Relaxing the day away

Yes, it's true. Mom, Bella, and Hunter are all napping on the couch. It's so nice.... now that Bryan is done with classes and I am done with my masters we can truly enjoy each other's company this holiday season. No stress, no mess to worry about. Just each other, Bella, and our family. Bella ended up napping for two hours on me, and although Hunter made my leg go numb, I loved every second of it. We hope to do this a lot more over break. We are going to Virginia for the holiday, so we wish everyone a Merry Christmas.

Ride 'em Cowgirl!

There she goes! She is not only crawling but chasing the dog away. Here she is trying to ride the puppy like he's a horse, and of course Hunter doesn't appreciate that. He runs away when she comes around. Gee, I wonder why! She is crawling all over the place now. She also loves to climb up on objects so she can stand. She does that more than crawling. It's funny though, she'll get up but then cry because she wants to get down but doesn't know how. She's even standing up in her crib - what a scare that was! Won't be long till she's walking!

Valvoda Christmas

Christmas came a little early for Bella and the Rowell family. Since Grandma, Grandpa, and Auntie Erin were down for Thanksgiving, we raked in the good times with Christmas as well. Bella LOVED Santa.... pulled on his beard too! He gave her lots of goodies including new puppets (which she loves to watch or eat), more diapers, new toys and clothes, and a couple keepsake items. Of course, she loves the dog and monkey stuffed animals that Auntie Erin got her! She was so exhausted from all that fun she simply had to take a nap afterwards. It was an unforgetable Christmas all around.

Monkey Business

We have been very busy here in the Rowell household. We have been preparing for the Valvoda family to come visit for a couple days. In the meantime, Bella has been very involved at daycare. She is stealing other babies' pacifiers - out of their mouth nonetheless! She wants to walk all the time and is almost to the point of crawling. She can scoot and pull herself along with her arms - wont be long now! She loves to climb on things too - pillows, tables, even people! She gabs a mile a minute too - we're in for an earful from this one!

Cute as a Button

Just lounging around the house.... cute as can be. Now that I can get around a little easier, when I'm not sleeping I'm into everything I can get my hands on. Cords, dog hair, chewies, pens..... you name it, I want it! I'm well on my way to becoming a little lady. Now over twenty pounds and fitting into 12-18 month clothing, I am one bundle of joy.

Marine Corps Ball

November 7th, my parents went to their last Marine Corps Ball. Dad was dressed as a Marine from 1775 complete with the wig and musket. Imagine that.... a night without Bella!

Happy as can be!

She is such a happy baby, I can't believe it! Everything she sees makes her smile, especially her daddy. These are pictures from this week - one clothed and one bearing it all! Clothes or not, she is one beautiful little girl.

Happy Halloween!

Can you guess what I am? Yes... I'm a little lady - ladybug that is. And I'm just as sweet as can be! Now that I have been sleeping more at night, I really can say I've been sweet to my parents. Happy Halloween!

Quality time with Dad

I just love my daddy! He is so good to me. He lets me sleep and crawl all over him, he plays with me (OK so maybe I really do want to eat that silly cow), and he lets me share some of his tasty beverages. He is definitely the coolest!

Happy Birthday to me!

Bella Jo has turned 6 months old, it's hard to believe! She is now 20 lbs. and 27 1/2 in. long. Although she is still not sleeping through the night, she is a bundle of energy otherwise. She is a very happy baby. She loves to watch Hunter play with his toys and bark at things (she giggles at that). She loves to eat foods that are orange - sweet potatoes, squash, and mixed vegetables. And she loves to eat her socks - not a day goes by where she does have them sopping wet! We are as pleased as can be with having her in our life.

Beep-Beep!

This past weekend we were shopping at Target. Low and behold, one of the end caps had a display of little wagons. Just for a laugh, we put Bella in one and tried rolling her around. She loved it! For the rest of our Target trip, we pulled her around in her new wagon. Now we put her in it around the house and take her for a "ride." She'll play in it with her toys, as content as can be. But don't let her fool you.... she's up to something with that grin on her face!

Cookie Monster!

Bella was caught red-handed this weekend! No wonder she earned herself the nickname "Chunky Monkey!" Bella has been getting into everything she can put her hands on. She grabs for anything in sight, whether it's the afternoon mail, mom and dad's food, or Hunter's toys, she loves to get a taste of it, too. Sometimes we end up having a tug of war contest. This time it just so happened to be reaching for a plate of Halloween cookies - the moment was priceless! Now she has earned a new nickname.... Cookie Monster!

General Information

We hope to post often about Bella Jo Rowell's triumphs, tribulations, and just plain good ol' days. We realize that many people are asking for pictures all the time. Oftentimes, it is too difficult for us to send massive emails constantly. Thus, we figured it was time to make a change - welcome to the world of blogging!