Relaxing Weekend

We spent Saturday cleaning so we could do whatever we wanted to today. Let me clarify, Josh did most of the cleaning while I relaxed. He really is the best! My little munchkin knew yesterday was different because Josh was home all day long. She did not want to go down for naps. When she slept she was very restless. The last 2 nights she woke up at 11pm screaming like she was scared or something. We picked her up to calm her down and just rocked her a bit, then she'd go back to sleep. This morning, she started talking around 8:30 so I got her and brought her back to bed with us. She just hung out playing with her feet. She is really into Josh lately. She can not stop looking at him. If he looks at her she just gives him the biggest smile! It may be a guy thing because last night we had a few friends over to play games and anytime one of the guys would talk to her she would smile so big! She is such a little flirt!

Today is a very big day for our friends The Sorensens. Sheena and Tyler are at hospital where they have started her on meds to get ready for her induction tonight! She is 37 weeks today so we are praying for a healthy labor and delivery for baby Kyler!

We have a big week ahead of us. Monday Alex has her 6 month appointment, Tuesday I have my appointment with the rheumatologist where I'll be put on a new medication for the RA, we'll spend the rest of the week getting ready for Nomi and Popi to visit and Saturday Josh and I will spend our first night away from Alex. We are going to San Antonio! It was part of Josh's Christmas present. We are heading out early on Saturday, having lunch at Cooper's BBQ (yes, Coopie was named after this place), we may do a little shopping in San Marcos, dinner at La Fonda and we are staying at The Riverwalk Vista. It's an adorable boutique hotel located on the Riverwalk. We stayed there 2 nights on our honeymoon road trip. I am really looking forward to going and I know we need to have a little "us time" but it's still hard thinking about not being there when she wakes up so happy and smiley!

6 Months Old!!!

Alexandra Rae is 6 months old today! We are half way to her first birthday! Can you believe it? I can't! In month 5, she changed so much! She can not sit still, she is such a wiggle worm. Wednesday night we were having dinner and she was on her blanket. She turned completely around, wiggled to the edge of the blanket so she could see around the couch and just watched us. She is starting to reach for things she wants. She was sitting on my lap the other day and Cooper walked by, she reached both arms out and threw her weight forward towards him. She loves sitting in her Bumbo. She is very good at leaning over the side to pick up toys she has dropped. We can not keep her off her tummy. She plays on her tummy and sleeps on her tummy. The girl is also a sleeper! She will wake up in the morning and within an hour or 2, she'll be down for a nap. I can tell when she gets sleepy because she sucks on her bottom lip. (You can see her doing it in the second picture.) She also does that when she gets hungry. Oh is she a talker. She loves talking while she gets her diaper changed. She will just lay there and babble and giggle non stop. She has also discovered her toes! I haven't put socks on her in several days because she loves playing with her toes!

We go for her 6 month check up (and shots) Monday morning so I'll have more growth and developmental updates then. I am off to get ready. Alex and I are meeting Erika and Dane for lunch and coffee then A and I are off to run some errands!

so worth it!

I know I sounded really down in my last post, but Alex woke up and had lunch and she was soo happy and kept giving me the biggest gummiest smiles! Just seeing that smile made me forget about any pain and helped me to remember she is the reason I am able to get through each and every day! I would do anything in the world for my little girl!

Cooper Cure All

The last 2 days have been hard on me. I have been doing so much around the house during the day that by about 7pm, I am pain. My ankles and legs are killing me. I think part of it is I know I am going to the doctor on Tuesday and I'll be getting a prescription for an actual RA medication instead of a steroid to help with the pain. There is an end in sight. Tuesday can not come early enough. This morning was really bad, I had to have Josh help me dry off when I got out of the shower. I don't know why, but it makes me want to cry just thinking about it. I guess it's hard thinking that the simplest task are just torture for me some days. When Katie got here, she had to finish snapping Alex's PJ's because my hands were killing me. I guess I really don't write about the pain very much and I just kinda suck it up and do what needs to get done, but it really wears me down every single day. Last night I fell asleep on the couch around 10. Josh jokingly said something about how I am just exhausted every single night. I really think it is because just walking some days hurts, let alone bending down with the babies, carrying them around and just doing things around here. It just wears my body out. We were putting Alex down last night and I was carrying her to her room, I was basically shuffling my feet because my legs hurt so bad. Josh told me to hand him Alex since I was in pain, and me being so stubborn, I wouldn't. I just held on to her so tight and kept shuffling to her room. I don't know why I insist on being so stubborn, I guess I just feel like I have to be able to do everything for my baby. Josh really does so much when he gets home and I know I wouldn't be able to do it without him, but I guess sometimes I just feel like I have to prove to myself that I can do the small things on my own.

For some reason, no matter how much pain I am in, no matter how grumpy I am, Coopie is always there beside me. Just snuggling with him always makes me feel better. This morning, while the girls were napping, I walked into the bedroom and Coop was curled up on the bed. I snuggled up next to him and fell asleep for about 20 minutes. I am not kidding, when I got up, I felt 20 times better. I don't know what it is about him, but he always makes me feel better.

Apples!!!

Alex had apples today! She loved them! (Huge shock, I know!) She has pretty much put herself on a schedule. I know I have said it before, but this one has lasted about a week. She wakes up, will play for about an hour, eat, play some more, then take a nap. She wakes up around noonish and has lunch, plays for a bit then has a bottle. Around 2 she naps for several hours then pretty much stays up until bed time which is between 8:30 and 9:30. We are so lucky she has continued sleeping through the night with out any issues! Alex amazes me everyday! She is so vocal now. She wakes up sooo happy and will just talk to herself for the longest time. During diaper changes she just talks and talks! She is such a happy baby!

We are having a fun day hanging out with Sheena. Sheena is being induced on Sunday! We can't wait to meet Kyler Alexander!

Here are a few pics of Alex and her apples! She is such a good eater! So far she has loved everything we have tried!

Yes, those are apples by her eye. She is kind of a messy eater!

Playing with a spoon after lunch...wondering why there is no more food on her spoon!

Ooops, Mommy caught me!!

Alex hanging out with Abby

Alex loving on Abby!

A cute little video of Alex the piglet!!

Christmas with Nomi and Popi!

We have had such a great time relaxing at Nomi and Popi's! Alex is being spoiled rotten. Nomi and Popi will just hold her as long as she wants them to so she can look out the window at the lake. She has also been sleeping sooo much! I let her take a longer nap Wednesday night since we were going to be up late waiting till midnight (yes, midnight is late for us) and she had no part of it. She was out by 10! Last night she took a nap from 4-6 then was ready for bed by 8:30!

We opened Christmas presents Wednesday night and Alex got some great stuff. Aunt Jodi, Uncle Laith, Hud and Izzy sent some of their favorite holiday books. It was so sweet, they had the family favorite (Santa Mouse), Hud's fav (The Polar Express) and Izzy's (Olivia Helps With Christmas). The kids wrote special notes to Alex in their favorite books. Nomi also got Alex her first blankie. She got the most beautiful Little Giraffe blanket. I actually picked it out several months ago and completely forgot about it. She also got an adorable bumble bee pillow!

Goodbye 2008, Hello 2009

Our 2008 started out on a high note. We had our first sonogram on January 8, 2008 and we got to see our little baby for the first time. For the first time ever, she took my breath away. I knew at that moment, everything was real, I was in love and my life would never be the same. We found out at the end of March our little bean was a baby girl. We already knew she would be named Alexandra Rae Stafin. We spent the next several months preparing for the arrival of our sweet baby girl. On July 9th our lives changed forever. Much to our surprise, Alex decided it was time to meet her parents. My labor started around 3am, Josh and I went to the hospital and Alexandra was born at 3:44pm. She was absolutely perfect. Despite being born at 35.5 weeks, she was healthy and didn't need to spend any time in the NICU. The almost six months since her birth have been amazing. I never thought I could love someone as much as I love her. She still takes my breath away every single day. Her big gummy smiles melt my heart. Josh and I are so in love with her and now feel like our lives are complete. We can not wait to see what 2009 will have in store for us and our family. We wish everyone a happy and healthy 2009!