Rad Micad

6 Week smiles

2010-11-28T19:09:00.002-05:00

Siblings? I think so, but not as close look-a-likes as we initially thought. Both these videos were taken when Adelaide and Asa were about 6 weeks old.

Asa James

2010-10-01T21:40:00.004-04:00

After many fits and starts, Asa James finally graced us with his presence on September 21 at 8 am! For several days leading up to his birth, I was experiencing regular Braxton-Hicks contractions that left my stomach sore by the end of the day but were not consistent.

Finally, on September 21, I awoke at 2:30 in the morning, shaking with adrenaline and experiencing contractions 3 minutes apart. Thirty minutes later we were in the hospital and I was dilated to 8 cm. Everything was moving quickly until I got an epidural, which stalled things out for a couple hours. In the end, this allowed Asa to get ready so when the time came to push him out it took only 20 minutes (Adelaide took 3.5 hrs!). Asa came out beautifully pink, healthy, and protesting loudly (Dave was ashen and asking for orange juice). He was 8 lbs. 10 oz and 20.5 in. Asa did so well in the first 24 hours and I recovered so quickly that we opted for an early discharge so we could get home to Addie. We arrived home on Wednesday evening - much to Adelaide's delight.

Asa was welcomed with open arms by Adelaide. She tells him daily that she is glad he came home and is perhaps overly affectionate. She is definitely going to be a little mama to him as he grows. Asa is proving to be everything I've heard a baby should do (i.e. nurse well, sleep contentedly, and travel well in the car) but never experienced with Adelaide. He has been giving me a 5 hour chunk of sleep a night since we came home, which is more than I was getting the last week of being pregnant!

Grandma Bell was here when Asa was born and we were so thankful to have her help during that time. A. Jamie is now here helping with the transition so Adelaide doesn't feel completely neglected as I get the hang of life with 2 kids.

Life with two kids?!? Here we go...

Birthday celebrations

2010-08-29T21:21:00.004-04:00

Look who's 2!

2010-08-23T23:44:00.013-04:00

I should be sleeping, but Rad has decided that this is an awake time and all the rolling and moving is preventing sleep. We've got 4 weeks to go so it's time to catch up a bit, starting with Adelaide's 2nd birthday.

Adelaide has taken to the Max and Ruby books by Rosemary Wells. Bunny Cakes is one of Wells' books and in it Ruby bakes a birthday cake. Adelaide latched onto this image and insisted every time that we read the book that it was her birthday cake. Gigi (my mom) did her best to recreate it and Adelaide was thrilled.

We kept Adelaide's birthday celebration low key, which was really nice. Addie had a great time and kept on asking for more presents. With family out of town, presents and cards arrived over several days, which she absolutely loved.

Our 2 year old is 27 lbs (60%; she's filling out!) and 31 in. (30%). She has started to talk to the baby, directing her conversation to my belly, even going so far as to show it different toys or keep the baby updated about what's going on (i.e. a garbage truck passing). Adelaide tells us that when the baby comes out, she is going to rock it and it will sleep and drink milk and no crying. Adelaide may be in for a shock.

Adelaide loves to be outside, run in circles, dance to music and be with friends. She calls all desserts "cookie," and repeats it 3 times almost in a whisper. She calls me, Mom mom and when she gets excited she yells "Yay!" while clapping her hands and jumping up and down. Adelaide loves to read books. Her baby doll has become quite important and goes with her most everywhere. She received a stroller for her baby doll as a birthday gift. As soon as she saw what it was she started frantically calling for her baby doll and once found pushed her around the house for about 20 minutes nonstop.

This is a small snap shot of the energetic, hilarious, sweet, 2 year old who we know as Adelaide Paige Bell.

Rad Micad II is on the way!

2010-06-28T20:23:00.000-04:00

After the long drought on our blog, I felt that our news had to be significant. We are expecting Rad Micad II to make his/her debut sometime around September 17! In this ultrasound picture Rad is about to suck his big toe and his fist is up near his eye. We were able to see Rad sticking out his tongue, swallowing, pinching his forefinger and thumb together, and sucking his toe. It was fun to watch. (I am using the masculine singular for ease not because we know the sex.)

We have had a fun summer so far. Adelaide is growing by leaps and bounds. She recently began talking in 2 word sentences and her pronunciation is improving daily. She loves swimming in her pool, going for bike rides and walks and being outside. We took her kayaking for the first time this summer on Father's Day. She wasn't thrilled initially but has talked about going out on her boat ever since.

Her 2nd birthday is a month away. She loves to "count" to two. Reaching the number two is celebrated by pumping both index fingers in the air, which sort of resembles a disco dance. Adelaide keeps us laughing and busy. This pregnancy is flying by, which I attribute largely to Adelaide's presence in our lives. We are blessed by this sweet little girl with a healthy amount of attitude.

Dave has been busy at work. He's been traveling quite a bit but has transitioned into a stronger marketing role, which suites him well. I've continued to enjoy the balance of working 2 days a week and being home with Addie the remainder of the time. Stay tuned for further updates (hopefully with greater frequency for those who still check).

Big Helper

2009-11-18T09:24:00.006-05:00

Dave recently took a trip to Rwanda. This picture is taken while he was on a road trip to Uganda. The hills in the background are terraced for growing crops. I'll let him blog in detail about the trip later. My goal while he was away was to night wean Addie. Dave tends to be the softie when she's crying in the middle of the night. I am happy to report that we are on day 4 of her sleeping through the night! WHOOHOO! I was also relieved that it was a relatively painless process with only 1 or 2 rough nights, which were only rough because of frequent wake-ups and not long stretches of crying. I think Adelaide was as ready as I was to have her sleep through the night.
On occasion, Adelaide has taken a paper towel or tissue and begun to clean the floor (much to my amusement). Of course, this behavior is encouraged. To further her love of cleaning, one day I made a sink full of beautiful, warm bubbles and invited her to do the dishes with me. The idea worked well for about 15 minutes. In the end, she was in tears as she was soaked with now cold water as I rushed to rinse dishes before I abandoned the sink to tend to her. It was fun while it lasted.
No longer is riding in the shopping cart enough fun. Helping is the way to go. She was happy as a lark pushing that shopping cart with me. That is until she saw 2 boys riding in the plastic car attached to the shopping cart.

Aunt Jamie came and stayed with us for about a month. She was a huge help and I was so thankful for her presence when Dave was away. A. Jamie learned how to play the guitar over the summer. Adelaide LOVED the guitar. I am pretty sure she now calls A. Jamie guitar. Anyway, Addie loves music and has started to dance, which is hilarious! Enjoy.

Happy Halloween

2009-10-31T21:13:00.002-04:00

Memphis layover

2009-10-25T19:55:00.001-04:00

Conversation with Addie

2009-10-03T22:10:00.003-04:00

Outdoor fun with Dad

2009-09-20T20:20:00.007-04:00

Bonus Picture:

Dave's first attempt at pig tails.

New Pics.

2009-09-13T21:06:00.004-04:00

Here's a glimpse of our busy little girl over the past couple weeks.

And just in case you thought she was always darling and cute.

Birthday festivities

2009-08-26T22:05:00.007-04:00

It is the end of August. Wow. My apologizes for the tardiness to document Adelaide's first birthday.

We had Grammie from TX in town to help celebrate on her actual birthday, along with some of our friends here in town. I attempted to bake a cake that is usually delicious. Let's just say that there was a LOT of frosting in the middle of the cake and Addie preferred the fresh blueberries over the cake.

The next week we headed to A. Jan and U. Bill's cabin and had a lovely vacation with the Bell family. Grandpa Bell made Adelaide a wooden shape sorter that she simply loves to play with. She needs a little bit of help to get the shapes into the right holes but she's thoroughly enjoys pushing the shapes through.

We had a great week playing with kayaks, canoes, wind surfers, and four wheelers. Addie had some trouble sleeping, which seems to be a common theme for our travels. But all in all we had a really fun time and ended up with a quick trip to Unionville to see family before heading home.

Adelaide checked in with Dr. Taylor a few days after her birthday. She weighed in a 18 lb 10 oz and was 29 in tall. *Sigh* That means that she will stay turned around in the car for a while longer. The good news is that she has continued to impress Dr. Taylor with her developmental progress and overall delightful character.

Addie has indeed started showing more of her personality. She likes to talk with her hands, flicking her wrists to make her point. We received a bag of clothes and in them were a pair of pink flowered sandals. Since Addie discovered these sandals, she has insisted on wearing them. She will locate them in the house, bring them to us, and continue to thrust them in our direction until we put them on her feet. She will then clomp around the house as happy as a lark, blissfully choosing to ignore the fact that she trips twice as much with them on her feet. In the mornings as I am getting ready for the day, Addie will sit on the toilet seat (closed) and mimic my morning routine until I am done and we leave the bathroom. My favorite, although it's perhaps the most negative, is the times when she is tired, or hungry, or just needing something more from us and the situation does not lend to immediate attention, Addie will lean up against walls or door frames, throw her arm over her face and cry or melt into a puddle and at our urging stand up and move to where we are directing her and then melt again. I can't help but chuckle as I scoop her up to comfort her and wonder if she got her dramatic tendencies from her dear Aunt Jamie.

Summer

2009-07-15T09:30:00.004-04:00

We've had quite a mild summer so far. Adelaide has still gotten to splash around in her pool several times. She loves being outdoors, although she isn't too wild about the grass between her toes. We've been taking lots of walks and spent quite a bit of time in the hammock.

Adelaide seems to have gotten several words down. Dada, mama, ball, balloon, and dog are all distinct sounds that she uses appropriately, although not exclusively. :) Our neighbor Bill would also argue that she's mastered "Bill", but I have yet to hear it.

Adelaide is curious about our garden and munches enthusiastically on the sugar snap peas. In the kitchen, she has taken to pulling food out of the cabinets and bringing them to us so she can try them. Most of the time we let her discover the new tastes and textures but I'm thinking that I'll have to put another lock on one of the cabinets and put some of the goodies in there that I don't want her having on a regular basis.

This weekend we are flying to MN to visit with Dave's friends from high school. We are really looking forward to seeing them and spending time at a cabin on a lake. We are anticipating that Adelaide will have a great time since there are probably close to 15 kids under the age of 7 that will be there. Sounds chaotic, huh? Time to go pack! :)

Fun with cheerios

2009-06-29T20:25:00.003-04:00

Progress

2009-06-20T16:37:00.004-04:00

Adelaide and I are in sunny San Antonio and are adjusting to the heat by spending lots of time in the pool. Addie (and I) started swim lessons at the YMCA this past week and all the experience has come in handy for Addie to feel comfortable playing in the pool. Her 4th tooth broke through yesterday so she's been a bit more needy but no fever, which we are quite thankful for! We've been having lots of fun with Grammie and the G-Pops and will head back to Grand Rapids on Monday.

Walking

2009-06-10T15:23:00.007-04:00

Adelaide took her first steps last night! She has taken a step here and there as she has lunged for Dave or I, but this was at least 6 steps in a row. She was quite proud of herself but we weren't able to catch it on video, here are some attempts. :)

We've been quite busy over the past month. We went to see Dave's grandparents in Unionville, MI. Then over Memorial Day weekend we headed to Newfane, NY for my grandmother's 84th birthday. The G-Pops was there to celebrate as well. We were home for a weekend and then off to Cincinnati, OH for Kendahl and Dave's wedding celebration, which we just got home from this past Sunday. It was indeed a celebration and we were very thankful that Grandma Bell came down from Columbus to watch Adelaide during the wedding and reception.

Unfortunately, Adelaide got sick over the weekend and we were in a hotel, without a thermometer and both Dave and I were exhausted from a busy wedding weekend. This was the first fever she's had in her little life and it held on for 4 days and dramatically affected her sleep patterns (i.e. she wasn't sleeping!). Dr. Taylor ruled out an ear infection and thought it was too high to blame on the teeth. As of yesterday evening, the fever broke and it seems we have our happy, good sleeping, baby back. I'm so thankful!! Now Dave and I just need to catch up on sleep and we'll be back to normal.

I'm including one more video from a few weeks ago of Addie playing. She just keeps on getting more and more fun!

9 months old!

2009-04-27T13:46:00.005-04:00

How did the time go so fast?! Adelaide had her 9 month check up today. She weighs 16lb 8.5 oz (10th percentile). She is 27 in. long (25th percentile). And she has a head circumference of 18 in. (90th percentile). Yes the big head continues. Addie is healthy and once again Dr. Taylor commented on her development, even calling her aggressive in that department (that was his response to my comment about her pulling herself up on things to get better vantage points).

In other news, Addie cut her first tooth this week, with her other front bottom tooth on its way. Dr. Taylor noticed that her top 4 teeth can been seen through the gums so he suggested that they will be not far behind. The downside to the teeth has been a runny nose, watery eyes, fitful sleep, and a whole lot more whining. It's been a long week.

Fortunately, she continues to soak up the world around her and amuse us to no end. She has learned how to drink from a straw and thinks that giving high-fives is hilarious. Adelaide continues to be very vocal, letting us know when she's excited, annoyed, mad, and content. Despite the fatigue, we feel very blessed for the beautiful little girl God gave us.

Happy Easter

2009-04-15T19:45:00.006-04:00

And the chicken says...

2009-04-08T08:30:00.002-04:00

Sleep anyone?

2009-04-06T19:50:00.007-04:00

So here we are, increasing dexterity, a very active little mind, curious forms of mobility, expanded food experiences and a growing sense of humor. Yet, still some relatively sleepless nights.

We love the glass in the front door, toy baskets and nearly anything else we can get our hands on. Yet, still some relatively sleepless nights.

We love when daddy gets home from work, barnyard animal noises, walking along furniture and the feeling of grass between our fingers. Yet, still some relatively sleepless nights.

Traverse City

2009-03-30T11:15:00.008-04:00

Dave, Adelaide and I escaped to Traverse City, MI for an overnight this weekend. On Friday, we drove up mid-morning and toured Old Mission Peninsula and some of the wineries in the afternoon. We checked into our hotel and after Adelaide woke from her late afternoon nap we were off to find dinner.

As we drove down Front St., I saw "local sustainable cuisine" and we were sold. We circled back around and entered "The Cook's House" not quite knowing what to expect. It was a very small restaurant, only 6 tables with

seating for 18 people. We wavered bringing Adelaide into such a small space but the environment and the promise of local cuisine won out.

It was by far the best meal we have had in a while. Amazing flavor combinations, creative dishes, and all masterfully

done. Adelaide was a doll throughout the entire meal (we took 1.5 hours to eat), the chef even brought her some stewed apples, which she thoroughly enjoyed. If you are in Traverse City and have the chance, check this place out. It is a little pricey so be prepared but it was well worth it.

After dinner we headed back to the hotel and even though we were pushing bedtime we decided to take Adelaide swimming in th

e indoor pool. It was her first time and she loved it! Dave took her back to the pool in the morning. :) We took our time

getting out in the morning, so we had just enough time to stroll through p

art of downtown Traverse City and grab some lunch before heading home. Adelaide did really well with the car travel (2.5 hours) and we had a fantastic time as a family. The one tragedy of the weekend is that we lost Adelaide's pacifier, which she was starting to wean herself from but still definitely needed it for naps. It's the only pacifier that she takes and it's not sold in stores. Therefore, she's quitting cold turkey, poor thing. It was a little rough getting her down for a nap this morning.

Eating

2009-03-22T18:56:00.004-04:00

We're trying to make up for the lack of posts over the past several weeks. Adelaide has made great progress in her eating. She's becoming more adventurous, which has made feeding her much more relaxing and fun.

I've had a lot of fun preparing her food and making all the purees. I received a Magic Bullet for Christmas and love the convenience of a small little blender. This week I made prunes (I had quite the time trying to find those in the grocery store) and apricots. Our daycare provider thought it was a bit funny when I gave her apricots to feed Addie. While the purees have been giving Adelaide 2 solid meals a day, we've also been experimenting with giving her parts of our meals. Addie is always eager to try anything we have on our plates and has fast little fingers that often find their way into the messiest of foods (i.e. spaghetti, maple syrup).

Movement

2009-03-20T09:52:00.004-04:00

Hi All,

Well as predicted we had a couple busy but good weeks. We had great times with family and Adelaide did really well with a full house.

It is looking like Adelaide may skip crawling and go with walking. She's been pulling herself up to standing on anything she can get her hands on and is always reaching out for our fingers to help her up so she can walk.

The past two nights Adelaide has been up for several hours at a time and so we're wondering if her first teeth are coming soon. The other theory is that she is discovering so much her mind might be on overdrive. Often when we try to soothe her in the middle of the night she ends of practicing all her sounds. Usually, we find it very cute, just not at 2 in the morning. The other morning, right after waking up, Adelaide was pinching her forefinger and thumb together and bringing it to her mouth, over and over and over again. Practice makes perfect.

Pig Tails

2009-03-02T10:40:00.005-05:00

We are heading into a couple busy weeks. This coming weekend G&G Bell, U. Bryce, and G-Ma. Schweigert are going to be in town for Adelaide's baptism. G. Schweigert is then staying the following week and braving the cold Michigan weather during her spring break, all for her granddaughter. The G-Pops decided to stay in the warmth of Texas and needed to keep A. Jamie company now that she found her way to San Antonio.

Dave, Adelaide, and I had a great weekend at U. Bill and A. Jan's cottage. We got to cross country ski, go snowmobiling, be cozy around a fire and enjoy the company of family. Thanks U. Bill and A. Jan! On the way home yesterday, we attempted an early afternoon car trip and Adelaide did really well. She slept for the first 2.5 hrs and then played and ate cheerios for the remaining hour making the trip quite pleasant and much easier on Dave and I. Perhaps we are turning a corner with car travel. Wouldn't that be exciting!

Valentine's Day and more

2009-02-23T16:08:00.003-05:00

It's been a little while since I've posted. Life has been marching on and Adelaide has perfected her sitting and is beginning to rock up on her hands and then back to sitting. We'll see how long it takes before crawling happens.

Addie has been introduced to solids on a consistent basis and is getting two servings a day of solid foods. She has been a bit picky, at times refusing to eat the offered foods, we have wondered about temperature, texture, type but I'm concluding it is usually all about timing. But she is happy and healthy so we're not sweating the small stuff. Addie has become quite proficient at eating cheerios and drinking out of a glass. She also seems fond of bananas, sweet potatoes, and applesauce.

We are going to hit the 7 month mark this week and I am amazed at how quickly the time has gone by. I bought ponytail holders for Addie and have had fun styling her hair, which continues to grow! I was combing her hair after a bath and was amazed at how far it went down her back, next time I'll take a picture. For now, here are a few we've taken over the past several weeks.

Just for Dad

2009-02-13T13:33:00.004-05:00

6 months

2009-02-04T14:45:00.004-05:00

Adelaide was 6 months old last week. We went to her check up this past Monday. She weighed in at 13 lb 12 oz (10%), was 25.5 in (30%), and had a head circumference of 17.25 in (80%).

Bed Head at 6 months.

Bed Head at 2 weeks.

Clowning around

2009-01-28T11:32:00.003-05:00

Jamie and I were a little surprised when Adelaide started making faces at us. It was hilarious but we weren't sure it was normal and I was a little worried that everything was okay with Addie. So I posted this video on my Facebook and the overwhelming response was that Adelaide was getting a reaction so kept doing it. It appears we have a comedian in the making. The funniest part about it, is that she doesn't make a sound when she is doing it. At first it appeared that she was trying to cover up a yawn, but now she'll do it just to get us to laugh. Hope you all enjoy it as much as we did! :)

Giggles and Sniffles

2009-01-23T11:23:00.007-05:00

Adelaide and I made our first sick visit to the doctor this morning. It was quite the fiasco getting there. A. Jamie locked her keys in her car (while running, I'm currently watching it run out of gas) 25 min before needing to be somewhere, so we loaded up a recently awoken Addie and rushed A. Jamie to her class. Addie has been sick and I was worried about an ear infection so I had made a doctor's appointment for later in the morning. Since we were out I called and they were able to fit us in. We showed up, Addie in a dirty diaper and her nightgown! But the good news is that she does not have an ear infection, just a nasty cold and she is 13 lb 8 oz. So we are hoping our sick little girl heals quickly.

While Addie has been crankier than normal she has still been smiling. Here's a video from the other day with her A. Jamie, who seems to be able to get her to laugh better than a lot of people.

I am also including a few photos. One is from Monday (before Adelaide was sick) when we took her out snow shoeing. It was a beautiful sunny day and Addie slept in the front pack for most of it.

Dave's weekend away

2009-01-20T21:00:00.002-05:00

Introducing Dave and Kendahl Heckel

2009-01-14T14:10:00.003-05:00

For the second time in one week we loaded up the car and headed to Ohio. This time for my long-time friend, Kendahl's, wedding. Her fiance was in a life threatening motorcycle accident last June and by God's grace and intervention has recovered to the point of being released from the hospital last Tuesday. With Dave moving home and needing care, they pushed up the wedding and had a small gathering of family and friends to witness their vows. It was beautiful and courageous of them to invite chaos for the first weekend home.

Dave and I brought Jamie along to help out with Addie and despite bad driving weather and burning through a serpentine belt we had a great time and traveled safely. It was a little wearing to drive through the night that frequently, I am still recovering, but we were so glad to be able to celebrate with Dave and Kendahl.

Carrots

2009-01-14T14:03:00.003-05:00

We've been slowly introducing food to Addie. She is very interested in everything we put in our mouths but as you can see from the video, is not too sure about the carrots. I was working extra hard to keep her interested and A. Jamie thought it must be captured on video. So here you are, the lengths we'll go to for kids.

Bell family Christmas

2009-01-14T13:53:00.003-05:00

Hi all, I'm going to do several posts here. But first over New Year's we were in Ohio with Dave's family. We had a great visit and Addie traveled decently well. It was a little rough on the way there since we were going mid-afternoon to evening. But on the way home she slept the entire way and didn't even wake up to eat! Makes the middle of the night driving worthwhile.

Grandpa Bell made Adelaide's name for her, very impressive. Grandma Bell painted her an ornament that is beautiful and U. Bryce gave her a Cookie monster stuffed animal that she quickly took to. But more than all the gifts it was great to spend time with family and let Grandpa and Grandma show her off to friends.

Happy New Year

2008-12-31T11:15:00.004-05:00

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!

2008-12-25T09:08:00.004-05:00

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

2008-12-21T12:09:00.006-05:00

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

2008-12-18T19:15:00.002-05:00

Sitting pretty

2008-12-14T07:36:00.003-05:00

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

2008-12-12T12:06:00.006-05:00

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"

2008-12-06T17:47:00.004-05:00

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

2008-11-24T22:10:00.003-05:00

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

2008-11-21T19:45:00.005-05:00

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

2008-11-17T08:14:00.010-05:00

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

2008-11-12T11:18:00.008-05:00

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

2008-11-10T13:56:00.007-05:00

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

2008-11-07T21:40:00.002-05:00

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

2008-11-03T11:04:00.011-05:00

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)

2008-10-29T07:58:00.003-04:00

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

2008-10-24T10:41:00.006-04:00

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!

2008-10-21T21:27:00.004-04:00

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!

2008-10-17T18:21:00.003-04:00

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

2008-10-13T11:42:00.005-04:00

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

2008-10-10T09:20:00.004-04:00

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

2008-10-07T10:53:00.003-04:00

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 ??

2008-10-04T19:00:00.005-04:00

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

2008-10-01T11:26:00.007-04:00

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

2008-09-28T16:14:00.006-04:00

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

2008-09-26T10:29:00.004-04:00

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

2008-09-24T11:34:00.002-04:00

We love her naps!

Rough day!

2008-09-22T19:24:00.006-04:00

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

2008-09-18T17:20:00.009-04:00

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.

2008-09-18T17:20:00.007-04:00

Smiles

2008-09-17T12:56:00.003-04:00

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

2008-09-16T12:48:00.000-04:00

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