Allison's 9 and 10 month update!

Yikes! I forgot to post Allison's 9 month update, so I'm just going to "lump" months 9 and 10 together. Poor, second child. ;-)

9 months old (6-11-14)

10 months old (7-11-14)

Alli is a thriving, happy baby. The last two months have been a blur, as it seems that she learns a new "skill" every week! She is crawling now, and is a little busybody- always wanting to get into big brother Andrew's toys. He's mastering the art of quickly grabbing toys out of his sister's hands before she gets the toy into her mouth.

About to eat Andrew's puzzle :)

Andrew and Allison ADORE each other. I love the rare moments that they both just stop what they are doing and giggle with each other. Best sound in the world. I always wanted a big brother, so my hope is that Andrew grows into Alli's protector and that Alli learns from and trusts her big brother. Andrew loves going into Alli's room to get her up every morning, stating "I'm going to get my baby Alli, mama!" and Alli's face lights up the moment she sees him. Pure bliss!

Besides being on the move, Alli has learned to wave "hi" and "bye-bye" and will say "mamamama" and "dadada". We like to think she says it with meaning, but I'm sure that will come soon enough. Alli loves "talking" to anyone who will converse with her, especially during car rides. She'll make a noise, we "copy" her noise, she echoes back, and so the game continues.

Waving "hi"

It has been so nice to get both kids outside into the fresh, summer air. They love being outside, and Alli loves to watch Andrew blow bubbles or watch him play tball. They both LOVE water, so it's been fun to play in the kiddie pool on warm afternoons. Alli splashes and squeals and just enjoys being in the water so much.

 First time in the baby pool (6-27-14)

First time swinging at the park (6-28-14)

Fun in the sun!

Drying off in her sun-shade tent

We're still playing it safe with food. I'm really nervous to give her anything with grains, in fear that she will not be able to stomach it. Luckily, we have a doctor's appointment later this month, and I'll be interested to see what her pediatrician thinks. I've tried to give her small pieces of whatever we're eating, but she still has a gag reflex and so I'm just paranoid that she's going to empty her stomach every time she gags. She still loves all her pureed fruits and veggies (she's not really a fan of the green veggies), and loves yogurt, too. She likes cheese and has tried cottage cheese (the jury is still out on that one). She really seems interested in everything we're eating, so that's good. Now, I just need her to get some teeth so she can try some of the chunkier stuff! Those teeth are taking their sweet time!

Alli continues to be a great sleeper. Bedtime is usually between 6:45-7:15pm and she will sleep a solid 12 hours before waking. She takes two naps, one morning nap for about 1-2 hours and an afternoon nap, again about 1-2 hours. We're pretty lucky to have a great sleeper. I've got it timed to where Andrew takes his afternoon nap the same time as his sister so that this mama can have a little peace and quiet (which usually means washing bottles, folding laundry, and hoping to get in a quick nap myself before it starts all over again!) I'm definitely a big proponent of keeping kids on a schedule, which can stink sometimes when trying to make plans with people who don't really understand my obsessiveness with a sleep schedule.

Sound sleeper

Bill and I always marvel at what a good baby Alli is. People in restaurants will even stop by our table to tell us how good she is. She's just so mellow and mild-mannered. She is curious and observant and has such a happy personality. She's the perfect completion to our little family. :)

Happy Father's Day!

Visit from Auntie Wen (7-1-14)

4th of July- our little firecracker!

Peek-a-boo!

Snootie face (7-12-14)

At Andrew's ENT appointment (7-15-14)

Why, Mommy? Why??? and Happy Mother's Day!

Andrew's new favorite words are "why?" and "what are you doing?". This is the phase I've heard so much about, where your every move is questioned. I go to the bathroom. He follows me. "Mommy, what are you doing?" Umm, Andrew, what does it look like I'm doing? "Why, mommy?"

Oh, man. Here we go. LOL. Good thing I have lots and lots of patience. :)

I love that he's so inquisitive. My mom tells me I was the same way, an endless question-asking machine.

I just adore that boy. He's turned into such an imaginative, loving, caring, thoughtful big kid that I just can't get enough of. Apparently, we're doing something right. It's a tough job molding a human being. Teaching them manners (for the record, he thanks us for everything... "Thank you for helping me go poopy! Thank you for cleaning my ears! Thanks for helping me clean up my toys!") , teaching them to say I'm sorry (not as easy for a stubborn child-he spends a lot of minutes in time-out), to be kind to other people and animals ("No, Andrew, Maizey does not want to give you any more kisses. I think she needs a break in her crate."). There are other things we will continue to work on... such as how the heck do you teach a kid to blow their nose?!? Tips, tricks, suggestions are welcome!

Kisses for sister

They pretty much adore each other

Fun at the park (downtown LO) 5-10-14

Loving the park

He's such a happy kid

I had such an amazing Mother's Day yesterday. Hubs let me sleep in (omg, I can't remember the last time I slept until 9am). I woke up to beautiful flowers, chocolate covered strawberries, and sweet cards from both kids and from Bill. Hubs went out to get us bagels and coffee and we enjoyed the morning together. After Alli woke up from her nap, we headed out to Partridge Creek to enjoy the gorgeous day and walk around the mall. Andrew loved playing on the playground and Alli enjoyed the fresh air in her stroller. We capped off the day with yummy Mexican food (and a couple margaritas for mommy!) and then stopped for frozen yogurt on the way home. I loved not having to change diapers and just being able to RELAX. Much needed, and MUCH appreciated.

Mother's Day gift for Sito Clason

Mother's Day gift for Grandma Pantuso

Partridge Creek 5-11-14

I love these little people
(and the bald guy photobombing us in the background!)

Alli is 8 months old!

Alli turned 8 months old on Mother's Day! We've gotten into a little "groove" and the days and nights propped up on the couch with a sleeping newborn are just a distant memory. I love a baby on a schedule!

Happy 8 month old!

Our little peanut last weighed in at 16 pounds and 26 inches long. She was between the 25th and 50th percentiles for weight, height, and head circumference. Perfectly proportional! Her pediatrician was really pleased with her progress, and she is meeting all of her milestones. She's rolling over from front to back and back to front with ease, and she is decidedly a tummy sleeper. She'll sit up on her own for a little bit, but she is such a little busy-body that she gets distracted easily and tips over. When she's on her belly, she looks like she wants to do "The Worm", wiggling her little self around to reach for her favorite toys. She has no teeth yet, which I love because you forget what that gummy smile looks like as soon as they get teeth. She is definitely teething though, and wants her toys, fingers, our fingers, anything she can get her hands on in her mouth all the time. She stopped using a pacifier after about 3 months, just like her big brother. I'm actually happy about that. One less thing to have to think about down the road!

Alli continues to be a great sleeper. She takes 2 regular naps each day, about 2 hours in the morning and 2 hours in the afternoon. She goes to bed around 7:30pm and sleeps straight through until between 6:30-7:30am. It is nice to get sleep again.

Over the last month, it feels like the plague hit our house. Alli started with some congestion and runny nose and then it sounded like it was settling in her chest. We took her to the doctor, and he prescribed breathing treatments to clear her up. We did the breathing treatments for a few days and she wasn't getting better, spiking a fever, and just not acting like her normal self. Back to the doctor she went, and was prescribed an antibiotic for sinusitis, which we learned is not too common in infants because their sinuses aren't completely developed until after 1 year old. Poor baby would wake up every morning with her nose completely crusted over and her eyes all goopy and crusty. She looked like she had been beat up, with red rings under her eyes. It sure is hard when your children don't feel good. It's even harder when you are sick AND your kids are sick... that should SO not be allowed. Hubs ended up getting sinusitis (prescribed antibiotic) and I ended up losing my voice and having laryngitis (prescribed a steroid shot in my hip). UGH! We can't win over here. :(  So, Alli took her antibiotic for 10 days and seemed better for a couple days, but then it started all over again!!! I emailed the doctor and based on her symptoms, he said it sounded like the sinusitis hadn't completely cleared up, so he prescribed yet another, stronger antibiotic. She's currently been taking the new medication for 3 days and it seems like she is pretty much back to normal, thank goodness, and so are we! Luckily (knock on wood), Andrew seemed to dodge the bullet this time around.

Sick baby :( 

Then on top of it all, last weekend I decided to let Alli have her first snack of the little Gerber baby puffs. She seemed to like them and ate 6. Two hours later, she was violently vomiting until everything was out of her system. So now, my concern is that she has some sort of sensitivity or allergy to grains, since she had the previous vomiting episode after the rice cereal. Her pediatrician told us that they can't test for an allergy until she is 1, but for now to limit whole grains and stick to fruit and veggie purees. He said it could be that her system just can't handle the grains right now and needs time, or it could be a food allergy. This little girl is putting us through the ringer with her food issues! We're just starting to transition to stage 2 purees, but even some of those seem too "chunky" for her liking and she gags. Help me, Rhonda!

Enjoying her first snack of puffs

Practicing her fine motor skills

The aftermath- all emptied out :(

On the bright side, she seems MUCH better now and we are just being careful with what we give her. You just never think of these things when you have a baby!

So, the fun part of a baby at this age is their personality! Alli's is emerging and she is turning into quite the little ham. Whenever we travel somewhere, I love talking to Andrew. Alli just chimes right in when she's awake, blowing raspberries and babbling away (ba-ba-ba and ma-ma-ma and mmmmmm are some of her go-to "words" right now). If you shake your head "no", she will mimic with a big smile, shaking her head "no" too. She's also decided it's a fun game to pull my hair and let out a huge giggle when I say "OUCH!". Kisses on her neck always make her squeal out in laughter and she is enjoying playing peek-a-boo and pat-a-cake with us and Andrew.

Only one more month left of school and then I get this little cutie all to myself every day! I bought her a little swimsuit the other day and can't wait to get her in the water. She's going to be a lot of fun this summer!

Fun at the park 5-10-14

Sitting pretty 5-11-14

I'm 8 months old! 

Alli is 7 months old!

Alli turned 7 months old a few days ago. My little, fragile newborn is gone and she has been replaced with this happy, cute peanut that is so full of joy! Alli is such a happy baby. You would think that after sleeping 11 hours, not eating for 12 hours, and waking up with a poopy diaper she might be a little cranky (I mean, I totally would be!) But no... she greets us with a smile and a coo and that is how almost every day begins.

Sitting pretty, 7 months old

I haven't weighed her since last month, but I'm pretty sure she hit a growth spurt in the last few weeks. She's eating more and just seems chunkier. I can't wait to see where she falls on the growth curve later this month at her check-up. Currently, she is fitting comfortably in 6 month clothes, with some brands fitting a little snug.

As for eating, we have taken it slow on the solids, due to her tummy issues about 6 weeks ago. We tried sweet potatoes and squash first, which she hated and would refuse to eat. I think all she needed was time, because now she is eating really well and doesn't seem too reluctant to try anything! So far she's eaten (and loved) carrots, peaches, and pears. I recently tried sweet potatoes again and she tolerated them. She has also fallen in love with her mesh feeder. I put frozen pineapple in it yesterday and she sucked happily away until it was just mush in the feeder. I'm sure the frozen fruit helps to soothe her achy gums. No teeth yet, but it looks like the bottom two could make an entrance sometime soon. I'm trying to enjoy the huge, gummy smile as long as possible because I know her whole look will change once she gets teeth.

Peaches are yummy!

Frozen pineapple in the mesh feeder

Alli has decided that she is a tummy sleeper, which has caused both hubs and I to stare endlessly at the monitor on many nights ("Can she breathe?", "Can she roll herself over?", "Do we need to go in there?") Our sound sleeper began crying out in the middle of the night, most likely due to the fact that she found herself in her new position and was either confused how she got there, or wasn't sure how to get herself into a new position. I was getting frustrated at having to get up multiple times during the night. I mean, we have just recently gotten ourselves into the comfort of the whole family sleeping through the night... I didn't want to go backward! I read an article about how when babies learn new skills, such as rolling from back to belly, they tend to want to "practice" it on their own. I started giving Alli more practice on her mat during the day and voila! She began sleeping much better through the night again, rolling herself from her tummy to her back to her side. Whew! I'll take a few more weeks of sound sleep, until she starts teething, and then I'm sure we'll be taking turns in the middle of the night on monitor duty again.

She loves her tummy!

How is Andrew handling all of this? Like a champ. That kid is amazing. He adores his little sister. When she cries, he says "Mommy. I need to make Alli happy!" and will promptly go to her and try to make her laugh. When she drops a toy, he picks it up. When her music stops on her swing, he presses the button to make it start again. He loves her, and just when I thought it wasn't possible to love him any more, my heart continues to grow.

"I need to make her happy!"

He looks so protective 

It's not all perfect over here, though. There are 3-year-old meltdowns, lots of time-outs, and sweet little Alli is placed somewhere (swing, bouncer, jumperoo, etc.) so that we can deal with disciplining Andrew, because let's face it: he can be stubborn and obstinate, even though he is adorable. My house is a mess, my laundry is piled up, and I can't remember the last time I cooked a "real" meal.

I love that he's having a meltdown, and she's laughing at him

It's hard being a working mom, with a husband that works a strange schedule all so we can make ends meet for our little family. I can't wait for summer vacation, when I can maybe clean my floors, start Alli's baby book before she turns 1, teach Andrew how to write his name, and have some quality time with my husband. But, this too shall pass and I know one day, I will probably be looking back and longing for these days. I'm actually pretty sure these are the "easy days". I can't imagine what it will be like worrying about what my teenagers are doing, or who they are spending their time with. So for now, I will enjoy these sweet, innocent faces and my messy floors that they play on.

Andrew at 6 months old and Alli at 6 months old

She loves her jumperoo

A rare lunch outing was successful!

Going for her first outside walk in the stroller 4-8-14

<3

Alli is 6 months old!

I just want time to stop. Right. Now.

I absolutely love, love, LOVE this baby stage that Alli is in. Her personality is coming out (for the record, she is the happiest and most smiley baby). She's starting to realize that there are things surrounding her that she can look at and observe. She is so curious, always twisting and turning so she can check out whatever it is that catches her interest. She's just a "go-with-the-flow" kinda gal, which is good because her brother is a little high-maintenance these days.

Serious 6 month old

Some of Alli's 6 month stats:

Weight (at her most recent check-up 2 weeks ago): 14.8 lbs (25th percentile)
Length: 25.5 inches (50th percentile)
Head Circumference: 16.5 inches (50th percentile)

Basically, her body type is the exact opposite of Andrew's. He was pretty much off the charts for everything when he was 6 months old (and still is, even at 3 years old!). It's nice to have a "normal" sized baby this time around.

Alli just started wearing her 6 month wardrobe last week, and some of the clothes are still a little too big on her. It is so fun dressing her up in all the pinks, purples, and cute headbands. I can't get enough! Between my mom and my mother-in-law, Alli's closet is stocked with clothes until she is 18 months old. Gotta love grandparents!

Alli seems to be meeting all her milestones on time or early, a lot of which I think has to do with the fact that she is always watching her brother on the go. She loves playing on her activity mat, batting and grabbing the dangling toys, while her little legs just kick constantly. She rolls to her side easily, and I don't think it will be long before she is rolling from her back to her belly. When she's on her belly, she either immediately rolls over to her back, or starts rocking her lower body while flexing her legs, surely signs of early crawling. I'm not ready for her to be on the move yet!!!

As for eating, Alli loves her bottle. As soon as it is offered, she grabs it with a death grip and won't let it go. I have to pry it out of her hands to burp her. As of this past weekend, she has transitioned to all formula. Pumping at work was just too stressful for me. I'm just thankful I was able to give her the "good stuff" for almost 6 months. I started giving Alli rice cereal when she turned 5 months old. I would only give it to her once in awhile, just to get her used to eating solid food from a spoon. She did not tolerate it well, giving us a scare by projectile vomiting for a few hours after eating the cereal. I think her little tummy is just sensitive to "real food". We tried sweet potatoes, and she vomited them all over her crib. So, we've held off with giving her no solids for the last 2 weeks and will try a new veggie this weekend and see how she reacts. Keeping my fingers crossed for a vomit-free weekend!

Alli has been sleeping through the night in her crib for awhile now. I love that she is in her own room, away from the noise in the rest of the house. She sleeps like a champ, from about 8pm-7am, sometimes sleeping in even later than that. It's nice to get normal sleep again! In those early months, you feel like you might be destined to be a zombie, never sleeping again.

When Andrew turned 6 months old, we decided to give him a little 1/2 birthday party, so in keeping with tradition, we did the same for Alli yesterday. I was leery of letting her taste the cake frosting, with her tummy sensitivity, but she was fine. She took one little lick, and then we cleaned her off. I can't believe that in 6 months from now, we'll be having her first birthday party. Eeeek! Slow down, time!!!

Alli's half-cake

"Wait. What? I get to eat the cake?!"

Daddy's girl

Mommy and her angel

She's always this happy

Kisses from big brother

These last 6 months have been pretty much pure joy with Alli. She has been the easiest, happiest, most love-filled baby. The perfect little addition to our family. I can't wait to see what the next 6 months bring!

Love those cheeks!

Funny things 3 year olds say...

I've been meaning to start writing down all the funny things Drew says, because I know there is no way I will remember these things in a few years. I love, love, love the emerging language of toddlers/preschool-aged kids. Over the past few weeks, I've taken short videos of some of my recent favorites.

This first one was taken on Valentine's Day. I just love his little voice saying, "I love you".

I love the way Drew says certain words and I know very soon, he will be saying them the correct way. Some every day favorites:

strawbabies and bluebabies=strawberries and blueberries
beemanas=bananas
twokolate=chocolate
scratch you= scratch my back
cubbers= cover me
fuegos=legos

And then, there is my all time favorite right now. Our 3 year old is on the verge of being a 13 year old. His favorite phrase as of late: "No mommy, I very busy!" This occurs whenever he is asked to do something he does not want to do. He suddenly becomes "very busy". Bill and I have no idea where he got this from. The only thing we could think of is when Drew would want me for something and Bill would tell him that mama was busy feeding Alli. Gotta love it!

It's hard to think of all the funny things on the spot, but at least I was able to get few of my faves on video. Before I know it, he'll be speaking "normal" English and this early talk will just be a memory.