It's All About Bella (and sharing with Mason!)

2010-11-21T11:54:00.001-06:00

Since it isn't all technically about Bella anymore (unless you ask her), we're moving the blog to a new location. The new combined blog will be called Personality Surplus (which is pretty much the most accurate way to describe this house now).

More to come soon!

www.personalitysurplus.blogspot.com

Mason Dance

2010-09-12T12:08:00.002-06:00

Mason has some really weird reactions to anything musical, even if its just a noise with a vague melody line. We caught one of the better ones on video a few nights ago.

In other blog news: we'll be closing this one down and opening a "joint" Bella/Mason blog pretty soon. We'll post something here once we've got that done. Rest assured there are plenty of pictures ready to be posted, just not enough sleep for us to concentrate on posting them!

Going Bowling!

2010-07-18T21:38:00.003-06:00

We got to go bowling for the first time at a birthday party for one of Papa's friends.

It was a lot of fun!!

Working with Papa

2010-07-18T21:26:00.003-06:00

Bella helped Papa in the yard....

and loved the free wheelbarrow rides inbetween.

She also learned how to change the oil in the van.

Singing to Mason

2010-07-18T20:44:00.003-06:00

Misc. Updates

2010-06-03T09:14:00.004-06:00

Its been a little while, so here's a general update:

The new baby is coming along just fine. We're at 29 weeks today!
That is 11 weeks from the due date, 7 weeks from "full-term" and 3.5 weeks from where we were when Bella was born!

And of course, Bella has to show her tummy to the camera any time Momma does.

And here's a random, very cute, picture of Bella.

And finally, Papa putting together the new baby's crib!

At The Wedding

2010-05-02T12:30:00.007-06:00

We went to a friend's wedding last weekend and had a great time!
We made it all the way through the wedding like a big girl, got to eat dinner with friends, and even danced with Papa (which Papa enjoyed more than Bella did).
Thanks to AM for taking the pictures, and congratulations to Jarrod and Shana!

100th Post!

2010-04-16T12:35:00.008-06:00

We went to the soon-to-be-underfunded Parents As Teachers Spring Fling last weekend and had a blast!

First, we got to make a paper flower.Then we got to sit in a police cruiser!
And we got to play in dirt AND water.

And finished it up with Gak and Shaving Cream!

Oh, and the other day we decided to clean Papa's new car with our new favorite toy.

Easter at Home

2010-04-10T12:11:00.003-06:00

Easter morning was beautiful but we decided to wait until after nap to do our egg hunt.

It rained so we had to do it inside.

Bella helped make cupcakes and of course enjoyed eating them too!

Easter Egg Hunt #2

2010-04-10T08:36:00.005-06:00

Another church had a big communty Easter event.

We saw a clown,

got our face painted,

got a temporary tattoo,

waited our turn to make a little garden craft,

played with a fun house mirror,

jumped in a bounce house,

petted goats and llamas,

went for an egg hunt,

and sorted the candy (without being told to...weird kid).

In the end, we were exhausted!

Egg Hunt #1

2010-04-10T08:11:00.002-06:00

We went to an egg hunt at a local church.

Apparently a toddler egg hunt means dumping a bunch of eggs on the floor and turning kids loose!

Loving the camera.

An important message from Bella (although a little late).

It's the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse...

2010-04-09T22:40:00.002-06:00

Oreos

2010-04-09T22:36:00.003-06:00

We don't get them often....

so you would think Bella would try to get more in her mouth.

Helping out

2010-04-09T22:31:00.003-06:00

Bella has really been interested in helping around the house lately.

Dr. Seuss's Birthday

2010-04-09T22:02:00.002-06:00

We went to Barnes & Noble for Dr. Seuss's birthday.

We met the cat in the hat.

(He was a little creepy.)

We got to color pictures and make bookmarks.

A local elementary school has a percussion club. We got to dance while they played.

Another Spin-Off Blog Coming Soon!

2010-02-07T13:34:00.003-06:00

These were at 10 weeks, but we're about 12.5 now.

Bella is SUPER excited about being a big sister.

Sesame Street Live!

2010-01-31T09:00:00.007-06:00

Peepa took Bella to see Sesame Street Live last week. It was her first LIVE show (and her first time at the Sprint Center.)

I had fun playing at our seats, but once the show started I was FOCUSED.

By the end of the show though, I had realized that our chairs were just as entertaining. These things will NOT stay down!

Christmas with Meema and Ray

2010-01-31T08:32:00.006-06:00

The week after Christmas we drove to San Antonio to spend time with Meema and Peepa Ray. We got all kinds of presents.Meema even made matching slippers for Bella, Mama and herself!And we had lots of fun together.I also decided to try being a real cowgirl.Meema read Bella all kinds of book.And we took shopping trips to downtown, and even got to see the Riverwalk (where handrails are apparently verboten).

Christmas with Peepa and Mark

2010-01-31T08:12:00.009-06:00

We spent Christmas morning with Peepa and Mark.

Bella got all kinds of clothes (and she's one of those weird kids that actually likes that!).

And we got a new piggy bank (then stole everyone's change).

And we got a new Winnie the Pooh laptop game that annoys Papa to death..which was probably the plan...ah, grandparents.

She also got a keyboard that she plays with all the time, but somehow we don't have a picture of that one. Just use your imagination.

Falling Down

2009-12-01T20:57:00.004-06:00

Bella had a rough night, gravity-wise.

In one grand exhibit of grace and poise, she fell face-first out of a chair onto the kitchen table, then onto the floor (again, face-first).

The shiner pictured below was about a half-hour after the incident. We'll post more as the healing begins.

Visiting St. Louis on the Way Home

2009-12-01T20:03:00.007-06:00

We stopped at the Arch on the way back home from Lawrenceville.

Of course, the lines were way too long to go to the top, but the museum was pretty awesome.

And we got to ride a train!

Thanksgiving 2009

2009-12-01T19:21:00.009-06:00

I spent lots of time with Gigi!

And I helped Mama make her special pudding cookies.

They were super-yummy!

Of course I was always the center of attention!

The Irwin Family

Thanksgiving 2009

Lawrenceville, IL

Fun At Home

2009-11-06T17:30:00.004-06:00

We had a fun night at home, just playing and reading.

First, we made a monster face.

Then we put on monster masks.

Then we did a Matthew McConaughey impression.

And had fun with Peepapa's cowboy hat.

Hoppy Halloween

2009-11-06T17:01:00.007-06:00

On Halloween, we went to a trick or treat alternative place.

Papa helped Bella throw some beanbags at one game.

Bella got to visit the inside of a FIRE TRUCK!

Then we went home and made caramel apples with Peepa.

TRICK OR TREAT!!!

Cubicle Trick or Treating

2009-11-06T14:29:00.005-06:00

We went to Papa's work to trick or treat before Halloween.

Our non-hopping frog, who loved to try to show everyone how she 'hops'.

She spent like 5 minutes trying to figure out where the hand was coming from. She'd look under the bowl, look at the top, look under the bowl....

Pumpkin Carving Time

2009-11-06T14:23:00.004-06:00

We started off feeling the outside of the pumpkin.Then we tried the inside.

At first Bella wasn't too sure about that.
Then she got the hang of it.
She got to pick pieces to put in her pumpkin head.

Papa helped push them all the way in.

Bella decided it was a cow because of the horns.

She loves our 'pumpkin family'.

New Hobby

2009-11-06T14:19:00.003-06:00

Bella loves to bother the animals.

Booker (puppy) and Ozzy (kitten) just put up with Bella bothering them.

Lyric, on the other hand, tries to run away which just makes it that much more fun.

Here is Bella attempting to put one of Mama's hair bands on Lyric's tail.

Pumpkin Patch

2009-11-06T14:00:00.003-06:00

We went to the Weston Red Barn Farm.

Bella liked playing on the haybale.

We rode on the wagon pulled by a tractor and cuddled with Papa to keep warm.
We searched for the perfect pumpkin and had a meltdown shortly after this picture.

This is actually a 'cheese' face; not the meltdown.

Enjoying some fast food fries on the way home.

Bella got to ride her first pony. She decided she had to hold on tight!

Driving A Tractor!

2009-11-05T20:46:00.003-06:00

Peepapa let me drive the tractor!
Now I ask to drive it every time I am up there. I also think this means I can drive everything!

Parktoberfest

2009-11-05T20:34:00.003-06:00

Our suburb had a local Oktoberfest.

Bella loved the music and even danced a little.

We got to sit in a tractor tire just like Mama used to when she was little.
Bella enjoyed some lukewarm 'hot' chocolate.

Papa dominated at the keg toss (seriously, he won the whole thing).

That, of course, meant Bella needed to do it too. (Hi Meema!)

Imagine that. She got her balloon animal and was done with us.

She also enjoyed some chili crackers, which promptly fell on the ground.

Letterboxing

2009-11-05T20:20:00.004-06:00

We went letterboxing again.

The first stop was near a large fountain not too far from home.

The water was "pink" for boobie cancer awareness.

The second stop was at a pond near a cemetary.

There were airplanes with banners flying nearby. That was more interesting than the stamping.

We stopped to eat at Cheeseburger in Paradise. There was a balloon man there.

The alligator tried to eat my mac and cheese. I was not pleased.

Second Birthday Party

2009-11-05T19:52:00.006-06:00

We had our second birthday party at the same park as last year. Here are some highlights.

My new cow says "Moo" on its own, but Papa had to show me how to do it too.

The train kept coming by and it was SOOO loud!

Budding Musician

2009-10-06T11:44:00.002-06:00

Row Your Boat

Wheels on the Bus

Open Shut Them

Look Who's 2!

2009-09-29T20:06:00.004-06:00

Gymnastics Class

2009-09-13T20:36:00.012-06:00

Bella went to her first gymnastics class with Papa and Peepa (Mama had class).

Here she was getting ready to go at home. She thought the bunny ears were a nice touch.

Then all the fun began!

Needless to say, after all that Bella was exhausted.

Eating fun

2009-09-13T20:32:00.003-06:00

Ponytail!

2009-09-13T20:28:00.003-06:00

That's right. We finally have enough hair for one little ponytail on top!

And our favorite way to carry poor Ozzy.

Omaha Zoo

2009-09-13T20:14:00.005-06:00

We headed to Omaha for a day to check out the zoo.

She loved all of the aquarium creatures.

We rode the Skyfari which is a ski lift type thing that goes from one end of the zoo to the other.

Here's what Papa thought of the heights.

Here's what Bella thought.

If you look closely you will see the elusive Bella beast hiding in the bushes.

Early Birthday Present

2009-09-13T20:10:00.002-06:00

Bella has spent a lot of time like this looking for...

her new kitty, Ozzy.

Helping Around the House

2009-09-13T19:58:00.005-06:00

"Helping" Papa put up a wall in our house.

Helping put up silverware from the dishwasher.

Even Bigger Girl

2009-08-02T21:37:00.005-06:00

That's right. Bella is pretty much potty trained. We have a few accidents and still need help when we sleep but overall she is diaper free!

I'm A Big Girl!

2009-07-10T09:47:00.003-06:00

That's right! I'm in a big girl bed now and I LOVE it!!

Here's how I start out.

This is what I tend to do in the middle of the night.

Then I'm able to get out all by myself in the morning!

St. Louis

2009-07-07T10:39:00.004-06:00

My first time in a hotel.

The bed was comfy.

Then they put me in here.

And they tried to block out the light so they could stay up. It didn't work.

We went to the zoo.

I got the boys to act like monkeys.

We saw a huge orangutan.

I rode on the carousel.

I rode the train too. The tunnel was kind of scary!

Road Trip to Gigi's

2009-07-06T20:35:00.005-06:00

For the 4th of July we rode up to Gigi's house with Peepa and Mark.

We had a lot of fun doing all kinds of stuff.

Everyone played with me!

We took pictures of our hands.

Here's all the girls.
Here's Gigi, Mama, and me.

Here's Peepa, Papa, and me.Here's a picture of everyone that was there!
I even learned everyone's names.

Papa's Day

2009-07-06T20:20:00.004-06:00

For Father's Day, I took Peepa and Papa to a Royal's game.

Since it rained for a long time, we got to do lots of neat stuff.

We saw the fountains.

We rode the carousel.

We got to eat yummy stadium food.

And watch part of the game.

Playing Guitar

2009-07-06T20:00:00.005-06:00

Playing guitar with Papa

(sorry, the pictures are really dark)

Going to the Farm with Peepa

2009-07-06T19:37:00.006-06:00

We went to the farm with Peepa.

He played a great game with the trees.

He helped me play in the dirt.

We got to swing on a big swing.

Papa helped me feed some baby goats with a bottle.

Then I got to feed a baby calf with a bottle. This was kind of scary.

My favorite part was Peepa teaching me to splash in puddles!!

Bike Wash

2009-05-28T06:28:00.008-06:00

We borrowed a cute little car wash made from PVC for Bella and Nora to ride their bikes through.

Then they played in a sprinkler.

Then Bella helped Mama wash the back door.

After it was clean, it was time to play peek-a-boo!

Learning to Drive from Mama and Papa

2009-05-27T21:54:00.004-06:00

Learning from Mama:

Learning from Papa:

Deanna Rose Farmstead

2009-05-27T13:11:00.009-06:00

We went to a local kids farm and got to see all kinds of animals!

Cows tend to scare me. Whatever you do, don't say moo near them.

There was even a farm playground!

And I got to help Papa pump water.

Now some videos from our adventures!

Easter

2009-04-11T16:06:00.009-06:00

We got to have our first Easter Egg hunt this year!

We started by painting eggs on Thursday with Nora and her mom and dad.
Interesting side-note, did you know the Easter Bunny is a student of Sun Tzu?

Then, on Saturday, we got to embark on a huge two-yard Easter Egg hunt!
That Easter Bunny was pretty crafty, but we found them all!

I even found out that the Easter Bunny likes Volkswagens!
Papa kept Nora's dad entertained by playing fetch.

Having found all of the eggs, we all set down to look-through our treasures.
There's chocolate in there!!!
You guys chill here, I'm going back into our yard to find some more chocolate-filled eggs!
Then we got to play with some Easter-colored sand!

Papa even took some videos of the big egg hunt.

Snake Saturday Parade

2009-03-17T08:15:00.005-06:00

On Saturday we got to go watch the Snake Saturday Parade.

There were a lot of new things to see.

I played a great game with Papa by taking his hat off every time he put it back on!

My favorite parts were the marching bands especially the drum lines!

After a long parade and a big lunch, I'm done.

The Green Chair

2009-03-14T08:35:00.005-06:00

We have a big green chair in our bedroom that is, generally, just used for Lyric (the big yellow dog) to sleep in, but occasionally Mommy reads in it while Papa works.

I decided I wanted to climb-in just like Mommy!

Also, Booker decided Lyric looked awfully lonely in that big chair all by herself.

The First Warm Day of '09

2009-03-12T20:19:00.008-06:00

We finally got a warm day, and got to play outside!

Mom and dad took me to see some huge kites!

Then we got to play in the back yard for the first time!
(Papa call this the Toure de Turd)

And then I notice a very important problem on the back porch.
It seems that only one water dish had water, so I decided to fix it.

It proved to be a more challenging undertaking than I initially thought.

One Word

2009-01-20T21:06:00.002-06:00

Raviolli!

Once Again...The Many Faces of Bella

2009-01-20T21:00:00.003-06:00

Christmas with Grandpa and Mark

2009-01-20T20:44:00.007-06:00

Just getting in the Christmas mood.

This time we had all sort of help with presents!

And we got all kinds of super-cool new stuff!

Christmas Eve

2009-01-20T20:23:00.005-06:00

Christmas Eve at Grand Pa-Pa's.

Mommy helped us open all kinds of presents.
We loved this pillow so much, we grabbed a blanket and laid right down on it.
We're still sleeping on it to this night!
We got a new favorite dolly!
And we got a new favorite book...
and of course mommy decided to pester us with ribbons...
But she's still the most comfortable bed we know.

Bella Sized Tree

2009-01-20T20:18:00.003-06:00

Our first experience with a Christmas tree!

Exploring with Daddy

2009-01-20T20:11:00.003-06:00

We played with a fake flower.

I wonder what it smells like.

That is weird. You're actually supposed to smell that?

Alright, I give up on the flower. Daddy's more interesting.

Bath Time!

2009-01-20T20:08:00.002-06:00

One of our favorite things!

Grannie Annie's Wedding!

2008-12-01T23:01:00.006-06:00

Some pictures from the Big Day, and the day before the big day!

Thanks to Cousin Roxy (2nd cousin?) for taking the photos!

Trick or Treat!

2008-11-08T21:34:00.006-06:00

The world's only cute spider

Trying to get a picture of Bella and Nora with all the excitementAnd we're done standing still
Mom, you've already crammed me in my carseat with extra legs, enough with the pictures!
We LOVED getting lots of attention (and candy) from people!

Papa was halfway ready for a show with the band later.

Carving Pumpkins

2008-11-08T21:31:00.003-06:00

On the search for the Great Pumpkin

2008-11-02T17:32:00.005-06:00

Swinging at the neighbors before we left.

Sharing snacks with Nora on the way over.

Seeing how tall we are.

It's a long walk to the pumpkins.

Walking!

2008-10-29T21:20:00.005-06:00

Or...at least...trying.

Take 1:

Take 2:

Take 3 (She Made It!):

She's doing a lot better now, but this was one of the first time we got her to take a few steps on her own.

It's My Party!

2008-09-29T22:04:00.004-06:00

Zoo Trip with Granny Annie and Ray

2008-09-29T21:59:00.004-06:00

The first camel ride is a special day in every little girl's life.

More freaking birds.

See? Granny Annie and Ray WERE there!

Day after Birthday with Grandpa and Mark!

2008-09-29T21:57:00.003-06:00

Guess who likes grapefruit?

Saying goodnight to grandpa.

Birthday, Part 3: Cake and Presents!

2008-09-29T21:51:00.003-06:00

Birthday Part 2: Buying The Fish!

2008-09-29T21:48:00.003-06:00

We brought home "Spaz," "Woody" and "Glub."

Birthday Part 1: Playing in the morning!

2008-09-29T21:45:00.002-06:00

Misc.

2008-09-29T21:40:00.003-06:00

We discovered flashlights

And ties!

Another Trip To The Zoo!

2008-09-29T21:29:00.005-06:00

It's Official: She's Cracked.

2008-09-29T21:26:00.003-06:00

Going to moon, brb. LOLz.

Zombie Bella says, "BRAIIIIIINNNSSS!!!"

Nap Time!

2008-09-29T21:25:00.001-06:00

The Many Faces of Bella

2008-09-29T21:21:00.002-06:00

(rug burn still healing)

To Grandma's House We Go!

2008-09-29T21:11:00.005-06:00

We took a trip to Tulsa to visit Granny Ann and Ray.

Rugburn!

2008-09-29T21:07:00.003-06:00

Today we did a face plant off the couch while chasing the vacuum.

No harm done, except for an awesome rug burn on the end of our nose!

Family Reunion - Grafton, IL

2008-07-30T19:55:00.013-06:00

Well, Bella got to meet her family for the first time last weekend during a trip to bucolic Grafton, IL.
She got to spend all kinds of time doing her favorite thing: being the center of attention!

Here we're just sitting with papa, Aunt Nancy and Uncle John.

We finally let Uncle John hold us!

Of course Great Grandma knew how to make us happy (hint, it involves feeding us).

Grandpa was as silly as always.

And there were, of course, several power-naps.

Aunt Nancy roped us in on occasion, too.

Back row, left to right (papa, Uncle John, Uncle Dave, Uncle Gary)
Middle row, left to right (Grandpa, Aunt Nancy, Aunt Kathy, Aunt Karen)
Front row, left to right (Mama, ME!, Great-Grandma)

On the way home, we stopped by the St. Louis Zoo!
This zoo is so awesome, we got to pet:
MORE GOATS!

These don't even try to run you over, they just lay there!

Some will even sit with you!

This one tried to head-butt us, but grandpa is faster than those stupid goats.

I also got to pet Guinea Pigs!
(still not sure why they're in a zoo, but PetSmart won't let you pet them)

I still love Meerkats...

...and fish...

...and penguins...

...and slides...

...and hippos!
(well, concrete ones anyway)

All-in-all, I'd have to say it was a good trip!

Pulling Up

2008-07-22T15:59:00.002-06:00

She pulled up in her crib the first time!

(Sorry it's sideways!)

Singing

2008-07-22T15:25:00.003-06:00

She loves a part in Baby Einstein when a koala puppet sings part of this song.

Fourth of July

2008-07-22T15:16:00.006-06:00

We got to go hang out with some friends. But first we bought some fireworks.
Here she is lecturing us on how sparklers should not be given to a baby!

We got to go swimming! She is such a little fish!

Cuddling to watch the fireworks with a friend. Don't tell Papa!

Another trip to the zoo!

2008-07-22T15:11:00.005-06:00

We're ready to go!

Grandpa came with us and gave us a piggy back ride!

There are those sheep again!

It's been a long day! Let's just nap on Papa's back.

Mommy Working At Home

2008-07-22T15:08:00.004-06:00

Here what Bella thinks of that! What a helper!

A Round of Applause

2008-07-22T15:05:00.004-06:00

Goes to Bella for having the smallest shirt and biggest tummy!

Why did we buy cymbals???

2008-07-22T14:59:00.006-06:00

Just kidding! She loves her musical instruments!

And we learned the importance off getting our fingers out of the way!

We're Going to the Zoo....Again!

2008-07-22T14:47:00.008-06:00

We rode the boat and were convinced if we stretched hard enough we could reach the water!

We rode the tram!

We rode the train!

She loves the sheep in the petting zoo!

She even tasted one.....YUCK!

Cruisin' On A Sunday Afternoon

2008-07-22T14:42:00.006-06:00

Well it wasn't Sunday but she did love her new car walker.

Lost Socks

2008-07-22T14:41:00.002-06:00

We did finally figure out where all the lost socks go!

Lions and Tigers and Bella!

2008-07-22T14:34:00.007-06:00

Our first trip to the zoo.

First Park

2008-07-22T14:22:00.007-06:00

We went to Penguin Park, the most popular park in town.

Spring Is Here

2008-07-22T10:59:00.003-06:00

It finally got warm enough to go outside and in a cute outfit from Aunt Nancy no less.

Playing Piano

2008-07-22T10:50:00.003-06:00

Her musical prowess has already begun.

Another Great Shirt

2008-07-22T10:49:00.002-06:00

This one was a gift from Cousin Jennifer.

Our Irish Leprechaun

2008-07-22T10:44:00.005-06:00

Papa loves this outfit!

First Feeding

2008-07-22T10:39:00.004-06:00

She takes her first bite.

Needless to say she is perplexed.

Then she realizes that she can't get the food as quickly.

Jumping Queen

2008-07-22T10:28:00.006-06:00

Got our first bouncer back in January 2008. She loves to try to break it by bouncing hard.

First Christmas

2008-07-22T10:24:00.003-06:00

For Christmas Eve, we went up to see Cathy's family.

She wasn't so sure about all the noise.

On A Roll

2008-07-22T09:46:00.002-06:00

She was so proud of herself for rolling over.