Bellus Family

Skiing

2010-03-24T19:43:00.004-06:00

Marek has had his first ski season!! We are very proud of him. Seeing as how his mother didnt learn to ski until she was 25 we think 3 is pretty good!! We had a wonderful ski weekend with all our friends and then got to go again with Marek's friend Isaac and his parents Amanda and Dave. We had a blast and the boys did great!!

Christmas, Marek's Birthday........New House!!

2010-01-30T21:29:00.012-07:00

This may be the longest I have gone without an entry but I hope to have a good excuse... so here it goes! As many of you know we had a very unique experience in early December that sent our family on a whirlwind we were not expecting! We had someone look at our house the first week in December (and it wasn't even listed!!) We got a full price offer the next morning and were off and running to find another house. It has been great and we are now settled in a new place that we absolutely love! But first things first, Christmas....

Merry Christmas with the Penfield and Malloy Families!

Papa Ray and Julie came to visit just before Christmas. Marek got this great bowling set from Great Grandma Marcia and he loved it instantly!!

Our little super hero!

New scooter from Auntie Lauren and Uncle Jeff with all the gear!

We got to spend about 10 days in Minnesota with the whole Bellus Family and it was great!!

What could this be?

"Alix you did a really good job in the pageant" says cousin Marek!

Too bad we didn't have a Viking one for Anna! She wasn't picky though! :)

New hat!

New skates!

Gammy and Auntie Amy are great teachers!!!

Boy - turtles really do move slow! :)

Trouble!!

Back home with lots of snow

Happy 3rd Birthday Marek!

These are some of Marek's class mates: Isaac, Jevon and Ryan

Party at home with the Penfields, Malloys and parts of both the Knapp and Goodwin families!

Super Marek!

Here are just a few pictures of the new house. We are still trying to put everything away but it is

coming together nicely! (kitchen)

(kitchen/sun room)

(dinning room)

(living room/den)

(family room)

Summer Turns to Fall

2009-10-26T23:08:00.011-06:00

We have had kind of a crazy fall 'round these parts. We had tons of moisture this summer and thought we were headed for a beautiful fall season and then it got really cold, really fast (or maybe I just wasn't ready for it!) Regardless, here we are in the middle (end!!!) of October. My baby is going to be three in a few months - I cant believe it.

Here goes.......

We had an absolute blast, I mean blast in our "ramper" (as Mike calls it) this summer. Our public apologies go out to our dear friends Gooch, Corrine and Helena who endured the night from 'h-e-double hockey sticks' in 20 degree weather. They were troopers.

We then proceed to go to the Denver Zoo the next weekend in 90 degree weather!! It was sooooooo hot.

Dad - the bat mobile is broken so I am going to take this zebra.

someone - get me a cold one!

Bellus Boys!

The ultimate camping trip in the ramper was our last trip of the season. We went to Carter Lake in Loveland. Very close to home and we rented a pontoon boat for the day. Caroline, David and Lilly came with Kevin and Jackson (mom Megan and baby Kia joined us later!)

OK - Who is in charge here???

Baby Lilly you are too cute!!!

CSU vs CU

Maybe if I make a wish and kiss her it will happen!?

YEP! We win! GO RAMS!

1st Baseball Game

I want to go and play with the big boys Dad!!

CSU Tailgating - the ramper has become a staple in our tailgating ritual. We have decided we are going to start to charge people to look inside. :) It is a hit to say the least.

In classic Colorado style - our next game was quite a treat!

Caroline put it best - "Marek is happy because we have convinced him this is fun - Lilly is not there yet!"

Like I said - my baby will be three in a couple of months. We got him a "big boy" bed and he is doing great!

We were so happy to have Gammy and Gampy come to visit!! We got to go a hunt for pumpkins (great timing too - they are all now toast after another couple of cold nights!) Marek had a blast cooking dinner with Gammy and watching the Vikings with Gampy. Gampy's passion for the Vikings is marveled only by the passion Marek's mommy has for the Broncos. Better said - I am sure he thinks we are both crazy! :)

Love you all!! Cant wait to see the new baby Levy!! :)

Trains, Planes and Auotmobiles

2009-08-09T20:59:00.012-06:00

OREGON (Pacific City)

We're gonna win Twins, we're gonna score.

Building sandcastles is fun, but a lot of hard work.

Man are these some beautiful wood posts.

Oh, no wonder they have such cool wood posts.

SEATTLE

Whatever you do, don't tell your moms about the rock

through the windows.

Fish makes Jeff happy.

"This fish my dad ate was this big", said Silas.

"And, he was eating it like this," added Marek.

FOURTH OF JULY (Estes Park)

God Bless America.

"Why do I always say Why all the time?"

We know they are sweet matching visors

so please no need to comment.

HOME!!

Whoa. This is what we do during our one day

at home.

MINNESOTA SUMMER

"My buddy!"

"My boat"

"My car"

"My jet ski"

"My tree"

"My big orange monkey"

"I Love MN".

CHOO-CHOO (HOME!!)

THE CAMPER

THE LARIMER COUNTY FAIR

This is the life.

LAUREN AND SILAS COME TO VISIT

The cousins.

This is my cracker.

Marek doing either the Chicken dance, the Macarena,

or the Humpty Dance.

I'm tired. MJB

Gammy & Gampy & Father's Day

2009-07-02T22:47:00.007-06:00

I am very negligent on this post - for summer we have had a lot going on! Gammy and Gampy came to visit us for a few days in between two weddings in Omaha and it was wonderful to see them! We look forward to seeing them soon in MN!

Good picture Marek!

On Father's Day we were invited to spend the day with friends on a boat at Horsetooth Reservoir. We had so much fun. The kids were great and the adults got to act like kids - perfect!!

Marek and his daddy on their 3rd Father's Day!! Hard to believe. Captain Keith is in the background here. He will play a major role later on! :)

Daddies overboard!!

Helena and Marek in the "baby" pool. :) "I don't want a baby pool mom, I want a Marek pool"

Driving the boat. Captain Kieth was the best!!

Our Little Golfer

2009-05-20T20:31:00.002-06:00

Marek practicing looking good on the course. Just as important as your swing! :)

Easter and Mother's Day

2009-05-15T20:13:00.006-06:00

Not much time to write but had new pictures to share from Easter and Mother's Day!

A Hodge Podge of Pictures

2009-04-02T21:43:00.009-06:00

I have not done this for quite a while so here are a few picture from the last month or so. Lots going on!

Grandpa Cliff and Grandma Gigi took us to a train show in Estes Park. The trains were pretty cool but not the kind you get to play with. That is hard to communicate to a two year old who likes trains!!

Our very dear friends the Schlictings moved to Virginia this month. We miss them already!! We had a last hoorah at their house before their big cross country move. Here are Ben and Justin Schlicting and Helena Malloy and Marek (looking like they are attending their first dance!) :)

Boy are we a fertile group!! And we were missing baby Lilly!! Our parties have really changed. :)

Ben and Justin Schlicting, Kaiya and Jackson Goodwin, Marek, Helena, baby David Young (Wendy's nephew) and some friends of the Schilctings two kiddos. - but not in that order.

We decided to get a cabinet makeover! Marek keeps saying we put the wrong cabinets on. The new paint really lightens up the room.

Old

NEW!

Fort Collins has an annual St. Patrick's Day parade. We had to go without our daddy this year but the Goochies came in full gear!!

Uncle Goochie and his "mini me"

Marek missed his dad but had good "man time" with his Uncle Gooch. Throwing grass - hours of entertainment!

But not for Hena!! :)

Dad and Marek at the Aquarium

At the park. Marek loves the slide, HATES the swings.

This will be a good reminder as he starts to get a little "big for his britches" that we are all pretty small in the grand scheme of things!

I love this picture with Horsetooth rock in the background.

Curious George

2009-03-19T07:17:00.003-06:00

Too cute!!

January 2009

2009-02-07T19:06:00.008-07:00

January 2009

We have had lots to do this month!! Marek turned 2 and Lindsay and I celebrated our 4th wedding anniversary!

Marek is doing great. He is 28lbs and 2'10" of two year old. His favorite books are currently the Adventures of Frog and Toad, The Little Engine That Could and anything Thomas the Tank Engine related. Marek loves to play with his "new trains" he got from Santa for Christmas, he loves playing basketball in the basement with Dad, and he thinks Mom is very pretty. He also likes Dad to tell him stories and sing songs about monkeys, turtles, cars, pretty much anything. He thinks bath time with Mom is the best thing ever, but doesn't like Gammy and Gampy's bathtub. He can point out where all of our family and friends live on the big map we have, and he his guitar playing is surprisingly musical.

Life is busy, but good...most of the time pretty darn great. We wish there were more hours in the day and more days in the week to be able to soak up all the things that happen, but life just seems to go by so quickly. I guess time flies when you are having fun.

Not even two and already I have chores! I get no respect I tell ya.

Now this is more like it, time for some real fun. Nothing like a hike though Rocky Mountain National Park on a beautiful winter day, especially when dad is doing all the work.

TWO!

Well it is official. I, Marek James Bellus, am two! I got a bunch of great presents and had more than enough parties to last me a year...

This is the shortest book I have ever seen.

Mmmmm....cake with a big boy fork.

More TOYS! By the looks of the multiple toy bins, I need more toys.

Party #2 at the Discovery Science Center...this time with all of my friends (and Thomas the Tank Engine Hats!)

My friends: Ben Schlicting, Jackson Goodwin and Helena Malloy. I can't believe they let us rent Barack Obama's Democratic Convention set for my birthday.

Who invited Barney?

My best buddy Isaac...I get to see him again everyday when I move up to the big kids room (The Caterpillar room) next Monday!

Christmas 2008

2008-12-26T23:09:00.006-07:00

Goin to MN! Very happy with his Cheerio necklace!

Snowy Day and Christmas Tree Fun

2008-12-10T18:27:00.004-07:00

For the sixth year in a row we went with Corrine and Gooch to get our Christmas Tree. Our lives have changed quite a bit over our years together - here are two of the best changes!! :)

Funny Boy!

2008-11-25T17:53:00.002-07:00

Laughing, laughing, laughing!!

Halloween

2008-11-10T19:51:00.003-07:00

Here are a couple of pictures of our little "dinosaur". He was technically a dragon but don't tell him that.

Marek and his friend Isaac eating pumpkin muffins

He Cant Even Vote Yet!!

2008-10-28T22:37:00.004-06:00

He must have a little of his gammy in him! :)

Fall in Colorado

2008-10-27T22:08:00.006-06:00

Fall in Colorado means a couple of things for our family, football (for better or worse!) and LEAVES!!! Marek has had a blast enjoying both and is getting to be a very big boy. Here are some Marek "vitals" if you will, as I havent written them down in a while:

Weight: 23 lbs

Height: 32 inches (I think)

Shoe size: 5

Clothes: 18-24 mo. in pants, 12-18 in shirts

Foods: soup (any kind), yuckie dried green beans from Whole Foods, string cheese, juice boxes, 'snack' or Pringles sticks, eggs and pancakes (go figure)

Phrases: "Come on, Mommy", "Daddy, sit", "Clean diapie", "Gampy funny" - demanding these days!

First Sentence: 'Big purple monkey eat food' - who knows!

Marek knows most of the basic shapes and colors and can count to thirteen! We have had to watch ourselevs because he can repeat anything. We figure he must have gotten his verbal skills from his mother because Mike said nothing but 'huh' until he was three! He can spot a Jeep from a mile away and knows mommy's car is a volvo. Loves fish but HATES scuba divers (bad expierence at the aquarium!)

He is a hoot and we are having a blast.

Minnesota Summer

2008-08-30T11:56:00.010-06:00

What a better time to visit family and friends in Minnesota than early August. As we will see in the pictures the bugs were still out, but that did deter us from having a great time. It is had not to enjoy life when you get see new members of the family that are as sweet and beautiful as my sister's new baby Anna!

"big neck".

He may not look like it in this picture, but Marek loves his cousins. We have a picture of Anna on our fridge and he will call her by name everytime we walk by. And well we all know how much he adores "Aki", or Alix to us grownups.

Wow...choo-choo!"

Uh-oh another Schifsky girl. I wonder if Anna will be soft spoken and reserved like the rest!

Yeah Marek!

2008-08-20T20:49:00.001-06:00

I just wanted to take a second to tell everyone how proud we are of our little boy!! He has been 'binkie' free since we 'left' it in Minnesota! Very little crying at night and hasnt really even asked for it. GO LITTLE BUB!!

We love you!

Cheerios!!

2008-08-09T10:23:00.004-06:00

What a big boy! He LOVES his Cheerios! He counted to five today too! :)

New words

2008-07-22T23:10:00.003-06:00

I had to write this down - he is growing up so fast I am afraid I will forget. It is like 100 degrees here right now. Marek loves the $4.00 baby pool we bought him. He calls it the 'pooie'. He must be struggling though with 'l' sounds because girl comes out as 'gooie'. He loves the word 'happy' and today when I was changing his diaper he reached down and said 'peepee'. We are now working on our first 'sex ed' class. I told him he had a 'peepee' because he was a boy (or bowie as he says it!) and that dadda had a peepee and he said 'mama no?' - what a sweetie. :)

Mike Turns 30! & Vacation!!

2008-07-22T22:24:00.007-06:00

What a wonderful and whirl-wind summer we have had. Mike turned 30 at the end of June and we had a great surprise party for him. He was a complete butt the whole week leading up to the party but the limo filled with friends kicked that quickly!! He was SOOOOO surprised. We had a great time. One piece of advice though - if you are going to have a party you can keep the bar bill down by having half your guest list pregnant at the time. Works like a charm :) Love to our very fertile group of friends!! :)

Here are two of the three preggos - Megan is due on my birthday (Dec 30) and Caroline at the end of February!!

Penfield Boys!!

The new parents rejoin the 'living' in record time. Great to have Goochie and Rinnie out with us!! Baby Helena is doing great! She looks just like her daddy - except no beard and much cuter!!!

Here is our third preggo mama - Wendy Schlicting - looking great!! She is due in Sept. with a baby boy!

Over the 4th of July we got to go to Oregon and stay with Papa and Juie (Ray and Julie in Marek speak) and Jeff, Lauren and Silas. The boys were so cute together and we all had a blast. The weather was pretty nice - very windy at times but we went to the beach and picked up seashells and saw star fish. We hope to be back out next year and stay in the new house!!

Marek's New Car

2008-06-25T23:19:00.005-06:00

Marek's daddy bought him the coolest car! He loves it and needless to say 'car' is his favorite
new word!

Auntie Amy drove all the way from MN all by herself!! We thought she was crazy but it was GREAT to have her in town!

He is getting so big. He knows six letters so far (mostly practiced in the bathtub!) and is getting to be such a big boy! 'A' is apple (and we are working on Alix), 'B' is baba (bottle in Marek language), 'C' - well you know! , 'D' also pretty obvious - Dada, 'E' - egg, 'G' - Gigi (for Grandma Gigi but we are also working on Gammy and Gampy - so far Gampy is always Oumpa (who knows!!).

Baby Helena is here! She is so sweet. Her mommy and daddy are so happy she is finally here! What a sweet baby!

Summer Fun with Friends & Family

2008-05-28T18:27:00.006-06:00

Our house has been a buzz with friends and family over the last few weeks! We got to see Uncle Jeff and Aunt Lauren and Cousin Silas for a few days and made fast friends with Evan and his mom and dad while they were here. We wish they all lived closer so we could see each other more but we made the best of our time together!!

Cool Hat!!

Fun with Gammy!

2008-05-01T19:37:00.003-06:00

Gammy!!! :)

Marek Walks!

2008-04-17T20:58:00.009-06:00

Here are some random picutres of our latest adventures and some video of Marek learning to walk! :) Things are changing around our house - and fast!
Happy Easter! We went with the whole Smith/Bellus Family to Schmidt's for Easter Brunch and Marek got to ride in a Red Flyer Wagon around the bakery. Great Fun!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY CORRINE!!

Here is our first look at Helena Malloy! So cute!

Here is our old yucky kitchen floor! GOOD BYE!

Same with the entry way tile - ick!

Construction - loads of fun!

YEAH!! DONE!

Marek in his Wild gear from the Moore Family!!

Spring Has Sprung!

2008-03-16T15:21:00.006-06:00

We are ready for spring here but even as I type this it is snowing outside so I know we still have a ways to go. A girl can dream though!! Here are some random pictures. :)

Over President's Day we got to go and see our new cousin Silas and Aunt Lauren. Grandma Gigi was already there when we got there! It was great fun. He is so cute!! Auntie Lauren is a really good mommy:)

Back home again - come on mom - I wanna go OUTSIDE!!!

1st Birthday!!!

2008-02-12T21:24:00.010-07:00

We were so lucky to have had so many friends and family join us for Marek's 1st birthday! As I sit here today I am overwhelmed by what a wonderful, sweet, funny little boy we have. We are so lucky to also have such a supportive group of family and friends! Gammy came to town for about 36 hours for the celebration. Grandma Julie flew in from Arizona to make it to the party, just to fly out the next day!! It wouldnt have been near as much fun without all of you!! We love you guys!

Marek got every toy made with wheels!! Currently his favorites are the dump truck and the John Deer tractor!! Thank God the engine can be shut off on that one - pay backs are a you know what Goochies!! :)

The tunnel was a gift from Nana Schifsky. We missed her but we know she was thinking about us and smiling! :)

Thanks Genia and Layne for the cool guitar. I am going to be a rock star (that is if my dad will ever let me have a turn with it! )

Mmmmm - cake!

What? ........... no more cake??

The safari theme was a hit (especially with Uncle Dave! )

Marek loves his birthday table and chairs from Gammy and Gampy and his first Dr. Seuss book from Auntie Lauren, Uncle Jeff and Silas!

books are always a hit at our house!

Look at my big boy teeth! I'll be eatin steak in no time!

I thought I would throw this one in there. I spent all day thinking about the 9 months we cared for him before he came into our world. It is amazing that this is how far he has come in one short year. He brightens every one of my days and I am so thankful for him.

Marek's First Christmas

2008-01-07T19:45:00.001-07:00

On Marek's first Christmas we were lucky enough to get to travel to Minnesota. We spent six days in the twin cities and got to see many friends and family. This was our first trip to MN for Christmas in four years. We had a wonderful time and Marek was a great little kid. Mike and I cant believe how quickly this year has gone. He will be a year old this month. We are so blessed and lucky to have him in our lives.

Before we went to Minnesota we spent an afternoon at Grandma GiGi and Grandpa Cliffy's house to open some presents. Marek got a Little Nemo truck that makes cool music as well as a drum which is has mastered pounding on (big suprise! :))

Marek loves his cousin Alix very much (and he was good practice for her new little brother or sister to come!). He also loved to play in Gammy and Gampy's newspaper basket. He pulled paper out and put in back in - great fun!!

Christmas Eve was a lot of fun. The entire Bellus/Penz/Moore family got together. We went to the Nativity at Jim and Kathies church (Marek almost made it through the service) and then we went back to Jim and Kathie's for food and gift exchange fun!

Christmas morning Marek and Alix got to open thier presents from Santa. That night we went downtown St. Paul and looked at the lights and as Gammy said that night, I will never forget it.

Christmas Time!

2007-12-26T20:02:00.000-07:00

Marek had a wonderful Christmas. On Christmas morning with his new red fire truck he even learned how to play Santa!! :)

It's the Holiday Season!

2007-12-02T15:26:00.000-07:00

We have had quite an eventful couple of months around our house. We had our first Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas Tree cutting! Marek is getting so big and so funny!! He is quite the ham. He weighs about 22 lbs and has three teeth!

Outside with Dad before he picked up all the leaves. He worked really hard and got them all done in one day!!! Thank you Mikey!

Look Mom - no hands!! (I was standing right there you just cant see me! :))

Halloween at school. Marek was only happy when his daddy was holding him ~ otherwise not so much!

New Favorite Place to Play ~

This is Marek's new favorite place to play. For a while he could only get in but now we have mastered in and out!

My new teeth are killing me!

At least I'm not eating mommy's plant!

Christmas Tree Hunting!!!

Because this is Marek's first Holiday Season, its the first time he has gotten to go and cut down the Christmas tree. It was really cold but a great day!

This is hard work - I think I need to lie down!

Yeah - Uncle Dave's chili!!

What a great tree!

Marek's very first Christmas present (a little early!)

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!! WE LOVE YOU!

My First Football Game

2007-10-07T09:39:00.000-06:00

Marek got to go to his first football game! We started the morning at the park to celebrate our friend Ben's second birthday and from there it was off to tailgate at 'Sonny Lubik Fired' at Hughes stadium :)

Tailgating is fun! I wish I was eating the G bread though instead of these crummy carrots!

PUMPKINS!!!!!!

Pumpkin Patch at our house!

FOOTBALL!!!

2007-09-15T15:00:00.001-06:00

Football season has officially started and Marek is still trying to figure out what team to root for! (GO BRONCOS!!)

Our little Viking ~

Marek loves anything that makes noise!

Look Mom - I'm a duck!!

Sittin' Like a Big Boy!

2007-09-03T14:35:00.000-06:00

Just a quick entry to show you how well I can sit up! :)

Sittin' outside with my papa.

Thanks for the COOL shirt Auntie Rinny!!

Baby Shower Fun!

2007-08-25T11:37:00.000-06:00

We had a visit from Jeff and Lauren this month which was a lot of fun. Lauren is almost 7 months pregnant with their first child and she looks great! We can't wait for Marek to have a new little cousin to play with! Marek will be 7 months old tomorrow and it has gone by so quickly!! He has two teeth (the bottom two in the front) and is sitting up all by himself now!! His favorite things right now are his highchair and his exersaucer and his papa of course! :)

I help dad with the laundry!!

I can sit all by myself!

Someone get me out of here!!

Cousin Ryan and his wife Jen are expecting a baby too!! The Phelps and Levy babies will only be a few days apart!!

Hot Summer Days!

2007-07-24T20:27:00.000-06:00

It has been about a month since my last posting. I will make no excuses except to say that it is so hot here I feel like I am melting (hence our naked kid above!! ) and our computer room seems to be 10 degrees hotter than any other room in the house! Anyway, things around here have been good. Marek will be six months old on Thursday! It is so hard to believe how quickly time has passed. He is a great little kid. He is rolling over (better from back to tummy than tummy to back). He spent about two weeks where he would roll over in his sleep and then cry because he was on his stomach and couldn't get back. Now he seems to like sleeping on his side or stomach and we like not waking up every hour to roll him over! Its working well for everyone! :) He is almost sitting up by himself and is eating oatmeal two times a day. He loves it. He seems to be much more inquisitive and loves to be outside. He is 26 3/4 inches long and 17lbs.

In my last posting I mentioned Father's Day but forgot to say anything about Mike's birthday. Mike's mom and dad got us a gondola ride on the St. Croix River in Stillwater, MN for Mike's birthday. The whole day was so much fun. Stillwater is a great little town and we had a blast! We started at this great little wine bar and had a bottle of wine and some unbelievable tapas. We went from there to a couple other bars in town and finished the night with our gondola ride on the river. It was great. It felt wonderful to get to celebrate Mike - he is such a wonderful husband, father and friend. I love him so much!!

Marek loves his new highchair!

Father's Day and Much, Much More!!

2007-07-03T22:41:00.000-06:00

The month of June has been very eventful around our house. We got to celebrate Mike and Marek's first father's day as well as see Kristin and Steve tie the knot!! Father's day was a nice day for us all. We went to look for a high chair for Marek and bought daddy a new suit for work. We kept it pretty low key because of our Minnesota trip at the end of the week.

Kristin and Steve's wedding was beautiful. Their ceremony was so touching and Alix did a great job!! Aunt Amy looked pretty good too and gave the most beautifully heartfelt speech!! The Bellus' did it up right!! :) Good job Gammy and Kris!

Cousin Alix was such a big help. She even changed poopy diapers!!

Getting ready for the big event!

Marek's suit lasted only through the pictures. He looked great but was not very happy!

Kris on her wedding day!

Yeah Kristin and Steve!!

After the wedding was over we got to spend some time with friends and go to the lake. It was a very relaxing vacation and good to see that all our Minnesota friends are doing well!

This is how exciting we thought the museum was!

Bill, Jenny,Kasper and new baby Collette!!

Kasper - Kosi Marek!!

The Hooper family :)

Hello Lake Sturgeon! Here we come!

First Mother's Day

2007-05-26T14:52:00.000-06:00

Our first Mother's Day was quite eventful! We decided to go on picnic but the weather didn't cooperate and we had to finish our lunch in the garage! We had a nice time regardless. Marek gave me a great Mother's Day present - he rolled over for the first time! He hasn't really done it again since but I think he is making progress. He has definitely found his feet in the last few weeks and rolls around quite a bit more. He had his first cold (which I think we made harder on ourselves than it was on him!) He only missed one day of school though and is feeling much better. Aunt Lauren and Uncle Jeff are visiting and we just found out that Marek is going to have a cousin!! They will be born in the same year which is pretty cool. Lauren is three months pregnant and looks great! Marek is getting bigger everyday. He is 14 lbs. 8 oz. and is 25.5 inches in length.

Marek's new favorite thing to do is put as many fingers in his mouth as he can at one time. Dad caught him trying for all ten! :)

Aunt Lauren and Uncle Jeff bought Marek a new tiger!~ It gave daddy quite a scare in the middle of the night! Looks like he likes it though!

We had the whole Smith/Levy/Bellus family over for a bar-b-que with Mike's new grill while Jeff and Lauren were here. We had a great time and some really good food!

Fun, Fun, Fun

2007-04-27T18:16:00.000-06:00

Marek has changed so much over the last couple of weeks. He is starting to laugh and has found his thumb!! (if he is anything like his aunt Lauren we might have to cut it off before we get him to quit sucking it! :) ). He loves to play and is doing a much better job at sleeping at night. He has grown a ton - mostly in length. We had to move up a pj size so I have a bunch to give the soon to be newest member of our "family" - Eddie Dougie (aka - Sarah and Cameron's unborn little one!! ) He got a bumbo (I dont have a picture of him in it yet but it is great!!) from Grandma Julie and he loves it! It totally changes his perspective while he is still working on sitting up. He is still coming to work with mom two days a week which is tough but we seem to make it through. I would be remise if I didnt say that it would be impossible without Caroline - she loves him so much and he thinks she is the bees-knees!! Dave has also been so supportive. I am sure he never imagined he would have so much "equipment" in his office, or that he would have to share time with a little one. I am very thankful that between the three of us and my wonderful mother (we love you Grandma Gigi!) we make those two days a week work. Marek has the best daddy in the world. I thought I loved my husband and then I saw him as a daddy. He is the most wonderful man I have ever met!!!! :)

Spring Has Sprung!!

2007-04-21T09:50:00.000-06:00

This spring has been very eventful around our house! The Bellus family came out to Winter Park for Spring Break and it was the first time Marek got to meet Aunt Kristin and Uncle Steve, Cousin Alix, and Aunt Amy. The weather was great! All the big kids got to go skiing while Gammy and Gampy and Alix stayed home and played with Marek.

Marek is now 12 weeks old and is growing like a weed! He is 12 lbs. and 23 inches long and is a very happy, simley baby! After our trip to Winter Park we celebrated Easter with the Smith side of the family. No Easter egg hunt this year (too cold!!) but hopefully next year Marek can hunt for his own eggs!!

Seven weeks old

2007-03-18T17:11:00.000-06:00

Marek is getting bigger and bigger! He has been going to work with Mom every day and before you know it he will be answering the phone and stuffing packets! His favorite things are taking naps on the foot stool in the living room and laying on his changing table. He really likes the mobile over his bed that his dad put in and loves his stroller. He is smiling a lot and seems to be a really happy and content little kid. He is scheduled to get his immunizations this week (yuck!) and we are anxiously awaiting our trip to Winter Park with the Bellus family for spring break (yeah!). The weather around here is finally nicer and we are able to go outside for walks in the neighborhood without battling big mounds of snow!

Gammy Bellus comes to visit!

2007-03-04T21:00:00.000-07:00

We were very excited this week to have Gammy in town. We weren't sure if she would make it due to a snow storm in Minnesota that dumped 18 inches. Marek played a lot on his tummy and is really getting more alert and active during the day. He also seems to be sleeping a little longer which are both great steps in the right direction.

One Month Old!

2007-03-01T01:47:00.000-07:00

The last two weeks have been very eventful! Marek is doing great and getting bigger every day. We went to the Dr. and he weighs 9 lbs., 10 oz and is 22 inches long. His fingers and toes are very long (his feet are so big we are going to have to cut the toes out of his jammies!) He is still only sleeping about 3 hours at a time and sleeps much better during the day than at night but we are making progress. We got to have breakfast with Grandpa Ray and Grandma Julie as well and Great-Grandpa and Grandma Smith. Marek made his first trip to the slope side!! We made a trip up to Steamboat with Dave & Jane and Caroline & David. A great time was had by all. Marek didn't ski but I know it wont be long!! :) We are very excited because Gammy is coming back to visit (as long as she is not snowed in!! They are due for 18 inches in Minneapolis this weekend!). We went over and visited Dave and Caren Nezat this week and have had visits from Goochie and Rinnie as well as Ben and Wendy and Lisa, Alfonso and Adriana. Grandma Gigi has been over quite a bit too!

Two weeks at home

2007-02-10T13:00:00.000-07:00

Things at home are going well. Grandma Gigi has been over to help out during the day. Daddy helped mommy give Marek a bath after what can only be described as a "poop explosion"! Marek is still up every two or three hours to eat but will sleep three or four hours at a time during the day. Hopefully we can reverse that soon! :)

Welcome Home Marek!

2007-02-05T18:32:00.000-07:00

Welcome Home Marek!

We made it home safe and sound on Monday, Jan. 29th and what a difference being home makes. Had one night of "peace and quiet" before the crying grandparents arrived. :) Gammy and Gampy flew in from Minnesota and boy were their arms tired but not as tired as mom and dad trying to get used to having another person to take care of. Marek is a great little kid. Sleeping a lot during the day and rockin and rollin all night!

Happy Birthday Marek!

2007-01-30T10:32:00.000-07:00

Marek James Bellus was born at 2:50am on Friday, January 26, 2007. Mom was ten days past due and was scheduled for induction on Thursday morning. We arrived at the hospital at 7:30am and setteled in for what the nurses said could be a long day! At 11am I was dialated to 4cm and Dr. Kozak broke my water. Labor was very intense from then on out and at 2pm we opted to have an epidural. The epidural helped tremendously and at 11pm I was ready to start pushing. We pushed for three hours but after very little progress we determined that Marek's head was stuck and we needed to do a C-section. Marek's arrival was long anticipated and a wonderful day in our family's life. He weighed 8 lbs. and was 20.5 inches long. He has lots of sandy blonde hair and blue eyes.

The Nursery

2007-01-11T09:06:00.000-07:00

December 2006 - Mom's belly is getting bigger and bigger!! We are at about 36 weeks now and very ready for our new baby. It has been a wonderful Christmas season (one with lots and lots of snow!!) We missed having Lauren and Jeff visit (their flight from Philapelphia was cancelled) but we are hoping to see them when the baby comes!

November 2006 - Pictures of Baby Boy Bellus!!

October 2006 - The past few months have been very eventful for our family. We have the nursery all ready to go! Mike got the upstairs guest room all cleaned out and painted. We went to a flea market and bought a night stand and dresser. The crib was a gift from Grandma Gigi and Grandpa Cliff and the rocker a gift from Gammy and Gampy. All we need now is a baby!

In The Beginning

2006-12-27T09:05:00.001-07:00

Welcome to our family's blog! As I sit here today, 37 1/2 weeks pregnant with our first child, I am very excited at the prospect of chronicling our growing family for those who we love that are far away (Gammy, Gampy, Aunt Amy, Aunt Kristin, Cousin Alix, Aunt Lauren and Uncle Jeff just to name a few~!!!) I hope that some day we will be able to look back at this page and remember those very precious first days (and the seemingly eternal days leading up to) the birth of our first child (a baby boy - currently un-named unless you are his father and think that 'Stiles' would be the perfect name!!) My hope is to share pictures and insights as we navigate the bumpy

yet wonderful world of child rearing.

Mike and I found out we were pregnant in May of 2006. We were both caught a little off guard by the news (we had started trying but didn't have to try very hard!! :)) but were very excited to start this new chapter in our lives. We started putting the nursery together in October. Shortly there after our two very good friends Caroline Penfield and Jane Graf hosted a beautiful shower! Fun was had by all! We were very lucky to be able to share the event with all the grandmas to be!! Gammy Kathie came from Minnesota, Grandma Gigi (Gail) from Greeley, Grandma Julie from Denver and Great-Grandma Marcia from Fort Collins as well as many other friends and family members.