Another first...

Today Bella made her first trip to a very magical place that holds a special spot in my heart and on my thighs. In & Out Burger. The cashier swooned over Bella and immediately crowned Big B with her own, custom made, official team gear, In & Out Burger hat.

Adorable.

All kinds of new experiences...

Ever since this little nugget of complete cuteness came into our lives, it seems as though time is FLYING by at a ridiculous pace. Wasn't it just a few weeks ago that Bella was no bigger than a small sack of potatoes? And now...holy huge (and breaking my back) baby. Ok-I am exaggerating a bit as she's really not THAT big...but she is just growing up right before our eyes and it continues to stagger me.

We are in a very exciting time in her development as it seems like she is doing something new EVERY week, if not every day. She continues to explore the various pitches she can make with her voice, reaches out for anything and everything, and lately is really into her feet. (I think she finally figured out that she is in control of THOSE limbs as well)

Below are various videos of the activities Bella has been up to within the past few weeks...

Enjoy!

Bella LOVES her jump-a-roo. Check out her fancy foot work...

Ok-so this is the best video I have of Bella rolling over. She has rolled over about 5 times now on her own...but I've never caught it on film. Most of the time I'll just wait and wait and have these 4 minute long videos of nothing. This one is a bit of a stretch as she flips over due to loosing her balance while reaching for her toy...but whatever, you get the idea. =)

Bella has also been sitting up unassisted for a few weeks now. SO cute. She's still a little wobbly and eventually always topples over...but she gets stronger and stronger each day.

This is just a cute video of Big B laughing at me for no real reason...maybe I was having a bad hair day or something...?

Bella and Kyleigh Mace are pals. It is SO cute to watch Ky get so excited to see and be with Bella. And although Bella doesn't get the idea of "friends," her face always lights up to see someone more her size. Here the girls are watching Dora the Explorer before nap-time. And as you can see...Dora is VERY entertaining.

And as usual, I've saved the best for last. THIS is one of the new things Bella has been doing constantly this past week. FAKE COUGHING. It's hilarious. What a ham!

Visiting with the Welty's

On the day after Thanksgiving we got to visit with Uncle Mark and his family. We so rarely get to see them as they all live far away. So this was a special treat. We had a great night eating homemade turkey soup, (courtesy of the Thanksgiving leftovers) playing with slot-cars, making silly faces and just catching up. It was great to see them.

Uncle Mark, Aunt Diane, Matthew and Mckayla

Uncle Mark and Aunt Kathy

Making silly faces with Matthew =)

OOOO BUSTED! Sean...get your hand outta the Reeses' jar!

Thanksgiving 2009!!

Here they are...pictures from Thanksgiving. WOW-I am way ahead of schedule. Wooo-Hooo!

Our Thanksgiving festivities took place at my parents house. As usual, my mom created a warm and inviting Thanksgiving wonderland. The food was, of course, delicious...but I gotta be honest...I love me a deep-fried turkey and was a little sad to hear we would be sticking to a more traditional baked bird. BUT it was still very good. Along with a house packed with the usual suspects, we had the pleasure of also celebrating with my kindred-spirit, Sara Wysuph and her dear husband Dan. It was so great to not only get to spend the holiday with our wonderful family, but also share it with my BFF.

Of course, this was also Bella's first Thanksgiving which made it extra special. Although she obviously didn't understand the significance of the day, she was clearly delighted to be in the presence of tons of people just waiting to shower her with hugs and kisses.

"Jehovah-Jireh." (God as my provider.) This thought permiated my mind all day. God continues to be faithful to provide for all our needs. I thought about listing off the things I am especially thankful for this year, but quickly realized that the list would be obnoxiously long...and that's because our God is absurdly generous. =)

Arriving.....

A beautifully set table

MIMI!!

Bella and her Uncle John

Bella and her Aunt Kathy

Bella and her Great-Grandma Mimi

3 Generations =)

Lauren and Sean

Grandma's =)

The Wysuph's and Cosentino's

Being silly

OOOhhhhhh YEA!

Let's EAT!!

Lately...

Once again, I've fallen behind on updating the blog....though it's not due to laziness...quite the opposite, actually. I simply have no spare time.

A LOT has been going on in life lately. We celebrated Bella's first Thanksgiving last week which was a treat. There were lots of pictures taken , but sadly, not by me. BUT I have been assured that I will be be given these photos from the various parties to share with you all on the blog soon. (And by soon, of course I mean around Easter or so...just teasing.) =)

Bella will be turning 5 months on Friday! (OH MY GOSH-time is just flying by.) And she's really becoming her own little person. It's just fascinating to watch her learn new things. This week she has discovered how to push ALL the air out of her lungs. At first it kind of freaked me out...but once I was assured it was completely normal and she was not suffering from asthma, I found it HILARIOUS. She does this all the time. She's really learning how to use that voice of hers and starting to talk non-stop. (YES!!!! FINALLY-someting to prove she's my daughter!) She's also reaching out and clawing at EVERYTHING she can get her soft little hands on. And if it's not something like your face, she will immediately try and stick it in her mouth. (As seen in the video below where she tries several times to get a whole rattle into her mouth.) She rolled over (on her own) the day after Thanksgiving which was very exciting. (Too bad I was the only one who saw it.) So we have been having LOTS of tummy time since then in hopes that she will make this a repeat offense. She's very eager to sit up on her own but lacks the full balance...the good news is that she is working her way to six-pack abs already with how hard she's trying. So we are going to give you an A for effort Bells! =)

Here are some videos of Big B and her "expanding vocabulary."

Oh gees...she's a talker.

.......still talking.......

I LOVE this video. If you turn up your volume and pay CLOSE attention, you will get a few "surprises." Don't push too hard Bella...or if you do, make sure your father is around to change your diaper.

As I mentioned, anything she can get her hands on goes strait to her mouth. Here she tries to shove this rattle into her mouth over and over. She did not get the desired result. =)

Here is a short clip documenting a frequent occurance. Snuggling with her dollies.

I call this video "Spit Marathon." Another frequent occurance is Bella's facination with blowing raspberries. It just goes on and on. Notice how wet the front of her shirt is. Hilarious.

4 Month Check Up!

On Friday, (11/6) we all went in for Bella's 4 month check up. We were not really looking forward to the appointment for one reason.....SHOTS. Bella was due for her 2nd round of immunizations and that is just no fun....for any of us. It's a horrible feeling knowing that your baby is about to experience some dis-comfort and they just have no way to prepare themselves for it. But THANKFULLY, this round of shots was actually MUCH easier than the last ones. We thought for sure, due to her more advanced lung capacity, that the shrieking would rival those heard in a haunted house. Of course she cried, but she calmed down a lot quicker this time. And thankfully we got a great nurse who was VERY quick.

OK-now for the stats...

Height: (Well at this stage it's really legnth...) 24.5 inches
Weight: 12 pounds, 6 oz. And although that's still a little small for her age, it is DOUBLE her birth weight! Crazy!

So all in all, we still have a healthy, thriving baby. Praise God. Please continue to keep us in your prayers as we walk this journey. Parenthood is wonderful....but it's definitely not easy. Blessedly, we have an AMAZING support system. A special shout-out to my FWK's. (Aka: Friends with Kids) You all have been SO helpful to us. We greatly appreciate your wisdom, knowlege, love and support. Just knowing that whenever things get rough, we have you all to turn to, is very comforting. Love you girls!

NEW VIDEOS!!!

More GIGGLES! (Ignore my annoying sing-song voice)

THIS CRACKS ME UP! Sometimes, when you whistle at Bella, she gets those SPOOKY EYES a-goin'! Hilarious.

Midori Sour Cosentino 2/1/04-11/2/09

As most of you have already heard, yesterday, we had to say goodbye to a beloved friend and companion, Midori-Sour. "Dori" was laid to rest on 11/2/09 after a very sudden and quick fight with a disease called GME. Dori is survived by her mom and dad, her sister Bella and her best friend, Mila.

We were very blessed to have spent 5 wonderful years with this precious little girl who never failed to bring us incredible joy. Although Dori was not an overly-playful puppy, she packed more personality in that 4lb body than some dogs three times her size. Some of Dori's favorite past-times included sunbathing, laying on the bench, lively yet infrequent play-times with Mila, walks around the neighborhood, and watching other animals on TV. But none of her favorite activities topped just lounging in mom's (my) lap. In fact, I believe that Dori is in heaven right now probably sitting on Grandpa Lowell's lap. (Either that or begging for heavenly table-scraps or playing on a sunny hill with Baylee and the Budigat.) =)

Our hearts are deeply saddened by this tragic and sudden loss. We kindly ask for your prayers for our whole family (including, and especially Mila) as we begin the long healing process.

Dori we love you so much and miss you terribly.

Some random, but cute videos...

I call this one: "Fake-Crying."

If Mila isn't getting enough attention.....she'll let you know.

And I've saved the best for last....GIGGLES!

Daddy's Girl

Here are just a few random shots of Bella and her daddy. UH! I just love them both so much.

BUMBO!!

A few days ago Bella got a Bumbo Seat. I was SO excited to get her into a Bumbo as I always think babies look so stinking cute in them. She really likes her new big girl chair. I think it makes her feel like a real person now that she can have dinner at the table with us. HA! The minute we get her into her Bumbo, she immediately starts staring at her feet...she'll wiggle her toes and then bust out in a big ol' smile. She melts my heart.

I put this little googly-monster on her toe. She was not quite sure if she liked it or was scared.

Funny Faces

Today, Auntie Jenny Faulconer (Bella's nanny) tried to capture a few cute new pics of Big B. While waiting for those "golden shots," she encountered quite a few funny faces. It is SO funny to us...the flash on the camera startles Bella...but her reflexes aren't developed enough to startle her right away...so the end result is a bunch of spooky-eyed photos. (Perhaps we're mean to laugh at this? Oh well...we can't help it, when something is funny, you laugh...it's only natural.)

STRETCH!!!

And now the cute ones... =)

Baby Einstein

Last night we decided to introduce Bella to what my friends with kids jokingly refer to as "Baby Crack." AKA: Baby Einstein. For those of you who don't know what Baby Einstein is, they are DVD's with developmentally appropriate themes for kids, designed to teach them about the world around them. But it's basically eye candy for babies. Here's the video of Bella watching her first video. It's pretty funny.

Random 3 Month Old Cuteness

Bella turned 3 months old yesterday...YEA!! I don't have her latest "stats" as Kaiser doesn't do a 3 month check up. (We'll have to wait until next month for her 4 month check up and second round of...UH-shots.) She's definitely getting bigger and filling out. We think she's around 12lbs now. It is INCREDIBLE to watch her learn new things. I feel like a complete goober getting SO excited over the slightest bit of progress in any area...but hey, I'm a new mom...let me relish in the glory of even the smallest of things! =) Here are some new cute pics of Big-B.

OK watch out cause these next two pictures might be THE cutest pictures of all time. Today when Bella's nanny (Auntie Jenny Faulconer) took Bella for a walk, Auntie Jenny looked down to see Bella fast asleep like THIS.....

She's clearly talking with Jesus..."And Lord thank you for my mommy and daddy, I love them so much, but can I also have a pony?" =)