Big Bed!

We went to the beach the 2nd week in February for about a week. I wasn't going to start the big bed transition until after we got back. Alex had never tried to crawl out of his packnplay or his crib so there was no safety issue. But one night at the beach, I think it was the 2nd day we were there, we put him down for a nap and then we hear the bedroom door open and he walks out into the living room. It was the craziest thing! I put him back in the packnplay and had him show me how he got out. I mentioned it in an earlier post that he was like a little gymnast and he just flipped over the side rail and landed on his head. So that was the end of the packnplay and we had to do the big bed. He did pretty well at the beach. We had the first few nights of him coming to visit us a few times in the middle of the night (and we couldn't let him cry at all because Russell and Nan's bedroom was right beside his) but the last night we were there he stayed in the bedroom the entire night. Since we've been home he's stayed in his room until somebody comes in to get him. We told him at the beach that he had to stay in the room until momma or daddy came and got him. He kept repeating, "momma daddy come getch you" and shaking his head like he knew exactly what we were talking about.

This is the first time he's done this. I went and checked on him last night before I went to bed and this is how I found him. Laying on the floor right by his nightlight.

Back in bed.

This is how I find him in the mornings. He gets all of his toys out of his closet and plays. I put all of his toys in there so he won't be tempted to play all night long instead of sleep so there is a doorknob cover on his closet door so he can't get into it. Before we go to bed one of us goes and opens the closet door for him to be able to play in the morning.

Nap time is a different story. Right now about every 2-3 days he takes a nap. At first he would just sit in there and pull out all of his books and puzzles and play for 2 hours. I emptied his bookshelf so he can't get to anything now but he'll now just sit in there and turn on the light and the fan and play with the blinds and whatever else he can find. The other day he got his shoes out of the bottom drawer of his dresser and made this. When I walked in to get him he said, "Look momma, choo choo train!" He was so proud of himself. Anytime he lines something up like this it is always a train. So for now the only thing we are still working on is the naps. I'm open to suggestions about nap time!:)

Fun Days with Alex!

Our friends Ally and Caden come over and play when they are in town sometimes. We eat a good lunch(when we don't have moldy bread:)) and then let the kids play! Alex, of course, loves his trains and will share sometimes. His naps have been hit and miss some these past few days and he just can't handle it when Caden wants to hold one of his trains (or any of his toys-sometimes). I did catch them playing happily if only for a few brief moments. Alex loves to go round and round the "big table" as he calls it as opposed to the "small" coffee table. Alex calls this "nenny's (aka, granddaddy's) car." I guess it's because my dad has a convertible-that's the only connection I see between the two cars. But he also has a blue matchbox car that is not a convertible and it is also "nenny's." Maybe one day he can tell me how that is like my dad's car.:) Yesterday we went to a play date at Olivia's house. Alex was in heaven! Olivia just got a train set and her dad made this awesome platform for the train tracks. I think Alex left it for about 20 minutest the whole time we were there-and we were there for almost 3 hours! Here he is playing with Vivian. He is very territorial with his trains as my friend, Ally, likes to say:) We went to the Alabama baseball game Saturday. It was a little chilly so we didn't stay out too long. But our friends the Williams' were also there. Alex was so excited to see Jack Glyien. Alex gets to see Jack Glyien at church and sometimes at the gym so this was a fun time for him! Kindermusik with Mrs. Laura being "wide like a house." "Tall like a tree."
This video is from Kindermusik. I only caught the last beat of the drum because it took me too long to get my camera out. All the kids got a turn and it was so cute to see what they did. They were told when she moves her hands to hit the drum. Alex was so focused!:)

The Beach with Nan and Russell

Last Tuesday we headed to the beach for the rest of the week. It was SO NICE and relaxing! The weather was cooler than I had hoped it would be but it didn't matter. Just being down there makes us all lazy! Russell and Nan joined us about 1am on Thursday morning. Alex was excited to see them the next morning! He got lots of extra attention and play time. Nan was at his side anytime he needed the "gunk gunk" song and Russell was always ready to play-except when something was on TV and Alex wanted him in the kitchen on the floor in a very particular spot-Russell wouldn't go. He calls Russell "usha rusha" and he says Aunt Nan really well. We went to the park, the pool, the beach, to get ice cream 3 nights in a row, the outlet mall, and just hung out and were very lazy! One day we put Alex down for a nap in his pack n play-we were gonna start moving him to the big bed after the beach trip. BUT we couldn't wait any longer! We heard his bedroom door open and out he walked. I had him show me how he got out of his pack n play and he was like a little gymnast. He just flipped over the side. So it was only the big bed from that day forward. The big bed saga is for a whole other post!
Trying shrimp, he spit it out:)


Playing at the mall.


He kept yelling "kindermusik" when he would beat on the drums.

With Dad and Russell on the beach.

He loved being in the pool as long as someone was holding on to him. He liked watching Russell and Daddy throw the football over the pool and playing "shark" where someone would swim underwater and pop up at him.

Nan entertaining him with the "gunk gunk" song.

Enjoying Bahama Bob's.

The last night Russell and Nan bought him a chocolate covered banana. He had been eying them in the display case the 2 nights before and called them "hot dogs." He was pleasantly surprised I think! He loved eating John's orange sherbert and he always wanted to try whatever Nan was eating. John paid him a nickel one night to try my rocky road. He took the nickel, put it in his pocket, ate a bite of mine, and then wouldn't eat it again...just John's:)

The Circus!

He loved watching the circus and seeing the elephants, tigers, horses, and dogs! Sometimes though, I would see him watching the men in black taking down the props or moving the animals. He wasn't always watching the spotlighted area:) Oh well...I think he enjoyed it. I know I sure did! I LOVE the circus! It has always been so fun to me! I wanted him to have the whole experience and get cotton candy and maybe a stuffed elephant...but that didn't quiet work out like I wanted it to. First off the cotton candy was $12 and the smallest elephant was $20!!!! I just told myself he didn't even know he was missing those things. He got a $2.50 cookie instead. :) He had this same look on his face the whole time pretty much. During the 15 min. intermission he danced and was moving around but the rest of the time he just sat there with this look on his face.




Side note: For those of you who have been asking...I am feeling much better... Thank you! I still get a little nauseous in the late afternoon or at night but I can handle that compared to all day everyday! I have been feeling pretty good the last 3-4 wks. I've been back to the gym and have broken MY cardinal rule of pregnancy-Big girl should not wear shorts. Now for all the other mothers out there this is just MY rule. Some of you look great in shorts while you are pregnant. I, unfortunately, am not one of those people. I can face the honest facts-pregnancy is not cute on me or good to my body:) I'll be 22 wks this Wednesday and will try to post some pictures soon. Let me go ahead and warn you-I"M BIG! I'm not saying all of this for you to feel like you need to leave sweet untruthful comments now or when you see the pictures.:)

Keeping Jack!

One Friday night, my friend Kristi and her husband, dropped Jack off to play with Alex while they went out for dinner alone. Alex was so excited to have Jack come over to play. They did a very good job of sharing. They would take turns hitting the baseball off the tee with the big bat and playing with the trains. Here is Alex showing Jack all of his stuff.


Jack liked staying on the bed while the loud cars and trains were running down on the floor. Doesn't he have the prettiest blue eyes?

They shared a plate of raisins:)

Just a little catch up!

For my dr's appointments Mimi (his great grandmother) keeps Alex for me. She was having her bridge club over for my last appt-but thinks that Alex is the BEST thing in the world and that everyone else LOVES him as much as her and thinks he is PRECIOUS just like her-so she wanted him to come on over and play while she had all of her friends over for lunch and to play bridge. Here he is entertaining the ladies. I must say they did like him quiet a lot. I don't know if it is as much as Mimi but they were sweet to him. He was checking out the tables under the table cloths and they thought it was crazy how much he could eat!

Uncle Russell came for business later that week. Alex loved showing him his puzzles-he worked them ALL while Russell was here-and having Russell read to him.


Russell takes us out to eat at nice places that John and I don't go to on our own. So we went to Kobe's steakhouse. Alex loved saying he was going to "eat Kobe's." We went and played at the train table before we met John for dinner. I wish I had gotten pictures of Alex with the fire at Kobe's. He kept covering his eyes like it was just too bright or too hot and burying his head in John. It was hilarious! But he ate his weight in rice!

1st Dentist Visit

Last Monday was Alex's first dentist appt. He did great! We had gone before to "visit" with a mom's club here in town but this was the first "official" appointment. We talked about going all morning and how he would have to open his mouth for the dentist to look in. So I think he was somewhat prepared:). The chairs for the kids to lay on are all in one big room with about 7 chairs in it. The parents can either pull up a chair beside their child or sit along the wall on a bench. There are toys to play with along the bench because that is also a holding area. This is Alex playing with the toys but also watching what was happening to the children laying in the chairs. He would hear something buzz and he would turn his head to see what was going on.

He finally got moved to a chair. He didn't like it at first and held on tight to my neck. But after just a minute or two he settled down and read his book while waiting for the dentist.

YEAH! No cavities! He got to pick a toy from the toy box and he got a sticker and a blue ribbon for being a "Super Brusher!"