in a dress anyway, even if I do look cute in them. Love standing on my tippy toes!!
After my nap we headed to Papa T and Nana's house to play and go swimming. I played with the legos and the pots and pans. Then we went swimming. I had so much fun in the pool with mommy...we splashed and sang songs...and went under the water like a brave girl. I was so pooped that I needed another nap before heading home. After I woke up...I snuggled with Papa and drank some juice, then it was home for dinner. Here are a few pictures of me in the pool.

Weekend with Friends

It seems so rare these days that we gets to spend time with our friends...even though a lot of us live in the same state now. This weekend was fun, since we got to spend time with both the Hodges and the Oestreichs!

Friday night was great spending time with Jess, Brent and Mason over pizza and some fantastic gelato. Mason is getting so big so fast...although he is really light compared to Bella. He was finally awake (usually he's asleep when we see him) and he would talk and Bella would talk back. She wasn't too sure what this little one was doing at our house, she kept looking over at him...and poor Zona kept going over and looking around like "is this one staying too".


Bella checking things out, while Jess feeds Mason.

Today...we had fun playing with daddy...he is a lot of fun to crawl all over.
Then of course we had to snuggle

After our afternoon nap today, we headed to the Oestreichs to hang out with Tim, Molly and Logan. It was a rough start for Bella...not sure if it the separation anxiety or since she hasn't seen Logan in awhile, but it took awhile before she was ready to play...after bribing her with food she calmed down. Then she had a great time with all of Logan's toys. She is finally starting to catch up to his height (weight was never really a problem) and they look more the same size now...BIG! I can't believe July is almost over and they are both about to turn ONE!!! It's so crazy. Molly of course made a great dinner and we all got to catch up. It had been a few months, so we had a lot to talk about...mainly Bella and Logan! About 7:30pm it was time to head home...what a thrilling late night life we have these days! Thanks for a great time Hodges and Oestreichs!!

Playing with Daddy

I must admit that I was sitting in my office working today with the door close when I heard the most precious thing...Joel was reading Cinderella to Bella in the great room. He is so amazing with her and I am jealous of the time they get to spend with each other, since I have been working more, but it makes me love him more. She was and I think will always be daddy's little princess. She is so adorable that when we look at her we both just want to grab her and hug and kiss her.



We keep trying to get a picture of her standing up by herself but it doesn't last long and once she sees the camera she just wants to crawl and grab it....so here are a few others. Joel got a little camera happy today too, so it's not just me taking 100s of pictures!! Big, blue eyes...with really long lashes
She has so much hair...I can't wait to put it in pigtails!!

Joel said she looked like Maggie from the Simpsons, since her pjs were a little long this morning.

My First Puddles to Play In

Yes it rains in Arizona. Contrary to all you out-of-state friends and family's beliefs we do get a sprinkle or fast down pour every once in awhile. Although it may have been Joel and Bella's first time actually to see it (usually happens overnight during monsoons). Bella was pretty interested watching it through the door...
so we went outside to play in it...we had some great puddles on the ground and on the fire pit to splash around in...

And since her hair was damp I put it in rollers...although when I took them out it was not nearly as cute as when she had them in...she ended up with no curls just a hair sticking out in every direction possible...so we had to wet it down again so she wouldn't look funny the rest of the day.

Top Teeth...Finally

Bella has finally gotten her two top teeth!!! So she's up to 6 total!! They have broken through and are coming down. We were wondering when it would happen since she chews, slobbers, drools and chomps on everything and anything.

We thought this was funny yesterday when Joel took the picture he goes "Say Cheese" and she gave this goofy smiling grin...

Cherishing Every Moment

Bella's personality is so much fun. She is starting to snuggle more, which melts both of our hearts. When she's having a hard time going to bed, we rock her and she will snuggle into our chest and stick her butt in the air like she did when she was first born. Hugs are another big thing right now...and they are so wonderful to get. She has started pulling up on our legs when we are standing and just holding on. This morning she just hung on to my leg while I got ready for church. It so great!!! She's becoming her own little person and it is such a joy to watch and be apart of. God has truly blessed us and we are trying to cherish every little moment with her (before she's a teenager and doesn't want us around any more)!

She added a new word on Friday..."DaDa"...and then she said it again on Saturday. We think her next word will either be "no" or "Mo Mo" (aka Cosmo), since she hears no all the time now and we have to always tell Mo Mo to move or Bella will grab his tail.

Loves to play chase with daddy...


Playing with Legos at Nana and Papa T's house
Making faces and snorting noises with Uncle Chad
Wearing daddy shoes...even though eating the laces seem to be more fun
Snuggling with mom on the couch
Going to church in my cute dress that Uncle Chad and Steph got me for Easter.
Holding on to daddy while he starts dinner

Mini-Me

Ryan found this picture the other day and I couldn't help but notice that it looked a lot like Bella's snorting face. I guess like mother like daughter :)

Too Adorable

Thanks to Uncle Chad & Steph (well probably more Steph than Chad), Bella was an adorable Rocker Star Baby today. Of course I had to share the pictures because she was just too cute!!!


I'm getting attached to my blankets and are starting to crawl around with them.

What a weekend

We went swimming in Papa T's pool yesterday and decided to try out a new suit (Joel calls it the uni-bomber suit). It kept her afloat but she would either go back or dive forward if we weren't holding on to her. She actually had more fun eating her hat than swimming.



Today Bella attended her first birthday party for her friend Brayden who turned the big number 2. She even wore a party hat, went on a few "rides" (loved playing with the steering wheels), ate a little pizza and played ski-ball with daddy. The Hodges were there with 2 month old Mason (who is adorable and big) who slept the majority of the time...oh the days when Bella would sleep anywhere!!! It was so nice to spend the day with friends and catch up.

Nine Months

We had our 9 month check up today and no shots!!! Bella has gained a little more than 4 pounds since her 6 month appointment and is now at 22 lbs and 2 oz. She also grew 2 more inches and is now 28 inches tall (almost as tall as Granna). It has been amazing to see her become our little girl and is no longer our little baby over the past nine short months. I'm hoping she'll slow down but not counting on it. She has started to let go and try standing on her own. She does pretty good and can last about 7 seconds by herself. She is starting to balance herself when she starts to lean and then will sit instead of falling down. She keeps us laughing with her goofy faces and all her giggles.

Traumatizing experience

Well we found out that Bella no longer likes strangers. I guess the books were right about having an outgoing child at home that gets scared around new people at this age. We went to have her 9 months pictures taken today and spent the first 20 minutes with her screaming and crying hysterically. Of course she kept reaching for Joel to save her from the scary man with the camera. So we gave her mommy's keys and then she was happy. Then she wouldn't take them out of her mouth, so we had to take them away and of course she started screaming again...until we brought out food. She was very excited about having her puffs...the first pictures have the funniest faces of her moving them around in her mouth with her tongue....definitely takes after dad in the food department. In the end we got a few good ones...and I was able to crop some others in photoshop. Hope everyone is having a good week...she has her 9 month check up tomorrow...so we'll see how big she has gotten over the past three months.

Mom having fun with photoshop...