Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving from the Stafins!

Gram P, Ray, Josh, Terri, Alexandra Rae, Jamie and Cooper

Our first video of the giggle bunny!

Grandparent Gifts!

Yesterday we enjoyed the gifts both sets of Grandparents got Alex before she was born! Alex is now tall enough to sit in her Exersaucer that Nomi and Popi got her! She loved it! Her favorite thing was looking in the mirror! Girl is obsessed with mirrors!

Then I decided it was time to put together the highchair from Grandma and Grandpa! I thought it may help Alex from getting so fussy when we sit down to eat dinner if she feels like she is there with us! It worked for awhile! We got through most of dinner before she got fussy!

Daddy putting together the highchair!

Mommy, Alex and Coopie kinda watching him put together the highchair!

Big Girl in her highchair!

Alex and Coop hanging out!

What I've Learned (Part 1)

So I've realized in the 4 month, 2 weeks and 2 days that I have officially been a Mommy, I have learned so many things that only a parent can know!

I have a rule when both babies are here, if one is eating and the other one gets fussy I keep feeding whoever is eating instead of interrupting the meal, then I tend to the fussy baby. (That rule does not apply to the adults in the house, if we are eating and Alex gets fussy we rock, paper, scissors to determine who gets to eat with Alex in their lap.) Yesterday, I was feeding Abby and Alex decided she was over sitting in her swing. She has started arching her back when she gets upset. So she was sitting in her swing twisting and arching her back. I could see her so I knew she was ok. So I sat there and talked to her while I finished feeding Abby. Within

a few minutes she stopped fussing. After Abby was done, I put her down and checked on Alex only to find out she was out cold. The girl was all twisted and looked so uncomfortable but I have learned: Just because you don't think it looks comfortable, doesn't mean it's not! Since Alex has been fighting naps every afternoon, I decided to leave her and wouldn't you know it, she slept for an hour! So of course, like any good Mommy, I grabbed the camera and took pictures of my crazy baby sleeping! (I love the hand in her mouth!)

Big D!

We had such a great time in Dallas this weekend! We drove up Saturday and Alex was perfect! She fell asleep in her car seat as soon as I put her in it, before she was even in the car. She slept the entire way and woke up when we got into Grapevine. Josh and I went out for dinner and drinks Saturday while Grandma and Grandpa watched Alex. She still refused the bottle! I thought she would take it since we weren't there, but no such luck. She went to sleep at 9, woke up at 11, then went back to sleep. When we got back, she started moving around a bit so I fed her since I knew it had been several hours since she had eaten.

Today we had breakfast with Terri, Ray and Gram P. We are so excited they are all coming in a couple of days (4 to be exact) to spend Thanksgiving with us! After breakfast Josh and I took Alex to Ito and Ita's so they could love on her!

From there we drove out to McKinney to see my girlfriend Amy and her brand new baby girl! Sylvia Marlous Lackey was born Wednesday, November 19th! She is so beautiful! She is just so tiny! It's hard to remember Alex being that small and it was just 4 months ago!

I felt GREAT this weekend! Friday was a really bad night for my RA. I went to the movies and was in so much pain by the end of the movie. I was worried about sitting in the car for 3 hours but it turned out to be ok. Saturday evening and all day today, I felt amazing! No pain at all! I am hoping this will last a while, we'll see!

Being in Dallas this weekend made me realize how much I miss living there. I miss being to close to Terri and Ray, Ito and Ita and of course, all of our friends. I also miss all the great places to eat! We ate at Babe's today, it was just as good as I had remembered.

I am looking forward to Josh's 3 day work week! Terri, Ray and Gram P are coming down on Thursday and staying through Saturday. Sometime on Saturday we are heading to east Texas to see Nomi and Popi! My sister, Laith, Hudson and Isabella are in town from California so we are hoping we get to see them while we are at Nomi's but it is going to be a busy weekend so I'm not sure if it will work out!

Mommy & Alex day!

Katie had the day off so I got to spend my whole day with Alex! I got up at my normal time so I could shower before Josh left. Alex was so good this morning. While I was cleaning up the kitchen she played on the floor. She fell asleep holding onto one of the hanging toys. She is such a cutie! We ran a ton of errands today. We went and got a gift for a friend, Coopie needed food, I went to the mall to get Josh a new shirt, then we dropped the car off to have the oil changed and tired rotated. Josh picked us up and we met had lunch! Then I went and got the car washed and we went up to Josh's office to visit for a while.

Alex has decided she loves eating out at restaurants...if we hold her. She will sit in her car seat for about 10 minutes, then she decides she wants to be held so Josh and I pass her back and forth while we eat. She is such a little pill sometimes, but soo cute it makes it ok!

Roll Baby, Roll

She did it today! She rolled over...well, she got her legs all the way over for the first time! She has been getting so frustrated trying to roll over the last week or so and I usually grab the camera so I can catch it. She fusses while she is trying to do it. Today, I was in the kitchen peeling taters for stew while she was playing on the floor in the living room (I was about 5 steps away from her so it's not like I left her all alone). Anyway, I walked around the counter to look at her because she was just talking to herself. There she was, legs all the way over! I took a pic, then flipped her back so she could try it again!

She's getting so big!

I was going through Alex's clothes today to pack up some of the things that don't fit her anymore. It was so sad. I realized how fast she is growing! Here are a few pics for comparisons.

On the Boppy, 6 days old

On the Boppy today, 4 months old
Preemie diapers she wore for several weeks and size 2 diapers my big girl is wearing now!
My favorite preemie onesie and a size 3-6 month onesie she fills out now!

I have to go snuggle my little baby girl now before she decides she is "too big" to be snuggled like a baby!

my little bunny!

We had an impromptu photo shoot today! I took some of Alex while Abby was sleeping, then got some of them together! Aren't they adorable?

Alex just can't resist a yummy nibble on Abby!

One Year Ago...

One year ago yesterday, a kinda fluffy, really skinny collie walked into our house for the first time. Little did we know, the dog they called Max would become our Cooper Collie Stafin! Earlier in the week, we came across the Houston Collie Rescue. We e-mailed them our application and Linda contacted us about doing a home inspection. While we were talking, we let her know there were a few dogs we were interested in. Linda happened to be fostering one of the dogs. She set up a home inspection for Friday and said she would bring "Max" so we could meet him.

The minute we saw him, we knew we had to keep him! Linda let him stay the night with us so we could decide if he was the dog for us. After Linda left, he hopped on the couch and introduced us to the "Cooper Lean." If he is near you, he has to lean on you, he can't just stand beside you. He slept in our room with us, but stayed on the floor. The next morning, Linda picked him up because we were going out of town. On our way back we stopped and got him a new crate, food and toys, then we picked him up at Linda's. I could not wait to see him again! We also had the task of picking a new name, Max just didn't fit him. Josh suggested Cooper, after Cooper's Old Time Pit Bar-B-Que in Llano, Texas. It is our all time favorite BBQ place!

Cooper hopped in the car and we headed home! He is a perfect fit for us. I love him so much! In the last year, we have learned all of the quirks that make Cooper, Cooper.

He moans/sighs when he is comfortable and tired
he loves to lick toes...anyone's toes
he clacks his tongue like he is talking back at you
he knows his name (you can say Pooper, Tooper, Sooper, or anything that sounds like Cooper and he will not even look at you until you say Cooper)
he loves to snuggle in bed, as long as the lights are on
he is the clumsiest dog ever
he burps...loud
he LOVES his sister

Cooper and Daddy's first picture
Cooper and Mommy's first picture
Cooper, now, relaxing at home!

Best Day Ever...almost!

So today was perfect! Alex woke up around 7 to eat then let us sleep in until 9:30! My sweet husband got up, made coffee and made us Migas! They were delish! We then took our time getting ready and we headed to Houston. I needed new jeans so bad. All of mine are too big and were getting pretty worn out. I found 2 new pairs! Woo hoo! Alex was so happy just looking around at everything. She got a little fussy because she was getting sleepy and there was just too much going on. If we carried her she was fine. When we left, we went to eat at Macaroni Grill. There isn't one here and it had been forever since we have been there so it was perfect! We just got home and I think I am about to take a nice hot bath!

Oh, the only reason the day was almost perfect is because I am getting another clogged milk duct. That would be the 2nd time in 3 weeks! Ugh, it hurts! Josh thinks I need to stop breastfeeding sooner rather than later. I haven't decided.

Here is the diaper cake I made for Sheena's shower yesterday. It went great! Everyone seems to have a good time!

Babylegs!

The girls were soooo good today! We went to Target and they just looked around and didn't fuss at all! I couldn't resist and I got Alex a new pair of babylegs while we were at Target. I think I am addicted. They are just so cute and can be worn with just about anything!

After the gang (Josh, Tracy and Katie) got home from work, Katie and I went shopping for food for a shower we are hosting tomorrow. I am really excited about it, I love hosting showers and parties! Josh and I are spending the morning cleaning the house from top to bottom. I am already tired just thinking about it! I think I am going to turn in soon, I have a feeling tomorrow is going to be a long day!

bottle fed baby!

Last night, Josh and I planned a dinner at Christoper's World Grille for his managers, supervisors and spouses. It was wonderful! We left Alex at the James' with Kaitlyn, Amy and one of their friends. I called around 7:15 to check on them and could hear Alex screaming in the background. My poor baby. She was hungry and wouldn't take a bottle. Josh made me wait until 8 to check on her again. By that point, she caved, took the bottle and fell asleep! So, my baby WILL take a bottle if she gets hungry enough! Since I had several drinks at dinner, I thought it would be best to give her a bottle when we got home. She thought otherwise. She cried for about half an hour before finally caving again and taking the bottle. She slept all night long! That is 3 bottles she has taken since Tuesday. I know she can do it, it is just a matter of being patient with her!

I am taking both babies out today! We are going to Target this afternoon. Wish me luck! I decided after our last outing, we can only go to one place at a time, otherwise, they both get super fussy!

I ordered the coolest thing for Alex, well actually for me, the other day. I figured since I am home all day and I have time, I will make Alex's food. We saw this thing at Williams Sonoma a few weeks ago and it looked so cool I decided to order it. I tried convincing Josh it should be a Christmas present for Alex. It didn't take much convincing! It is a Beaba Babycook. It should be here next week!

After both girls wake up and I get them dressed for the day, I'll have to take pictures! I bought Alex some Babylegs a few weeks ago and I absolutely love them! They make it so easy for diaper changes since you don't have to take pants off! I guess Alex is such a little trendsetter, because Katie ordered some for Abby too! Both girls will be sporting their Babylegs today!

still no change

I went to the rheumatologist today. No change. I go again on January 13th so I can start a new medication that will actually help the RA. The stuff I am on now just helps with the joint pain. They said I could increase my dosage but it could cause some problems with the amount of cortisone my body produces so I decided not to. Everyone at the office is so nice. They all asked where Alex was. I usually take her to my appointments but Josh stayed home with her and Abby so I could get in and out quicker.

4 month appointment

Alex had her 4 month appointment this morning. Poor baby, it was at 8:10 and she is usually still asleep. She was so good. She smiled at the nurse and Dr. Henderson the entire time....until it was time for shots.

She is growing like a weed!

weight:

birth: 5 lbs 12 oz

2 months: 10 lbs 7 oz

4 months: 13 lbs 1 oz

length:

birth: 19.5 inches

2 months: 22.5 inches

4 months: 24 inches

The doctor told us we can start rice cereal at any time. Since she is so headstrong in the refusal of the bottles, he suggested we start it sooner rather than later so she can get used to having food in her mouth. On to the bottles, he also suggested that we use a bottle for a mid-day feeding instead of night feeding since she tends to be a little fussier at nights to begin with. He said within a week to 10 days of daily bottles, she should finally cave and start taking a bottle without all the crying first. That means that I just need to make sure I am giving her a bottle everyday instead of skipping days. At around 5 months, we'll start combining breast milk and formula until she is completely on formula. That means, I have 1 month to

My pumpkin has been sleeping pretty much all day. She woke up once to eat then went right back to sleep. I'm sure it's the shots. Abby had her 2 month check up and shots today also and she has been sleeping all day. It's been a quiet day here at the Stafin house!

Happy 4 Months!

My sweet, precious baby girl is 4 months old today! She is getting so big! I look at her everyday and can not believe how lucky we are to have such an amazing little one! She is finally starting to fit into some of her 3-6 month old clothes, but is still in her 0-3 month jammies. I am guessing she is around 15 pounds, but we will find out exactly how much tomorrow when we go in for her 4 month appointment! I am not looking forward to it because she is getting shots. :(

Some of our favorite things from the first 4 months...

Jamie's

the big gummy smiles

First giggle

the way she lights up when Josh talks to her

getting up for night time feedings (I know, sounds silly, but I loved our time together in the middle of the nights when she snuggled into me.)

our mid day naps on the couch

Josh's

Baby Pockets (Alex had 2 pairs of Carters pj's that had a pocket on them. Josh loved them on her and was always putting things in her baby pockets, asking why babies need pockets on their jammies. The day I realized she outgrew them, I really thought Josh was going to shed a tear.)

Giggles and Laughs

Poo-explosion (in the middle of the night on the wall)

First doctors appointment when she poo'd on the nurse

Friday went great. I was so worried how Alex would do with a sitter. Nomi spent a few hours with us before we left and got Alex to take about 6 ounces in a bottle. It was such a huge relief to know she will take a bottle! We dropped her off at the sitters around 7:30 and picked her back up around 10:30. She didn't take a bottle, but was really good for Kaitlyn. She did take about 3 ounces from me when we got there. So, if she is hungry enough, she will take the bottle! Woo hoo!

Squirm Worm!

This morning I checked in on Alex after we got up and she wiggled herself all the way to the corner of her crib! I don't know how she did it, but she did. She was just hanging out sucking on her hand. Last night after I fed her she tried shoving her entire fist in her mouth. She had all but her pinky finger in there. She has a big mouth just like her Mommy and Nomi!

This week has been a Cooper week. He got groomed on Wednesday then he went to the vet yesterday. Poor baby has been neglected since Alex arrived. Cooper tipped the scales at a whopping 67 pounds! The vet said he is in perfect health! He refused to get on the scale at first, then once he saw the treat, he hopped right on. He will do anything for a treat! I love my boy!

Nomi is coming today for a few hours! I can't wait! My Dad is dropping her off while he works in Huntsville, then he is picking up back up when he is done! It is perfect timing because Josh and I have to go to a work party tonight in Houston so this will give me plenty of time to get ready! We are riding down with the James', dropping the girls off with the sitter (which I am still so nervous about) then heading off to the River Oaks Country Club for the party. I know Alex will be in great hands but with the refusal of the bottle it just makes me worry.

Baby Toes!

Ok, for some reason I think baby toes are the cutest things in the world! Alex's little feet are just so soft and cute I can't keep my hands off of them. I am not the only person who loves baby toes. Cooper loves them too! He is always licking her little feet. Alex is sleeping beside me and I couldn't pass up the opportunity to take some pictures of her little toes sticking out of her pants. I love them so much!

I am feeling so much better tonight! My fever went down before I went to sleep (at 9:30!). Alex slept until 7am! I got up, got ready and Alex and I dropped Coopie off to get groomed. My poor Coop, he has been so neglected since Alex got here. He looks so beautiful now! He is going to the vet tomorrow. Abby got here around 9 and we hung out until Katie came back with lunch! Alex and I had to get back out because I saw the cutest cowgirl onesies at Target last week and I wanted to get them along with the matching pants for her and wouldn't you know it, they didn't have the pants! I decided to wait and see if they get more pants in! The registration was up on my car so I had to take care of that too.

I finished the 3rd book in the Twilight saga today! Rachel is taking the 4th book to Josh for me tomorrow! I am so excited, I can't wait. I know, I'm a bit of a nerd, but I got hooked on the books! I can't wait until the movie comes out on the 21st! You know I'll be there on opening day!

Josh just called, he landed in Houston and should be here in an hour or 2. I know he was only gone one night, but I missed him soo much! It feels like he has been gone forever!

Just the two of us

Josh is in Florida tonight. I am getting sick. Alex had a bad day.

Luckily, Josh will be home tomorrow evening. I can't wait for him to get home. I feel worn down and I have a 100.7 temp. Hopefully it's nothing big, maybe I'm just worn down after the day. I decided to only do bottles for Alex today. I nursed her at 8am then it was supposed to be nothing but bottles. From 10 to 3 we tried bottles and had no luck, she just refused to eat. I finally gave in and nursed her. I really think she just won't take a bottle from me. She took 2 from Josh last week when I wasn't here without a problem. I think I am going to have Katie try giving her a bottle tomorrow while I leave the room.

I am tired so hopefully, Alex will go to sleep early tonight.

Drama Queen

So I thought I'd give you a little peek of what our nights look like. We are still having nightly bottle battles. Alex will do so good and take a bottle for a few nights, then just start refusing them for no reason. Josh and I are supposed to go to a work event on Friday night. We have a sitter in Houston since the event is in Houston...everyday I worry more and more about it. I can not leave her with a sitter if she is refusing the bottle. I have no idea what I'm going to do.

Alex, before the bottle enjoying time with Daddy

First mention of the bottle


Still thinking about the bottle


The bottle is in sight...the baby is screaming!

Alex screams and cries until she is bright red and sweaty. After she calms down, we try again and it just ends up with her screaming and crying again. I don't know what to do.

I love weekends!

So I just realized that I only took 4 pictures this weekend. What is wrong with me? Nomi and Popi got here Friday evening and we went to dinner. We relaxed Saturday morning. It was nice to have them here because they entertained Alex while I made breakfast and took a shower. Nomi also got me hooked on some stupid game on her phone. (I'd like to go ahead and point out, that I am awesome at the game and always beat Nomi, don't believe what she may say!) We went to The Woodlands that afternoon. We decided to let Nomi pick where she wanted to go to dinner for her birthday. We went to Babin's and it was yummy!!! Afterwards we walked around the outside shopping area at the mall. We picked the first ornament for Alex's Christmas tree for her room. It is the cutest pink jeweled butterfly from Pottery Barn!

By the time we got home around 9 we were all exhausted. We watched the end of the Tech/Texas game then hit the hay. Today my Dad helped Josh hang the TV. We bought a Bluray player earlier this week and had to rearrange all of the electronics. I'm so glad my Dad was here to help...there is no way I would have been able to lift the TV and move it around. We are now enjoying our TV with fancy HDMI cables. It looks amazing. We also signed up for NetFlix today. There are so many movies we miss because we hardly go to the movies and I never think about going to Blockbuster when I'm out so what could be better than having the movies delivered to me!?!? I am anxiously awaiting the arrival of my first movie. I decided to pick a few Josh won't want to see since he is going out of town Tuesday and I am going to need something to do to keep myself busy.


This weekend was great! We love seeing Nomi and Popi! OH, I almost forgot, after Alex's bath tonight I was putting her diaper on her and Josh was talking to her and laughing and she actually laughed!!! Not a little chuckle like she's done before, but a full out laugh! I grabbed the camera to take a video, but of course, she wouldn't do it again! My mission now is to get a video of her laughing. (Josh actually teared up a little when she laughed, but if you ask him, I'm sure he'll deny it!)

I'm off to enjoy warm brownies and milk now! mmmmm