basking in the sun

Look at that crazy Duchess face!

family pictures

Let's start off with this horrible picture of us! Matt just ate pecans so he's clearing his mouth. I've got my eyes closed. Bella is staring at Jack while he's crying. Lovely, huh? That's the way life feels a lot of the time...all out of sync!
Here we are all again, this time with SMILES!
Here's our little cutie!
...and again. We just love her to pieces!

jack & bella

Here's what Bella is thinking: "What's wrong Jack? I know my dad is loud and my mom isn't your mom but there's no need to get upset. We're here to visit you and have fun!"
"Really, Jack, It's OK! (pat, pat) We like spending time with Aunt Ashley and Uncle John"
"Ok, I tried to help. I guess you just want to cry about it."

"Man, Jack, your voice is piercing! It's starting to hurt my ears!"
"Ouch! It's too much! I'm going to just cry with you! WHAAAAA!"

Galveston Island State Park

Here they come...
There they go! Matt actually (first time!) caught a keeper! We (mostly he) ate speckled trout for dinner.
Bella and I sat out under our umbrella at a little sandy spot we found on the bay side of the park.

4 Months! (Yesterday)

Although plagued by allergies (just like I am this week), Bella hit and passed the four-month milestone. This was marked by a visit to the doctor this morning, accompanied by the all too popular round of obligatory vaccinations. Bella survived that very well with only a slight scream after the second injection. The four month statistics:
Weight - 14 lbs, 5 oz.
Height - 25 inches
Head Circumference - 41.5 cm
The doctor told her that she is growing very well and that her stats are above average for most children her age. After that, it was back to day care again where she scored high marks for good behavior.

hitting our stride

Yesterday was a nearly cry-free day! It's amazing since she spent most of the day with her DAD! I had to go to a day long meeting so Dad was in charge. I nursed her before I left the house at 8 am. She slept in her swing while dad napped and talked on the phone. When she awoke she had covered herself and the swing in poop! I guess she was extremely explosive or something. Dad got to give her a bath, wash the swing cover and still no crying! Next they went to a Chinese restaurant with Matt's red cross volunteer friends. Apparently the waitresses just loved her and she happily sat through lunch ewwing and ahhing over the engineers and wait staff and still no crying. (She did burst into a bit of a fit when the bill was being settled, but hey...who cares...it was time to go then anyway.) She went to the red cross and watched the engineers with their laptops and antenaes and still no crying. She came home around 4 pm and I nursed her again. No fussing, no whining and still no crying. She took a little nap before going to dinner. We sat outside to eat and drink and still no crying, not one peep or whimper during the whole dinner! We went for a walk and took another bath and still no crying. What a great day!

the trip

Bella's got a guilty look on her face while sitting in the stroller. It's probably because the rules said to take babies out of their strollers while riding on the rental car bus, but we didn't. But as you can see, she was safely secure between our legs. (Okay, I know it looks like Bella has a mono-brow or uni-brow in this picture, but she really doesn't.)
Here's Grandpa Joe and Carol at the Seminary. You'll see a theme - Bella in Joe's arms!
See. Bella asleep in Joe's arms.
This is Mike, Matt's baby brother.
Again, in his arms. I love it!
Our little busy bee (see the bloomers) again in Joe's arms while at a restaurant in downtown Philadelphia.

Bella meets Uncle Jerry

We have a picture of Uncle Jerry with his favorite dog Duchess when I first told him of my future fatherhood last June, again in October when I introduced him to Laura, and now for the big introduction...........
Bella meets her Great-Uncle, the Very Reverend Father John G. Nugent, CM. This picture was taken on Saturday May 30th, the morning after we arrived in Philadelphia. We were invited up for the Vincentian Family Day while also celebrating the 60th Jubilee Anniversary of Uncle Jerry's 60th year in the Order. We also took the opportunity to celebrate his 87th birthday which was last Friday on the 22nd.
Bella's name after a star has a lot to do with Uncle Jerry. It is not just the fact that I used to teach Celestial Navigation that gave me the idea to look to the stars for a unique name, but rather the memory of laying in the sand on the beach in Point Lookout looking up at the summer sky at night with my uncle. For as long as I can remember, Uncle Jerry would spend nearly every weekend he could with us as we were growing up, teaching us about science and nature, playing the piano at the bottom of the stairs, and constantly challenging us with trivia questions; (How many States and their Capitals can you recite?) He would always perplex us with facts and figures, and stump us at Scrabble with words like "Syzygy" (the alignment of three or more celestial bodies) to keep us thinking beyond the scope of everyday life. It is one night that I vividly remember to this day when we were laying in the sand looking up at the sky sharing my Dad's binoculars trying to find a comet or something in the Southern sky. I can still feel the warmth of that fine white sand that I had covered my legs with to ward off the cool Southerly breeze as I was just wearing shorts - I didn't want to leave then and still wish I was there today.
I am very happy that Bella got this chance to meet Uncle Jerry. I just hope that I can fill nearly one of his size 14 shoes trying to teach her as much about this world while always being the one to bring her comfort and exemplify inner peace, as my Uncle has done for me.
...

Non-Ticketed Lap Child

Bella took her first flight on Friday May 29th on our way up to Philadelphia to visit Uncle Jerry for both his 87th birthday and the 60th anniversary of his ordination as a priest. While she did spend most of her time in either mine or Laura's lap, we did enjoy a bit of "free time" when Bella was awake enough to sit up in her own seat.
For the record, it was Southwest Airlines Flight 692 from Houston Hobby to St. Louis, the first leg of our journey that day.