Reflections on Bella

Love Letter to Bella

2007-11-02T21:44:00.000-07:00

My sweet Bella...oh how I have fallen in love with you. My heart just aches when I see your smile and your bright blue eyes looking at me. I love everything about you.

I love...

...how you instinctively know if Daddy is gone from the bed in the morning when you wake up. With eyes still closed, you reach over and pat that side of the bed where he was just a few minutes before.

...that you don't ask for breakfast. You ask for "a snack".

...how you dress yourself. You're attracted to bright colors and you just love tights. You love to pick everything out by yourself...but if I insist that a coat must be worn, you sigh and say.."OK mooooooooom".

...how the one thing you desire the most is to wear your "tippity taps" so you can dance all day long. And I let you. Even when it's not practical...because you love them so much.

...how when you want to nurse, you come to me and say "just two times, and then I'm done." As you nurse, I look down at your sweet face and wonder how long it will be before you just breeze by me and don't give a second thought to the "nursies".

...how whenever we talk about Jesus, you ask "why is He in my heart?"

...your sweet prayers telling Jesus about your day and asking Him for good pancakes in the morning.

...the relationship that you have with your Daddy. You call out his name so much more these days...desiring his care as often as mine.

...how you insist on being called Erica (as in Princess Erica). Although several times a day, you switch and ask to be called Annaliese. You're very serious about it all, and will not answer to Bella anymore.

...how you can't just WALK anywhere. You must skip, run, or jump.

...your gentle spirit. You have a special soft voice that you use when you talk to other kids to let them know you care about them.

...how you will randomly proclaim... "I love you sooooo much!". You have no idea how much this melts my heart. Especially when you tell it to Daddy and I overhear.

...your ability to strike up a lengthy conversation with anyone...from old ladies on the subway in NYC to the 4 year old you just met. You are a friend to all.

...your independence. You told me yesterday that you "need your own space". And while it broke my heart, I know that you are growing up :)

...how you have a language entirely your own, in which you can sing long songs. It's amazing how many crazy sounds you can put together to form words.

...watching you sleep at night...your cheeks so rosy and your body so warm. Part of me wants to wake you up because I miss you already...but then I remember that I need to sleep so I can be the best mommy I can be.

I love you Bella Boo.

Michael Interviews Bella

2007-05-22T10:44:00.000-07:00

Michael "interviewed" Bella for his class final in Foods. While you can't hear everything perfectly, her facial expressions make up for it. They discuss not eating meat, milk, red 40, candy, thai food, and more. Enjoy.

Hello Friends!

2007-04-28T19:00:00.000-07:00

The weather has been absolutely delightful here...perfect picnic weather. Bella and I have lived outside this past week. We've spent so much time at the park and on our bike...it's been wonderful. She starts every day telling me she "needs to go to the park". She loves to swing so much...she's a woman of adventure. This week she learned out to go down a fireman's pole. She also loves her "friends", and upon arriving to the park, will walk up to a large group of children and announce herself by saying:

"Hello Friends!"

She greets most anyone this way...and will leave by saying the opposite..."Goodbye Friends!". She is so outgoing and personable...and will have a conversation with most anyone. We are looking forward to another warm week and more adventures. See our latest outings here.

My Love

2007-04-28T18:48:00.000-07:00

I am in love with Bella. Completely enamoured. She is such a joy to be with...her words melt my heart. Today she looked at me at said..."Mommy, I see me in your blue eyes!". Yesterday she said "Mommy, you're my best friend". And the kicker that gets me every time..."Mommy, I love you".

She is learning so much everyday about the world around her...every moment is a teaching opportunity and she is full of such excitement and independence that it's hard not to smile just looking at her.

This is not to say that there aren't difficult times. My patience is tested daily...but I am able to make it through each day with the prayer of "Lord, give me a gentle spirit and the heart of a child...help me to walk at Bella's pace and see the world through her eyes".

Thank you Jesus for the gift of motherhood.

Yes or No?

2006-12-31T05:28:00.000-08:00

Bella is growing up so much every day. She has so many cute & quirky things that she does, it's hard to remember them all! Her latest thing is her "OR" obsession. Here are some examples:

Bella: I can have this? Yes or No?
Me: No.
Bella: Yes or No?
Me: No.
Bella: Yes or No?
Me: No.
Bella: Ok.

Bella: What's that noise?
Me: That's a car outside.
Bella: Is that a car or a lion?
Me: A car.
Bella: Is that a lion or a car?
Me: A car.
Bella: Oh.

Bella: What's that noise?
Me: I'm not sure.
Bella: Is it Grandpa fluffing or Grandma fluffing?
Me: *giggling*

Bella: You like BRC or XYZ?
Me: BRC
Bella: You like XYZ or BRC?
Me: BRC
(note: she likes to write on paper and ask us if we like certain letters while she does it. Those 6 letters are her favorites)

She's always so serious...it's hard not to laugh sometimes.

She is LOVING all the snow in Montana...every time we go outside, she has to make a snow angel. Sledding is a favorite too...she calls the sled the "boat".

She still talks about Des Moines once in a while...if we are going somewhere, she'll ask if Lily, Sage, and Wally are going to be there. And several times, she has told me "My apartment is far, far, far, far away. I live in Bozeman". She has once told me she wants to go to her apartment to her bed.

We are trying hard to make this transition smooth for her...it's so hard for her to understand, but I know she catches more than we think she does.

My little baby is growing up before my eyes...I fall in love with her again everyday.

The Naked Artist

2006-12-11T21:43:00.000-08:00

My amazing little artist. So creative...so beautiful...so MESSY! I bought Bella some fingerpaints this summer, but we never had a chance to use them in an acceptable environment. Fast forward to living at Nana and Papa's house. Bella has this lovely art corner and she uses it almost daily. Waterpaints, colored pencils, markers, paint...she loves it all. Before she can use the finger paint, I always have her take off her clothes to save me time while doing laundry. Hence, the nakedness.

Wrapping Up

2006-11-17T21:08:00.000-08:00

Bella loves to carry her babies around in her slings. Here she is using my scarf as a wrap...and has Baby Honey all cozy and sleeping inside. She is such a great little mommy...rocking and bouncing...singing lullabies to her little bundles. It's so precious.

Making Muffins

2006-11-14T00:11:00.000-08:00

This is a common sight in our kitchen. Bella LOVES to sit up on the counter and help with everything I do. Making muffins is one of our favorite activities. We each have our own "scooper" and we take turns putting the batter into the muffin stone...luckily, her aim is improving since we first started. :)

Proud Mama Moment

2006-11-10T08:03:00.000-08:00

This week, Bella came to me with her empty crayon box in hand and told me,

"I need to recycle this!"

So we flattened it together and put it in the appropriate drawer (click here). It was such a proud moment for me. :) My sweet little recycling baby.

Smoothie Smile

2006-11-09T00:37:00.000-08:00

Bella LOVES smoothies. Especially blueberry & banana smoothies. They're a little messy...but it's such a great way to get her vitamins and fiber. She even loves the "green smoothies" with kale in them. She's definitely my child. For this particular moustache, we start with frozen bananas...add frozen blueberries...add some almond milk...and some flax oil...and press the button! Delicious.

Creative Play

2006-11-06T21:41:00.000-08:00

Everyday, I try to engage Bella in some creative play. Once she gets started...she will sometimes be busy for 1/2 hour all by herself. When I was a child, we didn't have to even think about "creative play"...but toys and playtimes have changed since then. Now, you can buy toys that do everything for you...make all the noises, move around in circles, tell you what to do, etc. In our house, we only have toys that require some sort of imagination to play with them. We have almost no plastic toys...opting for wood or cloth instead. And you definitely won't HEAR any electronic toys at our house.

Bella's favorite toys are her playsilks (seen above as they provide a cushy bed for her dolly), her wooden food, and her musical instruments. It's so much fun to see her create scenarios and imagine all kinds of fun things to do...her mind is growing before my eyes!

Walking with Bella

2006-10-31T00:02:00.000-08:00

Bella and I had so much fun exploring the neighborhood on this beautiful autumn day. It's always good to go walking with Bella...she reminds me to slow down and enjoy life at a slower pace. Come walk with us!

So Much Joy

2006-10-24T20:59:00.000-07:00

Bella has been such a joy lately. She brings so much passion and energy to our life. She talks so much, and has so many ideas and opinions about things. Here are some of the things on her mind these days:

She was standing at the table drawing today and she looked up and told Matt ..."I need a Half-Caf Caramel Latte". We obviously buy too many fancy coffees! I laughed so hard.
She's been "running errands" a lot lately. She will get on her shoes and hat and grab her purse and announce that she is "running errands". She will then walk into the bedroom and stay in there for awhile and then come back out.
She LOVES to jump on the bed while we hold her hands and help her go higher. Great fun.
She picks out her clothes everyday. A few days ago, she woke up...proceeded to wake ME up and with both of her hands on my face, she says "Mommy! Get up...I need to get dressed!". I told her to pick out some clothes. She went to her drawers and pulled out a jean skirt, tights, and her belt (she calls it her seatbelt)...and announced "This is Cuuuuute!"...in her little princess voice. That's my girl :)

Guitar Time with Daddy

2006-10-17T14:58:00.000-07:00

Bella has ALWAYS loved her daddy's guitar. Grandma and Grandpa Janssen got her a guitar for Christmas last year, and it has been one of her very favorite things. They have so much fun playing and singing songs together. Her most recent release is "Itsy Bitsy Spider"...rock and roll style like only Bella can do.

Snow or Sun?

2006-10-14T23:21:00.000-07:00

It' has started to get cold here...so Bella and I have started to talk about winter, snow, mittens, hats, etc. She decided that she wanted to try on her snowsuit that we got from her cousins, and it fits perfectly! But within minutes, she was back into her bathing suit (she wears the top of her bikini almost everyday under her clothes and calls it her "bra"). I guess she wasn't quite ready to accept that it was winter yet. Maybe because they turned the radiator on in our apartment, and it feels like Aruba in here!

So Grown Up

2006-10-10T22:56:00.000-07:00

One of our friends commented tonight that Bella has "grown up overnight"...and she really has. In the last month or so, she has completely changed. She peppers her conversation with the cutest little phrases throughout the day...

"No worries mama!"
"That's crazy!"
"That's not annoying..."
"It's good..."

Her personality is forming before our eyes...such an amazing thing to watch.

Wildlife

2006-10-10T22:52:00.000-07:00

There is all kinds of wildlife at our new apartment. In the photo above, you'll see Bella and the friendly squirrel having a stare down. We also have an owl who lives outside our window in the tree...and a raccoon who will stroll down the sidewalk and scurry up the tree. Just like camping...except we're in the middle of the city. Weird...but fun.

Hangin' Out

2006-10-10T22:49:00.000-07:00

Bella loves to hang on anything. Her favorite is the bar in the bus...but any railing will do. My dad tells me stories of me hanging on bars as a baby...he says I had the strongest grip around. Looks like she takes after mama. And look at those stomach muscles!

Little Artist

2006-10-10T22:41:00.000-07:00

Every day, Bella asks to draw. She loves to draw big circles. Around and around and around...most of the time she tells me she's drawing a "daddy" or a "mommy". I recently bought her a huge roll of paper that we stretch out across the coffee table...I tape it down and it's there all day long. She can draw til her heart's content. She also has an easel at Nana and Papa's house. She has some waterpaints there that she LOVES.

She gets very intense when she's drawing. It's very serious stuff.

The Park

2006-10-07T08:26:00.000-07:00

We've had beautiful weather here lately...perfect for swinging in the park. This park is just a few blocks from our house, and the walk is wonderful. We pass gorgeous old Victorian homes, dogs, runners, and changing leaves.

Bella loves it when Daddy pushes her HIGH!! Click here for a few more photos.

My Best Friend

2006-09-28T15:31:00.000-07:00

Spending my days with Bella is like having a best friend with me 24 hours a day. Most of the time you adore them. Sometimes you think they are possessed by aliens. She is growing and learning so much right now. I can have a full conversation with her...I love it. Here are a few things she's been doing lately.

*Our bedtime ritual is for us to get into bed...and then I tell her the story of our day. "Once upon a time, the was a little girl named Bella Grace. She woke up one morning and had oatmeal with her mommy. Then they got ready to go to playgroup..." and so on. After that, we sing a lullaby. And then I say "Goodnight Bella...I love you so much!". We had been doing this ritual for a couple weeks, and one night, she looked back up at me and said,

"I love you too so much too"

Talk about a heart melter. I have had dreams about my child telling me that...it was so wonderful.

*We recently pulled into a Starbucks parking lot. Bella took one look and said..."I NEED CAFFEINE!".

*We were in the bathroom at Lowe's. Bella was pooping...she started out by pooping a bunch of little poopies. Then she pooped a big one. She looked down into the toilet and said ... "Awwwww! It's the mommy!". I was rolling on the floor laughing. I guess I hadn't ever thought about poop having a mommy. Along these same lines...Bella is still very concerned about everyone else's mommy. If she sees a squirrel by itself..."where's his mommy?!"

*She asked me for water and I filled up a cup and gave it to her. She looked at it and said, "No...I need the piggy water!". It took me a few moments to figure out that she wanted the little juice glass with a cute little pig on it.

*Bella is very independent. She wants to do many things by herself now...which makes it very hard to get anywhere on time these days. She must pick out her own clothes. She must walk down our 3 flights of stairs to the car. A phrase I hear a lot is "Me do it."

*She so wants to be just like mommy..she likes to say, "Like Mommy do's". She's getting really into slinging her baby, nursing her baby...taking care of her baby. She also wants to use the big vacuum to pretend vacuum. She wants to drive the car. She wants to walk at the farmer's market instead of ride in the sling. Which, amazingly, was fine. She did great just walking next to us!

*She knows her ABC's now. The only part she gets hung up on is "H". She loves singing. She sings Itsy Bitsy Spider, Five Little Monkeys, and other random things she hears me singing.

It's definitely hard to get used to this new stage...she's so opinionated (I wonder where that comes from!?) ...and yet so wonderful and beautiful at the same time. I try very hard to truly listen to her and respect her as a person. If it's not going to hurt her, I usually let her try it. Even if it means wearing the same shirt 3 days in a row. Even if it means slowing life down a bit. I have to stop and ask myself why I am "making" her do something. Usually it's a selfish reason on my part. So I am learning a lot about myself, and at the same time learning all about her. God is good.

No Words Necessary

2006-09-28T15:28:00.000-07:00

Little Hippie

2006-09-23T23:34:00.000-07:00

Can I just tell you how much I adore this little girl?

Sweet Bouncing Bean

2006-09-19T23:18:00.000-07:00

"I'm Jumping!"

Peace

2006-09-19T23:16:00.000-07:00

If you've ever had a toddler, you know that this is one of the most beautiful moments during the day. Don't get me wrong...I adore my sweet Bella, but sometimes a mama needs some peace and quiet.

Making a Tattoo

2006-09-14T10:25:00.000-07:00

We LOVE watching Miami Ink. It's so fun to see all the tattoos that other people are getting and hear the stories. Once in awhile, Bella has been in the room and has seen them working. So, today, I wasn't surprised when I found this masterpiece on her foot.

"I'm making a tattooooo! I like tattoos!"

Yesterday, she made a GIANT tattoo on her leg in the backseat while I was driving...but daddy washed it off before photos could be taken. She's quite a creative girl.

The Naked Chef

2006-09-11T19:03:00.000-07:00

Whenever I cook, Bella is right there with me in the kitchen...watching every move. So, it's no surprise that she LOVES cooking with her own little kitchen set. Grandma Janssen (a.k.a. Amma) got her this adorable little 2-burner "stove", and I found some fun wooden fruits and veggies (complete with her favorite...the avocado!). She has her own mini cast iron skillet too. Tonight she was making me dinner...and here are some of the things she said while she was cooking...

"I like cooking!"
"Mommy...you like this food?"
"I'm making thai food...you like it?"
"Almost done..."
"I'm stirring!"
"Eat at the table..."
"Thank you Jesus for this food...Amen!"

After we were done eating, she wanted to clean up with my "spray". She loves to spray things...and because I use only natural cleaners, I don't mind her spraying the house . After all, it's just water, vinegar, essential oils!

It was a fun evening with my little naked chef.

I Need Too Much!

2006-09-06T15:17:00.000-07:00

Lately, instead of saying, "I need more", Bella says "I need too much!".

When she wants more lotion..."I need too much!"
When she wants more soap..."I need too much!"
When she wants another bite of something..."I need too much!"

She also has started to demand "proof" of something...no longer does she take my word for it. For example, when we are having a treat and I tell her it's all gone, she says...

"I see it all gone? Please?"

She knows I'm just hiding it from her! My smart little girl.

Nursie Nursie

2006-09-04T16:55:00.000-07:00

Bella loves to nurse her baby. In the photo above...we were walking around Uncle Dan's garden. It was so peaceful and pretty. I was walking ahead of her...and when I looked back, she was "nursing". It's such a beautiful thing to watch your child nurture their "baby" in the same way that you have nurtured them. It usually goes something like this:

"Nursie baby? Yeah? Yeah?"

Bella then pulls up her shirt as far as it will go so she can see what she is doing. Then, she sways gently as she nurses her baby.

"It's ok baby...mommy's here...mommy's here. Shhh...."

Oh...it's the sweetest thing.

Uncle Dan

2006-08-29T22:47:00.000-07:00

Bella loves her Uncle Dan! We had a great time visiting him in Denver...seeing the sights and making him crazy. Bella loved his big fluffy bed and his wonderful new piano. He'll make a great daddy someday.

"Tiny Little Bit?"

2006-08-28T13:46:00.000-07:00

This is Bella's favorite new phrase. Whenever you tell her that she can't have something or can't do something...she looks at you with that sweet little face and says "...a tiny little bit?".

The funniest incident was when we were all sitting aroud the chiminea one night...roasting marshmallows, making s'mores, etc. She came to me and wanted a bite. I didn't want to give her one...but she won me over with her "tiny little bit" schpeel. So after she got a tiny little bit from me...she moved over towards Nana. And then Grandpa. And then Daddy. And by the time she got done, she had A LOT of s'mores. She's so sneaky. :)

Water

2006-08-28T13:36:00.000-07:00

Bella loves playing in the sink. Splashing. Filling. Pouring. Drinking. Good "clean" fun.

Girly Girl

2006-08-13T17:20:00.000-07:00

Bella loves shoes. And purses. Playing dress-up is soooo much fun. She has always loved these things...without any "encouragement" from me. I'm sure she sees me carrying a purse and wearing shoes, etc. and wants to be like me...but she could spend an HOUR trying on different shoes at Target!

I love this about her. I love that she is a girl. With a sweet little voice and a love for cool shoes. But she also loves to play with water, dirt, and trains. She a very well-rounded young lady.

A special thanks to Kristin for letting us play with her shoes.

All About Bella

2006-08-01T15:14:00.000-07:00

I was "tagged" by Heather for this meme. So here ya go...

All about Bella Boo.

3 Things That Scare Me
The Goodnight Moon DVD (There's a Nightmare in my Closet)
Big trucks
The thought of daddy putting me to bed and not mommy.

5 People That Make Me Laugh
Dan
Michael
Scotty
Laura
Wally

3 Things I Love
Going to the park
Riding in the bike trailer
Taking baths

3 Things I Hate
Leaving the library
Having mommy help me brush my teeth
Sharing

3 Things I Don't Understand
Why I'm supposed to eat my own snacks at playgroup
Why sharing is good
Why I can't nurse 24 hours a day

3 Things On My Floor
Blocks
Books
Clothes

3 Things I'm Doing Right Now
Sleeping
Dreaming
Breathing

3 Things I Want To Do Before I Die
Drive a car all by myself
Run down the sidewalk with no one chasing after me
Wakeboard with Daddy

3 Ways To Describe My Personality
Charming
Sweet
Determined

3 Things You Should Listen To
Me counting.
Me trying to sing the ABC's.
Me farting...it's funny.

3 Things You Should Never Listen To
"That's not yours Bella"
"That's mommy's Bella"
"We don't hit people...that hurts!"

3 Absolute Favorite Foods
Avocados
Tofu/Brown rice/Broccoli
Smoothies

3 Things I'd Like To Learn
How to get those locks open
How to get mommy to just leave her shirt off all day for easy access

3 Beverages I Drink Regularly
Breastmilk
More breastmilk
Water

3 Shows I Watch
Mommy and Daddy got rid of the TV...but sometimes on special days I get to watch the Goodnight Moon DVD from the library.

Babies/Kids I Tag:
Taylor
Jocelyn
Lilli

Our Growing Girl

2006-08-01T15:01:00.000-07:00

Bella is changing daily...new words, expressions, movements! Here are a few of her "things"...

*Everything has to be done "By Bella's Self" or "By myself". Especially walking up and down stairs, which she can now do without holding anything.

*She loves to release all of our belongings from their prisons. The DVD's. The toys. The cushions. The dishes. The towels. The books. They can all be strewn about the house in about 3 minutes flat. It's truly amazing.

*At night, she has to wear a compression bandage on her finger (from her surgery)...and she will always remind me by saying "Doctor say I wear it on the finger at night!".

*She is exploring her different types of cries (even when she's not sad). When she is done...she simply says, "Bella stop crying now".

*Bedtime is so much fun. We bathe and then we play on the bed...doing somersaults and jumping, doing games with daddy.

*She's very into wearing her bathing suit. Everywhere. For anything. Just the suit.

*When I run upstairs quick or leave her along for a second, she yells after me..."Mommy forgot the BABY!"

*If I roll over in bed before Bella is done nursing...she will exclaim..."MISSING the NURSIES!"

*She has strong opinions about what she will wear. And it really doesn't matter if mommy wants to put matching socks on. In Bella's world, the lime green and bright pink look much nicer together. She also likes to put layers and layers of clothes on top of each other...and she likes mommy's and daddy's clothes too.

Some funnies:
*We have a great worship CD that has a chorus of: "I need your mercies...your mercies". Bella loves to sing along, but she sings "I need your nursies...your nursies!"

*I was looking all over for some new chopsticks that I got, and Bella is sooo great at finding things. So I asked her, "Bella, where did you put Mommy's chopstick?"... and she immediately ran into the bathroom and then came running back out with the chapstick. Chopstick = Chapstick. It all sounds the same :)

Wally

2006-07-31T16:27:00.000-07:00

Bella met Wally at a La Leche League meeting when they were both about 4 months old...and I think she has loved him from that day. Wally lives in a house that is on our way to just about everything. Whenever we drive by, she always exclaims "Wally's house!" (even if we're just in the vicinity). When he was on vacation in July, she was quite concerned and wanted to know where he was. He and his mom Sarah, who is a wonderful and mindful friend of mine, came over to our house for playtime last week. As you can see in the photos, Bella is clearly smitten with Wally.

*She would fall down on the ground and then say "Help! Help Wally!" And he would come help her up.
*Wally taught Bella (or tried) how to dance (see her on her tippy toes?) His mommy and daddy run Swing Des Moines, so he is off to a good start.
*They like to hug.

Like any relationship, they have their ups and downs. But they get over it and move on toward a bright future.

More photos here.

Little Girls

2006-07-31T14:31:00.000-07:00

Last Friday, we had a wonderful time at playgroup (at the lake), and then at the library. After that, we went to lunch with Rebecca and Bianca at Ritual Cafe, and then went to their house for more playtime! It was a FULL day, but tons of fun. See more photos here (2nd half of photoset).

Friends Forever

2006-07-23T00:53:00.000-07:00

Bella and her friend Bianca had a great time playing together today. They danced. They strolled. They laughed. They shared food. They peed in the potty together. Aaaaahhh....life as a 2 year old.

Click here to read the account of our day on my other blog...

Potty Learning

2006-07-20T01:18:00.000-07:00

Today is a big day at our house. Bella has officially mastered the toilet. I don't like the words "potty trained". She's not a dog. She is a sweet little girl who has learned to control her bodily functions!

She has been wearing undies for about a month now...but we had been wearing a diaper at nighttime and at naps. But yesterday and today, we went with 100% undies and she did GREAT! Even overnight. We're so excited. She has an occasional accident, especially if she is at a park or playgroup. When you're having fun, why would you want to stop to run to the bathroom?! So,we bought a little "porta-potty" for the parks and for road trips. However, she likes to carry it around the house and use it there. In the photo, she is sitting at the top of our stairs, peeing and reading a brochure about Jazz in July.

Congratulations to Bella on her big accomplishment!

Lucy

2006-05-25T13:15:00.000-07:00

Bella loves puppies. Our friends Brandon and Abby (college pastors at our church) have a little puppy named Lucy and Bella had fun walking her around in their backyard. Sometimes Lucy was dragging Bella around...but mostly it was Bella dragging Lucy! And no....we aren't getting a puppy.

Pouch Baby

2006-05-25T13:06:00.000-07:00

Bella has decided that she loves to be all curled up in the fleece pouch...just like when she was a newborn. If you try to put her in a different way, she says "Feet IN! Feet IN!". She loves her Daddy so much...they do lots of fun things together so that I can have some time by myself!

Bianca

2006-05-25T12:47:00.000-07:00

Our friends Rebecca and Bianca came to play at our house this week. Bianca (Bella calls her "Anca") is 20 months and she is bi-lingual (Portuguese). It was fun to hear her say the words in a different language. Bella really liked Bianca's sunglasses too. Their family will be moving to Brazil in December, where they will teach Capoeira (a lively Brazilian martial art that combines dance, acrobatics and music with fighting techniques). It's fun to hear about their exciting experiences!

Bella-antics, Part II

2006-05-18T14:23:00.000-07:00

Bella is changing so much with each day. Her vocabulary is really expanding and she will also repeat/copy everything we say or do. Things you may hear around our house on any given day:

"Good morning!" (she says this as a greeting any time of the day)
"Set it!" (when she wants you to set something down for her to see)
"Lotion!" (she's obsessive with lotion)
"I see a bunny!" (she means squirrel)
"Swimming pool/hot tub...I put on my baby suit"
"Dr. Wade...dentist boy...clean my teeth!" (she remembers his name all by herself)
"Dr. Cherney...fix my finger!"
"Nana, sit down and rock!"
"My vitamin? One a day!!" (she always wants more than one, so we always say one a day!)
"Amma...Papa...Abby sleep here, Bentley sleep here!" (Grandma and Grandpa Janssen came to DM and brought the dogs and she's been talking about it ever since)
"Draw Mindy and Xena!" (Aunt Mindy and her dog...sometimes she will remember to add Uncle Ryan too)
"Slide? Swings? Park? In the bike!"
"Oh sorry..." (if she accidentally bumps you)
"Bless you!" (If you sneeze, cough, blow your nose, or do anything that sounds like those)
"Sooo Sone!" (Must be heard to understand, she means "Cold Stone!" )
"Errraboo" (When she sees a Caribou Coffee shop)
"Mommy...in the bed!" (when she wakes up and wants me to lay with her in the bed)e
"Bike!" (we've been riding the bike with the trailer everyday)
"I see Wally's house!"
"Oooooh sweetie baby!"
"Tea party!"
"Na na nursy-time" (self-explanatory)

The list could go on and on...I'm amazed daily at what she can remember. She's great with names. Her favorite CD right now is "Cows and Ice Cream" and her favorite song to sing is "My Favorite Things" from The Sound of Music. We love to dance around the living room and sing with guitars and we also like to blow bubbles outside. In fact, I think we will go do that right now!

Stacking

2006-05-18T14:19:00.000-07:00

We got Bella these blocks for her birthday. She loves to stack them up and then as soon as she's done, she pushes it over and then laughs and laughs. I love my crazy Bella.

Orderly

2006-05-18T14:16:00.000-07:00

Bella likes to line things up.

Drive

2006-05-10T22:00:00.000-07:00

Bella has always loved to sit in the driver's seat of our car (this photo was taken on our way out to Boulder last August). Now that she can voice her opinions more clearly, she makes it known everytime we get in the car that she wants to "drive for a minute". It's the key to getting her in the carseat without a fight. So, here is how it goes down:

As we approach the car, Bella asks ... "drive for a minute?"
Hand Bella the keys and put her in the seat
She puts the correct key in the ignition and pretends to drive for about 10 seconds
Ask Bella if she can help me get her into the carseat
She turns around and crawls to the backseat and gets buckled in quickly and calmly

What happens if you don't let Bella "drive for a minute?" Well, I'll just let this be a happy blog.

Nana

2006-05-02T21:12:00.000-07:00

Bella loves to hang out with her Nana. Here they are in the backyard...following Casie the Cat around. Casie is my parent's cat who came over to visit after her haircut. My mom is so great with Bella and is so accepting and encouraging in all of my parenting practices. She was made to be a Nana...it certainly suits her.

Pure Joy

2006-05-02T20:51:00.000-07:00

We have a slide in our very own backyard thanks to Grandpa and Grandma Janssen. They were able to find this amazing slide for Bella's birthday and she loves it. And I love it too because I am able to go outside and read or work while she has something safe and fun to do. She has recently mastered going up the slide backwards...by taking her shoes and socks off so her feet are "sticky". The look on her face when she mastered that was so great. I love witnessing her achievements with her...it's a dose of pure joy.

Relaxation

2006-05-02T20:45:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite things to do is sit outside on a blanket and read/write. It's even better if I have a stash of snacks. Bella and I decided to take an afternoon and sit outside to do just that. We took apples, graham crackers, and some water and headed outside. We had a lovely time. Bella was especially serious when she was "writing" in my journal. It's so great to get out of the house and spend some time with Bella ... listening to the "birdeees" and the watching the "baby bunneeees" (which are not actually bunnies, they are squirrels). Fun times. Warm weather = good.

Springtime

2006-05-02T19:40:00.000-07:00

How do you tell a little girl not to pick the flowers? The are so beautiful, bright and yummy. Don't you think God put them on earth to be enjoyed...and held in our hands? I could tell her not to touch them. That they are only for looking at. But springtime just isn't springtime without the picking of a few daffodils. So everytime we go for a walk, Bella gathers some love in her hand. Thank you Jesus for flowers and 2 year olds. May I always remember to stop to pick one.

Bella-antics

2006-03-20T14:25:00.000-08:00

Me: "What would you like for breakfast Bella? Oatmeal, apples, or a smoothie?"
Bella: "Money."

Whenever she spills something, she says "ooop-peees". Actually, she adds an "--ies" to everything she says. For example, she says "nursies" for nurse and "yessies" for yes, "puzzies" for puzzles, and "raizies" for raisins.

Instead of saying "no", she says "nope".

She's just recently become fixated on Mindy (Matt's sister) and her dog, Xena. She runs around the house saying "Minnyzeena" over and over with no space in between. "minnyzeeenaminnyzeeena".

She loves "dosh" (sauce). She's very into dipping things into any liquid and then eating only the sauce off and leaving the dipped food.

She hides when she poops. Well, not always. Yesterday she did a half headstand in the middle of the livingroom, and while she was sitting the upside down, I asked her what she was doing, and she said... "pooping". And she was.

She loves to "ellp" (help)...with everything. Sweeping, carrying things, loading and unloading the dishwasher...she's very servant-hearted. :)

She methodical. She likes to line things up in a row.

When we get to the church, she yells "happy!"...and then starts singing "holy holy merciful...". Well, it comes out as "hooooey hooooey meerrrrrceeeee".

At night, as a stalling tactic, she lists off all of the things she thinks will get her out of bed.

"Poooopy!?"
"Pee?!"
"Boppy?!" (rocker)
"Daddy?!"
"Eat?!"

...and with big tears in her eyes... "PIZZA??!"

The word "yes" is now pronounced with a strong "ssss" at the end. "Yesssss".

She loves to climb. Standing on the coffee table is super fun. Climbing up onto the arm of the couch and jumping off onto the pillows is even better.

She once saw me rip out a subscription card from a magazine, so now she goes through all of my magazines and rips out the subscription cards. She is VERY serious about it.

Well, I'm sure there are more, but that's all I can remember right now :) She just repeats everything we say and is really starting to be quite the conversationalist. She keeps us on our toes and has us laughing out loud everyday.

Pretending

2006-03-10T14:30:00.000-08:00

Bella is starting to "pretend". Most recently, she was pretending that she was making and drinking a smoothie (otherwise known as a "mooney"). While I am loading the dishwasher, she loves to take everything back out and play with it on the opened door. On this occasion, she grabbed the blender and set it out. She then looked around until she saw the blender lid on the counter...and then she pointed at it and said "that!". After she mixed her "mooney", she poured it out into the cup. She now needed something to drink it with...and she asked for a straw ("ssdraw"). She proceded to drink it with delight in her eyes and with a smile on her face.

Fun at the Park

2006-03-03T20:11:00.000-08:00

It was unusually warm this week...so we headed out to the park near our house. Last summer Bella had just learned to walk and wasn't quite "park ready" yet. This summer will be a whole different story. Not only does she want to go on the little slides...she wants to go on the BIG slides. All by herself. But she doesn't like the swing. She likes to sit in the swing...but the minute you actually try to swing her, she says "Out!".

On this particular day at the park, there were several other older girls there. They had claimed one of the little cubbies waaaaay up high in the jungle gym, and had hauled a bunch of evergreen branches up there to make what I thought was a nest. They quickly corrected me...saying that they were fire hoses. Bella wanted so badly to go play with them...but these 4 and 5 year olds would have none of that. We turned and headed back to the toddler park with a few tears. She loved the yellow tunnel and slides and we stayed until naptime. Her personality is shining so brightly these days...everyday is new adventure in learning Bella. She fills my heart with so much joy.

Click here for more photos of our day at the park.

Edamames

2006-03-03T19:21:00.000-08:00

"Mommie Mommies!"...these words come from Bella's mouth at least 5 times a day. No, she's not calling for me. She's calling for her favorite food...edamames in the shell (otherwise known as soybeans). In this particular photo, she was having them for breakfast. Sometimes she has them at every meal. You've gotta love the toddler taste buds. She doesn't want ice cream...but she'll eat edamames.

Becoming

2006-02-28T22:50:00.000-08:00

It's truly amazing to watch someone learning, growing and changing...right before your eyes. Bella has become Bella. She has likes and dislikes. Opinions. Preferences. Strong preferences in fact. I knew that we had entered a new stage when she wanted to wear her full body fleece bunting for an entire day without taking it off. I did somehow persuade her to let me change her diaper. But for the most part, she wore it while she ate, slept, and played. Tonight, it was her boots. She brought her boots to Matt and wanted to put them on...and being the great dad that he is, he obliged. When it was time for bed, she desperately wanted to keep them on. My first instinct was to say "No, it's time for bed...let's take them off". But it was clear to me that I would have caused a riot if I said that. So I let her wear them. We laid in bed with the boots. We cuddled with the boots. We rocked with the boots. Right before she fell asleep, she looked at me and said "Boot...OFF!". My sweet baby knows what she wants. And I am glad I let her handle in in her own way...in her own time.