"There's no place like home".... Our Journey down the yellow brick road

Parent-Teacher Conference and Spring Breakin' it!

2010-03-25T17:59:00.000-07:00

"The Game Face"

Piggy-tails!

Isabella's First Potty Training experience :)

Jeff and I had a Parent-Teacher conference on Tuesday morning. Ms. Leah said Isabella has been doing great and is on track to transition into the "Toddler Room". How did my infant become a toddler so quickly? I can't believe she will be in a new classroom in less than a month. She will begin the transition a week before her first birthday. I. can't. believe. it. But I know her new classroom will be filled with new friends, teachers, and adventures. I know she will love it. I feel like the only time I consistenly blog is my monthly posts. I will try to get better at it ....but as you know there never seems to be enough hours in the day. Last week was Spring Break and we all had a great time. We loved having John and Rodrigo come visit us. It isn't Spring Break without them. Of course we spent a lot of time hanging out and eating at a bunch and bunch of restaurants. I told the guys it just feels like we are constantly eating when they are here. I guess you can attribute it to the fact that we are all "foodies". The weather here as been really strange. I snowed during Spring Break!!! Anyways...just thought I would update a little before the big "First Birthday" post and show off what Ms. Bella has been up to. As you can tell we have been experimenting with new hairstyles :)

11 months old today!

2010-03-10T18:09:00.001-08:00

Guess who is 11 months old today?

Bella Boo--that's who!!

Isabella had fun swinging outside in the backyard. She couldn't stop smiling!

Our baby girl is 11 months old today. In one month we will be celebrating Isabella's first birthday. WOW. I still am processing this and really in shock. When people say the first year goes by fast they are not kidding! We have already began the party planning are really excited to celebrate the big day with friends and family. This month has been a fun one. Isabella is really developing quite the personality. She is such a sweetheart. She is now "sharing with us". She puts her hand out and offers us whatever she has (usually whatever she is eating or a toy). Don't try and take it though because she will pitch a fit! Isabella is also quite the eater. She loves to eat many foods and loves to feed herself. She loves grilled cheese, pears, peaches, bananas, cheerios, quesadillas, pasta, broccoli, ravioli, gnocchi...well you get the point! She is a true foodie. :) She has 4 teeth and I suspect two on the top are coming through soon. Isabella is also pulling up and looks very proud when she doing it. Isabella sat in her first grocery cart on Saturday at Babies R Us....of course I had to put our cute Floppy Seat on it. She did really well and seemed to like seeing everything and people watching.

This month has been a crazy one at Bella's school....her infant class won the float competition and won a food party!!! The float was "The very hungry Caterpillar" and all the parents voted! Isabella and her classmates enjoyed a feast of fettuccine Alfredo, chicken, corn and bread sticks at the party. Ms. Leah said Isabella was hoovered over her plate because she wanted to make sure no one took her food. She is such a funny little girl. The weather has been really nice lately so her class also enjoyed some time outside on the playground. She loves being outside! We have been skyeping with Grammy, Abuelo, and Uncle Eduardo this month as well. Isabella loves showing off her funny army crawl and showing off her "game face". We also had a fun time at Connor's first birthday party. Isabella loves hanging out with her little buddy and playing with all his toys! It was great party and we loved seeing Connor on his big day! We had a great month as you can tell. We are in full birthday party planning mode and I can't wait to see all our family and friends to celebrate this very special day. I can't believe our baby girl is almost 1 year old....entering toddlerhood!

She's in the double digits..10 months!

2010-02-10T18:56:00.000-08:00

1o months old? Seriously? Really? Yes. Today Isabella is celebrating her 10 month birthday. I know every month I say "I can't believe it" but I really can't! She is such a sweet little girl. What has Isabella been up to this past month? She is eating table food now! She loves veggies, fruits, rice, spaghetti, ravioli, grilled cheese sandwiches, quesadillas, and homemade banana pankcakes which Jeff and I make every Saturday morning. Isabella loves feeding herself with her hands and holding the spoon. Her teacher, Ms. Leah says she is really doing great feeding herself at school and laughs all day! She just started dancing when music is playing and it is hilarious to watch. Yes, I will upload a video when I get a chance (and some more time). She is crawling but not very quickly. Isabella also got her two front teeth. They have broken through the skin and are about half way out. She has 4 little chompers right now! She has the best smile! She seems to get into everything and loves when General runs by her. Isabella tries to grab him but lucky for General he gets away. Those two will be great friends soon :). This week is "Homecoming Week" at Isabella's school. Monday was "Mismatch Monday". Tuesday was "Tye Die" Tuesday and her class made tie-dye onesies". Today is "Way Back Wednesday". Tomorrow will be "Superhero Thursday"--her class will make superhero capes! And finally Friday is "Shocker Friday". It has been a really fun week!

Here is Isabella on her 10 month birthday with her favorite friend the Glowworm!

She is really silly...can you tell?

February 5 was "National Red Day" in support of Women's Heart Health. Isabella's entire school wore red and meet WU Shock! Here is Bella showing some school spirit!

Jeff, Isabella, and I (not pictured) all wore red!

The hairstylist came to Isabella's school....

I love this smile.

Hmm...I don't know what to think...Isabella got two Valentines from two little boys in her class today. :)

Christmas and New Years in Puerto Rico--9 months old!

2010-01-12T10:58:00.000-08:00

The cousins-Myrielis, Alejandro, and Isabella at Grandma Letty's house
4 Generations

The Goldstein Family at the beach

This is the life!

Jeff and Eduardo

Breaking wood with Luigi .

Daddy and Isabella in the hammock. Isabella loved the sand and ocean.

Mommy and the princess

Isabella and her Great-Grandmother Cambu

The Pesante/Olivares/Goldstein families at the Marriott Buffet.

Myrielis and Isabella in the bathtub and their Great-Grandmother Letty's house

Isabella went swimming at Titi Carmita and Tio Henry's house on Christmas Day. She loved splashing in the water and enjoyed "swimming" in her yellow bathing suit.

Isabella met Santa at the mall before we left for Puerto Rico. She smiled the whole time we were in line but once it was time to meet Santa....she lost it! Jeff and I had to jump in the picture! Here is the picture of her "first time" meeting Santa. Maybe next year will be different??

As you can tell, we had quite the Christmas! We left for Puerto Rico on December 23 at 5:00 in the morning. Isabella did very well on the plane and we had some wonderful flights. We even were able to arrive earlier than expected. We were so excited to introduce Isabella to family in Puerto Rico. She was able to meet her great-grandmothers, Cambu and Letty. She also meet her great-aunts and great-uncles and other family and friends. We spent a wonderful Christmas Eve at Grandma Cambu's house and Christmas Day at Titi Carmita and Tio Henry's house. As you can tell from the pictures, Isabella loved the pool and had a wonderful time splashing around. Isabella was also given a special dedication at mass dedicated to her great-grandfather on December 26th. She was asleep the whole time that the priest was holding her and placed her on the altar. We want to thank Titi Carmita and Tio Henry for such a special surprise. :)
On December 27, we celebrated my parent's anniversary at the Marriott. At the Marriott they have a wonderful buffet and a live band playing music. We enjoyed the day listening to music, eating, and spending time outside in the hammock--enjoying a spectacular view of the beach. We also spent some time at the Casino--some of us were more lucky than others!! We spent time at my Grandmother Letty's house also!! Isabella had the chance to meet her great-aunts and uncles as well as her cousins. As usual many games of dominoes were played! Isabella had some fun tub time with her cousin Myrielis as you can tell. I was so happy we were able to take a "4 Generations" photograph. This picture is something I will treasure forever and I am sure Isabella will love as well. We spent New Year's Eve at Titi Carmita and Tio Henry's house. We enjoyed a "5-star meal" with the traditional Puerto Rican cuisine and spent the evening saying cheers for the New Year. We were all blessed with so much in 2009! Isabella joined our family in 2009 and for that I will always remember the year will great fondness and joy. We left Puerto Rico on New Year's Day. We had such a memorable trip and we hope to visit again soon. We are so thankful to everyone for the royal treatment!!

We enjoyed a visit from Bubbie and Uncle Natie this past weekend. Isabella enjoyed spending time with both of them. Some highlights from their visit include dessert-hopping, the mall, Mongolian BBQ, and lounging around the house! We had so much fun and were sad to see them go! They will return in April for Bella's first birthday! Hooray!

Guess who had their 9 month appointment today?

If you guessed Isabella...you are right!

Here are her 9 month-stats:

Weight: 18 lbs. 1 oz. 34%

Height: 26.5 inches 17%

Head Circ: 44.5 65%

She did great at her appointment! Dr. B said she is right on track. Unfortunately she had to get 2 shots which didn't go over so well. After a few tears, she was fine! Next on the agenda? Planning Isabella's first birthday!! Time is flying!

Wordless Wednesday

2009-12-16T19:29:00.000-08:00

8 month old and already a party animal!

2009-12-10T07:44:00.000-08:00

Happy 8 month Birthday, Isabella! You have had quite the month! Last week, Isabella went to three parties in a two day period. She went to Jeff's Accounting Party and her friend's 3rd Birthday party and then a couple's Christmas party. Can you say party animal? She had a great time and loved seeing all of her "baby friends" especially Connor. December has been a fun month so far!

Here is Isabella on her 8 month birthday (today)! She loves playing with everything and anything. You have to be pay attention to her because she will grab something before you know it. Isabella still loves blowing raspberries and "talking". She says "dadada" with such conviction! She loves to eat solids. She has tried many of the Stage 2 foods and loves them ...but still sweet potatoes are a favorite! She likes to try and drink water out of my cup and makes the funniest facial expression. This baby girl loves her blocks (Thanks Alex! ). I don't think she is quite ready for a sippy cup at the moment. She has tried sweet potato puffs and doesn't quite know what to think. She is pretty much on a good schedule. She always (99% of the time) takes a nap at 9:30 a.m. The length of the nap varies though. The afternoon nap is not as consistent. She is obviously teething and has her fussy moments but with a little love and patience we are working through them! Isabella is just a sweetie and I love watching her grow. Here are some pictures from the last week and some from today. Enjoy.

Sitting up.

"Seriously,mom, more pictures?"

It has been so cold here lately. Isabella is dressed as if she lived in Alaska whenever we leave the house. Long sleeve shirt, hoodie, jacket, gloves, hat, and bundlesack. It takes like 10 minutes just to put it all on her.

Bella in her Babylegs. Yes, I love baby legwarmers and I am not ashamed!

Daddy's "honey baby"

In baby jeans...a little play before the birthday party.

I love this facial expression. The teething ring is this baby girl's best friend. She is beginning to "lose it" if you take it away from her. Someone may possibly be spoiled.

Got Milk?....and Got sweet potatoes....and carrots....and squash....and......?

Wordless Wednesday

2009-12-02T17:52:00.001-08:00

Did you just say what I thought you said?

2009-11-28T18:21:00.001-08:00

Looks like someone has something to say...

Jeff couldn't be a prouder papa and Isabella couldn't be a sweeter girl.

And Me? I couldn't be any luckier.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2009-11-27T05:29:00.000-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving from the Goldstein crew!

Happy Thanksgiving! We have had quite a week here! Isabella is now sitting up. This opens up a whole new world up for her. She had been sitting up for short amount of time (a little wobbly) but this week has begun to sit up by herself and play with toys. I am convinced that she really could do it all along but preferred being held! On Tuesday morning we noticed that Isabella also had two teeth that broke through the gums. Needless to say, she is chewing on everything to help relieve some of the pain. She has been a pretty good sport so far. This was Isabella's first Thanksgiving and my first Thanksgiving away from Georgia. We spent the day cooking our famous dressing, sweet potato casserole, and homemade cranberry sauce. We spent Thanksgiving dinner at the Knieps house. The men deep-fried the turkey while the girls played inside. We had an awesome time chatting and eating with Martin, Linda, and the girls. Isabella had a wonderful time playing with little Nina and Sophia. Isabella sat up and enjoyed playing the toy piano. Perhaps we have a future Beethoven on our hands? The menu included turkey, dressing, potato casserole, garlic mashed potatoes, green beans, sweet potato casserole, cranberry sauce, sweet potato pie, coffee, and wine. Everything was so delicious and the company was awesome. Isabella enjoyed her "own version" of Thanksgiving as well. She has sweet potatoes (her favorite) and turkey. All in all, we had a very memorable Thanksgiving. We have a lot to be thankful for!

Mommy and Isabella on Thanksgiving

Sitting up on Thanksgiving Day!

I know it is a little hard to tell....but there are two little toothies in there!

Here is Isabella with her favorite toy these days.....her teething ring.

Watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.

And yes...I did venture out at 5:30 a.m. this morning like a crazy person to do a little "Black Friday" Shopping! Pure madness! I guess this begins the official countdown until Christmas. :)

Happy Birthday to Jeff!!

2009-11-24T14:07:00.000-08:00

Jeff's birthday was yesterday! I can't believe another year has gone by! We had a great time celebrating his "first" 29th birthday(haha).

The day of Jeff's birthday:

Apparently the beautician came to visit Isabella's school on Jeff's birthday because when I came to pick her up that afternoon Isabella's hair was in a little ponytail sticking straight up! As I looked around, I noticed all the little girls (4) were sporting ponytails too. Yes, she doesn't have much hair so it was like a "6 strands of hair" ponytail. So cute! She still has dirty blond hair. For Jeff's birthday dinner, we went to Red Robin and enjoyed gourmet burgers and bottomless fries ....so good. Isabella was looking all over the place and was really enjoying the decorations. If you have ever been to Red Robin then you know exactly what I am talking about....there are crazy signs, posters, and things all over the walls. She loved it! The Balloon Man even came over but we all decided that Isabella was just a little too young for a balloon (the Birthday Boy refused one as well). Isabella did great but suddenly got a little fussy so I held her for a bit. And before I knew it, she was asleep. Poor little thing, the beautician from earlier that day must have worn her out! After dinner, Jeff and I enjoyed birthday cheesecake and ice cream. Yummy! Unfortunately, Jeff had to go to class so he carried on his celebration with his classmates. Bella had her bath and was off to sleep! She really had fun celebrating with Daddy! Jeff and I had a fun and relaxing night when he came from class. We had a very intense "Bop-It" tournament! SO MUCH FUN!

As you can tell, Jeff had a great birthday. Isabella and I were so lucky we were able to spend it with him. He is the most amazing husband and father.....and we love him so very much!!

Look for another post soon about Thanksgiving. :)

Just a little post...

2009-11-16T18:49:00.000-08:00

Just a little post.....

to wish
you

a great

Monday Night!

From Isabella Love

7 months old: A letter to Isabella

2009-11-10T18:54:00.000-08:00

Fall School Pictures (Taken when Isabella was close to 6 months old)
I love the Fall!

I am such a big girl!

Isabella: 7 months old. Isabella has tried many foods. Sweet Potatoes, Squash, Carrots, Peas, Green Beans, Bananas, and Applesauce have all be on the menu. Her favorite foods are sweet potatoes and carrots. She definitely does not like peas! Her favorite things to do is jump (in the jumperoo) and sit in the bumbo. She also likes holding on to her "plastic keys" and putting everything in her mouth. She loves her Zabba blanket and rubs her face with it every night before falling asleep. It is very sweet! She beginning to love bath time and loves splashing in the tub. She has begun reaching for the wipes when we are changing her. She enjoys being sung to in Spanish and smiles big time! Her bedtime is around 7:00 p.m. and she wakes up around 7:00 a.m. She is still sleeping through the night (Yay)!! Isabella loves watching General run around the room also. She still has no teeth but she is working on them! She loves smiling at Daddy and "talking" on the phone. Isabella is always is discovering new things and is curious about her surroundings.

Isabella loves jumping! Here she is on her 7 month birthday!

Happy 7 month birthday, my beautiful Isabella,

I wish time would stand still. It seems like just yesterday that I was in the hospital awaiting your arrival. You have brought so much joy in our lives from the moment we found out that we were going to have a baby. But God didn't give us just any baby. No sir! God blessed us with the most beautiful and sweet little girl. You never cease to amaze me, baby girl. When you smile, you really mean it. You can light up the room with just your sweet innocent smile. I love how you always make me appreciate every day with you. You make me realize that I should stop and be thankful. I should be thankful for you and Jeff and all the special people in our lives. You make me laugh. You have such a unique sense of humor. When you sneeze you even find humor in that. I love that about you. You are coming into your own. You are sweet but stubborn. You are you. I pray that I can continue to be the person that you think I am. I love the fact you love my kisses. I could hold you forever and never get tired. I cherish the moments when I rock you in my arms and you fall asleep...I could watch you as you sleep forever and never get tired. Isabella, the world is yours. You can be anything and everything you want to be. I say this because I believe it. You have such a sweet demeanor and I can tell that when I look into your big brown eyes that you will do great things. You have such a good heart. Yes, you may only be 7 months old today...but as your mother, my role is guide you and love you and believe in you.

I believe in you, Isabella.

Love always,

Mommy

The last several months in a nutshell! Travels, 6 months, and Halloween!

2009-11-09T11:48:00.000-08:00

Isabella on Halloween with her first pumpkin! Thank you, Mrs.Kingrey for such beautiful pumpkin! We love it!
Baby's First Halloween

Isabella as a "Black Kitty Cat"

At Keezer's--Trying on Hats!

Grandpa Len and Daddy "fighting" over the baby :)

Auntie Janet, Elizabeth, Jeff, Isabella, Reena, Melissa, and Bubbie at Dinner

Great-Grandpa Harry, Isabella, and Jeff

Isabella's first trip to Kelly's Roastbeef . Her first time at Revere Beach, MA.

Isabella-6 months

Jeff's scholarship banquet!

Wow! I am really behind on blogging! It is really hard to remember every little detail that has taken place but I figure I will put some information on the blog and try and stay current on information. The Goldstein's went to Georgia for Grammy's birthday at the beginning of September. Some of the trip's highlights include The Cheesecake Factory for Grammy's birthday dinner, The Infantry Museum, Church, Shopping, and Sport Day at Chick-Fil-A. We had a wonderful time and can't wait to go again.

We have been big travelers recently! Isabella had her first trip to Boston at the beginning of October. She did great on the plane and enjoyed spending time with her grandparents and Uncles. She also got to meet a lot of our family and friends. We went to Kelly's Roast Beef at Revere Beach and enjoyed roast beef sandwiches and fried clams! Yummy! She also met many special people to us. Isabella met her Great-Grandpa Harry and had a great time with him. We had lunch with Auntie Susan K. and had a dinner with Cousin Elizabeth and Reena and Great Auntie Janet. We took her all over the city and she was such a trooper. It was so cute, Jeff and Grandpa Len even went on an "Emergency Pacifier Run" to CVS in the middle of the night. Isabella is so lucky to have these sweet men in her life! Jeff and I went to our friend Jason and Kelly's wedding. Isabella was in great hands with her Bubbie, Grandma Sue, Grandpa Len, and Uncle Dan. Special thanks to Grandpa Len and Grandma Sue for making us feel so welcome in their home! John invited us for a get-together at his new home! We enjoyed a great evening with "the gang"! John and Rodrigo made a wonderful feast for us and it was great to see everyone! No visit to Cambridge would be complete without a trip to Keezer's! Isabella had wonderful time trying on hats at Grandpa's clothing store.

Life sure is busy when you have children and work! Isabella is growing and getting into so many things now. She still doesn't have any teeth yet (she is still working on them) but is really loves holding things in her little hands and "talking"!

Here are Isabella's 6 month stats:

weight: 16 pounds 8 ounces 60%

Height: 25.75 inches 49%

Head circ: 42.5 cm. 50%

(Isabella's 7 month birthday is tomorrow!)

She did well at her appointment. She also had her flu shot. I really hate when she gets her shots but she did really great and fell asleep in the car on the way to school. She didn't get a fever after her shots this time. After a long nap, she was pretty much her happy little self :)

We went to Jeff's scholarship banquet at the end of September. He was awarded two scholarships on stage and we enjoyed a wonderful dinner with the accounting department and several Wichita accounting firms and businesses. Jeff is truly a hard-worker and he deserved the recognition! I am so proud of him!!

Grammy and Abuelo came to visit us in October. Isabella loved having them around and they were wonderful taking care of her. Isabella wasn't feeling too good at first but after a trip to the doctor she started to feel better right away! We had a great time with them. Some highlights include eating at our favorite Thai Restaurant, going on Post and shopping, watching the Auburn vs. LSU game (we lost the game, so sad) while tailgating, making sofrito, and enjoying a wonderful brunch. We hope they come and visit soon!

She is really loving school and enjoys spending time with her friends. At "school" Isabella had a Halloween Parade and went trick or treating at the dorm next to the school. We had a wonderful Halloween ! Isabella went trick or treating around the neighborhood and got quite the stash of candies. She dressed up as a black kitty and looked so cute. We spent the evening handing out candy to all the adorable children. General loved running to the door everytime the doorbell rang.

We had our first real "Parent Teacher" conference and Isabella's school last week. Her teacher said she is doing great and is right on track. Her best friend right now is Lila. They really love to entertain eachother! We are so happy that Isabella loves her school friends and teachers!

Anyways, that seems to be our recent happenings! I hope I didn't leave anything out. Hopefully the next post is in the near future. I feel so fortunate to have such a wondeful family. I have the best husband and daughter anyone could ask for and I am blessed :)

Back to work and school!

2009-08-26T17:18:00.000-07:00

I have neglected you, blog! But only because I am back at work and things have been very busy around the Goldstein household. Isabella started rice cereal and she doesn't appear to be a fan. She prefers the bottle as of right now! We plan on starting solids sometime next month. She began "school" last week. She seems to be adjusting well and has already made friends! The teachers say she is doing very well and giggles most of the day. When I drop her off she smiles when she sees her teacher and friends. 6 month old Mia is her best friend right now! The best part of my day is when I pick her up and see her smile. I imagine that little face says to me "Hello there Mommy!" When she comes home she is really really tired (all of that playing must take a toll on the little girl). Jeff and I know she is benefiting from being around other children and will enjoy learning new things. I went back to work last week and I never realized how much I missed being in the classroom. My students are truly a blessing and I enjoy their curiosity about Spanish and eagerness to learn. I do miss seeing Isabella during the day but I know she is nearby and I can visit her whenever I want!

4 month doctor's appointment

2009-08-11T12:23:00.000-07:00

"I had my 4 month check up today"

Isabella had her 4 month doctor's appointment today. Jeff and I were really excited to see how much she had grown. The pediatrician did a series of tests and said that Isabella had great "trunk control" and was very alert. She also had her 4 month shots...this part wasn't so much fun but afterwards she did get some cute Tweety Bird Bandaids.

Here are her stats:

Weight: 14 pounds 7 ounces 69%
Height: 23 1/4 inches 16%
Head Circ: 40 cm. 25%

As you can tell Isabella is quite petite but is getting pretty big! The visit went very well since Isabella met all of her milestones for 4 months! The pediatrician also said that we could start rice cereal. So Ms. Bella will sit in her high chair for the very first time tonight and attempt to eat rice cereal with a spoon. Of course all of this will be captured on film and video camera. Right now the little princess is napping in preparation for tonight's festivities.

4 months, already?

2009-08-10T14:40:00.000-07:00

Check out my new shades!
"I am too silly!"

"Isabella the Pooh Bear"

"I love Bubbie"

"Bubbie loves me too!"

"Look at me in my Bumbo"

" I am such a big girl"

Isabella is getting her ears pierced!

Isabella, our angelic little girl!

Isabella loves giraffes! Check out the little bow!

4 months, already? Yes, it seems to be that way. Isabella is celebrating her 4 month birthday today! What a month it has been. Bubbie from Boston came to visit, Isabella had ears pierced, and Jeff and I had our very first "Parent/ Teacher" conference. Isabella had her ears pierced and it she only cried for about 30 seconds. Daddy held her and she was smiling and laughing all the way to the car. She is such a trooper and has adorable studs to prove it. Isabella couldn't wait to see her Bubbie to show her the brand new earrings and give her a big smile! Bubbie couldn't believe how big she was! As you can tell, Isabella is growing so fast! We all had such a wonderful time with Bubbie! Some highlights include going to eat Mongolian BBQ, eating gelatto, shopping, and just hanging out with one another. Although Bubbie's trip was a short one, we really enjoyed having her around! Last week, Jeff and I went to meet with Bella's teacher, Ms. Leah. She seems to be a great teacher. Isabella will learn infant sign language, have story time ,play time, and music time. She will also work on art projects and have outside time when the weather is nice. There will be family collage in her classroom so that she can see Mommy and Daddy everyday. Jeff and I know this will be a wonderful learning environment for Isabella where she will make a lot of friends and learn new things.

Here are a few of Isabella's favorite things....

1. Sucking on her fists or fingers

2. The "ABCD" song (her favorite letter is "U" for some reason)

3. "Talking" and smiling

4. Her Bumbo seat (she has a look of such pride when she is in it, what we call the "I am a big girl" look).

5. Getting a lotion massage after her bath--not the bath part just yet.

6. General--she is starting to notice him and smiles when he is near her.

7. She still loves her Papasan swing and bouncer!

Tomorrow Jeff and I will take Isabella for her 4 month doctor's visit. She will have shots again and hopefully Dr. B will tell us we can start cereal tomorrow. I am so excited to use a spoon! Okay, I know that sounds strange but what I mean is that I can't wait to see Isabella's try something different! Something new and hopefully delicious! I will hopefully post tomorrow the new stats from the visit. I have a feeling she has grown quite a bit!

Isabella went down to Georgia.....

2009-07-29T15:51:00.000-07:00

I love the South!!
Isabella's cake

In the Atlanta Airport with Grammy waiting on the flight

Isabella loves cruising around Columbus, GA!

With Abuelo!

Uncle Eduardo and Cousin Enrique

Mommy and Isabella

With my Grammy!

Pretty in Pink!

Isabella went down to Georgia.....and of course Mommy did too! What a wonderful trip Isabella and I had in Georgia. Let me begin by saying that Isabella was a wonderful traveler and that after the flight from Wichita to Atlanta many passengers on the flight told me she was "very well-behaved". She was awake the entire flight (she did not want to miss a thing) and smiled the entire time too! Of course she was well behaved, she is Jeff and my daughter, right? And who was the first face we saw when we walked off the plane? Abuelo! From the moment we arrived in Georgia we had the star treatment. Some highlights from our trip include Isabella's first overnighter at Grammy and Abuelo's, spending time with Uncle Eduardo and meeting my cousin, Enrique. What joy!! Isabella also met many family friends while visiting! Grammy and Abuelo set up a little "meet and greet" which was awesome! Isabella looked very pretty in pink and enjoyed being "oohed and awed at" by friends. She also went to church the first time here ...and again....the perfect angel. Yes, it may seem like I am heavily bragging about her...but she really was well-behaved and let's face it, I am her Mommy :). This trip had many firsts, keep in mind this was Isabella' s first time in the South. A trip to Zaxby's (no nuclear wings yet) and Chef Lee's (no Mongolian beef yet) was in order as well as trip to Fort Benning. Too bad Isabella isn't on solids because she definitely would have enjoyed Grammy's home cooking and Uncle Eduardo's ribs (her time will come soon enough to dig in). Isabella did miss Daddy but every night she spoke with him on the phone. If you are wondering how this is possible, check out the video that will soon follow. Our time came to head back to Wichita and see Daddy again. She slept the entire way back to Wichita. Grammy, Abuelo, Uncle Eduardo, and Enrique really wore her out! The trip was wonderful and I would like to thank Grammy, Abuelo, and Uncle for such a great, wonderful, awesome time....we will be back again soon with Jeff.

As mentioned before Isabella is "talking". She has the gift of gab! We sure do love this little girl...

3 months old and a pool party!

2009-07-15T10:25:00.000-07:00

Connor and Isabella socializing at the party!
Mommy and Bella working on our tans .

This is the life!

" My first time in the pool"

Okay... so technically she is "in" the pool. No swimming yet.

Sleeping in my crib like a "big girl".

It is hard to believe that our little girl is already 3 months old. Isabella is really a wonderful baby. She smiles all the time and is beginning to let out the cutest little laugh. It truly is a blessing to watch her grow and learn new things. Right now she really enjoys putting her fingers in her mouth and she is always kicking her little feet. Jeff refers to Bella as "our little break dancer". Isabella has a "routine" now. I try and not use the word "schedule" because it really isn't written in stone. Isabella usually begins her nap at 10-10:30 and sleeps for about and hour to hour and a half. She takes another nap at 2:00 p.m. until 3:00 p.m. She has a bedtime at 8:30 p.m. and sleeps until usually 6:30 a.m. Although 6:30 a.m. may sound early, we are really enjoying "sleeping in". She has been sleeping in crib for about 2 weeks now and we never had any problem with her waking up in the middle of the night. She loves her crib and enjoys listening to the music! She is growing so fast. We estimate her to be about 13 pounds. Sure it doesn't sound that big but we remember when all of her clothes were so big and she weighed only 6 pounds...hold it together, Mommy! From the pictures above you can tell Isabella had quite the time at a pool party last Saturday. She had the opportunity to catch up with her "old friend" Connor and even went in the pool with Daddy. We all had a wonderful time! Right now we are getting for Isabella's first plane ride on Saturday. Unfortunately, Daddy won't accompany us this time since he as class. Isabella and I are headed to Georgia to visit Grammy and Abuelo! I hope to post more to the blog after the trip so we can properly document our adventures in the South!

Take me out to the ball game!

2009-06-29T10:42:00.000-07:00

"You are not going anywhere, Paci!" And yes, Isabella is sleeping through the night!!!!!
At the Wingnuts game!

I'm a baseball Fan!

Daddy and Isabella!

Isabella looks comfortable at the game...

Grandpa Len, Grandma Sue, and Uncle Dan have come to visit and meet Isabella. Of course we have been having a great time. On Friday, Isabella went to her first sporting event, a Wingnuts baseball game. It has been very hot here. On this particular day it was 102 degrees but we watched the game in style in a skybox. The game went into extra innings but the home team won! Go Nuts! Isabella had a wonderful time and she loved wearing her little pink baseball cap.

Lately, Isabella has been mimicking her Uncle Daniel. When Uncle Daniel sticks his tongue out, Isabella copies him. It is really cute. Here is a video of Isabella at the baseball game having fun!!

Happy Father's Day!

2009-06-21T15:02:00.000-07:00

Happy Father's Day!!

Today we celebrated Jeff's first Father's Day! We enjoyed a wonderful brunch and have had a great day. Happy Father's Day to all the wonderful daddies out there!

Miss Isabella is 9 weeks old!

2009-06-18T08:38:00.000-07:00

Isabella is 2 months old today!!

2009-06-10T10:48:00.000-07:00

Can you believe Isabella is 2 months old today? Time flies!! Our little girl is getting so big...ok maybe not big but bigger :). She definetly is growing as you can tell! Today we went for Isabella's 2 month doctor appointment for her checkup and 2 month shots. She did great. Sure, she cried a little but I think Mommy and Daddy were more emotional than her. She is smiling more and more everyday and has achieved all of her milestones.

Here are her 2 month stats:

weight: 10 lbs. 10 oz. (46 percentile)!!!

height: 21 3/4 in. (26 percentile)

head circ: 37 1/2 cm. (20 percentile)

The pictures above are "Isabella's 2 month photo shoot" which I did today. The clothes she is wearing are my baby clothes when I was a baby. My mom saved them and it was nice to see my little girl wearing them!

What's shakin ' at the Goldstein's??

2009-06-03T09:31:00.000-07:00

Hope everyone is doing well. We have had quite the weekend. My maid of honor, Melissa, came to town from Texas and we were able to spend time with her and she was able to meet little Ms. Isabella. What fun! Yesterday was a very important day for Jeff and myself, it was our 2 year wedding anniversary. My how time flies when you are in love. We had lunch together with some friends at a wonderful Thai restaurant. Next time I will reconsider asking for "thai spicy" but on the bright side I can breathe much better. We also went out to dinnerwith our chaperone named Isabella. Abuelo's was great and after we went to Target to buy some dvd's I wanted--a Yoga intermediate dvd and "The Biggest Loser boot camp" dvd. Isabella behaved herself like a champ!

Speaking of working out...I took some of those pictures of Isabella before dinner yesterday. She is doing tummy time and is holding her head up pretty well. It is too cute to watch. She is also enjoying the noise of the rattles recently. Check her out!!!

A video of Isabella Smiling....

2009-05-28T08:41:00.001-07:00

I was so excited to finally receive my flip video camera in the mail yesterday. Amazon.com has become my ultimate favorite website after this one of course! If you haven't seen the Flip camcorders they are wonderful. My mother has one and secretly I have had my eye on one! This was my first video that I shot yesterday of Isabella in her bassinet. As you can tell, she didn't start off too happy (in fact you could tell she was about to cry). Throughout the course of this video you can see that Mommy is trying to make her smile, which she does towards the middle and end. Hopefully my camera work improves soon! Enjoy!!

lights, camera, action........

Play Date and a visit from Grandma and Uncle

2009-05-25T12:19:00.000-07:00

Isabella hanging out at the BBQ!

With Grandma and Uncle

Isabella staring at Connor

Isabella is a little shy!

What a fun date with Connor!

Happy Memorial Day Everyone! Things have been very busy around the Goldstein household. On Thursday, Isabella had her very first play date. Katrin brought her cute as a button son, Connor, over for a play date. As you can tell they had so much fun. The mommies had a chance to sit, have coffee, and talk about Katrin's recent trip to Europe, experiences with diaper changing at places other than home, and daycare. It was so great to sit and chat about our beloved babies. Connor and Isabella seemed to really love hanging out under the gym play mat as you see!
On Friday, Isabella went to Daddy's work for a shower. She went all over the office visiting and meeting all of Jeff's co-workers. She was a perfect lady (why wouldn't she be??)! We had a cake and punch and can you believe that Isabella slept the ENTIRE time! She kind of opened her eyes for a split second and decided she would rather catch up on her beauty sleep. She is such a sweetie. After that, Isabella and I went home and she was in the best mood. She smiled and smiled and smiled some more!

On Saturday, Grandma Andrea and Uncle Natie came from Massachusetts to visit Isabella (and us too...) and spend the long weekend in the lovely flat state of Kansas. We went out to dinner and had fun catching up. We decided to have a BBQ on Sunday to celebrate Memorial Day....On Sunday evening, we barbecued and had friends over. A great time was had by all and Isabella enjoyed being the center of attention! She stayed awake most of the time. The BBQ was so much fun and I must add that Jeff is quite the "grill master". Anyways, I will post more later on. Today we plan on hanging out on our last day with the Grandma Andrea and Uncle Natie and possibly hitting up the mall to "stroll" around!

Happy Memorial Day to all from the Goldstein Family. Thank you soldiers for all you did and have done!

My 6 week appointment

2009-05-20T19:39:00.000-07:00

My first Bath

Just hanging out!!

Sleeping like a kangaroo!

Silly girl

Whistling??

A family photo

I went in yesterday for my 6 week appointment with Dr. Rogers. Everything went well and I got the green light to start exercising again (yay!). I brought Isabella with me partly so that Dr. Rogers could see Isabella and partly because Jeff was at work. Dr. Rogers was happy to see her and commented that she was looking bigger. Of course she was looking bigger....her favorite activity to do is eat! Isabella behaved herself during the appointment, she only starting whimpering a little towards the end of the appointment. I gave Dr. Rogers Isabella's birth announcement which will be displayed on the "baby bulletin" board at the office. Don't worry if you haven't received one yet, we are still working on them!

Many have asked about her sleeping schedule.... her last feeding is at 11:30 before we go to bed and then the night time/early morning feedings are at 2:30 a.m. and 5:30 a.m. Granted we are not sleeping through the night just yet but we are becoming used to her schedule.

During the day, she has been in a "Mommy and Daddy please hold me and don't put me down mood" She has been staying up more and is looking around the room observing everything. It is super cute! She has been eating around the clock. She definitely is her mother and father's daughter! I think she is having a growth spurt.

Tomorrow our dear friend Katrin is bringing over her adorable son, Connor, for a play date with Isabella. I'm not sure how much playing they will do considering he is 3 months and she is not even 2 months yet!! But who cares anyways...I am sure they will have fun( and so will their mommies)! Pictures soon to follow.

On Friday, I am taking Isabella to Jeff's work so that she can meet all of his co workers! I am very excited! I will update the blog with "Isabella's conduct report card"! I'm sure she will behave herself !

Starting the Blog....

2009-05-17T10:20:00.000-07:00

Hello there! I decided to start this blog so that family and friends can get updates about our little girl, Isabella Love. We welcomed our beautiful daughter on April 10, 2009 at 2:37 p.m. in Wichita, Kansas. She came a little earlier than expected but as you know babies come when THEY want to and not when YOU decide. Needless to say, parenthood has been exciting. I had no clue what was in store for us. Of course you read the baby and parenting books and take the classes....but you never really have an idea what it is truly like until you are holding that baby in your arms. You practice in those classes with plastic baby dolls for goodness sake! Anyways, since we are beginning this blog today and Isabella is already 5 weeks and 2 days..I should get everyone up to speed...

Some Stats:
At birth Isabella weighed: 6 pounds and was 19 inches long.
At her 2 week appointment: she was 6 pounds 4 oz. and 19 3/4 inches.

A nurse at this appointment referred to Isabella as "small and mighty"....so true!

Right now we have don't know her weight exactly but know she is definetly bigger. She has quite the appetite for a little girl. So far she has had many visitors. Fortunatly, Grammy and Abuelo (my parents) were here in Wichita visiting during Spring Break when little Ms. Isabella decided to enter this world!
Her Grandma Andrea from Cambridge, MA came to visit Isabella when she was 7 days old! Isabella had an amazing time getting to know her Grandma Andrea! Many pictures were taken so that her pictures could shared all over the proud grandmother's work with coworkers and friends.

Grammy and Abuelo came back the week of Mother's Day! Of course she was spoiled (I was too!) Jeff and I got a much needed date night. We went and enjoyed Sushi (something I really couldn't eat when I was pregnant). We had an amazing Mother's Day with them. We went to our favorite restaurant and then out for ice cream. Isabella behaved herself too! No crying during lunch!

Uncle Eduardo came to visit Isabella last week. He arrived the day after my parents left. We all had an amazing time. It was his first time in Wichita so we showed him around and took him to our favorite spots. He loved playing with her and came up with different nicknames for her too.

So far here are Isabella's favorites:

Eating, Being held, being in her carseat (car or stroller, being sung to (she likes Michael Buble),napping in your arms, her papasan cradle swing, her gym mat, she is starting to like baths (she doesn't know what to think just yet), her basinette, being swaddled, our dog, General. He loves her too.

Isabella's non-favorites:

Wet diapers, Her bouncer (depends on her mood),and being hungry (she has a short fuse).

Anyways we will keep posting. This Saturday, Grandma Andrea and Uncle Natie come to visit. We know Isabella is excited to meet Uncle Natie and see Grandma Andrea again