If you ever need a smile...

Just a few days away from Stella's 5 month birthday, so hard to believe.  On the lists of so many fun things she's done this month, this laughing really takes the cake... if you ever have a rough day, just listening to this melts my heart and puts a big smile on my face::

Best.Noise.Ever.


I'm obsessed! 

Giggles!

We've got a giggler!

Sweet Stella - 4 months

Eeek!  I am how old mom??

Happy 4 month birthday little girl!  What a FUN month this has been.  She has such a personality now and Eric and I are just eating it up.  To top things off, she decided today would be the day she would roll over multiple times on her own!  She's done it a few times but couldn't get that darn arm out from underneath her until today!

Rolling to my side!

I rolled all the way over on my own!

The last four weeks she's really been interacting with us...she loves to smile, carry on cooing conversations, and attempting a laugh here and there.  Going back to work brought so many emotions which we won't get into but what I will say is I am so grateful that I got to experience those extra four weeks with her as hard as it was to go back.  

Smiling celebrating Father's Day

Lots of smiles after Grandma Lien feeds me!

She's also really taken to Jack.  She notices him, loves when she gets licks from him and is just really curious about her big furry brother.

She used to be so content just sitting in her boppy or playing alone in her play yard, but not anymore!  Anytime we put her in the boppy she is trying her hardest to sit up.  By far her favorite thing to do is stand with our help.  She really starting taking to her toys the past few week as well.  The O-Ball is still her favorite, but she now likes chewing on Sophie the Giraffe, a few other toys and started to play in her jumperoo!

Can't quite touch the ground yet!

Curious about what this jumperoo thing does!

Pulled myself to sit up in the boppy!

Loving my hands and Sophie!

Standing with dad!

Stella's become quite the sleeper, knock on wood!  She's sleeps pretty consistently from 8-6 without a wakeup, now loving to sleep on her side.  A few weeks ago when she started rolling to her side, we stopped swaddling her as a precaution and had a few shaky nights of sleeping, but since then she's become a rockstar!  No more straight jacket for Miss Stella!  Every night when we put her down she will end up waking moving 180 degrees and sleeping on her side.  Not only is she a spitting image of her father, she also shares the love of side sleeping like him.  That 6AM wakeup call is all worth it when you go into her room and see these smiles when you say good morning!

And... on to that thumb.  We have no interest in our pacifier anymore.  Once she discovered that thumb, she just can't seem to get enough.  As a matter of fact, she just can't get enough of those hands and her mouth... lots of drool, lots of wet shirts, lots of wet faces, lots of bubbles especially when she is "talking" to us.  

Our peanut is growing so so fast and although I'm sad that she's growing up so quickly, I love to see her hitting milestones and exploring the world.  It's just amazing to watch her discover new things.  

Swimsuit season!  Think I'll lick my suit... and Auntie Emily's hand.

Happy 4 month birthday Stell-Bell...can't wait to see what next month brings!

Denver Bound!

 Over the course of the last three weeks, Stella has become quite the expert traveler, traveling to Montana and Denver.  Four flights, four great trips with her!  I was so worried we would be "those people" on the plane and she was a perfect drooling, snoozing, hungry angel on all flights!  


We had a great few days in Denver tagging on to Eric's work trip.  Lots of snuggle time with Auntie Am and Uncle Chad and keeping myself from dreading what's to come on Monday when I go back to the bullseye.  

Expert Flier

Yay! Seeing Uncle Chadly and Auntie Amy in Denver.

Just missing Emily.

Dancing at a very early age on the bar.

Jazz in the Park

Stella decided clothing was optional at Jazz in the Park

Uncle Chad's big couch!

Hanging at Auntie Amy's apartment

I love to lick everything. 

Did I mention how much I like to lick everything?

Being adorable!

Totally indifferent testing out the water for the first time! 

3 Month Comparison

Crazy to look at these side by side to see how much she's grown!  I'd estimate that its about 4 lbs and 4-5 inches from her 1 month shot to her 3 month!

Stella - 3 Months

Wow, we have a three month old.  Again, I think I could start every blog post with time flies.  And I think I could stare at her every minute of the day and still think the same thing.  I am always wondering what she is thinking, especially when she is making all those millions of faces... and when she smiles... 

We've had a lot of firsts this month: 

- bridal shower for Aunt Heidi

- mother's day

Clearly excited for mothers day!

- sleep through the night (although it was only once or twice)

- consistent babbling 
- discovery of her thumb 

- airplane ride

Just about to take off on my first airplane ride!

- wedding

This is the month of discovering her hands and mouth!  Not only do the hands always go in her mouth, but she's also discovered grabbing her blankets and bringing them up to her mouth to lick them.  She licks our shoulders, grabs toys which end up in her mouth, etc.  Its the cheapest toy and she is absolutely fascinated by them!  At 11 weeks she discovered that yummy thumb!  Here is the series of pictures that led up to the big moment::

And the big moment....

Stella really LOVES playtime and now has discovered some new toys!  She can spend 30 minutes laying in her play gym, staring at Mr. Octopus, batting at the toys, discovering herself in the mirror and smiling.  She's also grabbing at her O-Ball, mostly to put it in her mouth.  

Giving the new toy on my carseat a good stare down.

Totally fascinated with the O-ball. 

Grabbing Mr. Octopus and chatting with him

She's holding her head up so well and we've even tried the bumbo seat... she's a little wobbly in that one yet but we'll sit in there and stare in the mirror while I brush my teeth and put my contacts in!  Those hands and feet are still busy as always.  This month she's started to really stand up with our help and her latest is to climb up our stomachs when we are holding her up.

Wow I can sit up in this thing??

Practicing my standing!

Standing up with a little help from Mom!

Making bubbles constantly!

Tummy time pushing herself up!

Not minding my bath anymore!

Being adorable

She's also started babbling up a storm this month!  She loves having conversations with us when we hold her, mr. octopus when she is laying on her play mat and herself when she is staring in the mirror.  We are still waiting and hoping for that first laugh to come soon!  We see plenty of smiles and lots of babbles, but no laugh yet. 


Here's a few videos from the month::
Babbling Stella
Smiley Stella

Trying to sit up

Since she is so long, we've packed away a good portion of her 0-3 month clothes and have moved into 3-6 months!  At the rate I am packing away clothes, I am going to really need to learn how to control my emotions.  I find myself looking back at her first and second month slideshows for fear that I might forget how tiny she was!  How was that really less than 12 weeks ago?

Jack and her have also become buddies through the month.  Lots of stares and licks!

And on to sleeping, while she does so well sleeping at night (we had one sleeping through the night moment!), she's not always sleepy during the day.  She's on a pretty predictable 3 hour schedule during the day where we eat and play for the first 1.5 hrs and I'd love her to sleep for the second 1.5 hours, but thats really not the case.  The sleeping consists of 20 minutes - 2 hours, mostly on the 20 minute side!

Happy three month birthday Stella!  Here's a short slideshow of the month.
Stella's 3 months!