Saturday, October 31, 2009

It's About Time

I know it's been a while since I've posted new video footage. I apologize to those of you who resort to replaying the old ones over and over and over again. To make up for it, here's almost 2 minutes of something I recorded on Wednesday. Bella was just being her cute self when we went out on the stairs and I happened to bring the camcorder.

Everyday Bella from Cecilia Harvey on Vimeo.


Other happenings this week- until now, Bella's monkey-like tendencies have been kept in check by her short reach (still in the 0 percentile, Yes!). She just wasn't tall enough to reach the things needed for her to mount the desk, counters or table. This week she figured out how to use the computer desk drawers as steps to climb on top. She also figured out that if Mommy moves the chair too far from the table for her to use it to get on top, she can move the chair closer. She also applied that concept to the counter tops. She now has free access to all of her favorite things; the computer, faucets, cupboards, and a Mommy going crazy trying to keep her feet on the floor.

At 18 months Bella has also become quite the organizer. She loves to put things away, and throwing trash in the garbage. After diaper changes she can't rest until she has taken the dirty diaper and deposited it into the trash can. She is the cutest little girl in the world!

Friday, October 30, 2009

I Heart Faces Fix it Friday


So, in case you are wondering what all this I ♥ faces business is all about, it's a photography blog that has weekly challenges and activities. Since I am newly obsessed with photography and photoshopping I've started doing the stuff and it's really fun!

This week's photo was the one on the left and the one on the right is the one I "fixed." I use PhotoShop Elements 7 for my editing and these are the steps I took in my edits.

1. use clone stamp to fix up her bruises
2. create 2 new layers with grayscale in overlay mode.
3. in first layer use soft brush tool at 15% opacity and black paint to darken background to taste.
4. apply low pixel graussian blur to layer to smooth paint job.
5. in second layer change brush to 10% opacity and white paint to brighten her skin and eyes.
6. apply low pixel graussian blur to layer to smooth paint job.
7. create new layer with overlay blending mode and changed opacity to 80%
8. flatten image and save!

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Back in the day... some Old Pictures


These pictures escaped my photoshopping attention for several weeks, but I still thought they were worth posting. We took these at a park near our house.

Monday, October 26, 2009

Playgrouping


Bella and I have been active in play group for the first time since we moved to Texas. I brought my camera this time and managed to catch a fun scene of her and Minnie playing together. I thought they were putting wood chips on the slide so I just took pictures of them going at it. It wasn't until both of them had brown water dripping down their fronts that I realized they were actually playing in a pool of last night's rain. It's a good thing it was 70+ degrees out there because I didn't have a spare outfit.

I Heart Faces Halloween Dress Up Challenge


This weeks photo challenge on I ♥ faces is to share a picture of somebody dressed up for Halloween. This precocious princess was Snow White for the evening, but her favorite part was hauling around the little pumpkin candy bucket. She wouldn't let go of it, even when it got so heavy that she had to drag it behind her.

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Friends


On Friday we watched two of Bella's friends while their parents went out. Bella and Darren got along really well. They transferred rocks into the play area together, sat together and shared dirt together. Way to make friends girls! Usually they just ignore each other.

On another note- today was Bella's 18 month check up. She is now 19 lbs, which maintains her uninterrupted status in the 0 percentile for weight. They didn't say how long she was, or how big her head is, so I assume she's doing okay.

Wednesday, October 14, 2009

My Birthday Bash

This year's birthday bonanza was as splendid an affair as last year's. Ryan started it out with the traditional eggo waffle and omlette breakfast in bed. We decided to find an acceptable fall type activity to do as a family to celebrate the occasion. It turns out that pumpkin patches are pretty scarce in the greater Houston area. By and by we did find one, but to our delight Dewberry Farm was much, much more than a pumpkin patch. I think it was more like a carnival for young children. They had goats, horses, chickens, pigs (they do races every day). They also stocked the farm yard with big bouncing toys, a cart track, playgrounds for little kids and also for big kids, a corn maze, and a shed housing corn kernels 2 ft deep. That was way cooler than the balls at McDonalds. Bella was a little overwhelmed by the 10 other kids in there jumping/ throwing/ making corn angels in such close range to her.

Ryan also took me to the Olive Garden for my birthday dinner. Bella almost ate an enormous meatball all by herself. I think that's more protein than she usually gets in a week. After dinner we wrapped up the evening watching Pride and Prejudice. I just can't get over the music and cinematography of this latest version.
I give my hubby an A+ for this birthday. Thanks sweetie!

Dinner Party Disaster


We had a family come over for Sunday dinner this week. It was uneventful if you don't count me asking them to go home and grab some ingredients that I ran out of, burning the cake AFTER taking it out of the oven by setting it on a burner that got left on, smoke flavored cake (because cutting off the burnt part isn't sufficient) not even disguised by copious amounts of frosting, a clogged sink (word to the wise, don't ever let a whole potato make it's way into the disposal), and Bella beating up their 8 month old daughter. I wonder if they will ever come over again. Either way, we had fun with them.
**note: That is the actual smoke flavored cake pictured above. Using a serrated knife to saw it into serving sized portions didn't help its aesthetic appeal.

Friday, October 9, 2009

Fairy Bella and an Eviction Notice

I've been getting obsessed with PhotoShoping and photography lately and one of the blogs I follow- I heart Faces - had a tutorial on how to put a little fantasy into your photos. I had a blast making Bella into a fairy. In fact, I got a little over zealous with the glitter brushes and stars I found on Obsidian Dawn as you might have noticed. Thanks for the awesome tutorial Amanda!

Besides photo excitement, Bella has just been through the flu for the first time. That was a rough 3-4 days for her, for me, for Ryan, and the neighbors- I'm sure. She seems to be making up for her long winded bout of orneriness by sleeping a couple extra hours in the day today and yesterday. Thank you Bella.

On Tuesday night we were served an eviction notice. Apparently the automatic payment we set up with our useless bank didn't get sent. I couldn't sleep all night. We never dreamed, not in a million years, that we would get evicted for not paying rent. We are responsible people and we pay our obligations, thank you very much. The next morning I rushed into the leasing office to explain that our bank had some kind of malfunction. I took deep breaths to keep the tears from my eyes as I gave her our sob story. Yes I included the fact that our little girl has had the flu and anything else that I thought would bring on a little sympathy. When she said it was okay, and we didn't even have to pay the 150$ late fee I cried anyway and blamed it on the pregnancy. She felt really bad and offered me her FiberOne bar. I thought about taking it.

So, we are still at the same address, Bella is not sick any more, and I am having a blast editing photos.

Saturday, October 3, 2009

Random Pictures



Here are a few pictures from Thursday. We went to the little playground in our apartment complex. I heard it snowed in Utah. It's been a fabulous 80 degrees all week here in Houston. I also want you to please note that we aren't bad parents. Ryan didn't really let her drive, and she was only in the front seat for the 30 seconds it takes to drive to the other side of the parking lot where the playground is. Please don't call CPS.


These are from a couple weeks ago. She switches from imp to sweetheart in a flash.

Thursday, October 1, 2009

Hangin' with little Miss Bella


I just loved these pictures and wanted to post them. She gets obsessed with the most random objects and every day it's a new one. A couple days ago it was the hat, today it's the diaper box.