All Better!

Ok, now we're back into the swing of things!
Stella feels better, I feel better...
Nick is happy that we're all better.

Today was Day 4 back at the gym! Stella was recently introduced to the Children's Center at the Cincinnati Sports Mall. They have a WONDERFUL infant area where she gets to "play" (mostly nap) while I get to work out!! So far the staff there say that she follows instructions well and always plays nice with the other children...oh ok, once again, she usually naps. But I like to think she's behaving herself nicely.

For some reason I have been over analyzing every little thing about Stella lately...especially anything related to sleeping, napping, and wake time. I love to read and research about development and parenting, etc...but I think I've gone a bit too far, trying to "perfect" everything. Well, last night Stella proved to me that we're all doing just fine. I was out at Bible Study, so Dad was "on duty". He gave her an evening bottle, then a bath, played with her until she appeared sleepy, put her to bed where she played for a little bit, fussed and then fell asleep around 10pm. We didn't hear a peep from her until 6:50am! Nick looked at me this morning while brushing his teeth and asked, "we didn't get up in the middle of the night, did we?" :) No, we didn't!! We've had a couple of nights like this already, but it was especially nice to have it after a day of analyzing and re-analyzing and over-analyzing. I'm not sure if this will happen again anytime soon, but we sure like when it does! Although, I can't complain for one second about getting up only once a night. She continues to be a delight!

Please continue to pray for my health and sanity as I
continue to enjoy this adventure called PARENTHOOD!
I really am loving every minute!!

A Rough Day

Where should I begin?
Yesterday, April 23 was a little hard for our family. I guess it started out with me waking up, not feeling 100%. (It's hard being a mom when you're not feeling well.) I was weak, nauseated, feverish and had to be available to our little one. Not only was my day hard, but Stella's was no piece of cake either. She had her 2 month check-up yesterday, which went really well, until the last 5 minutes. She's grown another inch and a half, she's just under 11 pounds and developmentally is right on track. Then came the shots...yes, SHOTS (plural). Poor little girl had to get 4 vaccines yesterday. She did great...a good scream, a few tears and we were on our way home. That is where it all went downhill.

Luckily Nick was able to come home from work a little early to tend to us. By the time we got home, I could barely get myself in the door before throwing up (sorry if I'm grossing anyone out). Not long after I got sick, Stella woke up and was not happy. Apparently the shots can make a baby "fussy." Poor little one cried and cried until Nick took her on a few errands (riding in the car always helps). Once they got home, she cried some more. We finally got her to sleep, which allowed me some time to take care of myself. After a nap, some tylenol, and some imodium, I was sort of able to move around the house. Nick was fantastic taking care of both of us.

Now, it's Tuesday, I'm probably about 85%...and Stella is sleeping, again. (The shots will also make the baby sleep more...once they actually fall asleep.)

GOALS FOR THE DAY: eat something (I only ate bananas and dry toast yesterday), continue to rest, and thank Nick for his patience during all of the icky moments yesterday.

The Duck Outfit

I've often wondered what happens when I'm at work and my two favorite girls are hanging out at home. Apparently they play dress up.

"Mom, can I take this off now!?"...



(At what point are we considered bad parents for using Stella for a cheap laugh?)

A Blessed Easter in Captiva, Florida

So many firsts...where to begin!?

Stella had her first airplane ride (and was amazing, by the way). She slept from the moment we got in the car until we arrived at our destination! It was wonderful that she traveled so well, but such a long nap translated into a night of very little sleep. That didn't last long though. She quickly adjusted to her new surroundings and got used to cat naps in the port-a-crib by the pool. All that napping in the fresh air added to wonderful nights of sleep as well. We were able to enjoy 6-7 hour stretches of sleep overnight! Thank you, Stella!! This was a REAL vacation!!

Speaking of the pool, Stella took her first swim as well! Dad was very gentle introducing her to the warm water. She even wore her first bikini (a hand-me-down from cousin Ellen--yes we know it's a bit too big)!

What appeared to be a peaceful dip in the pool quickly changed...

Ok, maybe we'll try that pool thing again later. And maybe next time we won't swim when we're due to eat.

Between sunbathing and swimming, we walked on the beach, enjoyed delicious meals both in and out. We even visited a favorite spot...The Lazy Flamingo!

and "played" the ring game with dad...


We went fishing on the dock in the rain!


Snuggled with mom...
And even tried swimming again!


We like lounging on the alligator much better!


Nick and I even got a chance to have a couple of "date nights" out on the town thanks to our very qualified baby-sitters. We are so thankful for Grandma and Grandpa Bettcher. They made every moment so enjoyable. It was a treat to watch them with their newest grandchild.

Even with all of the activity, we were still able to enjoy some wonderful R&R.
We can't wait until our next visit. We are so blessed!

Meeting More Cousins...

Before we left for Florida, we got a visit from Aunt Kim, Uncle Jon, Jim, Ben, Tom & Mike!! What fun! The boys couldn't have been more gentle with their new cousin. Each took turns holding her, kissing her and loving her. We can't wait until we're all together again.

What a weekend...and, there's more to come!

Where to start!? First of all, we had the most gorgeous weather here in Cincinnati the past few days that allowed us to be outside all weekend!
Stella's Grandma Freeman, Uncle Jimmy (newly named, "Crazy Uncle Jimmy") and Great Aunt Ann were all in town visiting. We spent the weekend fawning over Stella, enjoying many walks around Hyde Park, tasting the culinary treats prepared by Grandma Carol and Nick, laughing about old memories, enjoying being serenaded by Uncle Jimbo, attending church for the first time as a family (on Palm Sunday, no less), playing games and making wonderful new memories.

The Happy Family


Snuggling with Uncle Jimmy


Picking flowers at Ault Park


And...what's to come?

Well, this week, the plan is for Aunt Kim, Uncle Jon and all the boys...Jim, Ben, Tom and Mike to meet Stella for the first time. They'll be here for a couple of fun filled days. We'll be celebrating Stella's addition to our family, 3 birthdays from the month of March and just being together!

That's not all...Stella is taking her first trip! We will be spending Easter weekend (plus a couple of extra days) in Captiva Island, Florida! Grandma and Grandpa Bettcher decided that they wanted to invite us all down to the "Bougainvilla" house to celebrate Stella's first Easter together. We are definitely looking forward to some fun in the sun!

How does Stella feel about all of this, you ask?
Decide for yourself:

We think the answer is pretty obvious!!