Stella & her Love Bug

Stella really likes to be sweet to her toys. Here is a quick video showing how she can be.

Camp Henderson

It's the week of the annual Henderson Family reunion. We're in Michigan having a fun time with all Jamie's family. Here are some pictures of our activities.

Lake Day

a visit with Great-Grandma Erma
story time with Papa Goose

Detroit Zoo

Look what Jordan can do...

Is 13 months old too young for this skill?

So, Stella really likes feeding herself with a fork. Think what you will of me as a mother for letting her do it, but she is actually pretty good at it. Today's victim was some cut up watermelon. See for yourself how much fun she was having & how proud of herself she is!

YeYe's Visit

The last week of June, my dad came for a visit. We had a really special time together. The girls love their YeYe a lot & enjoyed his company. He was a great playmate for them & a big help to me! Thanks, Dad!

chairs

Stella has recently gotten very good at climbing into child-sized chairs by herself. She is quite proud of this accomplishment. She likes to climb in, clap for herself & say "yeah!" Getting out without bonking her head is a bit more challenging, but she loves chairs these days!

July 4th at the Lake

We spent Independence Day at our friends' Jim & Melanie's lake house with lots of friends. It was a really fun day. Here are some pictures from out on the water.

Stella's first speed boat ride...she loved it!

Our self-portrait

Jordan even got to drive the boat with Jim!

and she was very brave and rode the tube with Daddy.
She told Jim to "only drive fast enough for a three-year-old!"

Small Steps

While we aren't quite ready to say that she's "walking," Stella has begun to take a few steps at a time. She's a very cautious baby! Once she takes a walk, though, you'd better be ready to smile & clap for her! She lives for the praise. :)

J & T

Thomas is Jordan's "best friend." Here is a cute pic of them at church last Sunday.

Stella's 12 month update

This update is past due, for sure, but I wanted to post it. In some ways, this blog serves as an on-line baby book, tracking memories that I know we'll want to have for the future...and that I know will, with time, slip away otherwise. And so, the 2-week late 12 month update. :)

As of Stella's 1st birthday, she's an active & happy girl. She's taken a few steps here & there, but isn't quite walking on her own yet. We're pretty convinced that it is more a matter of her mind than her body. She just isn't quite sure of herself yet. She loves to play patty-cake and ball with you. She likes to hug her baby dolls, rock them, and say "aw!" She enjoys taking all the toys out of the bin. Another favorite pastime is watching the dogs in the backyard while standing at the back glass doors. Her favorite book is "Goodnight Moon." She says mama, dada, baby, thank you, ball, wow, yeah, & no. She loves to sing with you & by herself. Stella has a big appetite and will eat almost anything you put in front of her--except bananas, apples, and blueberries. She's mastered the sippy cup now & also loves straws. She helps a lot getting dressed, but hates to slow down to get a diaper change. She loves the bathtub and playing in the water. She really enjoys laughing with other people and is deeply entertained by her sister.

Stats from her 1 year appointment were: weight 23 lbs. 3.5 oz. (75th percentile), length 29 in. (50th percentile), and head circumference was in the 97th percentile. But she doesn't look abnormal or anything. ;)

Stella is a great baby. Right after her birthday, she started going to preschool two mornings a week. After a few days, when I picked her up, her teacher said to me, "Stella is a really cool kid. She's just cool." We agree & like her a lot. She's really happy almost all the time, but when she's not, she's furious. The best word we keep coming up with to describe her personality is "intense." She likes to study people when she first sees/meets them, but usually withing a few minutes, she's reaching for them wanting to be held & cuddled. She's fun and funny and we can't wait to see how she continues to blossom.

Jordan had fun, too!

Stella wasn't the only one who enjoyed Charleston!

Jordan wanted to pose with the outdoor sculpture at the aquarium

Steering the Pirate Ship

Another posing opportunity

Fun breakfast at the IHOP

Jordan loved looking out into the harbor for boats

While shopping, we found an enormous Hello Kitty.
It was only $85. Jordan got lip gloss instead.

Shopping in the market

Jordan really enjoyed the pool at the hotel, too!

Birthday Weekend

Last Saturday, Stella turned one. We celebrated by going to Charleston, SC for the weekend. We had a great time. Here are some shots of the birthday girl.

blowing bubbles with Jordan

digging in the sand

enjoying pizza and a sundae at Bubba Gumps' Shrimp Company
(yes, they actually had pretty good food!)

the family at the harbor

our sweet birthday girl on the boardwalk

We can't believe she isn't a "baby" anymore. The last year has been such fun with Stella in the mix. We love to celebrate her.

Birthday Celebration

We have a really great small group from our church. Lots of the people in the group have been friends for a long time. We feel really lucky. Last night, they decided to do a celebration for Stella's birthday. It was a lot of fun!

family picture in front of the cake

Stella was busy, so Jordan wanted us to blow out the candle.

After a few bites, she decided against the spoon.

Then she decided she needed to be even closer to her cake.

It got pretty messy...

but she sure was happy about her birthday cake!!
Thanks so much to our special friends...we really love you.

Thanks, Grandma!

Grandma Jan has been knitting these really cool stuffed animals for the grandkids lately. Stella's arrived last weekend. Though the second pic is kind of funny looking, it really is showing her squealing with glee. She really loves her new wiener dog! Thanks, Grandma!

Stella's Birthday

There have been some requests for ideas for Stella's birthday coming up. Please know, no gifts are expected! But, if you are thinking of getting her something, here are some things that we'd really find useful for her or that she'd like a lot.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/registry/wishlist/3FO1D1UHQCLEK

oh, and if you are thinking about clothes, she's moving into size 18 months.