Visit with Grammy and PawPaw

Grammy and PawPaw came for a visit this weekend to see Bella...and us! We had a great time picnicking at Lion's Park, sitting on the front porch, and just hanging out. Grammy brought Bella her first Easter books about Jesus that are precious! Thanks Grammy and PawPaw. Here are just a few of the pictures from the visit. Mike is becoming quite the photographer.

Love this picture!Look at her grabbing that shirt!
This is fun PawPaw!
PawPaw likes to throw me up in the air and it makes me laugh!
I'll grab your nose!

I got your nose, Grammy!
Mommy, what are you doing?
Grabbing PawPaw's hand...and probably trying to stick it in her mouth.
Learning to walk!


Sleeping with Grammy. Don't you love the smell of baby lotion on a sleeping baby about to go to bed!
Playing with PawPaw and daddy
Sweet picture I caught of Bella and the Smith grandparents on the front porch.
Smiling with Grammy

5 months!

Miss B is 5 months old today! This morning she rolled on her mat from her front to back. woohoo! And watch out! She's also rolling off of Mike's legs all the time - front to back or back to front! And she loves it. She'll flip over and then look up at us and smile! She's laughing a different laugh, a fuller laugh lately too. It's more of a real laugh instead of just a squeal! Another "new" thing she's doing is grunting when she's upset. Sometimes she'll just cry but lately she just wants to grunt. You don't want to laugh at it but it's kindof comical. This last week (of being in the 4 month timeframe) we took a fun hike on Lake Belton, with Bella in tow in the front pack on her daddy. And, it was so much fun to be outside with her and watch her watch the birds and trees and water. It's officially spring too so the weather is perfect for being outside! We hope you enjoy the fun pictures of her cute ladybug outfit! Grammy and PawPaw visited this past weekend and i'll post those pictures on the next post. Happy 5 month Sweat Pea!And, we're sliding!

A day in the life....

Wednesdays and Friday afternoons I'm able to work from home. (The other days Mike is home doing the following schedule but with school work and papers.) So, our normal day is mixed with feedings, work, diapers, nap, work, feedings, work, diapers, walmart runs, dinner prep, work, diapers...but, so much fun! It's amazing the amount of work you can get done when you know you have a limited amount of time before the cycle starts again. Right now she's in her swing blowing bubbles and playing with her toys. Then, a random squeal and smile and making-funny-noises with her mouth happens! I thought i'd upload fun pics from the day to show a little of our day-in-the-life of Bella and mommy (working and playing).

Sleeping...she likes to cover her face lately...and she's still sucking her thumb, fingers, or all at once! Grandmother (Bella's great-grandmother) notice the blanket she sleeps with everyday! Love you!

Wake time! When we go in there and say hello she smiles and looks around until she finds us. It's so cute when she's looking all over before she sees us. Yes, we LOVE this time!
Change time! Yesterday, I put her in an outfit that was too small but, by golly, I made it work. (Mike said i'm in denial and i'm not arguing with him.) So, I put her in the outfit below which turned out to be form fitting on that cute, big tummy and capris. She's just workin' it! And, hey it's spring so pants turning into capris is ok, right?! She's so cute and "rolly" right now so her little tummy budging out of that shirt was so cute. Allison and Mike laughed at it when they saw her.

So, we changed outfits! It's challenging putting outfits on her nowadays because she grabs her feet or your hands or hair or glasses.

Swinging...uhm, poor kid looks bored. I guess my writing grant application letters or publications aren't exciting to her.

Bumbo time on the play mat. She'll grab the butterflies and pull them down as hard as she can. Then stick them all in her mouth. Then, she'll grab the lion thing and stick it in her mouth. Then, she'll grab the toucan and stick it in her mouth. Then, it's onto the giraffe...you get the idea. Drool baby lives on!

Helping mommy wash bottles and dishes. Look at that double chin! She's started sticking out her tongue a little bit and squinching her nose when she smiles.

And, night time bath...yes, she grabs her feet most of the time in there too.

Full of smiles!

Bella (aka. drool baby!) is becoming more and more animated lately. Can we say cutie patutey! (sp?) She is teething so needless to say her shirts are soaked most of the time! One night this week she didn't want to play on her mat and didn't want to be in her bumbo so I put her in her swing. It's one of those fancy swings with a mirror above her and moving leaves, birds, and caterpillars. (SO cute!) I heard her talking away while I was fixing supper. This in and of itself was not abnormal since she enjoys talking alot now! But, she kept talking and blowing bubbles and talking and making funny noises with her mouth (dad, I think you taught her how to do that) and blowing more bubbles and drooling. Then, she would laugh and the whole thing would start over again. I finally decided to look around the corner and see what she was doing through all that laughter and chatter. Imagine with me what I saw when I came around the corner...the cutest baby with her mouth WIDE open and a HUGE smile on her face rocking back and forth. precious! Needless to say I ran for the camera. It was precious! Don't you wonder what little babies think and smile about? Mike said he also saw her looking up at herself in the mirror rocking away!

Picnic time!

This past week we decided to enjoy the great weather and get outside for a picnic. We went to Lion's Park, even though it was really windy! Welcome to Texas! I'm excited about the time change because it will finally give us more time in the evenings for walks or picnics or time to just be outside and introduce Bella to the trees, flowers, birds, etc...yes, I did just say "introduce" her to them! Here are some fun pictures of our time.

Other things in our life this past week:
- We took Bella to downtown Austin to walk around the river. I would highly recommend going to eat at "A Great Place for Salads" on San Antonio street. yummy!
- Today was her first day to stay in the nursery at church. She did great...it was mommy who was thinking of her and went to see her twice. I never thought I would be like this. Oh how things change when you love someone so much.
- She's laughing more instead of just opening her mouth really wide.

Visit with Aunt Sara and Uncle Jake

Our good friends from South Carolina, Sara and Jake, came this past week to good ole' Texas! We had a great time and even took them to experience Texas style BBQ, which is very different than SC BBQ. Bella got to meet them too, which was her first SC "family" member to meet. After a little warming up to the new people, she loved her Aunt Sara and Uncle Jake. These two are some of the neatest people i've ever met and love calling Sara one of my best friends. Everyone would be better off to know these two! Sara was my dear friend from the epidemiology MSPH world in SC and is one of those people who I can be totally myself around. There are only a couple of people in my life who are like that and Sara is definitely a treasure to me! Miss ya'll! Here are some fun pictures from their visit here.
Playtime with Jake!
Mike made us yummy pancakes Saturday morning while we played with Bella!

Bathtime with Sara!


Bella updates from this past week:
1. She had her 4 months shots and checkup. She weighs 14 lbs 12 oz and is 24 inches long! That puts her in the 75 percentile now.
2. She rolled off of Mike's lap and is officially rolling from her back to her front when we lay her on the bed. I think she's finally beginning to figure how to do that.
3. She has found her feet!! My good friend at work, Mel, has been telling me for a while about this moment. And, it is as cute as she said it would be. We sit her in her bumbo chair and she'll try to get her feet in her mouth. Poor thing gets so frustrated because she can't get to them ! I think she's also making the connection that they are her feet. She'll look at them and watch them move and get the funniest little inquisitive look on her face. Then, of course, she'll grab them and tries to get them in her mouth.
4. She continues to put everything in her mouth and slobber, slobber, slobber!
5. And, she is still smiling everywhere!