My 1st Attempt at "More Frequent" Posting :-)~

As I alluded to in my post last week, I really am going to try to update the blog more frequently because I know my readers LOVE seeing/hearing what Alexa is up to!! Towards the end of 2009 I was only posting once every three weeks, and now (in 2010) this is already my second post - go me!

The biggest news of 2010 is... Alexa is PACIFIER FREE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Last June, when she was 7.5 months old, Alexa stopped using her pacy during the day and only had it for nap/bed time. I was Queen Thumbsucker until I was 12 years old, so I've always been worried that my children will have the "sucking for comfort" gene. So I was THRILLED when she gave up the pacy on her own besides sleepy time. I asked Dr. Jacob, at Alexa's 1-year appointment, when she recommended taking it away completely, and she told me between 14-15 months old. Last Monday, I just decided on a whim to try nap without it, and besides a few whimpers she went to sleep... she hasn't had one since :-) The greatest part of this is that Alexa is no longer crying out in the middle of the night (and waking us up) because her pacy fell out and she can't find it. When she goes to bed (around 7:30 pm), we don't hear from her again until she wakes up (between 7:30 - 8:15 am)! We are SO BLESSED to have such a great sleeper (***knock on wood)!!

We started off the New Year by cheering the BUCKEYES to victory in the Rose Bowl!! Our friend, Tim, had the usual gang over to watch the game. We were able to stay until the middle of the 3rd quarter, but then had to leave because it was Alexa's bed time (and she was getting fussy). Here is Alexa with Aunty Kat and with Mommy at Tim's condo :-)










I am just now beginning to relinquish some control by teaching Alexa to eat [breakfast] with a spoon or fork. Here is a video of Alexa using a spoon to feed herself some yogurt. This has been hard for me because I cannot stand the mess she could potentially make, so we are working hard at showing her to just use the utensil to get food from the tray to her mouth (and to not touch the food with her left hand). It is still a work-in-progress :-)~


Before I packed up the dancing Santa Claus (that Gram gave us), I tried taking videos (several different days/times) of Alexa dancing with it to show Gram just how much she LOVED him!! Here is one of 'em.


Besides dancing with Santa, at the tail end of this movie, you'll hear Alexa talking about and searching for her "bow." I'll discuss this in further detail in a moment.


A video of Alexa crawling up the stairs.


Look how FAST she is getting! I think she'll be running soon :-)


It amazes me how Alexa understands what I am saying to her and how she will follow directions [sometimes]!


In the past week, Alexa has become OBSESSED with bows. I don't like to put ponytails in her hair too often because I am afraid the ties damage her already thin baby hair, so last week I tried using a bow to pull her "bangs" back off of her forehead and so she would still look girly. It looks too cute! When I clipped it in for the first time, I told her that she was pretty and thus I created a monster - she asks for a bow immediately when waking up, once it is in her hair she says "pri" (for pretty), and throughout the day she will take it out [if it gets too loose or sometimes for no reason at all] and bring it over to me to put back in. When I get sick of the in-and-out game, I tell her the bow is all done and put it out of her reach. She'll sign "all done" and go do something for about 1 minute, then come back to me and start asking (and searching) for the bow :-)~ The other must-have accessory Alexa always asks for are her shoes. She is going to be a fashionista, haha.










One of our "learning how to use a fork during breakfast" sessions :)~


We got a decent amount of snow in Dublin last week. So Dan got out the Toro "Power Shovel" that Gram gave us last year (since she now just has someone plow her driveway). He LOVED it!! It was so much easier than shoveling :-)










Whenever Alexa gets fussy in the car (which is rare ***knock on wood), all I have to do is turn on CD 5. Listen to how she has learned "Old MacDonald!" (Note: even as I played this movie back for her to watch, Alexa was "moo"ing and "e-i e-i"ing along with it -- too brilliant!!)


On Tuesday, January 13, 2009 I took a 2.5 month old to the library just to check out what Babytime was like... On Monday, January 11, 2010 I took a 14.5 month old to the library, and we both still love it just as much as we did that first day ♥ Here are some photos of Alexa moving around the Story Garden...










It is so much FUN to watch Alexa interact with other children and chase the bubbles!










Ms. Allison tells the parents in Babytime that it is time to "move up" to Tales for Twos & Threes when your child knows the motions to The Wheels on the Bus. The version that we listen to at the library (and at home) has the wheels (round & round), wipers (swish), horn (beep), and babies (bounce)... of these four, Alexa already knows the horn on her own, and once reminded she will do the other three as well. I think that by the end of the winter session of Babytime, Alexa will have mastered all 4 motions to the song, and we will be moving up to be with the BIG KIDS :) in the spring session!!










Just because she loves her bows so much... I took Alexa to Target today (after getting Chloe's nails clipped) to get bigger bows for her! Is she not the cutest little girl in the world?!










I told Dan how I wanted to sign Alexa and I up for a Mommy & Me gymnastics-type class. He asked what gymnastics a 1-year old could do. Of course I informed him of all the gross motor development, like running, jumping, etc. that would be practiced in a class... so he decided it's his mission to teach Alexa how to jump. For some reason, I think she is going to have un-realistic expectations of how high she can jump...


Does anyone have suggestions on snacks or meals for Alexa?? I feel like she eats the same things every couple of days, and it is boring (at least to me). So besides the standard Cheerios, goldfish, animal crackers - any creative snack suggestions? For lunch she usually eats cheese, lunch meat, and fruit. And for dinner, she will sometimes eat what we eat, but if it is too messy or she doesn't like it, we'll fall back on fish sticks and chicken nuggets. I do NOT want to be that mom who feeds her kids unhealthy, easy, quick-fix foods ALL the time! I understand that sometimes these foods are necessary in extremely busy households where both parents are working, but that is not our situation. I have the time and desire to cook healthy and creative things, I just need some HELP coming up with new recipes!!!

We have a lot to look forward to this weekend... with the arrival of Noni and Papa (whom Alexa has been missing something crazy --- the past two days I've heard "Non" "Papa" "JaJa" and "Yant" more times than I can count; I think she realizes we "skipped" a Perry weekend last week) and the celebration of Dan's 30th Birthday!!! I'll be sure to take pictures to share with y'all next week. Ciao.