What is this stuff?

I broke down and started feeding Arabelle rice cereal last Friday night (10/23) and she did not know what to think of it. I kept thinking to myself that I didn't want her to eat "solid" food yet because I just knew she was going to devour it and that would be yet another milestone reached. I got the camera out and was ready to film this exciting and new experience, camera balanced on a cup, spoon filled with cereal, into the mouth it goes in.....and out the mouth it comes right out. I'm pretty sure that each and every bite came out just as fast as it went in. We have been into it a full week now and she is still giving me the "what the heck are you doing to me?" look. I know once I am making her yummy veggies and fruit purees she will have a more energetic reaction but for now it's just a boring experience.

Memories Captured

We have been told many times to capture each moment because it will be gone before we know it. Arabelle has a certain little hum she does when she is tired and about to head to sleepy town and we wanted to document it so here goes....

(Warning if you are not a family member this could bore you!)



And this is what comes after all the fuss

5 month checkup

Where has the time gone? Arabelle is now past the 5 month mark, she is now sleeping in her own room and we will soon begin to eat cereal. This is all happening so fast. Yesterday we went into College Station for her 5 month checkup, where she was weighed and measured and of course had to get stuck by 4 needles. Poor baby....she did handle it much better than the last time, Matt thinks it's because her chub chub thighs provided some cushion this time. She is weighing in at 18 lbs 7 ounces and she is 27 inches long, still in the 97th percentile for both of these. Her head is much smaller than the rest of her body but he says it is fine.

The times of holding a sleeping baby girl in my arms are becoming less and less and we are moving on to holding toys, petting Nellie and working on sitting up. She is still such a laid back, sweet loving little girl. Every time we are around people she is so intrigued with what is going on that she just sits back and takes it all in...while of course blowing spit bubbles, people always come up and ask "is she is always this chill?" Yes, we are very blessed with a relaxed, take it all in kinda girl.

More to come later but right now I AM holding a sleeping baby girl (due to the shots) and am about to loose battery power as well as no access to the camera.

Scarecrow Festival

Four years ago Matt and I ventured out from College Station out to Chappell Hill to take part in the fall Scarecrow Festival. We had only been dating 3 months and everything we did together was new and exciting and made our hearts go pitter-patter. We walked around and took in the fresh smells of kettle corn, fall candles and roasted almonds, holding hands admiring all of the homemade items. This outing is very memorable to us as we experienced the first change of the season as a couple and the beginnings of our love.

This past weekend it was that time of year and the Scarecrow Festival was being held just 15 miles up the road from our now home of Brenham. We are now married and have an almost 5 month old baby girl. We were so excited to go back out to the place where we had once been with what seems like so long ago, but this time as a family. The day was chilly with a little bit of warmth from the sun and what felt like the perfect fall day. We had Arabelle in her cute fall outfit ready to take pictures among pumpkins and we loaded up the car and headed down the road.

Insert picture of Arabelle at Scarecrow Festival here:







Just as we made it to the first section of booths I was already scoping out the candles I needed to buy and Matt was standing at the "guy" booth...you know the place where samples of..well..anything to eat is being handed out, Arabelle begins to cry out of nowhere. She was wailing as if something was seriously wrong. We tried to soothe her and settle the emotions but this cry wasn't going away. We held out hope for about 10-15 minutes as every festival goer looked at us wondering what we did to our baby or approached us as if they had the solution. We briskly walked to the car weaving in and out of people with the siren of a crying baby. We made it to the car and she continued to cry just long enough that we were too far to turn back around and attempt it a second time. Matt and I both were disappointed and had our eye and nose on many of the things we wanted to see at the festival. We made it home and as we took out our happy girl from her car-seat she was all smiles.

We settled back in and put on our comfy fall day clothes (aka pj's)and hung out around the house. The evening ended up with family cuddle time on the couch, a movie playing in the background, cookies baking in the oven and dancing in the kitchen to fun oldies. Probably one of the greatest days of my life! In times like these I am reminded how thankful I am to be pulled away from the busy things of life just to enjoy the small things. Of course I thought I wanted to spend my day at a festival but God and Arabelle had other plans, plans that were good for the soul and made my heart smile. I love my life and I love my family and this sweet little bundle of joy that has changed so many of "our" plans.

A little girl and her doggy

Lately Arabelle is watching Nellie's every move and she is VERY entertained by her. Every night Nellie pulls out all her tricks and works off any energy she has remaining from her busy schedule of sleeping and making her bed. Arabelle is starting to give the big belly laughs and we can make this happen occasionally but Nellie knows how to get the best ones. Here is a video taken the other night that captures only a glimpse of the "show" Nellie puts on and the laughs that are making the sweet noise in our home these days.