Alex...wide awake

Alex has still been technically sleeping through the night, but bed time is starting to get a little more difficult. She eats and starts dozing off around 8. The last 2 nights she has woken up an hour later WIDE AWAKE. The first night I snuggled with her on the couch and I fell asleep. When I woke up an hour later, she was just laying there eyes wide open kicking and squirming. We finally put her down around 10:30 and she cried for a few minutes so Josh stood at the side of her crib rubbing her tummy and she passed out. Last night, we decided to put her down at 9. She was back up by 9:30 screaming. I fed her again (little piglet) and we put her down at 10. She was back up at 11:30 hungry again so I fed her and this time she stayed down until 7:15. She normally sleeps until 9:30 or so. I fed her and she just fell asleep about 20 minutes ago.

I am so excited, I ordered a double stroller yesterday so I will be able to get out with the girls. Until they both get a little bigger, I'm sure it will be a task just getting out of the house, but at least we will be able to go on walks! I like it because both sides lay down so until they get better neck control I can lean them back a little, the sun canopies are larger and it is pretty light weight. I decided on the Joovy Groove 2 Deluxe!

I also started working on Alex's Halloween costume! We are going to a party on the 30th that one of Josh's supervisors is having. Everyone must dress up. We spent most of Sunday looking for costumes. I wanted to pick costumes that all went together. We decided Alex's would be the hardest because there are only so many infant costumes. We looked and looked and couldn't really find anything we liked. Plus, most of them were thick bunting outfits and I thought she would get too hot! We then started thinking about what we had at home and decided, I am going to be a cheerleader (original I know, but I can still fit into my HS uniforms), Josh is going to be a football coach (complete with the polyester tight coaches shorts) and Alex is going to be a football! I know it's not girly or anything but she is going to look so cute! I dyed a onesie brown last night and I am using puff paint to make the seams! I'll have to post pictures after the party. I didn't want to spend a fortune on costumes that we are wearing for a few hours one night. I'm sure next year when she is bigger and walking it will be much more fun!

Alex and Abby: Day 1

Today was my first day to watch Abby. I was a little worried because some days Alex alone can be a handful. They were both great! I really do love having them both here together. I can't wait until they get a little bigger and can interact with each other! We had an impromptu photo session in their matching onesies! They were both smiling so much, just not at the same time!

Alex has been officially sleeping through the night. She slept 13.5 hours Friday night and 9 last night! I could not be happier! She has also been taking 1 bottle a night. Granted, it still isn't a full feeding, but we are getting there! Her personality comes out more and more everyday. She is such a calm happy baby. She loves sitting in her swing just "talking" to the hanging animals. She is such a smiley little thing. Her face lights up when Josh talks to her. She isn't quite laughing yet, but she does this little gasp thing when she gets excited or lets out a little chuckle. I can't wait to hear a full out laugh!

Alex's first video!

Alex is going to kill me when she gets older! I was on the bed working one day last week e-mailing Josh telling him how nice it was. I decided to take a little mini-video on the camera so Josh could see what he was missing out on. Alex has had the stinkiest, loudest gas the past week. Girl can not stop tooting! I happened to catch it on the little video so I had to share. She looked so proud of herself!

We are having a relaxing night at home. We spent the last 2 evenings at the James'. Thursday we went to Red Lobster (pretty much the extent of our seafood restaurants) then watched Iron Man. Last night Katie made red beans and rice. We planned on playing Wii, but Alex and Abby decided they did not want us playing so we hung out and watched TV.

Today we had our cook off team over to work on our booth and try out most of the food. For the most part, it turned out great! We made mini burgers on Hawaiian sweet rolls with sauteed onions and fried jalapeno strips with Chuy's jalapeno ranch to dip them in! We also tried corn nuggets and they did not turn out like we planned. We decided to nixed them. I am so excited about the cook off, it should be a ton of fun!

Oh, my baby girl has taken a bottle the last 2 nights! 3 ounces Thursday and 5 last night! Woo hoo! I could not be happier! She still needed me to nurse her for a few minutes before she would go to sleep so out next project is to get her to take only a bottle before going down for the night. I know I have been going on and on about how much I want her to take a bottle, and I really do, but it kinda makes me sad. I guess I never realized how much I love our time we have together when I am feeding her and I realized I'm not always going to have that.

I love this weather!

Today it's a cool 65 out, I love it! This is getting into my favorite time of the year where it is cool enough for long sleeves and light sweaters, but not so cold you need a jacket. I took full advantage of the weather change and put Alex in one of her cute fall outfits! We went and ran a few errands now we are relaxing at home waiting for Josh to get home from work. I really do have the life. I am laying on our bed doing a little work while Alex and Cooper nap beside me. I normally don't get back in bed, but for some reason today it just seemed easier to work in bed with the baby and the dog! We are going to dinner tonight with the James' then either watching Iron Man or Katie and I are going to go see a movie while the girls (Alex and Abby) have Daddy time.

Oh, to follow up with my post about jinxing the sleeping through the night thing....I think I did. Alex has been up once each night the last two nights. I think it is our fault. We let her nap around 7 last night so it threw off her bed time.

I'm going to go ahead and say this too, with the knowledge that I am probably jinxing it, but Alex took a bottle last night. Josh tried giving it to her around 6:30 and she would have no part of it. She wore herself out crying so she fell asleep (hence the 7:00 nap). When she woke up we tried again and she continued to cry. I started reading a bunch of articles online about introducing a bottle to a breastfed baby. I decided to try to let her nurse for a minute, then give her the bottle. It took a while, but it worked. She sat there with the bottle in her mouth for the longest time before she decided it was ok. She took right at 2 ounces. As it was running low, I had Josh grab the other one that was in the fridge and she took about 1/2 an ounce from that one. I know it's not much but it's a start for my picky little baby. We are trying the bottle again tonight so hopefully last night wasn't just a fluke.

Do you ever read sad things knowing they are going to make you cry? Someone sent me the link to a blog (http://sgirl79.blogspot.com/) and I started reading it last week. I cried for the longest time just thinking about what this mom was going through. She is so strong, I don't think I could have gone through what she did. I read some more last night and it just made me realize how freaking lucky I am to have a healthy beautiful baby girl I get to love and hold everyday. I know some days when Alex is cranky and fussy, it is easy to get frustrated, but I would not give up one moment I get to spend with her for anything in the world.

Sleeping Beauties!

So we didn't get to go to the pumpkin patch today because it rained all morning. We still went to lunch at Must Be Heaven and I had some yummy chicken and dumplings! We watched last weeks 90210. It's one of my guilty pleasure TV shows, along with Gossip Girls and Grey's Anatomy.

Afterwards, we worked on the invitations for a baby shower we are hosting next month. They turned out so cute! I need to mail them tomorrow since the shower is coming up.

The girls were so good today. I am really looking forward to next week when I start watching Abby! Katie and I started looking at double strollers so I won't be tied to the house everyday! Cooper is extra excited because now instead of having 1 baby to lick, he will have two to choose from! Abby got introduced to the fly by foot lick from Coop today! Abby napped while we worked, Alex slept for about 10 minutes then woke up and just smiled at the fan and the lights. Isn't it amazing how the smallest things can entertain babies?

Nap Time with Daddy

When Josh got home from work, I was putting together the ExerSaucer. He changed clothes and sat with Alex. The next thing I knew, they were both passed out. They looked so cute I had to grab the camera! So, after about 2 hours the ExerSaucer was put together....too bad I realized Alex can't use it yet. I guess I should have noticed the box said it's for 4 months to walking age! I put her in it and her little feet don't reach the bottom. Oh well, at least it's put together so when she is ready to use it!

I am excited about tomorrow. Katie and I are having lunch, then we are taking the girls to the pumpkin patch for pictures. They are going to wear their matching Halloween onesies Nomi got them. Then we are catching up on the 90210 from last week! Today was such a lazy day for us. I didn't leave the house! It was nice to relax and get some stuff done around here. I usually try to plan it so if we have a busy day out and about, we have a lazy day either the day before or the day after.

I have been a little hesitant to say this, thinking I may jinx it, but Alex has been sleeping through the night...for the most part. She falls asleep in the living room with us around 8:30 or 9, then she wakes up around 10:30 or 11, while we are still up, to eat. I put her down after she eats and she stays down until anywhere between 6 and 7. When she gets up, I feed her and she goes back to sleep until 9! I consider it sleeping through the night because, once I get in bed, I don't have to get back up until morning. I know it's just a matter of time before we get it down so she doesn't wake up for the feeding at 10:30. As long as I'm already up, I'm ok with her waking up!

We took a 2 day bottle break. We were having no luck and it was just killing me to hear her scream every night. The whole thing just wears me out. I think we will try again tomorrow.

Pumpkin Pie!

We took our little pumpkin to the pumpkin patch today. We didn't stay too long, so I think I may go back later in the week and take more pictures! She is an outdoor baby. She loves being outside!

We had some luck with the Soothies bottle today. She took 2 ounces this morning over about 40 minutes, then she took an ounce tonight. Not much, but it's a start. We have to keep trying.

It's past my bedtime. Cooper is warming up my spot for me! Night night!