Video Flashback

Recently we stumbled upon some old videos of Nella.  One, in particular, cracked us up so much that we decided to post it here.  Maybe you won't laugh at all.  Maybe you'll laugh if I tell you that she would start to bust a move every time she heard that specific song.  Every. Single. Time.  Her 'dancing' was really just a quick series of punches and arm swings.  Kind of like Tae Bo.

The video is from July 7, 2009.  The song is the end credits to Arrested Development.  Man, that was a great show.

The End Credits Dance from Keli Billingsley on Vimeo.

Nella's Birthday Party

We had a little party to celebrate Nella's 2nd Birthday.  We had some family and friends over to our apartment.  I made a banner (Nella 'helped') with some paper that I had on hand.  I also decided to set up a 'cupcake bar' with different flavors of cupcakes and icings, and a variety of toppings. 

I think everyone enjoyed creating their own cupcake.  I did make some 'fancy' brown sugar cupcakes with brown-butter icing (the iced ones on the right).  I thought they were so delicious.  (The recipe is from Martha Stewart). 

Singing Happy Birthday to the Birthday Girl.

  

 Present time!

What could this be?

 I see a baby.

She was so excited!

Thanks Papa & Nana!

  

No birthday party is complete without a meltdown.

Ready for bed. 

She got spoiled with lots of lovely gifts.  She got to see her grandparents, cousins, aunts, and friends.  She was the center of attention.  I think she had fun day.

Nella = 2

 Our Pretty Little Nella Girl is 2 years old today.  I cannot believe how quickly the past two years have gone by.   She's really growing up so fast.  This morning I was looking back through old photos of Nella.  I picked out a few of my personal favorites to share with you.  How blessed we are to be the parents of this sweet girl!  

My top 5 favorite photos from her first 2 years:

I'm flying!

Father's Day

Little Alley Cat

6 Months (That crooked smile and scrunchy eye gets me every time!)

Classic Nella face.

What's that? You want to see a few more?  No problem!

Nella is such a hilarious little girl.  She cracks us up constantly.  She's friendly, silly, and sweet.  She loves playing with her baby dolls, puzzles, and crayons.  She also loves books and wants to be read to all the time.  She loves 'helping' me with household chores and taking care of Silas.  She really loves her daddy and is most definitely a daddy's girl.  She loves nap time, bath time, and going to visit daddy at work.  She also loves going to church and playing with her friends.  Her current favorite foods are applesauce with cinnamon (she likes to shake the cinnamon on herself), peas & carrots, and toast with honey.  She's really into the movie Monsters, Inc.  She definitely desires to be independent, which causes her some frustration at times.  I guess we're officially in the 'terrible twos.'  Though her tantrums are usually pretty mild, they are becoming more frequent.  Overall she is a delight to parent and I'm sure (hoping) two will be more terrific than terrible!

Silas = 4 Months

Littlest Billingsley is four months old.  Silas, in my opinion, is the most adorable baby boy in the universe.  He is strong.  He is never quiet or still.  He has a natural mini-mohawk.  Caleb affectionatly refers to it as 'youth pastor hair.'

He smiles, rolls over, squeals, grunts, and drools all the time.  

He eats very often.

He weighs 13 lbs, 12 oz. He's almost 25 inches long.  

He refuses to drink from a bottle and don't you dare try to give him a pacifier. 

Thankfully, he's a pretty laid back guy.

He always wants to play and loves to be held.  But not a snuggly type of held, oh no.  He likes to be held sitting upright and facing out, so he can see everything.    

He is not what I would classify as a great sleeper.  He was a great sleeper for about a month.  Now he wakes up 4 or 5 or even 6 times a night.  I always have luck nursing him right back to sleep, but it's still exhausting.  I think he just wakes up to make sure I'm still there.  He is, after all, a big fat momma's boy.  I don't mind.  Just look at those eyes!

You know, some people use these, these or this to get eyes like those!

Caleb's Reading List

Amusing Ourselves to Death: Public Discourse in the Age of Show Business - Neil Postman
The World is Flat: A Brief History of the Twenty-First Century - Thomas L. Friedman
Preaching and Preachers - D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
Guests of the Sheik: An Ethnography of an Iraqi Village - Elizabeth Warnock Fernea
J. R. R. Tolkien: A Biography - Humphrey Carpenter
The Reason for God: Belief in an Age of Skepticism - Timothy Keller
The Christian Imagination: The Practice of Faith in Literature and Writing - Leland Ryken
Christless Christianity: The Alternative Gospel of the American Church - Michael Horton
Brave New World - Aldous Huxley
J. R. R. Tolkien: Author of the Century - Tom Shippey
Manhunt: The 12-Day Chase for Lincoln's Killer - James L. Swanson
The Old Testament Documents: Are They Reliable & Relevant - Walter C. Kaiser
April 1865: The Month that Saved America - Jay Wink
Human Cloning and Human Dignity: The Report of the President's Council on Bioethics - Leon R. Kass