Alexa's Mama

Fun in the sun!

2009-08-26T13:36:00.006-04:00

The last few weeks have been very busy as Mark is recovering from surgery on his left shoulder. He had a torn ligament due to an injury and work and needed surgery to repair it. I don't think either of us realized just how difficult the recovery would be for him. He has to keep the joint stationary for six weeks so he is in a sling to keep it still. Unfortunately, the pressure of the sling on his neck caused a herniated disc in his neck which is causing even more pain. He is having a rough time. We are hopeful that things will get better quickly so he can have some relief from the pain.

Because of this, we have been hanging alot in the apartment the past few weeks. Alexa has been a trooper, but I know she gets a little antsy just staying home. So last Sunday we took Alexa to a little park next to a church in Decatur. It is perfect for young children because they have a lot of Little Tikes plastic toddler toys for children too young for the playground equipment. The weather was beautiful, and the park wasn't too crowded. We all had so much fun! I can't believe how quickly she is growing up! Mark and I got a little teary eyed while watching Alexa play with another little girl. She seems to already understand how important it is to share- which I know is unusual for a child this age. The other girl, a three year old, was playing with a ball. Alexa loves balls, so she gravitated toward this one when the girl threw it. She grabbed it, and then walked up to the little girl with the sweetest little look on her face, and handed it to her. They played together for awhile like this. I was so proud of her! I loved watching her play so nicely with another little one!

Here are some shots from the park:
Sliding...

Playing with the cars

Swinging...

Having fun with Mama and Daddy...

Does life get any better?

Staying home... staying busy...

2009-08-20T19:54:00.001-04:00

So, the last few months I have been a little frustrated in my role as a stay at home mom. Don't get me wrong, I love the time with Alexa, but I do feel like I am missing something- almost like I am floundering a little. Part of this feeling, I'm sure, has to do with my depression which still isn't quite under control. But I have come to realize that in all my years of school and work, I was used to "accomplishing" things- in school, I'd get a grade (hopefully it was an A) and while teaching, I would see my students learn a new task, or get observed and "graded" on my teaching. I always have put a lot of emphasis on my outward achievements-- probably more than I should have. I have been praying a lot about placing more emphasis on my inward state of mind. After my dad died, I really struggled with being angry at God- I had experienced the loss of my baby and really felt like I was getting the short end of the stick. I have never really recovered from those feelings, although I am slowly able to say that I am beginning to trust God again.

That being said, I have realized that being a stay at home mom IS a job- I may not get a paycheck, I may not get a piece of paper grading the job I am doing with Alexa, but I am still going to be accountable for the job I am doing. I have felt called to be a stay at home mom for about as long as I can remember- but then after I had Alexa, I was a little disappointed. I remember thinking, "Is this what I have been looking forward to?" Having a child was amazing, staying home with her was just exhausting. I lost the feeling of accomplishment I would get while teaching. In my head, I knew I was teaching Alexa daily, I just didn't see it as clearly. After praying about this for awhile, I realize that I need to be more structured in my time with Alexa- mostly in order to feel like I am accomplishing something by the end of the day.

In September, Mark and I are moving all of our stuff back to Woodbine- back to our house. I'm excited to be back in a bigger space, with a yard to play in, but it will be hard to say bye to Mark every weekend. He will be staying in Atlanta to continue to work at the hospital. As hard as that will be, I have decided that I am going to start "Tot School" for Alexa. I first read about Tot School when looking around at different mom blogs and I came across this one: http://1plus1plus1equals1.blogspot.com. The mom there has taken the play time her children naturally have every day and planned at least one hour of intentional playtime that is educational in nature. I don't think Alexa should be spending hours in "school" but there is no reason that we can't work on different skills at different times. My friend Kaidi starting working on the alphabet with her son when he turned two. He knew most of his letters by 2 and a half. Alexa loves books, flash cards and seeing new things. Most of the things that I have learned about Tot School are things I do with Alexa already, but it will just keep things a little more structured. At this age, children are hungry for knowledge and so curious. I want to take advantage of the time while I have it!

As we get started with Tot School, I will post ideas and a weekly update about what we are doing. I am excited to get started!

Like mother, like daughter....

2009-08-15T14:41:00.001-04:00

The title says it all-- and it terrifies me... now that Alexa is older and learning more everyday, I realize how much of myself I see in her. She is a perfectionist... well, as much as you can be a perfectionist at this age, but she is... just like her mama.

Yesterday, I bought Alexa a shape sorter from the store. I had wanted to get her one for awhile, but hadn't ever gotten around to it. I know they are good for fine motor skills, and she has gotten so much better the past few weeks, I thought it would be a good time. We sat down on the floor and I showed her how the shapes would fall through if you put it in the right spot. Now, she is only 16 months old, so obviously she doesn't know her shapes yet, nor does she know how to match things up perfectly, but she got the basic idea about what she was supposed to do. I helped her put the first few through, and she wanted to take over. Of course, she didn't get the star shape through the right spot, but she sure tried- over and over and over... And when she couldn't get it through, she threw it on the ground and screamed out of frustration. So she picked up a new piece and did the same thing. Even after I showed her where to put it, she still was determined to do it her own way. She had the most precious face in the world, sticking out her tongue, determined to get it in. I could tell that she was getting frustrated when she couldn't do it by herself- which is totally me.

I have always been a perfectionist- straight A's, officer in any activity I was in during school, etc. My parents encouraged me to try different activities, but when I wasn't good immediately, I would quit. I didn't like being mediocre at something- I wanted to be the best. I still tend to feel that if I can't be great at something at the beginning, I don't want to participate. I know that I miss out on fun times because I am scared of failing... and I do not want that for my daughter. I want her to know that it is ok to not be perfect at something the first time, and that working to improve at something is sometimes better than just being good to start with. With God's help, I'll be able to show her that it is ok to fail- the most important thing is picking yourself back up and trying again.

Crazy month...

2009-08-11T22:14:00.000-04:00

What a month... I feel like it was just the 4th of July and here we are almost to mid-August. Wow! The month of July seemed to just fly by! Alexa went to her 15 month appointment on July 6 and we had a good report on all accounts! She had gained almost 2.5 lbs making her 19 pounds 4 oz which put her in the 5th percentile for her weight. She was off the chart for a few months, so it was good to see her back on the charts this last appointment. She only had to get one shot and handled it with minimal tears. Her sign language seems to have helped her with her language development because her doctor said she was about three months advanced with her language skills. She is growing up so fast!

As of July 6, she had about 6 words she used regularly: mama, daddy, eye, done, puppy, fish, and shoe. She had said about 18 up to that point but didn't use them with any consistently. She has continued to use her sign language (she LOVES signing "baby") so she can communicate relatively well for a 15 month old.

The latter part of July is always time for Mark's tournaments; he fishes two tournaments a year with his dad and brother on their boat "Marty R." It's a lot of work for the guys, but they love it. They didn't place this year, but they had a good time! Because of his tournaments, Alexa and I have been on our own a lot of the time. We have been having a great time reading books, playing, dancing and singing. It is hard work taking care of Alexa on my own- I realize just how much I rely on Mark to help out when he is here. Mark being away certainly helps me to appreciate him even more.

I have had a bit of health scare the past few weeks. Without going into too much detail, I have an issue going on with one of my breasts that could possibly be cancer. I have had a few tests done, and so far everything is coming back normal, but there is still a chance that it is breast cancer. It has been a harsh realization that I may have to fight something that I have no control over... and that has certainly helped me to try to trust God more then ever. Even though I still have one more year til 30, the reality of my aging body, and the various ailments that can occur with age, is scary. I know I am still young, but I realize more then ever the importance of being and staying healthy.

Independence day for my independent girl!

2009-07-11T14:15:00.000-04:00

I love the 4th of July- it has always been one of my favorite holidays. So many happy memories from that day: watching fireworks sitting in a dental chair at Dr. Steury's office, going to the AHS stadium with friends, holding hands with Mark at the St. Simons pier (knowing I was going to marry him), and watching Alexa, at three months old, seeing the colors in the sky and the hot air balloons light up at the Balloon Glow. It is a special day for me... this year, Mark's family was all in town from North Carolina, so we had a very busy weekend for the fourth. On the actual 4th, we had a cookout for a cousin's birthday during the day and got together with friends on the beach for fireworks. We were able to see about 7 cities fireworks displays from where were sitting, plus people had their own fireworks they were lighting on the beach all around us. Since Alexa has a pretty set bedtime, she was a little cranky and tired, but we still had a great time. She was scared of the sand and wanted us to hold her the entire time--

She had a great time taking fun pictures with daddy

So we now have a new memory to add to my favorites for this holiday-- walking on the beach at night, holding hands with my husband, holding my amazing little girl, listening to her laugh as we watched the fireworks in the distance... a perfect day.

Chattanooga Aquarium and a new nephew, what more could a girl want?

2009-07-11T13:57:00.001-04:00

For a Father's Day present, I planned a trip to Chattanooga, TN to check out the Tennessee Aquarium there. I had heard that it was supposed to be a great one, and Mark loves aquariums, so I thought it may be a good surprise! To make it even better, my mom's dear friend Jane was able to hook us up with free tickets to the aquarium and the IMAX theater. So, we were able to have a great day together, for the cost of food and gas only! You can't beat that!

We have a season pass to the Georgia Aquarium here in Atlanta- and we've been there 3 or 4 times- so I wasn't sure what we would think of the one in Chattanooga. I knew the GA one has the biggest single aquarium in the world. It is beatiful, and it is definitely worth checking out when you are in Atlanta, but it doesn't compare to the experience in Chattanooga. Each exhibit is an experience- complete with sound effects, temperatures similar to what you'd experience in nature, and even live trees and plants throughout. You would walk through the doors and feel like you are in a rainforest in South America, or in the Everglades in Florida with gators! The Tennessee Aquarium is smaller, but you get to experience the different aquariums from all levels to really see the fish. They also have a butterfly exhibit, which was my favorite part of the day by far- not only are there beautiful butterflies all over, you can actually see them coming out of their coccoons! I have never seen that in person- and it was pretty amazing, especially since butterflies have been so meaningful to me for the past few years. Alexa was scared of the butterflies- which was adorable! The whole aquarium was amazing- we really enjoyed every minute of it. The IMAX movie playing was a 3D ocean one- Alexa didn't really care to watch it. She made it through about 30 minutes of it (which is an improvement over the first movie she watched) but was really wriggly and squirmy. So I let her daddy finish the movie while we walked around outside. All in all, it was a perfect day!

To add to our good day, we got the news while we were at the aquarium that Alexa had a new baby cousin! Thomas Christian Kauffman (T.C.) was born at 3:04 pm on 6/28/09 (on the actually due date, amazingly enough). Megan did a homebirth, and considering TC was 8 lbs. 15 oz, I told her she was superwoman! That was a big baby, especially with no pain medicine at all. But he was healthy, so that is all that really matters. It was very hard for me to be gone during that time, but I know I will get to see him soon. I think it is so wonderful that he is named after my dad- who was Thomas C Kauffman- I know it would have made my dad so happy to have the first grandson named after him. I only wish he could have been here to hold him.

Impromptu trip to Ashland!

2009-07-11T13:46:00.000-04:00

So, I haven't done much better at updating my blog, but this time, at least I have an excuse! On a whim, on June 11, Alexa and I decided to make the long drive to Ohio to see my family! Christen (Matt's fiance) was graduation from OSU and I just missed my mama! The anniversary of my dad's death is June 11, so I think that had something to do with it. Mark was working really late hours that week and had to work all weekend, so it seemed like a good time to get to Ohio!

The drive was fine, a little longer then I expected, but Alexa was not a happy traveler. She usually sleeps great in her carseat, but on this particular trip, she decided she would only be happy if she was holding my hand. I had to be a bit of a contortionist to reach her in her rear facing carseat from the driver's seat, without putting our lives in danger. I was so excited to finally make it to Ashland!

We headed down to Columbus to surprise Christen- which was very fun. She took one look at us and said "You're not supposed to be here!" It so nice to be able to see them. Matt, Christen, Mom, Alexa and I went to the Columbus Zoo, which rocked! So much better than the Atlanta Zoo! Alexa was a little cranky, so we didn't get tons of great pictures, but here are a few highlights!

Seeing the baby elephant:

Up close and personal with kangaroos:

Seeing Aunt Christe and Uncle Matt:

We got to see Uncle JT and Aunt Megan during this trip, to short of a visit with them, but nice regardless of the length. Megan and JT were expecting the birth of their son anytime (he was born Jun 28, 2009- more on that later) so we took a trip to Babies R Us to get a few last minute things.

Uncle Curt made the trip to Ashland a few days later- Alexa LOVED reading with him! They sat and looked at books for a really long time- the two of them really seem to have a special bond.

It was a bit of a short trip, but totally worth it. I can't wait to go back in a few weeks to see everyone again and to meet my nephew! I always love showing off my amazing little girl too.

Little Miss Independent...

2009-06-02T01:07:00.001-04:00

I have a very independent girl on my hands. My mom lovingly reminds me that I too was a very independent and fearless child, and got a broken leg to prove it. Alexa has shown her independence since she was about 8 months old. She didn't like for me to feed her baby food... she wanted to feed herself. We started finger foods pretty early because of this- I knew she needed to eat, and if she wanted to feed herself- so be it. She would let me get a few spoonfuls in, and then eat whatever finger food was there. About a month ago, she decided that SHE wanted to use the spoon- no more letting mama do it... so we are in the process of Alexa learning how to use utensils.

She has the spoon to mouth coordination surprisingly down pat.

She just doesn't always have the spoon the right side up...

or get the right side into her mouth...

but she loves doing it and she is very proud of herself!

I am ready for her to get the hang of it-- taking three baths a day is a lot for a little girl (and her mama!)

Along with her independent use of a kitchen utensils, Alexa is quickly picking up new signs to communicate with me. Her repetoire of signs now consist of: more, all done, drink, fish, milk, dog, love, teeth, brush teeth and please. She kind of knows water, which is a taking a "W" and putting it to your chin. She knows it has something to do with putting your fingers on your chin, but her fingers usually just end up in her mouth. It's pretty dang cute.

I have had a few naysayers talk to me about how signs could delay her language and she could focus to much on signing rather than talking, etc. but I think it is an awesome thing. I have done some research on the benefits of baby sign and research shows that the use of baby sign actually can increase a child's language expression skills and IQ and help them be more prepared for kindergarten, but that isn't why I am choosing to teach her signs... I am choosing to teach her signs so she can tell me what she needs, wants, and likes. She can point to a strawberry and sign "please" to let me know she wants it, rather than just whining about it while grabbing for it. Sure the whining occurs too, but she knows that asking for it with her signs is the only way she will get what she wants. If she wants a drink, all she has to do is ask. It seems like it makes both our lives easier- she can let me know what she wants, and I don't have to play a guessing game.

As far as it delaying her language skills, I suppose that could happen, but Mark and I are already expecting a slight delay in her language expression skills because we are teaching her two languages (Mark is fluent in Spanish). We know that the best time for a person to learn a language is NOW and we both believe that Alexa speaking Spanish will benefit her in the future in many ways. Her pediatrician told us that what we are doing is absoultely the best thing for her in the long run, but we can expect 2-5 month delay in her expression as she tries to sort out the languages. To me, it's worth it because I know it will help her in the future.

Walking!

2009-06-02T00:58:00.000-04:00

(This post is a little old, I wrote it a little over a month ago, but must have forgotten to post it!)

So I officially have a toddler on my hands. It is hard to believe that just a year ago Alexa could barely hold her head up, and now she is toddling all over the place. My little girl is growing up! She took her first steps on April 16, two weeks after her first birthday. The steps were unassisted, but Mark and I were sitting right there encouraging her. Over the next few weeks, she started to get a little bolder, would walk like 4-8 steps at a time and then get down and crawl. This past week though, she is a walker! Now when she falls, she stands back up and keeps walking... it is pretty neat to see her persistence in continuing to try even after she falls. She has a hard time outside because of the uneven ground and different textures, but she sure tries! I love seeing her walk, although walking has sure brought out Alexa's independent streak. She has had a mind of her own for months now, but now that she is aware she can go where she wants... there is no stopping her! She is a brave little girl and has no fear of getting hurt. I love that she is willing to try new things, but I do worry she may hurt herself... I guess I just have to keep a close eye on her!

Here are a few pics of Alexa walking!

Birthday fun!

2009-05-25T01:06:00.000-04:00

I really wanted to catch up a little more from Alexa's birthday-- a quick snippet didn't really seem to do it justice.... we had a crazy couple of weeks around the time of her birthday (Brooks' wedding, bachelor and bachelorette party, Mark's dad's birthday, etc) so that whole time seems a little like a blur. One of the highlights for me was getting to see my mom for a little over a week to help us celebrate Alexa turning one!

On Alexa's actual birthday, her daddy got to take the day off and spend it with us! We had a lot of shopping to do for her party, so she came along for the ride. We had gotten a shirt that said 1st Birthday and bought her a Pink crown to wear-- she even wore sunglasses around! She knew she was cute!

We had a cupcake for her around 10:00 at night, so needless to say, she was pretty grumpy! We got a few good shots in before bedtime!

And the grumpiness starts...

Her actual party was the day after her birthday at her Bamma and Papa's house. I wanted to do a party for our family and close friends-- sounds pretty easy right?? Well, not when you consider Mark's family alone bring about 35 people along with it! So add in the friends and our own family and we were expecting around 50 people! It was crazy and I don't think we'll be doing it again anytime soon. We planned a luau (Mark's request) and wanted everyone to dress in the Hawaiian clothes. We had tons of food, and I made a hula girl cake. I think it turned out to be quite the success!

Dancing with Charley (her cousin)...

The cakes- one to smash, one for everyone else!

We weren't sure how Alexa would do with the cake- she hasn't ever had sugar like that before... SHE LOVED IT!!!

She was on a sugar high while opening gifts... it was pretty funny-- she couldn't get them open fast enough so she would use her feet! She got WAY too many toys, but we sure appreciate them all!

One year of precious, amazing memories down... countless more to go. I knew having a baby would change my life-- I never thought it would inspire me to be the best I can be.

A night without Alexa...

2009-05-23T21:55:00.000-04:00

Mark took Alexa home to Woodbine until Monday, so I am faced with the first time I will be away from my little girl since she was born. Well, that isn't exactly true, about 3 months after she was born, I spent the night in a hotel in Jacksonville and was away from her for like 12 hours. But this will be the first extended time away from her ever... and I'm not sure what to do with my time. I'd like to say I have books I've been meaning to read, or hobbies to do, but I really don't. I'd love to catch up on her scrapbook, but the pictures I ordered haven't come in yet, and I don't really have anything new to try... which leads me to the discovery.....

I'm beginning to get a little stir crazy in my stay at home mom job. Don't get me wrong, I love it so much and wouldn't trade it for anything... but I don't really feel like I have much of a life apart from my daughter. I really need to get involved at church or volunteering or something, but it is hard since we don't know how long we will be here in Atlanta. I guess I just need to find a new hobby and wait my time out... I am going to try a new church tomorrow here in Atlanta so maybe that will be a good place to start.

Anyway...
I do have some news about Alexa... she is really starting to walk well and learned two new signs, "milk" and my favorite "love!" Now she can sign love to me!!! That is pretty fun. I'm so glad I decided to teach her signs- she seems to really enjoy communicating with Mark and me and it is fun to let her communicate what she wants. We only have a handful more that I really want her to learn (thank you, please, sorry, help and potty) but I'll keep working with new ones as long as she wants to learn.

A year later...

2009-05-20T22:56:00.000-04:00

So, I have done a horrible job at keeping up to date with my blog. I can blame it on a lot of things, but it really is me just forgetting over and over. I thought about trying to catch up on everything that has happened, but really, how do you catch up on six months of a newborn's life? So, instead of doing that, I'll just go over some highlights and then just start again from here.

Halloween-- Alexa was a bee (obviously), I was the flower and Mark was the beekeeper. I made my costume and I think it turned out ok! It was a lot of fun to go trick or treating with Alexa- I can't wait until she is a little older to really enjoy it!

Crawling! Alexa started crawling officially on Thanksgiving- she was a week shy of 8 months. Once she decided she was ready to start moving, she didn't stop! She had a busy eighth month: got her first tooth, said dada for the first time, starting pulling up and cruising around. Plus Christmas came during her 8th month and Santa brought her a fun house to play it and she ended up with WAY too many toys from all her family and friends.

Mama, puppy, and fish were the next words to come, although she is still hit or miss on a lot of words. She babbles constantly and loves to laugh!

Her first birthday was a blast... check out the pictures on my picture page- we were so excited that Grandma Cindi got to celebrate this special day with us!

We are now temporarily living in Atlanta for Mark's work. He moved up here in December and Alexa and I joined him in March. We are hoping to stay here as long as possible, but things are still up in the air. Alexa has handled the transistion really well- she doesn't even seem to notice anything is going on! It is hard on me to be away from our friends and family, but we are enjoying all that Atlanta has to offer. We've been to the GA Aquarium three times, Stone Mountain twice, Zoo Atlanta once and even a Braves game with Bamma and Papa (Mark's parents) I'll post some pictures to these outings soon.

Alexa is so full of life and smiles... I truly think she is the best baby in the whole world! I WILL keep this blog updated because I think that the gift that is Alexa needs to be shared with as many people as possible!

Kitty dreams!

2008-10-02T14:30:00.000-04:00

A few weeks ago, we were shocked to see that our cat Georgia had a baby of her own! She gave birth to an adorable little black and white kitten. When she got old enough, we introduced her to Alexa... the pictures speak for themselves- she was pretty fascinated with the kitty. She was a little unsure at first, so Mark had to make sure she knew it was safe.

It didn't take long for Alexa to give the kitty hugs and pet her. She was enthralled by her fur!

Of course, it didn't take long for the kitten to end up in her mouth... at this age, anything Alexa can put in her mouth, she will!

It is going to be hard to give the kitten away since Alexa seems to like her so much, but three cats are enough to deal with. I love the innocence that Alexa sees the world with- everything is so interesting and fascinating to her. I am trying to learn to see the world through her eyes and appreciate the world around me more.

Dreaming of ice cream...

2008-09-17T20:29:00.000-04:00

... and yogurt, and milk, oh and peanut butter... the list goes on and on...

Man, I must sure love Alexa- this not eating dairy is getting harder and harder for me. For those of you who don't know about it, Alexa is a multiple food protein intolerances (MFPI)baby, which pretty much just means she is unable to digest certain food proteins- in her case dairy, soy and peanuts. Because I am breastfeeding her, if I eat any of those foods, it is transferred to her through the milk and makes her a pretty miserable baby. I have been relatively dairy free since her birth, but I didn't cut out all forms of hidden dairy (items with milk in it) until just over three months. I went on an elimination diet which cuts out pretty much all food with the exception of a few for two weeks and then started to incorporate new foods as I could. I pretty much had it narrowed down after about a month and she is like a new baby- happy as can be and her reflux is soooo much better.

Hopefully she will outgrown her allergies, many MFPI babies do by 3 years and their digestive system matures. I may start incorporating some hidden soy to see if she tolerates it, but until then, I may just have to keep dreaming! You would be shocked to find out just how many things have soy and dairy in it... for instance, I had to change our spaghetti sauce because there is dairy in it. So that is why I am dreaming of ice cream-- Mark had a blizzard from Dairy Queen the other day- and ever since then... oh, what we do for our babies! For awhile it was getting easier, but then it got so stinking got here in Georgia the last week or so. You know that stifling hot that nothing seems to help? That is what it has been here. We've had 90 degree days pretty much all summer, but it has seemed worse lately. Maybe I'm just ready to be able to spend some time outside with my little girl- I just know I'm ready for fall to arrive.

In other Alexa news, she has been able to sit up on her own for a few minutes. She still uses her hands like a tripod, but she is sitting pretty independently! Here is a picture we took at Mark's parents- it is kind of hard to see, but she is sitting by herself!

Here is a cute picture of Alexa and her cousin Charley (Jessica's daughter)- she is exactly 11 months older and she loves Alexa so much! She loves giving her kisses!

Alexa also got her first little haircut- she was born with a ton of dark hair, that has been slowly falling out. She was left with three tufts of hair, one on each side and one at the top. So I trimmed it up for her. I'm no hairdresser, but it turned out pretty good!

Before:

During:

After: I'll have to get a good after picture...

A week of firsts!

2008-09-12T16:21:00.000-04:00

I guess with a baby each week is full of firsts, but for some reason, this week Alexa has gotten to experience a whole lot of firsts...

~ She also has started teething this week, and has been pretty miserable from that- running fevers and just being out of sorts. We took her to her doctor to make sure her fever wasn't anything more and she is a whopping 14 pounds! She is still little for her age, but she is growing consistently each month, hitting her milestones and is just all around a happy girl! I love her new pediatrician~ I'm so happy we changed.

~ She also learned how to roll from her back onto her tummy this week- and looks like she'll be crawling before we know it! The times of laying her down and her staying in one spot is over and childproofing the house is now upon us!

~And then last night, Alexa blessed me with a WHOLE NIGHTS SLEEP! She slept from 8 pm to 7 am without waking up once! When I woke up this morning, I was shocked to look at the clock and see that she hadn't woken up at all during the night- it kind of scared me a little, but she is just getthing better at her sleeping! I will NEVER take for granted a full night's sleep again!

~ We took our first short vacation as a family to St. Augustine, FL. Mark and I have gone there for weekend getaways ever since we first got married. We usually stay in a hotel right on the beach and do lots of shopping at the historic district. This time we stayed in the historic district and walked everywhere for exercise (still working on the baby weight!). We were so proud of Alexa-it was really hot- like 90 degrees and she was such a trooper! She was so good and only got a little fussy when she got really tired. We all went to the IMAX theater and watched a movie about the Grand Canyon- it was pretty entertaining, but I got SOO much more enjoyment out of watching her watch the movie. She was so cute following all the shapes and people in the film. I love how she is really starting to notice and interact with the world around her more.

~ While we were in St. Augustine, we took her to the beach for the first time. We'd been by the ocean before, but this was her first time ON it... we got up super early to watch the sunrise and take lots of pictures while the sun was coming up. Alexa was pretty tired so we didn't get as many smiles as usual, but she was fascinated by the waves. I can't wait until next summer when she starts playing in the sand more.

~ While we were in St. Augustine, I was reminded of the true blessing that Alexa is to our family. The first time Mark and I went to St. Augustine was after our first miscarriage which was almost exactly four year ago this week. We were both so extremely sad during that trip and neither of us felt that we would ever be able to have a baby. It struck me as we were watching the sun rise on Sunday, life is amazing--here we were with our beautiful baby girl, enjoying the beach and the beautiful weather... the loss of our other babies has really made us appreciate the miracle of this life all the more. God is amazing, and knew exactly what we need when we need it. I hope all of you who are blessed with children recognize just how truly miraculous each life is...

Finally getting to the blogging!

2008-09-09T20:22:00.000-04:00

I've totally been meaning to start a blog about Alexa's life for all my family and friends who we don't get a chance to see very often. Unfortunately, just as things go in a mother's life, time has flown by-- Alexa is now 5 months old! I am going to be doing some back blogging, starting with her birth and a few other memorable things that have happened over the past 5 months, it may be hard to pick just a few things, because each day is truly memorable.

I'm going to start by going over some highlights from the last few months... we have a ton of really cute pictures on Picasa web albums, so if you want to check out more pictures than what I have here, feel free!

http://picasaweb.google.com/karamcdonald03

Lets see- how to start??? I guess from the beginning...

Alexa was born on April 3, 2008 at 11:45 am, via c-section. I had some pretty bad complications during my pregnancy complete with bedrest and severe preeclampsia, so she was born 4 weeks early, which makes her a late term preemie. She had pretty standard preemie complications when she was born- she needed oxygen, glucose, antibiotics and a bilirubin light. We couldn't hold her for 24 hours, which was the LOOONGEST 24 hours of my life. However, she was our little miracle baby- born on Thursday, off oxygen on Friday, out of the NICU on Saturday, off all machines on Monday and home on Tuesday! She stole my heart from the beginning!

The first two months were full of new experiences- as new babies go, she was always pretty easy. She slept for 3-5 hour stretches pretty much from when we brought her home. She had a few nights where she was up at all hours, but she wouldn't be a baby if that wasn't the case! She started spitting up A LOT by about 4 weeks, so she was diagnosed with GERD (reflux for babies). The reflux caused her weight gain to be pretty much nonexistant, and she was pretty miserable. She got sick Memorial Day weekend and had to be admitted to the hospital for tests. Poor thing had to have spinal tap... it was so sad. We also had a test done to diagnose the severity of her GERD, which ended up being moderate to severe. She started on medicine after leaving the hospital at 9 weeks and still is on it everyday!
Over the 4th of July, we traveled to Ohio to visit Grandma Cindi and all the crazy uncles and their Significant others... we also checked out the BalloonFest and got to introduce Alexa to fireworks! It was a great trip, although it was really hard leaving Grandma.

~ There have been thousand and one new experiences over the last five months... I can't believe how fast the time has already gone. I can't even begin to list all the things that have happened. Most of the things that have happened are everyday things, but to Alexa, everything is new, and each day is different. She has gotten to fly in an airplane to Ohio, see fireworks with Grandma, swim in Bamma's pool, go on walks with Papa, laugh at her daddy, learn how to give hugs and kisses, and melt her mama's heart everytime she smiles. I know all parents say this, but I really think I have the most amazing daughter in the whole world!

I look forward to sharing new moments with friends and family from near and far. We love you all so much!