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Tuesday, July 30, 2013
Monday, July 29, 2013
Week Nineteen - A Hawaiian Adventure
I apologize for this blog entry being a little late, but I have a very good excuse - we were in Hawaii on the beautiful garden isle of Kauai! It was a week of many firsts for Alexandra and she was a wonderful little traveler. She has now been to 4 states in 4.5 months! But before I talk about Kauai, I have a little update.
About Alexandra: We visited the doctor this afternoon and found out that Alexandra grew 2 whole inches in 21 days! She is now 25 inches long and weighs 12 pounds 12 ounces. The doctor told us to change her formula because he thinks she might have an intolerance to the milk based formula so we are now trying the soy based. He also suggested we start her on veggies instead of fruits, so I bought some peas for her to try out this week!
Now for the good stuff - Kauai! We wrote Alexandra's name in the sand at our favorite beach in Kauai at Hanalei Bay and took this fun picture to share with her some day!
What's New: This section will be extra long this week. Alexandra had flown before to Colorado and back, but this time she was flying 3 times as far for about 6 hours each direction. We flew Alaska Airlines and were fortunate enough to upgrade for a very minimal fee so Alexandra had her first trip in First Class! She liked it because she could spread out!
Alexandra also had her first swim this week...and her second, and third, etc. She LOVED the water! We tried to take her in the pool for about 15 minutes each day. She would kick her legs and give us big smiles. Here are some pictures from her various swims.
Sitting in a high chair was another new experience for this week, as was trying applesauce. We found that Alexandra liked the high chair as long as we did not try to put her in it when she was hungry. Once she ate and we put her in it to free up our hands for dinner, she was fine. We tried a couple of teaspoons of applesauce and I don't think she really cared for it judging by the expression in the last photo!
No trip to the islands is complete without a luau. Alexandra LOVED the show. She sat on grandma's lap the whole time and followed the dancers and even started trying to dance to the music. She was wide-eyed and alert the entire time! Unfortunately I do not have a picture of that, but here is one from the luau.
And Alexandra put her feet in the sand for the first time at the beach. We did not take her down to the water, but she certainly found the sand to be strange between her toes!
A Funny Story:
We were in the Kauai airport when I noticed a woman who looked very familiar. I searched my memory and came up with the notion that I had met her at an "after loss" luncheon in San Diego last summer. I asked and sure enough, I had met her once before. We had to take a photo since I have been able to meet up with so many of the women from that group! Here is Theresa and Nicole with us. Nicole is 14 months old.
Photos: Here is an official 19 week photo taken on Saturday with her monkey. We named the monkey "Keko" which is the Hawaiian word for monkey. She loves both him and her Sophie Giraffe!
More Fun Photos:
There are a ton more photos of our vacation! Click HERE to check them out on Shutterfly!
About Alexandra: We visited the doctor this afternoon and found out that Alexandra grew 2 whole inches in 21 days! She is now 25 inches long and weighs 12 pounds 12 ounces. The doctor told us to change her formula because he thinks she might have an intolerance to the milk based formula so we are now trying the soy based. He also suggested we start her on veggies instead of fruits, so I bought some peas for her to try out this week!
Now for the good stuff - Kauai! We wrote Alexandra's name in the sand at our favorite beach in Kauai at Hanalei Bay and took this fun picture to share with her some day!
What's New: This section will be extra long this week. Alexandra had flown before to Colorado and back, but this time she was flying 3 times as far for about 6 hours each direction. We flew Alaska Airlines and were fortunate enough to upgrade for a very minimal fee so Alexandra had her first trip in First Class! She liked it because she could spread out!
Alexandra also had her first swim this week...and her second, and third, etc. She LOVED the water! We tried to take her in the pool for about 15 minutes each day. She would kick her legs and give us big smiles. Here are some pictures from her various swims.
Sitting in a high chair was another new experience for this week, as was trying applesauce. We found that Alexandra liked the high chair as long as we did not try to put her in it when she was hungry. Once she ate and we put her in it to free up our hands for dinner, she was fine. We tried a couple of teaspoons of applesauce and I don't think she really cared for it judging by the expression in the last photo!
And Alexandra put her feet in the sand for the first time at the beach. We did not take her down to the water, but she certainly found the sand to be strange between her toes!
A Funny Story:
We were in the Kauai airport when I noticed a woman who looked very familiar. I searched my memory and came up with the notion that I had met her at an "after loss" luncheon in San Diego last summer. I asked and sure enough, I had met her once before. We had to take a photo since I have been able to meet up with so many of the women from that group! Here is Theresa and Nicole with us. Nicole is 14 months old.
Photos: Here is an official 19 week photo taken on Saturday with her monkey. We named the monkey "Keko" which is the Hawaiian word for monkey. She loves both him and her Sophie Giraffe!
More Fun Photos:
There are a ton more photos of our vacation! Click HERE to check them out on Shutterfly!
Saturday, July 20, 2013
Week Eighteen
Twenty days from now I will be going back to work full time and may not be able to keep up with the weekly posts. But I am committed to get through at least week 20! I want to document all of the cute things she does and how she seems to learn something new every day!
About Alexandra: Alexandra is such a happy baby and loves talking! Her smiles are so big and just melt our hearts! Daddy says that her smile could melt butter and I am inclined to agree. She loves looking at and touching people's faces. She will grab at a chin or nose and caress a cheek. She finds it fascinating when I eat something or drink from my water bottle. Everything goes in her mouth!
She loves her new Sophie the Giraffe. She chews on her and seems very happy putting every part of it in her mouth! Her hands have always been strong and she is getting so good at grasping objects. She frequently holds things with both hands.
We stopped swaddling her for bed this week because she was more interested in grabbing at her blanket and putting it in her mouth so the swaddle only last a few minutes. She now has a sleep sack made of the same cotton muslin as the swaddle blankets. We will still use them for naps, but not night time sleeping.
What's New: Alexandra rolled over....once. I was working on my computer and she was right behind me playing on her quilt. I told her that we needed to do some tummy time that day. I went back to the computer to answer an email from Dave. I then turned around and she was on her tummy! She could not figure out how to roll back though and has not done it since! She is getting so much better at tummy time though. Here is a picture:
We introduced her to the Bumbo Seat which allows her to sit all by herself. We had tried it out once before, but now we are using it daily. She seems to like it a lot! Next up we are going to set up her high chair so she can sit with us at the dinner table!
We have been giving her diluted apple juice, but also tried diluted white grape juice this week. She loves that as well! We are excited to try her first real food this coming week: applesauce. We will try to record her reaction on the video camera.
Photos: Here she is at 18 weeks:
And some fun photos: She loves her monkey and she helped daddy sort the mail on Thursday while sitting in her new Bumbo seat! Scoll down to the next entry for an extra post today: The Many Faces of Alexandra!
About Alexandra: Alexandra is such a happy baby and loves talking! Her smiles are so big and just melt our hearts! Daddy says that her smile could melt butter and I am inclined to agree. She loves looking at and touching people's faces. She will grab at a chin or nose and caress a cheek. She finds it fascinating when I eat something or drink from my water bottle. Everything goes in her mouth!
She loves her new Sophie the Giraffe. She chews on her and seems very happy putting every part of it in her mouth! Her hands have always been strong and she is getting so good at grasping objects. She frequently holds things with both hands.
We stopped swaddling her for bed this week because she was more interested in grabbing at her blanket and putting it in her mouth so the swaddle only last a few minutes. She now has a sleep sack made of the same cotton muslin as the swaddle blankets. We will still use them for naps, but not night time sleeping.
What's New: Alexandra rolled over....once. I was working on my computer and she was right behind me playing on her quilt. I told her that we needed to do some tummy time that day. I went back to the computer to answer an email from Dave. I then turned around and she was on her tummy! She could not figure out how to roll back though and has not done it since! She is getting so much better at tummy time though. Here is a picture:
We introduced her to the Bumbo Seat which allows her to sit all by herself. We had tried it out once before, but now we are using it daily. She seems to like it a lot! Next up we are going to set up her high chair so she can sit with us at the dinner table!
We have been giving her diluted apple juice, but also tried diluted white grape juice this week. She loves that as well! We are excited to try her first real food this coming week: applesauce. We will try to record her reaction on the video camera.
Photos: Here she is at 18 weeks:
And some fun photos: She loves her monkey and she helped daddy sort the mail on Thursday while sitting in her new Bumbo seat! Scoll down to the next entry for an extra post today: The Many Faces of Alexandra!
The Many Faces of Alexandra
Alexandra loves making different faces. The following 6 pictures were taken in the span of about 2 minutes using my cell phone. She had just awakened from a nap. She goes from sleeping to mad to happy to goofy! She is now a constant source of entertainment!
Tuesday, July 16, 2013
Four Months
Hello Readers,
Alexandra here. It has been a crazy busy month for me. Hopefully you have been reading mommy's weekly blog and are all caught up on my many adventures. I met so many new people, had my first airplane flight, earned my third state, visited the doctor and learned some new things. I have a lot more to say now that I have found my voice. My babbling has become more complex and I can vary my pitch. Here is a video for you. I hope you speak baby so you can understand what I am saying because I do not have a translator.
I sleep 10-11 hours per night. I start getting cranky about 8:30 so mommy swaddles me and puts me to bed. She calls it "burritoing the baby." I make some noises and then am asleep within 10 minutes. I usually sleep until at least 6:30, and many times until 7:30.
I am now big enough that I am getting tons of new clothes to wear. I can still wear most of my 0-3 month clothes, but they are so "last month." Now mommy is phasing in 3-6 month clothes and it is fun to have something new to wear, especially since I am a fashionista.
Mommy thought it was fun to take this picture on my butterfly blanket (from Uncle Bob and Aunt Sarah) and to make me look like a butterfly. She is always taking my picture! Most of the time I just look at her, but occasionally I will smile. I smile all the time, just not when she wants me to for a picture.
One of my favorite things about this warm weather is our nightly walks. I can now sit up in my stroller (as long as I am strapped in) and so I can see more things. Mommy is really good at pointing out leaves and flowers. I have even met some puppy dogs. Walking has a calming affect on me. There are times when I am quite cranky and as soon as mommy puts me in the stroller and we are out of the house, I start looking at all the cool things and am a happy girl! Here are some pictures of me from recent walks.
I really love my feet. I can spend hours just holding them (okay so it is more like several minutes). They are really interesting. Mommy helps me do what she calls lap surfing too. I am so proud of myself that I can stand on her legs while she holds me up. I am getting good and learning to push off and brace myself so I can stay standing longer. It is so much fun. Mommy tells me not to try to stand too soon, that there is plenty of time for that, but I just want to explore my world. Often when I am on her lap, I will bend way over to one side to get a better look at things. I have been working on tummy time too. I can really hold my head up now, but I just have not figured out how to roll over or what to do with my legs. Mommy said she never really crawled but went from sitting to standing. Maybe that is my destiny too since I am just not that interested in scooting. Here I am during tummy time!
Mommy gave me a present for my 4 month birthday...a Sophie the Giraffe. Many of my baby friends have them and so I am excited to get one too. Since I love to put things in my mouth, it is the PERFECT gift!!! Thanks mom! Here I am with my new toy. Aren't we cute?
Well it is nap time so I will sign off for another month! I will see you in August!
Love,
Alexandra
Here are my official 4 month photos. I was not very cooperative for mommy. It was more fun to eat my blanket and Mr. Bear's ribbon than to pose and smile for the camera! Maybe we will try again later, but in a different outfit. Its only 9:30 and I am in my 3rd outfit of the day now! I just love changing my clothes multiple times per day!
Alexandra here. It has been a crazy busy month for me. Hopefully you have been reading mommy's weekly blog and are all caught up on my many adventures. I met so many new people, had my first airplane flight, earned my third state, visited the doctor and learned some new things. I have a lot more to say now that I have found my voice. My babbling has become more complex and I can vary my pitch. Here is a video for you. I hope you speak baby so you can understand what I am saying because I do not have a translator.
I sleep 10-11 hours per night. I start getting cranky about 8:30 so mommy swaddles me and puts me to bed. She calls it "burritoing the baby." I make some noises and then am asleep within 10 minutes. I usually sleep until at least 6:30, and many times until 7:30.
I am now big enough that I am getting tons of new clothes to wear. I can still wear most of my 0-3 month clothes, but they are so "last month." Now mommy is phasing in 3-6 month clothes and it is fun to have something new to wear, especially since I am a fashionista.
Mommy thought it was fun to take this picture on my butterfly blanket (from Uncle Bob and Aunt Sarah) and to make me look like a butterfly. She is always taking my picture! Most of the time I just look at her, but occasionally I will smile. I smile all the time, just not when she wants me to for a picture.
One of my favorite things about this warm weather is our nightly walks. I can now sit up in my stroller (as long as I am strapped in) and so I can see more things. Mommy is really good at pointing out leaves and flowers. I have even met some puppy dogs. Walking has a calming affect on me. There are times when I am quite cranky and as soon as mommy puts me in the stroller and we are out of the house, I start looking at all the cool things and am a happy girl! Here are some pictures of me from recent walks.
Mommy gave me a present for my 4 month birthday...a Sophie the Giraffe. Many of my baby friends have them and so I am excited to get one too. Since I love to put things in my mouth, it is the PERFECT gift!!! Thanks mom! Here I am with my new toy. Aren't we cute?
Well it is nap time so I will sign off for another month! I will see you in August!
Love,
Alexandra
Here are my official 4 month photos. I was not very cooperative for mommy. It was more fun to eat my blanket and Mr. Bear's ribbon than to pose and smile for the camera! Maybe we will try again later, but in a different outfit. Its only 9:30 and I am in my 3rd outfit of the day now! I just love changing my clothes multiple times per day!
Saturday, July 13, 2013
Week Seventeen
On Tuesday Alexandra will be 4 months old! How can that be? It was just June and now here we are well into July! Look for a message from her on Tuesday and her four month photos!
About Alexandra: Alexandra had her 3 months shots on Monday. Yes, we know it is a little late since she is almost 4 months, but it was still her 3 month appointment. She measured 23 inches and weighed 12 pounds 3 ounces. She is petite, in the 15th percentile for weight, but the doctor says that is just fine. She was quite fussy after her shots, but once she had a good long nap, she was back to normal.
She smiles so much and has been chatting up a storm lately. She "talks" when she wakes up, while I am changing her diaper and even when her eyes are closed and she seems to be napping. I love all the sounds she makes.
Alexandra likes picture books. I frequently read one of the Look Look books to her. They are black and white images so easy for her to see. I have three of them. Her favorite is the animals one.
What's New: Alexandra started sucking her thumb on Monday. She has been putting all of her fingers in her mouth at once, and even trying to put mommy's finger in her mouth. But on Monday, I caught a purposeful thumb sucking. Grandma Janet watched her on Friday while I attended a seminar and I missed out on Alexandra putting her foot in her mouth for the first time. I am sure she will do it again, but I felt sad to miss even one little "new" thing that she did. Everyone loves her feet so here is a special "feet" photo!
Visitors: Thankfully this was a quiet week for Alexandra after her whirlwind trip to Colorado. She needed some down time. Grandma Janet came over and stayed with her a couple of days while I attended a history seminar.
Photos: Here is our girl at 17 weeks!
Since there are just so many cute photos of Alexandra each week, I have created a share site using Shutterfly where you can view all of Alexandra's photos and milestones. Please check it out at: The Adventures of Alexandra.
About Alexandra: Alexandra had her 3 months shots on Monday. Yes, we know it is a little late since she is almost 4 months, but it was still her 3 month appointment. She measured 23 inches and weighed 12 pounds 3 ounces. She is petite, in the 15th percentile for weight, but the doctor says that is just fine. She was quite fussy after her shots, but once she had a good long nap, she was back to normal.
She smiles so much and has been chatting up a storm lately. She "talks" when she wakes up, while I am changing her diaper and even when her eyes are closed and she seems to be napping. I love all the sounds she makes.
Alexandra likes picture books. I frequently read one of the Look Look books to her. They are black and white images so easy for her to see. I have three of them. Her favorite is the animals one.
What's New: Alexandra started sucking her thumb on Monday. She has been putting all of her fingers in her mouth at once, and even trying to put mommy's finger in her mouth. But on Monday, I caught a purposeful thumb sucking. Grandma Janet watched her on Friday while I attended a seminar and I missed out on Alexandra putting her foot in her mouth for the first time. I am sure she will do it again, but I felt sad to miss even one little "new" thing that she did. Everyone loves her feet so here is a special "feet" photo!
Visitors: Thankfully this was a quiet week for Alexandra after her whirlwind trip to Colorado. She needed some down time. Grandma Janet came over and stayed with her a couple of days while I attended a history seminar.
Photos: Here is our girl at 17 weeks!
Saturday, July 6, 2013
Week Sixteen
What a week of firsts this was for Alexandra and she did well with all of them! In addition, she added state number 3 - Colorado. It was only fitting that we go there during this time because it was exactly one year ago when we found out she was on the way (on July 1, 2012 in Breckenridge, CO)!
About Alexandra: Alexandra had a very busy week with many new things. She has her 3 month shots on Monday, so I will be able to update her stats next week. I believe she is about 12.5 pounds right now. She does not seem to be bothered at all by being passed from person to person. Everyone in the family wants to hold her so we are constantly playing "Pass the Baby" at family gatherings!
Sleeping is one of her greatest strengths. She is consistently now at 9 hours each night which mommy and daddy greatly appreciate. During the day though, she is not a big napper. We are lucky to get one good nap in. She does better sleeping in the car during the day than at home. Yesterday, she fell asleep on my shoulder after a bottle. She was snoring! But as soon as I put her in the pack n play, she was wide awake!
She is also a really good eater. One funny trait that she has is that when she finishes a bottle, she almost always cries for a few seconds when I take it out of her mouth. Then she calms right down. It is funny!
What's New: Alexandra had her first airplane flight last Saturday. It was a two hour flight to Denver. She alternated between my lap and Dave's. After a bottle right when we took off, she fell asleep and slept the entire flight! Then when we arrived at the airport, she had to ride a subway-type train between the terminals and then a bus to the car rental. Three transportation firsts in one day! Here she is sleeping through her first flight:
On Monday, Alexandra had her first college visit to University of Colorado, Boulder. It was just a trip to the bookstore and student union so no we are not getting ahead of ourselves! Mommy wanted a t-shirt to wear for College Wednesdays at school.
Alexandra celebrated her first Independence Day. We went to breakfast with a huge group of family members before heading to the airport, with stops at the Air Force Academy and Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs. On the flight home, there were about 100 empty seats, so Alexandra got her own right next to the window. She was very good, even sleeping a little bit of the flight.
Visitors: Alexandra met several people this week. Sunday and Monday both were packed with people to see! On Sunday morning, we met Annie and her two girls (Kate and Ella) out for lunch. Then we went to her parents house. Ella was so excited to hold Alexandra!
Then for dinner we went to see family. Alexandra not only met her 1st cousins once removed (Scott and Sarah) and her second cousin (Carter), but lots of other extended family at this BBQ. This included Tori and many of Great Aunt Ann's siblings. As an added bonus, Grantie Lorel and Great Uncle David were there as well. Carter loves his little cousin. He let her hold his lion blankie which is a BIG deal! She got lots of hugs and kisses from him.
On Monday, we met a girl I know from the Parenting After Loss and March 2013 Mom boards on The Bump. Her name is Dana and she has two girls: Samantha (4 years old) and Emma (born March 21st). We had lunch and ice cream in Boulder.
Monday night we went to dinner at the home of Paula & Jeff (a college friend of Dave's). It was a great night for an outdoor BBQ and Alexandra enjoyed it!
Wednesday, we drove down to San Isabel and the cabin of Great Aunt Ann and Great Uncle Tom. It was their first time meeting our little girl. Ann has said we could call her Grantie, but neither Tom nor David want to be called Gruncle! She also got to meet another 1st cousin once removed, Brian, who flew in from Boston. Grandma Sara also had come out from Phoenix and Alexandra got lots of quality time with her!We spent that night and the next morning hanging out with the family before heading home. Here is our whole group on the 4th of July!
Photos: Here is Alexandra at 16 weeks.
There are plenty more great photos from this week, but too many to add to the blog. You can see all of our Colorado photos at: share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=0AasWbZi2cNGLdyg
About Alexandra: Alexandra had a very busy week with many new things. She has her 3 month shots on Monday, so I will be able to update her stats next week. I believe she is about 12.5 pounds right now. She does not seem to be bothered at all by being passed from person to person. Everyone in the family wants to hold her so we are constantly playing "Pass the Baby" at family gatherings!
Sleeping is one of her greatest strengths. She is consistently now at 9 hours each night which mommy and daddy greatly appreciate. During the day though, she is not a big napper. We are lucky to get one good nap in. She does better sleeping in the car during the day than at home. Yesterday, she fell asleep on my shoulder after a bottle. She was snoring! But as soon as I put her in the pack n play, she was wide awake!
She is also a really good eater. One funny trait that she has is that when she finishes a bottle, she almost always cries for a few seconds when I take it out of her mouth. Then she calms right down. It is funny!
What's New: Alexandra had her first airplane flight last Saturday. It was a two hour flight to Denver. She alternated between my lap and Dave's. After a bottle right when we took off, she fell asleep and slept the entire flight! Then when we arrived at the airport, she had to ride a subway-type train between the terminals and then a bus to the car rental. Three transportation firsts in one day! Here she is sleeping through her first flight:
On Monday, Alexandra had her first college visit to University of Colorado, Boulder. It was just a trip to the bookstore and student union so no we are not getting ahead of ourselves! Mommy wanted a t-shirt to wear for College Wednesdays at school.
Alexandra celebrated her first Independence Day. We went to breakfast with a huge group of family members before heading to the airport, with stops at the Air Force Academy and Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs. On the flight home, there were about 100 empty seats, so Alexandra got her own right next to the window. She was very good, even sleeping a little bit of the flight.
Visitors: Alexandra met several people this week. Sunday and Monday both were packed with people to see! On Sunday morning, we met Annie and her two girls (Kate and Ella) out for lunch. Then we went to her parents house. Ella was so excited to hold Alexandra!
Then for dinner we went to see family. Alexandra not only met her 1st cousins once removed (Scott and Sarah) and her second cousin (Carter), but lots of other extended family at this BBQ. This included Tori and many of Great Aunt Ann's siblings. As an added bonus, Grantie Lorel and Great Uncle David were there as well. Carter loves his little cousin. He let her hold his lion blankie which is a BIG deal! She got lots of hugs and kisses from him.
Wednesday, we drove down to San Isabel and the cabin of Great Aunt Ann and Great Uncle Tom. It was their first time meeting our little girl. Ann has said we could call her Grantie, but neither Tom nor David want to be called Gruncle! She also got to meet another 1st cousin once removed, Brian, who flew in from Boston. Grandma Sara also had come out from Phoenix and Alexandra got lots of quality time with her!We spent that night and the next morning hanging out with the family before heading home. Here is our whole group on the 4th of July!
Photos: Here is Alexandra at 16 weeks.
There are plenty more great photos from this week, but too many to add to the blog. You can see all of our Colorado photos at: share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=0AasWbZi2cNGLdyg
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