We had a great weekend at home last weekend! On Friday night, we went to a fish fry in Fairport - yummy! Then on Saturday morning, Alexa and I went to the mall with Noni because Alexa was outgrowing her shoes (again). The girl needs new shoes like every two months, it is crazy!! While we were there, Alexa went on a train ride with Noni (while I was doing some solo shopping - hence no pics) and rode in this car thing...
Thanks Stride Rite for the buy one, get one 50% sale that made Noni think/say (and I quote), "How would you feel if you had to wear the same pair of shoes every single day?" Noni loves shoes, and she is teaching her granddaughter that obsession at 16-months old. Alexa is now rocking the two awesome shoes below...
During Alexa's nap on Saturday, Dan and I went to test drive some minivans. I drove while Dan rode in the backseat of each vehicle. We looked at the Toyota Sienna, Honda Odyssey, and Chrysler Town & Country. There is no comparison... the Honda Odyssey is AWESOME!!! I can say with 95% certainty it is what we will get. Now it is just a matter of either finding a used one with low miles (and that meets my other "requirements") or negotiating a good enough deal with the salesperson to get a brand new one. Through discussion with the salesperson, I realized I know his twin nieces so he considers us "family friends" and said he wants to get us a great deal (used or new)!! :) I spoke with him again this afternoon and plan to sit down & talk numbers next weekend when we are home again. We'll keep you posted!
Here are Noni and Alexa washing apples (and pretend eating them) on Sunday afternoon.
Daddy and Alexa hanging out while Mommy is at class on Monday night.
Daddy took this video of Alexa's menacing laugh while she was supposed to be eating dinner on Monday... this is why they both get into trouble when I am home!
I put Alexa's hair in pigtails (for the first time) on Tuesday. Can you say "ADORABLE????"
She is beginning to do a better job with using a spoon.
What a bea-u-ti-ful week it has been! Nothing like 5-6 straight days of sunshine in Ohio!! I took Alexa outside after nap on Tuesday. She really enjoyed watching the cars drive by! Again, let me emphasize how freaking cute I think my little girl looks in pigtails (even the ladies at the gym complimented her).
Playing with sticks that were on the sidewalk. Alexa is so curious and adventurous!
If you listen closely she says, "side" (outside), "tr" (tree), and "car."
In this video, Alexa says "sti" (stick), acts like a goofball, and then mentions Daddy, JaJa, and Papa as some cars drive by. Wonder why she only thinks of saying guys' names only when she sees cars, especially considering the #1 person she rides in a car with is Mommy?!?!
When Daddy got home from work, Alexa helped him pick up the sticks lying around the yard. She had fun (and did a great job) being his helper!!
Great pic of Mommy & Alexa ♥
We had another See Me Run class this morning... Alexa did a great job sorting food into the matching colored bags. (Most of you will be happy to know that although Danny did follow Alexa around, attempt to hold her hand, and told her she was pretty... he did not attempt to kiss her, lol)
Alexa went up the slide with no assistance for the first, second, and third times today!
I think this picture is HILARIOUS!!
We got some sad news on Monday at Babytime... this is Mrs. Allison's last week :( She and her husband are relocating to the Boston, MA area in a couple of weeks. I found a children's book titled The Library Doors (the words are written to the tune of the Wheels on the Bus, which is Alexa's favorite part of storytime) to give to Mrs. Allison as a thank you gift for all that she has done for us in the past 14 months! We are going to take it to her tomorrow morning, and hopefully I will be able to get one final picture of Alexa and Mrs. Allison :)
Oh, and I have a funny Alexa story (at least funny to me, I think it was embarrassing to Auntie though)... during Mass on Sunday Alexa lifted Auntie's shirt, pointed to her belly, and said "baby" (quite loudly, I may add). Like I said, I laughed :-)~ Auntie turned BRIGHT red. I guess I have to further explain to Alexa that the only person with a baby in their belly is Mommy!!
I wish all of my readers had the opportunity to spend every day with Alexa like Dan and I do. She is just this amazing [almost] toddler who impresses us with her intelligence, keeps us laughing, and showers us with love & affection. I know there are things that I am constantly forgetting to include... But I do try my best to describe what she is doing, learning, etc. for all of you so that you can semi-understand. We are both so thankful that she is our daughter!! Alright enough mushy stuff :-) Hope everyone is having a great week!! Ciao.
As I mentioned in my last post, we had decided to stay in Columbus last weekend because of the weather, and I'm glad we did. We had an awesome morning on Saturday at Polaris Fashion Place - we played in the kid area and did some shopping. I cannot button my "skinny" sized jeans so I had to dig out the next size up from my extra clothes container. I have a little extra flab around my tummy but it isn't a prego belly yet so maternity pants are still huge. However, my shirts were getting a little snug so I used that as an "excuse" to buy some new clothes ;-)
Besides our fun at the mall, we went to visit with Kelly & Charlie at Embassy Suites on Saturday. It was nice meeting Kel's family and great to talk wedding stuff with the couple! So excited for their BIG day! Alexa was super attached to Kelly within moments and enjoyed looking out the hotel window saying "cars" and "vroom"ing (which really entertained the Williams' clan because Alexa lifts her hands when she says "vroom" -- I've taught her Mommy's car is a roller coaster ride, haha). She also liked reading with Kelly and watching the young kids play in the pool. After Alexa was in bed Francesca came over to babysit so that we could go out for a late dinner to celebrate Eric's 30th birthday. It was a great Saturday!
On Sunday, we went to Mass, did some grocery shopping, and I made a huge dent in my mounds of homework! Daddy and Alexa spent most of the day together so that I could get my school work done, thank goodness.
I've come to realize Alexa is going to make the best big sister ever! She walks around with her baby doll a lot, giving it kisses, feeding it the bottle, or having me wrap it in the blanket. Alexa definitely has some of the Gachuk nurturing gene in her ;-)
On Wednesday, we enjoyed our See Me Run class for the second week. This week Alexa was interested in playing with the balls, coloring (our craft was coloring a Mommy & Baby kangaroo), learning how to go up/down the plastic slide, playing with large farm animals (she knows all the noises they make!), and she figured out how to move the walking firetruck backward instead of just beeping the horn like last week.
The biggest event from class is that an "older boy (probably 2.5), ironically named Danny, has a crush on Alexa ♥ Towards the end of class he came up to her and held her hand, then he hugged her from behind, then turned her around and kissed her... Alexa received her First Kiss ♥ It was too cute! I told his grandma that Daddy was NOT going to be happy, and I was right. Daddy told Alexa, "No boys!" For the record, Papa wasn't too pleased either. I think Alexa is going to have trouble dating when she gets older because the men in her life are too overprotective ;-)
Now all she has to learn is how to go forward!
Over the past several days Alexa created this crazy-person laugh. Daddy cannot even contain himself when she starts doing it! I mean, I don't want her to do it while eating because I'm paranoid she'll choke so I had to send Daddy outside during dinner on Wednesday to compose himself :-)~ Here it is, the manic laugh.
Daddy & his "Rosie"
In other news, I'm excited because after speaking with my professor on Monday, she has excused me from class on April 5th... why is this good news? Because it means that when we are home for Easter, Alexa and I can stay on Sunday to enjoy [at least part of] Spring Break with Noni & Auntie (Daddy will make the drive back to C-bus sometime that afternoon/evening alone because he still has to go to work)!! We are definitely looking forward to our Perry Spring Break-cation :)
Alexa is doing better and better in the Playroom at the gym! The newest staff member is a girl named Melissa who happens to be the niece of our friends, Ley & Michelle. This just strengthens my ease with leaving Alexa for 45 min - 1 hr to workout... I know that she is with excellent people who shower her with attention and affection! She has started to play with the other children and doesn't cry when we arrive/depart. This makes Mommy's workout more enjoyable :)
I'd like to say Praise God for the sunshine!!!!!!!! It has been sunny, blue skies here in Dublin and even though it's still chilly, I don't care. The sun makes it beautiful --- hurry up springtime! I'd also like to ask my readers to pray for my friends, Kyle & Sara. It has been awhile since I have posted about them, here's a little update: Despite undergoing strong doses of radiation in the fall, Kyle's cancer has spread. What was originally just a tumor around his brain stem, has now metastasized to his brain and down his spine. Kyle & Sara are talking to loads of doctors to try to come up with a [trial] drug regime for him because he is no longer a candidate for surgery or more radiation, and chemotherapy does not work on this type of cancer. They have been fighting a tough battle and need all the prayers they can get! Prayers for Kyle, for his body to fight this disease and for him to be in minimal pain. Prayers for Sara, for strength and comfort as she stands by her husband. Prayers for the doctors, that they come up with the best plan. Just lots and lots of prayers, my friends!! If you'd like to read more about Kyle, Sara has been blogging so check it out.
Well, that's all I've got for now. Today (once Her Highness wakes up because she is still sleeping as I type this at 7:52 am - she's a great sleeper!) Alexa and I are going to the gym, have a few errands to run, and will finish laundry and packing before Daddy gets home around 3:00 pm so we can leave for PERRY! It's been a LONG three weeks without Noni, Papa, JaJa, and Auntie, and we are all really looking forward to seeing them!!! TGIF. Ciao.
Last weekend was a Columbus weekend. My in-laws invited us to their house for a visit (and dinner) last Saturday evening. After dinner Alexa enjoyed coloring with Pat. Then we took her downstairs where she was fascinated by the piano. She has always been "musically inclined;" even when I was pregnant she moved the most (probably her version of dancing, lol) at church during hymns or if we were out & there was loud music.
Maybe she could be a professional pianist one day?!?!
Alexa entertained Dan's parents with her farm animals puzzle (which she can do by herself & tell you what each of the animals says). And what child doesn't like to be confined to a box? She wanted in this wicker box and sat down to read her book, haha.
When Alexa was a baby-baby I would put her in the bouncer to watch a half-hour Baby Einstein DVD so I could cook dinner, but she hasn't done that in over a year. For the past year our television has remained off as long as Alexa was awake per the recommendation of the American Academy of Pediatrics (who state that children under 2 should not watch TV). However, for the past two weeks we have allowed Alexa to watch one show before bed - I'm thinking that one show, that lasts about 22 minutes, will not harm her development. In fact, I had a literacy professor tell me that when shows are chosen with care by adults, children can actually learn skills they will use later when reading (for example, prediction & comprehension strategies, just to name two). So it is with that mindset that I have selected The Backyardigans to be Alexa's nightly show. Here is Nick Jr's description of it (for those of you who are not current on children's cartoons, hehe): In each episode, the show's five high-spirited preschool friends--Uniqua, Pablo, Tyrone, Tasha, and Austin--rely on their vivid imaginations to transform their backyard into a fantastical 3-D landscape, and together they embark on amazing epic journeys.
Clearly, Alexa LOVES the show... (this is the opening of the show)
Here are Daddy & Alexa cuddling up during The Backyardigans.
I haven't mentioned my favorite part of watching The Backyardigans ("Back" as Alexa calls 'em)... Alexa ironically clapping & crying when the show ends :-)~ I know, I'm cruel for finding entertainment in my daughter's sadness.
Here is Alexa at Babytime last week. Ms. Allison got out the scarves to play with. On the right side, Alexa is looking at the CD player because Ms. Allison had just turned it on. The photo on the left Alexa is blowing a kiss at the end of "Skinamarinky Dinky Dink." I cannot believe she remembers the motions to songs!!
Here is Alexa playing in the Playroom at my gym. Each day she is doing better & better (And so am I - I've been increasing my crosstraining & resistance on the elliptical and doing great with my lifting exercises!!).
Alexa, Mommy, & Piggy (Alexa's new favorite obsession) watching our nightly show. Piggy pretty much goes everywhere with Alexa these days.
Here our some pictures from our first See Me Run class last Wednesday. Alexa had tons of fun pushing around a stroller & baby, doing puzzles, playing in the cars, throwing balls, etc.
The craft time was a little difficult - she kept sticking her hand over the dotter thing (instead of really decorating her name tag) and she through a tempter tantrum (a think I got a preview of the "Terrible Twos") when I said all done. But after I cleaned her hands and moved her on to another task she forgot all about it and had fun again!
Some nights Alexa does a little bit better with saying "buh-bye" to her TV friends :-)
We're having another fun weekend in Columbus (because I did not want to drive in the winter weather storms that Perry has been getting since Thursday). This morning we went to Polaris Fashion Place for some playtime and shopping. It was a fun morning for the three of us :-) After nap we are heading to a hotel in Dublin to see our good friends, Kelly & Charlie, who are in town from Buffalo for the night. We haven't seen them in forever so it'll be really nice to catch-up! Then later tonight, Francesca (the neighbor girl) is coming over to babysit (although Alexa will already be in bed) so that we can go downtown for a few hours to celebrate Eric's 30th Birthday! I can hardly believe it is the end of February... where have the past two months gone? I mean, my gosh, we are already almost 10 weeks (1/4 of the way) into this second pregnancy!! Wow! Will post again soon. Ciao.
Last weekend was a Perry weekend. It came at just the right time for me! I've been feeling really exhausted and mildly nauseous so it was great to have my parents (and Dan) to watch after Alexa while I caught up on some rest, and some homework. It amazes me how different I feel this pregnancy. On Saturday, I was able to go to the gym with my brother to get tips for working out and that night we played Apples to Apples as a family. It was a really nice weekend :-)
For some reason, Alexa kept looking under the bathroom doors at people. Here she is trying to catch a glimpse of "Yannie" (what she is now calling Auntie).
Auntie put on her bathing suit and had some bath time fun with Alexa!!
This is Alexa's first time coloring a picture. As you can tell, she was loving it! We tried to give her different color crayons, but she kept wanting the red one. I wrote Alexa's name & the date on the top of the picture, and it is now hanging on our fridge - our 1st piece of artwork from one of our kids ♥
Alexa made out on Valentine's Day... she got a new dress & book (from Noni & Papa) and another book & some chocolate, that was really for me (from Mommy & Daddy).
I was totally impressed when Alexa (who was wandering around the Story Garden) stopped what she was doing to make her hands go "round and round" when Ms. Allison played Wheels on the Bus! She even knows to clap during "all through the town." She is so bright! :-)
We made cookies for Fat Tuesday - Alexa loves helping, but more importantly, she loves eating!
Already getting a bit of a baby bump at 8 weeks!!
Since Sunday, Alexa has discovered the long 'e' sound and now says Mommy (instead of Mama), Daddy (instead of Dada), and Noni (instead of Nona). It is really cute to hear her say, "Mom-me," but I was actually happy to be known as "Mama," it sounds southern and cute :-)~
Alexa did a great job at the gym today!! Christi said she cried for like 30 seconds when I walked out of the room, but then she had fun playing with the other children. When I went to pick her up she was sitting in a high chair happily enjoying her snack :-) She actually cried and was saying "baby" over and over again (she calls ALL kids, no matter how old they are, baby) all the way to the car. I'm glad that she is beginning to enjoy her time there because I am really enjoying my workout sessions!
We are starting a 6-week class together next week at Worthington Community Center. It's called See Me Run. Here is a description for the course:
There will be singing and circle time, simple crafts and games. These activities along with open play will help to enhance their listening and thinking skills, imagination, coordination, language skills, and more, all while having fun!
We haven't taken a class since swim lessons ended in October, so I'm really excited to begin something new together! Our daytime schedule will be VERY full now! Mondays - Babytime, Tuesday - gym, Wednesday - See Me Run, Thursday - gym, and (every other) Friday - gym. It is nice to be busy doing things that are beneficial to Alexa intellectually, emotionally, socially, and physically. It is also nice to get out of the house ;-)
Our house may fall apart thanks to all of the snow and ice we've accumulated. On Monday afternoon I noticed a brown spot on part of our kitchen ceiling (the part that sticks off the backside of the house and has a mini-roof). It has continued to grow over the past few days, and last night Dan drilled a small hole in it to drain the water. It has been steadily filling buckets for the past 18+ hours. We've also got two windows that are dripping. We don't know why. Our insurance agent told me that they cannot send someone out to begin working on it all until all of the snow and ice are melted from the roof, gutters, etc. Hopefully this time next week we'll know how much damage has been done.
Finally, when we are home next weekend we are going to BEGIN test-driving minivans. It'll be much easier to do this without Alexa, thankfully when we're home we have built-in babysitters ;-) Haha. Seriously though, Noni & Papa are thrilled to have a day alone with Alexa!! Although we don't need to get a minivan for a few more months, we want to go drive them and see what ones are our favorites (so that way we can just keep watching prices for awhile). I have a list of "must haves" that I think will drive my dad and Dan crazy while we're looking (leather seats, sunroof, DVD system) because it makes it harder to find a used vehicle with those features and low miles (another requirement). I'm really stoked to begin researching, test-driving, and eventually buying a minivan!! It is going to be SO NICE to have all the extra space and will make our travels more comfortable :-)
Well, Baby #2 is apparently hungry AGAIN -- gosh, I feel like all I've been doing this pregnancy is eating (to keep the nausea and dizzy spells away)! Hope y'all are having a great week!! Ciao.
