Thursday, June 3rd -
Last Thursday evening we had to run to the Honda dealership to FINALLY pick up our Title Memorandum for the Odyssey (yes, we JUST got it last week -- we had to get a second 30-day tag because the dealership messed stuff up. It was incredibly frustrating, but I'm just glad it is all taken care of now!). Well as we were leaving Immke I asked Alexa what she wanted for dessert (because a. she had eaten a fabulous dinner and b. I'm pregnant & craving sweets, lol). I expected her to say, "ice cream" or "popsicles" but instead she responded with "donuts." So we went to Krispy Kreme, got some tasty treats and a cool baker's hat, and here's our little girl enjoying her snack of choice...
Friday, June 4th -
I had seen an advertisement that there was going to be a Backyard Concert at our library so we went to check it out last weekend. Unfortunately, since the weather was uncooperative they had to have the concert indoors. It didn't matter to Alexa though - it was a cool, free way to spend a Friday evening! Alexa had so much fun listening & dancing to the Irish and Scottish tunes!!
Saturday, June 5th -
We had a visitor for the day... my dear friend, Lynnie!! She was one of the bridesmaids in our wedding, and I have seen her several times since then (just not since Alexa had been born). Lynn works at a restaurant and lives on the westside of Cleveland, so her schedule/location and our usually jam-packed Perry trips have made it impossible to get together until now. Her boyfriend had to work in C-bus for the day on Saturday so she came to hangout with us. We had so much fun playing, shopping, and just catching up!!!
Note: the stuffed animal in Alexa's arms is Tyrone, from The Backyardigans. She found this at the consignment shop and for $1.50, I had to get it for her (especially considering Nick Jr. no longer makes Backyardigan paraphernalia).
After Lynn left on Saturday, Pat and Becky came over for a visit (we were supposed to go strawberry picking, but the rainy weather didn't allow that). Hard to believe it had been five weeks since we had last seen them! Unfortunately, we forgot to get the camera out so I don't have any pictures to share. But we had a nice time with them, and enjoyed dinner at Red Lobster and dessert at Menchies (that frozen custard place I mentioned in my last post). We didn't do too much on Sunday besides church, grocery shopping, yard work, etc. I do have a story to share from Sunday morning... as we pulled into Starbucks Alexa pointed out the firetruck in the parking lot. While Daddy went in for coffee, Alexa and I got out to look at the truck. The nice firemen waved us over, talked to Alexa, offered to take her up into the truck (but she shook her head & cried -- they told me to bring her to the firehouse when she gets a little bit older and wouldn't be scared), turned on the lights, and even briefly sounded the siren. Alexa LOVED it!!
Monday, June 7th -
Alexa and I went to lunch with Tiffanie at Panera and then walked around Easton. It was great catching up with Tiff & hearing all about her honeymoon and first few weeks of newlywed bliss!
Tuesday, June 8th -
Alexa went to the dentist for the first time today. The hygienist let her feel & hold each of the instruments before she put them in Alexa's mouth. Currently Alexa has 11 teeth (the 4 bottom incisors, the 2 top incisors, the 4 1st molars, and most recently 1 of her top cuspids popped through).
She did a wonderful job in the 5-10 minutes it took to get her teeth polished by the hygienist and checked by the dentist. They recommend bringing kids in at a young age, not so much to get their teeth cleaned but to familiarize them with the procedures so that when they really do need their teeth cleaned the are comfortable with the process.
Here I am today at 24 weeks prego with Baby Boy (yup, we still have not settled on a name). As I record my recent measurements, I realized that although I feel huge, I am actually smaller then I was at this point in my pregnancy with Alexa. Thank goodness!! Hopefully, the baby weight will come off just as fast (if not, faster) once he is born as it did after I had Alexa.
I'm not sure how much Alexa understands about the baby, but she certainly loves to give her baby brother kisses & cuddles every day! Feeling B.B. move is now a daily thing. There are certain times of day when I definitely expect him to be active (e.g. when I am putting Alexa to bed & for the first hour she is asleep), times when he is at rest (e.g. while I am working out), and he reacts to stimulants (like caffeine or the pressure of me resting my book on my belly). He is so much more active then I remember Alexa being at this point!
A few weeks ago, Noni bought Alexa her first pair of jelly shoes. She thinks they are so cool and because of them, Alexa has actually learned how to put her own shoes on. Her favorite part of the jellies is the noise they make! (We have also been working on learning how to get dressed and undressed on our own. Alexa can put on her tops & bottoms with assistance, and she is very good at taking off her clothes - as well as putting them in the hamper - on her own!)
Alexa showing off her Potty sticker chart.
I guess we still have some work to do on her counting ;-)
I need to get another video to share with y'all... over the past two weeks I have been singing the Alphabet Song to Alexa daily and she remembers about 16 of 26 letters! It is pretty phenomenal.
The past two days I started teaching Alexa something else... she now knows if she hears "O-H" to shout "I-O!" Last week I bought her an Adidas OSU cheerleader outfit at the kids' consignment store and she says, "Go Bucks!" whenever she sees it. So between her new outfit, learning "I-O," and saying "Go Bucks!" Alexa is all set for football season and it's only June! The past few days I have been helping Kevin Buchman (a former Perry teacher and cheerleading coach) with his resume & cover letter; I told him the payment was to set us up to meet Brutus & the cheerleaders (his wife, Lenee, is Ohio State's head cheerleading coach!). I will be sure to take LOADS of photos of our little girl to share with y'all when we meet the Buckeyes!!
Alexa is starting to piece together strings of words. During dinner tonight, Daddy looked at me and said, "She is almost talking in sentences." Hard to believe! As I always tell you, it is great being able to communicate with her. We love knowing what she is thinking/feeling, and we love that she understands us too. Lately Alexa has even been trying to sing songs... she will be playing and you'll hear her in a sing-song voice say, "Oh Mr. Sun" over and over again (it's from a Barney song) or at bedtime she'll say, "Twin Twin Lil Star" requesting that I sing that next. She is just so neat, and I wish all of you had the privilege of being with her every single day like we do!!!
Anyway, tomorrow morning we will go to the gym (I have Zumba) before we go to see Dr. Davy for my monthly check-up. Should be routine, just getting a measurement and hearing B.B.'s heartbeat. We had plans to go to the Splash Park in Powell with Bobbi & Kyla tomorrow afternoon, but I think the weather is going to change that... maybe we'll just play indoors at one of our houses. This weekend is a Perry weekend. I'm hoping the weather predictions change so that we can enjoy some outdoor festivities while we are up there, like the St. Gabriel's Festival and a hot air balloon-launch at a winery. That's all I've got for now... Ciao.
A few random photos from before we went to North Carolina. Alexa in the Hello Kitty hat I bought her last summer (this year she actually leaves it on!), and two (of the three) pretty flowers that my super sweet sister got me for Mother's Day ♥
Since we've returned from N.C., I've already mentioned how busy we have been. It feels good to be busy and have stuff to do, but it is also overwhelming because so much needs to get done before Baby Boy is born! There are clothes to be bought, a nursery to set up, and Alexa's bedroom to redo (our plan is to put her into a twin-sized bed in August so we don't have to buy a crib). I know it'll all get done (just like my house will eventually be "Spring Cleaned"), but I just wish I could snap my fingers and it all be done right now!!
Monday, May 24th -
Alexa climbed onto the kitchen table, grabbed a napkin, and started blowing her nose (all while my back was turned making her breakfast). She definitely sets her mind to something and goes for it!
Here is Alexa "cooking" (really mixing Fruit Loops in a bowl) while I make dinner, and when Daddy got home she asked him to put on her sunglasses and read her new book about BUTTERFLIES, of course!
We planted grass seed before we left for N.C., and Alexa likes to help Daddy water the small spots with the watering can. She calls it "gardening."
Upon taking this picture, I realized Alexa needed a watering can her own size, and I found the perfect gardening set (watering can, shovel, rake, and something else) at CVS when I was picking up her new prescription last week.
After eating a great dinner (this was the night she ate chicken parm & pasta) and doing yard work, we settled onto the front step for popsicles. We call Alexa the Popsicle Thief (and she calls herself it too) because she'll ask, "Mommy, taste?" And when I offer her a lick of my popsicle, she bites it! Then she laughs... she is really quite the comedian.
Goofing around in the bath tub.
She LOVES how Daddy wraps her up in her puppy towel ♥
Wednesday, May 26th -
Here is Alexa coloring at the gym. Coloring is one of her fave things to do, and she does a really nice job of holding the crayons and scribbling all over the paper :-) The ladies in the gym are constantly amused with Alexa. They cannot believe how far she has come in just four months - from crying, separation-anxiety ridden baby to playful, happy toddler. The women all like to have Alexa repeat words (like their names or things in the room) because they are amazed with the way she enunciates words (and remembers what they mean). I'm happy that they talk to her and encourage her communication skills just like I do at home. After leaving the gym (and it was Wed so it had been ZUMBA day, which I still love love love), Alexa and I headed to the zoo.
We saw the new polar bear exhibit (I wasn't too impressed with it actually), ducks, flamingos, fish, koalas, and kangaroos. The two of us enjoyed our packed lunch in the shade, but had to leave because Mommy was super duper hot and it was time for Her Highness's nap. It is great having a zoo membership so we can go for an hour or two and leave without having to pay for parking or admission. We will most definitely get our $$$-worth this summer!
Thursday, May 27th -
Alexa's first ponytail!! Isn't she adorable? And yes, she is laughing at herself. I cannot emphasize enough just how funny Alexa really is. Besides herself, Alexa constantly has us chuckling and sometimes even strangers!
Have no fear she spotted Barney at Babies R Us and HAD to ride him... then threw a temper tantrum when we left. Thank goodness I found a ginormous stuffed Barney (just like the one she has at N&P's house) at Once Upon A Child for $3.50 last week. He goes with us whenever we leave the house (but stays in the car) and is pretty much attached to Alexa's side.
After leaving Babies R Us, we met Tim for dinner. Alexa entertained him and even got him to color with her! He will be in England for the next few weeks and is giving us his key to the pool at his condo complex. When you see how much Alexa loves swimming (in pictures below), you will understand when I say that we will be going several times while he is gone! Then, on Friday afternoon we headed up to Perry to enjoy the long holiday weekend. I'm trying to remember what we did but am drawing up blank so obviously it was simply a relaxing night at home.
Saturday, May 29th -
As soon as we were ready, Alexa, Daddy, Noni, and Mommy drove to downtown Cleveland to meet Uncle at the Westside Market. It was cute watching Alexa point to all of the fruits & veggies and identify them as we walked through the busy market. We bought some yummy treats (pretzels, lemon squares and foccacio bread) at the bakery, and Noni loaded up on produce.
We took a break from the grocery shopping to do some dancing in the square across the street from the market. Alexa was thrilled to head back to the market holding Uncle's hand (and I adore seeing the two of them together!).
It has been a number of years since Dan and I had been to Uncle's house, so we followed him home so that we could see all the work he has put into it. It looks fabulous!!
Alexa LOVES Uncle ♥
That afternoon we went to my mom's cousin Roberta's house for a graduation party (that was like a mini-family reunion). It was really nice to visit with family that I haven't seen in years!! And of course, Alexa had Papa wrapped around her finger taking her anywhere she wanted to go (like into the chicken coop and to pet the goats!).
Sunday, May 30th -
After going to church, we stopped at the nursery to get some plants. Noni & Papa got tomatoes and pumpkins, and we just got tomatoes (beef steak and cherry).
After nap it was time to head to Johnny's for the first of many pool parties we will attend there this summer! Alexa wanted to be in the water the entire time we were there (with a small break for dinner and rest). Thank goodness there were five of us to take turns swimming with her!!
In the picture on the right she is probably pointing at and saying "Lola" (my childhood friend, Channing's new puppy that Alexa adored).
Papa made Alexa try on the vest to see if she could jet ski later this summer. Good news: it fits and she floats. Bad news: she was uncomfortable! Ah well, I'm sure she'll have her first ride on the water before June is over!!
This is Alexa's watering can that I mentioned I got at CVS. She drenched her entire Barney towel (Noni saves EVERYTHING, the towel is from when Auntie was a little girl!).
A funny after the party story: Daddy, Auntie, and I bring Alexa home to give her a bath and put her to bed. While sitting in the living room, I hear Daddy say, "Alexa do you have to go poopy? Let me rinse your hair and then you can go on the potty." I then hear Auntie leave her bedroom to stand at the bathroom door, then she bursts into laughter. The next thing I hear is Daddy saying, "We've got some floaters!" This is the first time that Alexa has every went poop in the bath tub (and hopefully the last). It was hysterical!
Monday, May 31st (Memorial Day) -
First, let me say THANK YOU to all the men and women who served or continue to serve our country. It is because of you that we are all able to enjoy the luxuries and freedoms we have in the United States. It is because of you that my daughter and son will grow up feeling safe and happy. For all the service men and women, I am extremely grateful.
Here is Alexa in the car before she went "crash" (i.e. tipped it over) and then watching Daddy mix the potting soil.
She helped Noni hang the bathing suits on the line and then did some "gardening."
Checking out the big tomato plant that Noni & Papa got, and digging in one of the pots.
Helping Papa and swinging with Auntie.
Daddy, Alexa, and Papa planting the pumpkins and then watering the tomatoes with Daddy.
There was a small parade in Perry that the five of us went to.
Alexa loves "firetrucks" (and points them out whenever she sees them).
Watching the parade and collecting lots of candy!
Posing near the firetruck after the parade with Mommy & Daddy and Papa & Noni.
Alexa also sat on the bails of hay/straw.
Tuesday, June 1st -
After nap we had our first playdate with our new friends from the gym, Mrs. Bobbi and Kyla. We were surprised when Mrs. Christi showed up at the park with her kids (Jacob, Xander, and Chloe) too! When they got to the park Chloe shouted "ALEXA!" the moment she saw her, and Alexa smiled and yelled, "CHLOE!" It was so much fun watching Alexa interact with these children who have honestly become her friends from seeing 2-3 days a week. Bobbi and I have setup our next playdate for next Wednesday - we are going to a Spash Park in Powell. After dinner Alexa cuddled up on her couch to watch an episode of Barney while Daddy prepared....
Once Daddy was ready, I took Alexa outside to help with "gardening" (i.e. planting our tomatoes). And as a treat, we went to Munchies, this very cool frozen yogurt place!
Wednesday, June 2nd -
After going to Zumba, we went to visit the Nguyen's and meet baby Matthew. He slept the whole time we were there, but Alexa really enjoyed playing with Daniel and Joseph. They played with blocks and all different sorts of vehicles. I had a nice chat with Sarah, and we agreed to schedule another playdate soon! (I must say it feels really great to be making friends with other mommies! I have felt so alone/isolated in Columbus, away from my family and with friends who are not at the same point in their lives as we are in ours, and it is absolutely wonderful to not feel so alone anymore!!!) We then came home for lunch and Alexa helped me make dinner. This casserole, Fireman's One Dish, is one of our favorites, and Alexa really enjoyed putting the peas, corn, and tatar tots in the dish!
In other news, we are working on Alexa's behavior a little bit (not because she is bad, more like as a preventative measure). Anytime she cries/screams about something, we tell her that we don't understand and to "use her words." She will calm down pretty quickly and then say whatever she wants (i.e. down, more, cuddle, etc.). As part of this behavior plan, Dan and I are also working on our patience with her and our voice levels. We have agreed to try to save the yelling voice for if Alexa is doing something dangerous or extremely wrong so that way she knows we are absolutely serious. So that means the rest of the time that we are correcting her, we get down on her level and tell her what she is doing wrong and to make better choices. If she gets 3 warnings, then she sits in a 20-second timeout. I feel like she remembers/understands things (like retelling people about our trip to the zoo, or what the two names we are thinking of for Baby Boy are, etc.) so she should be able to grasp concepts like we don't stand on chairs unless we are cooking. I know she is still a baby, kind of, but she is so smart and I want to take care of behavior issues before the new baby is born!
No surprise here, I'm going to brag about how brilliant Alexa is!! She is learning new words and ideas/concepts every single day. She enjoys her time with other children and is all but done with the separation anxiety she was having a few months ago! It really is such a pleasure to spend every day with her, I am so appreciative that I get to experience everything with her. Here is a cute Alexa story: One night last week I asked her, "Alexa, who loves you?" She said, "Daddy." I kept asking, "Who else?" And she responded with, "Papa. Noni. Auntie. JaJa. Grandma. David. Natalie..." The list went on and on, but the last two names she said were the two names we've been testing out & debating between for Baby Boy :-) So sweet that she already knows her brother loves her (no matter what his name is) ♥ She amazes me :-)
Wondering what names we are debating between?! Here's another recent conversation with Alexa:
Mommy: Alexa, we're gonna have a baby....
Alexa: Brother!
Mommy: And we're gonna name him...
Alexa: Sam!
Mommy: Or...
Alexa: Jack!
(We have mini-convos like this all day long. The cuddly newborn stage was nice, but this interactive toddler and still semi-cuddly stage is so much better!!! It is so neat to see Alexa's personality developing!)
Speaking of Baby Boy... he is doing great! At my last OB appt the doctor said we'll do one final ultrasound at 28 weeks (in July). He is moving a TON and is getting strong. Dan has felt him move a couple of times too :-) It is such a great feeling to be connecting with a little human being inside of you. Again, I am amazed and so very blessed!! Yes, the two names we are thinking are either Samuel (calling him Sam) or Jack. The middle name will definitely be Walter after my grandfather. Jack was the name that we liked for a boy years ago, just as Alexa was our girl name, but it seemed to be growing in popularity lately. However, according to my recent research it is losing its popularity so I may be okay with it. I really like Sam, but Dan says it sometimes makes him think of a girl (because lots of Samantha's go by Sam). Who knows what we'll decide upon but I'm certain it'll be one of those two names.
Back to Alexa... she is continuing to do great with her eating. She has tried so many new things and has even found a few new favorites. It makes moments like going to lunch with Daddy at House of Japan today so much more enjoyable knowing she will eat/share whatever we are eating (our chef actually cut up steak & chicken into child-size bites for her, which was really sweet). She is also doing really great for a 19-month old at potty training. She has earned so many stickers (both at home and at Noni & Papa's house) for using the toilet! I think this past Tuesday was her best day - she peed or pooped every single time she was on the potty and several times her diaper was still dry! Finally, in case you were wondering, Alexa's cough and runny nose are gone which Dr. Jacob said would happen if the ear infection began to clear up. So praise this antibiotic she is on for getting rid of the stubborn ear infection!!
Phew, that was quite the post!! I'm off to get some stuff done around the house and to make a few phone calls. Will post again soon... Ciao.
