Welcome Abigail Rae

After a long drawn out day, Ms. Abby arrived on October 23, 2009 at 9:15pm via c-section. She's healthy and gorgeous. Mommy, Daddy & Sissy are doing fine.

I wanted to share some of the photos I snapped today. My sister won't be released until Monday and I can't wait for Bella to meet her new cousin. Due to the hospital policies with the flu running ramped she wasn't allowed past the waiting area.

Abby's coming...

So Ms. Abigail Rae will be here some time tomorrow. My sister has to be at the hospital by 6:00am to be induced. So, since we live five minutes from the hospital, Brooklyn is staying with us tonight. After Bella woke up from her nap this afternoon we decided to get the two in some pictures together before heading out the door.

I cannot believe how cute they are together. Brooklyn would giggle and the Bella would giggle at her because she was giggling.

In our quest to get them to stand next to one another, Bella didn't want to cooperate. So, we had to entice her with her lady bug hair brush.

I still cannot believe how big my little girl is. Brooklyn just turned 4 at the end of September and she's not exactly short. Bella will be 10 months very shortly. So this somewhat proves, or at least gives a better picture, of how big she really is. You can't really tell by looking at pictures of her alone.

This one was one of my favorites. They look like they're having some private conversation. Truthfully Brooklyn was giggling at Bella.

And to finish the night off... Tonight was the first time I tried to pull Bella's hair up. It worked and she didn't get called a boy once tonight while we were out shopping.

Oh and on a side note, we went to Babies R Us and thankfully Brooklyn was willing to help us test out tandem strollers. We really found an awesome stroller that both of us agree on, that's lightweight, and has four different seating positions. Score. Problem, it costs over $200 dollars. Time to save up I guess.

Pacifiers are for Suckers!

So a while back, let's say while Bella was still in the womb and we didn't know the gender, Adam bought this shirt for his child. We were at a garage sale of a friend who had a little boy. Adam didn't care the gender of his child to be, he just knew one day that child would wear this shirt. Today was that day. So, enjoy!

PeePee On the Potty!

Well, tonight I decided I didn't want to cook dinner. It seems like it's been forever since we've went out and ate a meal where you didn't carry it from the counter to your table. As usual we procrastinated and didn't leave the house until seven. We decided to hit The Landing, one of our favorite local bars. Yes, Bella was in tow. Thankfully The Landing has a section that is walled off from the rest of the bar and has booths for a more family oriented atmosphere.

So we get to the restaurant to find that the section was reserved for an "MU Tigers Fan Club" gathering. Fabulous. The guy taking covers to get into the other part of the bar said we could go up. That's great news, considering there were only three people in the entire area. Huge Fan Club, eh? Anyways, we sit down, order some food, eat and get out of there. Right as we left it was Bella's bedtime.

We get home and all I can smell is smoke. This is really strange to me because smoking isn't allowed in that section and there wasn't a puff of smoke to be seen in the restaurant (the section has windows so you can see down into the bar). So we peel off some clothes and I grab everything to get us into the shower. In the meantime Adam keeps Bella busy.

I start the shower and holler for him to bring her in. Well, the water tank wasn't cooperating and wouldn't heat up fast enough, so Adam stood Bella on top of the toilet. Lid down, mind you. I crack a joke telling her that if she has to pee she's in the right spot. And that's when it happened....

She peed, all over the toilet. Fabulous we thought as we were busting up laughing due to her timing. Adam was trying to hold her hand with one of his and unravel toilet paper to catch the mess. Why he was trying to tear it off I'll never know. And she peed again. So I grabbed the paper with my free hand. I kept on pulling and laying it over her mess. Then I told him just hold her, I checked the water, hopped in, and had him put her in the shower. Then it was up to him to clean her mess and sanitize the toilet.

Way to go Mommy and Daddy! So, lesson learned: Don't take the diaper off until you're absolutely ready to put the baby in the shower or tub. Secondly, if you're going to put her on the toilet, make sure she's sitting and the lid is up!

What's that hole?

Well, yesterday evening, while on the changing table; Ms. Bella decided that she'd explore what was under Mommy's not-so-long shirt. What can I say, I'm trying to squeeze into clothes that aren't exactly made for pregnant women. Well, low and behold she found my belly button. She was so intrigued, I had never seen anything like it. Then she proceeded to shove her little cold finger into my belly button as many times as possible until Mommy became annoyed. Sweet kid.

All of this took place after her afternoon nap. And below is what happens when your little girl sweats like her Daddy in her sleep. And if I haven't mentioned it, she has her Daddy's wavy hair. Mommy's is stick straight, so in a way she's lucky. That is until Mommy has a hay-day playing with her hair!

22 Week Check Up

We had another check up today. Same old, same old. Baby boy's heartbeat was around 150 and I'm doing just fine. Not really all that exciting I suppose. Another appointment in four weeks and another lovely glucose test. Can you feel the love? Sorry this is short but sweet, there just wasn't that much to it!

One step, Two step, Three step...more?

I am joyous, I am thrilled, I am happy, I am sad. My baby will soon be unable to be called a baby. Soon she will graduate to toddler. At just over nine months old, my little girl took her first three steps last night. It brings tears to my eyes just thinking about it. Alas, we didn't get it on camera. With Daddy and I playing with her on the living room floor while she was practicing her steps between the two of us, we just couldn't get the camera. She left the safety of Mommy's arms and stepped towards Daddy all on her own. To make it even more sad she wouldn't repeat the process to Mommy's arms. She apparently favored walking towards Daddy, repeatedly. I can't be too sad about it. I knew the day would come when she'd starting blossoming into this "little girl" and no longer be my "baby." I must say as mobile as she currently is without the walking we are in for some real trouble once she figures how to take more steps at a time. I caught her eating a napkin that she had stolen off the end table, which was thought to be out of her reach. She primarily shredded it into little pieces all over the carpet, but had decided to test out the taste of paper. Silly kid.

Another joyous milestone is her hi-fiving. I raise my hand and ask her for "fives" and she reaches up and slaps my hand, palm to palm. It's awesome. So we've got hi-fives, smooches, learning to walk and she's starting to wave bye-bye. However, she waves at the t.v. and herself in the mirror, so I'm not quite sure she has the concept down. And this child is so vain. Every time we walk by a mirror she smiles at the baby and then wants to get nose to nose with the mirror and talk to her self. Heck it doesn't even have to be a mirror on the wall. She does it to the mirror on her bouncer, stationary toy and the walker. She also tries to see herself in the back of my laptop and in the oven door. And another fun "sign" she's started...well I'm not sure what it really is. But she pulls a Little Rascals move by wiggling her hand at us while it's tucked under her chin. I really wish I knew what she was trying to say and where the heck she learned it from.

Sigh...where did my baby go?

9 Month Check Up

Well, we finally were able to make it in to the doctors office. I'm tiring of her doctors office more an more. And don't think I haven't tried to get her into another pediatrician, but so far none of them have been satisfactory at returning phone calls...

Back to Bella...she's very healthy and still advanced for her age. The doctor is impressed with her motor skills and the fact that she's on the verge of trying to walk on her own. Now for the part that upset me. She's not overweight by any means. Her height and weight are in line with one another, but she's "above" the chart. In a typical day she takes around four to five 8 ounce bottles which is 32 to 40 ounces per day. We've tried to wean the amount to five ounces for naps or bedtime but she will have none of it. She throws an absolute fit if we short her on her 8 ounces. She typically eats two meals a day and snacks the rest of the day. She's not a morning eater and neither is her Mommy, so I find this normal for her.

Well, the doctor says she shouldn't have over 24 ounces per day at her age. Seriously? I'd be starving her. Anyways, he suggests we get in three meals a day, plus snacks and reduce the bottles we give her. Hmmm, have you seen my husbands family? Have you seen my family? There are some rather tall, healthy people in our families. The doctor doesn't know my child or my family. I don't find it fair that he judges her eating habits solely on some stupid chart. If she were overweight and stumpy I could see watching her food intake, but this child eats and is very, very active. I'm not going to starve her because you think she's eating too many bottles. With time she'll get to where she weans herself, otherwise I will have to but at this time, I think she's doing just fine. It just makes me mad.

Oh and if he would like to stay up all night working on homework, then get four hours of sleep, wake up with a child who seems to be waking up earlier and earlier each day and feed her while still half asleep, by all means, you can do it. Otherwise our system is working just fine for us.

Well I feel better now that I have that out of my system....

My first band aid

Yesterday we had to put on Bella's first band aid. Friday night we had went out grocery shopping and while at Sam's Club I noticed she had a little blood on her jacket. I looked around and she had two cuts on the top of her hand. They weren't profusely bleeding by any means, but none the less, she had her first blood drawn boo-boo. When we got her home I washed her up and cleaned her *wounds* and to bed she went.

Saturday morning we woke up and I checked her hand only to find the boo-boo's swollen and icky looking. So I busted out the trusty Neosporin and band aid. I carefully applied it and she thought the cute pink band aid with monkey on it was something to eat. Adam quickly grabbed the cloth tape and we wrapped it around her hand to keep the band aid on. Here are some pictures from yesterday that shows how she took it.

Pathetic, no?

Oh, Mommy is giving kisses. I'm okay now.

What is this? I must eat it.

So, after our photo shoot Adam put her in her bouncer while we fixed breakfast. Later Adam went to grab her for breakfast and noticed that her band aid was gone. I panicked of course, and had him check her seat to make sure it didn't get rubbed off or something. He said no, it's no where, she must have ate it. WHAT? He took her to her room to change her and brought her to the kitchen. The whole time I'm contemplating what could have happened to it. Really, what are the odds that she would have actually eaten the band aid and tape.

After breakfast I checked the seat and surrounding area myself with no luck. I hollered at Adam upstairs and asked him where he thinks it could have gone. Then he mentions (as he so kindly forgot to do earlier) that he had removed the tape already because she was "chewing" on it. I said, you didn't tell me that. I asked him what he did with the tape. He said he threw it in the trash can and he *knew* that the band aid was still on her hand.

I hunkered over the trash in the living room and there it was...a pretty pink band aid, still attached to a piece of tape in the trash can. See, I knew she couldn't have eaten it. Next time Daddy needs to give Mommy all of the details so she doesn't freak out.

Tooth Update

Yup, another tooth...FINALLY. This one has been the biggest pain. The right lateral incisor finally made an appearance, so hopefully this means we'll have some normal sleep patterns again.

Bloggy Pics

The sad thing is that she's wearing a 2T t-shirt. I was hoping it would be big enough for her come February.

For those unaware I run a giveaway blog called Giveaway Addict. I receive stuff to test and try out, and then give my honest opinions on my blog. Some of my sponsors reward my readers with freebies. Here are a few pics from two recent review and giveaways I've done. One was for So Chic Boutique, and their personalized baby merchandise. The other was for Aurora Gifts and their YooHoos & Friends.

Busted!

These pictures were taken September 29th. Luckily I took her 9 month pictures the day before, because you can see that in a fit of rage she scratched her nose and to this day it's still trying to heal.

Daddy decided to let Bella roam, and when in roam trouble ensues. She's tall enough to reach the drawers on the master vanity. And of course while working on her balance has managed to pull them out and into her face several times. Daddy needs to get on installing the drawer locks we purchased months ago.

In this one she was turned to me, blowing raspberries. Yes, another wonderful response from our little one when she knows she's doing something wrong.

My favorite picture that Adam captured was this one. She totally has the "Who? not me" look going on.

And sadly, she's tall enough to start peering out of our windows now. This means come spring we'll have to watch her more closely to make sure she doesn't fall out of them.

First All Big People Meal

On September 28th, Bella had her firt big people meal. She has mooched food from us before but I wasn't feeling all up to feeding her that night so she shared in our pasta with meat sauce. It took her a bit before she figured out that the noodles were okay to pick up, but she did great with it.