Henry is 5 months!

Look at my little baby grow! Henry is getting bigger and bigger. And he's more responsive and moving a ton! Here is Henry at 5 months!

All about Henry at 5 months:

• Henry can roll over both ways and does so all the time! He now sleeps on his tummy.
• Henry is starting to MOVE! He scoots backward. I'll turn around and he's moved completely off his mat and off to the side and I'm like, 'How'd you do that?!'
• Henry loves to laugh! Especially when big sister Alexa makes faces at him. He loves his sister and lights up whenever she pays him attention.
• Henry smiles a lot, actually. And he has the cutest little dimple on his right cheek!
• Henry has now been at day care for a month. His teacher say he's doing really well and that he's one of the easy ones.
• We're not going to baby yoga quite as much, but Henry still loves the yoga poses so we do them at home. He also loves to brag his feet and put them in his mouth. Oy!

Alexa is 23 months!

Alexa turned 23 months while we were on vacation in Ocean City, and we finally found time to mark the occasion with her monthly photo shoot! Alexa now knows the routine and will stand at the top of the stairs and say "cheese!" But you only have 1/2 a second to take the photo before she is off and running! In any case, here are the photos I got... Can you guess which shot is posed?!

Note that Alexa is wearing a gorgeous pillowcase dress handmade by Grandma Lil!

Finally... Alexa's 22 Month Photos!

We tried taking these photos earlier, but Alexa declared NO PHOTO! Then it was too hot to take photos. We tried again and luckily I got these great shots in the first few seconds! Afterward, I showed the photos on the computer to Alexa and she was so excited. She wanted to look at them over and over. Our little model!

All About Alexa at 22 Months:

• Alexa's comprehension is astounding! She understands pretty much everything we say now and repeats a lot of it back. It makes for some interesting conversations! 
• She also seems to understand the concept of "Baby Brother" better now. She'll pat my tummy and say "Baby Brother." And if I tell her that something is for Baby Brother, like a blue elephant or outfit, she seems to understand that it's not for her. 
• Alexa can identify most animals by name and imitate their sounds. We're now working on colors and numbers. She pretends to count by saying number-sounding words in a cadence like she was counting. It's so funny! She can get most colors (red, yellow, blue, purple) but only about 50% of the time.
• Since we drive the same way home, Alexa notices landmarks and asks about things she's seen before, like "baby deer" or "ducks," then when we get closer to where they are, she says "coming up!" And once we turn the corner onto our street, she proclaims "Back in the neighborhood!"
• Her favorite games right now are "play blocks" and "play cards"! She also is loving her new T-ball set and Melissa & Doug color fish puzzle. Many times, she'll push her baby carriage around the house and put every toy she has into it until it's completely loaded down! She also loves all of her purses and bags, which, thanks to Grandma E, she calls "pocket books."
• After being afraid of the pool and beach at the start of the summer, Alexa now loves the pool and loves the beach! She will often ask to go to the pool and/or beach and get excited when we are on our way. In her swim class, she is learning to kick, blow bubbles, climb out of the pool and jump on the count of three. 
• Favorite food of the summer is WATERMELON! She also loves ice cream. Who doesn't?
• Alexa has some good friends who she will ask about, like Tessa, Tai-Tai, Avery, Nick and Brandon! At daycare, she and Nick hold hands while walking down the hall. She and Tessa will run down the hall giggling together, then cry when Tessa has to go to a different classroom.
• Alexa's hair is so long now that she can wear a ponytail! See photo above. She also can wear pigtails!
• When she wakes up, she'll stand in her crib and call for MOMMY or DADDY!
• She is still wearing some 12-month and 18-month items but everything we are buying her now is 24-month or 2T. And apparently her feet have been on a growth spurt... She's now a 6.5! 

Finally, here is a look at Alexa over the last year:

Alexa is 21 Months!

Wow, only three months to go until my little baby is 2! Enjoy these pictures, because the end is near. Daddy joked that I'll go visit her in college to take her Month 215th photo. Ha. Ha. Ha. One thing that is interesting is that Alexa now knows the drill. As soon as she saw this month's sticker, she looked at me and patted her chest and said "Pit-chur?" Yes, my dear, picture time! And check out how cute she is!

All About Alexa at 21 Months: 

• I used to know how many words Alexa knew, but now the list is so long that I can't keep track! And she keeps adding new words every day. 
• In addition to new words, Alexa is now combining them into phrases and sentences. Here are some popular ones: "Mama, walk?" "Beach? Dog? Beach" "More, please" "Dada, shower?" "Shoes! Socks!" "Hi, Mama" "Hi, Dada" "Get up!" "All done" "Animal Cracker?" (sounds like "ani-moll cacker")
• Alexa loves to talk to us when we're in the car. Usually she'll belt out "Hi, Mama!" "Hi, Dada!" And we'll reply, "Hi, Alexa!" She sometimes combines our names too and says, "Mama Dada." And, this is really new... She says "Ma-Meee" (Mommy) and "Da-Deee" (Daddy). So cute!
• Another very new thing is that Alexa can finally say her OWN NAME! She started saying it when we were playing the game where she said "Hi, Dada" "Hi, Mama" and we said back "Hi, Alexa." So she started saying it too! It sounds more like, "Hi, Lexa!"
• One of Alexa's favorite games right now is... Changing her baby's diaper! She likes to get out my changing pad and box of wipes. Her dolls must be pretty messy because it takes A LOT of wipes to change their diapers! She also loves wearing our shoes around the house.
• Another favorite game is playing catch! She will ask us to play "catch" and then throw or roll a ball back and forth. It's hilarious! She's starting to get a really good throw on.
• Finally, she loves to play "Row, Row" as in "Row, Row your boat." The way this game works is you hold her hands and pull her forward and back as you sing the song. When you get to the end and sing "All fall down," you gently lay her down and tickle her! She squeels in delight and cracks up laughing!
• She is also really into BUBBLES! She loves to see bubbles and blow bubbles but most of all, she likes to do it herself, which means spilling the bubble solution all over herself and ending up not blowing any bubbles. Still, she seems to be having fun.
• And, of course, Alexa loves to "pour" anything. This started in Hawaii, when Grandma taught her to pour her milk into her cereal. Now, she love pouring anything: water, bubble solution, it all works!
• Then there's Elmo. Alexa loves Elmo! We've gotten her a stuffed Elmo doll and she'll give him hugs. It's so cute! She also has a growing collection of Elmo books and loves all of them! Her favorite one right now is "Elmo Says." And one of her favorite things to say is "cookie monster."
• On the musical front, Alexa loves to sing and dance. When Daddy plays dance music, she'll twist and dance. It' so cute! She also loves to sing and sometimes we'll hear her singing to herself. Lately, she has been really into "Happy Birthday." She heard it sung at a restaurant when some kids got cupcakes. Later, when she saw cupcakes on TV she looked at me and asked," Happy ... to you?" Yup, that's how she sings it. Forget the word "Birthday," she just says "Happy, to you! Happy, to you! Happy to yooooooou! Happy to you!"
• Other things she does now: Climbs up on the futon; loves to jump on the bed; gives wet sloppy kisses; says "baby bra-ther" but we're not sure if she knows what it means; loves to "hulp" me, including sweeping the floors or cleaning her tray with a wipe; picks her feet up when I take her pants off; knows to take her shoes off when we come inside; picks flowers; loves to pick and blow dandelions; loves having us pat her back, so much so that sometimes she'll reach her hand back and pat her own back to show us what she wants! 
• Also, after her bath, we have a new tradition. She'll look up at me and say: "Duh duh duh." What she means is she wants Daddy to do his Jaws imitation while creeping into the bathroom with her pacifier. She cracks up laughing and usually is laughing to hard she can barely take the pacifier from him!
• As far as new foods... She loves juice, which we mix with water and give to her sparingly. She also loves popsicles! Mostly, she eats chicken nuggets, meatballs, pizza, almond butter sandwiches, grilled cheese sandwiches or fish sticks. She continues to love muffins and animal crackers. Recently, she discovered the joy of watermelon! Yum! She'll also eat string cheese, gnaw on baby carrots, bite the middle of apples, eat whole pears, bite grapes in half and eat a whole half sweet potato. Oh, and she loves anything bread related.
• For clothes, Alexa mostly wears size 18-24 months. She has a few 2T items that fit. And there are still a few 12-18 month and 12-month outfits that fit as well. For shoes, she's a 5.5 but soon to be a size 6.

Finally, here is a look back at Alexa's last 21 months...

Alexa is 20 Months!

My goodness how time flies. Here is my little baby at 20 months! She's now been on the outside twice as long as she was in my tummy. Thanks to Daddy for cracking Alexa up for her photo shoot. There were so many cute photos, it was hard to choose!

And now, check out how much Alexa has grown!

Updated Monthly Photos

Here is an updated look at how much Alexa has grown since last September when she turned 1! The last two photos are of her at 19 months. Which do you like better? 

As to what Alexa can do at 19 Months... Stay tuned for a long list next month. Her vocabulary has grown by leaps and bounds! And she's now forming sentences and able to tell us what she wants. Sort of. This is both a blessing and a curse... :-)

All About Alexa at 18 Months!

Another month, and another update of our growing gal! This month, we had an appointment with her doctor. But unlike past visits, she now KNOWS that a shot is coming and was NOT HAPPY. We couldn't even get her to sit on the scale! Poor baby. I had to hold her and step on a scale, then subtract my weight. It was also very hard to measure her length and head circumference! Here are the photos of our growing girl, with her height and weight updates below. She remains consistently in the 25th percentile.

Height:

Birth: 19 3/4"

1 month: 21 3/4"

2 months: 23"

4 months: 24"

6 months: 25 1/2"

9 months: 27"

12 months: 28.5"

15 months: 29.5"

18 months: 31"

Weight:

Birth: 7 lbs, 12 oz

1 month: 9 lbs, 7 oz

2 months: 11 lbs, 5 oz

3 months: 12 lbs, 3 oz

4 months: 13 lbs, 10 oz

5 months: 14 lbs, 6 oz

6 monhts: 14 lbs, 13 oz

7 months: 15 lbs, 4 oz

8 months: 16 lbs, 1 oz

9 months: 16 lbs, 12 oz

11 months: 19 lbs, 3 oz

12 months: 19 lbs, 13 oz

15 months: 21 lbs, 13 oz

18 months: 23 lbs

And now... All about Alexa at 18 Months: 

• Alexa's vocabulary continues to grow. She delighted her daycare teacher by saying her name, Chi Chi. She repeats words after us and can point to certain items in her word book. She also has begun to understand how to ask for things, like "water" or "money" (muffin). 
• And, to our delight, she says "please" and her version of "thank you."
• Related, Alexa can now tell you what nearly every animal says! Lion? Roar. Cat? Meeeu. Dog? Woof. Horse? Nay. Pig? Uck. Sheep? Baa. Cow? Boo. (Yes, boo, not moo, not sure why!)
• And, as you might imagine, she has JUST STARTED to combine words, like "Happy Bebe"!
• Alexa continues to love the color and word "purple." She can also say "yellow" and "blue" but her first answer when asked what color something is is always purple! (Northwestern Wildcat at heart?)
• Alexa gives hugs when asked and it's the Best. Thing. Ever.
• Alexa knows that her pacifiers are only for her crib. When we hold her over the crib and tell her to put them back, she drops the ones in her hands and spits the one in her mouth out. Ha!
• She has learned to use a fork and loves it! Especially when eating pasta. But don't try to spear a pasta with the fork for her. She'll bang the fork to get it off. ONLY FOOD THAT SHE SPEARS HERSELF will be eaten. So don't even try!
• Alexa continues to love books. Her favorite kinds, if anyone wants to buy her books, are ones with flaps that she can open. Like this one, this one and this one. 
• Alexa has TWO new teeth! She already had two on the bottom, in front. Now she has four! Total teeth count is now up to 12. Four on top, four on bottom and four molars. Yay!
• Finally, Alexa says both "Hi" and "Buh-bye." It's adorable! Her teachers at daycare say that on buggy walks in the neighborhood, Alexa will tell everyone they pass "Hi" and then "Buy-bye." So cute! It's not so cute, however, when we're in the middle of a conversation with a neighbor or friend and she gets bored and interrupts us with "Buy-bye" and a wave of her hand. It's like... Uh, sorry!

And on that note... Buy-bye!

Alexa is 17 months!

I know, I know, running a little behind here! Anyway, here are Alexa's 17-month photos. We ended up doing two photo shoots this month. I really, really love her funky outfit in the first shoot, but it was so windy out that she didn't smile much! She is absolutely adorable in the second shoot, which wrapped after just four shots. But tell me what YOU think? Which is your favorite photo? If I stick with my current favorite, then we'll revisit her funky "Love" outfit with the pink boots for 18 months.

Photo Shoot #1

Photo Shoot #2

And now, a little bit about Alexa at 17 months...

• Alexa's vocabulary is exploding. She talks and talks and talks. Sometimes, she uses words we understand. Apple, apple, apple. Other times, it's a whole rush of made-up words. Or she'll sing along to her favorite song, "Barbara Ann" It cracks us up!
• Speaking of words, she can say the names of several of her friends... Hugo and Tai Tai are her boyfriends at daycare. She'll say their names over and over and over! And when she sees Hugo's mom, she'll point at her and say "Hugo?" She also has said Avery, Blythe and Vivien.
• Another new word that surprised us... Purple! Alexa was leaving daycare one day when she pointed at one of her teachers, who was wearing a purple shirt, and exclaimed, "purple"! We showed her some more purple things at home and she kept saying it. Purple, purple, purple! So maybe she's not a pink girl. Maybe she's a purple girl. Who knew?
• Alexa is learning how to get ready for daycare... She runs to get her shoes, and then holds them up and says "shoes"! She also says "socks" and tries to put them on. And when I put her legs into pants, she reaches down to try to pull her pants up. She also sticks her arms out to put on her jacket. And, of course, can put on her own hat!
• Alexa's hair is so long that she now wears her hair up in rubber bands for daycare every day. Still no hair cut... But it's getting close. We may need to find a stylist to do her bangs!
• Alexa is also learning how to interact with her friends. She still doesn't get the concept of sharing, but she certainly knows how to stand up for herself. On Valentine's Day, her friend Hugo tried to give her a hug and she pushed him away! Then, later, after she touched her friend Eleanor's head, she made it up by giving her a hug. Awww.
• Alexa's favorite toys of the month are not toys at all... BOOKS! BOOKS! BOOKS! She can say the word "book" and she says it over and over and over. She loves all of her books! And as soon as I sit down, she'll run over and sit on my lap for me to read her a book. Her favorite book of the moment is P.D. Eastman's "Go Dog Go." She also loves "Goodnight New Jersey" and "Goodnight America."
• Also this past month, Alexa learned to crawl through a tunnel at yoga class and then got one of her own. She loves it! She also has started to use crayons to color! It's more scribbling on paper, but she's coloring more than eating the crayons, so that is a change! And, of course, she loves playing dress up!
• In terms of food, she is still a pretty picky eater. Some new favorites are toast with almond butter, dried apricots, perogies and apple slices! Oh, and of course, SNOW!
• Finally, Alexa visited several new places for the first time this past month -- The Baltimore Aquarium,  the National Museum of Natural History, and the Building Museum. As you might expect, she loved them all!

* * *

And now, check out how much Alexa has grown!

All About Alexa at 16 Months!

Another month has flown by and Alexa is now celebrating her Sweet Sixteen! She's 16 months old! Amazing. Alexa continues to run around, talk up a storm and sing and dance. She is so much fun! Anyway, here are her 16-Month photos... Which do you like the best?

All About Alexa at 16 Months:

• By far her best new trick of all time: When you ask her for a HUG, she'll lay her head on your chest or wrap her arms around your neck. Awwww! She gives me a hug every night before bed. So cute!
• Speaking of understanding simple commands, not only can she wipe her face with a washcloth, but she understands me when I tell her to "wash her face."
• Loves to flip light switches UP and DOWN... and UP and DOWN... and UP and DOWN... 
• Has figured out how to reach her hands through the slats of her crib to find her pacifiers! Then, when you hold her over the crib, she'll throw them back into the crib, one by one.
• Has figured out how to unroll a toilet paper roll!
• Has figured out how to unwrap presents and LOVES tearing the paper!
• Has 4 more teeth! Her bottom two molars came thorough at about the same time as (surprise!) her canines came in. Ouch! Total teeth count is 10.
• Has fed a giraffe.
• Has ridden on her first merry-go-round
• Likes chicken nuggets and french toast! Tried her 1st tortilla!
• Has bigger feet. She has gone from a 4.5 to a 5 shoe size in just two months!
• Has hair so long that she can wear pig tails! Yay! Soooo cue!
• Can put on her own hat, and also say the word "hat"
• Speaking of, she is now up to 27 words, including new words, "buy-bye," "ba-ball" (football), "boo" (as in pika-poo, which she says after pulling a blanket off her head), up, down, "all-ight" (all right), ice, book, "shoo" (shoe), and I swear she once said "cup cake"!
• At least 10 times a day, rushes to the front window and climbs up on her step stool to look outside, then excitedly exclaiming "dog!" or "woof!" despite the presence of one or lack thereof

* * *
And now, check out how much Alexa has grown!

All about Alexa at 15 months!

We took Alexa to the doctor for her 15-month appointment today! She was soooo good. She got several shots and was a real trooper. She also ran around the examining room, totally impressing her doctor. Plus, when I told the doctor that she could say "dog" and "ball," she immediately proved that she could and started saying "dog? dog? dog?" She also waived her hands when I said TOUCHDOWN!

All About Alexa at 15 Months:

• Weighs 21 lbs, 13 oz and measures 29.5" long
• Shrugs her shoulders when she doesn't know something or when you say "I don't know?"
• Hides objects of interest (like a silver locket) behind her back!
• Thanks too Grandpa, now knows the word MINE (pronounced "meh") and uses it too!
• She also now says "aw-duh" (all done, while shaking both hands in the air to indicate being all done with her meal)
• If you are keeping track, she is now up to 16 words! Other new words include "doll," "woof" (as in what a dog says), "ba-boll" (bottle), "ack-er" (cracker), "baa baa" (as in what a sheep says), "Pop" (used for her grandpas), and "bat" (bath)
• Understands simple commands, like "play your PIANO" or "CLAP your hands" or "do you want to go in your STROLLER?"
• Has 2 more teeth! Her top right molar is totally through and the top left molar is halfway through. Her gums on the bottom are swollen where two additional molars are about to pop... Total teeth count is 6!
• With all those teeth, it's no wonder that she now loves chomping on apples!
• Tried potato latkes for the 1st time -- and liked them, especially dipping them in applesauce!
• Also tried cakeballs for the 1st time -- and liked them too!
• Gets onto her rocking giraffe on her own and rides with her hands up in the air
• Dances! Oh yeah. Put on the music and her arms go up in the air as she stamps her little feet!
• Continues to sing, even hums sometimes. It's very cute!
• And a new thing she loves to do... Stick out her tongue!
• Helped decorate the Christmas tree for the first time -- her favorite ornament was a felt dog

All About Alexa at 14 months!

A little late on this post, but it's harder and harder to take these photos! Here is our cutie pie, who wanted to climb down the stairs and rip her number off. As always,  I can't decide which picture I like the best! Let me know which one you vote for!

All about Alexa at 14 Months...

• Alexa is climbing on and over EVERYTHING!
• But her latest favorite thing to do is sit. On anything. Mommy's head, a stair, a pillow, you name it.
• She also loves "walking" up and down stairs, as opposed to crawling. But she can only do this with help.
• However, she used the railing on the steps out front (during these photos) to walk down three steps all on her own!
• Alexa is now up to 6 words: Dada, Mama, duck, dog, uh-oh and her newest... BALL! It sounds more like "bowel"
• Speaking of all, Alexa can now raise both arms over her head when you say "Touchdown!"
• She also loves throwing or rolling her ball. She has several balls: a soccer ball, football and kickball
• Alexa loves putting things on her arm, like a bag or braclets. 
• And she really loves reading "Goodnight Gorilla"at bedtime!
• She continues to talk on her play cell phones... We swear she held it to her ear the other day and said, "Hello?"
• She STILL has only FOUR teeth!
• She's getting better at feeding herself with a spoon. She's now eating ravoli, breaded chicken and apples, and drinking smoothies!
• Alexa can stack her nesting blocks, but she likes knocking them down better. Sometimes she'll stack a few and then get impatient and knock them all down! She also can stack rings!
• She loves her new baby doll and carriage and took to her doll right away. It really surprised us how she immediately held the play bottle up to her baby's mouth. In the morning, she'll wake up her doll by taking her out of the carriage and thumping her on the ground. So funny!
• Alexa has finally graduated from her infant car seat to a larger convertible car seat. But for safety, she's still rear facing. At least she seems more comfortable in her new seat!

All about Alexa at 13 months!

I know, you were all sad that the monthly stickers have ended. Well... We were able to get ahold of some more, so the fun continues! However, in light of the fact that we now have a walker, you can expect this next series of photos to take place anywhere... anywhere we can snap a shot of our active toddler! So... Which one is your favorite? As usual, I can't decide!

And now... Some fun facts about Alexa at 13 months:

• After a couple months of walking, Alexa has taken the next step (literally) and is running!
• She loves going down slides, climbing into her chair and riding on her trike!
• Now, in addition to blowing kisses, she kisss us on our cheeks!
• She is also SINGING! Well, it sounds more like wailing, but it's adorable. First song she sang to: "Blackbird" by The Beatles
• Alexa loves carrying bags on her arm, just like mommy!
• She also likes "talking" on her cell phone, just like daddy! When it rings, she puts it to her ear and says: "Da?"
• Her favorite word by far is "DOG" and you can immediately get her to stand up straight and look around intently by saying, "Alexa! Dog! Dog!" Hehehe.
• She now says "Uh oh" when she drops something (or throws it on the floor). It's pretty funny!
• She is up to FIVE words: Dada, Mama, Dog, Duck and Uh-oh.
• She laughs and laughs and laughs when you tickle her or hold her upside down, so cute!
• She has FOUR teeth, two on top and two on bottom. We still think the molars are coming...
• She can feed herself, either by grabbing the spoon and putting it in her mouth, or by putting her whole hand into a jar of applesauce and then licking her fingers.
• She has been growing a ton. She is now totally into 12-month outfits but growing out of them fast! So we are now focusing on 18-month items. Also, her show size is now 4.5/5.
• She can now drink out of a straw! And that means...
• No more bottles... Alexa drinks all of her milk from sippy cups or straw cups. Yay!
• Also, no more sleep sacks! She is walking so much now that we didn't want her to trip, so we have moved her into Carter's fleece sleepers, which have traction on the feet.
• Alexa slept her longest ever while we were on vacation in North Carolina... 13 hours! Wow!

All About Alexa at 12 Months!!

I can't believe that one year ago, I was checking into the hospital and getting ready for my induction to start first thing on Sept. 9th. I was so nervous... Would it hurt? Would I be able to do it? Would our baby be OK? Would she really be a she? I was not at all prepared for the moment I heard her cry and realized that the "bean" in my belly was the most amazing, wonderful, beautiful little baby in the world.

Although it was certainly love at first sight, getting to know our little girl over this past year has got us head over heels for her. The way she smiles all the time, claps her hands, tries to feed you her crackers before pulling them back, toddles around the room, grabs onto your leg, jumps in to your arms... She is absolutely the most amazing creature ever!

All About our Adorable Alexa at 12 Months!

• Big news first -- She's walking! Alexa took her first steps about a week into her 11th month. She still crawls from time to time, but she is definitely walking more than crawling now!
• As you all know, she can waive goodbye and clap! And her NEWEST trick... She can blow kisses goodbye too!
• She pushes her walker around and puts things into the bucket in front!
• She can roll her ball... AND throw it too! Little throw. We're working on it.
• Still enjoys playing Peek-a-boo with us and Hide and Seek!
• Loves pushing buttons that make music or sounds when pressed.
• Has a new best friend... Her dog puppet, who she calls "dog" and is starting to take with her everywhere.
• Says "Uh" when she drops something... As in, "Uh-oh!" She just doesn't have the "oh" part yet!
• LOVES animals! Still likes dogs the best, but gets excited when she sees any animal. She really liked the elephants at the zoo!
• Is getting more teeth! One top tooth has broken through and another is on its way. Plus, her molars are also coming in...
• Weighs around 20 pounds, so she wears most 6-12 month outfits, 9-12 is good, the 12-months stuff is mostly too big but she's growing into them!

Finally, check out how Alexa has grown!

Click to enlarge!

All about Alexa at 11 months!

We're almost done! Almost at 12 months! But first, here are Alexa's birthday pictures for 11 months. What a little cutie pie, as if you'd expect any less. Enjoy!

Some fun facts about Alexa at 11 months: 

• In addition to crawling, pulling up, cruising, walking with a walker, and standing without holding on, Alexa can now stand UP from a sit!
• She can also squat, and stand UP from a squat!
• She can waive goodbye!
• She can clap! Yay, clapping!
• She can put small things into a container, like putting all her ducks into a plastic bowl!
• She can roll a ball! We're still working on her throw...
• When sitting on the edge of the pool, she can "jump" into our waiting arms!
• Loves playing hide and seek! I go hide behind the couch and she crawls over and "finds" me, and when she does she cracks up laughing!
• In addition to walking with her walker, she now pushes just about anything around the house, like her "Alexa" stool or a dining room chair!
• Loves her play cell phone. Loves my cell phone even more. Loves the remote control the best!
• Knows what buttons to push to make her toys play music and will push the buttons over and over to hear the sounds!
• Is talking up a storm, although it's tough to make out exact words. We think she says dada, mama, dog and duck... Her daycare teachers swear she said "Hugo," which is her friend's name!
• Speaking of dogs, she has taken a BIG interest in them! When she sees a dog, she gets excited and starts making sounds! She also is curious about cats and when we were at Grandpa's house, she chased the poor kitty all around the house!
• She still has only two teeth, but we swear her top two are on their way any day now!
• We've read that at this age, babies start to dream. We think she has because she sometimes startles in the middle of the night, although she always settles back down easily.
• She is still under 20 pounds! Alexa weighed in at 19 lbs, 3 oz. That puts her in the 25th percentile. And, as such, she wears most 6-12 month and 6-9 month outfits, some 9-12 month and 12-month items
• You'd think at her size all she eats is veggies. Nope. She not met a cracker she did not like: Favorites are Gerber crunchies, Saltines and goldfish!
• She also loves water ice and frozen yogurt. Yum!
• Has beautiful hair that is getting longer! We love her long bangs and there's no way we're cutting her hair! Not yet! 
• Gives us big hugs where she wraps her arms around us and buries her face. Awww!

And now, check out how Alexa has grown in the last 11 months!

Click to enlarge!

Alexa is 10 MONTHS!

Holy cow! How on earth did 10 months fly by so quickly? Alexa has now been outside the womb longer than she has been inside, since, as we've learned, pregnancy lasts 10 months. Can you believe a little ball of cells turned into the most beautiful baby in the world?! Words can't describe the amazing journey her little life has taken us on during these past 20 months. Only two more months until she's 1!

Some fun facts about Alexa at 10 Months:

• Still has just 2 teeth, which are on the bottom and about halfway in
• Speedy crawler, master at pulling up, cruises on furniture or with her walker
• Able to stand on her own without holding on - for a second!
• Able to climb the carpeted stairs in the basement!
• Able to take rings out of a cup or blocks off of a shelf, but has not learned to put them back!
• Wears hair bows, sunglasses, hats, you name it! She's a stylish girl!
• Able to paddle in the water when she sees a toy out of reach that she wants!
• Also able to float on her back, with us holding her, of course
• Loves her kiddie swimming pool
• Knows her name very well and gets excited when told "Yay, Alexa!"
• Gets VERY excited and giggles when we hide behind a wall or under a blanket and then come out and say "Peek-a-boo!"
• And, if we give her the blanket, she will hold it over herself to hide and then come out!
• Loves being dipped upside down, a game that usually elicits giggles and huge smiles
• Is TOTALLY ticklish! Laughs out loud when you tickle the bottoms of her feet or under her chin
• Continues to delight us by giving us kisses, zerberts and high fives!
• Has learned that if she puts the back of her hand on and off her mouth while talking, it makes a funny "Indian" noise!
• Has tried a variety of new finger foods: Peaches, watermelon, bananas, avacado, egg yolks, Challah, pasta, ribs, mac and cheese
• Has survived her first airplane ride - to Chicago!
• Wears 3-6 month outfits, 6-9 month outfits and also 6-12 month outfits; Size 3 diapers.

And now, check out how Alexa has grown over the past 10 months!

Click to enlarge!

Watch Alexa grow!

Wow, looking back at these photos, it's amazing to see how much Alexa has grown!

Alexa is 9 MONTHS!

Late with Alexa's birthday photos again! We took them last weekend but we had so much going on with our visitors that I'm posting them now. I can't decide which one is the one... Vote on your favorite!

And now, some fun facts about Alexa at 9 months!

• She has TWO TEETH! On the bottom. They came in a week before she turned 9 months!
• Continues to crawl and pull up!
• When she's standing, she can hold on with just one hand.
• Also, when she's standing, she can cruise along with baby steps.
• Can pass toys or other objects from one hand to the other!
• Can get a toy out of her reach that she wants.
• Seems to understand "no" but doesn't always obey!
• Is able to pick up small things, like Cherrios or Puffs, and successfully put them in her mouth!
• Now wears a size 3 in diapers! 
• But she's still wearing some 3-6 mo outfits, although her 6-9 month things fit much better!
• She has definitely filled out, weighing in at 16 pounds, 12 ounces at her 9-mo appointment.
• Keeps trying new food, and now she's on to meat! Chicken, turkey, beef... She eats it all!
• Loves sucking on frozen fruit, in mesh bags on a stick.
• Very good at holding and drinking from a sippy cup.
• Loves riding in our new jogging stroller!
• Loves being carried in our new Ergo carrier!
• LOVES playing peekaboo, especially with Daddy!
• Has learned how to give zerberts!

Alexa is 8 MONTHS!

OK, so we are more than a week late. But Alexa's 8-month birthday was a busy day! It was Mother's Day and we were up in New Jersey. Here is her 8-Month photo, taken when we got home from NJ. Look how cute she is! Love the hair bow from Aunt Chimmy!

And, here are some fun facts about Alexa at 8 months!

• She can CRAWL! Not just commando crawl, but REALLY crawl. On her KNEES!
• Continues to pull up -- on everything!
• Wears shoes to daycare every day, but when I put them on her feet, she'd rather put them in her mouth!
• Given the nickname "Smiley Girl" at daycare because she smiles all the time!
• Lights up with the biggest smile in the world when we pick her up at daycare or get home from work!
• Says "dada" and "mom" and "hi" ... and we suspect that she knows what they mean!
• Gives big sloppy open-mouthed kisses to mommy, daddy, grandma -- and even herself in the mirror!
• Is able to copy me when I do things like slap my hand on the floor or blow on her face!
• Can give us FIVE if we hold out our hand! (She's been doing this for a couple months...)
• Kicks her feet together and smiles when she's in a swing!
• Enjoys her weekly swim class!
• Loves to watch other kids or babies
• Reaches her arms toward us to be picked up. Awwww!
• Wears a size 2-3 in Pampers diapers and 6-9 months in clothes although a few 3-6 month outfits still fit (Her Baby Naming dress and sweater are size 3-6 months) 
• Has a Hebrew name: Zameret Aviva!
• Now has enough hair to wear cute hair clips. Yay!
• Still has NO teeth but we swear one (or several) are about to pop any day!
• Does not like to lay still during a diaper or outfit change
• Has tried many new foods -- apricots, butternut squash, corn, tomato, plums. Plus a bagel and soft serve yogurt!
• Now eats breakfast, lunch, afternoon snack and dinner, along with 3 bottles and two nursings!
• Has picked up a Puff with her thumb and pointer finger and put it in her mouth! Usually she just plays with them though
• LOVES gnawing on the Earth's Best teething crackers
• Now eats dinner in her high chair (at restaurants, sits in high chair too!)
• Now takes her bath in an inflatable tub inside the big tub
• Understands cause and affect: Bangs her cups together in the bath and hits a soft block with a rattle inside to make a noise
• Has favorite toys and can recognize and reach for them, such as her yellow duckie
• Has ridden the Metro and rode in a shopping cart!
• Continues to consistently sleep from 7:30 p.m. to 6:30 a.m. without so much as a peep!
• Has picked up excellent sleep habits. We put her down and walk out of the room and she might squawk for a second, but quickly curls up and puts herself to sleep. Also, on the monitor, we'll see her crawl around her crib, sit up, and then plop back down and go to sleep!
• Wakes up with a groggy smile. :-)

Your daily dose of cuteness!

This photo was extracted from the video... I keep staring at her eyes. So beautiful. So full of wonder and mystery. Has there ever been a cuter baby? I mean, seriously!

Alexa's 7-Month Photos! (video)

Alexa is sooo squirmy! Plus, she decided to EAT the number on her onesie. So, um, this month's photo session was a bit challenging! I mean... Just look at her! I know, so cute.

Click HERE to watch a behind-the-scenes video of Alexa's photo shoot!

Here are the photos from her shoot!

And, here is my favorite photo...

Some fun facts about Alexa at 7 months...

• Sits up on her own and sits without support, although she'd rather crawl
• Drags herself across the room (commando crawl) and is pretty darn fast!
• Pulls to standing!
• Picks up small objects with her thumb and pointer finger
• Loves toys that play music and books or dolls that crinkle
• Still puts EVERYTHING in her mouth!
• Grabs at everything, including my hair and necklaces and attempts to put them in her mouth (see above)
• Loves to mug for the camera. Or put the camera in her mouth. (see above)
• Likes to grab her feet and put her toes in her mouth (again, see above!)
• Can pick up her pacifier and put it in her mouth. Or pick up two pacifiers and repeatedly put one and then the other in her mouth!
• Goes to sleep between 7:30-8 p.m. and wakes up between 5-6 a.m.
• Sleeps on her tummy with her hands tucked under her chest and her butt in the air
• Has tried solids, in this order: rice cereal, carrots, sweet potatoes, peas, oatmeal, pears, apples, bananas. She likes all but peas & oatmeal!
• Wears a size 2 diaper (Pampers)
• Still wears 3-6 month clothes but is starting to also wear 6-9 month outfits
• Reaches her arms up for someone to pick her up. Awwwww!
• Says "dadadadada" and "nananananana" although we are not sure what she means
• Still has NO teeth!
• Knows her name and turns toward you when you say it
• Has been rolling both ways since 4 months old
• Smiles when anyone talks or sings to her or says she's beautiful!
• Laughs out loud if you kiss (zerbert) her tummy!
• Loves to bounce, bounce, bounce in her jumper
• Loves to swing at the park
• LOVES looking in the mirror and will almost always smile when she sees herself
• Does NOT like having her nose wiped
• Sleeps in the car when Daddy drives her to daycare every morning
• Holds her own bottle!
• Drinks out of a regular cup (sort of) but still hasn't figured out how a sippy cup works