All I want for Christmas...

Bella got her second bottom tooth today, just in time for Christmas. That should eating turkey a little easier :) Thankfully, that also explains why she was up at 4am and wouldn't go back to sleep. Bring on the teeth - it will only help with eating more solids! I can't get the song out of my head though - good thing it is the season.

First tooth..

Our day started at 4am this morning with Bella screaming and not going back to sleep for way too long! Thankfully, later in the day I discovered it was because her first tooth had poked through her gums - so we were at least awake for a good reason : ) Maybe, this means our little girl will be a little happier now that she isn't in quite so much pain...

First Halloween Party

We had a Halloween party with our playgroup. Of course it was more for the parents than the kids, most of them didn't like being in costume. The parents of course loved it though - the kids looked so cute! We did a baking exchange as well so how could you not love that, yummy baked goods!

Scarecrow, Lion, Bee, Monkey, Fireman, Chicken, Pumpkin.

First Cold

Poor little Bella has her first cold. Trying to wipe a girls nose is not fun : ( Using the little sucker is even worse! As much as we don't want her to grow up too fast we can't wait until she can blow her nose. Or at least understand that we aren't trying to attack her with the tissue and blue rubber bulb suction monstrosity.

6th Month Check up

Bella, had her 6th Month check up today. It was at the same time as her morning nap, so was exhausted...poor little thing. She cried during her shots of course, and also got the first of two flu shots (she will get the second booster one in a month). The doctor suggested that we get the shot even though she isn't in daycare, but because we are in so many play groups. Thankfully, Tylenol made her feel better for most of the day. Her doctor was really pleased to see that she was trying to crawl, and that she could sit up so well. She didn't think that would be the case, because kids who are so chubby usually have a tougher time being so active. Nothing is stopping little Miss Bella though - although we would really like her to wait to crawl for the new house....I can always dream : )

Bella weighs in at 20 pounds 2 ounces, and is 28 inches long!!! So that rates her as off the charts - or greater then 97% (which is where they stop measuring). Her head is 44 3/4 cm, which means she is in the 95 percentile of girls her age. Our little peanut sure is smart, and well I guess not all that little : )

Pears yumm!!

Happy half birthday to ME!!!

Bella turned 6 months old today, so that means that her little tummy is ready for more than just milk. We gave her pear sauce for the first time today. I made it a couple of weeks ago and froze some in ice cube trays, for easy portions. She seemed to like it but got a little bored after a couple of spoonfuls, so we stopped. We'll try again another day : )

Tiny Feet

Aren't these the cutest toes ever!!

The Perfect Student

We went to a workshop today that ran from 9-4 and Bella couldn't have been better behaved. She slept, ate, played , never a fussy time that lasted more then 30 seconds, and in general was the perfect baby. It was 4 expecting couples and one with a 3 month old whom they left with a sitter for the first time today. I really hope that Bella isn't the only baby that these parents are going to see before their own child's birth - because if it is they are in for a very RUDE awakening.

The workshop is called Bringing Baby Home, and is supposed to help give you tips on dealing with the stresses of being new parents. The premise is that if you have a strong happy marriage, you will be able to raise strong happy kids, and making sure that your marriage remains a top priority. We don't really think we learned anything new, or outstanding today, but it was nice to get a little refresher, and spend some time thinking about us. We both know that we need to try and find ways to spend more time together, but that will come in time. We finish up the workshop next week, so it will be interesting to see what we learn then.

Bella has set a serious precedent for herself so we'll see how she is next week.

40 MINUTES!!!!

Bella sat on the floor today playing with her toys for 40 minutes before falling over!! I knew that she was getting pretty darned good with her sitting these days, but I had know idea that she was this good. She had just woken up from a nap so was very well rested with lots of energy, which usually helps in extending the length of time she can practice new things, without fussing.

This means that we are really going to have to move her crib mattress down to make sure she can't get out of jail! Poor Gabe, because he will have to take the crib apart yet again. Poor me, because I will have to find other places to store her all her extra diapers and wipes. Which makes me even more excited to move into the new condo - which will have so much more space!!!

Loving camping

We had a great time camping with aunt Kayne and Uncle Drew this weekend! Bella was great - letting us stay up late and enjoy the campfire. We are hoping that over the years we will be able to meet up like this more often. We met halfway between Seattle and Vancouver so it was easy for everyone!

Conquering elephant mountain!

Happy 5 Month Birthday Bella!! It is pretty funny watching her play with this. It is so soft and she LOVES to eat him, it is super cute to say the least. Gabe and I are still trying to come up with the perfect name for him. I like Pascal the name he came with, but Gabe likes Paxil (he forgot that was the name of a drug), we were also thinking about Elly...

First time at the petting zoo

We brought Bella to the Beacon Hill petting zoo today. It was a great family trip with both sets of grandparents, and her great grandparents. Bella is a little too young to understand what was going on. I think it will become a favorite place over the coming years though.

Favorite Family Photo

We took this picture in the tree at Beacon Hill Park across from the petting zoo, where my dad would often take pictures of us when we were little. I thought that it would be a cute tradition to continue. Bella sure makes Gabe and I look great : )

Ohh how I love this water bottle...

21 weeks old gumming water bottle with Nana 2
Originally uploaded by CDN Images

A photo essay on Bella's new favorite toy!

Explosion

18 weeks old poopy smiles
Originally uploaded by CDN Images

Today was our first day of truly exploding poop! Bella hadn't pooped in 2 1/2 days and this was the mess that she created. I was super scared that she would poop while I was wearing her in the sling when we walked to the park today. She made this mess in her swing, so the cover went directly in the wash. After taking these pictures Gabe just brought her in the shower to get her clothes off - it seemed to be the easiest way to get her clean. Not looking forward to an even longer backup mess! At parent baby the record for a breastfed baby is 16 days, and the longest recorded is 26....oh my!! Not records we are looking to break : )

Doesn't she look so pleased with herself!!

What flexibility!!

17 weeks old I love to play with my feet
Originally uploaded by CDN Images

For weeks now Bella has loved being able to play with her left foot, but now she can finally play with her right foot as well. She is so pleased with herself, and has such a great time. We think it is great that she has play toys with her all the time!

We three..

Miss Bella sure makes Gabe and I look great!!

First time Camping..

Bella and I taking a nap in the great outdoors! We took her camping at Bay View this weekend for the first time with Uncle Drew and Aunt Karen. We had a great time and Bella was a champ!! It got a little chilly at night but after she woke up for the first time, we would just take her out of her play pen and bring her into bed with us.

I caved!

14 weeks old bella in her new baby carrier that she loves
Originally uploaded by CDN Images

I can't believe that I caved and become a true Pacific North West Hippie! I always thought that I would never wear Bella in a sling - it was a little too granola for me : ) I think what it really the real problem was I had only ever seen ugly one's. This one is super cute!!

So how did this purchase come to be you ask?

At parent baby class today the topic was wearing your baby. Two mom's with baby product business' came in and showed us their wears. Bella was super fussy all class and I just couldn't get her happy, or to sleep....poor thing. After class we were given the chance to try on some of the slings, and carriers, I tried this one on and she feel asleep right away. That's me SOLD!!!

The other great thing about it is that it is a ring sling (adjustable), so both Gabe and I can use it with ease.

I can't wait to hear what Nicole says when she see's this photo : )

Swimmng...

14 weeks old and swimming with Dad for the first time. Doesn't she look so cute in those baby shades? Got to protect our little girls eyes! Wonder how long she will keep these on for??

Princess Laya

We were undressing Isabella on the couch today - getting her ready for bed, and we discovered that we have our very own Princess Laya! Getting her naked is something that we do now to try and make her happy when she is fussy. She finally loves to be naked, she used to scream and scream. Thank goodness those days are over.

Happy Canada Day!

Thanks for coming to visit me for my first Canada day Uncle Adam!! Only 18 more years and then I can take part in the whiskey tasting too!!!

Tummy Time

We are supposed to practice tummy time every time we change Bella's diaper, but she hates it!! At least today she isn't screaming though! Maybe, one day soon she will like it. Her doctor wants us to do this to prevent getting a flat spot on the back of her head from sleeping on her back, and sitting the swing all the time.

First Father's day

Gabe wanted to go to the Seattle sculpture park and take pictures for Father's Day, but little missy was pretty sad most of the time so we left pretty quickly. We'll have to go back again sometime and hopefully she will enjoy herself a little more because it looks really cool! This was also the first time that we tried Bella in the hip hammock but she really didn't like that either.

New friend Pascal the pachyderm

We saw Pascal at Baby Style and he just couldn't be left at the store. We think that Bella will have a great time snuggling with her new best friend as she gets older. He is so soft, I wish the made blankets out of the same fabric, so I could have one too!

First time in bumbo chair

"Hey dudes, I'm only 8 weeks old do you really think I can sit in this thing"?

Changing pad fun

This dress is so cute, sad that it is too small and I couldn't get the neck done up :( We love all of her extra rolls in her arms and legs though, she is so chubby it is adorable. I thought that if I put this little gym over her changing pad she might not get so upset when we change her diaper....seems to work sometimes. Bella still doesn't like getting naked, that should change when she is better able to regulate her temperature. The added height of the changing mat makes it easier for Bella to reach the toys as well - it is pretty cute when she tries to bat at them!

DL bins Ad

Thanks for the super cute shirt Karla! Now, Bella just needs to be playing with some of Dave's trucks to make the perfect Bin's ad.

Bella in the big bed!

How cute is this photo - if only she slept this well all the time! She looks so peaceful. The really sad thing is that shortly after this photo was taken, I lost this blanket somewhere at the mall :( It was my favorite one as well...

Grumpy Pants

Bella was just so sad - poor little thing couldn't get her burp out : ( We just had to take this picture though, because I love how expressive her eyebrows are. Needless to say the flash didn't make her any happier...

Kisses from dad

Bella has such soft skin, her belly always needs kisses when she gets her diaper changed.

First visit with Aunt Karen

Uncle Drew and Aunt Karen had a very long wait at the boarder, but finally made it to our house for a visit. Of course I freaked Drew out with breastfeeding - poor guy! Karen and Bella had some good snuggle time - that is before she got sad : )

First Party Dress!

Bella's, Great Gran Douglas made her this dress hoping that it would fit in the summer time. Sadly, it's April and little missy is so big that we couldn't button up the neck : ( I'm sure she will love dressing up her dolls in it when she is a big girl though!

Happy dreams

Isabella looks so cute when she sleeps, because this is the only time right now (when she isn't pooping) that she smiles. It is so cute, her mouth twitches and she smiles and does these silly grins. Making it possible to see her SUPER CUTE dimples!!!

Big dimple

This is the photo that I am going to use for her birth announcement - I think it is the cutes picture we have to date. This is a little bear outfit that mom bought for her, and it is the cutest, softest, fluffiest thing ever!!! I only wish that it was a little colder out these days and she could wear it more often.

Isabella and Gabe napping

Life doesn't get much more peaceful than this! If only we could get her to be this calm all the time : ) I'm sure we will figure out tricks and ways to soothe her over the coming weeks....hopefully!

Ohh what a mess..

Poor Bella has issues with HUGE throw up messes. We burp her and this is what happens sometimes, hopefully she will out grow this. The sad thing is we can tell that she has a burp in there and she is so upset and sad until she lets it out and produces this mess. I had Gabe run and get the camera before we took her clothes off this time, she was like "why are you taking my photo and leaving me in this mess". I'm sure she is going to be very upset with us later in life for taking this picture : )

Happy Birthday Papa!!

Originally uploaded by CDN Images

Papa,

I tried to stay in mama's belly long enough to be your birthday present, but I couldn't wait to meet you all so I had to come out. Hope you don't mind too much.

Love,
Isabella

Lounging

Originally uploaded by CDN Images

This was the first time that we put Bella in her swing. We are pretty sure that it is going to become a life saver!

Welcome to the world!!

DSC_5811
Originally uploaded by CDN Images

March 30th, 2007 - our big beautiful Bella Bee was born 9lbs 4oz! The midwives said she might be an 8 pound little girl but we sure weren't expecting 9 pounds plus!!!