Christmas Day

Bella had a blast today playing with EVERYTHING Santa brought her! She started this morning opening her stocking and digging out the chocolate and candy that Santa brought her so she was on a sugar high by the time I got to Glenn's. She was so excited for me to get there so I could open my present, SMORES.... just what I need:)
She showed me her new tent with the tunnel, her new easal, her new books, legos, games, you name it... I wonder if the other kids in the world got anything for Christmas? I think Santa emptied out his sleigh at Bella's dads house.
Anyway, we had a ball playing with everything and having a nice lunch with Susie, Jimmy, Kara, and Grandma Feder. Bella was running around like crazy, in and out of her tent, telling everyone she could run faster that us, eat more than us, she got a bigger piece of pie than us, really anything to one up everyone. I think she might have some self confidence:)
Merry Christmas Bella. I love you with my whole heart. I can't wait to see you on Monday so you can open what Santa brought to our house while you were at daddies. And... I don't think it is candy!

7 More Days and Counting!

Bella is getting so excited about Santa coming. Tonight we made Christmas cookies and she wanted to go ahead and put them out for Santa because she thought that might mean he would come early. So cute! She couldn't keep her hands out of them either. Of course Mommy let her have two, and somehow she convinced me that it would be ok if she had a third, if it was small. I am such a sucker. We took a bath together and filled the water up pretty high and had fun blowing bubbles and putting our faces under the water. It was great. Then she wanted to break out the old "Pez" candy holder in the shape of Santa that Grandma Kathy got her. She was amazing at the fact that you could put the candy inside and pop Santa's head back and it would shoot out the candy. She put the Santa Pez dispenser on her shelf above her bed and said that "Santa was watching her" and if she was good he would have the elves put extra surprises in her angel advent calander. Hilarious.

Our new favorite pizzeria

So Del Ray opened a new pizzeria, and Bella told me the minute I picked her up tonight she wanted to go. I told her, but what about the yummy spaghetti mommy made for us to eat, or the pizza that we have in the freezer! Lets make that and we can have a special night, eating dinner on the floor in front of the tv watching Rudolph! And she said, "no mama, I want to go to the pizza restaurant b/c that is better than your pizza...." I was heartbroken! But we wen to Del Ray Pizzeria and had a ball. Bella and I sat right next to the giant chalkboard where they write the menu up and specials, and Bella proceded to erase it to play and rewrite her own menu of scribbles and scrabbles..... Great night for us... and the elves should be here shortly to fill her advent angel with a surprise... so I better run...

Bella in the park-November 2010

Its beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

So excited Christmas is finally here! My favorite time of the year because of the lights and the feeling of magic around me....Bella is excited too. She is loving her advent angel that was mine as a kid. Every night, the elves bring her something new, a sweet surprise. So far, her favorite has been som glittery lotion the elves brought her.
Her Grandpa Curtis and Grandma Kathy picked her up from school on Friday and Grandpa said she jumped into his arms and showed him around the class and said, "This is my Grandpa!" We got the tree set up on Friday night and then went to get lights for it today, as one set weren't working. Bella has asked Santa for furniture for her dollhouse for Christmas. She had said that was all she wanted but when we went to Target tonight for a quick trip for more lights, she literally pointed to everything she saw from a playdough farm to barbies saying, "I want that! I want that!" So not sure what all Santa will be able to fit in his sleigh.

The Christmas holiday is so wonderful, and reminds me how thankful I should be and how lucky I am to have such an amazing, bright, sweet daughter to call my own. I love her so much and she is the only Christmas present I would ever ask for.

So today, Bella told me that she loves me a hundred thousand and twenty five and twenty five-it made my day.

I have been telling her she is my miracle baby every night before she sleeps. When she asks what that means... I just say... well lets just say mommy had a bit of a rough time when you were in my tummy and when you came out, and you were so healthy and beautiful and sweet... it was an absolute miracle.

On this Thanksgiving, I am so thankful for my beautiful amazing miracle baby Bella, and the rest of my wonderful and loving family. There is nothing that I would not do for you.

Bella and Hudson-2010

We went down to NC to visit Aunt Ginger and Deron and Baby Hudson and Bella had a blast! Though she is not used to being at someone else's house really that is not family and she made herself quite at home! Going into Aunt Gingers pantry, running in and out the door, acting like a wild child!
But Aunt Ging made homeade pizza and cinamon rolls and Bella was in love!

Trick or Treat! The Bad Witch is on the loose!

So we ended up on Lee Street in Old Town tonight trick or treating and Bella had a blast. The street was blocked off and the ghosts, goblins, witches, bats, and black cats were out! Bella got an entire tub full of candy, and we took a taxi there and back with some of her friends which she absolutely loved. This was to help mommy stay sane and not have to worry about parking. She is wiped out now to say the least... Happy Halloween 2010 everyone!

Bella's Ballet Class

Well, this was Bella's first Ballet class. I don't really think it went to well to say the least. She enjoyed the jumping when they did it, but wasn't really a fan of the coloring of the ballerina pictures and the somewhat strict teacher she had.... Plus, her father chose not to take her on his weekends so she missed half of the classes. A bit of a disaster... but she took beautiful pictures... Here are a few!

Pics of Bella's Power Tots Show 2010

Carving Pumpkins with Violet

Bella and I are going to visit Lisa, Violet and Sage this afternoon to carve pumpkins. We are so excited! Hopefully I can get some good pics and post them later!

My ears are broken

So today we had Bella's little stud friend Collin over who says he is going to marry Bella.... Yes, he is 4 and he is already planning his future with my daughter. Anyway, they were playing this morning and Bella was having a hard time sharing... and she was not listening to me. When I asked her why she was having a hard time listening, she told me that her ears were broken and not working and started tapping them to see if they would start working!

Ice Cream made out of sand

When I picked Bella up from school today she told me that she had just finished making me an icecream cone and had been waiting to give it to me! I ran over to her, only to find out it was an ice cream cone made of purple sand that was also mixed with rocks and some other odd textured things that I couldn't define! It was awesome.

Burke Fall Festival- October 9, 2010

Glenn, Bella, and I went to the Burke VA Fall Festival for the first time ever and to say that Bella had a miraculous time would be quite the understatement. We got there and we were surrounded by slides, pony's, moonbounces, swings, apple cider stands, and pumpkins. It was awesome. Bella was so excited. The part that made it even more magical, was that Bella actually laughed harder than I have EVER heard her laugh in her four years of life.... and guess what she was doing? She got on a swing, that was simply hanging from a 30-40 foot tree. It was built with rope, and a small board that she could sit on. When she got on and started swinging, she was litterly laughing so hard she was hyperventilating.
It was the most beautiful thing I have ever heard. She had a blast. Afterwards in the car on the way home, Glenn and I were asking her questions, and she could not even speak, she was so worn out.
Definitely something we will continue to do for years to come.

Mommy, can you give me a picture of you and me to sleep with so I don't miss you tonight?

Yes, I know... how sweet. Bella slept with a  picture of her and I when she was a baby because she told me last night before she went to bed that she was going to miss me while she slept.

Bella a working girl

Ok, so my day started off pretty bad, as I rolled into work and realized, "oh no! where is my computer?" When I didn't see it in my car on the way in, I thought for sure I had left it at work. But after searching for it in the office, it was nowhere to be found.
So I then drove back home to look for it, only to find it behind Bella's bedroom door! And then it dawned on me. She had been playing "work" last night while I was fixing dinner. She likes to take my work badge, and get her purse and pretend she is going to work. She makes me pretend like I am crying as she drops me off at school. Ha!
But she took it a step further this time, and actually somehow managed to pick up my laptop and drag it into her room to play and I found it hidden behind her door! Two hours of my morning were spent searching for it! The good thing, is that she is getting practice being a responsible working woman. What else could a mom ask for?

My sweet girl-sick again!

I am home with Bella today because she has a bit of a cold.... You know, the sneezing, coughing, runny nose that she likes to wipe with her sleeve! She is excited though about being sick... why? Well 1. She gets to stay home with Mommy and not go to school 2. I have told her that when she is sick, that is the only time she can sleep in mommy's bed now that she is a big girl. So, where is she now? Yes, in mommy's bed, snoring up a storm. Despite being sick, I have loved the excitement I have seen today from her. I wish I could see the bright side of things when times are tough like she does. Today, we went to Target to get cough drops, tissues, and toothpaste, and when she stumbled upon all of the Halloween decorations and costumes, her face lit up. She put a witch hat on, which of course flopped over her face, and announced to the entire store that she was going to be a witch for halloween and starts cackling like a witch. I am so glad I got to experience the joy she has brought me today on such an icky, rainy day at home with who you would think would be a whiny, grumpy girl. She is the best!

Bella in snow-February 2010

Heading down to Grandpa Curtis's and Grandma Kathys

So Bella is so excited that we are going to see Grandpa! She has been talking about this for two weeks since I said that we were going. She has also been fascinated with Grandpa's finger or lack there of.... and tells everyone that Grandpa's finger looks like this! (and shows them a half a finger.) Can't wait until tomorrow!

Some pictures from our photo shoot at the Marina in Old Town, Alexandria VA

I am going to try this....

Hi Everyone!
I decided after all this time to create a blog for Bella and I. This way, all of our friends, family and loved ones can see what is going on in our daily lives and follow Bella as she grows and blossums more and more each day. Feel free to enjoy, comment, save as a favorite, whatever! Love you all! Caroline