Bella, all growed up!

She told me she and the girls were meeting for their babycise later that evening so she thought she'd start stretching.

All of the sudden, she started talking! Her old standbyes were "Mama", "Dadda" and, occasionally, "Bella". Then, two days ago she pointed at a light switch on the wall and said "light". Next it was "bye, bye" (said as she waives goodbye to herself), "ut-oh" when she drops something and "ba bae" for her new baby doll that she cuddles. Yesterday she held a piece of her drooly craker to my mouth and asked "bite?". Lter, I was reading her a book and she pointed to a picture of a carrot and asked "what's that?" (sounds like "wa dat?") This morning when I got her out of her crib, she turned back and said "blankie" in her baby voice as she pointed to her blankie. I handed it to her and she cuddled it to her face. Way to go little girl!


And as I was busy cooing and snapping pictures as fast as grandpa eats potato salad, Ethan was pointing out the practical necessitites, such as how the back of Bella's car seat was completely unbuckled from the car. Ethan saved her from what may have been a really quick end to her talking career. Way to be a big brother!