Belle at Four Months

Stats:  14 pounds (70th percentile) and 25.5 inches long (90th percentile)

Our little girl is four months old!  At four months she smiles more than ever and is very close to laughing.  She is very mellow and if she does get upset she is either tired, hungry or needs her diaper changed.  She is sleeping longer and only wakes us twice during the night now.  She lets me cuddle with her from the moment I get home from work until we put her down to bed.  I try to give her at least a hundred kisses a day and tell her I love her just as much.  We love it when she squeals with delight when we play with her.  She "talks and talks" to us in the mornings while we are getting ready for work and seems to always wake up happy.  In the past two months she has outgrown about thirty outfits and is now wearing six to nine month old clothes because she appears to have inherited some tall genes from one of us.  The dress she wore today is what I wore in my one year old photos and it was only a tad too big for her!  All in all, we have a healthy, beautiful daughter who has made every day more special and we just adore every little thing she does.

Why Belle does not sleep with us...

When did this happen?

Belle was in outfit number three for the day by 8 am this morning.  Let's just say she kept me busy while I was trying to get ready for work.  I quickly put a new outfit on her before heading out the door..  When I came home tonight, I realized not only were the pants way too small, but the sleeves on her onesie are too short.  When did this happen?!?!  Is she growing up quickly already?  I swear all of this fit just last week!  New item on the weekend to-do list, get Belle some bigger clothes!

Look at that double chin!

Just a few snapshots

I am falling behind on posting photos and even taking photos for that matter.  Work is busy right now getting up to speed since being on leave, dealing with year end (the life of an accountant), trying to get through that never ending to-do list of errands and finding time to balance family, friends and one on one time with Scott.  Any tips on how to do it all are welcome!  Here are a few snapshots of our beautiful Belle.

Belle enjoying the view from our bedroom window

Belle in her Bumbo

In preparation for our trip to Palm Springs next month, I bought Belle an SPF 55 sun bonnet

Scott made sure she would look cool and bought her new shades, bottom line, this girl is going to be hip and protected!

Ringing in 2012

2012 is here and we rang the new year in with our friends up in Bremerton, WA.  Cory, Lindsay and Emerson hosted us and we had the perfect weekend of talking, playing with our girls, the boys fished and we even went out for a nice dinner on the 31st and the girls behaved!  (Dinner might have been at 5pm, but still we were out!)

We had Emerson and Belle lay side by side to compare size.  Belle is about the same length as Emerson, but she has a few pounds to gain to catch up to Emerson.  Granted "Big E" has three months on Belle.  They were enjoying baby talking to each other, slapping each other around and sucking on each other's hands.

 Scott and Cory went fishing on the lake by their house one morning.  Silly boys didn't wear long underwear or hats and when we walked down to check on them they were frozen.  It was a gorgeous day to be outside.

Belle even has a gummy smile in the cold.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!  You know you are parents with infants when you eat dinner at 5pm because you need to be back for bath time and bed time.  It was the perfect way to ring in the new year and I wouldn't want it any other way.

2011 ended with a toast of sparkling rose from Switzerland, it survived the move!

Lucky Number Seven

My new title is full time working Mom and it is an adjustment!  Thankfully my coworkers have been very welcoming and I have been asked countless time how I am doing leaving Belle at home each morning.  They are very supportive and have given me helpful tips on how to handle balancing career, being a good wife and a good Mom.  I have yet to break down, but each morning is getting a bit harder to leave her behind.

I just noticed on my desk that I had saved a fortune before my maternity leave saying my lucky number was seven.  I remember thinking it was a sign I would have Belle on her due date, October 7th, but it turns out it was just a sign of her weight, seven pounds seven ounces.

Is it Friday yet?

Three Years

Photo taken in Bremerton, WA on December 31st (Scott is a bit cold)

Happy three year anniversay to my husband Scott!  What a year it has been!  We started 2011 out learning we were pregnant and you have been dealing with my hormonal highs and lows ever since!  In all seriousness, it was an amazing year and I love seeing you as a father to Belle.  I pledge to be more emotionally stable in year four and can't wait to see where 2012 takes us.  All my love.