Woops! 9 months already?!

Okay, soooooo....it's not that I haven't THOUGHT about posting, it's just that life gets in the way. :) (By the way- I'm pretty sure the above photo is the first time we've taken a picture with Bella since she was in the hospital)!

So, anyway...just a quick post today...mostly a picture post! Lots of things have been happening the past 2 months!

Just as Bella turned 7 months, we introduced solid food! Oatmeal cereal to start. She had NO IDEA that she was supposed to OPEN her mouth! Just a blank stare! HA! She much preferred to hold the spoon herself! First food with actual flavor- homemade organic sweet potatoes! I think she likes.... Mmmmmm!
At 7.5 months, we started seeing teeth! (Click on the picture to enlarge....you can see them just barely coming through)! A week or so later...
Daddy is a little silly sometimes...she's just gonna have to get used to it...
Around 8 months (6 months adjusted age!), she started getting better at sitting up! She still falls over from time to time, though! It must be hard to hold up that big head! (By the way, her second follow-up with the neurosurgeon went great! She's perfection....with a big head)! :)

The bow was on clearance...sometimes she looks so much like Patrick, I feel she needs a little help looking like a girl! ;)
She still loves to lay on her back....still hates tummy time! And no real signs of crawling yet! When I put her on her tummy, she ends up like this every time...can't get enough of those toes!
She loves to pet Salsa. :) Salsa is so good with her. Isn't this sweet?!
Ava continues to be wonderful with her...and Bella can't get enough!!
Bella's always been such a serious baby, but we've finally started to get some of those gigantic smiles I've been waiting for!!Although, she's still very stingy with her laughs! We've only ever heard her laugh a handful of times! We've made lots of progress just in the past week, though!! I'll try to get it on video!

Loves to swing on the swing next door!


They love Aunt Sarah time....and, of course, Bella always goes through several outfit changes when she's here!
Last weekend, we had my brother's family over and had a wonderful day letting all the neighborhood kids play together. Our next door neighbors have a great playset. It needed new mulch, so all the guys pitched in while the kids played ALL DAY! Got lots of great pics!

Daddy and his mini-me...
She puts everything in her mouth! E.V.E.R.Y.T.H.I.N.G.

She makes this face all the time. Hilarious. It's similar to Ava's Chinese face, but for Bella, this is a "that-was-funny-but-I'm-still-a-little-irritated" face. Hee hee.
Gotta put some pics of Ava in here too! LoOoOoOoOve those little freckles. :)

The girl never stops talking...I have about 15 pictures in a row and each one is just a different expression mid-sentence.
Oh look! A pause for a smile!With Uncle Ian and Aunt Booj!
Not sure what to think about all that scratchy stuff....

LOVE Bella's sweet face and smile in this one!!
They have a great horse swing that all the kids love!
My niece, Emery, loved it too!
A little bit of work, a little bit of play. :) Patrick was oh-so-nice to give LOTS of wheel barrow rides! This is Ava with her most favorite neighbor, Josh, hitchin' a ride with the mulch! And Keegan, too!
A bunch of the kids...

And what better way to finish the day than with a pizza picnic!
It's been a fun few months. Bella is doing great, and so is Ava. Patrick finished up his LAST WEEK OF CLASS next week. He's got finals and will then be studying for his boards and begin his rotations this summer! Two years down, two to go!!! Well....then residency....but lets not burst any bubbles. :)

I hope y'all have a wonderful Easter weekend, and I'll try to not wait so long until the next post!