To pick up where my last blog left off... Alexa and I raided the Carter's store last Wednesday, and her new fall wardrobe is fabulous! Daddy didn't even "yell" at us for what we bought :-) I even found the PERFECT dress to compliment mine & Dan's outfits for Maureen & Dan's rehearsal dinner! We also did a little shopping at Target and found cute black shoes for Alexa.
We tried to spend more time at home last week -- I was beginning to feel like a bad mom, always taking Alexa out on errands. So at home we focused on many different types of play :-) We did lots of reading, played with shapes in different ways (puzzles, shape sorter), made music, sat outside, crawled everywhere, practiced climbing the stairs, rolled the ball, etc. Recently, Dan and I had noticed that she wasn't saying "book" anymore, but now that we've been at home she's started saying it again. She's also saying something that resembles "bottle" when she's hungry. Clearly the additional time spent focusing on Alexa has paid off!! It has helped boost her confidence in her physical abilities too! She is becoming more brave about pulling up to stand and then letting go (she can stand for about 10 seconds). Alexa is crawling farther distances every day and understands how to pull her legs up to climb the stairs. She is a very busy little girl :-)
For awhile there, we were growing frustrated with Alexa's middle of the night cries... she would cry out, one of us (usually Dan) would have to go give her a pacifier, then she'd go to sleep and we'd be awake. But with skipping her morning nap every other day, increasing her food intake, and a more active lifestyle of play, Alexa has been sleeping great (***knock on wood)!!! I don't think it'll be too long before we are down to one nap a day. This works great for our fall plans though - we will now attend Babytime on Monday mornings and on Tuesday mornings we will have swim lessons! I can't wait to start this new adventure (next week) with my little girl!!! I'll be sure to have someone take a pic, and I'll let y'all know how Alexa does :-) Don't worry, we'll continue to play at home (especially once we have our nice new Playroom done) so that Alexa continues to thrive!!
Playroom News: On Wednesday evening, Pat came over to help Dan put in 9 recessed lights. They didn't get them all done, but he showed Dan what he needed to do to finish. Dan finished the lights and hung insulation on Friday. He put in more hours working on the Playroom then if he had just gone into the office, oy! On Sunday and Monday, Dan & Pat were BUSY hanging drywall. It has been quite a project! In fact, Dan told me last night, "the next time you have an idea for something like this keep it in your head." LOL.
Last week I began my BUCKEYE spirit training with Alexa... she wore OSU clothing on Thursday, Friday, and [of course] Saturday, we listened to TBDBITL whenever we were in the car, and I was constantly chanting "O-H-I-O" to her. She may not understand yet, but this kid will be a BUCKEYE fan if it's the only thing I am successful at as a parent ;-)
Look at her letting go of the couch -- I feel like she wants to say, "Look, no hands!"
She LOVES to be turned upside-down and swung back-and-forth like a ticking clock :)~
Last Friday evening, Alexa got to have her first BIG GIRL dinner with Mommy and Daddy. We had mashed potatoes (which Daddy fed her but she didn't like), meatloaf, and peas (and plums to substitute for the potatoes). She did AMAZING!!!
On Saturday, Alexa got to experience her 1st real game day :-) She was sporting her new OSU onesie and a [sticker-type] tattoo. Alexa got lots of "how cutes" and "awes" all day long! Our day kind of went like so: After Alexa's morning nap, we headed to campus. We got down there about 11:30 am and went to BW3s. Joining us were Tim, Sean & Stephanie, and Becky. Uncle Sean is always willing to hold Alexa -- he particularly enjoyed using the cupholder in her stroller :)~
We cheered on the BUCKS to their first victory of the season! (Dan & I have a semi-tradition of taking a self-portrait on every game day, so be on the watch for these - we gotta figure out how to include Alexa Rose too!).
Stephanie, me, & Becky at Bdubbs. A self-proclaimed "terrified" Uncle Tim held Alexa several times on Saturday -- we kept having to reassure him that he wouldn't break her, haha.
Alexa napped for over an hour in the cheering bar! I mean, she didn't even flinch when eruptions of O-H-I-O were chanted after we scored!! After an amazing time down on campus, we decided to test our luck and took Alexa to the Grumpy Troll (where we used to regulars). She got to see (and meet) some friends from our past. Finally, we went to dinner at Genji Japanese Steakhouse. It was a loooooong day - we didn't get home until almost 8:00 pm. Alexa was soooo great, and we know we'll take her out for more game days this football season!
Alexa really enjoys Bath Time Fun!
Since Alexa will crawl into the kitchen when I'm cooking, I've designated a few different things for her to play with on the floor. She enjoys banging, mixing, and throwing these objects :-)
On Sunday we went to "The Farm" - a piece of property in the New Albany area that has been owned by various members of Dan's extended family for decades. Every Memorial Day and Labor Day weekends, people gather there to eat, socialize, and allow the kids to play in the creek - which I informed them Alexa will NEVER do!
All in all we had a great, busy, productive, and fun-filled LONG weekend!! Daddy was off last Friday through today; we're gonna be sad to send him back to work tomorrow :-( But Alexa and I are looking forward to meeting my friend Ellie's baby tomorrow morning. And of course, we're all looking forward to our trip home this weekend - can't believe it's been 3 weeks... I'm going to Country Jam with Mom & a bunch of her girlfriends all day on Saturday, and Alexa is spending the day with her Daddy & her Papa :-) It's also the big game this weekend - Let's go BUCKS beat USC (I cannot stand Pete Carroll)!!! Ciao.
This weekend brought cooler temperatures, and the opportunity to wear jeans & hoodies - LOVE it! It got to wear my "goal jeans" that I haven't worn since the fall of 2006. Keeping up with Alexa is making me super-skinny ;-) Haha. I weigh less then I did on our wedding day!
On Friday evening, we went to dinner at Flanagan's with Pat, Becky, Maureen, and Dan. This is the first "real" high chair Alexa ever sat in! She enjoyed slamming the foam plate on the tray :)~
After a family trip to Lowe's on Saturday morning to get stuff for Playroom construction, Alexa and I went to Maureen's bridal shower (while Dan went to lunch downtown with his dad & Dan). We were able to see a lot of the female Ritchey family members :) All of whom commented on how "cute" Alexa and I were in our matching dresses - we like to coordinate our outfits!
On our way home from the shower, we stopped by David's Bridal to see Tiffanie pick out her wedding gown! It is so pretty, and looks great with the bridesmaid dresses we found last week! When we got home, Alexa played with her walker... well, not really, in fact the thing kind of intimidates her!Alexa really loves to jump/bounce!
Doesn't Alexa look like such a big girl? Her outfit is one that Aunty Kat sent from London :) When Alexa pulls herself up to stand, I see her becoming a toddler. She is more independent each day, so stubborn and full of life! As long as she's awake, I am on the move too - telling her "NO!" when she touches something she shouldn't (like the surround sound speakers) and chasing her away from things (like Chloe's dog bowl that she is fascinated with, lol).
Our church had a picnic on Sunday afternoon. They served a nice BBQ style meal, and the 3 of us got t-shirts for being "new parishioners" (since we didn't go to the picnic last year) - I'm excited to wear mine to PSR! There were tons of games, ranging from 3-legged race to corn hole to text messaging. They had face painting and Bingo too! I really like St. Joan of Arc, and I'm hoping to make some friends (besides Minh & Sarah) this coming year through PSR. It would be really great for Dan and I to meet other couples with young children!
After the church picnic we went out to Pataskala for dinner with Dan's family. Alexa got to show off her crawling and standing! And Chloe got to run around and play with Maddie :)
This week has been off to a great start! On Monday, Alexa and I did our normal thing - grocery shopping and other errands. We got some BUCKEYE clothes for the game this weekend! Alexa is going to experience game day for the first time outside of Mommy's belly :) Yes, we are taking her to campus!!
Yesterday, we went to Babytime at the library. Ms. Allison was delighted to see Alexa crawling! She couldn't believe how much she had grown in the few weeks since Summer session ended. It is amazing how much changes in such a short period of time - I set Alexa on the floor so I could pick some books out, and the next thing I knew, she was pulling herself up on the shelves or crawling over to the library toys.
Our plan for today is to go raid the Carter's store after lunch :) In all my shopping, I never really bought Alexa clothes past 9-months... so we are going to buy her 12-month fall wardrobe. They have some super cute clothes out right now, an awesome sale, plus I have a coupon - we'll probably come home with "too much" according to Daddy ;-)
Our progress on the basement is minimal thus far. We've moved almost everything to the unfinished side of the basement. Dan has put up some insulation along the top part of the foundation walls, rewired some cable, and drilled some holes for the new lights. Tonight he (and his dad) will be running the electrical for the recessed lighting. Tomorrow night Dan and Ben (my friend, Tiffanie's fiance) will be picking up the drywall from Lowe's, and hopefully on Friday Dan will get the insulation in the ceiling and begin to hang the drywall. Obviously, he is taking Friday off of work, which means we'll have a 4-Day Weekend together!! Our only "break" from the Playroom will be the game on Saturday. It'll be nice to be together just the three of us with no where to go (except maybe Lowe's, lol). I've started taking a few pictures of the work-in-progress, and once it is all complete I'll post it all. Hope you are enjoying the beginning of Fall, I know I am :) Pumpkin Spice Latte from Starbucks, Sam Adam's Oktoberfest, and BUCKEYE football. Life is good! Ciao.
Sorry that it has been over 2 weeks since my last post! Life in the Ritchey household is as busy as ever!!! The past two weeks have been filled with "play dates," a trip to Perry, food poisoning, plans to make a playroom, shopping, and family fun :)
These two photos were taken right after my last posting (mid-Aug). Finding Alexa standing in her crib is pretty normal now. In fact, it's kinda becoming a nuisance because she would sometimes prefer to stand then sleep...
Our mischievous monkey girl :)~ ("Monkey Girl" is what Daddy calls Alexa, and I think she looks so ornery in this photo).
Daddy - Daughter Day. I went to Louisville on Aug. 15th for a pre-Bachelorette Party for Tiffanie, so Alexa had 28 hours of fun with Daddy! They played, went to the grocery store (where Daddy was proud of all the compliments he received about Alexa), made chicken wings, and hosted dinner (Sean and Tim came over).
While Daddy & Alexa were busy at home, I was enjoying my lil road trip to Louisville. We ate dinner at Hard Rock Cafe and hung out in 4th Street Live. It was a lot of fun!! Pictured: Erin (the other MOH), me, Tiffanie, Andrea (bridesmaid), and Stephanie.
When I returned on Sunday, Daddy had set up the pool for Alexa. Here are a few shots of the 2 of them enjoying the water on a HOT day!
After searching at Once Upon A Child for WEEKS, I finally found a Leap Frog Learn & Groove Musical Table. Brand new in the stores it is $45, I paid $19 for it gently used. Alexa LOVES it. When I first got it, she really needed to be placed standing, but now she pulls herself up with ease!! On the right, Alexa is enjoying a Wheat Teething Biscuit - she makes a mess with these things!
Another photo of Alexa with her table. My parents had sent Dan & I a gift card to Olive Garden for our anniversary, and we finally used it last week (picture is Alexa and I at dinner). Alexa was soooo good at the restaurant. She just loves looking around wherever we go (she is definitely a people watcher like her Daddy, haha).
Last weekend was a Perry weekend :) As soon as we got into town, we went to the Lake County Fair. Auntie did 4H with a pig this year. She has been caring for Ollie since April (I think), and the pig weighed a massive 268 pounds! Danielle took 1st Place for Showmanship & 4th Place for the pig itself (I have no idea what criteria they use to determine what big is the best). The auction was on Friday night, so we went to support Auntie sell her pig.
Here is Alexa enjoying her Noni & Papa, as always :)
During the auction I started to feel a little nauseous, so as soon as Ollie was sold, we went home. I immediately fell asleep and woke up throughout the night. I felt worse all day Saturday. I won't go into details about my "symptoms," but Danielle started experiencing the same things on Saturday night & Sunday morning. As we were discussing what we both ate at the fair, we realized we had both eaten stromboli from the same place (me on Friday, her on Saturday)... yup, we had food poisoning. It was awful. The only perk to being sick, I lost a little over 4 pounds ;-)
Danielle with Ollie during the auction. Before we came back to C-bus on Sunday, Mom made homemade pasta for dinner that Alexa got to enjoy with us! You could tell she thought she was so cool eating the exact same food that we all were (or I should say, Noni, Papa, Daddy, & JaJa were, Auntie & I were both having problems eating still). It was sad to say good-bye, particularly because I still felt sick and Noni had been WONDERFUL taking care of Alexa all weekend for me!!
Daddy took Monday off of work to spend the day with us :) We went to the grocery store, out to lunch, and did some yard work. After being too sick to enjoy anyone over the weekend, it was nice to have some QT with Dan and Alexa! On Tuesday, Alexa and I had a "play date" with Avery... it was actually more of an opportunity for my friend, Jess, and I to hang out (while the girls looked at one another) :)~
Here's a movie clip of Alexa playing with her Table - she loves the "open/close" thing, obviously. This table is a great combination of lots of fine motor skill development activities, as well as brain-building stuff.
See the mess our family room has turned into? See how mobile Alexa has gotten? For these two reasons, we have decided to turn part of the basement into a playroom for Alexa. We are going to hang a ceiling, paint the walls, buy some kid furniture, and create a safe space for Alexa (and future children) to play and learn! We are going to do a Weather/Outdoor theme that I found in a Kidspace Decorating Book. It's going to be really neat and will definitely open doors for imaginative play, learning, and lots of fun!!!
This little movie clip demonstrates why Alexa amazes me... I can hardly believe that the baby I carried for 39 weeks & 4 days, labored with for 8 hours, pushed for 1.5 hours, and got up with throughout the night for breastfeeding sessions has become a child who explores her world, dumps out toys, and absorbs everything around her like a sponge. It is so AMAZING watching her turn into a little person :)
The past two weeks Daddy & Mommy have taken Alexa on two long walks. The first time we walked to Dairy Queen, and yes, Alexa did taste a teeny amount of my vanilla cone :) The second walk was only a walk for me & Alexa because Daddy rode his bike. We went up to the school to play. Just like before, Alexa enjoyed swinging! It's amazing how much stronger she has gotten in the past 6-7 weeks since we last went up there.
She just kept laughing...
Alexa & Mommy at the park -- Alexa & Daddy playing on the slide
Alexa and I have been doing a TON of shopping lately. With fall approaching and Alexa growing, she was in dire need of a wardrobe update (she still needs some more stuff, but I need a break, haha). We also were in search of the perfect, complimentary outfits for Maureen & Dan's wedding weekend (which is in 3 weeks!). I'm so excited to wear our cute matching outfits! Like I already said, Alexa really enjoys observing what's going on around her, and all the activity at Easton thrilled her. She stared at the fountain (so it was really hard to get this picture) and the Tiffany's store (uh-oh Daddy, lol) the entire time she ate her lunch on Wednesday :)
Alexa making sure no part of her body is too clean :)~
Alexa has finally gotten the hang of a sippy cup :) I'm going to start transitioning a couple of her bottles over to the cup so that by her 1st Birthday we'll be bottle-free! The picture on the right is our 10-MONTH OLD!!!
Just this morning, Alexa finally braved letting go... she stood for about 2-5 seconds. She's improving... this afternoon she was standing for about 5-10 seconds! I think it's time to get that walking toy out to see what Alexa can do. She has gotten the hang of "walking" along the couch, so the walker seems like the next step. I'll be sure to take videos to share with y'all!
No teeth yet. I think her gums must really be bothering her though because it is effecting her sleeping patterns. Some days she will sleep past 8:00 am, yet other days (like today) she's up before 7:00 am. I'm having an increasingly difficult time getting her to fall asleep (for both her naps and at bedtime). I thought at first that maybe she was ready to transition to one nap a day, negative. She was so irritable they day I attempted that, I promised Dan we wouldn't try again for at least a month!
Oh ~ I started my Master's program on Monday :) It felt so great to be back in a classroom! I've had this professor before, and she is awesome. I'm really excited to begin working on some projects and to update myself on what's going on in the world of education! I only need 6 more classes for my Master's in Literacy so I'm just gonna take a class here-and-there until I'm done. Shouldn't take too long... Hopefully though Dan will finish his undergrad before I get my Master's! He has 4-5 classes so it's going to be a race for the finish ;-)
That's all I've got for now, y'all. Enjoy your weekend :) We will be super busy (surprise, surprise) between our Playroom Project, seeing Maureen & Dan (who will be in town), our church picnic, etc. I will post again soon. Ciao.
