We’ve had a lot going on here the past few weeks, but Haley and Skylar visiting from LA has been a real highlight. Ok, ok… they really came to meet Baby Bell and for Daddy’s 40th birthday party, but we sure did have a good time hanging with them. They love to pick us up and carry us (with our feet dragging the ground). These are our kind of ladies. They carry us around and entertain us all the time. Oh, and they are pretty. Niiiiice.

i’m already proving to be a “tester.” i just don’t like to make things easy for people. i’ve decided mom can’t eat dairy (at least until we figure out of that’s the reason for the allergic reaction all over my body!). i also kindly decided to give my first photographer a run for her money. and boy did we go at it. she just didn’t give up on me. when you see the pictures below, you’d never believe that i cried 60% of the time, screamed 10% of the time, stared blankly into space for 20% of the time and pooped and peed on mom (no diaper!) the remaining 10% (no joke!).

enter the miracle worker – jenny lee. this woman has some good timing (and amazing talent). she perfectly captured my “in between” moments. those oh-so-sweet moments that were in between two meltdowns and make for awesome photos. and she captured the meltdowns too, but that’s the reality of my life as a colicky baby, so it was appropriate. i only get this time once in my life, so i’m glad it was documented so beautifully with my family.

i know good talent when i see it people, and this woman’s got it. and it’s not only photographic talent… this woman knows her way around kids. at one point during the day, she asked for mom and dad to leave the room and took the huge risk of being left alone with two rascal 3 year old boys and a 1 month old girl. now THAT takes talent. and nerve. check out her site here and her blog here. and make sure you have a box of tissues when you check out the galleries on her site. mom cries every time she watches them (those hormones!).

I was telling my brothers that I refused to post here until my name was in lights in the URL, but I caved. Mom’s been tied up a bit doing other stuff (like feeding my porky self), so I’m going to let it slide this time, but I fully expect to see the site renamed in the very near future. We could do BellsBloggingBoys.com… or BloggingBoys+Bell.com… we’ll see where we net out, but know that there will be a launch party not unlike the lavish Silicon Valley start up launch parties in the late 90’s.

Now on to me… I’ve been on center stage at the Carmichael house for a full month now and gotta say, I’m a pretty lucky gal. I’ve got two brothers who love to tell my mom and dad every move I’m making… I’ve got a dog that has become my watch dog by planting his 130 lb self right in front of my swing when I’m cold chillin… and I’ve got two parents who wait on me hand and foot. So all in all, I don’t have any complaints. Except the gas. The GAS! Mom says it’s not ladylike to talk about gas, but Lord have mercy! My brothers get a big kick out of it and mom keeps threatening to take me to the doctor about it, so it’s quite the talk of the town. In other gross news, I’m starting to get baby acne. Mom is hopeful we’ll keep it at bay until my first big photo shoot, but not sure we’ll be so lucky.

So that’s it, fans. Thank you for all the well wishes and welcomes. I’m psyched to be here and have big plans for this life of mine.

Until next time…
-baby bell

Home Depot didn’t know what hit ‘em. Nor did dad. He decided that it would be a fun bonding thing for us to go to Home Depot today. You see, they do this special building seminar for kids our size the first Saturday of each month (that’s the burbs for you!), but we decided to do our own thing. What 3-year-old wants to sit and listen to some old guy with a tool belt telling us how to build a race track? Hey, I got an idea – call us when it’s done!

Like father, like sons.