Seven Months!

Well, here we are again. Another month has slipped by. Stella is now seven months, and she is such a joy. We have been struggling with sleep (as in not getting any) so if your baby is sleeping through the night, I pretty much hate you and don't want to hear about it. But, I'm thinking her constant waking lately is mostly due to the whole mess of teeth she is getting. She now has three teeth on the bottom, three poked through on the top and one more starting to poke through on the top. Must be painful! Add a bit of congestion and a cough to it, and we are some tired parents! This to shall pass...

Stella is very mobile now. Crawling/scooting/rolling all over the place, and she requires constant watching because she is quite curious. She started doing this move where she puts her hands on the floor and straightens her back legs and is attempting to pull up on things. It is so fun to watch, and I'm a little nervous about how our lives are about to change!

We don't have an "official" weight or height update, but based on my attempts, her measurements appear to be about the same as last month.

Current weight: 22 lbs.

Current height: 27 inches

We're still practicing Baby Led Weaning, and it's going really well. She doesn't eat a whole lot of solid food, but some of her favorites so far are strawberries, broccoli and English cucumbers. Her favorite part of eating is of course throwing her meal on the floor repeatedly. :)

Stella is also quite a chatty gal. She babbles almost constantly and is now saying "mamma" multiple times a day. She hasn't really caught on to "dada" yet, but I bet it's coming.

Skittle is definitely Stella's favorite. If Skittle is in the room, you can guarantee Stella will try and get to her as quickly as possible and will be completely fixated on her until she leaves again. I wouldn't say the love is unrequited, but Skittle is a bit more apprehensive than Stella but will occasionally treat her to a lick on the nose.

Stella is still a big fan of the Ergo and now prefers to be worn over riding in a shopping cart. This is kind of a bummer because she gets quite heavy! She also loves taking walks, and her stroller proves to be magical for helping her fall asleep. 

To say we are blessed to be this crazy little lady's parents is such an understatement. Although motherhood is by far the most humbling experience I've had thus far, it is amazing and so much fun. Most of the time...like when I'm not seeing every hour on the clock at night. :)

Enjoy a few pictures of our Stelly Bean.

Stella's First Easter

Stella and I just returned from spending a few days with my parents. We had a really nice and relaxing time. As much as I complain about the lack of drive-thrus (there are none) and the fact that the closest Target or Walmart is a half hour away, it is so tranquil there. We enjoyed walking the country dirt road with Stella in her stroller. She saw horses, cats and cattle for the first time. She was less than impressed, but we had a fun time showing her.

My birthday fell on Easter this year so it was slightly overshadowed by the resurrection, but I'm not bitter. I think Easter is actually my favorite holiday now. Unlike Christmas, the true meaning hasn't been nearly as overtaken by materialism. I didn't have to buy anyone stuff they won't like anyway. It is so much less stressful. It falls during a much nicer time of year, and without it, Christianity would most certainly not exist. So, I hereby declare Easter my favorite holiday. You're welcome.

Travis and I shared with our families we were expecting a baby on my birthday last year so it was neat to reflect on how much has changed in one year's time. Speaking of Travis, he returns this evening from his third trip to Haiti. While we were both a little bummed that he'd be gone for Stella's first Easter and my birthday, I am so glad he was in Haiti to celebrate. What an amazing opportunity and privilege. Plus, it's a little hard to be a brat when he's serving and loving on sweet orphans in a third-world country.

I have to admit that I was so distraught about not getting a picture of Stella with the Easter bunny. As you'll recall, my parents live in the country so there aren't any mall bunnies or Bass Pro bunnies nearby. Had I planned things better, we certainly could have made the trek to hunt one down, but I waited too long. So, Stella will have no picture with a scary bunny to commemorate her first Easter. I already lost my Mom of the Year Award when I let her roll off our bed so I guess I'll just keep on disappointing. Ok, I know it's so not a big deal, but it drove me bonkers. Alas, the day was saved when I spotted a perfect basket in my parents' den. After we cleaned out the 1980s National Geographics, a photoshoot commenced!

Here is the result. There are several!

We had Easter dinner at my grandparents' house. My grandma is most definitely one of my favorite people in the world. She is an amazing woman and a fantastic example to me. She has aged so gracefully, and I love her a ton!

Look what I found!

My beautiful momma and my sweet baby girl. I am so fortunate!

This is my very handsome grandpa. I guarantee you have never met a kinder soul.  He is 85 and continues to make very tasty rolls for every family occasion!

I feel like I have to mention what a bargain Stella's Easter dress was. I am a sucker for smocked dresses, but they're expensive. I found this one with tags still on at one of my favorite consignment stores for $5.50! I know I'm biased, but I think she looks absolutely darling in it. Maybe I'll get that award after all. ;)