Where does the time go?

I can hardly believe it's June already...where did May go? Stella is 5 weeks old. No pictures from this week because our little Stella is overcoming some "baby acne." This usually happens around week 4 and is gone by week 6. It is getting better, but I'm not going to take any pictures of her that she will be upset by when she's a teenager. Tom and I are still dreading the "teenage" years, we're not too worried about the boys, but a teenage girl is scary to both of us.
A friend of ours sent Stella this adorable little handmade bonnet and felted wool shoes.

I hope to get some better pictures of her actually wearing it outside.


Reeve and Kyle missed out on these shirts because Reeve was born before she started giving them out and when Kyle was born she had run out of the boys shirts and then just forgot to send him one.

I think Stella looks cute in hers.

How has Stella been? She's been great. She still has her moments of angst at night, but there have been several nights where she went to bed without a screaming tirade. The other night she was crying and I'm pretty sure it was because Reeve and Kyle were still up and she could hear them while I was trying to get her to sleep. She was very tired. She was dry, well fed, not too hot...she can't stand to wear uncomfortable things to bed, and had been held more than long enough to work out any burps. I was very patient with her and when my arms were tired from holding her...because she doesn't cry when she's held...I laid her down on the bed....booom! The crying begins. I just put my hand on her belly and tried to comfort her while she wailed in my ear...then, like magic, she stopped. She looked at me, then slowly closed her eyes and fell asleep. She's done this several times now where she'll be really crying hard, then all of a sudden, for no apparent reason, just stop and be totally calm.

Stella & her Big Brothers

Our little Stella is well cared for! Reeve and Kyle have been WONDERFUL help!!

If I'm busy doing dishes, washing diapers, preparing a school lesson, or making food, then Reeve and Kyle are 100% there for Stella.

Both boys know how to discern if she has a wet diaper. Both boys are fearless about relieving her from a wet diaper...which she CAN'T stand. Kyle is even able to tell if she's giving us a "wet diaper" cry. He'll listen to her and say "Yup that's a wet diaper, or I think that's a burp cry, or Mom...Stella is hungry." I haven't let them put a fresh diaper on her yet, because I don't want them using the diaper pins. They do know how to use the baby wipes, good smelling rash cream (Kyle will put this on her whether she has a rash or not), and hand cleaner. She's oh so much happier being dry.

Kyle LOVES to read to her, and she really is amused listening to him.

When she's not being held she's pretty good in her crib...for awile. Our neighbors down the road lent us their baby crib.

(Pretty purple outfit from Tom's Solar buddy Bob & his wife Cindy...too cute! THANK YOU)

Reeve asked me the other day if he could carry Stella in the Baby Bjorn carrier. I said he could try...it worked and they both loved it!






Stella has been extremely lucky with receiving gifts. More cute outfits to be show cased! It's fun dressing her each day. She's recently received some adorable outfits from my Canadian relatives...THANK YOU AUNTIE ML & DIANE, LEIF & BRIDGETTE. It's a lot of fun having a little girl. Don't get me wrong I was 100% happy and satisfied with my boys, but we are all having fun with Stella. Kyle loves to help me pick out her outfits...I never remember picking out what cute outfits the boys were going to wear. Anyway this next outfit was from Susie that Tom has been working with at his latest project.

Stella Blue

Well many have asked us where'd you get the name Stella?

From the very first Grateful Dead album I ever heard...one of my favorite songs, Stella Blue. It's a special album for me because Tommy played it for me on our very first date. He had a portable CD player, which I had never seen before, and he had just bought the Grateful Dead's Wake of the Flood CD (produced in 1973...the year I was born). Despite the fact I grew up in California I had never heard of the Grateful Dead and I remember looking at that album cover and being super skeptical. I remember he put the headphones on me and I was amazed...I LOVED this music! AND I LOVED this album right away. The song Stella Blue has a very soulful melody that truly comforts me. Stella loves it too!

To see more Grateful Dead appreciation check out the second link to the right..."Best A/C Company in Florida." It's a blog by a good friend of ours AND there's several mentions of Stella. Reeve and Kyle saw Stella's pic on there the other day and they now think their little sister is famous! Thanks Tim :-).

Okay now get ready for LOTS of Stella pics...I had a hard time picking and choosing which ones to post. Believe it or not there are more than the ones on this blog, but I think these do a fairly good job of capturing most of her common facial expressions. The Organic Little Cutie Outfit that she's wearing in these pics is from her family in Georgia.










Kyle likes to call the next picture "Got Milk?" Sometimes she looks pretty funny after nursing. She looks very satisfied and quickly falls off to sleep.

The adorable comfy socks she's wearing were handmade by my good friend (since first grade!!! Dana). I must learn how to knit like that! Thank you Dana :-)


These rhubarb plants were given to us by my friend Brenda after Stella was born:

We also just received an organic pear tree from my folks for Stella's birth. We planted it yesterday with her placenta...sorry if I grossed anyone out!

Tom is very good with Stella and patient with her.

The other night while Tom was comforting Stella he had her on his chest...just trying to calm her down. Lately she kind of puts up a stink about going to sleep. Her only problem hours are between 7pm and 11pm when for the past week she likes to cry. Tom is very good about holding her and rocking her. We've read that skin to skin contact for newborns is best. Well he had her on his chest and she gave him a hickey!!!


She wasn't hungry because I had nursed her...it was just a comfort thing. When she was born she had two little marks on her wrist where she had been sucking on her hand in the womb.

Bella Stella...Our Beautiful Star

Warning: This blog will probably be pretty mushy with me gushing over Stella!! Please forgive me, but I can't help myself!!!

It's so hard to believe that little Stella May Joyce was one week old yesterday! Time is really zipping by.

Here are some of her one week old pictures.

We are so in love with her. Reeve and Kyle are very gentle and good with her. She really loves them and when she hears their voices she can't wait to see them.

Same with Tommy...she just lights up when he comes home from work. He melts when he sees her and can't get anything else done but hold her in the evening.

Reeve really loves to hold her.

It's a little harder for Kyle, but he holds her on his lap with me supporting her head...so I can't take a pic too easily.

She's very good with letting Tommy, Reeve, and Kyle hold her. I remember with Reeve and Kyle they pretty much put up a fuss when anyone else but me held them.

Every evening Stella gets a warm bath and then an olive oil body massage. She's in heaven when she's getting her massage.

It's rainbow weather here.

Whenever I try to take Stella outside she stiffens up and closes her eyes and won't open them until we get back inside...so she missed out on seeing her first rainbow.



The cutest thing that she does, in my opinion, is she likes to watch us sleep. In the middle of the night I notice her kind of moving her arms and I'll open my eyes and she's as calm as can be staring right at me. I've caught her doing the same thing with Tommy...she's just as calm as can be watching him sleep.
Okay enough gushing for now...more to come! You have been warned :-).