Stella the ONE year old!

So I wrote this post on Stella's birthday, but couldn't get it all the way done...so it is just getting published today.  sorry.  Pregnancy is, unfortunately, just as I remember it...or maybe even worse.  I have been feeling horrible once again.  In the beginning, I really thought maybe this time would be better.  Well, that dream is long gone - so posting on the blog has obviously not been my first priority.  Posts may be few and far between, but I will try.  Anyway - on to the post from Stella's big day!

  

Today was Stella's first birthday.  It was her party and she was going to cry if she wanted to.  She is currently teething, and possibly a little sick as well, so her mood was not the most pleasant of moods.  I am currently sick as well, pregnancy related and non pregnancy related unfortunately, so I also did not get to do many of the things I was planning on doing for her birthday.  I had a cake envisioned in my mind, picture ideas floating through my head, an outfit to sew, and the list goes on... but I did not get any of it done.  Instead, Jeramia (the boy I babysit) and I did a little photo shoot with Stell today, but she was not happy for most of it, so good pictures are sparce, and then we went and bought Stella a mini birthday cake.  Boring, I know.   I was really hoping to do some exciting things because I think it would have helped me feel more excited about this day rather than a little sad that Stella isn't a tiny little baby anymore, but I did ok even without all the hoopla.  I am a little sad, but I think that being pregnant helps me to enjoy Stella getting older, rather than just wanting to keep her tiny, because I know that soon enough there will be another tiny little bundle, so I can just enjoy Stella in the stage she is in. 

Some things about Stella at 1 Year!

She is a climber.  She loves to climb on everything, but especially the couch and bookcase.  She will climb up onto the couch, and then climb up onto the back of the couch (which is not against anything in our house) so we have to watch her very closely these days.  I used to be able to leave her alone for a second while I ran to the restroom really quick, but I can't do that anymore.  She is too wild.  

She loves to bang on doors.  If Andy or myself goes into a room and shuts the door, she will go over to it and bang on it and yell until she gets it open, or we come open it for her. 

 

She initiates games of peekaboo by opening her mouth really wide in a surprised look.  When you catch on and open your mouth too, she hides her face behind the couch, or a blanket, or whatever is near her.  

She is anti eating.  This is a struggle every day.  She used to eat really well from Andy, but now she has learned how to spit things out, so even if we can shuv it into her mouth, it doesn't mean she has to eat it.  I am hoping this has more to do with teething than anything else...we will se

e.

She bats her eyes at strangers - little flirt.

When she wakes up in the mornings, or from her naps, she cries until I come in the room, and then she points to her teddy bear, or her zebra, both of which are in her crib, and wants me to pick them up and play with them for her.  

She holds phones up to her ear.  She also calls people - so we can't let her just play with our phones very often, which is very upsetting to her.  

She dances when she hears music.  She has done this for a little while, but her movements are getting bigger.  It is so cute to watch.    

She can give hugs.  If you tried to hug her before - she would just push you away.  She still does that sometimes, but once in a while, she will hold onto you and let you enjoy a little hug action.  

She has started to dislike her baths...again.  I thought we were past this.....nope.

She can fold her arms to say a prayer.  She doesn't always do it when we ask her - but when she does we feel so proud.

She weighs 19 pounds 2 ounces and is 30 inches long.

Hopefully I will have a video of the presents and cake experience posted soon... but it will have to wait for now.

3 Years! (yesterday)

So it is official.  Andy and I have been married for three years.  It seems like we have been married forever to me, in a very good way.  I feel like we have been together my whole life almost.  Weird.  It is pretty crazy to think how much has changed in these three years though.  One moment I was a single college student at BYU, and the next I am way out here in South Carolina with a wonderful Husband, crazy little precious baby girl, and another one on the way.      

Unfortunately, our actual anniversary yesterday was nothing to exciting.  Andy was sick  :(  - so he slept for a good chunk of the day.  We went on a little drive to get and keep Stella asleep, and then came home so he could sleep some more.  Then he had a mandatory meeting at work, but his boss (Chadd Rozmus) told him he could bring me along being that it was our anniversary, under the excuse I would sit with Jeramia to help keep him quiet.  Well, I didn't do much sitting with Jeramia, instead I walked the convention center with Stella because she can't keep her little mouth quiet.  Hmmm... but then Andy and I decided to go out for ice cream to at least celebrate a little, but Stella was already asleep in the car, so we had to go through a drive thru TCBY and eat in the car.  Hopefully this weekend Andy will be feeling better, and maybe get off work early enough we can go out and really celebrate. 

I love you Andy, and I have loved these last three years with you!  Looking forward to the many more in our future.  Muah!   

In other news...I am pretty sure Andy will be ticked when he hears that his most hated celebrity of all time (who I actually think is funny) Tori Spelling, has named her daughter Stella.  I guess it is a good thing I named my baby that first - or else Andy may have vetoed the name.  

In case you were looking for a suggestion...

for a place to go on vacation, we found the perfect spot.  Isle Of Palms in Charleston, South Carolina is beautiful, and the water is warm and inviting.  Andy needed to drive a truck down to Charleston for work, and so we decided to make a day out of it and hit the beach.  It was really really nice.  As you can see, the beach is lined with beautiful beach houses, many of which happen to be vacation rentals.  PERFECT!  

After we got home, our friends told us a lovely little bit of information.  Last thursday a crocodile was rescued from the shore right here on the lovely Isle of Palms.  Hmmm... but don't worry, you can still come here on vacation, that doesn't happen everyday.  

Stella really wore herself out playing in the water and crawling the entire beach again and again.  She was on "go" the whole time we were there, until she finally laid her head down on my shoulder and crashed.  The heat may have had something to do with it too.  It was scorching out.  

Stella's latest and greatest is her stinkbug crawl.  She is sick and tired of rubbing her knees on the ground, and we can't always protect her poor little legs, so she has come up with a good way of giving them a break while crawling.  While keeping her knees locked, she gracefully makes her way wherever she needs to go on her hands and feet.  She first realized she could crawl in this position while walking, she fell forward onto her hands and then kept going.  Silly girl!

Beware of these next two pics if you don't have the strongest stomach.   Andy hurt his big toe while in Colorado over the holidays while playing basketball and dodgeball with his brother Aaron.  He wore his dad's shoes, because he didn't have any athletic shoes with him, and they were a couple sizes too small.  Well, that didn't stop Andy from having any fun, but it did stop his toe from looking normal.  It has been black and blue ever since.  While we were getting in the car after the beach, he bumped his toe, and the nail came off.  Weird thing is, there was a whole other nail underneath it... it is just a weak tin one.  Luckily, when it lifted up, it didn't even hurt - probably thanks to soaking in the ocean for a while.  

This last pic is for my mom.  She wanted to see the cake I made for a friend who was helping plan a surprise party for her friend.   This is the second cake I have made, and you can tell.  It doesn't look professional, and I don't think I have a future in the cake business, but I'm still proud that I was able to come up with this.   At the party the cake was decorated with flowers, and the birthday girl loved it!

And for all those wondering how far along, etc...I am six and a half weeks along, a little early to tell the whole world, I know, but we can't keep things this exciting in.  I have been feeling a lot better this time around then I did with Stella, and have not thrown up yet.  I had a close call, but no food made it's way out of my body, so I am really hoping that it stays this way.  Gagging a bunch is a lot more pleasant than actually throwing up, and not feeling so sick all the time is making me feel like pregnancy is really no big deal.  If I get nauseaus, it is only for about 20 mins, and that's it, and it only happens between 2 and 4 times a day.  With Stella it was literally constant, and I really felt horrible all the time, so this is GREAT!  Here's to hoping it stays this way.