Our Thursday night. . .

Daddy had to work tonight, and I hate that he missed dinner. Have you ever tasted chicken & gravy baby food? (I have to try them all just for curiosity sake.) YUCK! But, this little lady loved it. We are still having difficulty getting her interested in anything other than a bottle, so I love to see her enjoy something.

I love her Squints Palledorous grin.



I think she likes this way better than fruit.



Mom, I'm sorry about crying every other night this week over dinner. This isn't so bad after all.



You can't turn your head for one second!



I'd rather feed myself, thanks.



Laying back with a full belly, showing off the new Pooh jams from Nene and E.

Stella's Stats - 6 months

Stella weighed in at 15.8 lbs and is 26 1/4 inches long.



She had fun playing with the paper on the table. It was a crinkly mess before we left.



The doctor said that she looks great and is growing and developing well. We got some pointers on what to expect in the coming months. And good news. . . no shots at our next appointment! She handled them well today. After a few tears, she just needed to cuddle with Stephen and I.

Blame it on the heat.

I've slacked considerably with posts for the month of July. I will just blame it on the heat because I don't enjoy hardly anything during this awful summer weather. We haven't ventured outside much in the afternoons to play because when it's in the mid 90s, what could possibly be fun? On days when we are able to come straight home, Stephen and I normally entertain Stella on blankets in the floor. She enjoys her Baby Einstein entertainer and we also read books and do other things, but playing in the floor on her belly or back is still her favorite by far.

Can't you tell?





Getting tickles on the belly. . .



My 2 favorite people!

6 months ago today. . . .

I snapped this picture from my hospital bed.



Stella has changed our lives in so many ways. I am so thankful that God blessed Stephen and I with such a special daughter. We love her more than anything and can't wait for all of the new things that the next six months will bring.

Feet!

Stella plays with her feet and toes constantly. She was on the floor playing with her toys when I remembered some foot rattles that she got as a gift.

They still fit her and she thought they were very interesting.



Totally cracked up.



This is fun!

Teething is for the birds!

Our poor little sweetie had a rough evening. Her gums were hurting pretty bad. She had everything possible in her mouth and was not her usual self. She is in bed now and I hope she is able to rest well. I feel so bad for her, but I can't wait to see that little tooth!

Does chewing on the butterfly help?



No, maybe the giraffe will work.



Mom, this teething business stinks.



She decided to try gumming the side of her tub.



And when all else fails, fingers do the trick.

I think she's got it!

Stella doesn't rely on the big forward lean when she sits up now. She is gaining more balance everyday. She can stay up by herself for a few minutes. What a difference a week makes!



But, she still gets tired. . . Learning this new stuff is hard work.



Stella loves her feet. They are still more entertaining than some of her toys.



Typical Stella pose.

"Back" to where we started.

Stella has refused to sleep on her back for the past 4 1/2 months. She is a belly sleeper all the way. She went to bed around 8:00 PM tonight. Stephen went to check on her an hour later and found her like this! Normally if she rolls to her back during the night, she fusses and Stephen or I have to go in her room and put her on her belly so she can fall asleep again. I am not sure how long she will stay this way tonight, but it's funny how quickly things can change with a little one. She may be a back sleeper for awhile, or tomorrow it might be her belly again.

Almost!

Stella is getting very close to being able to sit up all by herself. She can do it until she reaches for something, then she topples over. Since she is still trying to figure out the whole balance thing, she likes to sit leaning way over so she can stabilize herself with her hands.

Gone are the days of Stella laying back during an entire bath. She wants to splash in the water and play with her rubber ducky.



She tried out the new sitting position after a bath. Notice the lack of a changing pad cover. She decided to tinkle on it when I was taking off her clothes for bath time.



Check out that wild hair! She got a scratch beside her little eye today. :(

Chewie

Stella can't seem to stop "talking" these days. She has been cooing and giggling for months, but the past couple of weeks have been hilarious. Diaper changes are particularly entertaining. She will yell and make noises until she is red in the face. She is always trying out new sounds. We heard her do this one for the first time on Monday and I finally caught her on video. It's a gargling sound that reminds me of Chewbacca! Stephen has been calling her Chewie this week. :) Aunt Sis seems to think she sounds more like Scuttle from The Little Mermaid.

4th of July

It's been a fun weekend and I am looking forward to another day to relax on Monday before heading off to work again. Stella has had a blast with all of her family celebrating her first 4th of July.

Saturday, we spent the day with all of the Turners for the annual cookout/reunion. There were lots of folks there including four babies that are brand new since last year's festivities. WOW! There were several other older babies and kids there, too. Stella had a great time playing with her cousins.

Stella with our niece, Ramzi.



After church, we spent the rest of our Sunday at Nene and E's house. Aunt Sis, Granny, Granddaddy, Billy, & Evelyn were all there to eat great food and celebrate together. Our family loves holidays and it's so fun to have Stella to enjoy them with now. As my sister mentioned tonight, it seems like yesterday that we were sitting around on the 4th wondering what it would be like next year with a new baby. I wasn't very far along in my pregnancy last year, but we were all so excited. Now she is here and I can hardly believe how quickly the time passes! Thank goodness for this blog to help capture all of the fun memories.

All dressed up for the celebration thanks to Nene. I'm glad that she was able to wear it at least twice. It was too cute for one day only!



Then she got hot and we had to strip down to the bottoms only.



She discovered that Daddy's hair felt pretty cool today. She touched and played with it for a long time.



Aunt Sis read "Is Your Mamma a Llama" to her.