First Pair of Jeans

Blogging from Louisville, KY.......

Baby Bella broke out her first pair of jeans while Daddy was away on his first business trip since Baby Bella Birth.

Baby Bella then went to see Nana and Great Grandma Blair for some girl time. Great Grandma was able to hold Baby Bella for over 90 minutes. Some great bonding time for the two.

Daddy misses the fam - it was heart wrenching to leave - but the show goes on as they say.

Father's Day

Baby Bella celebrated her first Father's Day by screaming at Daddy while Mommy made dinner for the Fam. She calmed down after a bottle laced with cereal and enjoyed the meal with Papa and Daddy.

Unfortunately and uncharacteristically, no pictures are available of her first Father's Day.

Month of Miracles

Baby Bella celebrated her first month on Thursday. Mommy and Daddy took time today to reflect on how much Baby Bella has changed and all of the ways our lives have changed in the last month.

You can see from the picture that Baby Bella has grown bigger, stronger, and longer. Her brown hair has softened, her dark blue eyes have transitioned to medium blue. Her movements have become more controlled, her voice has grown louder, her temper has shortened, and her grip on a loving finger has become amazingly tight.

Baby Bella has developed some very real and definable traits in her first month: she hates to be cold and she prefers to sleep touching someone or swaddled in a blanket. The sound of running water calms her down, she can burp like a drunken sailor, she prefers to pee with her diaper off, and she sleeps with one eye partially open. (a trait she inherited from Daddy) She would rather have two heavy blankets on top rather than one baby blanket - something about the extra weight makes her feel secure.

It is fair to say, our lives will never be the same. Each miracle God provides changes you in some way and Baby Bella has certainly rocked our world. Here is a short summary of the larger lessons we have learned in the last month:

1. Miracles come in all shapes and sizes. Some are more noisy than others. Some require more work than others. But all babies are miracles in their own right.

2. Mothers are the closest thing to angels that we have on earth. Anyone can give birth, but Mothers are amazing creatures that possess a depth of love, compassion, caring, and strength that makes me marvel.

3. Our gene pool needs chlorine. We continue to be amazed and amused at the various family members we see coming forward in our child. Baby Bella is developing eyes like Mommy and Granny Mc. The back of her head reminds us of Granddaddy Blythe. She is long legged like Shina was as a baby. She seems to have Nika's skin tone. Her aversion to cold is a trait straight out of Skyler's baby days. She resembles Daddy in the face but inherited her nose from Mommy. Baby Bella has some of all us - the good, the bad, and the ugly.

4. Sleep is overrated.

5. It is impossible to get mad in a pink and green room.

6. Every baby girl should have a big brother.

7. Wait 7 years between your first and second child. (you need that long to recuperate and forget the early years. It doesn't hurt that a seven year old takes pride in helping with the little one).

8. There is no such thing as too many diapers.

9. The most important thing is to remember what is important is not things.

10. Whoever said "girls are made of sugar and spice and everything nice" never changed a baby girl diaper.

A month of miracles. What does the next four weeks hold? I can't wait.

Precious

Precious! Just Precious!

Girls Day Out

Baby Bella and BFF Ava Grace took their Moms out for a day of food and fun. The agenda for the day included meeting friend Tiffany and daughter Addison. The girls started with Mexican and then proceeded to the pool for a little cool down.

In the evening, Daddy experienced total fear. I kept Baby Bella for a four hour stretch - by myself. This , of course, overlapped with a scheduled feeding so I had to procure some milk from the stockpile. Amazingly enough, it all went very well. It was as if Baby Bella sensed the helplessness of the situation and decided to sleep it out.

Note to Moms everywhere. When your husband says "Honey go. Go ahead, I've got this." What he really means is "Honey, please don't go. I have no idea how to do what you do. I have no clue how to handle myself, much less a baby. Do you really trust your baby with a man who can't remember to put the toilet seat down? Honey, Please don't leave me here with a Baby."

But all is well that ends well.

Blessed with Family

Baby Bella had a wonderfully relaxing day hanging out with Mommy and Big Brother. They stayed in their pajamas most of the day and caught up on some much needed rest.

The early evening brought yet another first for Baby Bella. She met Uncle Frank and Aunt Harriett for the very first time and even dined with the fam at Cracker Barrel. Grandma also joined in the fun - you just can't miss a chance to be with the grand kids.

Baby Bella has been a little more fussy since the vaccinations yesterday but that is to be expected. We have a new fondness for burp clothes in our house. Baby Bella has developed a habit of "hurling" without notice. Unfortunately, she has no respect for designer clothing - she has covered more than one Ralph Lauren shirt with her, uh, drink of choice.

Ouchie

Baby Bella visited the pediatrician today for her 1 month check-up. All is well, Baby Bella now weighs a healthy 8 pounds 8 ounces. The knot on the side of her neck is still present but half the size from a week ago. She has made a lot of progress leaning and sleeping to the other side.

Speaking of necks, Baby Bella is doing her very best to hold her own head up. She is constantly trying to move when we burp her or lay her on her stomach.

Baby Bella earned a Tweety bird band-aid for being so good during her second round of vaccinations. She can expect more next month.

Flowers for Baby Bella

Today Daddy planted pink flowers across the front of the house to celebrate Baby Bella.

Baby Bella Does the Bottle

Another first for Baby Bella - Baby Bella does the Bottle! The Dairy Queen (Mommy) decided it was time to diversify. This morning she brought out her new high tech breast pump to began the process of collecting and stockpiling extra milk. We are very relieved that Baby Bella took to the bottle like a champ.

Here are the snapshots from her first bottle feeding. Now I admit, if there were any justice in the world these pictures would be with Mommy. Mommy did all the work - she produced the milk, pumped the milk, boiled the bottles, refrigerated the milk, and warmed up the milk - long live the Dairy Queen.

My role? I simply cuddled Baby Bella and offered her the bottle. For my effort I received loving gratitude from her beautiful blue eyes. Who said life was fair? Thankfully, there is delayed gratification for Mommy. I can start letting her sleep through the night by giving Bella bottles once our stockpile reaches a certain level.

Sunday Morning - A Glimpse of Heaven

There is nothing like a Sunday morning - each one is special and unique. I have always loved Sunday mornings but even more since Skyler came into my life. Being a Daddy and hearing the sound of little feet dancing through the house is a gift. Something about Sunday makes it all the more special.

This Sunday morning was unlike any I have experienced. Mommy captured Baby Bella and Daddy snuggling close for some much needed sleep. A glimpse of heaven in my own house.

Daddy had the pleasure of sleeping with Baby Bella for four straight hours. Later, Skyler came to crawl in bed with us - moments like this....

Baby Bella Does the Pool

WOW! Aunt Eva invited the Cains to Ridge Top for a day at the pool and a fabulous day it was!!!

The pictures tell the whole story - we will remember this day for a long time to come. Baby Bella rocked it out in her new swim suit, matching hat, and turtle float.

Thanks Aunt Eva! You're a rock star!

Pajamas

Everyone loves them and Baby Bella is no exception. We favored gowns in the first three weeks of her life because they were easy access for changing diapers. Today we graduated to pajamas with legs - how cute is that. Ruffles on the Baby Bella Bottom!

Baby Bella enjoyed a day trip to Nashville with the family and then soaked up some outdoor time - including a good lick on the head from the dog. SHHHHH! Mommy was napping and is unaware of this first. No worries, Sir Winston is good with Babies. He just wanted to see what the fuss was all about and put his stamp, uh lick, of approval on Baby Bella.

Bad Hair Day

Everybody has one. Watching her many hair transformations has been as amusing as watching the many faces of Baby Bella. Her hair is growing and starting to lighten up. Still too early to tell if she will be a blonde or brunette.

We continue to learn, yesterdays lesson was that Baby Bella doesn't do well when Mommy eats pizza. And that my friends, is a real tragedy, because Mommy loves pizza. The larger lesson is that Baby Bella doesn't like red sauce of any kind. Meatloaf, pasta, and pizza are out of the question. We have heard from several Moms that that is not uncommon when breast feeding.

All in all, another good day for Baby Bella. Mommy and Daddy are getting a little better and a little smarter at handling the rough times. Everyone seems to be settling into routine again.

The Men in Her Life

Baby Bella is lucky enough to have two men in her house who believe she hung the moon.

Baby Bella has returned to her normally charming self in the last 24 hours. Feeding and sleeping well and spending quality awake time without fussing. I would love to tell you the improvement is the result of some new and great technique but the truth is - it just happened. To the delight of everyone in the Cain house.

She even tried to make Daddy late for a meeting this morning. She snuggled up close after the 6:00am feeding and made Daddy fall asleep again. She is sooooo cute when he curls up to sleep.

You Just Have to Laugh

Baby Bella blessed us with a much better evening and night - until now. I brought our bundle from above to Mommy for the 2:30am feeding - all seemed right with the world once again.

Feeding went as planned. The burps came easy and without hesitation. And then it happened. Something never before seen. Something that only exists in the corrupted minds of cartoon writers. A massive diaper blow out! All over Baby Bella, all over Mommy, and all over our bed.

So here we go.....a bath for Mommy and Bella while Daddy changes the sheets and starts a load of laundry. The three of us were back in our clean bed by 3:45am.

Mommy and Daddy placed Baby Bella on the bed between us - she was laying there looking like a gift from heaven and smelling like a baby should. (Props to Mommy - she keeps a very clean baby).

And then it happened! Baby Bella threw up - all over the sheets Daddy had just put on the bed two minutes earlier. You gotta be kidding me! Really?

What can you do, you just have to laugh. Or in my case, you just have to blog.

With only 45 minute's until the 5:30pm feeding, I thought I might as well stay up. Baby Bella is laying here beside me, fast asleep, with her signature "you know you love me" look. Yes, I do Baby girl. No matter how many times we have to change the sheets.

Days Like This

This day reminds me of an old song by the Shirelles: "Mama said there'd be days like this. There'd be days like this my mama said."

Baby Bella continued to fully exercise her lungs /vocal cords last night and into today. We took her to the pediatrician for some guidance and reassurance. Reassurance we received - relief was a little more elusive.

It seems Baby Bella does have a knot on the left side of her neck that is nothing more than a knotted-up muscle from her days in the womb. The good news is that it will work itself out over time. The bad news is the pediatrician doesn't think that is the source of the fussiness. It is, she believes, the result of Colic. (may God have mercy on all of our souls).

Mommy and Nana attempted some shopping in the afternoon but Baby Bella still wasn't feeling like her charming self. It made for a very long and difficult day for Mommy.

Daddy and big brother took over baby duty after the 5:00pm feeding. We drove around and took her for an hour long walk through the neighborhood. In all, we were able to keep her occupied and pacified for three hours so that Mommy could get some much needed rest.

Baby Bella and Daddy then spent some more quality time together again after the 8:30pm feeding. We stared at each other for nearly 45 minutes before we fell asleep together on the sofa. At least she has rested better this evening than in recent days. Mommy is now doing the 11:30pm feeding.

Helpless and Sleepless

This will be a short post since Mommy and Daddy are in the brain dead zone. Baby Bella continued to scream through the night - resting and feeding very little. Something is going on with our little miracle and we just do not know what or why.

She has seemed to rest a little better this afternoon but something is making her uncomfortable. Yes, we have checked for a pea under the mattress of the princess but it is clearly not that issue.

Baby Bella had something of a neck muscle strain when she was born. She favored leaning her head to the right since that was the way she was cramped into the womb. The nurses massaged her a little and were able to loosen up the muscles that were knotted. We have noticed that she is leaning to that side again; it has us wondering if perhaps she slept wrong and has a painful "catch" in her neck.

We have had some cute moments despite the tough night. Baby Bella has started giggling in her sleep. This morning, around 3:30ish, she started grinning and giggling as I rocked her in the nursery. Sooooo cute.

Bella Does the Spa

Baby Bella (and family) made a trip to the Dillard's Salon and Spa to meet more of Mommy's friends. Everyone had a great time but Mommy and Daddy were disappointed they didn't have time for a massage while in the Spa.

Overall it has been a very fussy day for the princess. Baby Bella has started screaming in the middle of feeding and almost every time we pick her up. This is a new sound we haven't heard before - it sounds like something is causing her pain. We are not sure if the car ride made her tummy hurt or something else is going on in her little body.

We have discovered she relaxes to the sound of water. She falls into a deep sleep when Deborah is running her bath water. Fortunately, the bouncy seat has a setting that duplicates the sound of running water - EUREKA!

It is a very helpless feeling to know something is bothering her and for us not to know what it is or what to do for her. And I am sure it feels just as helpless for her not to be able to communicate it as well.

Bella Meets the Family

Today was a special day for Baby Bella. She had the great pleasure of dining with Grandma again and meeting Aunt Bessie /Uncle Neal for the first time. It was Friday with the extended Cain family, so of course, Catfish was on the menu.

Side note: if you enjoy catfish and hush puppies. Whisker's has the best hush puppies this side of the Mississippi.

Our little girl is growing up....we are starting to see subtle changes from when we first brought her home. Her cheeks are not as fluffy, her arms and legs are getting longer, and her torso now has some meat on it. We have graduated from newborn to size 1 diapers. She is still such a little thing but we notice the changes and just marvel.

It make me wonder: how can something so simple be so complicated? How can something so small poop so much? How can something so dainty scream so loud? How could Deborah and I have hit the jackpot again and gotten another wonderful child like Skyler?

Sleep

If you follow this blog regularly then you know sleep is a reoccurring theme. We are thrilled to announce that Baby Bella is starting to extend her feeding time to three hour intervals. Last night, Mommy and Daddy even managed a three hour and forty-five minute stretch of uninterrupted sleep. Go Baby Bella.

The good news is that both her feeding and sleeping periods are lengthening out. Mommy deserves the credit for this improvement. Deborah had to put up with some fussiness in the early stages. The process is not complete but we are delighted with the early progress. The goal is to slowly work our way to four hour feedings.

We are approaching the stage where we can predict the long sleep periods based on the quality of the feeding and how much awake time she has enjoyed. It becomes crucial for Mommy to sleep during these stretches. God bless Moms everywhere!

As I post this entry, Bella lays fast asleep beside my desk. The picture above was taken two minutes ago. Nothing sweeter than a sweet baby girl - fast asleep.

Friends

A day with friends is a day well spent! Baby Bella was blessed to spend her Wednesday with friends of the family. Amber and Baby Ava Grace came to hang out with their BFF. Baby Bella and Ava Grace don't know it yet but they are best friends.

Then late in the day Dan and Terri came to celebrate our new wonder. Terri did a great job keeping Baby Bella pacified until feeding time.

Baby Bella continues to experience new things. Today she shed her very first tear. A single salty tear ran down her rosy cheek. Later, she turned on the full water works and tears fell from both eyes. Daddy can't take it - one of the more heart wrenching moments we have experienced.

And we have yet another first - the Baby Bella bottom has a diaper rash. We opened a new box of wipes that included a fragrance, apparently Baby Bella is sensitive to the ingredients. Mommy immediately reached for the Butt Paste (come on now, couldn't they come up with a better name for their brand of cream?) and the Baby Bella bottom is on the mend.

Every cloud has a silver lining. The rash required us to remove her diaper for a while. Mommy needed to do a feeding during this time so she put Baby Bella on her lap. This freshly bathed bundle of joy proceeded to water and fertilize moms favorite pj's. Aw, these are the moments!

Routine

Everyone in the Bella house seems to be benefiting from the return to "normal" - or should I say the new normal. Each passing day offers a glimmer of hope that sleep will one day occupy the weary eyes of Mommy and Daddy.

Maybe it's that we have just grown accustom to less sleep or that we are getting better at alternating hours so that we both can play catch up. In either event, better is better.

The night was long since Baby Bella didn't rest well, eat well, or sleep well. The last couple of days have seen a slight departure in her normal periods of rest - we are not sure if this is a trend or a temporary deviation.

Baby Bella started her day with the usual 4:30 feeding. Followed by the cutest and longest period of awake time she has experienced lately. Followed closely by the longest and ugliest period of grumpiness she has displayed lately.

Baby Bella passed her two week check-up with flying colors. The doctor says Baby Bella is the picture of health. We pause so say a prayer of thanks to the Lord above.

Baby Bella's Big Adventure

A berry sweet Baby Bella went on an all day adventure to see Nana and Papa. Although Mommy and big brother also made the journey, Baby Bella was sure the trip was all about her.

Nana loved up the baby, prepared lunch, loved up the baby again, prepared dinner, and loved up the baby some more. Papa couldn't stop staring at his first granddaughter - until he fell asleep that is....Papa and Baby Bella took an impromptu nap together. (The first of many I am sure...Papa is known for finding a comfy chair and catching a cat nap or two at family events).

Great Grandma Blair also got in on the loving and was able to hold Baby Bella by herself. As you can see from the red nose, it was an overwhelming moment for Great Grandma.

And what about Daddy? Daddy made it over in time to enjoy dinner. Nana is known for her meatloaf - you don't want to miss a meatloaf dinner.