Alexa enjoys a nice stroller ride on the boardwalk!

This is one of my favorite parts of the weekend. We took Alexa out in the stroller for a nice walk down the Ocean City Boardwalk! She had a great time people watching. We used a new stroller umbrella to keep her out of the sun. We all had such a good walk!

Oh, had to add this cute picture. This is Alexa in her car seat on the ride home. Look at her hugging her leg! So cute!

Keys! Alexa loves her keys!

Alexa's favorite toy of the moment... A set of plastic keys! She LOVES them. (Thanks, Mema Wanda!) So yummy to eat and rattle. Not sure what this means that she is already playing with toy cars and keys. She better not think this means she will one day be allowed to drive? No driving. Not until she is 30. At least.

Alexa had a very VOCAL day!

On Tuesday, we met up with my friend Kristin and her daughter Emma for lunch. Afterward, went to Barnes & Noble so Emma, who is nearly 11 months, could walk around. Alexa slept through lunch, then woke up to hang out with Emma in the bookstore!

Since it was such a nice day, after the bookstore, Alexa and I went for a walk on the Capitol Crescent trail. Alexa napped in her stroller and I walked for an hour! She was so rested and happy that upon returning home, she started talking up a storm in her car seat!

Click HERE to hear her talking!

The fun continued at home in the exersaucer, where Alexa played with her rings and kept on talking! Click HERE to hear more of Alexa!

Long, Late lunch...

We met my friend Julia and her daughter Michaela for lunch Wednesday. Er, late lunch.

Our 1:30 p.m. plans got pushed to 1:45 when I was running behind, then 2 p.m. then 2:15 when Michaela finally fell asleep for a nap, then Alexa fell asleep, then I had to feed her... We finally both arrived at 2:30 for our lunch.

This is what is called "Mommy Time." It works well when you are dealing with another mommy and you are both flexible. It, obviously, could be a problem when you make plans with anyone else!

Meanwhile, after her short nap and feeding, Alexa went back to sleep and slept through our whole lunch! Here she is chillin' in her car seat at Cafe Deluxe. Oh, what a life of leisure she leads!

A very nice day with Alexa

On Saturday, we headed to downtown Bethesda for lunch. Alexa was a good girl and slept the whole time! What a cute sleeping baby...

While she slept, we also took a short walk down the Capitol Crescent trail. Then Daddy headed off to get a hair cut and I took Alexa to a bookstore, where I was able to sit peacefully and look at some baby sleep books while she slept. I finally woke her to eat so that she wouldn't sleep too long. Still, it was a very good and well-timed nap! And when she woke up, she was in such a good mood!

Later that evening, I left Alexa home with Daddy and took off for dinner with the girls. Alexa was a little nervous about being left home with Daddy!

But to his credit, Daddy followed our new bedtime routine perfectly! He gave her a bottle, followed by a bath, put on her sleeping clothes, read her a bedtime book and then put her down in her crib using the Miracle Blanket. We are practicing putting her down sleepy but awake so that she learns to put herself to sleep. This can be a difficult thing to do. But Daddy figured it out! I came home to find Alexa sound asleep and Daddy chillin' on the computer!

Hanging out with Grandma E!

We had a nice visit with Grandma E this week! She took the train down on Tuesday afternoon and stayed until Thursday morning.

On Wednesday, we took a nice morning walk and got some coffee. Then we drove to downtown Bethesda and we adults enjoyed a nice lunch while Alexa slept! She was still sleeping when we left the restaurant so we took a nice walk on the Capitol Crescent Trail!

Alexa woke up hungry, so we headed to Barnes & Noble to nurse in (where else) the food section! Haha. After she finished eating, we read Alexa some books!

And then... She fell asleep again! So we went to Lululemon to so some shopping before heading home to enjoy soup for dinner! Yum! Alexa enjoyed her swing while we ate. What a great day!

Click HERE to watch a short video of Alexa in her swing!

Alexa welcomes her cousins to DC!

All dressed up and ready to welcome cousins Samantha and Jason! This is a special outfit because it was worn home from the hospital by Alexa's oldest cousin Samantha. Stay tuned for more on that outfit.

Unfortunately, due to an accident at lunch on Thursday, Alexa had to do an outfit change. Here she is with cousin Jason.

And cousin Samantha.

Check out this cute pink soccer ball that she got from Aunt Missy!

"So does this mean I have to be a soccer player?"

Instead of playing a game of soccer, we went for a walk.

The day ended with some playtime with cousin Jason and Daddy...

A perfect ending to a busy but fabulous day

Today started off great. We slept in! Alexa and I did, at least. Daddy had to go to work. Then we went to the Zoo to meet up with some other moms I know from my prenatal yoga class. We saw elephants and lots of other critters...

On the way back, Alexa and I stopped in Rock Creek Park for a diaper change...

Then after a nasty spat of howling, she finally fell asleep. Here is the view I have of her in the back seat. (Taken while parked.)

Upon returning home, I got several packages! Her birth announcements have arrived! Then Aunt Chimmy came over, followed by Daddy's friend Billy, who both got a sneak peek at her birth announcement!

Then Mommy went out to a RESTAURANT for a birthday dinner with Aunts Chimmy and Elizabeth! Yay! Girls night out! (Yes... I left Alexa home with Daddy, Billy and a bottle...)

We got home at the top if the 7th, just in time to see Mo clinch the Yankees' 27th World Series title! Daddy showed Alexa, who was thrilled.

Great day ... Rain or no rain!

And rain it did - All day! But we still had fun. Here is adorable Alexa the Great on Friday morning. She was in a good mood!

Click HERE to watch a 19-second video of her giggles.

The first thing we did was take another bath! And what better time than now to break out this adorable duck bath robe from Alexa's Great Uncle Richard! How adorable?

I mean... Seriously. How ADORABLE is she?!

Once we were all bathed and bundled up, we headed over to Mary Clare's for another play date with baby friend Catherine! Look at these adorable babies, only 11 days apart!

Speaking of getting bundled up, we broke out this infant car seat cover, a great shower gift! Thanks Janelle!

Alexa tops 9 1/2 pounds!

Today was Alexa's one-month pediatrician's appointment. And we learned that she has grown A LOT! I mean, she has been eating nonstop, so it's good to hear that it's been productive!

Here is how much she's grown:

Birth weight: 7 pounds, 12 ounces

Today's weight: 9 pounds, 7 ounces

WEIGHT GAIN: 1 pound, 11 ounces!!

Birth length: 19 3/4 inches

Today's length: 21 3/4 inches

LENGTH GROWN: 2 inches!!

Thankfully, even at this larger size, she is still impossibly cute! Even when, after being weighed in the buff, she peed all over Daddy and the examining table. Oh yeah... Go Alexa! Daddy still loves you. :-)

Alexa's first trip to downtown Bethesda!

My sister and her husband are visiting us this week! So we took them to see downtown Bethesda on Sunday night... And (what else?) get some gelato!

On Monday, Alexa and I took them on our now-regular walk to Starbucks!

Then on Tuesday, we walked to the Post Office, then explored the new part of Bethesda! We looked at birth announcements at a paper store and strolled through an art gallery and kids toy store before getting frozen yogurt!

So it's been a good week so far. More photos to come!

Alexa's first ride in her new stroller!

It was a beautiful day Friday and since Papa Bean was home from work, we decided to take our our fabulous Baby Jogger stroller for a spin! So off we went to... Where else? Starbucks!

Here is Papa Bean pushing Alexa on her FIRST of many stroller rides! (A big thank you to Grandpa Howard and Mema Wanda for the car seat and stroller!)

And, from earlier Friday, here are some more ridiculously adorable photos of Alexa sporting her funky flower headband! Mommy ordered it a while back from this Etsy seller. Love it!

Alexa's first pediatrician appointment

Good news! Alexa is gaining weight! While she was born weighing 7 pounds, 12 ounces, Alexa lost some weight in the hospital. This is common with babies, but the doctors don't like babies to lose more than 10 percent of their birth weight. Alexa had dropped to 6 pounds, 15 ounces at discharge, which was right at 10 percent.

However, on Monday at our pediatrician's office, she was up to 7 pounds, 2 ounces!

My milk came in on Sunday and she has been drinking her fill, which probably accounts for her sudden upswing in weight. Yay for Alexa's hearty appetite!

Also at our pediatrician's office, we ran into friends Mary Clare and George -- and their new baby Catherine Mary Elaine! Catherine was born on Aug. 29, delivered at the same hospital and by the same doctor who delivered Alexa!

Here is a photo of the two babies. Looking forward to play dates with Alexa's new friend Catherine!

Alexa comes home!

Today was a day for many firsts: Alexa's first time outside, her first ride in a car, her first time entering the house we bought for her, her first time in her own nursery... We think she enjoyed it all, except that she mostly slept through it all!

Here we are leaving the hospital. A big thank you to Nurse Tino and all the other nurses at Sibley Memorial Hospital, who were amazing and totally made my 5-night stay such a great experience.

We think Alexa liked her new car seat, but again, she slept the whole car ride home!

Welcome home, Alexa! We hope you like our house. We bought it and moved to Bethesda just for you, darling princess. Mommy and Daddy want you to grow up in a nice neighborhood and go to good schools. We are so excited that you are finally here. Our house is now a home.

Upstairs in Alexa's nursery, we found this surprise from Aunts Jen and Kelly! A Tiffanys piggy bank! WOW! Thank you!

Finally, relaxing at home in Alexa's nursery...