Monday, December 22, 2008

Ho-Ho-Ho

This was too cute not to share. We have been trying to teach Belle to say Ho-Ho-Ho and she is finally starting to catch on. When she woke up from her nap yesterday we were playing and I got this sweet video! Enjoy and Merry Christmas!




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Saturday, December 20, 2008

Happy 11-Month Birthday!

Belle turned 11 months old on Monday. Unfortunately she has been under the weather for the last week or so, and getting a picture of her happy has been a little challenging. Today we finally got a picture with the help of a shiny patent leather shoe. I mean what girl doesn't feel better when holding a pretty shoe?

We cannot believe that Belle will be a year old next month. Time has flown by and she is changing before our eyes every day. This month she has become very verbal. She is like our little parrot that tries to repeat everything. The minute the garage door opens with Mark getting home from work she says "dada". She can say "Hi" but only does so if she holds her hand or an object up to her ear. She says "mama" when she is upset or frustrated about something. Her favorite things to repeat are "ooooo ahhhhh", "ho ho ho", and "woof". Of course none of these sound like the way we say them!

During playtime you can catch her singing to herself and dancing to the songs her toys make. Her favorite foods are cheese and any fruit. She is pretty much on all finger foods. She still only has two teeth, but there are four on their way. She wears mostly 3-6 month clothes and a couple of 6-12 month sizes. We are still in a size 3 diaper and will probably be here for awhile. She cruises now with one hand, and every now and then lets go and stands for a few seconds. I am sure I will think of 10 more things when I finish this post, but I will spare you all.

We took Belle to see Santa and she went from happy to scared in about 2 seconds. I love that we have the classic screaming with Santa picture!


We are looking forward to this month with Belle's first Christmas and preparing for her birthday party. I have been planning for quite some time and I look forward to seeing the finished product. Please be praying that Belle can kick this nasty cold in time for Christmas. At this point that is all I want for Christmas!


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Thursday, December 11, 2008

Santa Really Should Stop Pinching Little Girls

I apologize for the recent blogger silence. I will blame it on this:I got a sewing machine for my birthday!!! I am very, very excited, and I am SLOWLY learning how to sew. It is something that requires a great deal of patience. I am really looking forward to learning more and more. I have already made several Christmas presents and have four more to make. I think it is such a great hobby for being able to make dresses for Belle, stuff for around the house, and great gifts!

Speaking of Christmas... this is the first time EVER I have had almost all my Christmas shopping done this early. Except for one gift and a few stocking stuffers, I am done shopping. It is very exciting and has definitely taken a lot of the stress out. I am doing Christmas morning breakfast for my family, so getting this done lets me focus on having everything ready for cooking that morning.

We took Belle to see Santa tonight. That was an experience. We knew she wasn't going to be a happy camper due to her fear of men. We got her all dressed up and braved the hour long line. As we drew near Santa's laps we gave her some puff snacks to eat and even put a few in her hand. We thought this would at least distract her from the stranger with all the white hair... um.... see for yourself:

Just in case you needed the zoom in shot:
PRICELESS. Is it bad that Mark and I were about dying laughing at how pitiful she was? My favorite part of the night was when the lady asked which picture I wanted. I guess it was between screaming and screaming harder. Well I figure if you really want to capture the moment perfectly you should get the screaming harder. Don't worry, Belle was smiling within 2 seconds of being in our arms. I love these times. We always find a good laugh in our day.
Sorry for the rambling. We have a lot coming up between Christmas and getting ready for Belle's first birthday party. I will try to stay up-to-date as best as I can. Hope all of you are having a very enjoyable holiday season!



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