Benjaman Alexandria & Felicity

Disneyland

2011-09-27T12:08:00.000-07:00

We are spending Ben's vacation week this year in Hawaii. In an effort to adjust our little one to Hawaii time I sacrificed and went to California for a week prior. It was hard but I do what I have to for Felicity!!! Anyway while there I even endured a day at Disneyland!!! Felicity had so much fun and couldn't be stopped! It was very fun to get to see her experience it again and again, each time she loves it more, and each time I fall in love with that place all over again!

Club City

2011-09-20T15:10:00.000-07:00

Felicity has a new favorite pastime. Dancing, but not just to her fun little baby music, no, mommy has got her hooked on real music. I thought it would be fun about 3 weeks back to turn on the house stereo system and dance to the music from our ipod. I danced around, she giggled and mimicked my moves. Fun little game, or so I thought! Basically everyday since, she has begged and pleaded until we do it. I am not the only one who has danced their heart out at our little night club, we dance in the daytime together, at night with daddy, while IChatting with grandma and aunties! Whenever Felicity is in the mood we turn on the music, and we all have to dance...if not, she isn't happy! It is exhausting, but watching her little body move to the beat and do big girl moves is the most hilarious thing ever!!

Sunday Stroll

2011-09-18T15:27:00.000-07:00

Felicity's favorite thing is really just walking, with the occasional stop to dance!! We live in such a beautiful neighborhood, and it is perfect for our daily walks! Sunday walks are exceptionally fun because daddy joins us, and we usually get to do two or three!! Oh and I am obsessing with the weather change! Here comes my favorite month!

Into the Great Wide Open

2011-09-14T19:10:00.000-07:00

And she's off to explore the world! And looking amazing while she's at it!

The Sixteenth Month

2011-09-07T14:05:00.000-07:00

This is an update from 12 months to 16months! You would think the way Felicity has been acting that she is actually 16 years old!! She is changing by the second. We went to the doctor yesterday and our little Felicity is growing like a weed. She is 33 inches tall (92%) and 22 lbs (42%). She had a major growth spurt and is a whole four inches taller than she was at her year appt. I knew she would be taller because she is now able to reach up onto dressers she wasn't even close to before.

These past four months have been full of lots of updates! I sometimes get overwhelmed trying to remember all that she has done. I feel such anxiety to record every little moment because I am completely consumed with this little woman! She just sucks you into her personality and you just can't get enough! When I step back I realize how old she is, and how fast the time is going, and then I worry I haven't written down enough, or videoed enough, or taken enough photos...if you can believe it haha! I just want to remember this forever, and I know how easy it is to forget, so forgive me if it is overkill!

Felicity looks a lot different than she did at one! She has almost a full head of hair! No more Mohawk! She no longer needs sunscreen on her head, as her hair is sufficient now! She experienced her first ponytail, and set of pigtails, and now they are one of the varieties of hairstyles she enjoys! She still loves her headbands, or maybe that's mommy! She however is very good about leaving them on her head!

She also has 6 teeth now, and at the doctor they told me she would cut her one year molars any day now! I couldn't believe it, as she hasn't been the least bit fussy! But that is just par for the course. She is an extremely flexible little girl. She sleeps like a champ, 12 hours a night, sometimes more, and naps in between 2-3 hours a day. The naps have been reduced, as she is just too busy in the day to sleep. She still does a bottle a few times a day, but we are in the process of cutting that out and eating more foods. These past few months she has liked her binkie a little more, which I am not loving, but she gets it for sleep, sadness, and that's about it. We have a strict no talking with it in rule too!

Felicity spends her days with mommy, and any visitors! We play with all her wonderful toys and love to play games. She has recently been caught taking her princesses in a corner, and I overhear her jabbering as if they are talking to one another! It is the sweetest most hilarious thing! She knows all her animals, and their corresponding sounds, and will bring mommy the animal I ask for! She is so smart!!! We read lots of books and she loves to bring me a book and then slowly back up to my lap and sit down. More than she plays, she talks!!! She jabbers in the most adorable voice all day! Most of her words are mumbo jumbo, but she has a few really great ones. My favorites include, Hi, Buhbye, Whats That?!! Oh Wow!! I Love You!! Mama, Dada, Grandpa, (BAMPA)! She has a few others but still signs for most things. It is extremely funny to hear her mimic me though. All of her phrases are ones I have said to her for so long and she uses the same inflection as me! Even her babbling sounds like conversation with all the inflection! When my parents were here, she would go into their room and cup her hands to her face and call out BAMPA, aka grandpa! It is the sweetest thing and she does it all day long! She loves her Grandpa!

She also loves her daddy, and she squeals when he walks in the door. She runs to him and he picks her up, for which she promptly motions to go to the window where her and daddy routinely close the blinds. Her motion for this is hilarious, a rubbing of the thumb and first finger together so daintily, as if she was twisting the blind wand!

She has become more cuddly lately! It is sweet. She wants on my lap, and I will ask if she wants mommy to tickle her. She lays her head on my chest, and I will tickle her back. It is so funny, she will hold still for a long time. When I finish "Going on a Treasure hunt" she will sit up and ask for more, and then lay back down. While on my lap she has also learned all the parts of her face and Mommy's! She knows, eyes, nose, ears, mouth, hair, and even hands, and toes! Oh and who could forget Belly Button!!

We sing songs. She does ALL the motions to, Itsy Bitsy, Patty Cake, Popcorn, and now Skinamarink! She loves music and she loves to dance...its in her blood! She will dance everywhere. The funniest is in the restaurants in the highchairs she sways to the beat the ENTIRE time! Its subconscious! She has added some new moves, the arms are very active in her dancing now. She knows how to Spin, do tippy toes, and even arabesque! She expects applause after each!! She also gets applause for showing mommy her teeth, smiling, putting her hands on her hips, and saying nice to meet you, to which she will stick out her hand to shake yours! Her cutest trick is pose, where she puts her hands under her chin and grins!

Felicity has also learned NONO, for which she will clap her hands loud and shake her finger saying no, just like mommy does! It is so funny, but I don't let her see me laugh as she is a ham! She will do anything for a laugh. She even has her very own fake laugh! And a fake cry!! She uses it when she gets into trouble! Her main temptation is stair climbing! She is good, but we can't allow her to go up and down without us, but she tries anyway! Other than that, there is the occasional temper tantrum, but she is overall very easy!

She is a joy and my favorite thing is at night before I put her to bed, she sits on my lap. We tell her we are going to say prayers and she folds her arms. Either daddy or mommy say a short prayer and when we say AMEN she claps! She is the greatest joy in our life and I really do thank my Heavenly Father nightly for the amazing blessing she is! Mommy and Daddy love you, little Licy!!!

Sunday Stroll

2011-09-04T13:04:00.000-07:00

This is my heaven... a Sunday walk with my two most favorite people! I live for these times!

BUSY!

2011-09-02T12:54:00.000-07:00

Felicity is in one word BUSY! I can barely get her to look at me anymore. And it is really bad when she is outside! She just wanders and gets into anything she shouldn't. But that doesn't stop us from trying! We go out at least once a day and she just loves her time, and I love watching her do her busy little thing! Oh and it is hard work!

Licy and her Bampa

2011-09-01T14:17:00.000-07:00

She adores him!! And I adore them!

The Lake

2011-08-31T14:14:00.000-07:00

While my family was in town we spent an afternoon at the lake. Felicity was loving life, calling for Grandpa, lounging, and enjoying the sand! She's got the life!!

Fishy

2011-08-27T12:43:00.000-07:00

Felicity's swimming abilities have really blossomed this summer. She was extremely timid in June and did not enjoy going under or being set down in the water. We spent the majority of our days at a lake or pool, and now she practically has fins. When asked if she wants to go swimming, she promptly exclaims, "WAWA!"We put on one of about 25 of her adorable bathing suits! I can hardly hold her still to get her sun screen on, and then it is into the water! She started out walking in and now she lays back, blows bubbles, goes under, holds onto the side, jumps off...sometimes to no one SCARY, and kicks. When daddy joins us she can't wait to be tossed way up in the air and dropped into the water! She comes up squealing and frantically signing "more". That is a just daddy trick, because mommy isn't brave enough to throw her up in the air and not catch her! A few weeks ago she even started going under on the stairs using them to push off and then reaches for me. She even keeps her eyes open underwater! Her most adorable trick is when you tell her to plug her nose and she does just that! Everyone around us is constantly impressed by her abilities and lack of fear or intimidation! I couldn't be more proud and I thoroughly enjoy spending hours in the water with her. It is great practice for our Hawaii trip, and she's even built up an amazing tan!

DC

2011-08-26T16:52:00.000-07:00

Never to young...oh and you all can relax, there were a couple of drops at the bottom and she was in heaven!

Mommy Daughter Dance

2011-08-25T16:37:00.000-07:00

While at my cousins wedding I had a sweet little moment to myself with my most precious!! It is a rare thing in a group that I get a few seconds to myself with Felicity and I really do cherish them! She is the bright spot in everyday and I love her so much!! The only thing that would have made this moment any better was if daddy had been there!

Cousins Wedding

2011-08-25T16:35:00.000-07:00

On my way to California I was able to stop in Salt Lake to attend a cousin's wedding. I met my parents and we stayed a few nights at the Grand America, just the four of us! Felicity was the star of the show as always, she danced the night away and charmed everyone! It was very fun to see family and show off my most adorable baby!

Waiting for Daddy

2011-08-24T15:41:00.000-07:00

This is one of my favorite pictures. We have made a little habit of walking to the corner when daddy is coming home. We wait there for him and when his car pulls around the corner, she starts waving and yelling hi in her most adorable little voice. Daddy pulls over and she is so excited! It is the sweetest thing.

Summer Lovin'

2011-08-23T15:29:00.000-07:00

We have had the most amazing summer. We were so lucky to have Auntie Maddie come spend a week with us! We went to the lake, the pool, the malls, and did so much more. Then we went to California with Madeline, after a week of California fun, it was back to Minnesota for some good time with Daddy over the 4th of July. Then it was Auntie Nessa's turn. She came out and spent 4 whole weeks with us. After three Grandma and Grandpa and Maddie joined her and we all had so much fun. The days were spent shopping, swimming and spending some fun time with everyone! In true fashion everyone was constantly snapping photos of Felicity on their iphones, and so that is what this is...the summer in snapshots! So fun!

Six.....

2011-08-11T15:33:00.000-07:00

Can't believe I have loved him for more than 6 whole years now!!! Your are may favorite....I love you!

Happy Fourth of July!!

2011-07-05T14:29:00.000-07:00

So for the 4th this year Ben actually had the day off! We had a wonderful weekend full of quality family time! It is so fun just being with my two favorite people! We went to the pool a couple of times, went out to eat, and of course watched some fireworks! It was fantastic! We went to an amazing firework show at the lake! It was one of the best shows I have seen. Since Felicity is obsessed with saying hot, and blowing candles, I knew she would love the fireworks, and she did. She sat and watched without moving for the entire 30 minutes....that hasn't happened before!

Reagan Library for Grandpa

2011-06-28T14:21:00.000-07:00

For Father's Day we gave my dad a day at Reagan Library. He has wanted to go see Air Force One for a long time and we just have never made time for it. So when I went back to California this past week we went there. It was so much fun to see everything and Dad loved it!

Happy Daddy's Day

2011-06-18T12:38:00.000-07:00

Happy Father's day to the very best Father there is!!! Love you Benny!!! I am grateful for the other wonderful father's in my family's life, my Dad, Ben's dad, Felicity's grandpa's and my Grandpa...they are all the very best! Felicity loves her Daddy..... and so do I!

Family Pictures

2011-06-15T12:15:00.000-07:00

When we had Bobbi out for Felicity's party we went ahead and took family pictures!!! They turned out so fun!!!

Oregon 2011

2011-06-12T11:39:00.000-07:00

So for our real vacation with Ben, we traveled to the beautiful Oregon coast with Ben's family! We stayed in an amazing beach house and enjoyed days of great food, walks on the beach, shopping, ice cream, cousin time, and just having daddy around! It was a fantastic week. Felicity, of course, was the center of attention, wowing everyone with her antics. She would sign, and fake laugh, and entertain all of her aunts and uncles, and her cousins couldn't get enough of her! They were constantly asking her if she was smart, or if she could say please. She also said Mommy, daddy, uh oh, wow, and even began to say Ava when she was asked! It is hilarious to hear her voice and I can't get enough of it. We were so sad to see the trip come to an end! It was fun for us to spend some time with all of Ben's family and best of all to get some quality time with Ben!!! We just love him sooo much!!!

Pre Vacation!

2011-06-10T07:52:00.000-07:00

So Ben's vacation was the 2nd and last week of June this year. Since one week is a very short travel time for a little girl, we decided that before we headed off on our little vacation with Daddy we would get a head start and go to California for the week prior!! While there Felicity made, I think, her 5th visit to the Happiest place on Earth! This time as I always say was the best! I feel like she is getting old enough to get excited and enjoy a few things in the park, where as before she was somewhat oblivious to where she was! We met my cousins, KC and Melanie and their darling little girl Ellis there, as well as my grandparents, and my other cousin Kaden! It was a very fun day, and a very fun trip!!!

Grandma and Grandpa.. couldn't be happier

Party of the Century

2011-06-01T12:43:00.000-07:00

We had a wonderful party for our little Felicity to celebrate her very 1st birthday! In true form, I spent weeks preparing and planning for this party that was lovingly nicknamed the party of the century by Felicity's Aunties! She deserved nothing short, thats for sure!

We had her party at 11am on Saturday May 7th at Riley Lake park! A beautiful setting right on the lake, it was 75 and sunny! Her theme was giraffes...of course and our color scheme was orange, yellow, and grey...super fun! We had a wonderful lunch catered by a gourmet deli favorite Crumb! Auntie stephanie made her famous lemonade!!! For dessert we had my cupcakes and candy, homemade suckers, a custom cake, and of course Felicity had her very own smash cake!

All of her friends came and enjoyed the park. Felicity enjoyed being the center of attention as always. She arrived fashionably late as her nap ran long. She needed her beauty rest for the festivities. She arrived dressed to the nines and ready to party. The party however wouldn't be complete without all our family! My entire family flew in, as well as Ben's parents and Aunt Shai and cousin Boden!!! For a party across the country 4 grandparents, 6 Aunties, and one cousin is a great turn out! Not to mention no occasion can go undocumented...so we flew in our favorite photographer to get everything on camera!!! Thanks Bobbi!!! Felicity's favorite part was the cake!!! She is obssesed with blowing out candles, so we had a whopper of one on her cake. She ate the cake one dainty bite at a time, very aware of everyone watching her and loved every second!!! Her personality is so hilarious! It was a perfect day which was the only appropriate way to celebrate the most amazing day that happened a year ago!!! Thanks everyone for celebrating with us! We love you Felicity!!! Happy Birthday Baby!!

Felicity's Video

2011-05-30T16:33:00.000-07:00

So glad I decided to make this little video for Felicity turning one. It is and will be the sweetest treasure to rememeber the way things in the Brown family were!!! Precious

http://vimeo.com/25043240

Give Loves

2011-05-20T11:53:00.000-07:00

Felicity loves her Giraffe!!!

The Twelfth Month

2011-05-07T21:12:00.000-07:00

Ok, now I think I am heart broken!!! I really can not believe it has been a whole year since I first met little Felicity!!! I am tearing up as I write this and I have avoided this, as I knew it would be hard! I mean today is such a happy day! I love the little one year old she has become, but part of me, and I guess today in particular a big part of me is devastated that a precious year has come and gone too fast!!! A year where I have experienced every emotion to the highest degree!!! The most common emotion is that of Joy! And i say that because there is no other word to describe being Felicity's mommy!! I have experienced Joy on occasion in my life; time with family, marrying my husband, and now being a mother to this most precious little girl!!! What a blessing it is to wake up each day and feel overwhelming joy all day as i spend time with her!!! It is amazing how much I love her! Words cannot express!!!

This month was nothing short of busy!! We had Grandma Brown come visit, celebrated Daddy's birthday, celebrated her first Easter and wouldn't you know it....we even went to California!

Felicity went to the doctors for her 1 year appointment. She weighed 20 lbs (33%) and was 29.5in tall (63%). She is very healthy and the doctor was very impressed by her walking and signing! Felicity is on the move for sure! She is really sturdy and super fast. She is using her newly mastered skill to explore everything and everywhere. It is really so fun to watch her walk from one place to the other..just beaming with her funny little grin. She is so proud of herself! When she falls it is the best to watch her stick her little bum in the air and push herself back to her feet! Felicity also gained another tooth this month. It is the bottom right tooth next to the others she has. She hasn't gotten the top two, but they are right there and will probably break through any day now. With these new teeth her smile has transformed!!! She now scrunches her nose and squints her eyes and gives you the cheesiest smile!!! Her dimples are still there and I hope she keeps this smile for a long time.

Felicity is still signing like crazy!!! She really uses the signs to communicate with me and it just adds to the personality she has!!! At the beginning of this month I taught her she was one. So when you ask her, "how old are you?", she grins and shows you one with her finger!!! It is so precious and she does it every time!

Other than signing Felicity's favorite pastimes include dancing, eating, walking, talking, laughing, entertaining us, throwing balls, playing with her toys, reading books, spending time with mommy and daddy, swimming, sharing, playing outside, swinging, and IChatting with grandma and grandpa!! She really has the sweetest little heart. This month she learned how to give loves to her dolls and animals!! She watched me pretend to hold and rock one of her dolls a few weeks ago. Now anything that resembles a person or animal gets held in her arms tight...mimicking cradling, she rocks it back and forth, pats its bum, and then gives a kiss. It is so sweet to see her be gentle and express love!!! It is so precious to see her instinct to love and the innocence she has!!

Felicity has also developed a fascination with animals. She especially loves bunnies and puppies. When she sees a bunny, puppy, or even baby, her eyes widen, she looks at me, point to it and exclaims in a high pitch....a baba!! It is hilarious how her word mimics the inflection when I tell her puppy, bunny, or baby!!! It is really fun when they combine and she says, a baba followed by giving them loves.

The common theme for this month I guess you could say is mimicking. She is a sponge. She spends so much of her time watching and then a we will catch her copying us!!! She is sooo smart! Oh and she knows it. When you ask her, "Felicity, are you smart?" she looks at you, smiles, and then takes her finger and points to the side of her head, where her brain is...it is hilarious!

So Felicity was officially 1 year old at 4:15 am this morning!!! Actually it was 6:15 our time as she was born on California time!!! So I set an alarm and at 6:15 Ben and I were going to wake her up! The alarm went off and I shot out of bed! I went in and she was all cozy on her belly with her blankie. I wanted to wake her up slowly so I sang happy birthday quietly hoping it would stir her. She didn't budge!!!! So then Ben came in and sang to her!! She still didn't move. I really wanted to hold her but I couldn't bring myself to disturb her. So we went back to bed and let her get her beauty sleep. When she woke up we brought her in our room and sang happy birthday to her again. She was sitting on our bed, after the song she leaned forward and wrapped her arms around my neck and rested her head on my shoulder! It was the sweetest thing! She was giving me "loves" and then I asked for a kiss and she gave me one too, followed by one for daddy! It was the perfect way to end the most wonderful year of our lives! We had a wonderful birthday party for her today and spent the whole day celebrating her wonderful year of life, and reminiscing about the special day that happened a year ago today!!! We love you Felicity!

Peter Pan Lost His....

2011-05-01T15:57:00.000-07:00

.....so Felicity is keeping an eye on her's

Felicity's First Easter!!

2011-04-27T11:11:00.000-07:00

We spent Felicity's first Easter here in Minnesota as a family!!! It was such a wonderful Sunday! We got up and went to church!! Not before Felicity got to glance at the Easter Bunny's gifts..and Grandma and Grandpa's too!!! It resembled more of a Christmas then Easter..but thats what happens for being the first!!! We came home and made a wonderful Easter DInner. Daddy grilled steaks on his new grill...birthday present, and we had over our friends the McCleary's!!! It was a wonderful day!!!

Breakfast with Grandma

2011-04-20T11:06:00.000-07:00

A Daily Occurrence!

Ben is 28!!!

2011-04-18T10:50:00.000-07:00

I can't believe Ben is 28 and I am 25!! It seems like yesterday we were 22 and 19 and getting married and now we are old!!! HAHA!!! So when my family was in town we went to Redstone to celebrate Ben's birthday! It was a very nice dinner and we had a lot of fun. Then on his actual birthday I surprised Ben and flew his mom into town for a few days!!! It was fun to surprise him and he was really shocked!!! Love you hunny!!!

A New Favorite

2011-04-13T10:58:00.000-07:00

The Eleventh Month

2011-04-07T07:10:00.000-07:00

This is starting to get sad!! Felicity has completed the 11th month of her first year!! I guess I am crazy but I just thought that this year would go by much slower!!! It really is a struggle for me as I am so excited about all of her advances and growth, but I am so sad about all those wonderful stages that have already come and gone! Somehow I feel that this is going to be a life long struggle for me as I try to balance the future present and past!!!

This has been a big month for our little Felicity!!! She has continued to grow, grow, grow!!! She is now officially a Boss with a capital B!!! She is running this operation!!! This month she made her first trip to Vegas, followed by a trip to California to the Grands!!! Then we had a wonderful visit from Grandma, Grandpa, Auntie Maddie, and Auntie Nessa!!! It was a very full and fun month for her!!

So to the big news!!! On March 18th Felicity took her first steps!!! It was so exciting!!! Since then she had been diligently working on this skill!!! She is making progress, but it is slow!!! She is walking on her own and hasn't had any major falls, but she is very unstable! This month Felicity has proven that she is a genius!!! She is a signing queen!!! She picks up a new sign every day!! So far we have, Hi & Bye, Please, Thank you, More, All done, Bottle, Nice, Pretty, Tada, Yeah, & Bathtub!!! The most impressive part is that she does them without me doing the sign, and with just the mention of the word!! It is hilarious when we aren't even talking to her and she hears the words and just starts signing like crazy!!! Oh and it is even better when I am not paying attention and she is signing please over and over and looking intently at something! It does make saying "No" nearly impossible when she looks at you and vigorously signs please and thank you!!!

The next piece of news is, that very next day Felicity cut her two bottom teeth!!! And I am not even joking when I tell you I just looked at them and they were there. No crying no nothing!!!! Lets hope this is how she will be planning on teething!!!

Felicity is still a delightful little girl!! Such a sweet demeanor and loads of personality!!! Everywhere we go people gawk at her, and she princess waves to all who look her way!! She then follows the wave with a smile and sometimes a polite giggle!!! She is a ham!!! Along with all this personality has also blossomed a WILL!!! She knows what she wants and especially what she doesn't want, and isn't shy about letting mommy and daddy know!!! Her temper is growing...hence the reason we learned the sign NICE!!! After her quick 10 second tantrums...which in her defense are rare, I refuse to help her or do what she wants until she "shows mommy nice". She will then sign it slowly with this sweet little face and gives me a kiss!!! It is amazing how that little ritual will calm her down every time!! It is also amazing how she will sign nice to me if I take away something from her. She thinks if she is nice she can have what she wants...and for now that is pretty much true!! This month she has also learned what "give loves" means. She will wrap her arms around our neck and with one hand pat our back!!! It is darling and melts us every time!!! She also knows who Jesus is. We have a picture in our home of him, and when we ask her, "Where is Jesus?" she looks directly at it a points!!! She really is so smart!!!

We couldn't be happier with all of her progress and it is truly the best thing to be able to stay at home with her and watch her experience life!!! We are in love and can't believe she is almost one!!!!

Mommy and Daddy love Felicity

Peek-A-Boo and Finger Food

2011-03-25T10:42:00.000-07:00

Two of Felicity's favorite pastimes!!

Beep Beep

2011-03-20T10:39:00.000-07:00

Look Out!!!

The big 25!!!!

2011-03-14T09:50:00.000-07:00

I can't believe I am this old, but it is true this month I turned 25!!! Since we are stuck across the country from our families, with a very strict schedule for Ben my parents sent a plane Friday afternoon to pick up our family and take us to Vegas for a very fun birthday spent with my family!!! We were treated wonderfully staying at the Palms penthouse and eating at some very great restaurants!!! As I think about this year, it has been the most challenging yet, however it is by far the most rewarding year of my life!!! I am certainly looking forward to many many more!!!

The Tenth Month

2011-03-07T12:01:00.000-08:00

Felicity has completed yet another month of her life...and it was nothing short of enjoyable for us all! She continues to amaze us with all of her personality!!! Each and every day she changes and becomes less of a little baby and more of a little girl!!! This month was kicked off with a visit to Grandma and Grandpa's house in California!!! While there she enjoyed Grandma, Grandpa, and Madeline. Daddy joined us at the end of the week and we had a wonderful time celebrating LOVE day with those we love the most!!! Felicity also had her first private plane travel experience...thanks to a wonderful grandpa! It is always so fun to be able to travel with such convenience...especially with a baby! Auntie Stephanie came home with us and stayed for the long weekend after California!! Felicity just loves having visitors as they all shower her with lots of attention.The rest of the month was spent at home with mommy and daddy!!!

Some big news to share! Felicity officially crawls. Around the middle of February she began this wonderful army crawl. She uses one knee and drags her belly along the ground. It is pretty rough around the edges but technically it counts, and she is extremely fast. She is fast when she wants to be. I say that because she still is completely content to sit right next to me and play. She isn't into exploring or leaving my side. She would still rather me carry her from place to place...a sign of a real prima donna!! So within a week of crawling she was walking along the furniture, and next thing we knew she would let go and stand all alone in the room while playing with toys!!! She loves to stand and is pretty bugged when we sit her down. She feels the need to stand at all times.

The other major development in Felicity's life is her sign language. I have had a baby sign book and have for the last month been doing different signs with her. She is now starting to do them back. She does Thank you and More consistently!!! All done, Hi and Bye are a little hit or miss but they are getting better. It is hilarious to watch her sign them. All that fascination with her hands in her early months has paid off as she if very precise with the signs, and does them exactly as they are demonstrated to her. Her talking isn't slowing down and she babbles constantly!! Refuses to say mommy. In fact it is now a game. When I ask her to say MAMA, she smiles at me giggles, and then repeats over and over, DADA!!! She probably wont be stubborn though, right?!!

She still loves music and we find her dancing in the mall or restaurant to the background music as well!!! She loves reading and still attends book club! She is the only baby that dances when we sing the in between songs!! It is pretty funny! She is very expressive and loves to point at everything! Her pointer finger is always at attention and we have even caught her in her car seat with it out just ready to point at something!!! Her hair is growing slowly but surely, and so is her belly!!!

Her love of food continues to blossom and we are constantly amazed at all the food she tries!! I have yet to have her reject one food..not one!! This month I have cut her down to nursing in the morning only! She doesn't seem to even notice. Still no teeth, but we think they are just around the corner. Felicity is a sleeping pro. She sleeps about 12 hours, going to bed anywhere from 8 to 9 and sleeping in until about 8 or 9 the next morning. She also take two two hour naps a day! She is loving her schedule and is so happy when she wakes up!!! I now find her sitting up in her crib. She doesn't cry, we will just hear her playing and when we check she is just singing to herself or playing with her binkie or her bumper!! When I come in she smiles and reaches for me!!! That is one of my favorite sights!!

She is such a pleasant little girl and we love every second we spend together!!!! Ben and I continue to be amazed at the blessing she is in our lives and couldn't love anything more!!!

Mommy and Daddy love you Felicity!!!

Felicity's night in the ER!!!

2011-03-01T12:05:00.000-08:00

Poor baby Felicity!!! As a mother I think this had to be one of my least favorite experiences. Felicity woke up the morning we were leaving for California with a slight fever. We are talking like 99 degrees. nothing too bad, I thought she might have a cold. So I gave her some baby Tylenol and we headed for the airport. I continued the dosage of Tylenol as needed, but it soon became apparent that she was not feeling well. While on the plane instead of the usual happy, friendly, playful child, Felicity slept, on and off, for about 3 of the 3 1/2 hour flight. She didn't want her bottle, she didn't want to play. She just whined and curled up on my lap. I knew something was wrong when by the end of the plane ride I was hot from holding her!!

My mom picked us up and we called my dad who went a got a thermometer to take her temperature. I was expecting maybe 100 or so, but I was completely shocked when the reading said she had a temperature of 104!!!! I panicked!!! It was like 7pm so we took her to the ER. Worst experience of my life!!! We waited until about 8:30 for someone to look at her!! An hour and a half for them to see a 9 month old with a crazy fever!! So they gave her some Motrin and then more waiting. In the meantime her fever stayed 104 and she was miserable. I took her clothes off and just had a light blanket around her as I held her. Her whole demeanor was different!!! She was in and out of sleep, throwing up and just crying! I felt completely helpless and was really missing Ben...our family's voice of reason and calming influence. Once we were taken back to see the doctor....around 10pm...they checked her ears and told me it was an ear infection. I was shocked as she had just had her wellness appt two days prior and there was no sign of one. Plus in all her sadness not once had she reached for her ears or acted like she was in pain.

The doctor also said he wanted to get a urine sample...to rule out a UTI. Next thing I know they are telling me to lay her on the bed and hold her down tight. Not something I was wanting to participate in, but I figured it was standard. I proceeded to hold her down as they tried not once, not twice, but three times to insert a catheter into my 9 month old conscious baby!!! She, by the way, was hysterical and traumatized!!! I could not believe what was happening!!! My heart was breaking as she looked up at me wanting me to help her!! Finally it was over and was able to hold her and calm her down. We then proceeded to wait until 11:30pm for the results that it was negative for a UTI. We went home with a prescription for an antibiotic for the ear infection.

Throughout the night I rotated Tylenol and Motrin along with cool baths and lots of rocking!!! Her fever still hadn't broke by morning, so instead of getting her on the antibiotic I went to our pediatrician in Valencia. They checked her ears and told me there was no ear infection!!! So long story short.... nothing came from the ER visit, and her fever...which they determined was viral broke that afternoon. The one thing I gained from visiting the ER with Felicity was a renewed gratitude for my health, my husbands health, and most importantly the healthy happy baby we have been blessed with.

Only at Grandma's House!!!

2011-02-14T11:56:00.000-08:00

Enjoying a well-balanced breakfast!!! Grandma just can't tell me NO!!

The Ninth Month

2011-02-07T18:51:00.000-08:00

Felicity is really developing in to a darling little girl! She has such a personality!!! She is happy almost all the time! She absolutely loves to giggle and wants to make everything a game. She is becoming more and more fun daily. We had her doctors appt today and she weighed 18 lbs. (34%) and was 28 1/4in tall (78%). The doctor told me not to worry that she is not crawling yet and that average crawling is between 9 and 11 months. She said she is right on track for her motor skills and that she continues to be advanced socially! She has met all the marks socially for the next few months already!!! Somehow it didn't surprise me when the doctor even said, she will be a little chatterbox one day!!! So overall she is a healthy happy baby!

Now for the details I never want to forget. This month Felicity's personality has become so much more apparent! She continues to love to clap, kiss, wave, babble, smile and laugh. Added to that list is dancing! When music comes on the TV, radio, or even a hymn in church she begins to rock back and forth, sometimes with jumping, and then comes the most adorable head shake. She has incredible rhythm and will change with the beat of the new song! We find ourselves turning on music and just watching her all the time. She isn't picky about music, as she also enjoys mommy's singing! She loves Popcorn, I Love you, Happy Family, Itsy Bitsy Spider, and of course ABC's. She just started this month to mimic the hand motions when I do them with her! It is really cute. She also does a high pitch babble and squeal to join in on the singing! It is safe to say that there is no longer a quiet second while she is awake. If she isn't singing she is talking. She has added many sounds to her vocabulary none of which I can spell, but her favorites remain dada, baba, rara!! It is so fun to watch her talk as there is a lot of feeling that goes into her sounds and it is hard not to think she is telling me something! She also loves talking to others, preferably those who call my cell. I answer all calls on speaker so she can participate and listen. If I dare to answer without speaker on she will yell and scramble for the phone...and she is persistent! When I place it near her mouth she will begin the babbling and gets upset when the call is over!

She is still really cuddly and loves being tickled. She even fell asleep while I was tickling her belly the other day!

Felicity spends her mornings cuddling on mommy's bed, Ichatting with Grammie, singing, reading, and playing games. That is usually followed by some playtime in her favorite swing, where she normally takes her morning nap. After her nap we have a bath and then she has some food in her high chair...another favorite,. After mealtime it is either errands with mommy, or more playtime, sometimes with her friends at playgroup, or book club, but most the time with mommy and all her toys. She is loving her Christmas toys, and still loves to jump in her jumper. She spends her time rolling and pushing around on the rug getting from toy to toy. Scaring mommy is a favorite game we play. Her eyes get real big and she flaps her arms as fast as she can. I then gasp and pull back acting frightened and she hugs her arms in and laughs. She then patiently waits until I come in close again and then repeats the same thing, and somehow she finds it funny every time.

After playtime, its back to a nap. After the nap Daddy is home...maybe her favorite part of the day. The second she hears him she freezes and waits until he comes around the corner. Once he is in her sight it is nothing but smiles and giggles for at least 15 minutes. She immediately needs him to hold her and begin babbling "dada" and a variety of sounds over and over as if she is telling him about her day. She then plays some more, and eats dinner with mommy and daddy. We have been trying to skip that last little catnap she takes in the evening and move up bedtime instead. She is sleeping around 10-12 hours a night and we are loving that!!

Felicity loves her foods, and eats just about anything you put in front of her. She has really mastered the picking up food, and the only problem now is she puts too many in at the same time!! She tried her first banana this month and loved it. She eats other solids like cheerios, fruit, and graham crackers. She continues to like bottles, and cereal with veggies, and fruit. She now only nurses once in the morning and once before bed.

This month she also has learned to balance on the side of furniture. She loves to stand next to the couch, her jumper, the love sac or anything else the right height and hold on. She has even began to let go and balance for a minute here and there.

My poor baby also got on her first antibiotic this month. She got an ear infection and pink eye!!! Poor thing. She has to take the medicine in twice a day and then I had to put goo in her eye 3 times a day for a week. She eventually liked the medicine, but was never fond of the goo!! I felt so bad but she was so good throughout the whole week!!!

So to sum it up, she is our little angel. She brings nothing but happiness to our lives and enriches our experiences in ways I never expected. I never dreamed I could be this happy at home with a little baby! She is really my best friend...besides daddy! We both have just fallen so in love with her and now more than ever couldn't imagine life without her. We feel so blessed to have been trusted by the Lord with such a precious spirit and continue to be amazed at the wonderful child she is!!! We love her more than words can express and only wish that time could slow down!!!

Mirror Mirror on the wall

2011-01-30T13:43:00.000-08:00

Felicity is the fairest one of all....or at least she thinks she is!!

Moooooo Cow

2011-01-26T13:42:00.000-08:00

Cutest thing in spots!!!

Family Photos

2011-01-25T12:42:00.000-08:00

So while in Pocatello over New Year's we had our family pictures done as well as the 8 months pictures of Felicity. Here are some of the favorites.

The Greats come to town

2011-01-17T13:51:00.000-08:00

Grandma and Grandpa Great came home with us from California!!! It was so much fun to have them come and spend time with us in Minnesota! They are so much fun and we had a riot showing them where we live. Felicity loves her Greats!!! I was happy to have them be able to come and get to know Felicity and her darling personality, and just like everyone else they are in love with her!!! We loved having them stay with us, and really appreciate the effort they make to stay such a huge part of our lives! They are the best Grandparents I could have asked for and I am so glad Felicity is lucky enough to have them and Great Grandparent!!!! We Love you G&GT!!!! Thanks for coming!!!

SoCal again

2011-01-08T13:26:00.000-08:00

From Pocatello to Valencia!!! We came home with my Grandma Tueller to spend a week with my family! Ben came the following weekend to visit and then we all came back to Minnesota! While we were there we took Felicity to Disneyland, and activity that seems to just get more fun each time!!! Thanks again to my wonderful parents who always provide so much fun for our family!!! They are the greatest!!!

The Eighth Month

2011-01-07T12:29:00.000-08:00

Where is the time going? This month was a particularly fun month for us as we watched Felicity celebrate her first Christmas!!! The first part of the month was spent preparing for Christmas. We read Christmas books and sang Christmas songs, and did lots of Christmas shopping. Felicity is such a laid back girl. She can spend hours shopping and that just thrills mommy!!! The Harries family spent Christmas at our home this year and Felicity was spoiled rotten by them, her parents, and of course Santa Claus!! After Christmas Felicity boarded her 15th of 17 flights in her life to Idaho for Whitney and Dustin's wedding! We celebrated the new year with the Browns, Harries, and Smiths. We then continued on to California with Grandma Great where Felicity went to Disneyland yet again!!!

There were lots of firsts this month!!! Felicity has started associating words with their meaning. She can clap when you say the word "Yeah" and does it all the time!!! She loves applause and demands them for anything she does!!! Her Auntie Stephanie taught her 'Kisses'. When you ask, Can I have a kiss? she will lean in with and open mouth and give you one right on the lips!! We are a little worried as she sometimes includes tongue!! City also learned Bye Bye and she waves her arm, not hand, the whole arm. It is really fun! No No apparently mean laugh at mommy and do it again! Her personality is strong and her will is even stronger. Speaking of her will, No Crawling, not sure if she thinks it degrading or if she is just manipulative enough to get us to carry her, but she will not crawl! I have even had crawling boot camp, but she refuses!!! Also, no teeth, but that I am happy about as she is still breast feeding. Her vocabulary now includes Da Da, Wa Wa, and Ra Ra and she will babble them continually when the room gets quiet or whenever I try to talk!!! She IChats like a pro and loves seeing her family! When she is excited she will squeal and then attack mommy's face and hair. She will burry herself in mommy's neck and mommy doesn't seem to mind one bit!!! She is still very much in love with her daddy, and reaches for him all the time!!! She has recenlty become a little more aware of where mommy and daddy are at all times. When we leave the room she will sometimes cry or at least whine. Some would call it clingy!!!

Her hair is growing, but still not tons. She is constantly stopping everyone with her beautiful little face and people just gravitate towards her!!! Her dimples are adorable and she still looks alot like her daddy!!! Her eyes are brown, with some green, and her hair is dark!!! She really is just the prettiest little thing around.

It is so fun to see her growing and develpoing in to the little person that she is! She lights up our life and brings happiness to every occasion!!! We are so grateful for her in our lives!!!!!

Goodbye 2010!!!

2011-01-01T13:12:00.000-08:00

We spent New Years in Pocatello with all of our family!!! From both sides!!! Having all our family together isn't something we get often and it is really special!!! The perfect way to say goodbye to an amazing year!

Goodbye 2010! I have to say however you have been such an amazing year! Not many years have been this important in my life! I have grown a lot, learned a lot, cried a lot, and have never been happier! It is sad to say goodbye to you because you are a year I will remember always, as you brought me the very best thing in the world! We loved 2010....and can't wait to see what 2011 will bring!!! I have a feeling it will get even better!!!

Christmas Day

2010-12-26T12:39:00.000-08:00

We woke up so excited for Christmas morning!!! I don't think I have been this excited for Christmas since I was little! I couldn't wait to continue our traditions as a little family for Felicity!! In true Harries tradition we left Felicity in her bed while Dad went to check and see if Santa had come for us!! He videoed us all coming down, and then Ben took the camera, and I went and waited with Felicity while he checked if Santa had come for her! We brought her down and she actually looked excited. As it turns out Santa came and brought us all tons!! Luckily for Felicity, Mommy and Daddy, and Grandma and Grandpa, and all her Aunties also got her tons!

We all opened our gifts, and then watched Felicity open hers!!! She really is ta lucky little 7 month old to get tons of toys and clothes...$400 in gift cards to all her favorite stores, and her own credit card with her name on it!!! She had a lot of fun and put all the toys to good use! Ben and I got a TV, a sound system for our home, clothes, gift cards, and lots of other great stuff! The rest of the day was spent, eating, watching movies, and hanging out in the snow! We loved having family with us, and it was a great day!

The best part by far was spending the morning watching Felicity experience her very first Christmas!!! She truly is the best thing we got this year!!!! We love her so much and want her to know how special her very first Christmas was!!! Merry Christmas everyone!!

Christmas Eve

2010-12-24T23:28:00.000-08:00

Ruth's Chris was our venue of choice for our wonderful night. We got ready for dinner and headed back downtown for a wonderful dinner. When we came home we watched It's a Wonderful Life after we all changed into our traditional Christmas jammies. Then the kids headed to bed while Ben and I and Grandma and Grandpa waited for Santa to come! Once he came and left Felicity's presents we got a few quick pictures and went to bed!!! It was a wonderful Christmas Eve, my favorite yet!!!

Felicity's New Trick

2010-12-23T23:22:00.000-08:00

Can you guess what it is?

She knows its naughty but she is so proud of herself!!