bath time, bathing suit and more bubbles!

We've been spending some time outside since the weather has been so great here! The girls love it! Alex loves looking around at everything and trying to eat leaves! She always has such a serious look on her face like she is about to start asking questions!

We took a few new bath time pictures yesterday. I think we are getting close to retiring the baby bath and moving onto the regular bath tub!!!

When I was blowing bubbles for the girls I noticed Cooper wasn't around. Anytime I am on the floor with the girls, he is usually right there in the middle! While the girls we napping I decided to blow some bubbles for Coopie. I quickly learned why he was MIA during bubble time. He is not a fan of bubbles! He kept backing away from them as they got closer to him. He even barked at them! As they landed, he would move in to try and sniff them, but as soon as his nose got close, they would pop! What a chicken!

I had to try Alex's new bathing suit on her! She looked adorable! I love it!

We have a busy day ahead of us. I am getting the oil changed in my car, so Josh is meeting us up there to take us to lunch so we don't have to wait around for it! From there, Alex and I are going to Sam's, HEB, and maybe Target! I want to get her some shorts since it has been so warm lately! Plus, I just love going to Target! I am in charge of the grocery shopping for our trip this weekend. We are heading to the lake house around 1 tomorrow with 6 friends, 2 dogs and a baby! That means, I'll be spending tomorrow morning packing for all of us, trying to load up the car and praying that Alex takes a nap in the morning so she won't be a fuss bucket on the road!

Thankfully Alex is napping now to get ready for our afternoon of errands!!

One more reason to love the iPhone!

Soo, if I'm doing this right, I should be able to post from my
iPhone! Like I said IF I'm doing this right!! I really don't see a
reason why I would actually need to post from my phone, but it could
make road trips just that much more fun!!

**it worked and I can add pictures from my phone!!!**

Bubbles!!

While I was at Gymboree yesterday, I bought a little container of bubbles! Alex loved them! She was more interested in the bubbles that landed without popping then the ones that were floating around. She kept trying to touch the ones that landed. Abby didn't seem the slightest bit interested in the bubbles. In fact, when I put her in the Bumbo, she was more interested in her toes than the bubbles! All good things must come to and end. I realized Alex was no longer interested in the bubbles when she started chewing on the Boppy tag!

I finally went in for a LONG overdue appointment with the eye doctor. (I haven't been since we moved to College Station, almost 2 years ago! YIKES!) The bad news is, my eyes are now worse than they were before, I guess that can be expected, I am getting older! Good news, I have a brand new pair of contacts to try out to make sure I like them before I order them...and with them, my vision is better than 20/20! Who knew that was possible? In addition to the bubbles, I got Alex a swim suit! It is the cutest thing I have ever seen! I can't wait to see her little chubby legs in it! She also got a new dress! I had 3 picked out I wanted to get her, but they only had one in her size. I may have to order the other ones! I can not wait for it to get a little warmer so she can wear all her cute little dresses! I tried a pair of shoes on her and decided, this may be a shoeless spring/summer. She hates putting shoes on. She curls her toes so I can't get them on her!

On the Move!!

Alex has been pushing up on all fours for a couple of weeks now. She does this when she is playing on the floor, laying in her crib or when I am about to pick her up. She can roll anywhere she wants to go. Today, she really started army/combat crawling! She is very good at staying on the blanket, rug or just off the edge, but I have a feeling in the next couple of days, that's all going to change!

In addition to her combat crawl, we are working on sitting. She will for several minutes if I put a Boppy around her to keep her from falling back, but she gets bored after a few mintues and rolls onto her tummy so she can reach more toys. She can sit unasissted for about a minute, but ends up falling backwards if the Boppy isn't there!

We had a great time at the James' last night! They grilled steaks and shrimp, made twice baked potatoes and veggies. Everything was soo good! I ate way too much! We played Wii for a little while to work off dinner then dove into the brownie pudding! It was sooooo good! I did try to make it healthy by pairing it with fat free vanilla ice cream! After dessert, I thought I was going to puke I was so full! Alex did great over there. She played in the exersaucer while we ate then I got her ready for bed. She is great about sleeping as long as she is in a crib. Thanfully, Abby let Alex use hers! She woke up for the ride home, then I put her back to bed and she fell asleep about 15 minutes later. She has started doing this fake sleep. I always go in her room to check on her and her eyes will be closed and she is in the position she usually sleeps in, the second I step foot in her room her head pops up, and she looks at me with bright eyes and a huge smile, as if to say, I'm not really sleeping, I was just resting my eyes for a minute!

Daddy's Girl

I know I've said it a million times, but Alex adores Josh. If he is with her and I'm not home, she will not nap and she will not go to bed. I like to think it's because she sees me all day long and really just can't get enough of her Daddy time!

Alex seems to be changing her schedule, and I am not happy about it. Instead of her 2 long naps she is taking 3-5 short cat naps. By cat naps, I'm talking 20-45 minute naps! No matter how tired she is, she will roll around in her crib for about 10-15 minutes before each nap. It makes for tough days, because once she wakes up from a short nap, she'll be good for about an hour and a half before she is ready for another nap. Tonight, she got really fussy around 6 so I decided to let her take a nap instead of trying to keep her up until 7, when she usually goes to sleep. (The pictures above were taken around 5:45 and she was already getting fussy, that's why she didn't look to happy.) She slept for about 15 minutes. The short naps are also messing up her feeding schedule. She takes 4 bottles a day, her last one being about 20 minutes before bed. Yesterday she took her last bottle at 5, ate solids then I offered her 4 ounces since I couldn't stand putting her to bed when it had already been 2 hours since she ate. She didn't take any of it. Tonight, she took a bottle at 6, ate carrots, sweet potatoes and rice around 7 and we'll see what she does before she goes to bed.

After I saw how much she loved being on the hardwoods at Erika's the other day, I moved Cooper's toy basket so she would have about 2 feet between the edge of her blanket she plays on and the wall. She LOVES it! She scoots off the blanket and slides around on the tile.

We have a fun filled weekend. Some friends are coming over tonight so plan out some of the details for our trip to the lake house next weekend and then we are going to play some games. Tomorrow we are going to the James' for dinner! The Sorensens will be there too and we have all been asked to bring our Wii remotes!! When Sheena was over the other day we watched the Barefoot Contessa make a chocolate brownie pudding. She described it as a molten chocolate like cake so I'm making it to take for dessert! Josh loves brownies and I love gooey chocolaty anything! Sunday we plan on sleeping in...we'll see if Alex allows us to. Once she is up, she's up. I wish she would at least once go back to sleep if we put her in bed with us!

I end with a (very grainy) video I took of Alex and Josh "dancing" with Cooper! Enjoy!

Go Speed Racer!

Yesterday, I decided to meet Josh for lunch. In typical fashion, I spent my morning getting ready for our outing. The girls woke up a little earlier than normal from their naps. By the time we were done with lunch, both girls were getting a little fussy. After lunch, we went to the bank then we were supposed to go to Erika's. I knew it was nap time so I was trying to get to Erika's so I could get them out of the car before they fell asleep. They tend to sleep better (and longer) if they are out of their carseats. Wouldn't you know it, in my rush to get to Erika's I got pulled over. The girls really let me down, then minute I stopped the car they stopped fussing so my excuse for driving fast didn't seem very believable. I ended up getting a ticket for going 46 in a 35. I honestly didn't even notice what the speed limit was. Now I get the pleasure of doing defensive driving...oh the joy!

While we were at Erika's Alex had the best time. The girl is soo close to crawling. I put her on a blanket and she kept rolling off onto the hardwood floors. I took her socks off so she could get a better grip with her toes. She could push herself forward to reach the toys she wanted. When we are at home, she pushed her butt up as far as she can and straightens her legs to try to move. At times, she kinda looks like she is trying to get into a sitting position.

Alex has started scrunching up her nose when she smiles. It is soo cute! She does it non stop!

We decided to stop with the prunes. She pooped 5 times yesterday afternoon. The norm is to give any new food 3-4 days in a row to make sure there are not any allergies. She didn't have any problems for the 2 days we gave them to her so I'm adding them to the list of foods she is ok with. Going forward, I'll just give them to her if she has any constipation issues. I decided to try yogurt today...again, huge shock, she loved it! I was debating between Yobaby yogurt and a plain, whole milk organic one. The only Yobaby they had was flavored so I went with the Horizon Organic Whole Milk. (Plus, it at a LOT less sugar then the Yobaby.) I mixed it with peaches this morning. I figured the plain it easier because I can mix it with anything I want to! Josh laughs at me because for each meal I blend new veggies or fruit so she doesn't eat the same thing two days in a row. He said she doesn't care, but I like to think she appreciates the variety!

Next on our list will be plums! I got some at the store last night so I'll go ahead and make them in the next day or two and freeze them in cubes. On a semi-related note, I am still making all of her food. I love making all of it! It is so easy and I get to control everything that goes into it!

When Nomi came to visit us she brought Alex the cutest dress, head band and blanket! (She's wearing it in the video below!)

Just a cute pic of my pumpkin!

Last night Alex was having some Daddy time. She was just relaxing with him and looked so cute with her arm on his chest. She is too cute with him.

This morning was day 1 with prunes. I swear, this girl loves everything! I mixed them with apples and a little oatmeal because, personally, I thought they stunk and looked funny. If it was me I wouldn't have eaten them...apparently she takes after her Daddy by eating anything you put in front of her!!

Alex loves making silly sounds! Josh and I spend so much time laughing at our little cutie!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Happy Valentine's Day!!!

love,

Jamie, Josh, Alex and Cooper

Nomi is coming to visit us today and to get ready for the her, Alex has been resting up!! There is really nothing sweeter than a sleeping baby. I just stand in the door way watching her sometimes!

The little one cries...more to come later!

One of those days...

It's 11:30 and I'm already worn out. Wait, let me rephrase that, I was already worn out when I got out of bed this morning. I slept like crap last night...I must have woken up at least 10 times because my right hand kept falling asleep, not just numb asleep, but it was tingling and it hurt! Each time I had to actually sit up and shake my arm to get it to stop tingling, then with in 5 minutes of laying down, it would fall asleep again. It didn't matter which side I slept on. It was sooo annoying. Josh is also in Dallas today. He left around 6:30 and should be home by 5. It's not like he is really going to be gone much longer than a regular work day, but for some reason I miss him so much. I think it's because I usually hear from him several times a day and I won't today since he has a meeting, lunch and 3 other people are in the car with him.

Little Miss isn't helping either. She has just been pissed off the last 2 days. It started Sunday night when we were at the James'. She just got so fussy and didn't want anything but to go to sleep. Yesterday, it started again in the afternoon. She is usually so content playing but for some reason yesterday, she decided she wants to be sitting in my lap instead of laying on her belly. I'm fine with that, but after about 2 minutes of sitting in my lap, she gets all squirmy and decides I have to stand up. This morning she has just been off. She is already taking her 2nd nap of the day which is so unlike her, she usually takes 2 naps total. I heard her moving around when Josh was getting ready but she went back to sleep. She woke back up about 7:15 and by 8:30 she was down for a nap. An hour later, she was back up, she ate some peaches and oatmeal, got a bath, played for about 20 minutes then was ready for another nap. I don't know what her deal is, but it seems like nothing really makes her happy unless she is sleeping...even when she is sleeping, she is sooo restless.

As crazy as she is making me, all she has to do is smile at me and I forget about everything else! How is it one little person can bring so me so much joy? (oh, the picture above is her skydiver pose, where she lifts her arm and legs while balancing on her belly!)

7 Months Old!!!

My sweet little pumpkin is 7 months old today! I just can not believe how time flies!!! This month has been such a fun month for us and I know it's only going to keep getting better. We started solids a while ago, but in the last week or so, we have started giving Alex puffs and Mum Mums! She loves the puffs but has a hard time getting them in her mouth. She had her first Mum Mum Sunday. They are organic rice cracker type things, but they dissolve pretty fast. They are larger than puffs so it is much easier for her to get them in her mouth. She loves them!! They make her hands a sticky mess, but it's ok, I love that she is getting the practice! We are still working on the unassisted sitting, which she is getting better at, but still doesn't have down pat. She still tips. If she is leaning back on our lap, she loves trying to pull herself to a sitting position. Every single day, she gets closer and closer to crawling. As much as I want her to crawl, part of me wants her to slow down with the skills and stay my baby forever! One of my favorite things we do on the weekend is bring Alex to bed with us in the morning. She is now consistently waking up between 7 and 7:15 and thankfully, she keeps herself entertained in her crib for about 30 minutes or so. At least 1 morning each weekend we'll get her and bring her in our bed. She will just lay with us, wiggle around and reach for Cooper. I do have to say, it makes me a little sad that when we are in bed, she always moves towards Josh instead of me. I really think it's because she sees me all day long and really just wants her "daddy time" when he is around.





During our 7 month photo shoot, Alex decided she wanted to roll around on the floor. While rolling around, she discovered her nightstand and realized if she pulls the handle, it will open!


Here are a few pics from Friday night Daddy time! I really don't think these two could get any cuter!! I love them soo much!

This morning, Alex had peaches for the first time! I have started feeding her in her highchair instead of the Bumbo. As soon as we strap her in, she lifts her hands and waits for me to slide the tray on. Once the tray is on, she opens her mouth and just waits for the spoon to get near her! This morning, after every single spoonful, she would put her right hand in her mouth and suck on it. I think it's because she is used to trying to get the puffs and Mum Mums in her mouth! It makes for a huge mess, but oh well!

Look Mommy, I'm wiping my own mouth! (and trying to suck the water out of the paper towel!)

This is a long post, but there is so much to catch up on. We had a WONDERFUL weekend! Saturday morning we got up, got ready and headed to the Woodlands! Our first stop was Culver's! I LOVE their burgers! From there, we went to the mall and walked around a bit, I spent the giftcard from Williams Sonoma that was burning a hole in my pocket and I got a couple of new shirts! Then it was off to Babies R Us. We got outlet covers, a gate, table corner bumper things and a new toy for Alex. Poncho deserves his own post, so he will be introduced later this week! After that, we went to the Houston Outlet mall. We got Alex some new clothes at the Carter's store, then Josh got a new pair of sunglasses and a Tag watch he has been wanting FOREVER! After we left, we went to Cracker Barrel for dinner. I love Cracker Barrel! We finally got home around 9. I think that was the longest time we have been away from the house with Alex, ever. She did soo well considering she didn't get her 2 regular 2 hour naps. Yesterday, we snuggled in bed for a while, then got up and started picking up the house. We took a break to watch Evita, which I love! I have had the songs stuck in my head for the last 2 weeks and Josh had never seen it! We went to the James' for dinner. Katie made red beans and rice! It was soo yummy! After the girls went to bed, we played Mario Party 8. It seemed like a busy weekend, but it was actually relaxing and so much fun! We so needed it since this weekend, we'll be staying in all weekend. My dear sweet husband is having a vasectomy on Friday. I get to play nurse all weekend! We went in for the consultation this morning. It's kind of funny, because they wanted me to get there, I guess to make sure I was ok with it and he wasn't trying to be sneaky. Really, there are guys out there that would go behind their wives backs and have a vasectomy? So Friday morning, at 9:45 I'm taking Josh to get snipped! Friday, the 13th...maybe we should have picked a different date! hmmm....

Friday Funnies!

We have so much fun in the evenings. Alex is just the source of all our amusement. She just makes me laugh all day long! She is this close to crawling or army crawling! This morning, she would put her little butt up in the air, rock back then launch herself forward. She will only do it once, take a little break then do it again! Of course, once the camera came out so I could capture a short vid, she stopped. I swear, she is a ham, if she hears the beep of the camera, she will stop whatever she is doing and look at me!

** Josh did watch his mouth and the word that usually follows "son of a" did not come out!**

During Alex meal times, Cooper is usually right there in the thick of things. His favorite time is when she is eating Puffs! He will sit under her and if he hears something fall, he is all over it! What's really funny is when she drops a puff on the tray, Cooper will go crazy looking for it on the floor. He has even started sticking his nose in her lap while she is in her high chair to see if he can find the ones she dropped in her lap. As soon as she comes out of the high chair, it's a Collie Free For All! He noses all around the seat looking for any puffs he may have missed!

I am really looking forward to this weekend. We are going to the Woodlands tomorrow to do some eating, shopping and more eating! Sunday we are supposed to go to the James'. We have declared February, no travel month! I feel like we have just been going non stop for several weeks now and I need a break!

Miss Independent!

Alex is turning into a big girl right before my eyes! She tries to be more and more independent every single day! She loves trying to hold her own sippy cup! We tried a sippy cup with a straw last night...that one is going to take some time. It's kinda weird because you have to bite down on the straw in order to get anything from it. (Yes, I know this because I tried then made Josh try! He could do it, but for some reason, I had problems! You gotta be smarter than the cup and apparently I'm not!)

Anyway, we have halted crawling lessons for a few days. That isn't stopping her from trying every single time she is playing on the floor, but we decided lessons will resume after the house has been baby-proofed this weekend!

I have decided today is clean the house day. Well, at least the front portion of the house. My house always looks like a wreck. I think it's because I make piles of stuff that need to be put away, then never get to putting the stuff away. I need to get better and be more organized. It's sad how forgetful I have become. I have to set reminders on my phone for EVERYTHING! The girls and I met Josh and the guys for lunch then we went on to Target. I was feeling great until we got home. My hand started hurting then by the time Josh got home, my knuckles on my right hand were swollen. Then I started thinking, I couldn't remember if I took my pills in the morning. The more I thought about it, the more I started thinking I didn't. How sad is it that I can't remember if I took my meds? So, there is now a new daily reminder on my phone to take my meds and I even set up the alarm to go off at 8am to remind me. It sucks getting old!

Please keep your fingers crossed for us. Katie had some stomach flu Tuesday and Wednesday, Tracy now has it. The last thing we want is the flu to come knocking on our door, especially with my super weakened immune system. I am making sure I scrub my hand anytime I handle Abby. She hasn't gotten it which is a good sign for us!

I ordered Alex's Easter basket yesterday! I can't wait for it to get here. It's from Pottery Barn Kids and it's soooo cute! It's the little bunny basket in the picture below! It will have her name on it in script! I saw it and knew it was perfect so I sent the picture to Josh and he loved it! It is fitting since we call her our little Bunny!

operation crawl: lesson one

Last night was Alex's first crawling lesson with her Daddy! Josh had one very attentive student and furry friend providing moral support for Alex.

Unfortunately, Alex was more interested in staring at Josh than pushing up! Josh was trying to entice her with toys and her new favorite thing, the plastic box wet wipes come in! She may have been more interested in the attention her Daddy was giving her but I know lesson one wasn't a waste. While she was playing on the floor today, she saw the wet wipe container and tried moving towards it. She pushed up on her knees and tried to move her body forward but instead of moving forward, her knees just slid on the blanket and she ended up moving backwards. She didn't give up and kept trying! It's a start!

I had another appointment with the rheumatologist today. All of my blood work came back and I am as healthy as someone with RA can be, so I'm starting my first dose of Methotrexate (MTX) tonight. I only have to take it once a week. The first week, I'll take 4, week 2 I'll take 6 and week 3 I'll take 8. After week 3, I'll continue taking 8 each week. Along with the MTX, I have to take 1mg of folic acid once a day, 1000mg of Sulfasalazine twice a day, 5mg of Prednisone once a day. So, after 3 weeks, I'll be taking 14 pills 1 day a week, then 6 the other days, see I'm a pill popper! I love my doctor. She is soo sweet and always asking about Alex. My next appointment is at the end of March. A week before my appointment, I'll have to go in for lab work so they can check all my numbers again. One of the numbers they are looking at is my erythrocyte sedimentation rate numbers, in a normal person, 20 is considered high, at the time of my last test mine was 112! The goal is to get my ESR back to a normal level. If the MTX doesn't help too much, I'll have to move to an injection. I would rather not have to give myself an injection so I am crossing my fingers that the oral pills work!