Stella Rose Davis

Stella Bella.  Stella Bell.  Sweet girl.  Monkey.  These are Stella's nicknames.

Stella is in a cuddly phase right now.  She wants to be carried around everywhere, kinda like Drake.  She especially wants to be held if we are holding someone else.  For the past few months, she has turned into a Mama's girl.  I call her my shadow - if I'm in the room, she is right on my heels asking to be picked up.

Stella hasn't napped in months so when 6:00 rolls around, she is ready to go to bed.   After bath time, we play in Reese's room.  All we have to do is mention the word "night-night" and she runs to the door, ready to climb in bed.  She HAS to have a lightweight blanket that she balls up in one hand and drapes it across her head.  She sleeps with a pacifier (no judgement!) and I usually send her to bed with a book or a puzzle.  She is still in the habit of waking up most nights between midnight and 2:00 and staying awake for a while.  She sings to herself, reads her book, or does her puzzle.  Once in a while, she will start crying but that hasn't happened much lately.  If she does, Wes or myself goes upstairs to comfort her and give her some water.  She wakes up between 6:30 and 7:30 most mornings.

Stella is our singer.  She sings while she eats, while she plays, in her car seat, in the pool, everywhere!!  She's also a giggler.  She'll be reading a book and giggle away - wish I could hear the comedy routine playing in her head.

Stella has been very chatty lately.  She likes to label animals, animal sounds, colors, and shapes.  Today, I heard her sing the entire alphabet!!  Her other favorite songs are The Itsy Bitsy Spider, Old MacDonald and If You're Happy and You Know It.  She goes to First Leap 4 mornings a week to get speech and behavioral therapy.  We are currently working on two word phrases, like "Up, Mama" and "want water."  She will start school on August 25th.  She will have her own driver and a teacher's assistant that will pick her up from our house, drive her to school and drop her back off.  Woo-hoo!!!  That will be 5 mornings a week, from 8:00 to 12:00.  The school system here is AWESOME!!!!

Stella's favorite toys - She loves a set of flashcards we bought her.  She empties it on the couch, then names each one as she puts in back in the box.    She likes trains and cars.  She loves to read books.  But most of all, she loves to do gymnastics.  She is always climbing on furniture, doing headstands, rolling and flipping.    I think it's time to find her a gymnastics class.  Stella loves to watch movies - her favorites are episodes of Dora and Little Einsteins.  She also likes YouTube collections of nursery rhymes.

Stella is not a happy camper when she in hungry.  She gets very cranky and whiny when it's time to eat - reminds me of her mama!!  As long as she has a full belly, she is content to wander around the house looking for something to climb on.  Until I come into the room - then she turns into my shadow.  But I don't mind.  That's my sweet Stella Bell.