NOVEMBER PHOTOS

Haven't done this in a while, so here are some random snaps of Bella from November.









She found my funny glasses!



















Jen has been trying to take photos of Bells before school each morning. Bella picks out her own outfits, and lately that has meant tights, a skirt, a dress and a shirt - maybe with a ribbon in the hair or leg warmers.






























Bella was fascinated for a day or two by this little dancing girl I bought in Europe years ago. It has a tiny magnet hidden in its base and when placed near a tiny mirror (back with a magnet) that came with it, the dancer spins around. It was a lot of fun until it was left on the floor. Now it's back in hiding for a while.

JULY PHOTOS

Because it's August already!











Building a castle or something (with hep from her dad).













Tea party time with Baby Sheep!














At the edge of the Hudson River waiting for fireworks on the Fourth of July.













Bella dressed appropriately for her third day of camp when the class played soccer in the park. She played goalie.

JUNE PHOTOS

Bella as one of Batman's arch enemies? No, just in the midst of a cupcake frenzy at her new friend, Caleb's, birthday party at Hippo Park. It was mostly older kids who all knew each other from school, so there wasn't much interaction for Bells. The boy - whose elbow you can barely see in this shot - wasn't too keen on Bella sitting next to him and lashed out a bit with his hand at her. Crisis averted, but just yesterday she remembered that boy and told us "it's not OK to hit." Think she'll remember him next time their paths cross?













A funny shot of Bella in an outfit she picked out - rain boots and all - looking kinda tough, kinda silly.

















A parting shot from Hippo Park, where Bella loves to play on the swings. She is particularly interested these days in facing the swing, running with it, and jumping up so her belly rests on the swings as it, well, swings. She laughs out loud often in the process as hopefully evidenced by this shot.

MAY PHOTOS

'Cause that's what they are!













We pulled out this large box of crayons and I just loved looking at all the colors and the way they are arranged. Brought back a lot of fond memories for me, and introduced Bella to a lot of new colors.















Bella also played with Legos for the first time, and built the object you see on the window sill behind her. Her dad helped a little bit and the rocket ship piece was already assembled when we opened the container. She was very pleased with it and couldn't wait to show her mom.


























Bella loves the ledge of the window in her new apartment. From that perch, she can watch traffic on West End Avenue, people and doggies walking by, and the wind in the trees. She also discovered that ol' New York standby: sitting in the window and playing her guitar for the world to hear the ABC blues (video to follow).
















And finally, Bella's mom promised she could buy a fish with the money she had saved in her piggy bank. So that's just what they did. So let's introduce you to (a) Bella in pigtails, which she now enjoys, and (b) Kitty Cat, the betta fish! Good luck, Kitty Cat!

FEBRUARY PHOTOS

Dressing up with necklaces and leg warmers!













Bella finally figured out that it's fun to climb into a dryer - when you're two years old. As a side note, today she walked up to me in the kitchen with a pair of her pants in her hands and told me they were still wet. I asked her where she had gotten them, and she told me the dryer!














Wonderful photo Jen took of Bells on the back porch one sunny afternoon.

JANUARY PHOTOS

Hey! Isn't it about time for some January photos? It sure is folks! Roll 'em!



Bella modeling a new sweater hand-knitted for her by her aunt's grandmother, Ruth. It features two bunny rabbits and four buttons. Bella loves wearing it now that it's chilly! And it looks good on her, too!













Bella wearing a Georgia Bulldog stocking hat that once belonged to either Wally or Mark Cawthon. A note: she has not yet chosen a collegiate team to pull for, she just likes wearing hats and the goofier looking they are the better apparently.




















What do you do when Mommy and Daddy take away the ice cream carton? Take the ice cream off the lid with your tongue and nose! Note the flavor she's eating, too!














What's for breakfast? Pancakes if Bella has her way. And she no longer needs to wait for them to finish cooking either. Now that she helps make them, she knows where the batter is while the pancake is cooking.










What a cutie!

NOVEMBER PHOTOS

Everyone's favorite post of the month is here again!














Bella really got into painting at her table this past month. Even though she has no official finger paints, the paints sometimes ended up all over her hands (and face, and the futon).






We finally got around - and the weather got cold enough - to put Bella's down vest on. It was a gift from her friends Adam & Lauren, who just had a little girl themselves!












Bella's other favorite activity of the month was stacking things. She has one of those box-in-a-box-in-a-box sets that stacks up higher than her head, and she started stacking her wooden block as well. We were amazed how high she could stack them and how she could usually always put another piece on top even though the tower was pretty rickety!















And, of course, there was swinging. Lots of swinging. The swings at the "toy park" in downtown Decatur continue to be the best Bella has found. And her parents enjoyed them a bit this month, too.
















When it comes to bath time, only the most bubbles will do for Bella. Otherwise, why bother, right?








A new feature in November was trying on some of Daddy's clothes, rather than only Mommy's clothes. Here, Bella models her dad's Daniel Johnston t-shirt, Timberland boots and a cloth bag her mom's monkey pajamas came in.


















Bella made it to the Botanical Gardens twice this past month and both times thoroughly enjoyed the metal slide in the children's garden area. She is also reported to have liked the Henry Moore sculptures on display, saw a frog in a water garden, and ate an ice cream.

PHOTOBER

Otherwise known as October Photos!
















































This last one is a shot of Bella with her friend, Holden Young, on our backporch. Rumor has it that while Bella was staying at Izzy & Bud's house last week, she saw Holden's photo on their refrigerator and kept taking it down and kissing it. Stay tuned!

SEPTEMBER PHOTOS

One day, Bella put on her green sunglasses and I asked her if she wanted to go out on the porch and pose for pictures for her mommy. She did and we did!












One day, I asked Bella to help me clean up the house by taking one of her mommy's bags to the closet. She dutifully put the bag over her head and began walking toward the closet. I asked her to stop long enough for me to snap this picture, and she continued her journey - somehow - to the closet.

















One day, Bella decided she wanted to put on a swim diaper while we were in the house. She got one pair on, then added another, and another. I left the room and she waddled into the kitchen a few moments later sporting what I thought were four swim diapers. Turned out she had eight of them on somehow!



















We are fortunate in that Bella will try just about any food, often with surprising results. One day while I was cooking dinner, she tucked into chopped onions and ate several pieces before I stopped her on account of that being weird. She also likes lemons, despite this face.


















This is one of my favorite recent shots of Bella. Her mom took it and it shows off how wild her hair can get, her beautiful blue eyes, and, well, just how altogether precious she is.

JULY PHOTOS

Better late than never, here are some more pictures from the Life of Bella in July 2009.




































This last photo was taken a day or two after Bells fell at school and got a nice scab on her forehead. She is wearing a dress that her Aunt and Uncle Avett brought back from Vietnam for her. And she's wearing beads that she found somewhere or another.

MAY PHOTOS

From the month that was May 2009...