Miscellaneous Stuff

I recently went to an auction at a local co-op school with a friend and purchased a rocking chair for Alex that a class of 2 year olds decorated. The teacher of the class is also a friend making the chair even more special. Alex seems to like it but we have to watch him closely while sitting in it until he gets a little bigger. This picture is just a sign of what's to come when he is about 13...kicked back in his PJs on the phone : )

Alex has become pretty mobile these days. He loves to just crawl around and pull up on things and explore.

Since he is on the go so much we have to keep a constant eye on him. Travis is amazing with him. Who would have thought a 14 year old would be so interested in hanging with his little brother?

Alex has recently started enjoying his swing again. There for a while he didn't want to swing because he doesn't like being strapped down but the last couple of weeks he has napped in his swing a few times and seems to enjoy it again.

As I posted yesterday, Alex cut a tooth. He has been working on this tooth off and on for months and we didn't think it would ever come through the gum. He has been chewing on everything and is a fountain of drool. He loves to chew on the butterfly on his Johnny Jumper but boy it ends up being a pond of drool under him by the time he is done...

Alex says three things now...Mama, Dada and Buba...making me, Daddy and Travis (his Bubbie) very happy!

Alex has a push along toy that he stands up and walks behind on his own. He isn't very stable yet so this is only allowed under strict supervision! He loves to pull up and stand. He looks so proud of himself when he does it.

Finally a tooth....

Alex cut his first tooth today. YEAH!!! He was pretty happy most of the day. Tonight he was a little cranky and I could tell his mouth was hurting him so I gave him some Tylenol and one of his cold teething rings. I guess teething makes Alex have an upset tummy. The poor little guy didn't keep much down today. Hopefully for all us Alex will get a good night of sleep and tomorrow will be easier on him. By the way, the picture above was taken this past week and as you can see he has drool dripping off of his chin. He has been working on cutting this tooth off an on for a couple of months.

Happy Halloween

Alex's first Halloween was lots of fun. He was a chickie cracking out of an egg and Travis wore a couple of different things...a Blue M&M, a werewolf and another creature of the night.

Alex didn't seem to mind his costume. He only tried to pull the hat off once or twice.

When Alex needed a break from the hot Chickie costume, he was our little pumpkin.

Alex and Travis sat out on the front porch and handed out candy for a little while.

They both got bored rather quickly but it was fun while it lasted.

Alex Having So Much Fun

Alex loves to jump in his exersaucer. He gets a work out every day!

Alex thinks Travis is the funniest person on the planet....

Alex is almost 8 months old and is crawling all over everywhere and pulling up on everything. He actually stood up by himself last Sunday without pulling up on anything or holding on. He fell back down immediately but wow were we suprised when he did it. He still loves bathtime. Even if he is cranky from teething or being tired a bath makes him happy.



When Alex's hair gets wet it is curly...so cute : )

Alex has been sporting around several cute Halloween outfits.

He is our little pumpkin!

He also loves his mummy...

He still hasn't cut any teeth but he is working on them as hard as he can, chewing on everything!

Since he is close to having a couple of bottom teeth and is chewing on everything we got him some banana puffs that pretty much dissolve in his mouth but will teach him to chew. They stick to him when they get wet so it is kinda funny to watch.

Alex would also like to say "Happy Birthday Big Brother!"

I'm A Big Boy Now...

Alex is 7 1/2 months old now. He is working really hard on cutting teeth. We are still waiting for the pearly whites to make a grand entrance though. He is a fountain of drool most of the time and everything goes straight into his mouth.


Alex is crawling all over everywhere. He is happiest when he can just move about as he pleases.



Daddy is one of Alex's favorite toys. Alex loves to climb all over him when they play in the floor together. Here he had Daddy down for the count and is showing him who is the boss.


Alex is also pulling himself up in his crib, in his playpen, on anyone or anything that is within reach. He loves to stand up in the playpen at his Nanny and Paw-Paw's house because he can stand and chew at the same time, his two favorite things to do right now.

Alex has been busy helping his brother with Algebra too. Travis got an A on his test the next day...Yeah Travis!

Alex's grandparents from St. Louis visited and he was showing them how to use the camera..."See how cute I am Grandma"!

Then he taught Grandpa about standing and balance.

Alex showed Mommy that he is too big for the bouncy seat now. Guess Mommy needs to find something else to keep him entertained when she is getting ready for work.

The rug is soft like Bubba...see Mommy...

Alex surprises and amazes us daily!

Half of a Year Old - WOW

Alex is 6 months old and is getting bigger by the minute or at least it feels that way. He had a checkup yesterday and he is doing great. He got another series of shots that really hurt and left a bruise but today he is fine. He is a big brave boy weighing in at around 18.5 pounds and 27 inches long. It is all Mommy can do to lift him when he is in his carseat. He has a couple of teeth on the bottom front that he has been working on and the doc said it won't be long before they break through. He chews on everything including choking himself on his fists.



He is also sitting up on his own now. He has been able to balance himself sitting up but it wasn't until last night that he finally pushed himself up from a laying position into a sitting position without any help. He is so good at it now that you wouldn't know he has only been doing it for a day.

He is also scooting all around now. It isn't really what I would call a crawl yet but it is close. If he sees something he wants he can get to it so I guess that is all that matters to him. He gets up on his hands and knees and he rocks and then flops down on his belly and that moves him a little so he does it again and again until he gets to whatever it is he is trying to reach. He also puts his head on the floor and then stands up on his feet. I keep telling him that he is going to get rug burns on his forehead.

All of the other crawling babies at school have shown him how much fun it is to climb under and through the exersaucer so he is giving that a try too. It is like having a clubhouse only baby version...

Alex also graduated to the real bathtub today. He actually has a smaller blow-up tub that fits down in the real tub but he seemed to really like it. He was climbing all over it and was super excited by the new tub.

Alex is getting to be such a big boy. He has said "Momma" a few more times, usually when singing his sleepy songs and he babbles all the time! He also gets super excited by our dog, Bubba. He smiles whenever Bubba comes close to him and he chases Bubba around the kitchen in his walker. Bubba is a great dog and has been very gentle and patient with him and just tries to get out of his way when the walker comes charging at him.

Alex's First Vacation

Daddy's class is over...YEAH!!! Congrats to Daddy for making it through! Mommy, Travis and Alex are SO PROUD OF YOU!!!


Now, on with the vacation. Alex went on his first vacation to Charlotte, NC. We didn't want to go too far since we weren't really sure how well he would travel but we wanted to go somewhere that would also keep Travis entertained. Finding a location suitable for a baby and a teenager is not an easy task. Charlotte, NC turned out to be a great fit for the entire family. There really is alot to do in Charlotte. Alex did pretty good on the road trip to Charlotte. There were only a couple of times that Mommy had to do a terrible rendition of You Are My Sunshine to quiet him down and get him to go to sleep. Travis was a truly great big brother riding in the back keeping Alex happy for the long drive.




Our first day there, we went to the Nascar Hall of Fame. It turned out to be Travis' favorite part of the trip. It is a great facility and is very interactive with things to do for people of all ages. Even Alex learned how to jack up a car...


Alex got to watch Daddy and Travis do a 16 second pitstop...that is really good for first-timers.

Our second day there, Alex got to meet Charlie Brown and Snoopy at the Carowinds Amusement Park. Not the greatest of parks but Travis enjoyed riding the rollercoasters. I guess we have been spoiled with the nice clean amusement parks that we have close to home. Alex got a Snoopy as a souvenir and he likes to chew on it's ears and nose and throw him across the room.

On our third day, Alex got to tour Charlotte Motor Speedway and take a ride around the track. He also got to go to Hendrick Motorsports and see where Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Jimmie Johnson's cars are put together. While touring the shops, a helicopter landed right outside the building we were in and Daddy got to see his favorite driver and crew chief up close. That was Daddy's favorite part of the trip.

Our last day we went to Discovery Place. It is a children's science museum and was a really nice facility. There were quite a few groups of kids there so it made it a little difficult to get to do everything there but it was still fun. Alex got to shoot water...

Alex got to see many different types of frogs...

and Alex got to play with a floating ball...

All in all it was a fun-filled vacation and Alex was too pooped to party anymore so we came on home.

The ride home was alot less fun than the ride there. Alex had been in his carseat all he could stand over the last week and he made it known on the way home. We had to stop multiple times to settle him down and give him a break from his seat. You Are My Sunshine is probably the last song Daddy or Travis either one want to hear for a long time.

5 Months Old

Alex is 5 months old now. He weighs just over 17 pounds and is getting so big and strong. He rolls over on his stomach in a flash and is scooting all over the blanket when he has tummy time. He is trying so hard to crawl but hasn't figured it out yet...he scoots backwards. He pulls his legs up under his bottom and he can get up on his hands in the front but he hasn't figured out that if he does it all at the same time he would be crawling. He gets a little closer every day.

Alex also tries to climb up you while you are holding him. He is constant motion and loves to stand so we got him a walker last weekend. It is a motorcycle and has lots of lights and buttons and sounds that he just loves.

Alex and Travis are getting closer every day. Travis is a good big brother but I knew that he would be.

Travis loves it when Alex talks to him and laughs at him and Alex thinks Travis is VERY entertaining. I don't know who enjoys it more when they play together.

My boys all went for a run this week trying to get Travis ready for Cross Country try-outs.

Alex got to run with Daddy in the new jogging stroller and really liked it. He was very content rolling along and letting Daddy do all the hard work.