Cruisin' the Harbor

Maribelle's first trip to Baltimore's Inner Harbor was a hot, sticky, crowded one. We walked around for a little bit, but eventually parked ourselves on a shady bench so Jeremy could drool at all the boats. With people strolling by and a trapeze school practicing behind us, there was plenty for this little girl to look at. And as always, plenty of people stopped to look at her, too.

Afternoon in the Park

Today was a beautiful day, so Maribelle and I decided to spend some time in the park under a nice shady tree. Of course I couldn't resist the photo opportunity, especially since she looked so darn cute today (and every day!), so enjoy the photos that follow! I have to say, I think these are some of my favorite photos so far. I know I've said this before, but they just keep getting better and better! If you have a Snapfish account, you can check out the rest of the photos by clicking here.

Four Month Checkup

Maribelle had her four-month checkup today! She weighs 12lbs 13 ounces, is 24 inches long and is falling in the 25th-50th percentile. The pediatrician is really happy with her overall health and weight gain and told us to just keep doing what we're doing. Solids are still a few months away, but Jeremy's already making plans for the different veggies he wants to puree for Maribelle.



The photo above is of Maribelle testing out her new rocking chair, which was Jeremy's when he was little. Grandpa Moorhead lovingly gave the chair a makeover and surprised us with the thoughtful gift during their last visit. This will be the perfect spot for Maribelle to enjoy her ever-growing collection of books!

Here are some other recent developments with Baby Belle:


* Laughing! Maribelle started laughing a few weeks ago, and it's no surprise that daddy is REALLY good at making her laugh.

* Movement. While Maribelle isn't quite rolling yet, she immediately turns onto her side when we put her in her crib. Another thing she does is she rotates in circles throughout the night. We find her head and feet in various positions as she does 360-degree rotations in her crib while she sleeps. There's no doubt this little chicky can move, so we're hoping a full roll isn't too far off!

* Daycare. Maribelle seems to be adjusting really well to daycare, and we get nothing but good reports from Miss Karen when we pick her up. The other little kids seem to like Maribelle and sound so darn cute when they say her name.

Baptism Day

Last weekend was an exciting one for Maribelle Rosie, who celebrated her baptism with some of our closest family and friends. Although Maribelle had a rough time sleeping and napping for most of the weekend, she conveniently fell asleep the minute we sat down for the baptism ceremony and did great throughout all five of the baptisms. Maribelle looked adorable in her dress, which Aunt Laura, her godmother, bought for her. Unfortunately, we didn't get any great photos of her entire dress! The photo below, taken during a last minute diaper change, is one of the best shots we have. I definitely think a professional photo shoot is in order.

Sporting her baptism dress and some bling

Baptized at St. Augustine's Church by Father Bowen

Godparents, Uncle Josh and Aunt Laura

Grandparents

Afterward we all went back to our house for lots of food, cake, punch and even a little Corn Hole. Maribelle got to spend some quality time with guests who traveled near and far to celebrate her baptism.

Uncle Josh and Aunt Misty flew in from Texas

Great Grandma A. came to visit from Cleveland

And cousins Maria and James came ALL the way from College Park, Maryland

Making the day even more special was the fact that it was also Mother's Day. Not only did we get to spend the day with our favorite moms, but I also got to mark my first time celebrating as a mom myself! Jeremy surprised me with a beautiful necklace that has my initial engraved on the front and Maribelle's initials engraved on the back. It's officially my favorite piece of jewelry, and something I hope to pass down to Maribelle one day.

Fab Four

A week from today, Maribelle will be exactly four months old! So to sum up our first three months with Miss Rosie Cheeks, Jeremy put together a beautiful video montage set to Beatles music. We hope you enjoy it and watch it many, many times! Now that I'm slowly getting back into the work world, I may have it on repeat all day long :)