She's mobile!!!

I just wanted to share a sneak peek of one of the thing i'll be posting about for Stella's 7 month update. She's a mover!!! She always has been a mover.... even in the womb, she was a mover. So, here is our little monkey... Crawling away in all her glory :) You can mute the music if you want to hear her baby screeches and raspberries, she's pretty cute.



and

In a Funk... a quick update

So I realize it's really been forever since I've posted... I've been a bad mommy blogger and have really been neglecting my creative writing lately. I've kinda been in a funk. I've also been out of town a ton, which makes it difficult to post things when I don't have my normal set up. And? I've started this draft about 5 times already... hopefully I can finish it this time.

So, what all have we been up to around the Norris household? Lots! It has been an eventful month, and i'm hoping things will start to slow down now, I'm ready for a break. Stella has become quite the grown up little baby this month, but, you'll hear all about that on Wednesday ;) So, whats new?

We bought a new{er} car! I drove to Seattle with Stella and sold our Land Rover (great car, horrible for families) and bought a Toyota Highlander! I LOVE IT! Huge shout out of thanks to my parents for putting up with Stella and I for almost 2 weeks!! And Huge Thanks to my dad, for helping me search every car lot in the greater Seattle area for the perfect car! Turns out all that searching led us right back to Auburn, just down the road from their house, to Doxon Toyota, where we got our Highlander. They were great to work with, gave us an amazing deal, and all the free soda and cookies I wanted {which really help keep the tummy growls away when sitting at a dealership for 4 hours through lunch time...}. My mom drove home with me and even after 9 hours of travel, I still love it. It's perfect. I'll post some pictures of it soon. Promise.

I'm now an Independent Consultant for Scentsy! I am in love with their warmers and scents, and the buddies are so adorable! Stella loves to chew on her Ollie the Elephant :) I've posted a button on the side of my blog that leads directly to my personal website, where you can order and get information about our products. The warmers and buddies make awesome Christmas gifts! :)

Fall is here! We went from 90 degrees to 40 degrees... in 3 days! It was quite the shock, but Boise has leveled out into the 60s for now, and hopefully will stay like this for another week or two.

As I mentioned earlier, the biggest new thing around here is how much Stella has started to do this month, I cant wait to post her 7 month update, she's quite the little girl now! Stay Tuned for it ;)

Pretty Please?

So Last night Top Baby Blogs reset their votes, and everyone was once again at 0. Things move quick over at TBB, and the same blogs are always at the top, even today, not even 24 hours later. I would love your votes to help out our tiny little blog if you love it, or even like it. Maybe one day we'll get our turn on the first page :)

Just click this link and click above the little owl on the left :) Stella and I would very much appreciate it, she'll even give you a little growl of affection! 

See!? She's already super happy you voted! 

Sneak Peek... 6 months

2 weeks ago Stella had her 6 month photos taken with Nikki Hoover Photography, as I've said before, She's amazing. She posted these beauties for us to enjoy a few days ago, and i'm just now getting a chance to share them here. I've been in Seattle for almost a week now, car shopping... fun. My car sold in just a day (YAY! Thanks to my mom and dad for letting me sell it at their shop, and my awesome detailing skills), but finding a new(er) car has been somewhat of a challenge, but hopefully the right fit will come along soon, I am heading back home tomorrow. Until that new(er) car debut, enjoy this sneak peek of Stella's 6 month photo shoot. 

 

 

6 Months and Growing!!!

Stella,

Today we celebrate your first, half birthday! Yes, this is something we do in our family. It unofficially started a few years ago, because your auntie and I share half birthdays on our birthdays... my half birthday is on her birthday, and vice versa... it's kinda become a fun little thing that I wanted to carry on with you. No gifts, maybe some cupcakes, and lots of loves and celebrating. This is quite a huge milestone for all of us! The 6 month mark is something all parents look forward too, half a year old, it's kinda a big deal. and let me tell you, this month? You've got a whole lotta new things under your belt. 

You are a rolling over fool. Seriously, we'll put you down for some naked time, and next thing we know your on your back, 2 seconds later, then tummy again, then back, then you've scooched yourself right under the ottoman... kinda like you've backed into your own little parking garage. Thank goodness your chunky little legs don't fit under the couch, or else we'd find you in many more new parking spots around the living room. 

You prefer to 'walk'. Seriously. You would much rather be standing on your own two feet, holding our hands and walking around on your own, than any tummy time or back time or sitting time. It's not going to be long before your up and running. Literally. 

Did you notice how in the above paragraph I mentioned sitting time? Yep. You are now officially a sitter! You can pretty much hold your own now, sometimes with a little wobble, and for some reason whenever daddy is sitting on the floor with you, you tend to face plant forward or fling yourself onto your back... but you've pretty much got it down. You love sitting in the bath too... which is kinda scary and kinda fun for all of us. Daddy called me into the bathroom last night (he always does bath time, it's your special time together) and was cracking up, because you had turned around in your infant seat, and were trying to escape the tub by climbing the seat. He tried several times to turn you around, and you'd grab the side, flip back over, and proceed to stand and climb... you were so determined! You do this a lot now, try to turn yourself around to stand up or climb up what ever your sitting on. Were just waiting for the moment you lunge forward and start crawling.... it'll be happening anytime now. 

You are such a happy girl almost all the time now. We are greeted to a huge gummy smile almost every morning in bed, It's the sweetest thing ever... until you grab my hair and squeal as you yank it, or roll and kick your daddy's back, he loves waking up like that, really, he does. Sometimes you like to wake up a tad bit earlier than we plan, like, say, 5am... especially on weekends. We chat with you, change your diaper, play with the sheets, and usually within 45 minutes or so, you'll want to nurse and fall right to sleep. As long as we don't have any early plans that is just fine, but I still prefer your regular wake up time of 7:30ish. You're going to sleep most nights in your own crib in your own room now, and you take every single nap in there too. You fall asleep between 8 and 9pm, and wake up to feed around midnight every night, if i'm super tired, i'll just bring you to bed with us, if I'm somewhat alert, i'll sit in the rocking chair with you until fall back to sleep. I love our snuggle time, but sometimes I don't love that it's at 3 am, we've got to kick that nursing time very soon, cause mama wants to get a better nights sleep. I'm really hoping that as fall starts to arrive, and nights start getting cooler, you will become a better sleeper. We've noticed you sleep best when it's cool in the room, and you're snuggled into your sleep sack, for some reason you sleep better all warm and snuggly, but, no surprise, so do I. 

Your daddy and I cannot believe that 6 months has gone by so quickly! I know I say this every month, but it really feels like we just brought you home yesterday. I don't think anything could have prepared us for this precious time to go by so fast with you.You are becoming quite the little girl, no longer just a baby, long past a newborn or an infant, you are a tiny human, as we affectionately like to call you. People tell me all the time how beautiful you are, and are shocked to learn you are only just 6 months, I am told all the time that your features make you look more like an 8 month old, and that you act much older, and are much much more coordinated than other 6 month olds they know. I love that you are growing into such an amazing little girl, but am sad that my baby wont be a baby for much longer. I'm sure these next six months will go by even faster, and we'll be celebrating your first birthday very soon. Until that time though, we continue to enjoy every smile, every laugh, every coo, every sweet embrace that you give us. We look forward to your happy reaches to us when transferring from mommy to daddy or vice versa, I love seeing your face light up when daddy walks through the door every evening, I love how excited you get when Abby chases a toy, and how much you study her when she brings it back. I love how you interact with your animals now, open arms and mouth when Abby kisses you, and using her as a jungle gym when she's laying next to you, and how you reach for Lilly, pulling her ears, fur, and any other part of her you can get a hold of... even if she doesn't love it, she still tolerates it for a bit.

You make mine and daddy's hearts smile baby girl. You are our little, our love, and we are so thankful for you being in our lives. We love you Stella Jean.

Mommy and Daddy

Stella would love a special half-birthday vote ;o)