NEW STUFF

Some new thing that Bella has been doing - not to brag so much as to note for posterity.

1) Bella enjoys making her self dizzy by spinning around in circles on her feet. She doesn't do this everyday, but has done it several times and it cracks me up each time.

2) She understands way more of what we say to her than I ever would have imagined. I asked her to bring me her socks the other day, and she went into the other room and brought them back to me - albeit one at a time. We can also ask her to throw something away and she will take it to the garbage can and put it inside. She understands when we talk about different articles of clothing, going to certain places, what she wants (or doesn't want) to eat, and some other everyday occurrences such as brushing teeth, going to bed, reading books, finding cats, and such.

3) Last week we took a trip up to Lake Junaluska to see her grandparents and a couple they have known for years and years. On the second night we were there, Bella got on the sofa with her mom and day before bedtime and gave her Dad a book to read. Then she slid off the sofa and - one by one - went and brought each of the other adults into the room, leading them by hand. Keep in mind, two of these people she had met just that morning when she woke up. We figure she wanted it to be like storytime at school when everyone gathers around for a book.

4) She is climbing everything: the kitchen chairs (and then onto the kitchen table), her own high chair, the futon, the ledges in the bathtub, the bed, the stairs, into the car, onto shelves. She's a little daredevil and keeps pushing her boundaries - much to her mother's chagrin.

5) Her hair now hangs down to her eyes in the front and is curly in the back.

6) We stopped giving her bottles (with nipples) of milk. We were supposed to do this at 12 months, but were just too lazy to try it. But after a good checkup last week, the doctor told it was time - particularly because the nipples deposit the milk in a bad way on her teeth so if she doesn't brush her teeth before bed - which is another post altogether - it could lead to tooth decay. So it's all sippy cups now, and she seems fine with it.

7) We are getting over Bella's third or fourth ear infection. They just keep coming! She seems fine with them during the day, but at night would sleep for about two hours then start fussing and then crying and inevitably end up in her parents' bed where she tossed and turned and whined most of the night. Hopefully, this third round of antibiotics will take care of it once and for all!

8) She gets cuter everyday.

9) And finally, today - Mother's Day - we built Bella a sandbox. It's 4' x 4' and 8" deep with a waterproof cover below and a heavy cover on top to keep water and cats out. We didn't get a chance to play in it today, and after moving 450 pounds of sand her parents are ready for bed. Good night.