Alexander's will and personality continue to emerge. He's gotten to the point where he's getting good at making his will known. He will reach for a toy when he wants it. When he wants to play in his johnny jumpup, he will look at it and make bouncing motions. He gets all excited when you walk by his stroller if he wants to go for a walk. It's great because when you figure out what he wants and give it to him, he gets a great big grin on his face and laughs and is so happy!
The downside is that he is now that much more capable of being frustrated when things don't go the way he wants. He knows how routines work, and expects them to be followed. The night before last we messed up his bedtime routine - he went to play with Daddy before bed as normal, and the lights got turned off, but then I took him to change his diaper and gave him back to Daddy instead of sitting down to nurse him. He was NOT HAPPY with this change in routine, and boy did he let us know! When I came to take him for his before bed nursing he settled down for some voracious nursing, but you could tell he was still miffed. "Geesh - it goes change diaper, play with Daddy, then lights out and nurse with Mommy. Don't you guys know anything!"
He has also been very chatty this past week. While I was sitting on the couch talking with Grandmom about their day together and nursing Alexander, he stopped in the middle of nursing, looked up and made eye contact, and babbled at me for about 10 seconds before going back to nursing. I'm not sure exactly what he was trying to tell me, but he obviously had something to add to the conversation!
He also is ever more fascinated with new textures and toys. Last night we had spaghetti for dinner, so I put a pile of cold noodles on his plate for him to play with - he was having a great time digging his fingers into them and squishing them around. He seemed to like the odd, slightly sticky texture. Today he picked out a new toy from the "big box of toys that you haven't grown into yet" and was fascinated with figuring it out all morning.
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Monday, July 27, 2009
Busy weekend
Alexander has had a busy, adventurous weekend! On Saturday, he went out with Mom and Grandmom to his first fair - granted, it was a 5 stall church fair, but he got to watch the big kids play in the bounce house, and taste his first snow cone, and see a clown! Unfortunately, the ponies had already gone home for the day. Then we went to the town beach and he got to try swimming in the lake. He thought it made an awfully large, awfully cold bathtub - he seems to prefer the one he has at home. However, digging in the sand was wonderful. He loved the funny feeling of the sand between his toes and was digging his feet in and kicking. Earlier in the day he'd had a photography session in the yard, and was fascinated by the grass and dirt between his toes too.
When he got home he got a nice bath, and then later in the evening we let him try some mashed up bananas for the first time since he's been so interested in watching us eat and trying to put stuff in his mouth! He seemed to enjoy the spoonful that made it into his mouth, but was much more interested in just smearing it all over the tray, so I don't think he's quite ready to get serious about solids yet.
Today the town paved our road - when he saw the big trucks out the window he started squealing with joy, so we went outside to watch them for a while. Four months old and he already loves the big dump trucks - he's definitely his mother's son. :)
On the landmarks front, Alexander is getting very good at sitting unsupported. He can occasionally sit on the floor with his back straight instead of having to prop himself on his hands. Of course he commonly overbalances and flops backwards when he tries to do that, but he's getting pretty good at it. He's starting to introduce more consonants into his babble too. Grandmom put up the jumper that we got at the consignment shop, and he absolutely loves bouncing and twirling in it - when I carry him past it he'll start wiggling and kicking to tell me he wants to get in it again. He's been enjoying lots of long walks in the stroller with Grandmom, and has started sitting up in the stroller for extended periods instead of having to be in the reclined position most of the time.
The past two weekends were weddings - one of the Kilbride cousins last weekend, and his Aunt Mikaela the weekend before. Both times he did wonderfully, handling meeting all the strange people with ease and apparently enjoying being passed around from one person to the next. We were all glad to have a weekend at home to relax though.
Pictures soon, once I get a chance to get them uploaded.
When he got home he got a nice bath, and then later in the evening we let him try some mashed up bananas for the first time since he's been so interested in watching us eat and trying to put stuff in his mouth! He seemed to enjoy the spoonful that made it into his mouth, but was much more interested in just smearing it all over the tray, so I don't think he's quite ready to get serious about solids yet.
Today the town paved our road - when he saw the big trucks out the window he started squealing with joy, so we went outside to watch them for a while. Four months old and he already loves the big dump trucks - he's definitely his mother's son. :)
On the landmarks front, Alexander is getting very good at sitting unsupported. He can occasionally sit on the floor with his back straight instead of having to prop himself on his hands. Of course he commonly overbalances and flops backwards when he tries to do that, but he's getting pretty good at it. He's starting to introduce more consonants into his babble too. Grandmom put up the jumper that we got at the consignment shop, and he absolutely loves bouncing and twirling in it - when I carry him past it he'll start wiggling and kicking to tell me he wants to get in it again. He's been enjoying lots of long walks in the stroller with Grandmom, and has started sitting up in the stroller for extended periods instead of having to be in the reclined position most of the time.
The past two weekends were weddings - one of the Kilbride cousins last weekend, and his Aunt Mikaela the weekend before. Both times he did wonderfully, handling meeting all the strange people with ease and apparently enjoying being passed around from one person to the next. We were all glad to have a weekend at home to relax though.
Pictures soon, once I get a chance to get them uploaded.
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
And the other way
Alexander learned how to roll over the other direction on Monday. So now he's got back to front and front to back down. He's very good at back to front, still perfecting front to back.
He also went to his first wedding this weekend, and his Aunt Mikaela and Uncle Nick got married! He handled the large crowds and being passed around like a football quite well, and seemed to enjoy meeting all the new strange relatives. :)
His evening caretakers (thanks grandad!) have reported that he's been rather fussy in the evenings the past couple nights - he seems to be dealing with a bit of teething pain or something. Hopefully it will pass soon!
He also went to his first wedding this weekend, and his Aunt Mikaela and Uncle Nick got married! He handled the large crowds and being passed around like a football quite well, and seemed to enjoy meeting all the new strange relatives. :)
His evening caretakers (thanks grandad!) have reported that he's been rather fussy in the evenings the past couple nights - he seems to be dealing with a bit of teething pain or something. Hopefully it will pass soon!
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Rolly polly baby!
Tonight, Alexander managed his first unassisted back to front roll over! He'd been working on this very hard for the past few weeks. The past two nights he'd managed to make the roll in bed, but with a gravity assist from the fact that the crib is still side-carred, and the bed mattress is a half inch lower than the crib mattress, so that would help him get through the last little bit of the turn. He hadn't been able to quite get that last bit of the turn on his own. But tonight while he was hanging out on the floor with Dad and Grampy, he manage to roll over all by himself!
Alexander has gained mobility - we will never rest in peace again. ;)
Alexander has gained mobility - we will never rest in peace again. ;)
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Growing so fast!
I am constantly amazed at how fast Alexander is growing. He's only 3.5 months old, but he's already solidly into his 9 month clothes - I think some of the smaller of the 6-9 month outfits may be getting hard to fit on him soon! It depends on the manufacturer - one set of his 3-6 month onesies still fits and is worn to bed every night. But some of the 9 month barely fit.
We had a hard time finding a baptism outfit for him - the largest outfit we could find was 6-9 months, and it barely fit him. If it weren't for the fact that we bought the outfit Saturday and he was getting baptized Sunday, I would have worried about him outgrowing it before the baptism! I tried to put the shirt on over his onesie for mass, and it wouldn't button - I had to take the undershirt off! And even then, the top button wouldn't button, the little bow tie wouldn't fit, and we could barely get the cuffs buttoned but it would have been very uncomfortable, so we left them undone. He got to be cover model casual in his white tux with no tie and unbuttoned collar!
We had a hard time finding a baptism outfit for him - the largest outfit we could find was 6-9 months, and it barely fit him. If it weren't for the fact that we bought the outfit Saturday and he was getting baptized Sunday, I would have worried about him outgrowing it before the baptism! I tried to put the shirt on over his onesie for mass, and it wouldn't button - I had to take the undershirt off! And even then, the top button wouldn't button, the little bow tie wouldn't fit, and we could barely get the cuffs buttoned but it would have been very uncomfortable, so we left them undone. He got to be cover model casual in his white tux with no tie and unbuttoned collar!
Picture Update
Alexander got baptized this weekend! So here's a bunch of pictures to share with you all...
Happy baby playing on the blanket Memere made for him!
Ballerina Baby!
Alexander met his (soon to be) uncle Nick for the first time! Who is this scary guy, mommy?
And meeting his great-grandmother for the first time.
Cover model - showing off his baptism outfit for the admiring crowds.
It's hard work being this cute!
Alexander got baptized in a joint ceremony with his cousin Bridget, who is 6 weeks younger. I don't have pictures of the ceremony - I'll have to post those once I get them from someone else's camera. But here are some pictures of Alexander with Bridget, and the priest who baptized them.
Happy baby playing on the blanket Memere made for him!
Alexander did not fit into the baptism gown that we were hoping he would wear. The sleeves wouldn't even fit over his hands! The skirt part barely fit him.
Kendo Baby!
Ballerina Baby!
Alexander met his (soon to be) uncle Nick for the first time! Who is this scary guy, mommy?
And meeting his great-grandmother for the first time.
Cover model - showing off his baptism outfit for the admiring crowds.
It's hard work being this cute!
Alexander got baptized in a joint ceremony with his cousin Bridget, who is 6 weeks younger. I don't have pictures of the ceremony - I'll have to post those once I get them from someone else's camera. But here are some pictures of Alexander with Bridget, and the priest who baptized them.
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