Dance Bella Dance

Music and Lyrics written by Scott Schilb

October updates

Whew, time is flying these days! We need to be exorted to take more pictures and post more pictures of our ever growing Bella. She is SOOO big and getting SOOO smart these days! She tries to repeat every word we say. She is even telling Libby "don't touch" but it sounds more like "dooouughn .... tausshh" with a really funny serious face. Oh my, those facial expressions of hers are numerous and very funny!

Her favorite toy right now is one in her barn or "baaaan". It has a pig, cow, sheep, and chicken that fit in different types of shapes and a roof with shape sorters for letters "A" "B" "C" & "D". She isn't as good with the letters as she is with the animals, but she is learning.

Our life is calming down a bit. I am finishing up my fall classes next week with 2 finals, and then I start a full-time internship at a local hospital. Scott just finished his fall break and is getting back in to the swing of things with school. He is still working hard trying to sell booklovers some old books! :)

We are all trying to get and stay healthy. Our whole house is now on antibiotics! Bella started with a virus of somesort (we think it was the flu) 2 weeks ago. She was coughing her lungs out and had a fever for 1-2 days. Then she developed an ear infection, hince the antibiotics. She still has a runny nose, but is otherwise much better! I developed strep throat last week and as since given it to my grateful spouse. Needless to say, bring on the sanitizers!!

I have a very funny video that I hope to post after this blog. Bella the dancer! It was taken in the middle of her sickness! We call it the "Dancing Swine Flu Baby". (even though we don't really KNOW if she had the swine flu).

For now, here are some recent pics!

Doctor Bella (Bella says Doctuuuur)

We like McDonalds!!

Yummy McDonalds Ice Cream

Nice Hats at Barnes and Noble

A pic of Bella & Cousin Ellie this past July at Shelter Gardens in Columbia, MO

Been a while...

Okay, so I know it has been a long time since we've posted any pics or videos. The time has now come.. our friend from church videoed this from our church picnic tonight. It was a blast.

While the video is uploading I will update everyone on our lives. It really isn't that exciting.. school, school, study, school, reading, school, tests, school, play, school, school. Get the idea? Scott is taking 9 hrs of seminary work this semester which is a huge load for him while he is running our business. He is reading NONSTOP! But he likes it.. And he will be done in May, so there is a light at the end of the tunnel. I have also started back full time. I am taking a pediatrics physical therapy class and a spine dysfunction PT class. I should be able to help all of you with your neck and back pains after this :) Okay, so maybe you should let me practice with other people first. I am loving being back in school and studying but definitely missing my little girl during the day. She is also in school.. well not really, but we take her to a wonderful home daycare when I'm in class. Nicole, her babysitter, is awesome! She takes care of Bella and two other kids (a 5 month old and a 2 year old). Bella loves going and playing with Nicole and the other kids. I hate not getting to be with her as much but am very happy that she is loved and happy where she is at.

Her new favorite things.. trying to repeat words - very funny! dancing - she looks like happy feet! jumping on the bed and landing on her bottom. giving hugs - so cute! climbing EVERYTHING! holding and walking around with her pink blankies. Drinking milk. grabbing a book, sitting in our laps for 5 seconds and then getting back up to get another book.

She is just growing so fast all of the time. We think she is a different girl every month!

Hope everyone is doing well!! We will try and update a little more often!!

Picture Update - Hilton Head & more

We just spent a week in hilton head, sc with my mom. We had planned on going with another couple and their son, but they ended up not being able to go due to pregnancy complications! Fortunately, Cassie and the baby are okay, but she has to stay on bedrest until the baby comes. She is at 29 weeks. When we found out the news we called family up to see who could go - and the lucky winner - my mom! My dad had a big project he was working on, so unfortunately, he had to hold down the fort in Columbia.

Here are a bunch of pics to share with you all...

At Shelter Cove


Bella dancing with the kiddos for the Shannon Tanner Concert

Eating a snack on the beach

Big horsey!

Strollin' through the beach waters

Sittin' to enjoy the view

Bike ride with Daddy - on the way to the beach

Pool at our condo

Not at hilton head - but a pic of all the cousins - Ellie, Bella, Carter, & Josyln + Mike

Also not at Hilton Head - Birthday Rewind!

Bella loving the balloons and her cake

Another bday cake picture - she is in the same dress I wore for my first bday party

Birthday Pics & Singing

I have a few pictures from Bella's birthday party (taken by cousin Baylie) - celebrated on the 4th of July at my parents house in Columbia, MO. It was a lot of fun! Bella had a really awesome castle cake - hopefully I will get a pic of it soon from one of the "professional" photographers - aka Nanna or Gpa Rusty.

Here she is eating from the small cake:

Here she is enjoying it a little more!!

The three kiddos: Cousin Carter, Sophie, & Bella. Bella was loving climbing in and out of the booster seats.

Now this isn't from her bday party, but we thought it was a really cute video! She has starting saying eeeiiieeeiiiooo from the Old McDonald nursery rhyme. Check it out!

We are hoping to post a few more videos too. It takes longer to upload them, so we will see :)

The long awaited walking video

Bella has been practicing and practicing for her video shoot. And here it is!!! She has been taking steps here and there for the past couple of weeks, but just in the past couple of days she has started walking farther distances. Check it out!!

She has been showing off for Grandma Cindy today and is loving the attention. I should have some good pics of the visit by the end of the week.

Daddy at Seminary

I couldn't resist posting these amazing pictures of my beautiful little girl. Jill took these to send to me while I have been at the Seminary this week and I wanted to share them with you all. May God richly bless your family this week.

scott

This is what we do when Daddy is away

This week Scott is taking a week long class in Louisville from 8-5 every day. He wakes up at 5am then gets home late, has to study, or goes to bed. He is wiped out! Actually he has been reading 1000+ pages for this class the past couple weeks and then has several big papers to write after the class. Can't complain terribly much because he gets 3 credit hours for all of this during the summer.

Anyway, so Bella and I have been on our own this week. We've made two trips to the library, once to the gym, several times out shopping, playing in the baby pool in the backyard, reading books, and so forth. Then in the evenings we've been going to a back yard bible club that our church is doing in a local apartment complex. I've been leading the kids in music. Very fun indeed!

Here's us playing on the bed...

Normally, when Scott is home working, Libby (the dog) sits at his feet or in his lap. She has been very out of sorts this week. Bella thinks it is fun though because she has a new playmate. They have been after each other all week and then today.. they are actually playing with each other! haha, very funny, see the video!!

And I thought I'd add this awesome news to this posting.. we have a new beautiful niece! Joslyn Michelle Atkinson. My brother, Mike, and his wife, Amy, brought this little doll into the world this past Saturday. She weighed 9lbs 2oz!!! Way to go Amy! This is their second baby and I hear everything is going very well so far! Congrats!!

First steps

I have no pics or videos - but I just wanted to announce Bella's entry into the walking world - she has been standing with no assistance for several weeks now and today took her first steps. With a large grin she took 1 - 2 - 3 -4 steps toward mommy, then plopped down to her crawl position. Good job Bella!

11 months and counting!

May has flown by for us! It just so happens to be my favorite month of the year. It helps that it includes my birthday - I TURNED 25!! - and our anniversary - #5! I also love that the temperature is warm enough to go walking, play outside, and wear sandals. Then there is the beautiful green trees and flowers... I love it all!

Bella has been growing at her regular speed - FAST! We think she is starting to look more like a toddler and less like a baby. She only cuddles when tired or feeling sick. (she did just get over a battle with an ear infection). She is always on the go - crawling, practicing free standing, walking with assistance, and examining all things (toys or not) that are within reach.

Here is Bella playing on her new carseat. I had a custom cover set made for it so it would look a little more girly. The lady did a good job - found her on ebay. We love the world of ebay, what can we say!!

Bella's good friend Luke let her borrow this car for a while. She loves to "drive" it around by holding onto the back handles while pushing and walking. It is a great way to get her walking without having to hold her hands. She also loves to honk the horn and open/close the seat.

The darn thing toppled on her.. oh well... she just finds a different way to play with it.

I haven't posted any videos in a while.. so here is Bella playing at her music table. Watch for the awesome dance moves! My favorite is the head from side to side. I don't whether she got her skills from Scott or I. I love her free spiritedness!

Beautiful Families!

Mike, Amy, Carter, & soon to be born baby girl

John, Kelly, & Ellie

My mom had some of these great pictures of my brothers, sister-in-laws, and niece & nephew on her camera, which I just had to get copies of. Aren't they just such beautiful families?!?!

Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day! I love being a mom!! Over the past 10 months I have really experienced the joy of raising my little girl & watching the miracle of life every day! It is amazing to see how much God has changed our life. I feel like a totally different person than I was one year ago.

Brand new Momma with baby Bella - Day one

At Disney with Bella in January...

I was very fortunate to get to spend Mother's Day with my mom this year. She drove to Kentucky all by herself!! It was fun to watch her and Bella play. Here she is helping Bella walk down the hallway.

And taking a break from playing.

Our church has baby dedications every Mother's Day. This year 4 babies were dedicated! It has been a fruitful year for our small church. The 4 babies does not even include the 2 twins that were born a month ago! Talk about a full nursery!!

It was hard to get a good pic. But here is a nice fuzzy one as we participate in dedicating Bella to the Lord. We know this ritual does not ensure salvation for our little girl, but it is a time set aside to publicly profess that we will raise our child according to the teachings of scripture and the love of Christ - trusting that God will eventually call her into a saving relationship with Him. It is a great wonderful challenge, but we trust in the grace of God to give us wisdom and cover over our mistakes along the way.

What a cutie!

Alligator Munchies

Bella is so funny at bath time. She has several bath toys - ducks, hippos, monkey, whinnie the pooh - but her favorite is Mr. Alligator. From the moment she plops into the tub until the moment she gets out, the alligator is in her hand or mouth. Mostly her mouth.

It is so funny to see a green alligator sticking out of her mouth when I am trying to wash her.

I have this next pic in here for two reasons: 1. She is a cute little eater. 2. She has the cutest New Balance tennis shoes on!

And here is her scrunchy laughing face. It still cracks us up each time.

And happy Derby day from us Kentuckians. I didn't get to bet on a horse this year because I didn't want to wait in line at the drive thru booth. But I like to bet so I can have a horse to cheer for and be disappointed in when they lose. Last year, I had Eight Belles and well that didn't turn out so well. I would have gone for Chocolate Candy or Papa Clem - and therefore, would have lost $5. But I am thinking a few people made a buck or two off the 50-1 horse Mine that Bird.

Uncle Matt will understand...

So I (scott) kept asking Bella today why she keeps putting her finger in her nose. All she could say was "Uncle Matt will understand." Hmm....I wonder what Uncle Matt and Aunt Jill will think of that :o)

One Tooth Baby

Before Bella started growing more teeth, I wanted to get a good pic of her one tooth smile. You can see the tooth a little, and even better zoomed in.

And here she is playing with some of her toys this morning. Right now she loves to play with books. She turns the pages over and over again. Oh, and thanks to Aunt Amy for the cute strawberry PJ's.. our favorite!

Easter Pics

We had a great Easter here in Lexington, KY. I enjoyed getting Bella all dressed up and cute. We all went to church together where Bella enjoyed the nursery and we participated in the kick-off of our church's children's church.

That evening we had some good friends come over and we all shared Easter dinner together. None of us had family close by, so it was nice to have good friends to celebrate with.

Here is handsome daddy with sweet Bella:



And mommy with Bella: Maybe next year we can get a whole group family shot :)

more pics from grandma cc

Grandma CC sent us some pics from her camera of our St. Louis weekend together, so I thought we'd post a couple. Bella had such a great time!