Bella - Month 4

Weight 12 lbs 13 oz (48th percentile)

Length 24 inches (59th percentile)

Head 42 cm (86th percentile)

Clothes:  3-6 months

Diapers: Size 2

Health:

We had your 4 month well check and you continue to grow and develop right on target.  Dr. Fink gave us the go ahead to start introducing food sometime before your next well check at 6 months.  I don't think you're quite ready yet because I would like your neck control to get a little better before we try.  We will keep an eye on you and give it a try when we think you are ready and interested. You also received your next round of immunizations and of course that last shot is always the one that gets you, poor baby.  Luckily, you bounce right back to your normal happy self after a few short, but very loud, screams.

Diet:

Momma's milk continues to be at the top of your favorites list.  Not much has changed here, you still eat 5-6 times a day and that includes one night time feeding. 

Sleep:

At 4 months, you continue to be a really good sleeper.  We put you to bed at 7:30 and occasionally you wake up around 2:30-3, but if I give you your pacifier you go back to sleep.  You wake up again around 5 to eat and sleep until 7-8ish.  You are still taking 2-3 naps, with your afternoon nap being the nap you sleep in your room and it ends up being the longest.  The other 1-2 naps are usually on the go, which is just how it has to be when you are the second child.

I'm a little nervous about typing all of this about how good of a sleeper you are right now because I'm worried I'm going to jinx us.   We went through sleep regression with your sister right around 4 months and we will be transitioning you to your crib very soon, both of which make me worry we will have some tough nights in our near future.  Hopefully that's not the case, but we will see!

Likes:

You are so observant these days and you love to sit (with assistance) and watch what's going on around you.  Your sister is by far your favorite entertainer!  We've found a love for the Ergo this month because of this too, it allows you to have a better view when we are out and about!  This month you also have found your voice and you love to sit and squeal and scream.  You smile and chuckle at yourself while you do it, but your dad and I think it sounds like 2 cats fighting.  You are starting to grab at everything and pulling mom's hair while you are nursing is one of your favorites. You've got quite the grip!

Dislikes:

Although you have improved your tummy time tolerance a lot this past month, it's still not your favorite thing to do.  You get fussy when your hungry or tired or when you think you are in the room by yourself.  You are a people person, just like your sister!

Milestones:
It seems like every time I turn around you are changing.  You squeal at the top of your lungs, can spot and smile at a familiar face from across the room, love to sit with mommy in the play room and watch your sister play, love your bumbo, and have started enjoying story time with us before bed time.  There's much more interaction between you and Addie and it melts my heart every time.  You give her the biggest smiles when she sits and plays with you or tickles you, but give her quite the angry face when she does something you don't like, such as put her loud, obnoxious snowman right on top of you when you are relaxing in your swing.  I'm not sure if this is a milestone, but your eyes continue to be a light blueish-slate color and we are crossing our fingers they stay that way because they are so pretty.  We celebrated your 1st Thanksgiving and even though you couldn't enjoy all of the yummy food, you were so happy to spend time with family.

Personality:
It is so much fun to watch you learn and discover things around you.  I would love to get into that head of yours and see what you are thinking as you are carefully observing the world around you.  I wish I could decipher what all of those baby squeals mean these days because you sure have a lot to say.  You have been so much fun this month and your little personality is starting to shine through. You are still a very chill, easy going baby, but I've decided this month that you will also probably give your sister a run for her money.  I can't wait to see what next month brings, but I am also soaking up every little moment along the way.

Visitors:   

We spent your 1st Thanksgiving in Raleigh and you met your Aunt Teresa, Dustin, Cody, & the boys for the 1st time.

Santa 2015

Christmas for little ones just isn't complete without a visit (or three) with the big man right?  You know, the big, old man with the white beard and red suit who always has a jolly smile on his face, SANTA CLAUS himself!  Kids line up to sit on his lap and tell him what they want for Christmas, they smile for a picture to make mom and dad happy, and then their day is made...or not.

Addie knows who Santa Claus is.  We've read books about him, Daddy wears his silly Santa sweater and red Santa hat, and Addie has the cutest little "Ho, Ho, Ho."  I knew Addie would be a little hesitant when it came to seeing Santa this year.  I thought if we eased into it, that maybe, just maybe, I would be able to help her overcome her fear and sit for that precious Santa photo....and boy I couldn't have been any more wrong.  See, toddlers and Santa go together like water and oil.  They just don't mix...at least our toddler!  Addie loves to smile at him and blow kisses and even give him a jolly "Ho, Ho, Ho" from afar, but the second we get anywhere close to him she freaks out!  I'm talking kicking, screaming, tears, boogers...she is NOT a fan!  But, even with that being said, we've still had fun seeing Santa not once, but three times this year and yes, I will treasure every picture we have of our happy little newborn sitting next to our terrified toddler on Santa's lap.

Santa at River Walk

The first time we went to see Santa was in our neighborhood.  They had cookies and hot chocolate, Santa read stories and sang songs, then came the dreaded photo.  Addie held onto Eric for dear life, but we snapped that photo anyways.  Afterwards, Addie had fun running around with her friends, dancing to the music, and they may or may not have even tried stealing Santa's "sleigh" as we were leaving.

Addie is such a social butterfly, she is always so happy when she is around other kids!

Stories and songs with Santa 

Bella's 1st Christmas

Family photo

Official Santa Pic #1 

Fun with friends 

Highjacking Santa's "sleigh"

Breakfast with Santa

Next up was another fun event, brunch with Santa at our friends house.  The big man himself made an appearance for about an hour...and we spent most of that hour in a completely different room.  Every once in a while we would go to the room where Santa was and wave to him and blow him kisses, getting closer and closer every time.  Addie had a smile on her face and gave him the cutest "Ho, Ho, Ho!"  I'm not going to lie, I was getting hopeful that she might be okay this time sitting on his lap.  We waited until the very end and we watched a few of the other kids take their turn and even got a picture of just Bella for her 1st Christmas.  Then it was Addie turn to join her sister and cue the kicking and screaming child.  All and all it was a blast, but we were 0-2 with the Santa encounters.

Such a pretty smile :)

Official Santa pic #2

I love this picture that my friend Katy captured of Bella and I.

Santa at the Mall

Last but not least, was our annual visit to MacArthur Center.  Addie loves their winter wonderland set up that they have.  She had a blast dancing and jumping in the "snow" and loved pointing at all the animals, polar bears, penguins, etc.  We went first thing in the morning on a Monday, so there was no line, which was perfect because we let Addie play for a little and snapped some pictures with Bella since it is her 1st Christmas.  We had yet another failed attempt at sitting on Santa's lap, but we did make progress.  We did get her to sit next to him by herself and look at the camera...so I think that's a success!  

She was so excited and loved the "snow!"  I can't wait to see what she thinks of the real thing this winter!

Proud momma and daddy with our beautiful Bella

Official Santa pic #3

Swings, Slides, and Sun!

I can't believe that it is almost Christmas and the weather is still in the 70s!  I'm not complaining though because with Addie's never ending energy, the beautiful weather has allowed us to spend a lot of time at the park over the past couple of weeks.  Addie loves running around, swinging, and going weeee down the slide as she would say, while Bella and I love getting some fresh air and Vitamin D....it's a win win for everyone!  There are so many fun parks near our house, we have too many favorites to name.  The fall leaves have provided hours of entertainment because Addie loves to throw them over her head and jump in them.  I can't wait to see how Addie reacts to snow this winter, if it ever gets could enough to snow that is!  Until then, the Harvell's are enjoying every minute of our beautiful weather!

December Happenings

The holiday season is upon us and we are celebrating as much Christmas as we can in the month of December.  Our stockings are hung by the chimney with care, the tree is full of pretty lights, garland, and "balls" as Addie says, and we are having so much fun creating family memories with the girls.  Addie's eyes light up at the sight of Christmas lights and there's not a Christmas carol out there that doesn't put a smile on her face and give her the urge to dance.  She's perfected her "Ho Ho Ho" and thinks Daddy is silly when he wears his Santa hat.  We've visited Santa from afar and aren't quite sure how we feel about the whole thing yet.  On the other hand, Bella is changing on a daily basis.  She loves to sit up in her bumbo and look around, especially at the Christmas lights.  She smiles from ear to ear as soon as she sees a familiar face and babbles and coo's all day long.  I cannot explain how much more magical this time of year is once you start to see the holiday spirit through the eyes of your children, it's one of the coolest things in the world and we are loving every minute of soaking it all in.  Here are a few of my favorite photos from December Happenings in the Harvell Household...

Light Up Night at Town Center with Grandma, Pap, & cousin Bryan

Addie was in awe of all of the Christmas spirit all around her

She danced around the Christmas tree with Grandma and it was adorable

Daddy helped her reach for the "ball" on the tree

Picking out our tree and hanging the ornaments

Addie loved reaching up really high to hang her ornaments.

Holiday cuties in their Red & Green

What happened to my baby?  Bella's first time in the bumbo.

I love the look on Bella's face in this picture, priceless.

Bella's 1st Christmas

Holiday Lights at the Botanical Gardens "Choo-Choo!"

Riding the tram to look at the lights.

A fun night with some amazing friends.

Christmas cookies and crafting play date

December play date full of paint, playing, and yummy cookies.

Santa's Seaside Village & Lights at the Boardwalk

The rainbow lights at the Boardwalk.  Addie loved sitting up front in mommy's lap to get a better view!

Thanksgiving 2015

We have a lot to be thankful this year in the Harvell household - we welcomed our beautiful and healthy baby girl Bella into this world, we have watched Addie grow another year and become the best big sister, we have health, a hard-working Daddy/husband, and I've got to start my dream job of being a stay at home mom.  We have friends and family all around us to share our crazy life with and for that I could not be more thankful.

This year, we kicked off the holiday season with our first annual Friendsgiving.  It was so much fun to host and we had a blast celebrating with our closest friends.  We filled our bellies with the most delicious food, then watched our little ones run laps around the house before it was pajama time. Have you ever seen a cuter bunch in their PJs?  I haven't :)  Then, we had fun hanging out with the adults and playing some games.  We finished out the weekend with a fun visit from Pap, Grandma, and cousin Bryan and a trip to the zoo and light up night.

We spent Thanksgiving day in Raleigh with Aunt Kristie, Uncle Keith, & the kids, Aunt Teresa, Dustin, Cody, & their boys.  It was an absolutely beautiful day so Addie was a happy girl playing outside with her cousins.  Then, we ate and ate and ate some more delicious food...that's what the holidays are for right?  We attempted a few family pictures, played some more games, and shared a few laughs and then that was a wrap for Thanksgiving 2015.  Bella's 1st Thanksgiving was in the books and now it's time to "spread Christmas cheer for all to hear!"