The McCuties' World

Picture that Alexie drew on her easel

2012-02-07T14:47:00.000-08:00

From left to right: Milo, Muffin (top left), Baby brother (bottom left), Daddy, Mommy, Alexie.

This is the first time she's drawn anything that's not crazy all over the place. Her first drawing of her family!

2012-02-07T14:37:00.000-08:00

2012-01-17T16:13:00.000-08:00

What's been going on this week? Well, let's see. We've all been sick (except for Ryan) of course. Everyone seems to be better now, though, and we're keeping our fingers crossed that no other illnesses come our way. Ryan's crazy schedule and me starting to teach online courses again does not leave much time to lose sleep over being sick. The Broncos lost which made Ryan and my poor little boy upset. My poor Mister B was all decked out in his Broncos gear and ready for a big win, but no such luck. He ended up going to bed early. My girly girl is like her mommy and could really care less about football. Thank goodness. I hope this girl stays in this mindset so when she gets older we can shop while the guys watch football! Otherwise, it's been a good week. Ryan got MLK day off so that was a wonderful surprise. I have more of our weekend fun coming up to post about, but I just heard a little Mister B wake up so will have to do it later.

And More.....

2012-01-05T16:28:00.000-08:00

Even More Pictures From Today

2012-01-05T16:22:00.001-08:00

More Pictures from Today

2012-01-05T16:12:00.000-08:00

Is it January or Springtime?

2012-01-05T15:57:00.000-08:00

Today it was so beautiful outside! Mommy was loving it! She hates being cold (not that Colorado is really all that cold but she prefers a climate comparable to a tropical island). Anyways, after school today we went outside and played. I played in the backyard first, taking pictures and running after Milo. Then I pushed my puppy around in the stroller. After baby brother woke up from his nap, we went for a loooong walk around the neighborhood. We stopped at the playground by our house for a little while so I could go down the slide. Then we came home and I was exhausted! But it was a great day!

Christmas

2012-01-05T15:46:00.000-08:00

We had a wonderful Christmas this year! We spent Day 1 (Christmas Eve) going to Uncle Greg's house where we opened presents and ate a wonderful meal of enchiladas with red chili. Yummy! Then we drove around and looked at Christmas lights on our way home. On Christmas Day we stayed home and everyone came over. We opened more presents and visited with the family. We had a wonderful time! It was Baby Brother's first Christmas and he had a blast opening gifts. Unfortunately for him, I still control what he plays with! I like to take his toys away (I get in trouble for doing this.) Don't worry, though. I always give him a different toy to play with! I love my baby brother. He is cute and wonderful and I love having someone to boss around!

Playing and Smiling

2011-12-22T21:44:00.001-08:00

I am such a good baby. I am always always happy. I hardly ever cry and whenever anyone looks at me, I have a huge grin on my face. I love to play and roll and be held. I love eating, except for vegetables of course! I am cute and precious and so very loved!

Update on Potty Training 2

2011-12-22T18:34:00.000-08:00

Mommy was less than thrilled to begin potty training me. The thought of waiting forever for me to go to the bathroom and having to go in public restrooms while I was terrified of the "big" potty did not sound at all appealing. Not to mention cleaning up accidents, etc. Also, potty training around the holidays while shopping and just being out and about did not sound like a good idea. Let's just say that mommy was very bad and not very consistent. She would try for a while at home but then forget about it while we were out. (Some of this is due to mommy not wanting to try this out in public and having to carry icky potty seats in bags). Well, let's just say that less than a week of consistency later, I am most likely potty trained. Mommy and Daddy made sure that I always had a chance to go to the potty even while we were out shopping today. I even went in the "big" potty (three times) out in public, after mommy carefully lined the whole bowl with toilet paper (this way no carrying icky potty seats). Today we didn't have a single accident. I went both #1 and #2. This is from last night until now. Go me! Go me! I think I may actually be potty trained. Tomorrow is the big test: No pull-ups and on to big girl panties!

Potty Training

2011-12-15T08:11:00.000-08:00

Update on potty training:

As of this morning, I am mostly potty trained to go #1. If I am at home, everything goes smoothly and I'll go #1 in my little potty. Now going out in public is a different story. But you have to get out sometimes, right? Firstly, mommy hates public restrooms, but having to take cute little me who is terrified of "big" potties (I will only go on the little potty at home), then there is a problem. So we have to get me to somehow go on the "big" potty at home and then work our way up to public restrooms. Hmmm. I guess it will just take some time. I've only really been doing this for a week and a half anyways, so we're still new. And adding playschool time into the mix kind of screws it all up because there's only a "big" potty there. The goal, however, is to get all this figured out by Christmas. So far, go me!

More Cute Things I've Said

2011-12-13T19:49:00.000-08:00

We are in the midst of potty training over here and I'm doing great! It's a great way to stall bedtime! I just keep telling mommy and daddy over and over again that "Alexie go pee pee in the potty!" and then I have to go through all the motions about five times before I let them actually put me to bed. I love to try and go because then I get little rewards! Mommy and daddy think the funniest thing I say when stalling to go to bed (and so am sitting on the potty) is this:

"It's not working!" (Mommy says "Of course it's not working! You already went!")

Cute Things I have said

2011-12-08T18:09:00.000-08:00

Cute Thing I said #1:

Mommy discovered that I got some food on the couch when I ate my snack. Oops!

Mommy said: Come here Alexie. What happened here?

She pointed to the couch to show me what I had done.

I replied: The Couch has owie!

Cute Thing I said #2:

Daddy got some play-doh on the carpet which is a big no-no.

I said: Daddy bad boy. Daddy go to time-out!

A Visit From Grandma

2011-11-29T17:46:00.000-08:00

About a week and a half ago, Grandma and Terry came to see us. We sure were excited to see them! Here is a great picture of us. We sure are cute and we know Grandma loves us very much!

Thanksgiving

2011-11-21T21:16:00.000-08:00

I know this is lame, but this year I am thankful there is a holiday called Thanksgiving. I think sometimes I get caught up in the hard times we are having right now with Ryan being gone pretty much all the time. It’s not quite my vision of fun family times when one very important family member called my husband is missing. But Thanksgiving makes me realize that I am very very very very fortunate and I have so much to be thankful for. It makes me realize how wrong I am to get mad sometimes about this current situation called “fellowship”. I am actually an extremely fortunate person and have many positives in my life. I am thankful that I do have my husband and that he loves me and our family. I am thankful that we have each other and our babies and that’s really all that matters. I am thankful for all our other family and friends and how much they help us out. In particular, I am thankful for my wonderful parents who do so very much for us and I know that I am very lucky to have them. I am thankful for my other babies called Milo and Muffin. I am thankful that we are all healthy. I am thankful that we are employed and that we love what we do. I am thankful I get to be with my babies all day every day. They are growing up too fast and I’m glad I realized how important this time would be for all of us before it was too late. I am thankful for this life.

Jen

Another Conversation with me!

2011-11-17T13:58:00.000-08:00

Today mommy had a very interesting conversation with me (her beautiful daughter)!

Mommy: What's your name?

Me: Alexie

Mommy: What's mommy's name?

Me: Jennifer

Mommy: What's daddy's name?

Me: Ryan

Mommy: What's your brother's name?

Me: Ruff! Ruff!

P.S. The mark you see on my face is just a little bit of paint! It washed right off!

How should mommy keep me out of trouble?

2011-11-17T13:04:00.000-08:00

What do parents do when their two year old is leaving a trail of destruction everywhere they go while at the same time a 6 month old is rolling around the room? My sister is running all over the house playing with toys and I am trying to get to all those same toys by rolling around! Obviously, you can't keep us separated! I love watching my sister play. And she loves giving me kisses! Help! I am concerned about my safety! Mommy still has to make dinner, do laundry, etc., and cannot stay within a foot of me forever!

A Big Girl Bed!

2011-11-09T10:00:00.000-08:00

We all know it's a little late to be switching me to a big girl bed, but the time finally came! Really, it's just taking out one side of the crib and making it possible for me to climb in and out of bed all on my own. I think everyone mommy talked to had a different opinion on when this was supposed to happen, but in the end, this is what worked for us. As it turns out, it seems as though nothing has changed. I still haven't figured out that this should mean more independence for me, as I still call out for mommy as soon as I wake up and patiently wait until mommy comes to help me out of bed. I climb out by myself, but only when mommy is there. I did fall out of bed once in the middle night, but that's been the only issue thus far. In fact, I've been asking more frequently to take a nap or go back to bed, which makes mommy think I like my new bed. But we're only a week in, so we'll see what I discover next!

Eating Like A Big Boy!

2011-11-09T09:28:00.000-08:00

So I tried rice cereal for the first time, and boy was it gross! I did not like it! Mommy and Daddy agree that rice cereal is not very tasty, so they certainly don't blame me. Why do doctors recommend rice cereal as a first food anyway? Mommy has decided it probably just creates an aversion to food based on what she's witnessed. The next day mommy decided to mix the rice cereal with breastmilk and applesauce. Now that was so much better. I actually kept eating and eating and eating..... Mommy had to put a stop to the eating because she didn't want me to get an upset stomach from eating too much new food. But I think as long as I get tasty things to eat, I should be just fine!

Berry Patch Farms Harvest Festival

2011-11-09T09:27:00.000-08:00

Boy do we have some catching up to do on posts! Prior to Halloween, on October 22, we went to Berry Patch Farms Harvest Festival. We listened to music, petted pigs and alpacas, took a wagon ride, chased chickens, colored on a giant coloring picture, and picked raspberries. We thought we would purchase some yummy fresh raspberries but guess who ate them all (a half a pint) before we could buy them? When we went to tell the farmers and pay for the berries, they said not to worry about it! Free berries for me! I had so much fun! Even baby brother had a good time!

Halloween Pictures of My Lovebugs!

2011-11-02T14:26:00.000-07:00

Here are my precious baby's Halloween costumes! Alexie was a cupcake and Mister B was a monster. They sure were cute!

Exersaucer Fun!

2011-10-22T16:01:00.000-07:00

Here I am in my exersaucer. I love it, but I think I love watching my sister gallop around me much more!

Cute Pictures of Us and Mommy's Tie Dye Adventure

2011-10-18T13:49:00.000-07:00

Mommy took a cute picture of me in my new purple cast. I look cute as usual. I have to be in the cast for 3 weeks. The doctor said the fracture was not a bad one and did not involve any growth plates. So all is good, other than the 3 week cast :(. Everyone should feel sorry for me and therefore spoil me for the next 3 weeks also :). I look forward to that part of all this.

Mommy is also showing a picture here of "Mister", "Baby brother", or "Buddy". I have many names for him, but these are my two favorites. He is playing with his favorite football. I love him and he's cute, just like me.

Also, mommy did a tie dying project with her friend Kim for the first time. Here is some of what mommy managed to make (with help from Kim of course)! Not bad for the first time! And we'll just make all of these outfits look cute!

Poor Poor Me :(

2011-10-15T15:51:00.000-07:00

I have officially broken my first bone :(. Poor me. Only I know exactly what happened because mommy didn't see it. Mommy and I had been in the kitchen together where mommy was preparing a yummy dinner for us. I took off running to the family room which I always do. Suddenly mommy heard a loud thump and I started screaming right away. Mommy came running in to check on me and I just kept screaming. I cried harder than usual after hurting myself, but I didn't cry for that long. I said I had an owie and pointed to my arm. Mommy comforted me for a bit and changed my diaper. I told mommy, "Owie all better!". Mommy thought all was fine. I commented throughout the day that I had an owie on my arm, but mommy observed no visible swelling, redness, or anything. I colored using this arm, pushed my stroller outside for a walk, and did the usual things. Every once in a while I would hold my arm, but I was fine otherwise. I took my nap and laughed with my daddy all evening. But when it came time to put on my pajamas I cried when daddy tried to put my shirt on. I again pointed to my arm and said owie. Then I woke up in the middle of the night screaming and clutching at my arm. That's when mommy said she knew something wasn't right. So we went to the doctor this morning where they put on a splint and did an x-ray. It turns out I have a "supracondylar fracture" on my humerus. We go in Monday to see an orthopedic surgeon where they may have to put a cast on it, but we'll see what they say. For now, I will enjoy all the extra cuddles and make the most of all the extra attention I got today. I'm pretty happy otherwise. I got to see my friend Lily today!

Mommy's Conversation With Me

2011-10-06T20:35:00.000-07:00

Before dinner:

We were supposed to hang out with my friend Lily and her parents and go out to eat. But then daddy decided to come home late so mommy cancelled. The idea of going to a restaurant with "Mister" and I and no daddy did not sound appealing to mommy. So mommy ordered pizza for dinner. I was getting hungry so I asked for fruit snacks.

Mommy: You will not be eating fruit snacks for dinner. I ordered a pizza.

Me: Pizza.

Mommy: It's coming.

I cupped mommy's face in my hands and said: Mommy! Pizza!

Mommy: It's coming.

Doorbell rings so I shouted: Pizza time!

At dinner it was just mommy and I, which seems to be quite the norm lately around here with daddy at work and "Mister" already asleep for the night!

Here was tonight's dinner conversation:

Mommy: What did you do at school today?

Me: Alexie coloring with markers!

Mommy: What color marker did you have?

Me: Green! (Mommy knows that I was secretly coloring with the purple marker because the teachers gave her my artwork after school ended today).

Mommy: What else did you do?

Me: Choo choo trains! (The teachers had told mommy that I spent a lot of time playing with the train set with my new friend Liam).

Mommy: Did you play with the trains with anyone?

Me: Miam (Liam). Where did Miam go?

Mommy: Liam went to his house after school.

Me: Alexie fun with the teachers today! Playdoh!

Mommy: What did you make with the Playdoh?

Me: A ball. Mommy always come back. Mommy's back now. Teachers next week!

Mommy: Anything else happen at school today?

Me: Animals today.

Mommy: What animals did you play with?

Me: Giraffes! Monkeys. Tiger. It's dark outside. All done!

Cute Pictures of Us

2011-09-26T20:04:00.000-07:00

It's so much fun to have a playmate! Mommy thinks it's great to watch our interactions grow and we're starting to have more and more playtime as "Mister" starts to become more awake and interested in toys and whatever I'm doing!

Teaching Baby Brother

2011-09-23T10:52:00.001-07:00

Baby brother doesn't know how to read or count yet, so I'm gonna teach him how to do all of those things. I'm also trying to teach him what a snake says in this video. Check us out! I even let my baby brother borrow my pink Bumbo!

Go to this site by copying and pasting:

http://vimeo.com/29488832

Love,

Alexie

P.S. I keep calling my brother "Mister". Mommy must call him this a little too much. I may not know his real name!

Precious

2011-09-20T14:25:00.000-07:00

Four Months Old

2011-09-20T14:02:00.000-07:00

Yes, I am late in posting about this since I am now four and a half months old. However, I will let you all know how I am doing. I had my doctor's appointment and got my shots. I did great as usual with no fever or fussiness but I did get a bit of an allergic reaction on my leg where they gave me the shot. I was also told that I have eczema which is why I always scratch the heck out of my head and that's probably what's keeping me up a bit at night. So now I will be putting on lots of lotions and creams when I wake up and before going to bed. It does seem to be helping so far (depending on the night :)). I don't have as many scratches on my head either. In fact, my current scratches are old ones that haven't healed all the way yet. I have not been growing as great as I did in the beginning, however. The doctor thinks this is because I only poop every 10-12 days and those last days I don't eat very well and spit up a lot. So now, if I don't poop by day 7 I have to get a suppository. Since hearing this news at the doctor's office, I decided to poop on my own and I have now been pooping every few days (since last week). Go figure. At any rate, here are my stats:

Height: 23 3/4 in. (5th percentile)

Weight: 12 pounds, 13.8 ounces (5th percentile)

Head: 39.2 cm (4th percentile)

Otherwise, I am doing great! I like to stand and the way things are going I will probably stand on my own before I roll over, but we'll see. I love playing with my sister and my toys. And I am just plain cute! Look at the pictures and see for yourself!

Fountain of Poop!

2011-09-19T13:01:00.000-07:00

I know you all just wanted more pictures, however, today has been all about poop. And no one wants to actually see pictures. Shortly after my sister pooped, I went, which is always a joyous occasion since I only go once every week and a half or so. The funny part is that while mommy was cleaning up, I ended up having to go some more and so splattered mommy while at the same time my sister was looking over mommy's shoulder shouting, "Whoa, STINKY!" And that's our funny story for the day. Hopefully the rest of the day is poopless.

Even more kinds of cuteness!

2011-09-13T14:47:00.000-07:00

All Kinds Of Cuteness!

2011-09-13T14:34:00.000-07:00

I am the cutest girl ever! I also had my two year check up where I got another vaccine and got new stats:

Height: 32 1/2 in; 12th percentile

Weight: 20 pounds, 13.4 oz; 8th percentile (Yeah! On the growth charts finally!)

Head: 48.2 cm; 75th percentile (still tons of brains)

They say I'm doing really well. I can do every milestone that was brought up, and I can speak in 4 word sentences, which I guess I'm not really supposed to do until closer to 3 years of age. I'm also a better eater than mommy and daddy thought for someone my age, and the growth charts are reflecting that since before I wasn't even on the chart and now I am! I am amazing and perfect and wonderful, but everyone knows that already, I guess!

Playschool!

2011-09-13T14:26:00.000-07:00

On September 6, I started my first day of playschool! I go to school at the church by our house with 8 other kids my age and two teachers. I did really well, not seeming to care when mommy left. But when mommy came back to pick me up, the teachers told her that I had cried later when mommy had gone. Mommy thinks what really happened is that when all the other kids started crying, I started crying, too. I've always been sensitive like this and hearing others cry usually rubs off on me. At any rate, I have done well every time I've gone since, which is two more times, and not a single tear shed. The teachers say I don't talk to them, but mommy and daddy know I always wait until I get to know people before I open up. Just like mommy! I've learned all kinds of new things like the wiggle dance, how to cut playdoh, and also painting! They also have a gym with tumbling mats which is fun, too. I seem to like going as I never protest and this morning I even carried my own backpack inside. We're excited about the upcoming field trip to the zoo with my new friends!

Baptism

2011-09-13T14:21:00.000-07:00

The other big thing that has happened is my baptism! I got baptized on September 4, 2011 at 6 pm. Things went pretty well until the baptism actually happened, and then I lost it. I started screaming and wanted to leave. And somehow we didn't get pictures of myself and my godparents, which are Grandma and Grandpa. Note to mommy and daddy: Do not schedule any future baptisms (if there are any) at the grumpiest time of day. Everyone was hungry and mad and I just wanted to sleep! Oh well, at least I am baptized, which was the point of the evening!

First Night In Crib

2011-09-13T14:11:00.000-07:00

The McCuties are so behind on their posts! First, I spent my first night in the crib right after returning from our California trip. The oxygen was off and the trip was over, so it was officially time to make the transition. I have done pretty well in the crib, although, I am not sleeping as well as I used to. The other possible reason for this, however, could be that I am no longer being swaddled. Back when I was little, I LOVED being swaddled. Then mommy and daddy noticed I no longer liked it, so we didn't swaddle for a while. Then, BOOM!, I needed to be swaddled again and after that I slept all night long every night. Then the oxygen came off and I was so used to having it that I didn't know what to do! Since then, I have not been sleeping all night long. Now, I sleep from approximately 8pm-2am. Then I wake up and want to eat sometimes. Other times, I just need to be comforted back to sleep. Then, I ALWAYS wake up somewhere between 4-5 am, which was when I used to wake up. Then, I go back to sleep again until whenever my sister wakes up. Mommy thinks it's my inability to control my precious little hands and arms that always manage to reach up and start scratching my precious little head and cut it open that wakes me up! But we can't really reswaddle as they don't really make SwaddleMes in my size anymore. And I'm doing fine! Who knows, but I'm still doing well and hopefully I'll go back to sleeping through the night!

Meeting Minnie Mouse

2011-08-29T09:01:00.000-07:00

If you've looked at the blog enough, then you probably know that my favorite toy is a Minnie Mouse doll that I take care of like my own baby. She and I are best friends. So mommy and daddy decided to take me to meet the real Minnie Mouse at her home in Disneyland. She was there waiting for me. I pointed to her but when I got real close, it was scary! She was much bigger in person and I couldn't believe it, so I kept my eyes closed most of the time. She was much more fun from a distance, and I loved walking around her house. I think I like my Minnie much better. The rides at Disneyland were much more exciting so I'll talk about those in the next post.

Dirty! Uh Oh! What happened?

2011-08-28T20:31:00.000-07:00

I am such a girl! I really don't like to be dirty. We headed out to the beach and I had a great time, as long as I was safely sunbathing on my towel. I did not like the sand, or water, or any aspect of it really. Just the sitting on the towel part was nice. Everyone attempted to show me seashells but they were dirty! They had sand on them! And it seemed like sand would end up on my skin. I always said, "It's dirty!" or "Uh oh, what happened?" and I would point to the "mess". And then everyone would laugh at me or try to make me touch the sand or walk on it. But I sure showed them I didn't want to have anything to do with it! Maybe next time. I also threw in a picture of my baby brother's first trip to the beach. But he slept through it all!

Beach Ball Fun!

2011-08-28T20:24:00.000-07:00

Grandma took some beach balls on the vacation, and when all of us little ones got together, we had a great time throwing them around the room, on each other, and in the air. It was downright chaotic, but I had a great time with my wonderful cousins! All the adults were completely entertained watching us play. There was also a night where mommy, daddy, and some of the older cousins got together and went out to dinner while Grandma, Great Aunt Jewel, and Great Grandma watched the little kids. Mommy and Daddy heard some great stories about how much fun we had running around the room way past our bedtime!

Family Vacation!

2011-08-28T19:41:00.000-07:00

It's been sort of a new family tradition where we go on our annual McCutie Family Vacation to Newport Beach. Mommy and Daddy, my sister, Daddy's brother, his wife, and our cousins, and Grandma all head out to visit Great Grandma and Grandma's brother, sister, and even more cousins. We had a great time this year visiting with everyone. And everyone got to meet me, the wonderful Mr. B. This was my first time on the annual family vacation. Everyone thought I was adorable, of course. There are so many pictures of our trip to post, but here are a few of the family so far. This year we hung out together and I got to watch my cousins be crazy together and also I also got to go to Disneyland since my sister wanted to meet the "real" Minnie Mouse. We also spent some time at the beach. More pictures to come!

Happy Happy Birthday to my Precious Baby Girl!

2011-08-18T07:14:00.000-07:00

To My Beautiful Daughter,

Oh my goodness! How can you be two years old already? I still remember holding you for the first time and looking into those big brown eyes of yours (of course they were blue when you were born). You have been an amazing addition to our lives and I feel so lucky to be your mommy. I have been so fortunate that I can stay home and watch you grow up, and amazingly, it still seems that I don't get enough of you. I could watch you all day and night if I were capable of not sleeping. I love watching you play and copy everything that I do. I love watching you jump on this pillow and look up at me and smile. I love that you play with your "baby" (aka Minnie Mouse), and give her and your baby brother kisses. I love when you put your arms around me and hold me tight. I love that you are such a sweetheart. Basically, I love everything about you. You can count to eleven, say some of your ABCs, and you love to read your books by looking at the pictures and saying what you see on the picture. You love going on walks with your mommy, daddy, and baby brother in the evenings. Your favorite cartoons are Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and Little Einsteins. You love to sing Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star and Row Row your Boat. You love cake (this is mommy's fault), and you love any kind of fruit I put in front of you. You like to put soap in the dishwasher and turn it on. You love to point at the airplanes (there are so many around our house) and shout "Darn fly!" when you see them in the house. You love to go shopping and look at clothes. You tell us which clothes you like by saying "Cute!" and pull them off the racks to put in the shopping cart. I love you so so very much and I know that I have the most precious little girl in the world and you will always be my baby. Don't forget how much your daddy, baby brother, and I love you. Happy birthday! You're two years old today!

Love,

Mommy

Daddy and I

2011-08-17T15:06:00.000-07:00

Regret

2011-08-17T14:28:00.000-07:00

Mommy is filled with regret over my first haircut. I don't know why, because I think I look very adorable. It's just that now I don't have my precious curls in the back anymore and it looks like a boy haircut. The only plus is that now I no longer have a mullet. The hairdresser does say, though, that the trimming of my hair should help it grow it faster. Let's keep our fingers crossed because mommy is awaiting the day that she can make my hair into ponytails and pigtails and braids. I'm still cute, just lacking some curl.

Doesn't Minnie look great in her pictures?

2011-08-15T08:14:00.000-07:00

Every time mommy tries to get a picture of me lately, I rush to hold up Minnie and tell her to smile. Mommy says she is getting a little frustrated because she hasn't gotten any pictures of just her little Alexie lately. Minnie's head has managed to find its way into each picture with me in the background! But I think Minnie is precious and I want to make sure that mommy records Minnie's life as well! Oh, and mommy says that she would like to apologize for talking about my crankiness the other day. It turns out that I was getting a tooth and it was bugging me. It is now poking out of my gums!

Taking a Nap

2011-08-15T08:06:00.000-07:00

I sure do look cute taking my morning nap, don't I? Please don't look at all the scratches on my face. I like to scratch the heck out of myself every chance I get. Mommy loves this outfit because it has mittens on it!

Spraygrounds!

2011-08-06T08:51:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we went to the spraygrounds with some friends. Alexie didn't particularly like getting wet, but what girl does? We still had a great time, though, just hanging out and eating blueberries. And I got a chance to squeeze both of my babies!

I Am Such a Big Boy!

2011-08-03T14:35:00.000-07:00

I am getting bigger and bigger! This morning mommy weighed me in at 12 pounds. She had to go buy some clothes for me yesterday since I've grown out of all my newborn clothes and most of my 0-3 months clothes. All I've been doing lately it seems, is sleeping. But when I am awake, I am as happy as can be. I smile, talk, and reach for my toys on my playmat. I have pretty good head control now when sitting on mommy's lap. And now, instead of searching for food and digging my face into the floor during tummy time, I've been lifting my head! And yes, I do have a lot of scratches on my face since I like to rub my hands into my face. Mommy has to cut my fingernails almost every day and this still happens! Tomorrow is the big appointment to see if I can be off the oxygen while sleeping. Mommy is really hoping to be done with that whole mess. I sure am cute!

I Don't Hear You!

2011-08-03T14:27:00.001-07:00

This is what I've been doing to mommy for the last week or so. I've been cranky, refusing to eat, and trying to beat up on baby brother. My excuse is that I'm getting an upper tooth and it is very painful. To get past the pain, I like to pass the pain on to other people in the form of screaming and overall crankiness to a breaking point. I've chosen not to listen to anything that I'm being told. Today I was so cranky that here is what happened. Mommy and I were looking through old blog posts and we came across the one of Santa and I last December. I said, "Santa! Alexie! Crying!". Then my lower lip quivered and I burst into tears. It was so traumatic! And it doesn't help that now baby brother is requiring even more of mommy's attention. Poor me! Poor me!

2 month update!

2011-07-26T13:39:00.000-07:00

I am a wonderful, perfect baby. Mommy says that I'm her cute little man, and she's absolutely right. I know I'm 2.5 months old now and mommy is a little late in posting about this, but better late than never. At my two month appointment, which was actually 2 months 11 days old I measured at the following:

Height: 21 3/4 inches (5th percentile), so still short like a typical McCutie child

Weight: 10 pounds 11.2 ounces (10th percentile); it seems like I'm slowing down in my growth, but at least I'm on the growth charts!

Head: 37.7 cm (70th percentile); Holy cow! I've got lots of brains, so that just goes to show how smart I am!

I am doing very well. I like to play on my gym, but I don't do well with tummy time. Instead I think I'm searching for food, so I dig my face into the ground instead of trying to lift my head. I still love to eat and be held tons. I'm starting to like the swing now, too. I nap in the swing downstairs because mommy doesn't like to be far away from me. I don't blame her. I've still never slept in my crib but I pretty much sleep through the night. I like to go to bed at eight o'clock (when my sister does) and sleep until 5:30 when daddy wakes up to go to work. I eat, then go back to sleep until my incredibly loud sister who likes to talk at the top of her lungs in the morning, wakes me up. Then I nap here and there throughout the day, but my best naptime comes when my sister sleeps. Notice a pattern here? I think my sister is a little bit loud. But I still do sleep at other times throughout the day, it's just that my longest nap is the blissful 3-4 hours of quiet we all get when Alexie naps.

I also smile and try to talk a lot. When mommy talks to me or my sister plays with me, I smile the whole time. I think they're pretty funny. My sister likes to play with me a lot. Her and I do tummy time together. And she likes to shake my frog rattle in my face. But I don't mind. I like to play, too. I sure am cute and my mommy, daddy, and sister love me so very much. I am wonderful!

Mommy Caught me Breastfeeding Minnie!

2011-07-19T11:34:00.000-07:00

Mommy caught me! It was the one thing that mommy had not caught me doing with Minnie yet that she also does with the baby. I dug out mommy's wrap from the diaper bag, put it over my neck, and sat on my chair to cuddle with Minnie. As far as I know, that's all mommy's really doing with baby brother!

Tiny Town!

2011-07-19T11:25:00.000-07:00

We sure had a great time as a family during Ryan's week off at the end of June. We spent a day driving to Morrison where we ate at a yummy Mexican restaurant. Then we were off to Tiny Town where they have cute little dollhouses that are stores, houses, schools, churches, etc. I (Alexie), really enjoyed walking through the town, but the highlight was the train ride! Once with mommy and once with daddy while Brendan spent the day asleep! I do have a picture of baby brother Brendan at Tiny Town, but it just looks like a car seat picture! The last part of the day we went to Washington Park where we met some friends (Lily!) and ate dinner and played at the playground. I got to swing a lot, which is super fun! Then we ate Bonnie Brae ice cream to top off the night since all the years mommy an daddy have lived in Denver, we had never tried their ice cream. It was pretty yummy, but Mommy says she still prefers Liks!

Swimming!

2011-07-19T11:07:00.000-07:00

Swimming is fun! This is sadly the first time Alexie has ever been swimming at an actual swimming pool (other than the backyard kind). The pictures show a different Alexie than one at the beginning of the trip, as she was very scared of the pool and getting wet. By the end, though, she sure was having a blast, as long as daddy was right by her, of course! This trip actually happened during daddy's week off at the end of June before Fellowship took daddy away again :(.

McCuties Again!

2011-07-13T11:53:00.000-07:00

Aren't we cute? We just get cuter and cuter every day!!!!

Happy Two Months To Me!!!!

2011-07-07T20:55:00.000-07:00

I am a whopping two months old today! Here I am smiling really cute. I've been working on training my parents to conform to my daily routine, which is why I was wearing this bib. To continually remind them that I make the rules. My sister thinks she's the one who makes the rules, but really it's me. In my first two glorious months of life, I have done so much! We have been to the Botanical Gardens, Tiny Town, the swimming pool, the Aquarium, to parks, and barbecues. Unfortunately, I slept through every last bit of these wonderful adventures, so I won't remember anything :(. I'll have to take my parent's word for it that I actually attended these things! I have not yet gone to the doctor for the big weigh in, but mommy stepped on the scale with me today and I was 10.8 pounds. I still love to eat and sleep. Mommy and daddy are so proud of me because I sleep now from about 8:30-9ish to about 4:30-5ish in the morning, eat, then immediately go back to sleep until my sister wakes me up around 7. I'm still on oxygen (this picture was taken in the middle of the cannula switcheroo, so that's why I'm not wearing it here), but next month I have my next appointment, so hopefully that will be the last of that. I smile now and coo while playing on my gym. I think I look pretty handsome in the mirror I see dangling above me! I fart A LOT, most likely because I prefer not to poop very often so that mommy and daddy don't have to clean too many dirty diapers! I'm just all around perfect and wonderful and my family loves me oh so very much! Mommy says she doesn't want for me to keep growing up so fast!

Her Royal Cuteness Playing on her Slide

2011-07-07T20:50:00.000-07:00

One of My Cute Smiles

2011-06-21T13:47:00.000-07:00

Mommy caught a smile on camera! I'm sooooooooooooooooooooooooooo cute, just like my sister!

Playing in My Gym AND Being held by Grandpa

2011-06-18T08:45:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone! It's Brendan here! I am posting here to show you all how cute I look playing in my gym. I think I look pretty handsome in these pictures. My big sister, Alexie, likes to give me kisses while I play in my gym. She also likes to try to sit on my head or ram trucks into my face, so mommy has to supervise us pretty closely while we play together on the floor. But I don't mind. I know my sister loves me. And pretty soon, I'm going to be bigger than her. Mommy weighed me this morning and I'm almost 10 whole pounds. That's half of my sister. Craziness. Mommy sure isn't used to having a child that grows so quickly! But it sure is nice. She used to worry so much about my sister and how much she ate each time, but with me, I just eat and eat and eat and eat and eat and eat..... I'm starting to smile now, but mommy and daddy can't seem to catch it on camera. My sister smeared her fingerprints all over our camera lens, so we had to borrow Grandma and Grandpa's camera while ours got sent away for cleaning. Hopefully, we'll catch a smile in a picture here soon! Also, here I am with my Grandpa. He sure does like to hold me, and I certainly like that. I don't get held as much as I would like. Mommy bought me a baby carrier to walk around with me so I could be close, but with the darn oxygen, it's a little harder to do that. So the baby carrying is limited to the outdoors and going out. And I can't be in the kitchen while she's cooking because of the gas stove. Poor me! But don't worry. I still get held a pretty substantial amount, it's just not all the time, which would be preferred by me. Oh well! I know I am loved so very much! By the way, don't I look an awful lot like my Grandpa in this picture?

Yesterday fun!

2011-06-13T07:38:00.000-07:00

Daddy told mommy that he liked the blog better when it was using the voice of his precious children, myself and my brother Brendan. So from now on, either myself or Brendan will be telling you about us. So here I am! Yesterday, we went shopping and I got two pairs of sandals since I was outgrowing my other shoes and I needed something more summer-y. I also spotted this hat, and when we tried it on, everyone said I looked adorable. Therefore, mommy and daddy could not resist buying it. We put my new pair of sandals on right away and I started running around the outdoor mall. Unfortunately, I am not used to running in sandals, so I kept falling down and scraping my poor little knees. Poor me! But I was having fun and it wasn't until the third fall that I finally got really upset and mommy and daddy had to carry me to the car. Later yesterday afternoon, we headed to the park for a going away barbecue for some of mommy and daddy's friends who are moving to Atlanta. It is sad that they are leaving, but we had a good time! There was a little boy there named Elijah who picked a dandelion for me! Isn't that sweet? Here is a picture of me smelling the flower and also of me at the park. I was exhausted when we finally got home, but it was a blast. I sure do love being outside!

Minnie in the car seat!

2011-06-10T15:53:00.000-07:00

I'm sure you all were hoping for pictures of the McCuties instead of Minnie, but I just had to show how well Alexie can strap Minnie in! It's pretty impressive, I think!

Brendan is so cute!

2011-06-10T15:09:00.000-07:00

Time is flying! How can things go this fast? Our little guy is already over a month old! He's as cute as ever and we all love him so much. We've had some good times over the last month (minus the NICU week). We've gone to parks, enjoyed a day at the Botanical Gardens, and spent time with family and friends. Unfortunately, I'm a terrible mother and have either forgotten the camera or just decided not to take it since it's so big and bulky and we have enough things to carry as it is. But we have been enjoying life and each other. Mr. Brendan sleeps most of time, except for one particular awful night where he grunted and fussed for most of the time. After passing some gas at about 5am that particular morning, he went peacefully to sleep, and has been doing pretty well ever since :). We even had one night where he only woke up once! He eats tons and as of today now weighs a whopping 8 pounds 12.5 ounces. This weight check was done at the pulmonologist's office where we had to get him evaluated on his oxygen levels. As it turns out, the room air challenge we did at home was not the greatest since he's supposed to have 90% oxygen levels for 90% of the time. He was only above 90% oxygen levels for 74% of the time. So now we have to keep him on oxygen as long as he's asleep (which is most of the time) for two more months until his next visit and room air challenge :(. It sucks, but better safe than sorry. The pulmonologist says this is all most likely due to him not having enough air sacs yet and this just develops in time. They're checking to make sure it's not anything else but these other things are more unlikely to be the cause. Alexie is doing great. She's starting to include her brother in things she says. She's very observant and makes sure to let me know that: "baby brother awake", "baby brother night night", "baby brother crying", "baby brother eating", "baby brother make believe" (which means that he's taking a bath and gets this from her bath songs where one is about playing bubble make-believe). When I'm changing his diaper, she grabs his feet, smells them, and says "Stinky! Stinky!". This always cracks me up. She tells him good night before she goes to bed and leans in to give him a kiss. And everything I do with Brendan, she repeats with her "baby", which is her Minnie Mouse doll. Minnie goes everywhere we go, she takes a bath, she goes to bathroom (we've used up many wipes when Minnie goes poo). She'll lay Minnie on a blanket, and ask for a wipe. She can also perfectly strap Minnie into Brendan's car seat. It's pretty amazing. I even took a picture of Minnie strapped into the car seat. I have to admit, I was pretty impressed that she could do this. We're doing pretty well overall; just tired. Ryan's schedule hasn't been too bad, but not great either. He's working in the ER doing mostly 2pm-midnight shifts, which I hate because then I get woken up when he gets home at 1am, which just adds to the number of times I have to wake up in the middle night. Oh well. Only two more weeks of residency to go! I can't wait, and I'm sure Ryan can't either. Yay! Congratulations to Ryan!

And just one more picture of Alexie playing mommy

2011-05-23T21:31:00.001-07:00

Here is Alexie putting Minnie Mouse in the car seat. She is such a good mommy, except that poor Minnie's head is covered by her outfit. Maybe I should tell her to pull the outfit all the way on!

Some Professional Pictures by Farrah Jobling Photography

2011-05-23T21:23:00.000-07:00

Here are some of our pictures. I love our family photo. And I really wish Alexie was in the top picture, too, because I LOVE that one. It's so weird that there are four of us now! I love my family sooo much!

Brendan's First Real Bath!

2011-05-23T21:15:00.000-07:00

Today Brendan had his first real bath and loved it. I think he thought he was back in my belly. So far he's been asleep since his bath ended and he got all snuggled up in his Preemie sized SwaddleMe. We call him the Brendan burrito!

Alexie's Baby

2011-05-23T08:53:00.000-07:00

Alexie has been great with the new arrival to our house. She's still jealous when Ryan or Grandma and Grandpa pay much attention to the baby, but she's come to terms with her mommy holding the baby all the time. The cutest thing of all is that she's adopted Minnie Mouse as her baby now and copies everything that I do with Brendan and does the same with Minnie. The problem is that for her, Brendan is always in the way. For instance, when I put Brendan in the swing, Minnie also needs to be in the swing. Therefore, she thinks Brendan should get out. This morning I explained to her that we needed to put clothes on the baby. So we went into Brendan's room and I selected clothes for Brendan and she took an outfit for Minnie. Then Minnie went pewee (poop), and so she needed a diaper for that. The picture above shows the outfit she selected for Minnie to wear. And then she compromised by allowing Brendan to sleep in the seat with Minnie. Wasn't that nice of her? The other picture was taken by Farrah Jobling. Which yes, does mean we got the professional pictures back. I will post those as soon as I get a chance!

A Nice Gift

2011-05-17T12:50:00.000-07:00

One of Grandma's neighbors gave me this cute little playset since her little girls had grown out of it. I absolutely love going down the slide and looking out the windows. Mommy and daddy have even noticed that I touch the grass after landing on it when going down the slide. Before this, I thought grass was scary and disgusting and wouldn't touch it or walk on it for anything. It's amazing what a new toy can get me to do!

McCuteness

2011-05-16T21:00:00.000-07:00

Okay, maybe I'm biased, but I sure do think these children are the most adorable little things in the world! Their mommy and daddy love them so much.

Welcome Home!!! Part 2

2011-05-13T15:38:00.000-07:00

It's Friday and we're finally home! Yay! They almost kept him one more day but decided it would be okay for us to be discharged. This picture is actually his first homecoming, but I don't have the energy to take more pictures right now. He came home on oxygen which he should only have to be on for at the most a couple of weeks (keep your fingers crossed). He's absolutely adorable and we love him so much. In the end, they think all of his breathing problems are due to horrible reflux combined with him being a little early. They think he may actually have been even younger than originally thought, but who knows. All I do know is that I feel incredibly fortunate that it wasn't something much worse. My experience hanging out in the NICU definitely made me realize how lucky we are. Thank you God for allowing my baby Brendan to come home with us again!

Craziness

2011-05-11T14:54:00.000-07:00

So, I don't have pictures of the craziness, just some cute ones before the craziness began. Everything was going great, or so I thought. I had noticed two episodes of choking where Brendan turned a little blue in the face, but he got better right away. I didn't think it was too big a deal since it didn't happen all the time and Alexie always had some similar eating issues when she was little (not the blue in the face, though). And the second time it happened, I showed Ryan and he didn't even think he looked blue. I think he just recovered that fast. Anyway, we had a doctor's appointment on Tuesday, the day after we came home, so I mentioned it then. They sent us to the ER right away. He was hooked up to a monitor and when I fed him, his oxygen levels dropped so much that the nurse came running in to put some oxygen on him. It was enough to cause an immediate order of x-rays to the heart, EKG, and an IV hookup. They wanted to transfer him up the main Children's Hospital right away. I was in shock because he hadn't even turned blue that time. So we ended up taking an ambulance up the main hospital and spent the night there. As it turns out, it appears that it is all a severe case of reflux with bleeding in his poor little esophagus combined with his being born early and not able to handle all of it when he eats. There are no heart defects or any other structural abnormalities. We will be spending the night at the hospital again tonight for observation and also to monitor feedings. They wouldn't let me feed him last night until they had a better idea of what was going on. He was just hooked up to an IV. But things appear to be fine, at least for now. Please pray that everything continues to look good and that we can come home tomorrow with a good feeding plan. Poor little Brendan! And poor Alexie who is confused that we're not all together. We are anxious to spend some time together as a family!

The McCuties Are Home! (Written by the Mom McCutie)

2011-05-10T06:52:00.000-07:00

Wow! We're all home! It was all quite the ride and not entirely expected this soon, but here we are! We went for our regular doctor's appointment (Ryan, Alexie, and myself) and found out that the same thing that had happened with Alexie was happening with the new baby where the fluid levels were low (oligohydramnios?) and that the placenta wasn't working so great anymore. I had noticed that he wasn't moving as much starting the afternoon before. The doctor recommended induction right away so that's what we did. Mommy went straight to labor and delivery while Alexie and Ryan went home to meet Grandma so that Ryan could come be with me. The induction started at 4:15 pm and we had him by 3:51 am with everything progressing really fast. It took one round of Cytotec and my body did the rest all on its own. No pitocin, nothing. Except the epidural of course. I took a nap after I got the epidural at 3 cm and when I woke up three hours later found that I was ready to push and didn't know it. Two pushes was all it took and he was here at 5 pounds 3.1 ounces and 19 inches long. He was perfect. I got to hold him right away and spend some special time with him before he got his bath.

He eats really well, almost too well, since it seems that all he does is eat. It seems that he was probably deprived of food in the womb since the placenta sucked. I think last night (his first night home), he ate probably 3/4 of the night. We have our first doctor's appointment today so we'll see how much weight he's lost or gained.

Alexie loves the new baby. She was pretty angry at mommy for abandoning her when she went into labor and delivery and gave me the cold shoulder. But on the day we brought our baby home she started warming up right away. She always wants to hug the baby and give him kisses. She certainly doesn't understand the meaning of being gentle, but her intentions are good. And she's starting to warm back up to me. Things are going pretty good overall. Our little guy has been asleep now for almost five hours (in a milk induced coma probably since he ate so much last night) and Alexie is helping her mommy write this. It's time to wake him up, so gotta go. Will put up more pictures later.

Welcome home to our precious baby Brendan. We love him so much and are glad he has joined our family. He is lucky to have such a wonderful big sister, too!

Easter Sunday

2011-04-26T08:21:00.000-07:00

Easter Sunday was a wonderful day spent with the family. We started off by going to my Aunt and Uncle's birthday party. They had an Easter egg hunt for us cute little ones and I got to search for eggs for the first time. The problem is that I still don't like to touch icky dirty things such as grass and dirt. This is interesting to mommy and daddy because I will dig around in piles of rocks and pull out my favorite ones. But grass and dirt is still not okay. But I did gather enough courage to put the eggs in my basket as long as it wasn't too much work to get to them. I got to see my cousins Landon and Layton, too, which was nice since it's been a while since I've seen them! Then we headed off to Grandma and Grandpa G's house for Easter dinner and more fun. Overall, it was a great Easter and I enjoyed seeing the family!

Coloring Easter Eggs

2011-04-26T08:15:00.000-07:00

This year is the first time I helped with the coloring of the Easter eggs. Mommy forgot to take pictures for the actual coloring part, but remembered in time for me to decorate the eggs with stickers. The coloring part was fun, though. I threw the eggs as hard as I could into the cups and helped mommy swirl the colorful water over the eggs until they were the right color. It was fun! Then mommy pulled out the stickers and I decorated all the eggs with puppies, kitties, and butterflies. I did a great job. Now if only mommy could actually get me to eat some eggs, that would be great!

April is not a good month!

2011-04-20T14:09:00.001-07:00

The month of April appears to not be a very good month. At this time last year I was suffering from RSV and double ear infections and conjunctivitis. This year, I got some sort of viral cold that resulted in me contracting a secondary bacterial pneumonia. And of course, these things always get worse on weekends or at night when nothing is open. I was not doing well on Saturday night so I cried all night long and was inconsolable. Mommy and Daddy knew something was very wrong because I NEVER cry all night long. It was miserable. Not to mention really high fevers for four days. Mommy ended up taking me to the hospital really early on Sunday morning while daddy had to go to work. They did an X-ray and found pneumonia in my right lung. It was horrible because mommy couldn't be in the room while they took the X-ray since she's pregnant. It was so hard for her to hear me crying "Mommy, Mommy!" from the room. I was very scared of these people taking the X-ray. On Sunday, mommy stared at me while I slept in their bed (which I would never normally do since I only like to sleep in my crib now). I did not look good. Then, late in the day, I suddenly perked up and started to play. This was with just one round of antibiotics! I am currently on the mend. I still have a very nasty cough and sleep tons but am back to my old self. Mommy hates to admit this, but a part of her enjoys me being sick only because then I let her hold me and squeeze me and shower me with kisses. She says she knew I was feeling better when I went back to whacking her in the face just a day later. But sometimes mommy can overdo the hugging a bit.

Another reason April is not a good month this year is because my Auntie Annette passed away from cancer. We all miss her very much and I wish I could have spent more time getting to know her. We drove to New Mexico for her funeral last weekend and are very glad that we were able to be there with the family, even though we had to make the trip short.

The only bright side to April every year is that it is mommy and daddy's wedding anniversary and this year they celebrated their 8th year together as a married couple. It's a good thing they got married so that I could be around! What would they do without me?

My Little Brother is Growing!

2011-04-12T13:13:00.000-07:00

My little brother is getting huge! Mommy's not getting large, just the baby. At least, that's what she's been telling me, although I secretly think she's in denial about her weight gain! My little brother is 33 weeks old in this picture, so he's getting there. We can't wait for his arrival. He's going to be so cute and cuddly. I love babies, especially my little brother!

My First Major Fall :(

2011-03-30T20:16:00.001-07:00

I know, I know. For a 19 month old, it's a little late for a first major fall, but I'm just such a careful person that it hasn't really happened. I mean, I've fallen and all, but this is the first time I've actually cut myself doing it. My poor forehead! Now, when I look in the mirror and see my face I have to touch the scab and figure out what it is. It happened at American Furniture Warehouse where Mommy and Daddy were looking at patio sets. I was really enjoying running around the store at top speed until I fell and this happened. Poor me! The scab better come off soon. People keep commenting about it. But mommy and daddy tell me I'm still the most beautiful girl in the world whether I have a cut on my forehead or not! I agree entirely!

My Little Brother's Curtains

2011-03-30T19:43:00.000-07:00

Mommy and Daddy finished making my little brother's curtains, finally! They were quite the project, but we think they turned out pretty well. Mommy and Daddy sure did have fun making them. Daddy measured and cut all the fabric while mommy sewed everything. It's a good thing she had Grandma to show her how to use a sewing machine for the first time ever since home ec class way back in high school! After everything was sewed, daddy put on the grommets and hung them up on the rod. Here's how the room looks so far!

New Blog Title

2011-03-26T20:16:00.001-07:00

Mommy changed the title of my blog from Alexie's World to The McCuties' World because my baby brother is coming soon. There will no longer be just one McCutie, but two McCuties running around. Isn't that crazy? Therefore, I will be sharing this blog with my brother once he arrives. I guess I already need to get used to being a big sister with all this sharing stuff going on!

More Cuteness!

2011-03-26T19:47:00.000-07:00

Here are just some cute pictures of me. One is me smiling real big for the camera, the other is me playing outside, and the other is me playing with my friend Lily. Not much going on here. Mommy and I are just chilling, trying to get outside as much as possible now that the weather is getting nicer. My new obsession are "bocks", or as mommy would say, "rocks". Every time I see bocks, I get extremely excited and I always make sure to bring one back inside the house. Daddy's been working tons and mommy's been baking my baby brother. He should be arriving very soon now! Well, in a couple of months from now, anyways. It seems like it's coming way too fast! Can't wait to meet you, baby brother!

Oh the cute things I do!

2011-03-18T08:28:00.001-07:00

Mommy has been a bad girl and hasn't updated my blog for me in a while. Why is that? Well, if you ask mommy why, she says she's been very busy but she also can't seem to remember what she's been doing. Maybe this is because mommy's brain is fried during pregnancy and she can't remember anything AT ALL! The last few weeks have been kind of a blur, for mommy anyways. We have had some playdates, a photo shoot where I got some cute pictures taken of me, which I will post once I get the CD, and many shopping trips to buy supplies to make some curtains for my baby brother. Mommy sewed one curtain panel already, and with it being her first time, she actually didn't do such a bad job! They're cute curtains! I've sure been busy doing some cute things. For example, this morning, I immediately put on a pair of sneakers with my pajamas still on. Then, when I saw my other shoes in the laundry room, I got all excited and decided to put on my boots instead, all by myself! I've been clomping around the house wearing my boots and pajamas! A girl can never have enough shoes! Also, whenever I sneeze, I point to my nose and shout "Nose!" before running to bathroom to pull off a lot of toilet paper, and then proceed to wipe my nose clean. After I'm done wiping, I throw my tissue away. I am so very very cute. Mommy will post more pictures after she goes through all the ones she's taken in the last couple of weeks, but for now, you can see how cute I was this morning with my boots on, wiping my nose with a tissue.

A Day Outside!

2011-03-01T14:53:00.000-08:00

I love to be outside. I always go to the front door after mommy puts on my shoes, in the hopes that I get to go outside. We still don't have a real backyard, so going outside usually involves going for a walk around the neighborhood. Today Grandma came over to hang out and help out mommy since mommy is getting so huge, she can't bend over! And mommy also has some horrendous back pain. Hmmm. Probably because my brother is so huge already. Mommy and I have been trying to count the number of pregnant women we meet who are either farther along than mommy or about the same, and have these cute little bumps. We always mistake these people as being weeks behind mommy, only to find out they are just as far along. No wonder mommy is so uncomfortable! It's like being full term for months! Anyways, Grandma and I had a great time while mommy took pictures of us. It was a wonderful day, and I can't wait for more spring/summer weather!

Is this the beginning of the terrible twos at 18 months?

2011-02-27T19:52:00.000-08:00

Mommy and daddy are saying that I'm starting to act like it's the beginning of the terrible twos, but am I really? I sure don't think so. As far as I'm concerned, I don't do anything wrong. So what do you all think? Does whining and screaming when I don't get what I want RIGHT THEN count as terrible twos? Or running away from mommy and daddy at the store even when they tell me not to run away from them? Or laughing when they tell me NO? Or repeatedly doing something even when I was just told NO, and watching for a reaction out of the corner of my eyes? Or whacking mommy in the face and kicking her in the belly? I cannot be reasoned with at all. Even time outs are funny sometimes. Every once in a while I understand I'm in trouble and cry when I have to sit in the corner. Or I know I just did something wrong, tell myself NO NO and walk myself to time out. But there are times when time out is just plain funny. But the fact is, I'm still the cutest thing in the world through mommy and daddy's eyes and they love me so much, so I'm never in trouble for long! And I always give mommy a hug after a time out (except for the funny ones).

This weekend was pretty fun. We spent a lot of time picking out fabric so that mommy and daddy can make curtains for my brother's room. The fabric store was a blast for me. Tons of threads and fabrics to pull off the shelves and show to mommy and daddy. Mommy is also painting wooden letters to hang on the wall of my room. It was basically a big crafty weekend. Daddy is turning out to be quite the curtain maker, too. He's already measured and cut out all the fabric to make the curtains. Go daddy!

Milo is doing a bit better. He's still confined to the crate. He should probably stay for another week or two just to make sure he's good and healed. Then we can let him out for increasing periods of time and just try to keep him calm so he doesn't hurt his back even more. Every once in a while we let him out to sit on the couch with us, and he loves that! He's such a wonderful brother!

More Craziness

2011-02-21T14:01:00.000-08:00

You would think that once we'd settled down in our new house everything would calm down. Well, it hasn't. My older brother, Milo, is having some back problems which is causing him to have some neurological issues. He couldn't walk very well and was in a lot of pain. The neurologist said he needed to have back surgery so that he won't become paralyzed later on. Mommy and daddy can't really afford a $5000-6000 surgery right now with my other little brother on his way in May. So he's currently being cage rested, and hopefully his back will heal this way. So far it seems to be helping but it's only been four days and it's too soon to tell. Unfortunately, he will have to be cage rested for almost an entire month which isn't going to make him very happy since he's normally such an active little boy. So please pray for my older brother's back to heal so he can go back to normal and not be paralyzed. If he's not better in a month or he seems to be getting worse, then mommy and daddy will have to do the surgery.

Other than poor Milo's back problems, things have been going pretty well. I've been acting cuter than ever according to mommy and daddy. The other day mommy made some pasta and it came out pretty spicy. Now, I'm not the best eater in the world, but I really did enjoy the spicy pasta. With every bite I would cough and choke because it was sooo spicy. Mommy and daddy would tell me, "Just drink some water and that will help!". So with every bite, it included a cough, choking, and a drink of water. But I loved it and ate the whole thing, which is a rare event for me. I usually don't like to eat very much, so it was pretty surprising to mommy and daddy that I would continue eating something that burned my mouth!

I've been learning some letters and also different animal noises. I can tell you what a cow says, monkey, and a turkey. I also do whatever mommy and daddy tell me to do. At least, when I feel like it. For example, if mommy tells me to pick up all my crayons and put them back on the table so Milo and Muffin can't eat them, I will do it. I also love to play with my cousins Landon and Layton, who came over last night to eat dinner and watch the Amazing Race. We had a great time!

It's a Beautiful Day!

2011-02-15T11:40:00.000-08:00

It's been a great day so far! The weather is absolutely gorgeous (about 60 degrees). Mommy and I went for a walk around the block in our new neighborhood for the first time. This has been one of the few days where there's not giant slabs of ice covering all the streets and sidewalks. Since mommy's carrying my baby brother, too, she's been kind of scared to attempt a walk with the dogs and me, but today we did it! And we had a great time!

Today mommy also enrolled me in playschool for the fall. Basically, it's two days a week for three hours at a time. It sounds like a lot, but mommy and daddy think I'll enjoy it. I'm really enjoying playdates right now and I seem to be getting bored at home. I think it will be lots of fun!

My new outfit!

2011-02-08T13:05:00.000-08:00

Recently, I got this new Gap fleece jacket. It's perfect! I needed something that wasn't blue and actually fit me. Mommy was getting lots of comments where people were saying I was such a cute little boy! Part of this is probably because my hair still isn't very long, but also because I usually wear a blue jacket (that was starting to not fit very well anyways)! So mommy thought purchasing this purple jacket would fix that! Grandma Renee bought me this adorable hat to match, and I think I look great in it! It's the only hat I've ever felt should stay on my head. I love it. I also have matching gloves, but I'm not wearing them here. I also have these cute little sunglasses from Grandma and Grandpa. I love those, too, and will actually wear them around the house and when I go out. I am such a styling little girl!

Where has the time gone?

2011-02-08T12:46:00.000-08:00

What have we been up to? Time is just flying. Grandma Renee came over to spend some time with me two weekends ago and boy did we have fun! I showed her how to color with my new crayons and coloring book. Since mommy introduced crayons to me, I have been addicted! That's about all I've been doing for the last couple of weeks. Sometimes mommy tries to clean up and she ends up putting my crayons away. How dare she! But no worries! I know where mommy hides them so a quick little trip to the cabinet with lots of pointing and high pitched screaming usually brings them right back out. I've got it figured out. We've also just been trying to catch up on things. Lots of errands like grocery shopping and oil changes have been happening as well as playdates with my friend Lily. This last weekend we had breakfast with my cousins Landon and Layton at a yummy Mexican restaurant where I got to eat guacamole, which is my new favorite thing to eat. I also went to a Superbowl party and danced with my daddy (pictured above). Daddy likes to put on music and dance with me around the room. He loves me very much. Today, too much snow has stranded us at home since daddy took the Jeep to work. But that's okay. Mommy has another cold and is pretty miserable. I think I may have it too, but not as bad as mommy. When will winter be over so we won't keep getting sick and have to deal with all this snow? Hurry up summer!

Drawing a Picture For Daddy

2011-01-24T13:13:00.000-08:00

Today I drew a picture for daddy. I hope he likes it. I incorporated every crayon color I have (which is only 8 colors) to make it extra special. It's a good thing mommy bought the washable crayons since I managed to get it all over my table. It came right off with a wet paper towel. But maybe it would be wise to buy a cheap plastic cloth to put down for future craft projects. I had fun, though. Today I am a bit under the weather. I woke up kind of sniffly and I also have really rosy cheeks. Hopefully it doesn't get any worse than this. I'm acting like myself, just a bit more tired than usual. I can't wait to show my daddy what I drew for him!

Bathtime!

2011-01-19T07:36:00.000-08:00

I LOVE bathtime! It's my favorite time of day. If I'm ever cranky, just give me a bath and I'll be happy again! The only problem is that my bath toys went missing in the move (we can only find purple dolphin and Bathtime Dora). Hmmm. I think this means we need to go shopping daddy.

Smile!!!

2011-01-18T08:52:00.000-08:00

When mommy's trying to snap a picture of me, she tells me to smile. I never used to listen until now. This is what my mommy gets now whenever she says, "Smile!".

Missing Daddy

2011-01-16T13:11:00.000-08:00

I'm starting to get old enough that I notice daddy isn't always around. I've started to ask for him all the time, especially on his call nights. I look for him when I wake up and before I go to sleep at night. But he's not always there. :(. It makes me sad. This afternoon when I finally saw daddy, I didn't want to leave him alone to sleep. Shouldn't he just want to hold me?

My Beautiful Smile

2011-01-12T15:28:00.000-08:00

Every time I walk, I am always so proud of myself. This is the beautiful smile I get on my face whenever I am proud of my accomplishments!

Busy busy busy!!!!

2011-01-07T09:04:00.000-08:00

Oh my! Mommy hasn't updated this blog in a while. That's because we've all been so busy! There's so much to say, too. First of all, I've begun walking!!! The day I took my first solo steps was December 20, when I took about 6 steps. Mommy was so excited for me, but it took a couple of days before daddy actually saw it with his own eyes. Now, I still am not all that fond of walking, even though I can do it. The most I've done is taken about 20 steps, and at the time, I still thought daddy was holding onto me. Mommy and daddy keep trying to fool me into thinking they're still helping me. As soon as I realize what's going on, I immediately fall to the floor in shock that I am walking all on my own! I walk best when I can walk back and forth from mommy's arms to daddy's arms. I have the cutest, biggest smile on my face while I'm doing this. Video should be taken of this, but a third person will be needed to actually shoot the video. So, although I can walk, it's not at the top of the list of my favorite things to do. Whoever said that once babies realize they can walk, they're off and running, surely hasn't met me!

Then, came Christmas! Boy, did I get spoiled! This, however, is not entirely surprising given how cute I am. Mommy and daddy bought me a kitchen, which I love. This way, mommy and I can cook at the same time. I got too much stuff to list here, but one of my other favorite presents is Baby Stella, who I sleep with every night now. Here's a picture of Stella and I. We had a great time hanging out with our family and I got to play with my cousins Landon and Layton, too.

Then came the other big news. I'm going to have a baby brother coming!!! On December 28th, mommy and daddy found out the baby growing in mommy's belly is a boy!!!! I can't believe it. So exciting for all of us! Although, mommy and I are more worried now about having to watch more football than what daddy already makes us watch. Poor us! I guess this means that now mommy and I can go shopping instead while the boys watch football!

Then, on December 29th, we moved!!!! Now I won't have to worry about sharing my room with a boy! Mommy and daddy are still in the process of decorating my room. There's been a lot of discussion about having to buy another crib, possibly a white one to match the white dollhouse bookshelf and matching table and chairs I got for Christmas. This way they won't have to buy an entire furniture set for the boy, because he can have mine. Then they would only have to buy a crib. Sounds good to me! I'll post pictures when they get this project done, however, I have a feeling it may still be a while.

After the big move, we all got sick with colds. Except for daddy. Somehow daddy always seems to avoid the colds. We're finally on the mend now and today we're going to a playdate with some new people that are closer to our new house. Hopefully they like me! Mommy says that of course they will like me. Who wouldn't? I would also like to make a list of words I can say now:

mama

dada

brother

dog

Milo

book

balloon

bubble

moon

cracker

baby

fish

car

And more that mommy can't remember right now.

I can also point to my:

hair

head

eyes

ears

nose

mouth

tongue

teeth

hands

feet

fingers

toes

when asked. And when mommy asks if I've gone poopy, I point down there and nod my head.

I am sooo very cute. Mommy and daddy tell me every day how very much they love me and how they love being with me.

Oh, and I forgot to mention that I have more teeth! Since Christmas, I have now have two top molars coming and another front bottom tooth. I actually ate bread using my new teeth a couple of days ago.

I Can Stand! I Can Stand!

2010-12-17T10:08:00.000-08:00

Today mommy caught me standing up. She thought I was being silly because I was sitting in the dog bed. Then the next thing she knew I was standing, all by myself, on top of the dog bed! She got so excited she pulled the camera out and started flashing away. Then I stood in the middle of the room, however, a little more cautiously, because there was no soft dog bed beneath me. But I did it, and I'm getting better and better. Someone should tell mommy to stop taking pictures. It's like the paparazzi are in here!

I'm adorable!

2010-12-16T15:17:00.000-08:00

I look really cute in these pictures, don't you think? Mommy keeps telling me I look cute in them. I like showing off my two new upper teeth. It's about time they came in! My total number of teeth is now 4.

Zoo Lights!

2010-12-13T19:32:00.000-08:00

Tonight we went to see the zoo lights! We had so much fun! The weather was awesome! I got all bundled up in my snow suit (and was probably a little too warm in it), and we were on our way. I was so mesmerized by the lights I actually stood on my own without any help and didn't even realize it. This confirmed suspicions by mommy and daddy that I can do these things, but I just don't actually feel like it. Mommy and daddy even let me indulge in some funnel cake (it was very yummy). In addition to the zoo lights, I accomplished much more today. I've learned to say several new words including my name and fish. This is in addition to my new favorite word that I've been saying frequently for a few days now: cracker. Today was a wonderful day!

More News!

2010-12-10T10:41:00.001-08:00

I forgot to mention in my most recent post that I've got two new teeth! I've almost got four now. Last week, tooth #3 started poking out of my gums and this week, tooth #4 has started to make an appearance! So exciting! Also, I've officially stopped breastfeeding and now enjoy some yummy whole milk (only if it's mixed with YoBaby smoothie), but I still do drink milk! Go me! I'm such a big girl now!

Wow! It's been a while!

2010-12-10T10:08:00.001-08:00

Life has been pretty crazy for a while, so that's why we haven't been on here much. Let's see, where do I begin? We were supposed to have Thanksgiving at our house and so mommy and daddy were busily preparing food the night before when the kitchen sink started clogging and water was leaking out of pipes in the basement. What does one do about this when it's the holidays and the landlords are out of town getting married in Costa Rica and are only able to communicate by e-mail? In the end, we ended up at Grandma and Grandpa's house for Thanksgiving. Thank goodness they saved the day! Since the landlords weren't very communicative for about a week, we ended up staying at Grandma and Grandpa's house for that time. Now we've been back home for a week and finally are settled back in. Mommy and I have been enjoying the beautiful weather now that she's starting to get some energy back upon entering the second trimester. Boy, this sibling is already taking some attention away from me! Anyways, this week mommy and I went to the zoo, played at the playground with my friend Jackson, and did some shopping. Mommy, Daddy, and I also went to see Santa with my friend Lily and her parents. I was so excited to see Santa. Apparently, I had met him last Christmas, but for some reason, I don't remember it. It turns out that he's exciting from a distance, but boy is he scary once you're sitting in his lap! It took about ten seconds for me to breathe once I sat on his lap, and once I did I let out a very loud scream! I hope he still brings me everything on my Christmas wish list after that!

My Daddy and I

2010-11-23T14:32:00.000-08:00

I am such a daddy's girl! Boy am I cute!

I am cute!

2010-11-21T10:11:00.000-08:00

Okay everyone. I am the cutest little girl in the world. I can even do headstands, with or without hands! Please disregard my underwear showing out the back of my skinny jeans, as well as mommy's head, which appeared in the corner of the pictures. But she had to be right there, in case I decided to attempt flips off the couch!

I LOVE to push my baby in my stroller!

2010-11-11T14:15:00.001-08:00

My Uncle Greg bought me this stroller ages ago but I haven't been able to play with it until now. With my new walking skills and all, I can finally use it. I push my little baby around in it and occasionally stop to check on her, pat her on the head, and if she's hungry, I give her a bottle. I love my baby and my stroller. Once again, I am practicing my big sister skills, and I can't wait until the real thing comes along!

Playing in the brown chair

2010-11-10T10:07:00.000-08:00

My new favorite thing to do is play in the big round brown chair we have. Daddy sets me in the center of it and twirls me around. I also like to sit up and then fling myself backwards. Boy is this fun. It's like being on a carnival ride! If you look closely enough at the bottom picture you can see the mohawk I get from all the static on the chair!

I'm Growing Up Way too Fast

2010-11-02T16:05:00.000-07:00

Mommy says I'm getting big so fast. Suddenly, I want to do everything myself. I no longer want for mommy to feed me. I will eat only if I have my own spoon or fork and I can feed myself. I make a big mess, though, just so mommy has to do something. After all, if she's not feeding me, then she has to do something, right? I only want to walk now (although for this I do prefer to hold mommy's hands). And I am starting to try to repeat words that mommy and daddy are saying. I can say dog, ball, mama, dada, and do (when I want to feed myself). It sure took mommy and daddy a while to figure this out! And I thought they were supposed to be smart! Also, whenever mommy asks me a question, I shake my head no as an answer to everything. I also try to put my own shoes and socks on now, but I can't do it yet. I'm not able to reach that far. In addition to all of this, I am an expert shape sorter and puzzle maker. Mommy doesn't like that I am growing up so fast, but I sure am having lots of fun!

I'm already practicing my BIG SISTER skills!

2010-11-02T14:19:00.000-07:00

Today mommy found me playing with my Cabbage Patch doll. Typically, I don't play much with dolls, but since finding out that I'm going to be a big sister, I've decided I need to start practicing how to play with babies. Today I fed my doll a bottle very well. My little sibling is going to be so lucky and well cared for! I can't wait to be a big sister!