Christmas Highlights

Christmas was more fun then ever this year,  Estella had an absolute blast and was such a trooper the whole time going form place to place!!! We kicked off the Christmas celebrations starting the weekend before by watching the Holidazzle parade at my dads office.  This is the third year in a row my parents have invited their friends, friends kids and grand kids we had over 60 adults and kids. Santa made an appearance and gave all the kids treat bags and a gift each parent brought! Most of the kids cried and Stell didn't want to get near him, it was pretty funny! We ate tons of goodies and drank lots of wine. The kids ran like wild and we all watch the Holidazzle light up parade! Someone did take a group photo before everyone left and I can't wait to see it. 

Sunday we had Christmas with Bryan's dad and siblings. Christmas Eve all the girls headed to church while the boys were at work, Stella did great she loved all the music and found many people to wave at and play peek a boo with. We had Christmas that night with my moms family and it was so nice and relaxing to not have to go anywhere else! Christmas day morning I was so excited for Stella to wake up and see what surprises Santa had left her. The night before I had the best time setting everything out to make sure it looked perfect:) The look on her face was priceless when she saw her kitchen! She LOVED it... thank god because daddy worked very hard to put it all together;) We ate brunch with my family then headed to Bry's brothers house to spend time with his mom and have lunch. By three o'clock we were off again heading back to Bry's dads house for the extended family Christmas. By the time we got home around 8 there were a few people left at my parents from my dads family Christmas that we got to see! It was an exhausting day but happy we got to see everyone!!!

 Christmas Eve, can't believe hoe old our lil Stell Bell looks!

Santa came and someone was a very good girl this year!

Stella with her cousin Maddie & Elyse, W/ papa, Auntie Stacy, My mom and Max, My cousin Ashley and her family, My dad, Me and my Brother 

This picture just kills me!!! The look on my dads face is priceless...apparently someone just figured out she could stick her finger up her nose! Of course everyone laughs when she does it so now my lil lady has been doing it quite a bit, icky but also kinda funny;)

Bry with our nephew Gabe and my mother in law with 2 of her grandchildren  

Stella's favorite things during Christmas~

• Frosty the snow man, this includes the song, book and anything snowman she saw
• Christmas lights, every night she would get all bundled up and go up and down the street to look at all the neighborhood lights
• Frosting cookies and sprinkles 
• Of course eating the cookies she frosted 
• Looking at my moms Christmas village with all the people and also her Santa collection 
• Taking ornaments off the tree
• Getting Christmas cards, especially ones where she recognized the people! she would carry them around the house giving them kisses...such a sweetie pie. 

Once again Christmas came and went so fast. I can't believe it's almost the New Year,  I'm really looking forward to what 2014 has in store for us!!!

It's cookie time!!!

I have the future Betty Crocker on my hands folks! We baked our first round of Christmas cookies this week and Stell Bell LOVED it! She loved it so much she had a major shit fit when we finished;) Girlfriend stirred, frosted, sprinkled, licked/tasted and ate sprinkles like it was nobody's business! She had so much fun and it was the best to watch her get so exited to do it all on her own! Plus she looked so damn cute I could hardly stand it:)

Stell's favorite part was definitely the sprinkles, she would pick them up one by one to eat! 

My mom was going to make her an apron but we found this one for $3 in the dollar section at target so we couldn't pass it up! She did have to alter it and added the cute lil snowman to jazz it up! 

We have a lot more baking to do around here so I better get my butt in gear...Happy Baking Friends:) 

Pj Party Fun!

 I LOVE any excuse to dress my lil miss in festive pajamas and take lots of pictures, not so sure she loved it... But I sure did try:) We had so much fun doing the Halloween Pj Party we had to join in the fun again and link-up with theses pretty ladies for the Holly Jolly Pj Party!

Loving on her Bitty baby, makes my heart happy that this was my baby and I passed it down to Stella

Only Picture I have in her Santa Pjs

More snowman Pjs someone is obsessed with frosty this year:)

 Looking for the bunny in the yard with fur sister Chloe

Thanks Ladies for hosting such a fun link-up, can't wait to see all the Pj cuteness!!! 

Santa's Coming to town!

This year we decided to try out the Santa Experience at MOA! It was nothing short of a huge fail but hey it made for a great picture:) We still have a few more things this year that she will see Santa at so I hope I haven't scarred her for life by making her sit on his lap!
Just a few pictures I took with my camera.....

 Don't think it helped that they have Santa sneak up on them! They try to have them get comfortable by reading a book but then bam Santa's appears... not a great idea if you ask me

I thought the chair they had her in was ugly so I asked if she could sit on his lap, they were less then thrilled and said because she was crying they didn't want to scare all the other kids. Sorry! I at least wanted a picture where she was looking even if she was screaming her head off:) Pretty sure they thought I was a horrible mommy... guess I know what I'll be getting in my stocking this year;)

Better Luck next time! 

Hope you have a wonderful weekend, and it's warmer then ours! We are in the negatives people!!! My goal for the weekend is to stay warm!!!

18 Months!

 

How is it possible a whole year and a half has already gone by, you are 18 months and I just can't believe it. You have grown up so much and are turning into a little girl right before my eyes! You love all things girly, you're obsessed with shoes, anything sparkly, wearing necklaces, using mommy's chap stick, carrying around purses and you're are the perfect mama in training...you LOVE your baby dolls:) You are full of sweetness and sass...more sweetness thankfully;)! Your opinion on everything is growing by the day, you want what you want when you want it ha...doesn't everyone!?! You totally understand everything we tell, you bring us what we ask you to get or show us what we are asking about but your words are not there yet. You point at everything and say Awe, you have a few words you use but your vocabulary isn't expanding like the Doctor thinks it should. They say it's probably because you don't go to day care and you're around adults more then kids so every time you point at something we just get it for you. They said not to worry, it would be more of a concern if you were 2 but as a precaution someone is coming out to observe you to see if you need speech therapy. We would rather find out now then later and we have no doubt you will catch up in no time!

Weight & Height~ You are still pretty tiny you're 22lbs 8oz 48%, 30.5in 13%, and head 17.5in12%

Loves~ 

• Reading is your favorite thing of all we read at least 20 books a day, your still loving brown bear but you have now decided baby bear is OK too. You will growl like a bear and flip to the skunk just to waive your hand in front of your face when we say pew-yew  
• Dancing 
• Music
• Being outside  
• Riding your "bike" around the block 
• Playing in your tent
• Dollies
• Minnie Mouse 
• Tea party set 
• Balloons 
• Shooting hoops...daddy loves this
• Your cousin Max...you get so excited even if you just see a picture of him 
• Blankies we must have a few in your crib at all times 
• Spinning you will spin in circles till you get dizzy and fall down 
• Sitting in your "own" chair
• Helping with laundry 
• Running around the house pushing the walker 

 

Best cheap toy purchase ever!!! She still loves  to run around with this dang thing even though she's been walking for months on her own, silly girl!!!

Playing peek a boo in the bath

Fun times~ We tried out tot time at our local YMCA and it was a hit! You ran your heart out, played with your friends Savannah and Max, and Shared stole toys from other kids! You were in your first costume contest and won 2nd place, went to your second Halloween parade and loved every second of it, went trick or treating this consisted of riding in a wagon waving at everyone and going up to two doors! Went to Mall of America and rode the carousal, you liked it before it started moving then not so much!





Facts~ You still have the white blonde hair but I can tell it's starting to darken a bit and your eyes are a very deep blue ( I get ask all the time if they are brown...there is no way this could be possible ha)! Your wearing size 18 mon or18-24 clothes, size 5 1/2 wide shoes and size 4 diaper! You're still cutting teeth by the day... I think you have 12 but you won't let me get a good look. Once again Gg and I went totally crazy buying festive holiday clothes and I can not wait to have you start wearing them the day after thanksgiving

We love you so much Stell bell and can not wait for all the holiday festivities to start! You are going to love everything and probably get into everything too... but that's the fun in it right!? You have truly blessed our lives and we are so so THANKFUL for that:)

Love Always And Forever,

Mommy & Daddy

16 & 17 months old!!!

Stell Bell, Time just seems to be getting away from me.  I totally missed 16 months so we are combining it with 17 months and I'm still late at getting it posted...I know no mommy of the year award going on over here! Well to no surprise, I'm just loving this age!!! You my friend are so much fun, your lil personality is growing bigger by the day, you're oh so funny, but also getting a whole lot sassier and you have many facial expression to go with that personality of yours (my favorite is when you purse your lips together and look at us out of the corner of your eye its the cutest:) Hitting the 16 mon marker was the kick off to your busyness! It has taken on a whole new level and you are into EVERYTHING and your so dang quick now we can hardly keep up....your daddy and I are definitely pooped by your bed time! We've been keeping busy with many play dates, you went to the library for your first tot time and loved it, and we've been spending lots of time outside playing and going for walks trying to soak up every last minute of nice weather!

Loves~ 

• Reading, your #1 favorite book is Brown Bear Brown and I'm not kidding when I say we read this at least 25 times a day, a close second favorite is Time For bed, we read it every night before bed and you can hardly wait till the last page because there is a little girl and you always give her a kiss goodnight other favorites are The Going To Bed Book, 10 little lady bugs, Happy Sparkling Halloween, princess baby, Biscuit visits the pumpkin patch and My pretty pink alphabet purse 
• Baby dolls, you are such a lil mama....you love pushing them in a stroller, rocking them and giving hugs & kisses 
• Being outside, you would live out there if we let you
• Walks, you love to be pushed in your trike and wave as the cars go by
• Dancing, I've never seen a child that loves to dance so much you start moving your body the second you hear music   
• Putting caps back on things like your apple sauce pouches and water bottles 
• Shoes, you are obsessed!!! You oooo and awe at everyones shoes, you also love trying to put them on and helping us put ours on 
• Drinking out of a water bottle you think you are so cool when you do this and we have to do it over and over again

                                                

Dislikes~ Getting your diaper changed, brushing your teeth you have to do it by yourself, car rides longer then 15min, and being told no

Favorite Toys~  Your tea party set, so cute you pour me my tea and when I say cheers we hit cups, little people anything, you love the house and school bus best. Books and dollies is what you play with most often through out the day, which I love because dolls were my favorite toy when I was little and I never get sick of reading to you.  You come running with the book you want, with the biggest smile on your face and snuggle right in my lap to listen and turn the pages for me!

Favorite Foods~ Any fruit but honey crisp apples are your fav, oatmeal, waffles, eggs, chicken nuggets, String cheese, turkey dogs, macaroni, tator tot hot dish, raviolis, pizza, turkey and ham

 Favorite snacks~ Pretzels, cheddar bunnies, gold fish, Chex cereal, cheerios, graham crackers, veggie straws, Apple sauce pouch, vanilla wafers, raisins

Clothing~ Mostly 12-18 mon, shoes size 5 and diaper 4...Once again Gg and I went crazy and stocked up on festive Halloween outfits when they went on sale last year! I could hardly wait for Oct.1st so you could start wearing them

Fun Facts~ You were in your first wedding, and did awesome you made it all the way down the aisle and you didn't just walk down it, you put on a show and danced down it:) You have 11 teeth, and cutting more as we speak, your hair is getting crazy long and it's always out of control, your getting good at using a fork and spoon, and you like to have at least two blankies when it's nap time or bed time

Girlfriend life is so much stinkin fun with you, there is never a dull moment and even on the tough days I thank my lucky stars that I get to be your mommy! I love every minute and feel so incredibly blessed to have you as my baby girl!  Your the cutest, most fun, silliest, smiliest, happiest baby girl around and we love so very very much! 

Love Always & Forever,

Mommy & Daddy

Fall Fun and Mommy & Me Monday!

After a fun filled week and just in time for Mommy & Me Monday I finally have some pictures with my lil lady!

Linking up with Leah and Emily, Thanks again girls this link-up really helps remind me to take more pictures with Estella then always being behind the camera:) 

This has to be one of my all time favorite pictures with Stelly...Love her big smile:) 

Our weekend and part of last week was filled with lots of Festive Fall Fun:) We kicked off the fun by going to the apple orchard with Gg, auntie Ash and Max. The cold weather couldn't stop us form having a good time, Estella loved it! She ran around like a wild women, went on her first hayride, tried her first sip of cider and had her first bite of apple donut!





Friday we started the Halloween Festivities with the pre-school costume contest we decided to do it last minute but so glad we went because lil miss took 2nd place:) She won her first plaque There was 35 girls and 30 boys and they did a top 3 for both! I was pretty proud of Stella she totally hammed it up for the judges, and look absolutely adorable doing so! This year wasn't even anything creative just a really cute home made witches costume, so next year we will be thinking of something very creative to take home the big prize;) Of course I couldn't get a single good picture here because girlfriend wasn't going to sit till for one minute but hopefully on Halloween I will get some better pics of her costume!  That night we headed to the pumpkin patch, again you ran like crazy, you loved exploring the patch,  looking at the animals, trying to pick up the pumpkins and pulling the wagon. It was a perfect day:)

 

 

 

The Saturday before Halloween is always our favorite day of the year... the big Halloween parade in the Halloween capital of the world!!!  Pretty much every year since I was born we have made the parade, and have sat in the same spot and before and after we have good food and drinks at my aunt and uncles. This year was by far my favorite because Estella loved every single second of it!!! We watched daddy, and friends run the 5k that kicks off the parade. She pointed, & waved to all the floats. Danced to all the bands and smiled at every kid that went by. It was so much fun to see her having a ball, and she did awesome even without a nap! 

 Looking forward to the rest of the Halloween Fun this week, I definitely can not wait to see Stella go  trick or treating:)