More Celebration

Baby Bella seemed to have a little hang over from the weekend celebration. She has slept more, eaten less, and just generally seemed a little tired today. Who can blame her - it was a weekend packed with family entertainment......and she was the entertainment.

Celebration - Day 2

Baby Bella and family woke up early to get the party rolling yet again. This is some, but not, all of the pictures from the day. A lot of laughs, a lot of smiles. Family is a good thing.

Cain & Boling Celebration 2009

The Cain and Boling families came together for their annual Holiday celebration. Baby Bella was thrilled to see everyone - especially cousins Amber, Diane, NaKevin, Shina, and Seth; Uncle Tim and Aunt Carrie - all of whom she met for the first time. The pictures will tell the story. A great time was had by all.

It's Beginning to Look...

a lot like Christmas.....

Mommy and Baby Bella were ready to celebrate black Friday. The official kickoff of Baby Bella's very first Christmas season. Excitement is in the air!

Thanksgiving

Our hearts were full of gratitude as we shared our very first Thanksgiving with Baby Bella. Nana and Mommy prepared an amazing meal as the Cain/Blythe families came together to give thanks.

And yes, Baby Bella had her first taste of turkey and mashed potatoes - she loved them! Mommy is warming up leftovers as Daddy blogs the day. The day comes to an end but the spirit of thanksgiving goes on. Much to be thankful for in the Cain house.

The Flu

We ain't got it! We don't want it! We took the shots! And we have Bugs Bunny band aids to prove it!

At last, Daddy (the official germ-a-phobe in the family) can relax - a little. Skyler and Baby Bella have both received the seasonal and H1N1 flu vaccinations. And proud to say that neither of them cried. True story - 2 shots each, 4 shots total. No tears, no screams, no muss, no fuss. Are my kids great or what?

Now if Daddy could just find a place to give him the H1N1 shot - and talk Mommy into getting the shots.......

Role Play

Everyone has a role to play in the family. Baby Bella? Well, one of her roles is to be the awesome baby sister to Skyler - and she goes above and beyond to full fill her role.

In short, she adores her big brother. Her eyes follow him around the room anytime he's near. He can get her to laugh louder and longer than anyone. And while Skyler can be very entertaining, his being close is enough to bring a million dollar smile to her face.

In the second photo, Baby Bella is leaning forward and stretching to reach big brother who was seated in front of the chair. The look on her face - the same one we see any time she sees big brother.

Bad Girls

Mommy allowing Baby Bella explore the wonder of Twizzlers - which is the vice of choice for Mommy. Bella couldn't decide if she should eat it or wave it around - she settled for for making it sticky - then waving it around. My girl can multi-task.

Christmas Book

Ah, my baby girl is showing interest in reading already. Grandma Cain bought Baby Bella a cloth Christmas book at the arts/craft show yesterday and Baby Bella has fallen in love with books. The best part, she can't rip it up and shove it in her mouth.

And if your wondering.....yes, the Cain's spent the day in PJ's. Daddy was recovering from a some evil virus while the family caught up on some much needed rest. Of course, we all felt better after the Colts beat the Ravens. :-)

Side note: looking back at the blog from a few weeks back, it is amazing how much more hair Baby Bella has now than, say, a month ago. We hadn't noticed until we looked back.

Table Top

No, Baby Bella isn't dancing on the table top. She is playing on the bumbo table top though. We added the table for the first time and Baby Bella confirmed our wisdom by laughing and slamming her noise makers down on the table. Good times!

Philosophical

In each life, a few teeth must fall. Daddy is taking liberties with a familiar quote to become philosophical about our current state of....."Bella isn't happy and therefore no one is happy."

Our ordinary morning ran head first into an extraordinarily irritable afternoon. Baby Bella developed a wicked case of unhappiness somewhere between Gerber carrots and Gerber green beans. That didn't mix well with Daddy's battle with congestion or his interest in laying down. Six hours later, my head still hasn't hit the pillow.

Note to self: when grandma says "do you want me to watch Bella while you lay down?" Don't hesitate. Don't think about it. Don't be brave. Don't hope for the best. Don't pretend you have it under control. NO! When grandma says "do you want me watch Bella while you lay down?" - do the right thing - say "Yes, ma'am. If you insist."

Now I lay me down to sleep......(thank you Mommy and NyQuil)

BTW: If you are wondering about the picture....it is from the formal photo shoot earlier this week. It was, as you can tell, from happier days. You couldn't pull that kind smile from her today.

Teeth

Tooth, no longer.....It's teeth for Baby Bella - almost. She has started another serious round of teething in the last 24 hours. You know it has been a rough day when you come home 90 minutes early and Nika the Nanny says "I love you."

Sure enough, I repeated that line when Mommy walked in the door and willingly handed Baby Bella off to her doting Mommy. Now who can Mommy hand Bella off too? Any volunteers for the late shift? We offer a strong pot of coffee, a comfy rocking chair, a peaceful nursery, and a box of chocolates.

Any takers? Going once......going twice.....going three times....going.......

Flower Child

Baby Bella had a wonderful time playing in the flowers during the photo shoot. The hard part wasn't getting her to smile - the challenge was keeping the flowers on the ground beside her.

SIX MONTHS!!!!!!

My little Baby girl is 6 (SIX) months old today!!!!!! And she celebrated with an official photo to document the occasion. These are going on the wall Baby Bella.

Just like with Skyler, our lives are forever changed by this little gift from heaven. Not a day goes by that we don't give thanks for this bundle of joy. Perhaps, just a little more today than normal.

I am reminded of the scripture Dad read on the occasion of her dedication: "children are an heritage of the Lord...." Psalms 127. Double Aman!

Celebrating Mommy

Baby Bella and family took time to celebrate Mommy on her 27th birthday. (Am I allowed to divulge her age?) It was, as it should be, all about Mommy today.

An amazing wife, a wonderful mother, a terrific friend, an impressive business partner - Deborah is one of the most extraordinary people I have met in my life. And the great thing is that I get to share her journey up close and personal.

Happy Birthday Baby. I love and adore you.

A tribute to my soulmate: (lyrics by Cates, Clayton, Lacy, and Matosky - performed by Martina McBride)

And everyone that sees you, always wants to know you

And everyone that knows you, always has a smile

You're a standing ovation after years of waiting

For a chance to fall and shine

Everyone calls you amazing yeah, I just call you mine.