Happy New Year

We leave today for Ohio to celebrate Christmas and the New Year with Grandpa & Grandma Bell and U. Bryce.  Along the way we are going to drop my parents off at the airport.  We're hoping the company in the backseat will make the car ride less painful for Addie.

We've had a great time with the Schweigert clan and are thankful they all came to cold wintery Grand Rapids from their southern homes.  Addie quickly adapted to the full household but took some time to warm up to her crazy U. Pete.  She spent a long time staring at him, trying to figure him out.  U. Pete won in the end.  As predicted, Addie's best Christmas gift was the torn wrapping paper from other people's gifts.

We wish everyone a safe and happy New Year!

Merry Christmas!

We wish everyone a very merry Christmas!  We are having a relaxing morning.  Dave is cooking up a tasty breakfast.  We are postponing opening presents and the Schweigert traditions until tomorrow morning when U. Pete and A. Gretchen will be here ( they are flying in tonight).

Dave and I are so thankful for Adelaide and the healthy little girl that she is.  Dave calls her our home entertainment system.  God is good!  Mary and Joseph's story has taken on a whole new dimension for me this season as I reflect on the changes in me since Addie was born and can relate at least a little bit better to the enormity of the situation for Mary.  Everything that went into Jesus' birth and all His visitors and the whole time Mary knowing or at least having an inclination of how Jesus' life would end.  It is humbling.  Again, God is so good!   In the midst of sleep deprivation and family craziness it's been a gift to experience the wonder that this season can bring.

 

Christmas preparation

We had a lot of fun cutting down our Christmas tree.  It was windy but in the 40's, which made it much nicer than 20 degrees and blowing snow.  Dave had a lot of fun driving the Subaru through the christmas tree lot and wants to go back again to "look" for another tree. :)

Rolling

Sitting pretty

Our big news of the week... Addie is sitting up by herself!!  We are still at the beginner stages, but she is definitely able to stabilize herself and explore the world from a whole new vantage point. 

 The other development isn't quite as much fun.  Addie has been learning new noises and then uses them constantly in her "talking".  The last one was "coughing".  Addie would add coughs into her regular babble.  The past few days she has been exploring the different noise that whining makes!  That's right, WHINING!  High pitched, incessant whining.  We are REALLY hoping that she moves on quickly to a new sound!  It is still fun to watch her discover all these things. :)

Nap Time

Ah yes, a tired little girl, rocked to sleep, transferred to her swing to continue her nap...  Oh well. Turns out, she was filling her diaper, 5 minutes later she was ready to go to sleep.  If only kids came with manuals, or came out talking, that would work too.  Perhaps that's the sweet justice of a first born being spoiled, something has to counter the learning curve that first time parents go through. 

The week after Thanksgiving was a busy week.  Grandma Bell was here to visit and we had a great time with her.  Then Aunt Jamie came into town for the month of December.  We set her up in a room and negotiated free babysitting for room and board, I think we're getting the better end of the deal.  It's been great having her around.  Not only has she doted on Addie but she's also volunteered

 to clean the house while I'm at work.  We had originally decided on a limit to her stay but now I'm thinking she can stay for as long as she wants!

This weekend is going to be pretty low key.  I think we'll get the house decorated and start preparing for Christmas.  We also might fit in a haircut for Addie, those bangs are becoming more bothersome to her.  I'll keep you posted as to how that goes.

Little "Punkin"

Over the Thanksgiving holiday we traveled to Western NY to visit with my Grandmother and extended family on my Dad's side.  We decided to travel through the night since other times had not worked with Addie.  She did great!  It was about a 7 hour trip and she slept the whole time, waking up to eat only once.  We had a lovely time visiting with the family and Addie got to meet the rest of Milly's gang. (Milly is my grandmother).  

Addie's great Uncle Paul grows giant pumpkins and he had one of his waiting for Addie when she got there.  The bottom of the pumpkin had a perfect little dimple to allow Addie to recline.  Our little pumpkin in the big pumpkin, or "punkin" as it is pronounced around there. :)

4 month check-up

Adelaide passed her 4 month check up with flying colors.  She weighed in at 11 lb 1.5 oz.  She was 24 &3/4 in. long.  She is at the 11th percentile for weight and 75th percentile for height.

Dr. Taylor was quite impressed with her recent developments (rolling over, grabbing objects, talking and laughing, head control, overall strength).  And we were pleased that he was pleased. :)  Oh, he also gave the green light to start orange and yellow vegetables.  Solid food for Thanksgiving!

  

Roller

On Monday Adelaide reached a milestone, she rolled from her tummy to her back when no one was looking.  I had put her down for some tummy time and turned away to get something, when I glanced back she was on her back.  Thinking it may have been a fluke, I put her back on her stomach and within a few seconds she had rolled over again.  

I praised her like crazy, called Dave and ran to get the camera.  When I put her back on her stomach she just proceeded to cry.  Ever since then she has only rolled over when Dave is not around and I don't have the camera with me. I am including a few videos from her attempts, which are rather humorous. 

Adelaide had another first this week, just not as exciting.  Her first cold.  Poor little thing is all junky in her head and not a happy camper, especially when I try to suction out her nose.  Her nostrils are too small to use the one the hospital gave us and the other one we have seems sub-par.  Her 4 month check-up is on Monday.  I'm looking forward to that and am relieved by the timing.  I will ask that we postpone her shots until after she's feeling better. 

Stay tuned for a video of her actually rolling over. :)

Bows and Toes

Adelaide is now 3 1/2 months old.  Her hair is creeping down into her eyes making her look like a very cute punk-baby.  The way the story goes, I had my first haircut at 3 months.  If we're interested in keeping up with her dear ol' mom we should be getting out the scissors.  But she is just so cute and newly cut bangs look so severe that I think we'll hold off for a while yet.  I bought some bows instead! :)

 In other news, Addie has discovered just how tasty her toes are and she has fun cramming them in her mouth.  She doesn't let clothing stop her either; socks and sleep and plays end up soaked.  It makes diaper changes interesting as those toes are finding their way to her mouth with increasing frequency.

Addie and I have a slow Monday planned.  Dave is traveling for work, he left last night and will get back late Tuesday if everything goes smoothly.  The nice part was the traveling was taking him to OH so he was able to stop and spend the night with his folks and see his grandparents as they were on their way to Florida.

Addiesaurus

That's Dave's clever title for the video clip.  It's been a little rougher these past few days.  I believe that Addie is going through a growth spurt, yeah Addie!  But what that means is eating more frequently and therefore less sleep for both her and I.  I think we're both feeling the lack of extended sleep.  

We are making it though, bleary-eyed, but we are making it.  Which makes times of happy coos and talking all the more precious.  We had some good quality time yesterday evening.  

My only goal for today, besides feeding Addie, is a nap.  Diapers were up there on the priority list but Dave had a meeting here in town so he's going to pick some up over his lunch hour.  I'm so thankful for that!

First Snow

Last Monday: low 70's, I was too warm when Addie and I went for a hike in the woods.  

Today:  High 30's and snow coverage.

What a difference a week makes!  We've stayed inside for most of the day but I'm thinking about bundling Addie up for a  walk to drop off a meal to some friends who just had a baby.  Tonight it looks like Addie will go with me to my soccer game, Dave has a meeting and all potential babysitters are busy.  We'll just start her exposure early to soccer. :) 

Leaves

It wouldn't be autumn without a good picture of kids in leaves.  Granted the pictures weren't the best of Addie because she was fascinated with all the leaves around her and could barely peel her eyes off them to look at us.

Hallowmas

Happy Hallowmas everyone!  For those of you who don't know, Hallowmas is the celebration of Christmas at Halloween, which is a tradition for the Bell family.  This past weekend we traveled to Unionville, MI and celebrated Hallowmas.  Adelaide met all of her extended family on Dave's side, since both of his parents are originally from that area.

A few highlights from Addie's perspective. Meeting both sets of great grandparents, laughing with Uncle Bryce, playing airplane with Grandpa, sleeping in Grandma's arms and spitting up on Daddy's face. :) Not to mention being entertained by all her second cousins running around.  

The car ride continued to be a struggle for Adelaide.  Great Grandma Bell had a great suggestion of a mirror so that Addie could see the front, since some of her discontentment seems to be coming from boredom.  We'll have to try that out.  This weekend also

 proved to be spit-up central.  Up until now, Addie has not spit up on any sort of regular basis, and I've been thankful.  But this weekend she was Ol' Faithful.  We went through so many outfits and bibs it was ridiculous. I'm really hoping this is just a phase.

Today, Addie is catching up on sleep and looking forward to a quiet day.  It is a beautiful day though, and I may have to get her out to the woods for a hike.  Happy Monday everyone!

Laughing (kinda)

Adelaide is immensely interested in our facial expressions. About a week ago now, I was holding her and laughing at something that Dave said, when she copied me and chuckled!  It's hard to describe because it's definitely does not sound like laughing, but it's precious and I thought I'd share.  Be gracious about the filming, I didn't keep the steadiest hand.

Rain

It's Friday and it's raining. I was hoping to get out into the woods with Addie this weekend. I love the smell of autumn in the woods and the leaves are just starting to come into full color. We may have to wait though, it seems our crisp sunny days have left for a bit.

Another work week is behind me. Wed. night, Addie was up from 2 until 4, both Dave and I took turns being up with her. As sleep deprived as I was, it was nice to go to work the next day and not have to think about why she was being fussy and what was going on in that little head of hers. The break was rejuvenating for me and the little stinker slept all morning at day care. :)

Addie was up early this morning so Dave took her when he got up. She has a bouncy seat with toys attached and she has figured out how to spin one toy. Dave said that she was full of huge smiles this morning, spinning the toy and having a grand old time.

It's a great day to be cozy at home. I may have to bake something...

Daddy time!

Dave has been working on Addie so that every time he approaches her nose with his finger and hears a "boop" she will give him a big smile.  As you can see from these videos, he has some work left to do. :)  She was also quite tired, in his defense...

Variety Show!

Dave here.  I thought we'd post a variety of photos today.  As you can see, Addie survived Marcie's first week back at work.  It was difficult to drop her off at daycare, but she did well and was a hit with the other kids.  

Addie's first Thai food (via Marcie) was good fun.

Addie's first wild hairdo.  Wizard of Oz Munchkin anyone?  

Just hangin' out with the old man.

Practice makes perfect - she sleeps, she poops, and now she sits!  We have an exceptional child!  

Blue Eyes

These photos were taken before Addie and I left for Texas.  Dave had her out on the front stoop and the evening light was beautiful.  Adelaide's eyes are still a deep beautiful blue that are showing no signs of changing.  People are commenting more and more about how much she resembles Dave.

Tomorrow, I head back to work.  I'll be working 2 days a week and Addie will be going to a in-home daycare.  It is with mixed emotions that I look forward to tomorrow.  The G-Pops had wondered about how great it would be if they were closer and could watch Addie during the day.  I must agree, this is one of those times where I feel quite envious of those who have family close.

Talking

Hi all,

 I'm having writer's block this morning, so Dave's input is that Addie continues to be cute and we still  like her.

We're headed to Chicago this afternoon for a wedding tomorrow. We'll see how she does on a road trip.  Hopefully well, since we're planning longer road trips over the holidays!

Home sweet home

Adelaide and I made it back to Grand Rapids safely. She was fabulous again on the flights.  We won't hesitate to fly with her in the future. Dave was waiting for us at the airport and declared that she was longer and more vocal than when we left.  We are taking it easy today, unpacking and making sure we don't trash the house after Dave did such a good job getting it in order while we were gone.

Autumn has arrived here in Grand Rapids.  After we finally acclimated to the heat of San Antonio, 58 degrees feels pretty chilly!  We are adjusting and Addie seems to be unaffected by it all.  I did turn up the heat when I got home. :)

Thanks again G-Pops and ?? for taking such good care of us!   

P.S. Addie is posing in her boots like a true Texan.

The G-Pops and ??

Adelaide and I have been having a lot of fun in Texas. We've been keeping the trip quite low key and relaxful. She's going to meet her great Uncle Dan and a second cousin or two tomorrow. Elaine, the wife of my Grandfather, made it through her surgery very well. Thank you for the prayers.

My Dad has decided to be called the G-Pops and my Mom is still searching for what she wants to be called, my Dad's vote is for Gigi. :)

Yesterday we explored one of the Missions here in San Antonio. It was a beautiful day, hot and sunny but a nice breeze. Last night, true to Texas, we went to "Friday night lights", which was a local high school football game. It's amazing the news coverage that high school football gets down here. Today we went into a small town north of San Antonio and shopped the local boutiques there. Addie slept the whole time. We're laying low tonight, which I am looking forward to.

Show and Tell

Well, Addie and I are in Texas. She was fabulous on the flights. She didn't scream or throw fits and everyone thought she was just precious. The price that she extracted from me for that good behavior was on the longest leg of our trip on a very small jet she had the largest blowout that she has ever had in her 2 mo of life. So if you can imagine me walking from the front of this tiny jet to the back where the bathroom was with her over my forearm with poop all the way up her back (and not happy at this point) and the diaper bag in the other arm bumping into passengers along the way (most of them did stick out into the aisle) trying to figure out how I'll get her clean without covering her in poop when a very nice woman stopped me and offered her seat as a changing table and her assistance as well. Phew! The rest of the trip was uneventful, thankfully. :)

Yesterday we went into my Mom's classroom for show and tell. I didn't expect to be an overly protective mother but as the swarms of children (aka little petri dishes) started to descend on Addie that instinct definitely kicked in. Thankfully, the teachers had things under control and held the children at bay telling them to just look. Addie was alert and charming as Grandma showed her off.

Today we are going to visit Great Grandpa Clower and Elaine, his wife, who is undergoing pacemaker surgery tomorrow, so if you think of it be praying for her.

It's hot here, reaching the 90's and the G-Pops has been a bit stingy on the air conditioning (or maybe just not wanting to freeze). :) But Addie and I are adjusting and are loving being with my folks.

Love,

Marcie

Sunday

Hello,

We've been having a lazy Sunday.  So nice. I'm working on laundry, Dave is creating in the kitchen and Addie is working on filling her diaper. :)  We finally received our wireless router so I'll attempt to include the video in this post.  There have been several cute photos over the last several days.  So here they are.

Octoberfest was a lot of fun, Dave got to play an Alpenhorn.  There was live music and lots of good people watching. Saturday we made applesauce, which we need to can yet today and then we were off to a wedding on Lake Michigan.  It was beautiful.  Addie was quite the show stopper as well in her little sundress.

Little toes

Adelaide discovered that she has feet this week.  She hasn't figured out how to grab them but she has been studying her feet and flexing her toes.  Addie has amazingly dexterous toes, they are very long and she'll grab the big toe on her opposite foot with her big toe and second toe.  Dave is very proud, he claims she gets that from him.  It's definitely not from me, I'm afraid my toes are a bit stumpy and not very good at grabbing things.

Adelaide has been sleeping like a champ this week.  She's been sleeping for 6-8 hours a night, which means that I get 5-7 hour stretches.  What a doll!  Dave and I are both feeling much better, due in part to the longer stretches of sleep, I am sure.  We're both still a bit congested but not feeling the sluggish, foggy head symptoms anymore.

We have Octoberfest at our local park tonight. We'll get to see Lederhosen, keg tossing, barrel rolling, and spend some time with friends.  Saturday we have a wedding and then Monday Addie and I are boarding a plane and are heading to Texas to visit with my parents. It should be an adventure for Addie and I, but we'll miss Dave!  Hope everyone has a great weekend! 

PS.  I'm having trouble posting the video of Addie discovering her feet.  Stay tuned for that video. :)

Sleeping beauty

We love her naps!

Rough day!

Adelaide had her 2 month check up today, which included 5 shots!  OUCH!  I am thankful to say that I have never heard her cry like that before and I felt TERRIBLE.  I don't think I was ready for the roughness of it, Addie is probably handling it a bit better than I.  She has been sleepy this afternoon.  Here she is all tuckered out! We are continuing the tylenol doses as the tetnus shot stays tender for a while.

On a positive note, Dr. Taylor is very pleased with how she looks and is developing.  She gave him several of her big sloppy grins (That was before the shots) and had him hooked.  Addie weighed in at 9lbs 2 oz and was 22 1/4 in long.

At home, both Dave and I are still congested, mine seems to have settled in my sinuses but Adelaide still seems to be getting through just fine.  Two nights ago she slept from 11:00 to 6:30. Hooray for Addie!  It's amazing how good I felt after a night of uninterrupted sleep.

That's all for now.  Here's a photo that I just took.  I think Addie is going to be okay.

Colds

Dave has been struggling with a head cold since the weekend. I thought I had avoided it but alas, it seems that I'm coming down with something (sore throat, plugged ears, overall feeling crummy). My normal attack is sleep and lots of it, so how do you fight a cold when sleep in large amounts is not an option?  So far Addie seems unaffected other than a little junky in her nose, which means more snarks and snorts from her. 

I had to buy diapers for the first time today.  We had been able to use all the ones we got as presents, I'm shocked at how expensive they are!  My goodness!  We are using gdiapers as well as disposables and as she grows and gets more rolls the gdiapers will work better, but right now we are still using the disposables for overnights.

Dave is making chicken noodle soup for dinner and Addie is hanging out in the swing.  She's trying to put herself to sleep (she doesn't know that) and is being quite unsuccessful.  Time to pick her up.

Smiles

Addie has begun to smile and coo in response to us talking to her. So fun!

It makes those middle of the night feedings much more enjoyable.

Starters

Well Dave and I are venturing into new territory but with people wanting updates and pictures, we thought this might be easiest.  Hope it works.  

Adelaide Paige formally known as Rad Micad is 7 weeks old.  She's held onto all of her locks and they are crazier than ever.  She has a major cowlick at the crown of her head, it'll be interesting to see what happens as her hair continues to grow.  She's getting some hammock time in this photo.

Oh, this one is just for you Pops, a video of her lengthy wake-ups.  She takes after her dad. :)

There are no promises here about how consistent we'll be but the hope is that we'll be a little better through this at keeping friends and family updated on what's happening in the Bell household.  Thanks for loving us!

Marcie