The Park

The weather was spectacular this weekend and we used it to our advantage! We introduced Alexander to the park and he had a ball!! We initially were going to just play on the swings but the park we chose to visit didn't have swings, so we tried out the slide. He loved it!


After we slid down the slide about 100 times, we bounced on the "bouncy critter". He loved that too but Daddy was afraid he was going to bust his mouth on it since he kept rocking back and forth so hard!

We are looking forward to many more fun times at the park!

Here is a new toy Daddy bought Alexander tonight. It rocks back and forth and eventually is a riding toy (once his legs get long enough to push himself around!)

More later~

"Happy 4 year Anniversary Mommy & Daddy!"

Alexander loves horsing around with Daddy!!

Alexander is 7 months old now and such a big boy! We have added squash, sweet potatoes and carrots to the list of veggies that he loves! I have pinched off pieces of banana for him and he seems to like that too. We tried the Gerber finger food things...they melt in your mouth, but crunchy. He loved them one day and hated them the next so we will see about that! I can't wait, as the weather warms, the more yummy fruit will be in season!

Alexander enjoys playing on the floor more and more. He gets up in a crawling position and will scoot a little but, but the gets very frustrated with not getting far fast and just throws himself over and looks at you like "aren't you going to help me?"


We noticed tonight after we got back from Costco that he enjoys standing and pushing large objects. This was a first. He got further pushing the large bulk package of toilet paper than he does scooting on the floor! Classic--and I promise we will invest in a new toy and stop letting the child play with toilet paper wrapped in plastic!


Alexander has his 3rd ear infection. We put him on Omnicef just this last week and by the weekend he had a really bad stomach virus. I don't know if it was the medicine or another bug, either way, I don't want that again! Poor thing was pitiful. I have never seen this child not want to play, but Saturday he just wanted to be a cuddle bug and that we did. Quite frankly, I am tired of him catching everything that blows by the window of daycare!
Here is what we say....GO AWAY BUGS!!

Until next time.....

Happy Valentines Day!

Its been a while...We've been so busy, I have forgotten to blog!

We had our 6 month check up on the 4th of this month. More shots, including a Flu booster! Alexander weighs 18 lbs, 2 ounces! He is short...only 24 inches long. I think he is shrinking! :-) He doesn't like to straighten his leg when the measure him so that makes it hard! His head has shrank to the 91st percentile as well!

We are continuing to introduce foods and he is loving every minute of it! We did butterbeans. Daddy fussed more about it than Alexander did. They certainly were not a favorite but he did great with them. He absolutely LOVES his sweet potatoes! He has also tried bananas. Depending on the day, he either loves them or hates them! We will continue trying new things. The list is so long! Alexander is still toothless so we are still pureeing everything pretty well, he is learning to gum a few things though. I can't wait till he has some teeth so he can have noodles and cheerios!

He still loves playing in his exersaucer and beginning to enjoy more and more floor time, especially if you get down there with him!

He has rolled over since the last time we blogged. Just all of the sudden one day....flop! Like he had been doing it forever! He can get on all 4s, but gets stuck since he doesn't crawl yet. He just kinda sits there and bounces back and forth. He has started scooting backwards. It is so cute to watch because he is going after a toy so hard, but going further and further away! He enjoys sleeping on his side now at night. We put him down, on his back, all swaddled up. An hour later, I check on him and he is unswaddled and rolled on his side!

We are working on getting him to use the sippy cup to drink water. He loves the cup but won't drink the water. I think he just spits is out because it is so much thinner than his formula. The doctor says if we continue to offer it, he will eventually love it! We'll see about that!

Here he is in the shopping cart! He is a big boy now and does not like staying in his carrier and he does a great job sitting up and getting into the groceries!! The child doesn't even know what cookies are but you would think....

Horsing around with Daddy! He thinks he can hide in those pillows!

6 Months Old

Wow! Alexander will be 6 months old on Saturday! His favorite thing to do right now is sit up. If you lay him down, he thinks he has to go to sleep (his absolutely least favorite thing to do!). He stil won't roll over when he lays down, but he is all about getting on his knees and twisting around. He will figure it all out one day!

He loves eating his peas, greenbeans and cereal. I think we are going to try butterbeans next! He is all about trying to take whatever you are eating right out of your hand!

We don't have an official weight or height on him just yet as our doctor's appt isn't until the first of February. But, I do know that I continue to put on more and more 3-6 month clothes that no longer fit! So, there they go into the box to pack away! He is a big, growing baby boy!

Here are some pictures of us from today, lounging and playing around! Doing what we do best!

My First REAL Snow!

Yep, that is right! We got SNOW! An amazing 6 inches measured from our patio! This will probably be the 1st and last measurable snow for Alexander for the next 5 years! Eric and I spent last night reminiscing over the big snow in 2004 while baking a cake. We like munchies when we know we are going to be snowed in. And if you know my husband--a bag of chips just will not do!

We spent most of our day snowed in watching the beautiful white flakes fall, watching all the inauguration news of Obama! After a much needed nap we bundled Alexander up and took him outside. He didn't know what to think. I didn't realize how bright it was outside until I saw him squinch his little face. He just sat there and looked around. Couldn't get him to smile for nothing!! All bundled up and ready to go out and play! (notice we don't go far without our paci...not even to go play in the snow!!)

Hopefully tomorrow, Alexander and Mommy can build a snowman while Daddy is at work!

Peas!

As I recovered from my nasty stomach bug, Eric was the wonderful Father that he is and took care of Alexander so our chances of him catching it would be slim. Here are the pictures that were sent to me to my phone as I laid in the bed recovering!

We tried Peas!! The 1st night, he gagged and gagged. I have learned that hating food initially is not a learned trait. No one taught him that but it gave us a good laugh! Night 2 went better. Here he is with his peas and oatmeal, of course.

Our little boy is getting so big! He will be 6 months old next week and he is doing more and more every day. He loves sitting up, playing with his toys. He loves standing and jumping. He has started climbing on us as we hold him. He twists and turns and climbs right up to our face where then he just laughs and laughs! These are wonderful times and Eric and I are enjoying every minute of it!

We had struggled last month trying to get Alexander to go to sleep on his own. We wanted him to learn to "self soothe" instead of us rocking him to sleep at night. So, we tried the whole "crying it out" but revised. We couldn't stand to hear him cry for long periods of time and I really think he would cry for hours! We would hold and pat him like usual and if he "fought" sleep more than 5 minutes, we let him lay in his crib. Thus, he would get upset and cry. We would let him cry 5-19 minutes and then go back up to check on him. Usually he would tire himself out and we could swaddle him back up and rock him to sleep within a few minutes. We finally came to grasp this is the way it would be---we would keep our sanity and he would keep his mommy or daddy holding him for a while for him to get to sleep. I have you know, we are now on night 2 of Alexander putting himself to bed. Last night, I thought he was asleep and laid him down. He popped his eyes open and I just let him lay there. He got his arm out of his swaddle and went to sleep on his own. Tonight, Eric went up with him and he was wide awake after being patted for a while, so Eric laid him down and I went to check on him about 10 mins. later and he was fast asleep. This is a good thing, but now all of the sudden I realize, my little baby is growing up...fast! :-)

We hope everyone had a wonderful New Year! We quietly rang in the New Year at home. Here is a picture of Alexander,

2009 Here I Come...

So far this year Eric and I have worked...what is new? My resolution this year is to be healthier and happier. This does not mean "how much weight am I going to lose, etc" More like, "Let's watch what we eat" Since we are making Alexander's baby food it will be easier to make healthy choices because we will grind up what we are eating to feed him and we surely aren't going to grind up cheeseburgers and french fries for our little man!

I am also going to concentrate on "not sweating the small stuff" If Alexander has shown us anything, he has shown us that time flies by too fast to fuss about stupid stuff and not enjoy every minute to it's fullest!! I have a few "get aways" planned in my head, with and without Alexander, so hopefully if all pans out--we should all get some much needed family time!

As for being healthier....we are not starting off on a very good foot. Alexander just went to the doctor today to find out he has a double ear infection. We just finished antibiotics not too long ago and here is round 2! I believes tubes in his ears are in his future, as much as his Daddy doesn't like the idea! And I myself, am getting over a horrible stomach bug.

Alexander loves playing more and more now. He is such a busy body! Not wanting to sit still for long periods of time at all. The days of just sitting and cuddling with my little man are going to the wayside, quickly! Here he is sitting in his playpen playing with many of the toys he got for Christmas!

More later~