Chronicling Lexi

Sweet Communion

2008-02-25T23:31:00.003-05:00

Lexi is a foodie, and also someone who cannot watch other people eat without eating herself. That makes the PCA view of communion problematic for dear Lexi. She has communed a few times, by grabbing bread she can reach and also charming someone into handing her a piece. Very characteristic for our little girl. But mostly, she just cries and says, "MY bread!"

We couldn't attend church yesterday because we had a conflict in the evening and ended up visiting an Anglican church in the morning. They allowed children to commune, and we told Lexi she could have some bread. She IMMEDIATELY knew what we were talking about. I showed her how to hold her hands to receive and she was dancing and jumping and giggling with glee as she went through the line, hands together just right. When her time came, she said, "MY bread! I eat this!" and ate with delight.

I know this will only make every other Sunday harder, but it was beautiful to watch.

She's a Very Affectionate Girl

2008-01-25T23:44:00.003-05:00

Lexi is still the cuddliest child around, and I've noticed that she's an equal opportunity lap-warmer, as long as she knows you pretty well. She will give you a long hug and press her cheek up against yours just so and make you feel like you are someone very special.

And then she will get up and dance and run and jump and play for awhile, but she will find her way back to a lap at some point.

"I nee' a cuh-ul peas"

On that note, she is not very good at enunciating, and frequently drops the last consonant of every word. Michael says she is living up to her French name!

Favorites

2007-12-12T15:07:00.001-05:00

Book: Hands are Not for Hitting (still) and starting to love the Nicene Creed
Food: yogurt (healthy) and "choc-it" (treat)
TV Show: Day-go (not Dora!)
Movie: 'rella
Song: "Up above the!"
Parent: Mom

Cuddly Bear

2007-11-30T12:37:00.000-05:00

Lexi is an affectionate child. She prefers to start each day with a good cuddle, and gives hugs and kisses very frequently, and with great emotion. The other day, she woke up and I went to get her out of her crib, and she said, completely unprompted, "I love you" with a sigh. Kate always responded to I love you with I love you, too, but I can't remember her initiating it, particularly at this young of an age.

Puddle Jumper

2007-10-24T12:31:00.001-04:00

Things Lexi Likes

2007-09-29T15:28:00.000-04:00

Anything Kate has
Babies
Baths
Bears
Books
Dancing
Dora
Hair
Playgrounds
Princesses
Shoes
Water she can dump everywhere

Just One of the Girls OR Lexi's New Nickname

2007-08-06T00:07:00.000-04:00

Mike had some work to do so I brought Lexi with me to a women's brunch at the home of another member of our church and she was so cute. She sat on a stool while everyone ate and was quiet and ate, she played with a baby doll, she let all the women love on her, etc. After the first hour, she REALLY warmed up and realized she was the entertainment. She showed them how she can become pregnant over and over. She gave kisses. She realized she was wearing the Hanna playdress which is so much fun to take off... and she earned the nickname "the Lexhibitionist." Four of the single girls that looked out for her were sitting in a row at church and when we went up for communion tonight she saw them all and loudly said "HEY!" just like grown-up girls do. She earned some serious smiles. I think she is well on her way to being the most-known member of our family at church. Every week at nursery they hand her back with stories of her charm and antics. During the time she is in the service she yells "amen!" a second after everyone else does, earning several "awwws!" I love that nut.

Lexi Found Jesus

2007-07-25T01:03:00.000-04:00

Lexi has gotten really into praying. She is happy to wait and pray at mealtimes and she HAS to pray at naptime and night. "Please PRAY! Let's PRAY!" It's really sweet. She also has to have the last "amen," always.

Running, Shouting, Exhuberant Lexi

2007-07-01T23:59:00.000-04:00

Lexi sparkles and dances through life. She knows hundreds of words, is super expressive and charming, and is an elfin shadow to her sister. If she is playing princesses, Lexi must be a princess. If she has a dog, Lexi ought to also. She is still extremely cuddly and easy to please with funny faces. Her hair is growing slowly, but surely. She's shoe obsessed and has taken a fancy to Kate's silver crocs, preferring them to her pink ones if we are home.

Overheard Lately (or, "Lexi Can Talk!")

2007-06-03T15:20:00.000-04:00

"I wanna walk!"
"Help me, momma!"
"I pooped! Yuck!"
"There's Daddy!"
"I play drum!"
"I need wa-wa (water)!"

17 months

2007-05-22T22:49:00.000-04:00

Lexi is getting so toddler-like. She is just starting to hit disequilibrium, which is a bit of a challenge, but she's still cuddly and cute and FUN. This month she really enjoyed reading Teeth are Not For Biting and loved to say "Ouch!" in an adorable voice whenever the book got to that word. She loves to dance, and will twirl herself to a dizzy fall. She went to her first Kindermusik class last week and enjoyed that very much. She loves to talk on the phone, and resorts to gibberish, which she doesn't use much otherwise. She's still very much momma's girl, and I don't mind, for now.

Dip! Or, how Lexi has learned to use words

2007-05-19T14:42:00.000-04:00

I am ever impressed by Lexi's vocabulary and recall. Today she was throwing a small fit in the high chair saying "I wan(t) I wan(t)!" I walked over and said, "Use your words, Lexi, what do you need?" And she replied clear as day, "DIP!" with a dipping hand motion. A dollop of ranch and all was well.

Kiss

2007-05-18T14:48:00.000-04:00

At the Playground

2007-05-16T14:41:00.000-04:00

God!

2007-05-15T20:44:00.000-04:00

Being a second child, I hardly ever sit down to teach Lexi ANYTHING, she picks everything up watching her sister. I started to ask Kate the catechism questions yesterday and Lexi piped up after I asked "Who made you?" with "GOD!" before Kate did! We keep asking her, and she definitely knows it. She also knows many of the numbers between 1 and 10, the first line of half a dozen songs, etc. all from listening. This type of parenting is easy!

16 months

2007-04-22T21:20:00.000-04:00

Lexi is such a funny little thing. She's extremely charismatic. Everywhere we go, she charms everyone in the room and somehow becomes the queen bee. We visited another church for a baptism and she conquered the nursery in an hour and had the run of the place with everyone following her around complete with a toddler bouncer. Her vocabulary is really growing. Here's some of what she's saying:

animal sounds
Amen!
Baby
Ball
Ba(ll)-oon
Bear
Blue (she knows this color, I don't know why.)
Book
Bread
Bubbles
Bye
Cat
Cheese
Dada
Dog
GG
GP
Head
Hey
Hi
"I want that!"
"I love you!"
Kate
Lexi
Momma
Nana
Nina
No
Oh!
Run
Please
Shoes
Sissy
This!
That!
Wa-wa (water)
Yes

First Three Word Sentence

2007-03-23T01:30:00.000-04:00

First three word sentence, completely untaught:

"I want that!" (in reference to her toothbrush.)

15 months old

2007-03-22T01:24:00.000-04:00

Lexi is a toddler. A short one who lacks a toddler's share of hair, but a toddler nonetheless. She's into climbing. She loves to climb up on the little table in the playroom and bounce in front of the window. She's learning to climb and play at the park. She can get up stairs in a flash (always fascinating since we don't have any.) She likes to read and chase bubbles and play with Kate. She carries her babies around in a playsilk for a sling. She's using lots of words. She's still very affectionate and friendly. She LOVES to say "hey!" to our neighbors. She'll say "HEY!" and wave and grin and rinse and repeat for minutes at a time. They get a kick out of her. She gets SO excited when daddy gets home from work and runs towards him. She can recognize his car from far away and she starts to dance. She's very into dancing and singing, still. She's a little bundle of joy!

Bird Jumper

2007-03-03T10:53:00.000-05:00

14 months old

2007-02-22T23:41:00.000-05:00

Lexi is an amazing little thing. Much shorter than her peers but motoring around with the best of them. She runs after Kate now, through the house and around the yard. She loves music. She's always trying to sing and manages to sing along pretty well just with la-ah type sounds. She dances well, sitting or standing. She loves to read, particularly Sandra Boynton, Eric Carle, the book we have with pictures of animals and all the touch and feel. She gets tickled to do things with Kate and I that make her feel like a "big girl" such as sitting on a bench between us. She got a new, pricier carseat and now she sleep EVERY car ride, which is great because she's always been pretty sleep deprived. So, I guess she'll be picky about her pillows like I am! She's obsessed with remotes and the phone, much moreso than Kate was, and I thought she was extreme. She had a bad cold this month and missed church and now she's having a hard time in the nursery again. She's definitely a more sensitive soul than Kate was at this age.

V-Day Version

2007-02-14T23:31:00.000-05:00

Lexi in Pajamas

2007-02-08T15:34:00.000-05:00

Kid Sister

2007-02-04T20:41:00.000-05:00

Lexi loves everything Kate does, and so she draws and colors and tries to change her clothes 253 times a day also... it's fun to watch.

13 months old

2007-01-22T21:59:00.000-05:00

Lexi is plowing her way into toddlerhood, speed walking everywhere and getting mighty close to running. She is still the kissiest baby ever and will kiss and hug spontaneously and whenever asked. Covering her with kisses is also the best way to get her to become docile and cooperative (like when she is being put to bed.) She's saying quite a bit, but she has a very quiet voice and it takes me a while to notice, and I'm always doubtful until I hear it the third of fourth time. She's definitely picked up "yes" and "no." She went to get a book off of the bookshelf yesterday and I said firmly, "Lexi" and she clearly said (with appropriate finger shaking) "no-no" which cracked me up. She likes to try to get dressed and horsing around and following Kate and babies and music and people. She's a fun kid.

Lexi, the eater

2007-01-16T15:38:00.000-05:00

Lexi loves Mexican, pasta, cheese sticks, yogurt, bananas, bread and Os.

Must get some veggies other than basil into that child ;o)

Walking

2007-01-11T01:14:00.000-05:00

Lexi has been taking steps for quite a while, but she woke up Tuesday morning and decided she was a biped. She hasn't crawled very much in days. Her stiff-legged little walk, awkward but steady, is remarkable to watch. Children grow up so quickly. Hold on to every day before the stages blow away, to return only in vague remembrances.

Pictures from Lexi's First Birthday (Part 1)

2007-01-05T00:36:00.000-05:00

Eating Pizza

Pizza is yummy!

Surveying the Presents

"Is this what I think it is?"

Pictures from Lexi's First Birthday (Part 2)

2007-01-05T00:22:00.000-05:00

"It's a doll!"

"I'm really, really excited!"

"And a drum, too!"

Pictures from Lexi's First Birthday (Part 3)

2007-01-05T00:02:00.000-05:00

The Cakes (Lexi's on the left)

Excitement builds

"I think I am going to like Carrot-Raisin-Applesauce Cake"

"Yep, it's a winner!"

"I love cake!"

"I'm really upset I couldn't keep eating until it was all gone!"

1 year old!

2006-12-22T15:32:00.000-05:00

Lexi is one year old today. She's a really happy baby who makes happy squeaky noises all day long and loves to play musical instruments and follow her big sister around. She is adding more words and sounds all the time and has taken to signing this month, signing "please" "thank you" "more" "all done" "food" and "milk" with proficiency. She gets so excited to combine and use them, giggling as she goes. She is taking more steps but certainly not a biped at this point. She had a great birthday and really enjoyed her cake. She actually threw the biggest fit of her short life when I tried to take away the tray after half-an-hour or so. Pictures of the festivities are sure to come. Lexi is the cuddliest baby and loves to kiss and hug and just hold me, she blows kisses to those she likes and is just an all around sweetheart. We are so blessed to be her parents.

Short Stuff

2006-12-10T23:04:00.000-05:00

Lexi is so much shorter than all her friends of the same age, it's hilarious to see her playing with them. She's so little!

She took her first step on Friday, she was standing, took a step forward and kept her balance. Kate and I were cheering for her!

Lexi has never played with baby toys much. She plays with Kate and plays with what she does, she's been fond of musical instruments and cars for quite some time, and she loves books but she doesn't play by herself often at all. So it took me by surprise to see her crawl over and find a doll last week, cradle it in her arms and give it a kiss.

Crisp December Afternoon

2006-12-02T22:44:00.000-05:00

Photos by the lovely and talented Brooke Jared.

11 months old

2006-11-22T14:11:00.000-05:00

At the end of this month Lexi finally got in two more teeth (bringing the total to four) and is close to walking but not there yet. She's better than Kate was as a pre-walker at standing for long periods and getting herself up to standing in the middle of a room. She just lacks forward momentum! She's chattering up a storm, saying things like "nuh-nI" (night-night), "og! oof!" (dog! woof!) and "boo!" She loves reading books and kissing faces and trying out new words. Her voice is pretty soft when she's experimenting and it's so sweet. She's really good at making little indian brave noises by patting her hand to her mouth. She likes to dance. She loves to see me reach for a sling and gets all hyper. She still loves to eat and will attack pretty much anything we give her. She gives the best hugs and she's very forgiving. I can't believe she's almost ONE!

She loves to talk and kiss

2006-11-12T14:24:00.000-05:00

Lexi doesn't have very many words (mama, dada, hi, bye, buh-bye, sissy...) but she is already putting them together -- "hi dada!" She loves babbling and if I talk on the phone she whimpers until she gets to talk and then she is SO excited.

This morning Mike laid her in bed beside me and she woke me up gently grabbing my cheek and kissing my face.

I can already tell how different she is from Kate in some ways. She is super social whereas Kate is more independent.

Kissy Lexi

2006-11-10T16:21:00.000-05:00

Start here and go back to see pictures of Lexi playing with her little friend Ryan. She basically spends most of her time attempting to give him a little sugar.

10 months old

2006-10-22T15:25:00.000-04:00

Lexi is closing in on the one year mark. She's cruising VERY confidently and loves to find things to push behind to go upright around the house! She's still a great sling baby and will hang out on my back for hours when we are out and about. If she is slung on my front for a quick carry she gets to show off one of her other favorite hobbies: kissing. She loves to grab my face, pull me close and give me kisses. She ADORES her sister and loves playing little games with her. She loves getting to talk to people in person or on the phone. She's not sure about the nursery at church, but tolerates it better when food is involved. She LOVES eating. Food will make a bad mood melt for Lexi.

Teeth!

2006-10-17T22:49:00.000-04:00

A few moments with Lexi

2006-10-14T21:26:00.000-04:00

Lexi, the clued in one

2006-09-30T22:49:00.000-04:00

Lexi knows good food when she sees it and she gets really upset if she can't have any. Kate was clueless about sweets. Lexi KNOWS. It cracks me up when Lexi notices us eating something naughty before Kate does!

Nine Months Old

2006-09-22T00:37:00.000-04:00

As much as I'd like to pause her development, Lexi keeps growing up. She's cruising everywhere and crawling up steps and getting everywhere. She loves feeding herself, though she is very messy. Veggie Booty was a big favorite this month. She waves well, gives high fives, claps for herself and others at appropriate times and has even been known to blow kisses. She's trying hard to say things and imitates us, but only really says "Hi" "Buh-bye" "Mom/Mama" and "Dada." Her raspy voice remains, prompting speculation by a college friend recently that she may be the next Norah Jones. She wore shoes for the first time this week since the little white booties she wore at her baptism and she was fascinated by them. They were Robeez, so a little tugging by the curious one did not pull them off. Her eyes still sparkle with blue and her hair is still pretty lacking. She's a flirt in public, especially in the sling. She loves it to hear her sister and I sing and perks up when we sing about her. I can't believe she's 3/4 of the way to a year old!

Her perch

2006-09-20T00:09:00.000-04:00

Road Trip Buddy

2006-09-17T01:03:00.000-04:00

Lexi was my road trip buddy this weekend. We headed up to North Carolina to a memorial service and she was very charming and a good traveller. She's getting to be so much fun -- waving and interacting, giving fives, trying to get my attention while I eat, sitting on my lap and eating off her own plate... I wish I could pause her growing and keep her just this size!

Teeth

2006-09-07T01:01:00.000-04:00

Lexi is the proud possessor of two teeth -- one popped through on Mom's birthday (9/5) and the other the very next day. She loves to have them pushed on and it will be a long time before they are photographable!

8 months old

2006-08-22T00:16:00.000-04:00

Lexi crawls with alarming speed and follows Kate, her dad and I from room to room. She loves eating her rice puffs and other things we offer her, mostly veggies and applesauce. She says "Da Da" "Mama" "Hi" and "Bye" with her very sweet but low and raspy voice. She waves. She loves to play with her big sister and cuddle together reading books. She can't stop giggling when she plays with the musical instruments (particularly the tiny wooden marachas, sticks to bang together and bells). They are by far her favorite toys. She's still a sling baby, and is just starting to move to back carries in the mei tai for longer trips. She waves her hands and giggles excitedly when she sees the sling. She's pulling up well now and I wonder how long she'll cruise before she'll take her first steps. I think they are still a few months off.

She Feeds Herself

2006-08-20T01:26:00.000-04:00

These pictures are from Lexi's first attempt at eating rice puffs earlier this month.

Baby Bird?

2006-08-14T23:45:00.000-04:00

Lexi makes the most hilarious baby bird noises for everything. Her excited-bird noise is so darn cute. She saw her daddy today when he came home and started jumping in my lap, making the excited noise. Cracked me up!

They're not bad, if you like styrofoam

2006-08-07T23:42:00.000-04:00

Lexi started on her first real solids today (she's been tasting stuff for about a month.) She feed herself puffed brown rice. And she enjoyed it very much.

Photo Love

2006-07-28T13:51:00.000-04:00

New photos in Lexi's album and the Family album.

7 months old

2006-07-22T15:10:00.000-04:00

Over the past month, we've been in transition as a family, but Lexi continues to press on towards toddlerhood. She's crawling really well, on all fours with her belly up at least some of the time. She can even crawl in and out of the small kiddie pool, over the inflated side! When she gets to crawl around on the floor, she attempts to pull up on things and can get herself into a kneeling position pretty easily. She's babbling "ba-ba-ba" and "da-da-da" up a storm. She likes hanging out in the sling in the hip position and smiles at everyone. She loves sitting in the kiddie pool and splashing with Kate. She's experimenting with solid foods some, attempts to grab everything off our plates, but still prefers nursing. She inconsistently returns waves and recognizes/tries to return the sign for milk. She's sitting on my lap, wanting to type to, so I'll let her finish: bg bvvvvvvvvvvvvvv m iiiiiiiii

She's a Professional

2006-07-02T21:17:00.000-04:00

Lexi is really crawling! Since she already could do 360s like nobody's business, adding more forward momentum means that the last few days she's been able to get wherever she wants to go.

*sigh* They grow up too fast.

6 months old, a photo

2006-06-25T00:06:00.000-04:00

6 months old

2006-06-22T20:27:00.000-04:00

Lexi celebrated her half-birthday today. She's so much fun. She laughs anytime her big sister pays attention to her and puts up with all sorts of toddler abuse with giddiness just because Kate is noticing her. She spends most of her time on the floor turning circles endlessly, queen of the 360s. I think she will soon have more leg-power to propel her forward but for now her spinning is quite entertaining. I love how sweet and tender she can be, showing affection with a soft touch to my face. She can sit for several minutes if she's set up right and as long as someone is paying attention to her, she's happy as a clam. She still loves the sling. I love the way she holds the rail with her hand, staking a claim to the spot.

She's multicultural

2006-06-21T22:55:00.000-04:00

We watched Bride and Prejudice tonight and Lexi loved it! She danced along with the music scenes and smiled. What a happy girl.

Sleeping Beauty

2006-06-20T22:03:00.000-04:00

Teeth

2006-06-16T22:12:00.000-04:00

Lexi is a miserable teether like her older sister. Thank goodness for Hyland's Teething Tablets!

Catch Up

2006-06-14T00:21:00.000-04:00

Things that make me smile about my baby girl these days:
- How she grabs my face, pulls me in and give me big, wet kisses.
- The way she plays peek-a-boo with herself in her carseat (noticed on the drive to B'ham Memorial Day weekend).
- How serious she looks when she blows raspberries.
- How accurate her grasp is and how funny it is when she grabs things off my desk or the counter or... everywhere!
- How when she makes me smile, she always smiles back.

Gettin' Mobile

2006-06-06T09:58:00.000-04:00

Over the past three weeks, Lexi has been developing her army crawl. It cracks me up to see how far she can go or watch her do 360s. Being at my parents' house, it astonishes me how much she looks like the baby picture of me hanging on the wall, except for Mike's blue eyes.

Hydrophobic?

2006-05-25T00:27:00.000-04:00

Lexi HATES being immersed in water. Splash her gently and it's no big deal, dunk her in the tub and you've declared war. She's never ever liked getting a bath. From the second she was born she wanted OUT of the tub. The midwife described her as "irritated." Most babies love waterbirths! Anyhow, I just wanted to record this for the future...

5 months old

2006-05-22T23:35:00.000-04:00

Lexi is 5 months old today. She weighs a whopping 13 pounds, 8 ounces and got her very first vaccinations to commemorate 5 months by. She barely whimpered after her two shots, what a trooper! She's spending time every day hopping in her jumpster and can tripod sit for 10 20 seconds or so when placed into position [5/23 edit: I know I tend to underestimate these things, so I timed her this morning.] She's definitely teething and likes to gum things -- I caught her one day last week with six fingers in her mouth, chomping away! She tells all sorts of "stories" and makes a lot of "hah" and "yah" sounds. She always likes to be holding something -- my hand, the rail of the sling, a toy or a blanket are favorites, but when all else fails, she'll grab her feet. We're all so charmed by our smiley girl.

Lexi's Laughs

2006-05-20T02:11:00.000-04:00

The last few weeks I've noticed that Lexi has several distinct laughs. She has a sweet little girly giggle for when people smile at her. She has a fuller laugh for when one is playing with and laughing with her. And then she has this amazing belly laugh for when Daddy tickles her. She laughs quite frequently.

A lover of life

2006-05-09T14:05:00.000-04:00

Lexi continues to be the most pleasant and cheerful of babies. Some days she spends literally hours and hours blowing raspberries and cooing. She loves to chit-chat with the baby in the mirror and giggles at her daddy's tickles and her big sister's antics. She's starting to spend more time in the doorway jumper, tap-dancing around and starting to hop when Kate is not pushing her back and forth as if it were a swing. She enjoys the simple life: a dozen square meals a day and people to smile at while curled up in her pouch. Her official 4 month well visit stats (from 4/24) are 12 lbs. 6 oz. and 23.5 inches, so she's petite but proportional.

Bumbo

2006-05-02T14:40:00.000-04:00

Lexi really likes the view from her bumbo (pictured below) as it floats around following the family action. I like it because it doesn't vibrate, play tinny music or anything else. It's just a foam seat to help her sit up and see. Who doesn't like to see? We bought it with Target gift card money and will likely sell it as soon as she's done with it (minimizing our baby stuff stash) but I'd buy another for future children.

Update

2006-04-27T12:51:00.000-04:00

She's on antibiotics now, too. We're hoping to avoid steroids.

An Icky First

2006-04-25T15:42:00.000-04:00

Lexi has her first bad virus. The mild cough has gotten a lot worse. We had a well-visit yesterday anyway (will post her stats sometime soon) and the doctor was very concerned listening to her. Praise God, the nasal swab test for RSV came back negative, so at least its not that. Our pediatrician (who I will really miss) is very hesitant to start little ones on antibiotics, so she sent us home with a loaner nebulizer and we have to give Lexi treatments every six hours. She looks awfully pathetic with the mask on. Please pray she gets well quickly.

4 months old

2006-04-22T23:51:00.000-04:00

Lexi is the friendliest baby on the block, and shares a smile with everyone she encounters. She loves to face out in the pouch, one hand gripping the rail, looking bright-eyed at the world. She has fantastic hands. Hands that love to hold a finger, a toy, her soft blanket. Some days it seems she is always holding something, if there is no object to be held she holds on to her own hands, clasping them together.

She has her first cough. It is very mild, to be honest, probably due to exclusive breastfeeding and a healthy immune system. But it startled her, confused her, caused her to cling to me. What is this phenomenon? Why can't I stop myself? But as the day progressed, she became resigned to it. "I have done this," she thought, "and I am still doing okay. Mom is right here."

Mom is always there. Lexi comes on our dates, sits on our laps through church and bible study, perches atop the table as we eat. A handful of times I have slipped out and left her in the care of her able father for a few brief minutes of solitude, occasionally he has walked her around the block while I finished dinner, but our seperations are momentary at best. We like it that way.

Photo Love

2006-04-20T09:58:00.000-04:00

New photos are in Lexi's album.

Smiley Baby

2006-04-11T00:45:00.000-04:00

Lexi smiles constantly, at everyone who pays attention to her. Honestly, she is the happiest little girl I have ever met and it's incredibly endearing. She also laughs anytime someone makes a goofy face or laughs at her. She is just so irresistible!

Just like her Daddy

2006-04-08T23:08:00.000-04:00

No flash, no correcting, just showing her blue eyes.

Haikus inspired by Lexi

2006-04-04T20:31:00.000-04:00

Lexi's cradle cap
stares up from her pretty head
mother should bathe her

(Later)
rubbing and rinsing
baking soda, olive oil
goodbye cradle cap

Crossposted from Mom's Blog

2006-03-30T23:29:00.000-05:00

I was talking to a friend Monday who has three small children (all under 3 years old.) She asked me how Lexi was doing and what she was up to. I told her how sweet and friendly she is and how she blows raspberries all day long. Then I told her she was very strong and admitted that I rarely put her down for tummy time since her muscle tone is fine without it and certainly hadn't done so in well over a week. I declared that I cared so little about milestones I haven't tried, but I bet if I set her down on her tummy, she'd roll right over. I got off the phone, set Lexi on her tummy and she rolled from stomach to back in less than 90 seconds. So, Lexi, someday when you are reading this, know that you rolled over for the first time at 13.5 weeks, hindered by the lack of interest your mother had in that pursuit. With Kate, I had less to do and spent time on the floor with her, encouraging her. Lexi gets so much less of my undivided attention, but when she does, we have a great time just enjoying each other.

photo today, during Kate's nap

3 months old!

2006-03-22T09:43:00.000-05:00

Lexi is such an interactive baby. She always engages strangers and gives them a smile. She giggles at her sister. She's very strong, always standing and holding her head up well. She likes her paci, but tries to suck her hand at times and I wonder if she'll start sucking her thumb or fingers. She's really cuddly, with both people and the blanket I knit her and sissy's playsilks.

She's also a cloth diaper diva:

Her current fitteds stash (well, most of them):

Cracks her up

2006-03-15T12:36:00.000-05:00

I brought Lexi with me to a book discussion last night -- she goes where I go! -- and this one woman sitting next to me started talking very passionately about how much she liked the book because it broadened her horizons (yada, yada.) Lexi looked up at her and started cracking up. She looked right at her and belly laughed for a full minute. PRICELESS!

No Tummy Time

2006-03-12T23:12:00.000-05:00

Lexi is not a huge fan of tummy time, but she has still developed excellent head control and has been facing out in the kangaroo carry in slings and pouches for over a week sucessfully. She tries to walk when we hold her up and pushes herself in a modified army-crawl when I do make her hang out on her tummy. I think she's developing fine without it.

Photo Love

2006-03-07T23:40:00.000-05:00

Lexi is just a textbook smiling, cooing, giggling baby. Her facial expressions are of course 100x better in person and she already has a large adoring public.

I would really like her to figure out how to suck her thumb or fingers. She's working on it.

More pictures here.

Attack of the Yeastie Beasties

2006-02-27T20:38:00.000-05:00

Lexi has a yeast diaper rash (ouch!) and thrush (ouch for mama!) and looks like a purple people eater. On the plus side, she attended her first concert (Andrew Peterson) and dressed up like a lion for the faculty-student basketball game at Daddy's school. Please pray for the yeastie beasties to leave and stay away!

2 month old!

2006-02-22T12:06:00.000-05:00

Lexi is two months old today. She's cuddling in my lap as I write this post about her and I love touching her soft skin and smelling her sweet baby head. She loves to stand and lifts her whole torso up while I lay her on her tummy. I guess she is poised to be an early crawler like her sister. She is a charming baby, quick to smile, a good eater and sleeper. She seems to always have the hiccups, but they don't bother her much. I would describe her as a laid-back baby, and I wonder if she'll stay that way as she grows older.

Lexi Update

2006-02-21T21:27:00.000-05:00

So, Alexine Antoinette, child of the covenant, was baptized on the 19th. We threw a small "Welcome to the Family" party in her honor. And there are new pictures here. Only sixteen pictures come up on the page, so don't forget to navigate to the next one!

She giggled!

2006-02-18T18:40:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, Lexi giggled at her daddy. I heard it myself. She is such a pleasant, easy baby...

Stats

2006-02-17T11:35:00.000-05:00

Lexi had another doctor's appointment yesterday at precisely eight weeks old. She remains in the 25th percentile in everything: 9 lbs, 10 ounces and 21.75 inches long.

The Squeaky Wheel May Get the Grease...

2006-02-12T22:40:00.000-05:00

We're getting more and more back into our routine, and househunting, etc. makes life quite busy. Because Lexi is usually quite easy, I often leave her in the swing, etc. for way too long while I do laundry, get Kate ready, get myself ready, etc. On those days when I'm rushing around, I leave myself a little "top off Lexi" window where I nurse her quickly before rushing out the door. It hasn't failed this week that each and every time I have tried to do that, Lexi hasn't cooperated. She's decided to spend the first five minutes cooing, smiling and being the most adorable baby on the face of the planet while refusing to nurse. The squeaky wheel may get the grease, but the charming baby gets her love and eye contact even in the midst of a busy day. When I've satisfactorily returned her coos and grins, she does get down to business!

Capturing a Smile

2006-02-07T12:06:00.000-05:00

Lexi has the widest, most infectious baby grin. We had several smile fests this weekend. She's an open mouth smiler and seems to take the whole room in between her upturned lips. Kate, possessing dimples, always desired to use them and smiled with her mouth much more closed. I am capturing dozens of Lexi smiles in my heart, but not being so successful with my camera. Here are a few near misses:

It's for you!

2006-02-01T13:14:00.000-05:00

There's a bunch of new pictures of Lexi making faces in her album!

Baby Body Builder?

2006-01-27T23:51:00.000-05:00

Lexi has wowed me with her strength from birth. She holds her head up for a LONG time. She has always been able to bear weight on her legs for even a minute or more and often STANDS in the sling, leaning against me. At small group Wednesday, she was laying cradled in one woman's arms, reached out to grab the fingers of her husband and attempted to pull herself up. What's up with that?

Pictures, etc.

2006-01-26T10:43:00.000-05:00

Lexi is a smiling five week old now. Here are some pictures from Tuesday:

1 Month Old Today

2006-01-22T22:31:00.000-05:00

Lexi is one month old today! She really is a sweet baby. Afflicted with reflux but still pretty upbeat. It makes me sad that I can count on one hand the number of times she's been visibly "milk-drunk," but she's a trooper. She's very alert when awake, always looking intently at things and she loves those developmental black and white pictures. She's also very patient with her big sister and her eagerness to show Lexi love. She's so cuddly and I am enjoying these newborn moments while I can.

baby parts

2006-01-21T00:24:00.000-05:00

Little Lexi Updates

2006-01-19T10:47:00.000-05:00

I finished Lexi's birth announcement, hurrah!

About 3 or 4 days ago, I was talking to her and playing with her and got her to mimic me sticking my tongue out by sticking it out slowly three or four times, and then she did it with me! So fun. She's such a sweet baby girl.

The stats

2006-01-16T21:47:00.000-05:00

At 3.5 weeks, Lexi is now 20.5" long and weighs 8 pounds, 4 ounces. Other than being relux-y, she's doing great!

Nicknames

2006-01-15T15:22:00.000-05:00

Since "Lexi" isn't nickname enough for one small girl, here's what else we call our Alexine:

Lex: Everyone needs a one syllable nickname. Except for me, I loathe being called Kris. We think it's cute, though Aunt Janelle says it reminds her of Superman's nemesis.

Lexapro: It just came out one day when I was cooing at her and it stuck. Methinks that's because she is a cure for depression and anxiety.

I'm sure there are more to come...

Photo Love

2006-01-12T13:38:00.000-05:00

A few new pictures can be found here.

Animated

2006-01-10T14:48:00.000-05:00

Lexi is really expressive for a newborn -- she makes eye contact and makes faces, she "hugs" me when I have her on my shoulder to burp, she's just so darn cute. Everyone's always saying how perfect and doll-like she looks. She spends so much time in the sling, I notice her cuteness most when she's unphotographable! You just have to see her in person, I suppose.

First Party

2006-01-07T18:08:00.000-05:00

Lexi attended her first party last night -- a big Epiphany bash with a band and beer and wine and all sorts of yummy food. She slept through it in the sling, but everyone admired her just the same.

Poor Lexi

2006-01-04T10:10:00.000-05:00

Lexi is reflux-y. She spits up a lot and has a hard time burping and gets pained from trapped gas. :o/ Poor thing. Unfortunately, our little local health food store is out of gripe water until Friday and it's hard to do an elimination diet when people are kindly making you meals so... her relief is being carried around very upright in the sling or wrap, which she greatly appreciates.

Doctor's Visit

2005-12-31T10:52:00.000-05:00

Lexi visited the pediatrician for the first time yesterday and was proclaimed a picture of newborn health. She's gaining weight really well! She was 6 lbs. 12.5 oz. at birth, 6 lbs. 4 oz. last Friday afternoon and 7 lbs. 1 oz. yesterday morning, a little less than a week later!

Above Average

2005-12-28T16:32:00.000-05:00

Lexi's cord stump fell off yesterday at five days old. People seem impressed by this. I expected nothing less: like in Lake Woebegone, all our children are above average ;o)

Seriously, the midwife said it would fall off quicker without the triple dye they do at the hospital, and it seems to be true anecdotally.

Tiny Hands

2005-12-27T10:21:00.000-05:00

I love Lexi's tiny hands, the tiny fingers and little sharp nails. I love the way they grab my finger and hold on tight. She loves her hands, too. A newborn houdini, she always manages to get them out of her miracle blanket swaddle and likes to keep them up near her face.

It's amazing to me to imagine what those hands will be used for in the future: picking up dry cereal in a pincer grasp, clapping, playing notes on a violin, penning poetry, painting pictures, kneading bread dough... For today, they are just the tiny hands of a newly born babe.

Birth Story

2005-12-22T15:54:00.000-05:00

[crossposted from Mom and Dad's blog]

Early Wednesday morning, I lost my mucuous plug and started having a few weak contractions intermittently. As the morning progressed, I had several more contractions, a few close enough together for Mike to start tracking them. Being (a) bored and (b) very skilled with Excel led Mike to make a killer contraction-tracking spreadsheet. I just puttered around the house for all of early labor and noticed quickly that Lexi had centered herself more in my pelvis and my SPD pain was gone!

At four my contractions were about seven minutes apart and we called Audrey, our midwife, to let her know that I was in labor. I called Meadow, talked and paced for well over an hour, which sped up my contractions and heightened their intensity, but I was still very much in early labor. Shrimp Fettucine Alfredo was on the menu for dinner, but being a woman of weak stomach, I vetoed that in favor of a plain Chick-Fil-A Char-Grilled Sandwich.

Audrey had said to check in at seven, and right at seven my contractions had reached five minutes apart and about a minute long, so she got her stuff together and left (from the far opposite corner of the Raleigh metro area where she was doing a post-partum visit.) Meanwhile, my dad and grandma had arrived, having driven from upstate New York that day (my grandma is staying for almost a month and wanted her car.)

Audrey arrived just before 8:30 and unloaded all her gear. She declared she thought the baby would be born by midnight. She checked me (for the first and only time) at 9:10 and I was 5-6 cm, 90% effaced and Lexi was at 0 station, so I was in the clear to get in the tub for an hour. Laboring in the warm water was really relaxing, and it was great to be able to turn on the jets during contractions. After my hour was up, I could tell that my labor was progressing, but not especially quickly, so though I hated to give up the cozy water, I got out and labored a while standing and side-lying in bed. I started having a slight urge to push about an hour later, though my water had still not broken. I tried pushing gently with a few contractions to pop it, to no avail, and decided to get back in the tub to labor there. I pushed for a dozen contractions or more and just could not break my water, even trying to poke it with my finger. Sometime in the middle of this, Mike threw on his swim trunks and a t-shirt and sat behind me in the tub, holding me and helping me brace myself to push.

Right around midnight, I asked Audrey to break my water. The next contraction, she did and the calm I had felt the whole labor process went out the window and I pushed and pushed and two contractions later, Alexine Antoinette was born, at 12:12 a.m. on Thursday, 12.22.2005 in the big tub in her grandparent's bathroom. I had a very small, superficial tear, which was amazing to me considering how fast I pushed her out. Lexi was born screaming, pinked up immediately, and was so irritated the midwife wanted to get her dried off and wrapped up quickly, so we cut the cord and got her out of the tub. Delivering the placenta took 30 minutes as Lexi would not nurse immediately and massaging my uterus was the only way to get strong enough contractions to push it out. I delivered it on the gorgeous hand-carved birthing stool one of Audrey's clients made for her – it was very comfortable.

It's 15 hours later now, and I am sitting in a recliner, Lexi sleeping in a ring sling on my chest. As I think back to my labor, I was very relaxed for all but a few minutes of it, and feel great today. I am amazed at the difference in how I feel having given birth naturally and at "home" versus the hospital.

Happy Birthday, Lexi!

2005-12-22T02:00:00.000-05:00

[crosspost from mom and dad's blog]

Alexine Antoinette was born at 12:12 this morning, weighing in at 6 pounds, 12.5 ounces and measuring 18 1/4 inches long. Lexi is off dancing with Dad and I am resting in bed, we're all doing great.

Gifts

2005-12-16T20:48:00.000-05:00

She's not even born yet and Lexi has gotten a number of really cute outfits this week! They are waiting for your arrival, sweet girl, and I'll even write the thank you notes for you. When you make your debut, you'll have a fashionable wardrobe.

Getting ready

2005-12-13T00:21:00.000-05:00

Dear Lexi,
All the newborn diapers are washed and waiting. I have a miracle blanket to swaddle you in, and a teeny tiny preemie outfit for you to wear in case you are as petite as your sister. I'd prefer you hang out for a little bit longer, but I'm getting ready for you, just in case!
Love,
Mom