Belal is A YEAR AND A HALF today!

Hi everyone! It's SO hard to believe, but Bella is already a year and a half today!! Yep, 18 months, just like that! 6 months shy of TWO! OMG! Here are some updates on what Bella has been up to over the last month:

- 17 month old developments: Bella started to get her first eye tooth towards the end of January and is finally getting her last one as we speak. It's been hard to deal with, as you can imagine, but she's a tough cookie (like her mommy..I guess daddy too...lol!) This will be the end of new teeth for a while I believe. She'll have eight on top and eight on bottom. Bella has learned some new words: Elmo (even pointed to Elmo on her bib and said "Elmo!"), dedo (finger), apple, backpack (while watching Go Diego Go!), te amo (really just amo..trying to get her to say te though) and much..can't recall which others, but there are a few more I'm sure. She's a talker! Wonder where in the world she would have gotten that from?! LOL. Bella loves to run and she is fast! She loves pushing her baby stroller and loves to sit in her new cushiony Backyardigans chair. Bella also enjoys "helping" mommy put the laundry away (she really unfolds what I had just folded and tries to stuff it in her drawer!).


In regards to sleep, Bella has been off track. Sometimes she gets up twice mid morning and sometimes once. Also, she sometimes needs two naps instead of her normal one nap at noon. It's because of her teeth, so hopefully this will fade away soon. She's having a hard time and I feel bad for her. I end up just giving her the pacifier (which is going bye bye one her teeth come in) and she'll fall back to sleep. I think it's just soothing for her, especially since she's teething.

I'm still talking to Bella in Spanish and I'm amazed just how much she absorbs. I swear her brain is like a sponge. I told her to put her socks in the basket in Spanish (this was the first time I did this) and she walked right over and put them in it. She understands a lot in Spanish and sometimes I forget to speak it b/c it's so much easier to use English. However, it's such the ideal age to teach her Spanish. Sometimes I forget how to say things or don't know how to say things (if you don't use it, you lose it),but I try my best. I'm just glad I'm able to pass this onto her.

Colorado:
It's been almost 1 year and eight months since we moved here and we love it more and more each day,although we do miss our family and friends. The weather has been amazing (50-60s, among your typical winter weather) and we try to take advantage of it. I went boarding two weeks ago and it was so beautiful up in the mountains. Just breathtaking. I learned, though, that I need some boarding lessons! lol.


Last week, I did my civil duty and served as a juror on a second degree attempted murder case. I had to leave Bella in the free day care that the court provided. However, Kieran stayed home with her the first day, my friend watched her half a day the next day and the third day she was there the wholeeeee day! I was sad to leave her as she has never done day care, but she did it. She cried here and there, and I felt so bad, but I had no other choice. The fourth day she only stayed half of a day thank God, but she had fun playing.

As for the trial, it was very sad to see this 18 year old on trial and his family crying as the guilty verdict was read. All the jurors were crying. The mother was saying.."not my baby.." It was a tear jerker, but I kept in mind that this kid almost killed someone. It was a tough case, but justice was definitely done.

Well, we hope all is well with everyone and we hope we can visit some of you sooner than later! I'm hoping to come in for Easter, so I'll keep you posted.

Have a great night!!!

Love,
The Lasaters