Some Recent Vids

Trimming the Tree

We have started to feel a little festive and are looking forward to Stellarella's second Christmas! We spent Sunday evening with Grandma and Grandad Stahlmann, Grand Aunt June, David and Jennie, and put the tree up!


At first, Stella didn't think that the ornaments belonged on the tree, and she whined every time one was put up. She walked around with them saying, "Ball."


She also wanted to kiss Santa. A lot. She really likes to kiss. She kissed a few kids at the birthday party the night before, and even went as far as sniffing another child's tushie. Daddy has taught Stella to "lift it up" so he can tickle her belly. Maybe it is time to teach a few boundaries? :)

Stella loves eating crunchy little things now, and happily carries crackers around the house!

Thanksgiving- Part Deux

I've finally uploaded some photos from the last month. Above, you will see Stella in the piggy costume that Amber brought over after Halloween. It will be a bit small for next year, but perhaps Baby Boy Stahlmann will be a cute little piggy?



Chris and I took Stellaroo over to the Stahlmann's house the day after Thanksgiving to play and gorge on some leftovers. Stella always has fun playing with Uncle David and Grandad.



As promised, here are some pix of Cousin Arthur over at Aunt Maria's house on Thanksgiving.

The Hilarity Ensues...

Stella is getting to be so smart! She has a bunch of funny tricks. Here are a few of the silly things she does:

What does a snake say? "Ssssssss."
What does a kitty say? "Ooowwww!"
What does a monkey say? "Eee, Eee, Eee!"
What does a puppy say? "Pip!"
What does a clock say? "Ti-tah, ti-tah".
What does Mommy say? *She shakes her finger at us like we are being naughty.

These are Stella's current words: Mama, Dada, hot (which she whispers repeatedly), elbow, ball, hello, sock, show, ear, hi, bye-bye, pup-pup, baby, Me-Me (this is Emily), bottle, and she signs milk, more, eat, and juice. She also sings Twinkle Twinkle with a few correct words here and there...

Stella is not only walking- she runs! She is getting to be really fast and is now very steady on her feet, even in footwear. Her new-found mobility has enhanced her freedom; she has discovered toilet paper and the bathroom garbage, and she can open doors. She knows that cabinets and drawers contain unique and exciting objects, and she assumes a cute little perch on the lower level of our buffet.

Lots To Be Thankful For!

We all had an enjoyable Thanksgiving with lots to be thankful for! Stella and the gang headed up to Grand Aunt Maria's in Wisconsin for some food and festivities. She was very shy at first, and clung to our legs, but eventually opened up.



Stella comes from musical stock, and Grand Uncle John took out his guitar for a children's' song sing-along. Stella danced around and showed off some of her moves.





The little turkey girl wasn't all that interested in eating the Thanksgiving fare; we think that there was just too much going on. She did, however, sit at the table with us for a bit- but as her nap time approached, she decided that she needed a break. She sampled some couscous, ate some of the roll we gave her, and decided that she was done.



Stella got to see her second cousin Arthur, who was visiting from Kansas. He is 8 months and is a cutie pie. Stella loves babies- which is a good thing, because she has a baby brother on the way!

Hauntingly Cute on Halloween!

Halloween was a blast this year, and Stella is finally old enough to participate in the celebration. We had a cute ladybug costume that was a gift from our baby shower, and we came across it just in time (it is hard to remember everything that we got and stowed away). Our little bug looked adorable walking and crawling in her outfit.



Saturday we had a party for Blake's birthday, and Stella ate cake, brownies, cookie, and rice krispie treat. After the sugarfest, we headed to Aunt Jennie's Halloween party and Stella got to visit with Grand-Aunts Elaine and June.

On Halloween, Chris and I attended a wedding for Frankie's mom and dad, while Stella trick-or-treated with Grandma Louise and Uncle David. Once we were home, Chris and I peered into her goodie bag and looked at her loot. It was so cute to think of Stella getting her six little candies from neighbors. We were disappointed that we couldn't take her out, but are glad that she got the opportunity to go nonetheless.

Our Little Pumpkin and the Patch

We have had an eventful month. Stella is getting so big, and is very eager to show off all of her new "roam the house" skills. She knows where we keep the gift bags, and wants them all over the floor. She know where Mommy keeps her purse, and would like to see that stuff on the floor too. She is well aware of the magical items behind bathroom cabinet doors, and heeds their call. It takes quite a bit of effort to keep up with her!



Stella is now standing independently, and takes about seven or eight steps when she walks. She can make it from the TV to the couch, and when not paying attention, she can walk even farther! She likes to practice standing up on the bed, and I think this has helped her balance quite a bit. Personally, I am excited to not have to carry her everywhere I go- as her baby brother or sister grows larger, hauling Stella is going to become more difficult. Stella is pretty proud of herself when she walks, and will applaud each attempt.



We took our little pumpkin out to Goebbert's Farm to pick out a pumpkin. Stella and I headed out after school, and Chris came out to meet us after work. Stella was WAY into the pumpkins. She thumped and pushed them as though making a thorough inspection. We ended up picking one that looked lonely, and she and Daddy will be carving it up this week.



Before Daddy arrived at the farm, Stella and I had some time to bond over a big, frosted pumpkin cookie. I handed it to her so that I could take a picture and immediately she bit off a humongous piece. She attempted to say, "Mmmmm," as cookie crumbles out. She ate more than her fair share while cuddling me and stroking my arm; she is a very affectionate little girl.

Stella's Television Debut

Here is the link to the NBC First Birthdays clip. This was Stella's first television debut!

http://www.nbcchicago.com/shows/newstoday/First_Birthdays__September_30__2010_Chicago.html

Beautiful Birthday Girl!

Stella turned one yesterday and suddenly became quite amorous! She showered us with snuggles and kisses, and spent ten whole minutes giggling while she tickled my feet. She is uber-adorable.



Stella is up to a lot of new tricks! She has been standing unsupported for short periods and takes a few independent steps to cross her playpen. We have yet to see her try to walk without holding on anywhere else yet, but it is coming soon! Chris will tell her to walk to him and she lunges forward and jumps into his arms!



Stella's top two teeth broke through on her birthday, bring our total tooth count up to six! She did this without any whining or crying, which dooms us for when her molars come through. She does, however, want to chew on my face- so I am giving her some chewy toys.



Speaking of toys, Stella got a lot of awesome loot for her birthday! She is having a blast with her new toys, and as soon as we got home from the party we took them all out and she got to work. She has all kinds of new buttons and levers to push, and is digging her electronic books. She takes time out from button-pushing to give her first baby doll a kiss. Love it!



Stella's birthday party was fantastic. Thanks to Grandma Louise for letting us crash her house! We had forty guests, many of which are Stella's closest buddies. We ate pizza, veggies and fruit, and loads of cupcakes. Stella loves her monkey, so we had a monkey theme. Our little monkey wasn't too interested in smashing up the cake; she gingerly dipped her finger in the frosting and tasted it. Once I cut her a piece, however, she went to town and ate the entire thing.



The kids in attendance got to play pin the tail on the monkey, have a monkey hunt, and smash a monkey piñata! These games preceded the gifts, and boy were there a lot! Stella received a bunch of new toys, cute clothes and shoes, and great books. We have such amazing and generous friends.



As we approached the close of our daughter's first year, it was hard to not be sentimental and weepy. Time really has flown by so fast. I spend evenings packing away her little shirts and onesies that she has outgrown, and I recall the tiny and sweaty baby that once slept on my chest. This year has been full of many blessings, and I am excited about the prospect of the years to come. Happy birthday, Baby Stella! You have brought us such joy, and we love you immensely!



Here are some other photos from the day..

Our Funny Kiddo

Tushie Trouble and Other News

Stella has historically had trouble with constipation. On and off, since she was born, we have had to use juice and at one point, corn syrup, to deal with this.

Now that she is totally on table foods, she has been having more trouble. She was pushing so hard last night, it nearly broke my heart. When I was changing her, I saw that she has a protruding hemorrhoid. It looks really painful. I took her into the sick clinic and they have me starting on stage one fruits and veggies only. No starches, no dairy, until she has one week of regular stools. I also have to give her glycerin suppositories. Poor baby, she is not going to be happy!

In happier news, Stella is yapping up a storm. She says hi and bye to everyone that walks past us in the store, especially children. She jabbers in an indistinguishable language all day, but mimics us when we say words like "baby" (which sounds very Southern in dialect).

Stella walks really well while hanging on to my fingers. I don't hold her up at all, but just give her a little balance. I think she looks a bit ape-like when she saunters, and it makes me giggle a little. She is a speed-demon crawler and screams with joy when we chase after her. Lots of fun!

Some New Vids

Here are some new videos of Stella. She has been sick this week, but is starting to play again.

Pick Me Out A Winner!

In case you haven't seen these on Facebook; Stella has a new hobby.

End of Summer Blues

It has been almost a month since my last post, and I believe it speaks to how busy we have been! Stella and I had a great summer together; thanks to all of our friends and family that played with us. I have been back to school for a week, and Stella has been with Grandma Louise. Today was the first day with her new Nanny, Emily. We are very lucky to have Emily to hang with our girl while Mommy and Daddy are at work.



Stella has made a lot of developments over the last month. She is a very fast crawler, and quickly makes her way about the house. She also is standing and cruising along furniture like a pro. Grandma Louise saw Stella standing unsupported while playing for over a minute, but put her down on her tush because she got worried she would fall.



Stell has been waving and saying "Hi". She also picked up my cell a few times, put it to her ear and said, "Hi, Dada." She points at objects and asks "Who's this". All day long she says something that sounds like ATTACK!, but we are pretty sure she means something else.



We had a great time at Jack and Colleen's wedding this past Saturday. Stella was very well behaved at both the church and the reception. She had the cutest dress from Von Maur, and took some nice photos with her now second-cousin, Kalyn. Congratulations to Uncle Jack and Aunt Colleen!



Stella's first birthday is coming up, and I have feverishly been searching the web for resources. I think it is going to be monkey themed because she LOVES her monkey puppet from Grandpa Gary.

Stella, On the Move

Away to Europe: Just some of the Events and Pics

Our world traveler had a wonderful time staying with Grandaunt Elaine and her family. We saw the sights, ate delicious food, met amazingly generous people, and had a fantastic experience. Many thanks to all who fed us, played with us, and housed us. Stella is so very lucky to be surrounded by such magnificent people.



Not only did Stella play, but she learned too! Stella is now doing "dinda-dinda" thanks to Trisha and Nana, and even started crawling when she wanted to discover all of the new things in Elaine's home. Dinda-dinda is something that Nana once did with Stella's Granddad back in India! Stella picked it up in no time!



Stella saw a ton of historic places! We went to Stonehenge, Hampton Court (where Henry VIII lived) and the maze, Tower of London (where Anne Boleyn was beheaded!), and took the Tube through London! We took a ton of pictures, and I will post some of the highlights.



Best of all, Stella met her Great grandmother, Nana.






Stella started signing "more" but then started using it as a parlor trick without any real meaning attached. :)
She also met Eden and Alexandra, her second cousins (or something like that- we have been debating the title).





Mommy and Daddy took a side trip to Paris while the family watched Stella in England. Thanks to the relatives for all of the special attention.



Stella played with Grandaunt June, who showed her the fish and showered her with gifts- including a giant Teddy!



Stella played with Hannalisa, and learned how to say duck (or so we think..). It sounds like "duh", and she has plenty of ducks to call for!



Stella ate lots of toast with jam, and loved the dahl at Elaine's. She ate all of it off of Mommy's plate! She also liked Noula's okra and roasted veggies. It is nice to see Stella eat something other than cheese!



Stella visited Cleopatra at the British Museum, and was mesmerized by the Rosetta Stone. Stefan took us to Bushy Park, and Stella saw some swans up close and personal.



Stella liked riding on the wrong side of the road, and is grateful for the car seat from Mari and Danny. She can't wait to learn Eden's trick "What do Mommy and Daddy do?"



Stella was so well behaved on the flights; she was a bit squirmy, but didn't holler at us at all. She stayed awake for almost the entire eight our return flight, but was a very good girl.