6 months.

I cannot believe she is 6months that's like 1/2 of a year. wow, time has flown by!! Stella is still wanting to stand all the time. She not just wanting to stand anymore she wants to walk... she will pick up her feet and start walking with some assistance from mom and dad of course....YIKES! Stella loves stick out her tongue, She is enjoying the baby food more and more everyday, she loves to put anything in her mouth and bite(maybe a sign of teeth),she loves her toes, she is making noise like crazy it almost sounds like she is saying dad but she says "DA" and she loves loves the mirror!! The other day I was getting my hair done and she came with...this little one can entertain her self, she sat there like a big girl and entertained herself the whole time laughing and making LOUD noises. Stella would still rather not be on her belly but we still make her do it 15 min a day... she has started to rotate her body around and she will push her legs up to her chest and push up with her arms, very close to the crawling position. SCARY!
We went to the doctor today. (I took my mom with me today because I have been a crying basket case.. read below and you'll know why.) Here is some of Stella's stats...

40% for her weight..... 15lbs

90% for her height...... 27 inches
50% for her head

We have been going through a really rough phase of her not wanting to eat or drink milk at all.. I was on the verge of loosing my milk, talking with lactation's specialist to see how I could get it back, trying everything they told me. I finally got it back but Stella not acting the least bit interested, we are doing different things to keep her hydrated and forcing her to drink some milk each feeding so she doesn't get use to water or juice hopefully that will help her get back on track... she's not having very many wet diaper and that is concerning to the DR.( we just have to watch this) It has been a very overwhelming week.. If we can just get her back to gaining weight again.....and wanting milk I'll be a happy mom! I have picked up more hrs at work while a girl is out on maternity for 6 weeks this is just added to my stresses... maybe that is why she is acting this way??!? ...What am I thinking.

Stella would go in phase of what she wanted to drink out of.IT would be a sippy one day, a cup the next and then maybe a bottle.

Something to think about...

The other day I was making my 2011 goals list, Stella on the ground playing with her toys and me watching Oprah. There was this husband and wife on there who had lost all three kids in a terrible car accident. It was on commercial and I looked down to check on Stella, she was just staring at me..It made me stop and all I could do is just cry and think life is to short to be flustered at how my day was going. To be going off my to do list ( I have to make every morning while eating my breakfast:-)) to be putting myself down for the things that I'm not getting done, instead look at everything I have accomplished for the day, even if I haven't got everything done around the house or off my to do list. I'm doing the best I can... I have a baby who I love to play with and make giggle who I get to be home with. I have a wonderful husband who works his buns off to provide for our little family, and who ALWAYS knows the right things to say at the right time and knows how to makes me laugh. SO, with that being said I've decided this year I would like to live each day to the fullest! After all we ALL can choose our attitudes. I was given a quote by one of my friends that said If you don't like something change it, if you can't change it then change your attitude. I'm glad that I watched Oprah today it made me really stop and think and put life into check.

NEw YEars..

To bring in the NEw Year we got together with the Smith family, Dave,Michelle & kids, and Floyd and Miriam. We had really good time! Thanks Dixie for putting it together. We played games,played Just Dance on the Wii, ate lots of food & played in the snow. I'm so grateful for fun inlaw and that we can enjoy ourselves.

Something kinda funny that happend New Years Day was.. I was in the other room and I heard Madison and Myah yelling my name. (They really wanted to play with Stella and I just left them in there while I was doing something with Whitney)..I got a little concerned when I heard them saying my name me thinking something had happend but when I went in there Madison was telling me that she had taught Stella how to color. I thought it was very cute.

Myah loved to play with Stella she was a really good helper. Stella is very lucky to have a good bunch of cousins who love her and want to play with her all the time.

Chirstmas 2010

Merry ChRistMas! This is Stella's 1st Christmas. We had sooo much fun today with her she. I think she was very overwhelmed with all the gifts she was given but she did so good.
Santa brought her this..

She loves it! She caught right on to what she is suppose to do. Thanks Santa it will give mom and dad's arms a break because she is always wanting to stand on her cute little feet.

She got a block set, ball that rolls around and sings songs, clothes and I made her a blanket and a chew blanket.

I wanted to surprise Dale this year with something BIG! I gave him a range finder. I think I got him pretty good. He also got Risk... he is super excited, the neighborhoood guys have been wanting to get together and play this!

And I got very surprised this year... Dale gave me a series of gift he called it. There were 3 boxes. 1 had raffle tickets, 2 box had airplane and the 3rd had Wicked post card and money with a card. I cannot wait to go!!! I get to choose where I would like to go see it. We will be doing it in April.... I cannot wait!!! Thanks Babe!

Later on we went out to Burnett's. Miriam had made a very yummy Christmas dinner. They gave Stella a blow up toy, and a baby lullabies and a touch and feel book. Thanks!

Ellis Chirstmas 2010

This year we decided that we would stay over at my parents house do Christmas there & then head to our house and do our own Christmas at home. We sure did get spoiled!! Thanks Mom & Dad!
Stella wanted to take a turn with unwrapping she did better than what I thought she would

Santa gave Stella a baby doll....her very first one!

All of Stella's Christmas gifts. I kinda felt bad for her she would get excited for one and then we would take it away and give her another one. She probably would have just been content with one but oh well... good thing we have our grandparents to spoil us!

Ellis Christmas Eve 2010

We are able to have another Christmas party with the Ellis' on Christmas Eve...We had another Fondue party, sang Christmas Song, acted out the nativity. I really enjoy this time of year and love reflecting on Christ and all that he has done for us.

Stella's 1st Christmas

Are you ever to old to act out the nativity???

Burnett Christmas Party 2010

We had our annual Burnett Christmas Party! We started the night off with a little caroling, Santa came to visit, acted out the nativity, and did cousin gifts.... We had a really good time! Here is just a few pictures of our night:

We even bundled the little ones up..... Stella lasted only a few short minutes

Look at this cute snow bunny!

All the cousins were very excited for Santa. It was so cute to see them all gather around and be very attentive to what Santa was telling them.

Stella sat on Santa's lap, she did so good! I think she was more afraid of the little toy that Santa brought her. (sorry the picture is a little blurry)

This was the cast for the navity, everyone had a part. Well done guys!

Stella got spoiled with gifts from her cousin. Stella got a book that was titled Stella I thought it was very fitting :-)

Ellis Christmas Party 2010

We did Christmas a little early this year while Katie and Dan were in town. Bryce's only wish this year is he wanted to have the whole family together. We did it buddy! We were able to do our big Christmas eve dinner...

I love our Christmas Eve dinner...Fondue, 7 layer jello and yummy mashed potatoes

We did our Sibling gift giving this year a little early since we were all together. These are just some of the pictures I got.....Stella got some dice to go above her carrier, the Chet-ster gave them to her

Bryant got "AXE "smell good stuff, body wash, lotion...the whole kit and caboodle I've never seen someone get so stink'n excited. Good find KAtie!

Katie grew up loving Snow White...she would always go around the house doing the Snow White song. My mom and I were in Hallmark and we saw this and just knew we needed to get it for Kat. It plays the song of Snow White..some day my prince will come and spins. She was so excited when she recieved it!

Stella loves Chet sooo much! Chet is very cute with her. Chet & Rachael always know how to get her to giggle. Thanks guys for always playing with her.

And last but not least.... I Love my sisters so much! thanks guys for all your help this last year, being good listeners, and most of all being my bestest friends! LOVE YOU.

Puzzles

I have something new that I LOVE and that will make a tradtion every year from here on out....Puzzles!!! My Grammy Ward always had one laying out around the christmas holiday, I remember it being very fun and kinda challenaging. This year at Swiss Days I found a puzzle named Festival of the Tree's (500 pieces).... I bought it and thought I would do it with the Christmas Season in mind. One Day I was babysitting the boys and we decided that we would start this puzzle. Bryant and I started the out side edges. Every night Dale and I would work on this puzzle...I think it was a good way to unwind from the days work we would turn on the christmas light on the tree, play Christmas music and work on our puzzle. This is a wonderful winter activity.

OUr puzzle is complete!

Dan & Kate's visit

It was soo good to have Kat & Dan home for a visit especially around the Christmas time. You never know how much you love people until they live thousand miles away..... I was given this quote awhile ago and I think it fits perfect. 'God gave us families to help us become what he wants us to be.'
Here is some of the FUN things we did while the Christensen's were visiting:

--Played games, visited, watched movies

Phase 10 & Skip Bo were the favorites

--THe boys went skiing at Powder Mountain
--The girls did cute girly crafts and made these cute earings:

Stella got her meet her Uncle Dan for the first time!

Katie & Stella became little buddies. She had a lot of fun with her Auntie and Uncle.

1st hair cut

Stella recently got her first hair cut..... she did so good. I think she was so entertained by the lovely sea animal apron, that I don't think she really had any idea what Rachael was doing to her.

We cut maybe 1.5 inches off the top, it was a well needed trim.

5 months

This little one is getting to be soooo busy..... I love her sooo much! She can sit up on her own, she loves to be standing on her little feet ALL the time. She has become quite the little independent one lately she can't decided if she wants to nurse anymore..I didn't think i would be sad when this day came, but I kinda am. I think this has started ever since I started giving her baby food & mush. Stella became very picky with the mush but she sure loves the oatmeal.. She is very choosy when and if she wants to take the bottle anymore so we go back and forth to the bottle and sippy cup. She is starting to get a hang of the sippy cup more and more each day. She is trying to hold her own bottle, she is almost there. She has quit rolling over for some reason....is this something to be concerned about? She has started to wave 'HI' it is the cutest thing. She is becoming very much a mommies girl and screams if I'm not in sight, I love evening time Dale has been a great help and I think he loves being able to be apart of helping out with her as well. In the evening he will give her baths, feed her cereal and play with her. I love to just sit back and watch how much fun these two have with each other.I've said it before and it probably wont be the last time hearing it but I love being a mom!!! I love being able to be a part of each stage of cute baby Stella.