April 15 09

Isabella has this way of kissing me. she cannot just kiss me; she needs to make a full on production of it. she first kisses my left cheek (which she pronounces sheek), then my right, then my chin, my nose, and finally, my forehead. It’s a routine that comes in the morning, usually, and leaves behind a cream cheesy souvenir on my freshly made-up face and, sure, some mornings i’m rushed and i just wish she’d hurry it along a little bit so i can get my ass out of the door. But as i sit in the car and wipe the cream cheese off of my face i can’t help but smile.

Isabella pronounces the word cucumber wrong. she says “cu-muh-ber” i am 99% certain it’s because that’s how my Pilipina nanny pronounces it too.

Isabella is my first real cuddlerslashsnuggler. There’s nothing that makes her happier than to crawl in bed with me, while donning a princess nightgown (they are all the rage these days) and “snugglebumming” with me. i swear. that is what she calls snuggling.

Isabella is Indiana’s best friend.

indiy

Isabella thinks frogs are just about the greatest things EVER created.

Isabella could medal if farting was an Olympic sport. she is a champion.

Isabella can recite – line by line – the words to the entire Enchanted movie. and the Spongebob Squarepants movie.

Isabella says awesome things like, “the floor is wet because i had to wash my leg because it smelled like emily’s feet”

Isabella plays by herself. she’s my first child to do that too (sigh…it’s because she’s my third, isn’t it?) She will sit and play with her dollhouse for hours. or barbies. or read herself a princess story. or do a puzzle. or play inside of an empty box simply for the shits and giggles.

box

box2

Isabella loves DJ Lance Rock. probably more than a 3-year-old should love a man in an orange jumpsuit.

djlance

these are things i don’t want to forget. EVER.

There will be a day, in the not-so-distant future, when she longer pronounces cheek as sheek, when she no longer wants to kiss me even once, let alone a five-peet. There will be a day when she doesn’t want to snugglebum anymore. There will be a day when she won’t get such enjoyment out of empty boxes. There will be a day when she no longer thinks farts are funny (unless she’s anything like me who thinks that farts are ALWAYS funny)

but until that day comes, i will hold her close and take my hugs and kisses. with pleasure.

hugs

-
  1. I’m impressed by what small boxes she can fit into! I’d put a call into Cirque if I were you.

    Comment by MonsteRawr on April 15, 2009
  2. these are fine words of wisdom. thank you. great post.

    Comment by raino on April 15, 2009
  3. no greater joy than our kids – your post today is beautiful

    (I saw all 11 minutes of Maddies tribute video and cried the whole way through, even though I don’t know them, it really hits home – and what a beautiful girl she was)

    Comment by Sarah on April 15, 2009
  4. It’s wonderful to see how much fun you two obviously have together!

    Comment by Assertagirl on April 15, 2009
  5. Love the tights she’s sporting in the pic with the pooch. And I love that she thinks her leg smells not only like feet, but very specifically, like Emily’s feet. Ha!

    Comment by Jen on April 15, 2009
  6. Great post. We have to capture these moments so we can look back on them when it’s an hour past curfew and she’s not home.

    You probably already know this, but given her love of frogs, Isabella will probably explode on December 11, 2009:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o0j7EactM9s

    Comment by SciFi Dad on April 15, 2009
  7. Bella and my niece Skyler would be BEST FRIENDS!

    Don’t tell Emily and Josh, but I think Isabella is my favorite Martell kid.

    Kristabellas last blog post..I Should Cut Them Myself Next Time

    Comment by Kristabella on April 15, 2009
  8. Our Isabellas are eerily similar. And both, it seems, are equally awesome. But don’t say not so distant future. It scares me, the growing up does.

    Comment by Maria on April 15, 2009
  9. I LOVE Bella! She is such a darling! Maybe when next we meet, she won’t be so shy and we can discuss existential theories like how frogs are AWESOME.

    Comment by Camels & Chocolate on April 15, 2009
  10. Sigh…

    That’s all I got. That and an aching desire to freeze time.

    fadkogs last blog post..‘if you know what i’m singing about up here come on raise your hand’

    Comment by fadkog on April 15, 2009
  11. What a lovely tribute to Isabella.

    Comment by WickedStepMom on April 15, 2009
  12. That was a really great post! So heartwarming – thanks for sharing & making me smile.

    Comment by Maria on April 15, 2009
  13. Awww. So sweet!

    Comment by Tova on April 15, 2009
  14. hi Ali bella is so adorable!what a sweet little girl.

    Comment by LAVENDULA on April 15, 2009
  15. Loved this, Ali. Loved it.

    Love you. And ridiculously awesome children.

    Angellas last blog post..Call Me

    Comment by Angella on April 15, 2009
  16. it must be the 3rd child thing… mine is a totally hugger/kisser/snuggler and i too love it more then anything. i hope they never grow tired of it. so sweet!

    Comment by OHmommy on April 15, 2009
  17. So Sweet. I need to do this with my baby. He is growing so fast. I will forget, I know I will. Oh and my 7.5 year old turned his face from me when I tried to kiss him goodbye at daycare this morning. 🙁 WAAAAA

    Comment by Chantal on April 15, 2009
  18. This is such a beautiful post – thank you for sharing it!

    And as inappropriate as it may sound, I want those heart tights in adult size!

    TUWABVBs last blog post..Reconnecting As a Family

    Comment by TUWABVB on April 15, 2009
  19. *happy sigh*

    This is so sweet.

    Comment by mamatulip on April 15, 2009
  20. Awww…. So sweet. She and my little Monkey — you know — are SO much alike….

    Comment by Haley-O on April 15, 2009
  21. I love this.

    My niece used to call me Annie Rhi. One day, she called me Auntie Rhiannon. This broke my heart. No! I’m Annie Rhi!

    Comment by Rhi on April 15, 2009
  22. I have a 3-year old snugglebum too (I thought *I* evented the word snugglebumming!). And she rocks the princess nightgowns too. And I have a very hard time not eating her up every day. They grow so fast.

    Sue @ My Party of 6s last blog post..Post departum

    Comment by Sue @ My Party of 6 on April 15, 2009
  23. My little brother used to say (say it fast)
    “beat-a-beat-a-ghelly” for peanut butter and jelly. He also used to say “flutterbye” instead of butterfly. Now he talks in complete sentences!

    Comment by Chris on April 15, 2009
  24. Such a beautiful post!

    Comment by She Likes Purple on April 15, 2009
  25. Okay…you just about made me CRY!! Here I am with 2 girlies of my own (4 and 2) and we are constantly being bugged ‘When is your third coming?!’, but we think we are done. Of course, since Lydia is 2 now..I keep thinking in the back of my mind ‘Maybe we should have another..’, but then I slap myself and wake up. NOW..you just made me want to again. oh dear 🙂

    TinkerDot Designss last blog post..Birthday pics of my girls!! and..I’m taking a ‘break’.:)

    Comment by TinkerDot Designs on April 15, 2009
  26. aww, that pic with with the puppy is absolutely adorable!! And I want those tights, they are the essence of cuteness!

    Comment by Katie on April 15, 2009
  27. That’s it! I’m having a baby. RIGHT NOW.

    Okay, maybe not. But I would totally babysit Isabella.

    Comment by slynnro on April 15, 2009
  28. Awwww. Love this post. And the picture with the dog – I can just stare at it and smile.

    My snuggler is 11 and is still cuddly, so there’s hope.

    Comment by threeundertwo on April 15, 2009
  29. Ah thats a fun age. That what people always say. They’re all fun ages. Especially this one. My girl is almost 3, and your post reminds me of her quite a bit. I too have been extra snuggly with my kids.

    monstergirlees last blog post..Branch Against the Sky

    Comment by monstergirlee on April 16, 2009
  30. I love your blog! Thankyou!!

    tukis last blog post..Japanese declining birthrate 4

    Comment by tuki on April 16, 2009
  31. I think our 3 year olds would be best friends. Mine loves to cuddle, but she calls it “getting snuggie”. All I can picture is those God-awful wizard robes in the infomercials.

    Also? She says “pwip-pwops” for flip-flops and I don’t have the heart to correct her.

    Your daughter is adorable.

    Comment by Meg on April 16, 2009
  32. So sweet – I love the photo with the dog!

    Amy @ Milk Breath &s last blog post..Loreal Kerastase – You’re On Notice

    Comment by Amy @ Milk Breath & on April 16, 2009
  33. I think it must be a third child thing. Eva will play with her Little People or her Cabbage Patch Kid Sprouts forEVER. The boys never played alone.

    And umm…when does one start wearing nightgowns on their little girls? This is foreign territory to me as the boys sleep in underwear and tshirts.
    Are they comfy, these nightgowns that you speak of? Do they not hike up during sleep?

    Christines last blog post..Don’t let the swim trunks fool you

    Comment by Christine on April 16, 2009
  34. Oh and we have taken to purposely videotaping all of her Eva-isms…
    like what Meg was saying – Eva says “blip blop” for flip flop and I secretly hope she doesn’t stop.

    Christines last blog post..Don’t let the swim trunks fool you

    Comment by Christine on April 16, 2009
  35. yitzy does the same kissing thing! he kisses my cheek, then my nose, then my other cheek and lastly my forehead. he used to also kiss my chin. but i found it totally annoying. he is so cuddly. 🙂

    Comment by aaron on April 16, 2009
  36. aww adorable!

    my youngest sister was always best friends with our puppy too, i think it’s because they finally have someone smaller than them 🙂 hehe

    love her hat btw… think a 24yr old could pull that off? 😀 lol

    Comment by Bronnie on April 17, 2009
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