2.14.2014

Happy Valentine's Day!

Our Little Valentine.
Bella's first Valentine's Day. :)
 
Beautiful flowers from my wonderful hubby! :)
 
 

2.13.2014

2 months old!

I am in disbelief, where has the time gone to? Before Bella was born people said that babies grow fast but no one told me just how fast! How has 2 months come and gone already? My baby is growing up so fast! Its wonderful, but still bittersweet in a way, I love the fact that she's growing and is discovering new things and is starting to talk and smile so much more and doing new and exciting things every single day, but yet at the same time I miss that scrunchy little newborn face and how tiny she was when she first was born. I look at all the clothes she has outgrown already and think "I cannot believe how small she was!", and I look at her and think "how in the world did she ever fit inside me?" (Haha) and then I realize just how much she's grown! On the 8th of February little Miss Bella had her 2 month birthday (though technically she was 1 day away from being 9 weeks old). She's getting so big, she had her 2 month well child doctor checkup yesterday, had her very first shots (booo!), I was so proud of her, she was so brave, she only cried about 7 mins but it felt like an eternity because my baby was in pain from getting the shots in her legs, I was a mess, I was sobbing my eyes out right there in the doctors office in front of the nurse who administered the shots. But at least we got it over with... and I didn't injure any nurses (though I can't say I didn't feel like it when she stuck Bella with the needles and Bella started crying)... now I just have her 4 month appointment to think about and dread for the next 2 months (lol).
Bella is already outgrowing her 3 month clothes and is now almost 11 lbs. (10 lbs. and 12 oz.) and is 22 and a quarter inches long! (she was 7 lbs 10 oz at birth). And now for the fun part again... Time to shop for more baby clothes! :D



 


 
 
 

2.11.2014

Introduction

Hi everyone! A blog is something I've wanted to do for a few years now but just somehow never found the time and then recently I realized... it was never going to happen unless I made it happen. So here it is, my first blog post, which is actually (more or less) of an introduction to my family and I. I am April and I am blessed to be able to be a stay at home wife and mommy, I am happily married to the love of my life (and my best friend), Frank, the most amazing and wonderful man and husband in the world, and we have a beautiful 2 month old daughter, Bella Nicole, (born Dec. 8, 2013), and she is absolutely perfect in every single way imaginable. God has truly blessed me beyond compare and I am so thankful to call them mine! Also I have 2 sweet stepdaughters, Kristi and Tiffani, who are completely in love with their little sister Bella.
Now for a little about me... I am the second oldest of 5 children and have 1 older brother and 3 younger sisters and great parents. I grew up on a farm in rural southeast Missouri with quite a menagerie of different species... chickens (I loooove chickens by the way), hair sheep, ducks, geese, dogs, rabbits, fish, and at one time or another goats, wool sheep, cats and even a miniature donkey once! I now live in western Pennsylvania with my sweet hubby and daughter. I think Pennsylvania is a lot like Missouri overall, especially terrain-wise, but is just colder and we get more snow. My birthday is in early April (but I think my name kind of already gave that away haha), I enjoy spending as much time as possible with my husband and baby daughter... I also enjoy (in no particular order) blue skies, long walks, reading, daydreaming, crocheting, decorating/designing, photography, ice skating, music and singing, instagramming (if that's a word lol), Pinterest, crafting/creating/diy, shopping (thrifting especially), and snuggling with our sweet Bella.
I love cooking and baking and I've been doing so since my mom started teaching me at around 2 years old. In my mind there is just something so rewarding about feeding your family and making things that taste/smell good. :)
I have this notion that chocolate is healthy and I'm not changing my mind (haha), I love pretty much anything to do with the Eiffel Tower and Paris, also I have this gravy obsession, I reeeaaally love gravy... brown gravy, broth gravy, mushroom gravy, au jus, and sometimes even sausage gravy... I've been known to eat gravy for a meal and yes, I've even went so far as to drink it (haha). My other obsession is cupcakes... and I must confess, I actually dream about them on a regular basis (haha), at least there are no calories in dreaming, right? :)
I am a complete girly-girl and I love roses, peonies, lilacs and honeysuckle, along with anything pink, sparkly, gold and covered in sequins or glitter, polka dots or bows. I am a latté and frappe kind of girl. My favorite seasons are spring and autumn. My favorite musical artist is Owl City. I love the ocean, and I love contrails in the sky, I love freshly fallen snow that nothing has touched, I love in the spring when plant life begins pushing its way through the dirt and the earth begins to grow green yet again, I love warm summer days with blue skies and a slight breeze with white puffy clouds and contrails; and cool autumn days where you can put on a jacket and take a long walk listening to the leaves crunch beneath your feet, I love the afternoon sunshine when you can see dust and pollen swirling through the air. I am one of those people who pick up a dandelion and blow, scattering the seeds throughout the universe. I am amazed at the world which God has created and how much He blesses me every day. I see the world differently than most people, and I believe the most wonderful things in the world are to love and be loved.