Turkey Time

We just returned from a trip down to Virgina for Thanksgiving. It was great to see everyone, and Bella really enjoyed her time at all the various places playing, seeing animals, and of course, eating. We first saw Grandma Belinda at the SPCA, so Bella was in awe of all the animals. She was taken with these little kitty cats and was sad we couldnt take one home. We stayed with Pop and Nana Bev so that was a treat! Bella loved her doll and tutu that Nana Bev made. She played princess and made wishes come true while we were there. Thanksgiving was so much fun with all the kids playing together. The weather was so nice on Friday we took the girls to the park to play. All in all it was a long drive for them (luckily they slept most of the time in the car) but we were thankful to be with great family and friends for the holiday. 

Trick or Treat

Happy Halloween! We are still enjoying the fall season, but that hasn't stopped Bella from playing dress up everyday in all her many dresses. Initially she wanted to be a princess for Halloween, and then one day it was a bride. Thus, she appears as the beautiful bride above, complete with the veil and garter. Evelyn had several tough choices for costumes but decided to be a skeleton. This was the first year for Bella to go trick-or-treating. It turned out to be a chilly night, but we were able to hit about 30 houses in 20 minutes in Erin's neighborhood. And the goody bag Nana Bev made for Bella was packed! She really enjoyed the trick-or-treating experience and is already talking about what she wants to be next year.

Our little lady has been Evelyn has started to eat baby food. She has shown such an interest in food, and she even tries to eat our food. The other night we were eating popcorn and she grabbed the bag in an attempt to help herself. Needless to say popcorn went all over and she stuffed in a piece of the package into her mouth. Guess the sweet potatoes and green beans at dinner wasn't cutting it. She is so long and so chunky she is already in 12 month clothing, and she just turned 5 months! 

Evie Turns 4 Months Old

Evelyn's baptism

Johnny Appleseed Festival

Who, me?

Smile! Can you see all the drool on Evelyn's shirt? Oh my!

Fun at the park with Mommy and Daddy

Happy Four Months Evelyn!

Well summer flew by in a breeze! We can't believe the leaves are already changing (this didn't happen until November in Texas!) and jackets need to be worn outside. Bella and Evie are really enjoying their time with family. One day last week when Bella awoke, she told her Nana how happy she was to be in Ohio. Priceless thoughts from a three year old! So to enjoy the beautiful weather and festivities around here, we have been very busy! There was a Johnny Appleseed Festival we attended, Evelyn was baptised in August, storytimes have started up, football is everywhere, ballet classes happen once a week, Aunt E had her birthday, and all the day-to-day events. We cant seem to fit everything in!
Evelyn had a doctor's appointment for her four month checkup and she is doing great. She is 27 inches (must take after her daddy), 17 lbs 5.5 ounces (big for her age but that fits with her length). Needless to say she's in 9 to 12 month clothing already. Thank goodness we kept all of Bella's old clothes because otherwise we'd be in big trouble for how quickly she goes through clothes. It's been nice getting clothes as gifts, but honestly she can't wear all the outfits fast enough before she's outgrown them. Right now she just loves to watch her big sister act so silly and enjoys watching her puppy play on her activity mat. Evelyn does not like to be on her back at all, except when she sleeps, so she is constantly carted around in someone's arms or in her zoom-zoom. It's amazing to relive all the baby experiences again, and we honestly couldn't be happier with our beautiful family.

Moving Madness

Well the time has finally arrived - we have moved to Ohio! Bella is very excited to be by so many family friends. It seems like everyday holds a new adventure for her, and I no longer mean going to the grocery store. She has started homeschooling lessons with her Mommy on the alphabet. Last week we started "A is for Apple" and this week we worked on "B is for Bird." I am very proud to say she can recognize nearly all the letters in the alphabet and really enjoys her lessons. She woke up one morning and the first thing she said was, "Can we do our lessons today?" It's great to see her so interested in learning. Bella has also started taking dance lessons thanks to her Aunt E. She is learning ballet and tap. Next on the list will be swimming lessons.

Evelyn is growing bigger each day. She has been a wonderful baby! Her schedule is pretty set most nights - up once or twice. One night she actually slept from 10pm to 5am! Yay little one! She's interested in fans, balloons, and loves to be part of the action the rest of the family is involved in. She's already got some personality to her.

We have been up in Ohio for nearly a month now, but Daddy has been in Texas wrapping up work and the house. Everyone is anxious to see him and have him up here too to partake in all the activities. Pictures will soon be posted - Bryan has the computer so unfortunately our photos will have to wait. Moving can be so chaotic!

Welcome Little Sister!

Evelyn Sue Rowell was born May 27, 2011 at 2:02pm. Mommy went into the hospital Thursday night to begin the pictosin for the induction on Friday. After a long night, the fun began bright and early Friday morning with breaking my water, getting the epidural, and more pain killers. By the time Mommy was ready for the doctor to deliver the baby, Evelyn was ready to pop out. Compared to Bella, this baby was a breeze! Goodbye two hours of labor, hello ten minutes! Of course, Mommy had lots of drugs in her and barely felt a thing. Bella couldnt wait to hold her sister, and when Nana asked to hold her she was told "Just one time, Nana. She's my sister." Since then, we've been enjoying having a baby in the house again. Hunter loved investigating the baby - he gives her lots of kisses everyday. Bella loves to pick out her clothes and watch us change her. She's also fascinated at the funny faces and noises Evelyn makes. We're all so happy to have been blessed with another princess. We know her big sister will be, as she is now, a big help to all of us.

Take Me Out to the Ballgame

What a lovely Mother's Day / Birthday it was for the Rowells! Bryan turned another year older.... and I think old age is starting to set in. Have you seen all those gray hairs? Just teasing dear! This year we decided to take a break from all the chaos that was going on with moving and the baby and fixing the house..... and instead we went to the Texas Rangers vs. New York Yankees baseball game. This was Bryan and Bella's first professional baseball game, and what a way to see it! Tom and Mary (Bryan's sister's in-laws) have a office lodge there, so we were invited up to join the action and watch the game from above. It was great sitting in the air conditioning while everyone else sweltered outside in the 90 degree heat. Bella loved watching the game but also loved playing with the other kids, especially her cousin Jassy. As soon as she sees Jassy it's like her motherly instincts kick in, and when Jassy was sad Bella would comfort her and hold her hand. It was so sweet to see Bella like this! It gives me hope that this will continue for Evelyn.... due within two weeks! And this is my last week at school, we hope to have the house on the market next week....... what a busy time of year for us! But it's all to get us one step closer to OHIO!

A View from Bella's World

Here are some pictures from Easter. Bella and I colored eggs and later, after she showered, the Easter bunny came with all her presents. Who gets four Easter baskets, sheesh!

Bella and I have been starting to prepare Evelyn's room. The doctor has informed me the baby is already nearly 7 lbs and I still have another couple of weeks to go. Imagine that, another large baby. Well at least I know they're healthy.... but please no newborn clothes! With the rate we're going, none of our babies will be able to fit in these outfits! So now my due date is the end of May, around the 25th or so, unless of course Evelyn has a mind of her own and shows up earlier. Bella keeps asking when Evelyn will "pop" out so we can move to Ohio with her. Too cute.... and Bella has already started picking out Evelyn's clothes for her to wear each day. 

In preparation for Evelyn's arrival, we have been starting to set up the baby room. Of course Bella wanted to take full part in this process. So here she is, playing more than helping, and experiencing what being a baby is all about! After Mommy got the first picture taken, Bella grabbed the camera and started experimenting. Thank goodness she got her OWN camera for her birthday, but playing with Mom and Dad's camera certainly is more appealing to her. So here it is, Bella's world in pictures.

All of these are things from the baby's room.... the barbie doll is actually from my wedding but in the process of reorganizing things for our upcoming move, it was discovered and for some reason it ended up in the baby's room. Bella just had to get a picture of this "baby dollar" as she calls them.

Look out World.... Here I Come!

Bella and Jassy had a good time, as they always do, playing together. I only wish I would have been quicker with the camera so I could have gotten them actually looking! So Bella just had her three year checkup and everything looks great. She has slimmed down a lot since she was born - she's now only in the 75%ile for her height and weight as opposed to the 99%ile. She has all her molars and does a great job brushing her teeth daily, with a little help from adults too. The doctor asked her about some colors and Bella was able to name them all in addition to drawing a circle and a vertical line. What a smartie pants! My little girl is growing up too fast. Where does the time go?

Moving Time

Yes folks, the day has finally arrived. We are moving to Ohio! I know I am thrilled as is my family, but believe it or not everyone is excited. Bryan has chosen to go back to school to get his engineering degree at the University of Akron. He is pursuing his career and we support him 100%. Bella is excited because that means she can be around Nana, Papa, Aunt E, and most importantly to her, JAKIE! Anytime we try to do webcam with the family, that's the first thing she asks about - Where is Jakie? I'm sure Hunter will enjoy being around Jakie too.

So needless to say, we have our hands full. We intend to move this summer, but that also depends on our ability to sell our house, which first needs a major cleaning and reorganization before it gets put on the market. Our house is full of boxes and bubble wrap, and our garage is quickly filling up with everything. On top of packing and getting the house ready, we are also unpacking all the baby stuff for Evelyn Sue's arrival. The doctor expects me to deliver the end of May, which I hope is true. She is very active and lately has been causing contractions and back pains. It sure does make packing quite impossible some nights! Bella is very sweet to me though, and will kiss my belly and tell Evelyn to calm down. She will be a great big sister!

So I apologize for not updating Bella's blog sooner, but we have had a bit on our plate lately (of course all that is in addition to both Bryan and I working full time). We are so excited to get home that nothing else seems to be on our mind. By August we will be outta here! So long Texas!

Bella Turns Three!

There you have it.... a darling little princess on her birthday. And because it was her birthday, Bella got lots of princess stuff! We just had a small little get-together with some close friends and family for her. Jassy and Bella enjoyed the Easter egg hunt in the backyard to kick off the fun. Bella is a little more in tune with collecting the eggs now, so it was cute to see her trying to help Jassy find them. Afterwards, we had dinner and dessert. Dont you just love my attempt at making a princess birthday cake?!?! I guess I really need Aunt Sandy's help to perfect my cake making abilities for future birthdays. Bella loved it though and that's all that mattered. Then came all the presents. Thank you to everyone who made Bella feel so loved and worthy of all the presents! She got a new red Radio Flyer bike and princess helmet, some new princess clothes (including a Bella look-alike dress and tutus), a new camera (just perfect for our buddy photographer!), and new books and games. Bella has been asking when she gets another birthday because it was so much fun!

Egg-stravaganza

Bella got to experience her favorite part of spring.... all the Easter eggs. I wonder what it is she loves about it so much... perhaps the candy and prizes waiting inside, or maybe the hunt to find all the eggs, or maybe because it's just so colorful and full of fun. Regardless, she loves to play with the Easter eggs. She plays with a small collection of eggs at home throughout the year. One afternoon all we did was hide eggs in the living room and find them. What simple childhood fun! We attended the Rowlett Egg-stravaganza where Bella was able to take part in the egg hunt, make some crafts at the library, and enjoy her first purple peep. Yum! She was hesitant to try the bounce houses or do too much with the crowds and strangers around, but we were also able to visit some sponsors for free flowers, prizes, and candy. All in all it was a great morning in the spring air!

My Valentine

She is grow- ing up too fast! Bella has really started to come into her own. She loves to take pictures with her camera (both of these were taken by her). Her skills have actually been increasing - now the subject of the picture actually makes it into her picture! Apart from the camera, Bella loves to play in her playroom with her kitchen set and Mommy's Tupperware, loves to paint at her new easel she got from Christmas from Nana and Papa, and loves to partake in whatever else is going on. She will be a great help when her new sister, Evelyn Sue, arrives in a couple of months (yes, Mommy is already counting down the days). She really is a joy to have around and I have loved spending so much time with her. Bryan still works weekends occasionally and the first couple weeks in February there was so much snow and ice coming down that Mommy and Bella spent some quality time together. It was so nice having a break from work that I could actually spend the entire day with her. We enjoyed our days be coloring, painting, baking, and playing inside and out. Bella loved playing in the snow and ice with Hunter, how could any kid not love that?

And then came Valentines Day.... Bella loved getting her little box of chocolates from Daddy and an edible fruit bouquet, even though that was for Mommy. Thanks to everyone for Bella's valentines.... she loved getting mail and even more loved opening up all her presents. As she would open them, she would say "Thank you everybody for my present." She is definitely one special little Valentine.