Mesmerized!

Funny - Since my last post, Stella has become very interested in the television. We don't sit her in front of it, but it seems like every time she is on our lap that's all she wants to do. Tonight, Wheel of Fortune was particularly interesting. She was watching while she sat on Daddy's lap after dinner.


When is it time for Glee, Daddy? Where's my remote?



It's amazing how much she notices each day. She cannot keep her head still, constantly looking from side to side and even behind her to check out everything she can possibly find. I can't imagine what it must be like for a little one where everything in the world is fresh, fun and new. The best feeling in the world is walking into a room, talking to her, and a huge smile spreads across her face. She really recognizes us and seems so thrilled to see us. That includes Layla, too. She keeps an eye on her big sis all day! Stella wakes up in a great mood because she just loves to have someone talk to her. As soon as you say, "Good morning sweetie", the smiles begin. She has added lots of giggles along with the gurgles and coos.

Unfortunately, I miss the morning shift many days now. Stella is consistently sleeping for 8 hours or more. It's amazing. Aside from when we get home late, she is in bed by 9:30. She wakes up between 6:00 and 7:00 A.M. Several times a week, I have already left for work. We recently increased her bottles, so she is staying full longer and does not wake early to eat. I was getting used to waking up between 5 and 5:30 to feed her before I got ready for work. Although I miss that a little, I am impressed with a three month old that is such a wonderful sleeper. She had two days last week where she woke up during the 4 o'clock hour. I was hoping that wouldn't stick. I think she sensed that Stephen was away or something and just wanted to make sure Mommy was on her toes! Also, she went to bed earlier those two nights. Her internal clock never fails.

Channel surfing.

Stephen was behind this!



"Hey, where's that Elmo I keep hearing about?"

They're done!

Stella's collages that I talked about in an earlier post are finally complete and up in her room! They turned out so well. There is one hanging on each side of her crib. I told Ms. Jean what colors were in her room and that I loved music and eclectic things. These are what she designed. I am so happy with them!





For the past week or so, it seems you can never look at Stella and not find her with at least one arm in the air. I am not sure what that is all about other than she is growing like crazy and stretching.



Today, I thought this outfit would be appropriate. The froggy is holding an umbrella. It has rained like crazy since about 9 o'clock last night. My flower beds will look amazing next week!

Ferret Face

In case any of you were wondering why my sister calls Stella "Frank Burns", this is why. She has always loved the show M*A*S*H. I am sure she has watched every episode numerous times. One of the characters, Frank Burns, was called Ferret Face because of the way he sucked in his bottom lip. Stella's own ferret face and side grin always remind Aunt Sis of one of her favorite characters. So, even though my mom hates it, she gets called that pretty often.

The real Frank Burns!






The imposter. Sorry, it's a photo from my Blackberry.



And here is another random photo from this week. I love this. Stephen and Stella both look pretty interested in the "Busy Baby" book.

Pill Popper

This morning was probably one of my most unglamorous moments ever, but pretty funny. Stella has gotten up hungry the past two days at 4 AM. I really can't complain too much. She is a great sleeper and has been very easy on Mommy and Daddy for the past three months. We were fully prepared to be very sleep deprived once she arrived, but that has not been the case. This morning in particular, I was very sleepy. She was only stirring in her crib, so I decided to start my morning ritual to try to wake up a bit. I brushed my teeth, laid out my clothes for the day, got things ready for my shower, and then popped that little pill us girls take when we don't feel it's the right time for additional offspring. Enter my funny moment: I reached down to open up the bathroom cabinet door and noticed a little round white thing on the floor. I thought to myself, "I could have sworn that I swallowed that!" I picked it up for further inspection. It was a little damp, just like a pill that fell out of your mouth should be. I even got out my little pack of pills to compare the size to the rest. Yep, that must be it. Stephen was in the other room preparing for another turkey hunt, so I called out to him to come confirm my finding and make sure that he had not taken some little small white pill, too. He agreed that I must have been so out of it that the pill fell from my mouth. He went to Stella's room to change her diaper. I was still confused. I just KNEW I swallowed that thing. Oh well, here it goes again.

Ewww!! What?? Gross!!

I ran into Stella's room and announced to Stephen that I had just taken a small pellet of Right Guard! After he died laughing at me, he filled me in on the fact that he had dropped his deodorant on the floor and some pieces broke off earlier in the morning. He thought he had picked them all up. UGH! At least we got a good laugh. Mommy needs some rest. Haha!

In other news, our sweet girl is 3 months old! We love her more each day.

He's Back!

Stephen was gone for two days with my dad on a turkey hunt in LBL. Let's just say, I'm not cut out to be a single mom! I missed him like crazy aside from the fact that everything took twice as long without that extra set of hands. I was expecting to have the house spotless before he returned because I had no weekend plans. No such luck. I got lots of things done, but without Daddy here to entertain, I wasn't able to do it all. That's ok. We spent lots of quality time together. I would not trade time with Stella for anything in the world. The joy she has brought to our lives is indescribable!

These are some shots from our lazy Saturday. She looked so sweet in her crib when I went in to get her.





I was cracking her up doing different voices and making faces during a diaper change. Unfortunately, I never snapped a picture of a huge smile, but this little half grin is too cute!

Silent Stella

Look what showed up in the mailbox today! The fabric is here, patterns have been chosen, now it's time to crank up that sewing machine. Maybe, just maybe, there will be a picture of an actual garment by the end of the weekend.



Now it is time for a brief confession that will also end up with a little mommy bragging on my part:

So, I had a meeting to attend at 5:00 this afternoon. After work, I went to Mom's house to pick up Stella. She was eating, so it took a little longer than normal to get away. By the time we made it home, there was only a moment to change my clothes and pack up a small bag for Stella. Stephen had some things to do and would not be around to keep her. Aunt Sis had offered her services in case I needed them. This is where the confession begins. . . I just decided to take her to the meeting with me thinking that she would last thirty minutes or so before she got fussy, hungry, sleepy, or needed a diaper change. Well, at 6:35 she still had not made one peep. She mostly took in the sights of Higher Ground and listened to the other ladies talk. She took a brief nap on my shoulder and then sat up for some more socializing. So much for using Stella as an excuse! I can't even get out a good cry when I need one. Hey, I just wanted to get home early for a change, but no such luck. Thanks a lot Stella!

All joking aside, I am proud of our little sweetie. What a good baby!

Switcheroo

Today we had to make a visit to our pediatrician. Stella has been having some diaper issues, many of the details I will spare you. We talked it over with Dr. Bates at her two month checkup when we first noticed a little difference. At that point, it was just something to watch. The past 3 or 4 days brought significant changes, so knew it was time for a phone call. He asked that we take one of the diapers to the hospital for testing. Man, wouldn't you love that job?! Thankfully, no infection or disease. He had us bring her in this afternoon and was pretty certain after examining her that she has at least a mild milk allergy. We were advised to switch to a soy formula for two weeks and monitor her progress. That means diaper inspections - fun stuff.

Stella doesn't seem to know anything is going on at all. She has been so happy. She couldn't stop smiling at Dr. Bates as he told her how healthy she was aside from the minor milk mishap. He was surprised that no other symptoms were involved. Colic, lots of spit up, and even fever can all be present with milk allergies. She weighed 11 lbs. and 14 oz. today at 12 weeks old.

I hope that the new formula helps. In the rare case that she has trouble with the soy, there are other options. I would just rather get settled on one that she loves. Although, she sure was chuggin' down the one that was apparently irritating her digestive system. I really doubt she will care either way, just as long as something is in that bottle for her to enjoy every 3 hours or less!


After dinner, she enjoyed some time in her swing. Stella would really, really like to get a hold of those little lambs. She concentrates so hard on them.

This will be "sew" fun!

You readers know by now that I have a deep love for Etsy. If you are the least bit creative, browse this site! It will inspire you. If you aren't creative but enjoy the works of others, go there to make purchases. I have a goal to start an Etsy store one day. I am in no hurry because I am not exactly sure what goods I want to sell in the first place. I just think it would be a great way to create for others to enjoy, and even make some spare cash.

So this leads me to my new hobby, sewing! Well, I technically can't consider it a hobby yet. I don't even know how to do it at this point other that sewing on a button. It is one of the many things that I was interested in growing up, but never got around to trying or learning. My mom is an excellent crafter, baker, and creator. She was lovingly referred to as the "PTA Queen" by my great friend, Tommy, when we were in school. I learned many things from her as a child and young adult, but some I still haven't got around to quite yet. She has agreed to help me learn and get my feet wet. I am so excited! I may have gone a little overboard already. I purchased 4 patterns and some fabric from a great designer called Heather Bailey. As soon as everything arrives, I hope to get started. There can't be anything much easier to start out on than baby clothes. Many patterns are just basic rompers, bubble suits, and dresses. If you play around with cool fabrics and even embroidery, they can turn out so cute! (like the ones I have been eyeing on Etsy) Another inspiration for sewing came from the brand Matilda Jane. They have awesome clothes, but none quite small enough for Stella. However, if I can learn to sew well, who needs Matilda Jane? Their clothes are mostly knot dresses, peasant tops, and ruffle pants made with interesting fabrics. I can handle that! Watch out Project Runway.

Here are some Matilda Jane pieces that I love.





This is something that I found on Etsy. I can do this! (I hope. . .)




I am also saving up for an embroidery machine. They can be sort of pricey, but I think it will get TONS of use. They are so advanced now, even for home use. I plan on downloading lots of fun fonts and designs so I can monogram and create appliques for Stella's outfits and accessories. It would also come in handy for making gifts for others. Monogramming has been popular for a very long time. Remember Laverne's "L" on Laverne and Shirley? Haha!

When my first creation is complete, I will be blogging for sure. Wish me luck!

Just add it to the list.

2 more firsts occurred on this fine Saturday:

1. Stella got a diaper change in the Wal-Mart parking lot.

It's true. I sniffed something rather strong while standing in the check out line and knew that we could not make it home. (skip ahead if you don't want to read the fun details. . .) So, we got out to the vehicle and I thought that the Rogue would make an excellent changing table. I couldn't stand the thought of her sitting in that mess all of the way home. Even if it is only 6 miles. . . I put one of her blankets in the back of the vehicle and laid her down. That's when I noticed that something suspicious had soaked through her outfit. Yikes! I had not packed an extra outfit just for a trip to Wal-Mart, so I am glad that it was 75 degrees today. Stella rode home in just a diaper. She seemed to enjoy it. Sorry, no pictures. Side note: the back hatch of a Nissan Rogue is perfect for diaper changing. It's a large, flat service that makes things rather quick and easy.

2. I had to cut Stella's hair.

Now, no one freak out on me. It was the tiniest of cuts. Just a little bitty snip. I noticed this morning that Stella had a knot in her hair at the back of her head. I thought it was odd that my child would already be getting "rats" in her hair as we called them growing up. She does have wavy hair that really curls up after bath time. I guess that fact plus her being more active in her bed and on her play mat could be the reasons. After a good suds during bath time, the knot still wasn't budging. I tried to work it out with my fingernails with no luck. So, bad luck or not, Stella got a tiny snip of hair cut this evening. I highly doubt that I would have obeyed the whole "waiting until they are one year old for a hair cut" thing anyway.

This is a picture from her bath time earlier this evening. I had just performed a rousing rendition of "Splish Splash, I Was Takin' a Bath." Stella seemed less than impressed. Normally, she smiles and coos during my songs. I guess I better scratch that one from my repertoire.

Sweet Stella

Stephen asked me just this week, "What did we do before Stella?" Good question babe!

I think the anticipation of a child during pregnancy is so exciting and new. I thought about her daily. Sometimes it was hard to concentrate on anything else. What would she look like? I prayed for her health and happiness. Stephen and I spent most evenings talking about her. We checked and double checked that we had everything just right before her arrival. Now that she is here, it's hard to imagine life without her.

We are truly blessed with such a sweet little girl. Stella has been sleeping through the night, in her crib, since she was about one month old. She is normally asleep by 10:00 and is awake between 5-5:30AM. Some would say this is early, but it actually works out so well for us. I am able to feed and cuddle with her before I get ready for work. I have to be at Goodyear by 7, so Stephen always takes her to Nene's house in the mornings. I am thankful for her internal clock that wakes her up so I get to spend some time with her. It makes my day so much sweeter! Stella did set a record this past week, sleeping from 8:30PM - 6:00 AM! Wow! Believe me, we are counting our blessings.

This week, we have been finding that she has rolled over at some point during the night or early morning. Sometimes she is even turned sideways in the bed! We call her Houdini because she never wants to roll over in our presence. She just wants to keep that little secret to herself I guess. Maybe we should set up a video camera above her bed and catch her in action? I am so proud of her progress. She has great head control, can pull her head and chest up high when on her belly, and is learning to sit up well with her Bumbo seat. She likes the view from the Bumbo and normally will sit and watch Stephen and I for quite awhile. Layla likes the Bumbo because Stella is on her level. They are already big buddies. Layla has to give her a kiss everyday, and Stella seems to love it. Last weekend, Layla just happened to be walking by while Stella was making a fist. She got her first handful of fur! Layla seemed pretty surprised over that!

Stella is also a great baby outside of our home. She loves to shop with Mommy and go to church. Her first church service was Sunday, February 7th at 2 1/2 weeks old. She hasn't missed a Sunday since! She even went to choir practice one Wednesday with me while Daddy had to work and never made a peep. We will be testing her for sure at the end of the month when she travels all of the way to Mobile, AL for a conference with Mommy, Aunt Sis, and several other Junior Auxiliary members. I was committed to making the trip, but knew that I couldn't leave her for a whole weekend. Nene agreed to go with us so I can attend my meetings but still not miss out on days with my little girl. Thanks Nene! Hopefully, she will get to see the beach for the first time. I predict many photos in the near future.

I am looking forward to a great weekend. * Pretty weather * Girls night with Mom, Dawn, and Stella * Relaxing Saturday * Church Sunday * Big smile :D

Wednesday play time!

Stella is starting to grab and bat at toys. I also love that she seems to be loving the music. It's one of my favorite Disney songs, too!




Mommy's silly baby voice, but she loves it. . . Look at my cute smile!

Good grief Daddy!

Yep, Stephen put Stella's swing right in the front door this afternoon! Ha! She loves to look or be outside. I was cooking dinner and he was busy doing something, so he thought she would enjoy being there. It worked. She alternated between the views of the yard and the little lamb mobile on the her swing. I wonder what our neighbors thought when they drove by and saw our baby in the door?



Later, we went out to enjoy the rest of such a beautiful day.



Hey! Did you guys hear that I rolled over today? Twice! Mommy can't catch me on camera. Maybe I will let her soon.

Happy Easter!

We had such a fun day with our little sweetie. I think her dress was just darling! She sat with daddy during church while mommy sang in the choir. Afterwards, we went to Nene and E's house for Easter lunch. Great Granny and Granddaddy and Aunt Sis were also there. Lunch was yummy and the bunny came to visit the night before because there was a basket of goodies waiting for her. She got some essentials for the upcoming warm weather: sunglasses, a big white floppy hat, and the cutest bathing suit ever! There was also a 1st Easter bib, and a funny little duck to play with.

Happy Easter!



Hanging out in the choir room before church.





Stella and her first Easter basket.



Whew! Easter is rough on a two month old.



Wearing my shades like my mommy!

April already?!

I heard it the whole time I was pregnant, but time truly does fly with babies. Stella is growing like crazy and learning new things everyday. It's fun to watch her notice more about her little world. She loves to be outside and thankfully, the last week has offered many opportunities. She takes everything in and loves to stick her tongue out when a breeze blows. Today, Stephen was rocking her while I was finishing up with my hairdo. I walked by her room and thought that they looked like the picture of Spring in their outfits, so I had to snap a picture.

We are looking forward to a wonderful Easter service in the morning. I can't wait to dress up Stella and enjoy it as a little family this year. God has blessed Stephen and I in such a special way with Stella. Sometimes it's hard to understand that after paying the ultimate sacrifice for me, which would have been enough, he continues to hand out blessings. I am so thankful. As the wonderful hymn says, "I serve a risen Savior!"

I crawl the line.

This was Aunt Sis's Easter gift for Stella. She found it in Nashville during her trip for work. Another one of the many reasons why she is the coolest auntie ever. . .