Life Lately With Stella!!

I have been terrible about blogging lately - my apologies. We have been busy around here! Since the last time I posted, which was early August, she's passed 8, 9 and 10 weeks old. She just turned 11 weeks this past Tuesday and is growing right in front of my eyes! We've been working on our schedule, like I mentioned in my last post. She is still sleeping in the cradle next to our bed and I have to be honest, we are not moving very fast on the track to get her in her own crib. However, we ARE working to get her to take steady naps (instead of 30 to 45 minute ones) during the day and to sleep 8-10 hours at night, and last night was HUGE progress! She ate at 9 and went down immediately and woke around 3 fussing a bit, but I did not feed her, though I wanted to. I changed her and swaddled her and put her back down and rocked the cradle for about 20 minutes and she was out! She stirred a few more times in the night but to my amazement, 6am rolled around and she was still asleep! It's a miracle! Now, she may never do that again, and I realize that - but we know its possible!! 3 stars for Stella!

We had a monumental weekend last weekend where Stella stayed with her Daddy and Che Che for the WHOLE weekend while Mommy went out of town! It was the hardest thing in the world to do and I almost came home early once, but in the end, with the help of my AMAZING husband, I got to see her in videos a few times each day and managed to enjoy my entire trip. Here are some videos:)

...and here's another one...

...and another...

These videos made the entire separation bearable. I have such an amazing husband! My trip was that much more enjoyable because of him!

We are currently missing taking our evening walks with Stella because someone (my sweet husband) ran over our stroller. Oops. I am pretty sure its salvageable - the company is sending us a replacement wheel and I think it will work like new! Fingers crossed!

We are fully registered for daycare at Old Mandeville Preschool - yay! Stella was given her bag with her name on it and everything. While I am excited we FINALLY have child care secured for her, I am so sad to think about not having Dawn, our nanny here with her everyday. We love her and know she loves Stella so much...I hate to think of her last day with Stella. It breaks my heart! The good news is that she has offered to keep Stella anytime the daycare is closed or Stella is sick, so Stella will still be able to see her.

In other news, we've set up Stella's baptism for Sunday, September 26! It will be here in Mandeville at our church, Our Lady of Lake, which is beautiful and only a few steps from our house. She'll be dressed in our family baptismal gown and cap that we all wore - though Mom waited so long to get me baptized that they had to 'drape' the gown over me because I was too big for it! Mae Mae has taken care of the gown since it was made for her children and will have everyone's initials who's worn the gown monogrammed on the hem by the time its Stella's turn. What a special, beautiful tradition!

I'll leave you with some recent pics of "Beaner", which is her newest nickname from Daddy, shorty for "Butterbean". 

I'm judging you (yes, she's picked up my trait of 'flaring the nostrils')

Hungry hungry hippo!!!

I'm a bow head

RrrrraaaRRRRRR! Look what I can do!

Party Time - Sarah D's Baby Shower!

Che Che and Stella!

Soon to be Mommy Sarah D practices with Stella!

I wear only day gowns when my Che Che keeps me:) This was actually Mommy's day gown!

Smiles for everyone! "I love people!"

I love my cousin Millie!!!