Life With Stella

Blizzard #2 in one Week!

2010-02-10T12:03:00.000-08:00

9:00 PM 02/09

11:00 PM 02/09

2:00PM 02/10

I estimate that our snowfall totals by day's end will be close to 20 inches!! More pics to follow.

By the way...more snow is coming early next week!!

Before Blizzard #2 Hit

2010-02-09T12:09:00.000-08:00

Enjoying a snowy morning snuggle.

Sean is standing on the mound of snow that Stella is sitting on, able to examine his snow removal handywork on the roof.

Picture taken from the mound of snow...we will be digging out for many, many weeks!

Stella loved walking around the neighborhood in the snow; I carried her in kicking and screaming.

An earlier post will show this tree 'snow covered', here it is covered with snow--mostly from the roof!!

Calm Between The Storms

2010-02-07T12:15:00.000-08:00

This photo was taken after our 'big' snow in December...about 20 inches...notice the mound of snow next to the front walk.

. Sunday, Feb. 8th This mound of snow includes...shoveling the approximately 35 inches of snow off the front walk plus snow that came off the roof!!

Stella loves it...little does she know that most likely she will be 39 years old the next time it snows like this (we hope!!)

Happy 2nd Birthday to Cousin Sofia ['Fia'] and Uncle Fred!

Braving the Elements

2010-02-06T12:27:00.000-08:00

But wait, there's more...this is Saturday AM...we still had about 8 more hours of snow ahead of us.

Sean heads out to clear off the oil tank...we lost our heat for about 48 hours...luckily some neighbors had some space heaters to lend!

The first of many times that the front walk was cleared...

Bring It On Mother Nature

2010-02-05T12:33:00.000-08:00

Snow accumulation as of 5:50PM, 02/05

Daddy starts rolling a snowball.

'Stellie' (that's what she calls herself these days), tromps through the snow.

Our Christmas tree, covered with snow...see it in another post covered in a different way...

Daddy's snowball has grown, Stella gives it a hug.

Daddy's snowman became a snow mushroom.

Accumulation as of 10PM 02/05

Pigtails!

2010-01-31T15:36:00.000-08:00

Mommy's been waiting a long time for enough hair to make little pigtails!!

Mama's Boots

2010-01-30T15:38:00.000-08:00

Welcome Back Holly!

2010-01-25T15:34:00.000-08:00

We've gotten rid of the high chairs and moved to the table for lunch and snacks; notice our civilized flowers (thanks Mom!)

Ni-Ni

2010-01-23T15:33:00.000-08:00

Giving Daddy a goodnight hug.

The cheapest toys...

2010-01-20T15:29:00.000-08:00

Here she is, enjoying a box and packing peanuts!

Baaba Head

2010-01-15T15:26:00.000-08:00

I love barrettes, but Stella doesn't keep them in for long yet; she likes to pull them out of her hair to examine them.

She has taken quite a liking to Sean's bobblehead figures. Here she is feeding Francisco 'Frankie' Rodriguez 'nanas'

Fingerpainting

2010-01-13T15:24:00.000-08:00

Playing Peek-a-Boo with Nanny

2010-01-10T15:22:00.000-08:00

Look Ma, No Hands

2010-01-07T15:19:00.000-08:00

Stella's getting to be quite an expert horsewoman.

Dancing Queen

2010-01-05T15:14:00.000-08:00

Here is Stella wearing a belly dancing scarf; she loved dancing and jingling around.

Playing Dress Up

2009-12-30T18:53:00.000-08:00

Holiday Visit with Grand-Mom Tina and Uncle Kevin

2009-12-30T18:47:00.000-08:00

A very popular gift...a set of cooking implements which Stella calls her 'cooko'

A Visit to Hampden

2009-12-27T18:37:00.000-08:00

34th Street in Baltimore...a long tradition of going all out with the lights and decorations.

Snowman sculptures made with bicycle wheels...you can just see the tip of the hubcap tree!

Our friends Ed and Elaine live on 34th Street...the theme of their house is 'Peace'

I told Santa he should be on a beach somewhere relaxing!

Our friends Jamie and Charlotte live in Hampden too so we stopped by for a little visit with Stella's buddy Nathaniel.

Christmas

2009-12-25T11:02:00.000-08:00

A new tradition I think...apple cider doughnuts on Christmas morning! Yum Yum

It took Stella all day to open her presents; she got about 8 of them....

Stella got a little cow..."Moooooo" she said; then gave her a hug and a kiss!! Good choice 'auntie' Laurie!

Christmas Eve

2009-12-24T18:30:00.000-08:00

Christmas Eve dinner - prime rib, mushroom risotto, and veggies...

Our first year spending Christmas Eve building!

Now, this makes it look like Daddy did all the work! I put the whole damn thing together and he put the four fixing screws in!!

For all the people who wondered what we would do with no tree to put presents under!

Ice!

2009-12-22T10:41:00.000-08:00

Out in the Snow

2009-12-20T10:58:00.000-08:00

All bundled up!

The sidewalk was more like a tunnel!

You're not in Atlanta anymore M-ie!

The Great Snow of '09

2009-12-19T10:47:00.000-08:00

It snowed, and snowed, and snowed all Friday night and all day Saturday.

The porch was covered in a dusting of snow...

I somehow imagine a kid, up early in the morning watching this and crying quietly to himself at the news.

The birds searching for food under the snow.

Here in Elkridge, Santa comes on the Firetruck

2009-12-16T10:44:00.000-08:00

Here he comes (note Daddy's excitement at standing out in the cold!)

Lights blaring and sirens wailing....

Once again, Santa excitement turns to fear...

Bye Santa!

Learning How to Drink From a Cup

2009-12-15T08:17:00.000-08:00

Got milk?

Making our Holiday Rounds at the Mall

2009-12-14T10:35:00.000-08:00

With the poinsettia tree.

On the carousel after she insisted on getting off the horse and being held.

Riding the carousel got off to a good start...

Dancing and saying, 'Sanka, Sanka, Sanka' while waiting in line to see Santa; soon followed by crying on Santa's lap and saying, 'No, no, noooo'

Christmas Prep

2009-12-13T08:13:00.000-08:00

Below is the real reason we got a big car--so we could carry home a tree! It was our first Christmas tree and had to live out on the porch to avoid any problems from kitties and Stella! Because of its location, I didn't haul out all the decorations but did a nature themed tree.

First Snow of the Season

2009-12-04T08:07:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving

2009-11-30T10:55:00.000-08:00

Thanks to Pappy Russ for the photos since I was busy cooking most of the time!

Most of November

2009-11-24T10:44:00.000-08:00

Trip to France, Jack, Nanny, and Sean's birthday celebration with the family in VA, and day to day stuff

October Summary

2009-10-31T10:27:00.000-07:00

Well, I officially give up on the picture a day blog!! I'll do the best I can to get pictures up on a more regular basis. Here are pictures from the 2nd half of October.

Painting!

2009-10-14T20:00:00.000-07:00

Fall Walk at Centennial Lake Park

2009-10-11T19:58:00.000-07:00

Putting on Socks With Nanny

2009-10-09T19:57:00.000-07:00

Fall Field Trip to the Garden Center

2009-10-07T19:55:00.000-07:00

Talking to Miss Kitty

2009-10-06T19:53:00.000-07:00

Flu Shot

2009-10-04T19:52:00.000-07:00

We waited in line with lots of other Howard County Residents for our free seasonal flu shot. It was a 2 hour adventure. Supposedly, Howard County has the largest drive through flu clinic in the country.

Weekend Morning

2009-10-04T19:49:00.000-07:00

This is one of Stella's favorite games with Daddy! The response is always: 'Again'

Exploring Ice Cream...

2009-09-17T19:48:00.000-07:00

Stella and Stacy

2009-09-16T19:46:00.000-07:00

We now have Stacy coming over in the mornings. I've been having a hard time getting myself up out of bed in time for her 6:30AM arrival! Around 9:00 Stella and I walk her up to the local elementary school. Holly arrives shortly after that.

One of Our Last Days for a Summer Outfit

2009-09-15T19:45:00.000-07:00

Three Girls Playing on the Floor

2009-09-12T19:39:00.000-07:00

Eating with a fork....yes, it's cake!

2009-09-11T19:44:00.000-07:00

Little House in Shepherdstown, WV

2009-09-04T18:48:00.000-07:00

Sean spent a week in Shepherdstown, West Virginia at a training; Stella and I went up Thursday night to meet up with him. The next morning he showed us a little house that he had found in town. When I saw it, I remembered that I had actually seen it many years before when M-ie and I were traveling through there. It is an amazing little house, fully furnished upstairs and down -- unfortunately, locked but we knocked on the door.

We traveled on to Leesburg from there, unfortunately to spend our last day with Allison and Sofia before taking them to the airport for their return to Rome.

Big Girl PJs

2009-09-02T18:44:00.000-07:00

Here is Stella modelling her new pajamas...before getting hot pink antibiotics all over them (we went to the nightime pediatrics center and an ear infection was discovered).

Family Gathering At Uncle Scott and Aunt Crystal's New Home

2009-08-30T18:56:00.000-07:00

Two Girls, Out For A Walk

2009-08-29T19:06:00.000-07:00

These 2 pics are so sweet...Sofia, charging in for a close up with Mamma Allison looking on and Stella purposefully striding down the sidewalk on a mission as usual!

Walkies

2009-08-27T20:41:00.000-07:00

We took a walk around a local lake; Sofia fell asleep, so she missed out on the lake front photo shoot.

Checkin' Out the Neighborhood

2009-08-26T20:38:00.000-07:00

I love this little shot of the girls looking out the front window and 'talking.'

Relaxing Afternoon in the Backyard

2009-08-25T20:35:00.000-07:00

The girls had a great time playing in the backyard and the moms had fun lounging! Sofia waves at planes and calls 'ciao'; I was so busy taking the picture of her pointing at the plane, I failed to notice the mosquito on her cheek!!

Three Little 'Cousins'

2009-08-24T20:29:00.000-07:00

Sarah (age 2 1/2), Sofia (18 months), and Stella (16 months); for those who don't know, Sofia is my sister Allison's daughter and Sarah is our cousin Laurie's daughter.

Big Ol' Shoes

2009-08-23T20:26:00.000-07:00

A trip to the shoe store revealed that Stella's feet are now a size six and a half! We've been squeezing her little feet into shoes that are way too small!!

Stella With Boots and Morning Glory

2009-08-21T20:22:00.000-07:00

Out To Dinner

2009-08-21T18:41:00.000-07:00

Stella has taken to drinking through a straw like a pro. She looks like such a big girl in this picture!

The Return of Miss Holly

2009-08-18T13:06:00.000-07:00

Holly is back from her summer in California and Hawaii. She and Stella fell back in to playing side by side like no time had passed at all.

Test Drive

2009-08-16T19:36:00.000-07:00

Stella tried out the neighbors' convertible at their yard sale; it was momentarily fun, but didn't hold her interest for too long (thank goodness because her Daddy would have bought it for her if she had been interested!!)

At The County Fair

2009-08-12T13:03:00.000-07:00

Stella and I spent a short afternoon at the Howard County Fair (it was hot and humid!). After visiting all the animals (Stella did a great job imitating the goats..."Mmaaa") and looking at all the 4-H projects and craft exhibits, we were heading home when we spotted this old tractor. Stella loved sitting up in the driver's seat and would have happily stayed there much longer.

Stella's First Artwork

2009-08-11T13:02:00.000-07:00

I promise, I won't post every single crayon scribble! Here is Stella's very first successful (re.: didn't involve focusing on eating the crayons) exploration with crayons. Everytime I offered a new color she said, "Ohhhhh" with a big smile on her face.

Little Mermaid

2009-08-09T20:47:00.000-07:00

We tried the pool again at the urging of Grandma Tina. After some initial trepidation, Stella made the plunge and ended up enjoying herself immensely. I think watching the kid who was splashing and playing in the pool was a big help!
We had a fun time visiting with Grandma Tina and Aunty Noreen over the weekend.

Editor's note

2009-07-28T10:01:00.000-07:00

For the few of you out there following this, I know I have a lot of catching up to do. Quite honestly, I haven't been up for doing much the past couple of weeks. I've had some drafts working, but not finished. But it is time to get back into life and in the toss up between cleaning the house and catching up on the blog, the blog has won. Will upload some more pics and do a few more postings later.
-Sara

Three 'Cousins' with Auntie Crystal

2009-07-27T13:00:00.000-07:00

Here are Stella, Sarah, and Jackson at Debbie's Memorial Service.

Family Sing Along

2009-07-26T12:58:00.000-07:00

Uncle Rick got out his guitar and we sang some tunes. Stella enjoyed dancing and investigating the guitar. We might have to send Stella to Uncle Rick for music camp...he can teach her to play a bunch of instruments!!

Happy First First Anniversary

2009-07-25T12:56:00.000-07:00

Sean and I celebrated our first first wedding anniversary with everyone who was at the wedding -- Stella, Dan, Jen, Bill, and Finley (she was there in utero last year). We returned to La Palapa, a favorite Mexican restaurant in old town Ellicott City which is where we went to celebrate last year after the ceremony.

Sharing a pear with Daddy

2009-07-22T12:55:00.000-07:00

2009-07-21T12:52:00.000-07:00

Here, Stella seems to be giving Finley some standing pointers...

Family Dinner

2009-07-21T09:51:00.000-07:00

Some of us gathered in Round Hill, VA at Aunt Peggy and Uncle Fred's house. Cousin Chris was visiting from California, so Stella got to meet 'uncle' Chris. She also spent some time with 'aunt' Jessi and cousin Sarah. Jessi had her hands full with 2 little girls who adored her and wanted to play with her all evening long. I'm not sure she got to sit down for more than about 5 minutes.

"Sock"

2009-07-20T09:45:00.000-07:00

Stella is very interested in her socks and shoes these days and has her own little words for them. Shoe is 'foo' and sock is 'saa'.

LaDew Topiary Gardens

2009-07-19T09:36:00.000-07:00

We went to LaDew to see the band that played at our wedding - Smooth Kentucky. The gardens are beautiful and we spent a lot of time wandering around; it was a wonderful summer evening shared with friends and good music.

Saying Goodbye to A Wonderful Lady

2009-07-16T09:11:00.000-07:00

Stella, less than one day old and her Great Aunt Debra Bishopp

Stella and Debbie in May 2008

Debbie watches 'uncle' Scott playing horsey with Stella, October 2008

I can't believe we have to say goodbye to my sweet Aunt Debbie who passed away last night. Our photos today are from some visits we've had with Debbie over the past year; Debbie was full of love and was the most generous, thoughtful person I have ever known.

15 month Checkup

2009-07-14T09:25:00.000-07:00

Trip to the pediatrician for 15 month check up and shots.
Weight: 20 lbs, 11 oz; weight gained - 1lb,4oz; percentile 25th
Height: 32.5 inches; growth - 1.5 inches; percentile - off the charts - 99th+

Dr. commented on seemingly good language skills.

Stella now has memories of previous trips to the pediatrician's office; this means there is a lot of crying, as every visit involves getting 2 shots.

Raven's Birthday Party

2009-07-12T20:44:00.000-07:00

One of our neighborhood friends Raven had her 4th birthday party today. Stella enjoyed playing in the sprinkler and getting in the baby pool. It was a great day to be outside enjoying the afternoon with neighbors and their kids!

Naughty Things I Do by Stella

2009-07-11T14:05:00.000-07:00

1. I pinch Mommy's freckles
2. I try to pull Daddy's ear off
3. I push Finley on the forehead when she is sitting up to make her fall over
4. I tease Finley with toys by acting like I am going to give them to her but snatch them away
5. I stand up on the sofa and chair when I climb up on them
6. I take things I know I am not supposed to have and run away from Mommy and Daddy
7. I throw my bottle on the floor when I am done with it
8. I struggle and try to stand up while my diaper is being changed
9. I put my hand in the toilet any chance I get
10. I climb on the TV table

I'm a toddler now!

Garden Party

2009-07-08T19:13:00.000-07:00

Wow! I can't believe it is July; the weather report for the next few days: mid-eighties and low humidity. We chased the shade around the backyard for about an hour in the morning before naptime.

Cheek and Curls

2009-07-07T19:25:00.000-07:00

What's For Breakfast These Days?

2009-07-06T19:29:00.000-07:00

'Daddy's Cereal' soaked in milk to soften, served with fresh fruit, some of it handpicked by Mama.

Big Girl Makin' Big Messes

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

One of Stella's new favorite activities is pulling DVDs of the shelf. Here she is helping Daddy clean up the mess.

4th of July festivities in Catonsville, Maryland

2009-07-04T20:36:00.000-07:00

Stella and I headed over to the home of Bill, Jen, and little Finley for their annual 4th of July shindig. Unfortunately, Sean was on the first day of his sinus infection (we didn't know it at the time) and we left him home to sniffle and nap on the porch. The Lockard-Dugan household sits right on Fredrick Rd and is a front row seat for Catonsville's parade. This is a big deal; for those who don't know, a week or so before the parade, folks start putting out their chairs along the parade route! Stella was a bit overwhelmed by the 15 or so emergency vehicles with sirens blaring that started off the parade but warmed up to the rest; she especially enjoyed the bands with drums.
The weather was lovely, the food was excellent, the company was great, and the parade was as quirky and entertaining as always! I'm not having good luck importing photos, so here are two links. The first one is a picture of Stella at last year's 4th of July bash, just over 2 months old. The second a shot from this year. What a difference! While you are there, Bill has some great parade photos too!
2008
2009

Both photos taken by Bill Dugan

Girl with Kitty and Patch of Sunlight

2009-07-03T19:51:00.000-07:00

We're enjoying our new porch!

Little Teenager

2009-07-02T19:44:00.000-07:00

Stella looked like a little teenager lounging on the chair; she was fighting off a cold so was moving slower than usual.

A Day with The Big Boys

2009-06-30T20:06:00.001-07:00

We spent a fun morning and lunch with Mommy's highschool friend Cara and her sons: Owen, Ryan, and Noah. One of the younger boys asked: 'Why were there so many Mommies at your school?'

And a great afternoon with college friend Tina and sons: Dustin and Shane. We had a great time flying paper airplanes and playing in the front yard while avoiding afternoon summer showers.

Potty Training on the Horizon?

2009-06-29T11:20:00.000-07:00

There is no photo to go with this story for reasons that will soon become obvious.

Stella did a poo on the floor today; she had been in her diaper and a t-shirt since nap time and I had just been marvelling at how she had not been messing with the diaper. She took it off and said 'poo'; so I looked at her diaper and said, "No Stella, no poo." She looked kinda cute in her t-shirt and nude butt and I value the merits of 'airing out'. I went to check on something in the kitchen, and was going to return shortly with a dry diaper to re-diaper. From the kitchen I hear 'poo...poo-poo' and sure enough, there I found her, thankfully on the tile floor between the new porch carpet and the living room floor carpet; she was not only looking at the little pile of poo she had deposited on the floor, but had a piece of poo held close to her sweet little wide open mouth; after yelling 'no' to the poo in mouth idea (thankfully startling her, perhaps causing irreversible poo-poo issues, but nonetheless enough to get her to drop said poo), all I could do was laugh and thank her for choosing her spot well.

Bottle Time!

2009-06-27T20:29:00.000-07:00

Helping

2009-06-26T20:14:00.000-07:00

Mama finally put Stella's interest in the dryer to good use; here she is putting wet clothes into the dryer --she did a great job.

Negotiating Stairs

2009-06-25T21:06:00.000-07:00

Stella has been working on stairs. She mostly negotiated this trip down with success. Right after I snapped this shot, she fell off the last step and Sean gave me a look that said, 'what kind of a mother are you'
;)

A Day Out

2009-06-24T20:52:00.000-07:00

Going visiting at the Three Bears' House and the house of the Old Woman Who Lived in a Shoe.

And the dish ran away with the spoon.

'kit-ty'

We took a visit to a nearby attraction: Clark's Eli Oak Farm

A petting farm and novelties rescued from an old Howard County landmark: The Enchanted Forest.

Honestly, Stella is a little young to really appreciate such trips, the donkey and the little goat were 'kitty', the most interesting thing in the pig pen was the ball the pig was pushing around, and while strolling the grounds Stella was most interested in: licking the mushroom statues (hmm...I sense trouble in her teenage years), making friends with picnicking patrons (little beggar) and scaring me half to death by putting a big rock in her mouth and then dropping it in the grass so that I couldn't find it for a good long while and seriously thought she had swallowed it...

We'll have to go back again when she is a few years older!

Princesses of Summer

2009-06-22T20:49:00.000-07:00

Miss Finley

Happy Father's Day!

2009-06-21T06:00:00.000-07:00

* Thanks to friend Vicki of 3 wheels design for this fantabulous idea (getting it done with a mobile 1 year old was like herding cats though!!). Sean is getting a framed version of this (first photo).

Where's Daddy?

2009-06-19T20:34:00.000-07:00

"Mo Mo"

2009-06-18T20:31:00.000-07:00

Stella and Elmo are fast friends and she is still squeezing herself into that Bumbo!

Bye Bye

2009-06-17T18:36:00.000-07:00

Stella doesn't seem at all concerned that if I leave, she will be all alone in the house with the cats.

Yesterday we said 'bye bye' to our little friends Holly and Teo for the summer. They will be in California until August.

Dinnertime

2009-06-16T18:34:00.000-07:00

Dinner for a big girl...she ate it all!

Because Not Every Day Is Sunshine and Roses

2009-06-15T18:29:00.000-07:00

We have officially entered the toddler years. Stella has yet to learn that throwing her head back and screaming when she doesn't get what she wants hurts her more than it hurts us.

A Visit with GrandMom Tina

2009-06-14T18:25:00.000-07:00

GrandMom Tina and friend Noreen came down for a visit on Sunday. GrandMom brought Stella a new Elmo doll. For a child who has never seen Elmo on TV, Stella sure does love Elmo. Stella says Elmo: 'Mo Mo' and has taken to carrying him around over her shoulder. Today, after lunch, I put her tray of food within reach so she could snack on the leftovers. A little while later, I noticed Stella take Mo Mo over to the plate and put a bite in his mouth! Too funny.

Here is a great picture Sean took of Stella with angel wings...(if you didn't know already, you can click on the pics to make them larger)

Strawberry Shortcake

2009-06-13T19:32:00.000-07:00

Stella loves Strawberries!! She was introduced to them a few weeks ago and can't get enough of them! She ate one or two while we did a little picking at a farm nearby. After her second one I said, 'No more little girl...you might get a tummy ache.' She said what sounded like 'no' (but sometimes that is actually 'yes'...you have to look for the nod) and crammed one in her mouth as quickly as she could! Naughty Monkey. We went in the afternoon to friends Bev and Jim's for their annual end of the school year party (Bev and I taught together for a few years). We had a great time visiting, eating lots of delicious food, rousing games of bocce and badminton. Stella added a little more juice to her strawberry stained shirt.

Two Little Dancers

2009-06-12T19:31:00.000-07:00

Finley doesn't have a very pleasant look on her face, but actually this is two happy girls dancing; I forget what I was playing, but both girls were rockin' out with me and doing their own little dance. Stella looks like she is doing the 'robot.'

Just Ducky

2009-06-11T19:30:00.000-07:00

Stella found this little ducky and fell in love, she walked around giving it hugs for most of the day!

Lunch With Daddy

2009-06-10T19:29:00.000-07:00

We went into DC to meet Sean at Rock Creek Park for his annual work picnic. The rain held off, but it sure was humid!

Who's Feeding Who?

2009-06-09T19:28:00.000-07:00

Recently, Stella has taken to feeding us bites of her food. It is very cute, except for when she takes food out of her mouth and tries to pawn it off on us; we love her...but we have to draw the line somewhere!

Is That Nanny...or a Banana?

2009-06-08T19:27:00.000-07:00

We went for a little visit with Nanny--whose name conveniently sounds like 'nana' which is Stella's word for banana. Stella was extremely excited about our conversation about going to visit Nanny but I think that's because she thought we were talking about going to visit a banana (not that she doesn't love Nanny, just that we eat a lot of bananas here and they are very popular).

We also saw Aunt Ginny who brought us a yummy lunch of kebab :)

Relaxin'

2009-06-07T19:26:00.000-07:00

Our neighbors hosted an impromptu cookout on Sunday night. We enjoyed some good food, a few beers, and a nice relaxing evening. Stella took a little tumble and got her first skinned knee which I proudly showed off for the whole week :) No doubt the first of many!