5 Months and 22 Weeks!!

Today my little Alex is 5 months old! I can't believe how big she's getting and how alert she's become. This past weekend we went to a baby blessing and it really hit home all the progress that she's made. Here are her updates for this week:

1. She is becoming VERY VOCAL!! She is starting to do these high pitched squeals when she is happy or upset. It kind of hurts my ears when i'm holding her. 

2. She has rolled over again! Hurray!!

3. She is really reaching for items, especially her bottle.

4. She loves kicking, especially in the bath.

5. We discovered that she loves staring at my parents fish tanks. She was enthralled for about half an hour yesterday. 

6. She has started eating 8 ounces but we only give them to her occasionally.

7. She is no longer fitting in her 3 month clothes.

8. This week is going to be a week of firsts. She is going to be going on her first airplane ride when we go to Michigan for Christmas and it will be her first time in Michigan, and her first time celebrating Christmas. Oh, and she will get to meet her Aunt Cindy for the first time! We can't wait!!

9. She is starting to play pretty well with her toys on her bouncer (that's what she's doing now).

 Since we will be in Michigan for the New Year, I won't be posting any updates until we get back. So, Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Love,

Alexandria 

Christmas and Just For Fun Photoshoots

Here is Alex at 5 months! Such a cutie!!!

Week 21

Alex at Temple Square to see the Lights

Week 21 Updates:

1. Alex visited Temple Square in Salt Lake City and enjoyed all the Christmas lights that she saw.

2. She rolled over for the first time yesterday!!! She rolled front to back and she was quite startled when I started clapping for her. When I tried to film her rolling over, she just laid there and cried. Hopefully she will roll over more so that I can catch it on film and show Chris. We shall see.

3. Since Alex hasn't really shown a fondness for rice cereal, we are going to take a short break from feeding it to her. We may resume trying when we get back from Christmas. The doctor said that its ok if she's not into it yet, but we should at least see if she would try it.

4. Alex loves to kick. When she is excited, upset, and eating she just wants to kick. She also loves kicking in the bath. She's got some powerful legs.

Week 20

Week 20 Updates:

1. Alex celebrated her first Kris Kringle day. She got a pretty new headband with three flowers.

2. She tried Rice Cereal for the first time and she HATED it. She cries every time we try to feed it to her.

3. She fit into 6 months clothes for the first time this week.

4. She is starting to notice the toys on her bouncer and she is starting to play with them.

5. Alex is starting to sit up pretty well. She can sit up on someones lap without much help.

First Attempt at Rice Cereal

Last night, Alex tried rice cereal for the first time and it went...interestingly. Poor Alex had no clue what to do with this weird stuff that we were trying to put in her mouth and she spiting it out. It made quite a mess and left Alex in tears. It probably didn't help that Mommy and Daddy were laughing at the whole situation. I tried it again this morning, but the result was the same. Hopefully the more she tries it, the easier it will get.

4 Month Check Up

Today little Alex had her 4 month check up and she was such a good sport. Here are her stats:

Weight: 14.6lbs (she moved up from the 3rd percentile to the 57th percentile in 2 months). She almost doubled her weight since her last check up.  Way to go Alex!!!

Length: 25in (she is in the 69th percentile). She grew three inches since her last appointment!

She is growing so much and so quickly! The doctor said that we can go ahead and try feeding her rice cereal to see how she responds. Solid food, here we come! Alex also had to get some shots which was not fun for anyone. She was really brave and only cried for a little while.  I hope that Alex isn't too cranky this weekend because of her shots and I hope that she doesn't get any side effects either. We'll have to wait and see.

Week 19

Updates for week 19:

1. Alex loves to grab onto arms, hands, chins, and necks. She has a pretty good little grip and it can be quite painful!

2. She is starting to watch when Chris and I eat dinner. Hopefully the doctor will give us the green light to start her on rice cereal tomorrow at her 4 month check up.

3. She is still sleeping in her crib, she doesn't even like to sit in her swing anymore.

4. She has been making M and O sounds. Its super cute because she will pucker up her lips and hoot like a little owl.

5. Her favorite chew toy is her hand.

6. She is starting to grab her feet when she is being changed (I wish that I was still that flexible).

7. She spent a fun weekend with Cousin Lucy where she got a lot of attention and kisses (especially from Lucy).

8. She gets so close to rolling over, but has yet to make it all the way over.

9. She will sometimes talk to the people on our TV or computer. Its super cute!

Week 18

Updates for week 18:

1. Alex is still working on her tooth. We have discovered that Orajel is the best thing EVER!

2. Alex likes to grab onto skin and to hold people's chins. She especially likes Daddy's chin.

3. She will celebrate her first Thanksgiving today!! Too bad she can't eat any of the feast!

4. She turned 4 months old this past Monday! She is getting so big!

5. She loves to stand up and she got a new jumper activity center where she can bounce around all she likes.

6. She and her crib are good pals now (if only teething wouldn't wake her up at night).

4 Months!

Happy 4 month birthday to our little Alexandria! 

Mommy, Daddy, and Gir are so happy to have you in our family!

We love you!!!

Week 17

Week 17 updates:

1. The biggest update for this week is that Alex is now sleeping in her crib AT NIGHT....ALL NIGHT!!!! Mommy and Daddy are really excited about this milestone.

2. Alex is becoming such a big girl! She moved up to size 2 diapers this week!

3. Her first tooth may be coming in!

1st Tooth

I think that Alex is getting her first tooth! She has been drooling A LOT lately and yesterday I saw a little white bump in the bottom right side of her mouth! It sure looks like a tooth is popping up to me! She doesn't seem to be in a lot of pain, but she has been chewing on her fingers lately. Maybe I should get her a teething ring or something. Sorry, I don't have a picture, its hard to see especially because she keeps sticking her tongue out when I try to look. I'll post another update when more has happened.

Week 16

Alex and Mommy blowing out birthday candles!

This week little Alex:

1. Helped celebrate Mommy's birthday and even got to help her blow out her birthday candles!

2. Is really starting to laugh! 

3. Is still doing really good baby push-ups but no rolling over yet.

4. Alex is now 12lbs!

5. She is starting to get to long for her 3 month old pajama's.

Week 15

Week 15 Updates

Alex trying to roll over

Baby push ups!

This week has been a busy one for little Alex. Here are her updates:

1. Alex got to celebrate her first Halloween and she had her very own pumpkin.

2. She went trick-or-treating for the first time.

3. She is starting to try and roll over. She can get onto her side just fine but is unsure what to do from there. 

4. She can really hold her head up now and she can lift her head off the ground for quite a long time when she is on her tummy. 

5. While she is cooing, she is making more pronounced M sounding coos. 

Week 14

Updates for week 14:

1. Alex has been doing much better during tummy time. It now takes her a couple of minutes before she starts getting fussy. 

2. She has been doing baby "push-ups" where she lifts her head and shoulders off the ground. 

3. She tried to roll once this week.

4. She is starting to enjoy hugging her toys.

5. Alex is starting to become a chunky monkey!

Week 13

Alex is becoming such a big girl! She is 13 weeks old today and she will be 3 months old tomorrow. Here are her recent updates:

1. Alex is now eating 6oz and keeping most of it down.

2. She now weighs 11 lbs.

3. She is sleeping well during the night.

4. She is very happy and loves to talk, sit up, and be around people.

5. She is starting to notice her toys more and more although she is not quite sure what to do with them yet.
6. Alex has found her tongue...she licks EVERYTHING! It's pretty funny!

Week 12

Week 12:

1. Alex went to her first full day of Church on Sunday and she did great!

2. She is becoming more alert when she is awake.

3. She is actually almost fitting into her 3 month clothes!

4. She definitely knows Mommy and Daddy's voices.

5. She can sit up in her Bumbo chair pretty well, although she doesn't like to be in it for a long time.

Week 11

Week 11!! My little Alex is 2 1/2 months old! Holy Cow! Here are her updates for this week:

1. Alex has been taking longer naps IN HER CRIB in the afternoons.

2. She is starting to sleep better at night.

3. Alex started drinking 4oz of formula and keeping it down! :) 

4. She got to help celebrate Uncle Brett's Birthday for the first time.

Week 10

Alex and Evette

Alex is 10 weeks old! Here are some firsts for this week:

1. Alex got her 2 month shots. She was such a brave girl and she slept pretty much the whole next day.

2. Alex met her cousin Evette for the first time. The girls are two weeks apart!

3. She met her Aunt Lorie for the first time!

4. Her head is getting stronger and stronger everyday and she loves to sit in her Bumbo chair.

5. She loves to hold on to the edge of blankets, especially if they have different textures.

6. She has started hugging her little blanket.

7. She was blessed this week by her Dad.

9 Weeks

Alex and Sara Troutman

This week, Alex had many firsts:

1. Alex took her first long car ride. We drove from home to Washington State for my Grandfather's funeral. The drive was about 14 hours long and Alex did amazing!! She slept for most of the time and only cried on the way back. Way to go!!!

2. Alex has now been in 4 different states.

3. She has been to her first funeral...not exactly her happiest first.

4. She can follow objects a lot better now, especially if it is Mommy or Daddy that she is looking at. 

5. The calming powers of Elvis continue to grow.

6. Alex wore shoes for the first time...although they did not last long on her feet.

7. She is going to have her first shots tomorrow...we're not really looking forward to that one.

8 Weeks!

My little Alex is 8 weeks old today! She is a funny little girl and we love her to bits! Here are her updates for this week:

1. Alex took her first long nap yesterday...1.75 hours long!

2. She can scoot pretty far on her tummy, but still does not like tummy time.

3. She is sitting up in her Bumbo chair really well and enjoys looking around.

4. She smiles and coos quite a bit now.

5. She is starting to really recognize Mommy and Daddy.

6. She smiles and enjoys her swing more.

7 Weeks Old!

I can't believe that our little girl is 7 weeks old today! She is almost 2 months old! Time goes by so fast. Here are her updates:

1. Alex went on her first ever camping trip over the weekend and she was such a trooper! Good job Alex!

2. She is quite talkative when she is happy. She coos and has such a beautiful smile.

3. She has switched over to soy formula which has helped her keep down her food a whole lot more.

4. She is starting to get to long for her newborn pajamas!

5. She is getting pretty good at holding her head up when she is being burped, but she still does not like tummy time. 

6. She now likes to blow bubbles when she is in a good mood. I think that its pretty cute!

What is Alex thinking?

Fill in Alex's thought bubble with what you think she might be thinking in this picture. 

Week 6

Week 6 highlights:

1. Alex took a nap in her crib twice!!

2. Alex is not a big fan of tummy time (pictured above). She moves her legs and bum more than her neck.

3. Alex smiles more frequently.

4. She now is 7.8lbs and 21.5in long!

5. She seems to enjoy Elvis and looking at the sky.

6. Alex and Mommy have started taking morning walks and Alex enjoys look at everything around her.

1 Month!!!

Alex is 1 month old today!

Some more firsts that she has had:

1. As shown above, Alex has meet grass for the first time!

2. Alex had such a busy day yesterday that she slept about 7 hours last night! Mommy and Daddy were really happy about that!

We are so happy to have this beautiful girl in our lives! We love her so much and we are so excited to see her continue to grow and develop her personality. We love you Alex!!

Week 4

Week 4 updates:

1. Alex gave us her first real smile. She was laying in her swing and smiling either at herself (she has a mirror) or at the birds on her swing. Either way, it was adorable!
2. Alex had a bit of digestive issues this week, but luckily she is back on track and feeling much better!
3. She attended her first birthday party!
4. She will be 1 month old this coming Sunday!!!
5. Alex has gotten slightly better at baths, she only screams for part of the bath and not the whole thing.
6. Alex visited the Aquarium for the first time. She did really well and slept for most of it. I think that we'll wait until she better understands what is going on before we take her again. 
7. She still loves being held and swaddled when she sleeps but I don't see that changing any time soon.

Alex Pictures

Here are some picture of Alex that I've taken. She is such a good model!

Three Weeks!

Little Alex is now three weeks old! Here are the highlights of week 3:

1. Alex went to church for the first time and did pretty well (she slept the whole time).

2. She went on the longest car ride of her life so far...45 minutes!

3. She loves snuggling with Mom and Dad and wants to be held constantly.

4. She is eating like a champ and hopefully gaining weight.

5. Alex meet Uncle Thomas for the first time via Skype (Thomas is currently deployed).

2 Weeks Already!?!

I can't believe that Alex is already 2 weeks old! Holy Cow! Times flies even when it doesn't feel like it. Some of the highlights of her second week of life are:

1. She slept from Midnight to 5:00am one night (this is more a highlight for Mom)

2. She has gained her birth weight back!

3. Over the weekend, she meet her cousin Lucy who was in town for a visit. Lucy loved her and kept trying to put Alex's pacifier in her mouth. It was pretty cute!

4. She has tried to smile a couple of times which has been to cute!

5. Her coloring has improved and her skin is a lot less red.

I can't wait to see what the highlights of her third week will be! Its amazing how fast they change already!

Proud Daddy's with their Daughters. Cousins Alex and Lucy.

1 Week

Alex has been with us for 1 week today! Holy cow! Time goes by so fast! Alex has already made good progress in her first week of life. We had a pediatrician appointment yesterday and Alex has already gained her birth weight back and her jaundice levels are low so, we don't have to have her tested anymore. We also made the big transition of introducing Gir to Alex. Gir has been such a champ around her (for the most part). He hasn't barked or really freaked out around her. He has been smelling her and trying to figure her out, and he likes to give her hand kisses. He has been such a good dog and we are very relieved that he is taking to Alex so well. Alex is still sleeping pretty well at night and only really gets up to eat. I can't believe that its already been a week, but i'm grateful to be at home with our little girl and grateful for all the help that Chris and my Mom have provided for me during this first week. We love our little baby so much and I can't wait to see what exciting things happen this next week!

Me and Alex

Dad, Alex, and Gir

Goodbye Grandma and Grandpa Miller

Goodbye Grandma, Grandpa, and Auntie Lisa! Thanks for visiting! We were so excited to have you here for Alex's arrival and we can't wait until we will see you again this fall! 

She's Arrived!!!

So, on Wednesday, I had been having a pretty typical day. I got up around 9:00, got dressed, took Gir for a walk, did various household chores, watched t.v., etc. All day I had been getting minor cramps that were pretty random and far between. I had been expecting these since I had had my membranes scraped the day before and I was told that the cramping was a side effect. I didn't think anything of them. After Chris got home from work, we made dinner and enjoyed some of our favorite tv shows. During dinner my "cramps" started getting worse and Chris remarked that maybe my cramps were actually contractions. I then started getting contractions more and more frequently and by 10:00pm they were getting to be about 10 minutes apart and fairly painful. Chris and my Dad gave me a blessing at around 11:30pm and by midnight we were in the car on our way to the hospital. When we got to the hospital we were admitted and I had dilated to about 4 centimeters. I decided that i'd wait a little longer before I get my epidural since I could still handle the contractions ok. By the time that I had gotten to about 6 centimeters dilated, I decided that I was very ready for the epidural. I was surprised how much the epidural hurt but once it was in, it was nice to not feel the contractions. About 3 hours later, I had dilated to a 10 and I started pushing. I pushed a couple of times but whenever I pushed her heart rate would plummet which made the nurse nervous, so we just waited through the contractions until the doctor arrived. It turns out that the reason why her heart rate dropped was because the cord was wrapped around her head twice and every time the contraction would come, the cord would be caught. Once the doctor arrived I got a booster to my epidural and I finished pushing and out she came. Alex was born at 6:20am, she weighs 6lbs 0 oz, she is 20 in long and has a bunch of brown hair! She is absolutely beautiful and we are so happy to have her in our little family. So far, Alex is eating well and being a champ! 

Stress Test and Doctor Appointment

Today we are officially 1 day past the due date. I was scheduled to have a stress test today to make sure that Alex is healthy and not in distress. Our stress test went well, Alex has plenty of Amniotic Fluid to keep her healthy, and her heartbeat is going strong. We were hooked up to a heartbeat monitor for about 40 minutes tracking her heartbeat. It was pretty neat, and we think that she fell asleep for a while because her heartbeat became pretty regular. After the test we went next door and had a check up with the doctor. My heart rate is still good and my weight gain was normal. I've dilated to a 1 now (progress) and the doctor was able to feel Alex's head (she's dropped). The doctor than scraped membranes in the hopes that it will help me go into labor more quickly. Let's hope it works! If not, I have another stress test scheduled for Friday and if Alex still hasn't come after that, I have been scheduled to be induced Monday evening. I hope that Alex can come on her own, but we shall see...I haven't had any contractions yet. At least we have an end in sight (Monday)!

Week 39 Update

This morning I had my check up for the 39th week. Alex's heartbeat is still sounding really good, my blood pressure and weight are looking good, in other words both mommy and baby are doing well. I still have not really dilated which is kind of frustrating, it seems that little Alex is perfectly content to hang out. We scheduled another doctor's appointment for next week just in case Alex does not come this weekend. We also scheduled some stress tests for next week to check up on Alex and make sure that everything is going well. If we make it to the stress tests, we will get an ultrasound and we will be able to see her :). It looks like if Alex does not come on her own next week, i'll be induced on Monday the 25th at 5:00pm. I'm really hoping that Alex decides to come all on her own and that the appointments that we've set up won't be necessary. Only time will tell.

Alexandria's 38th Week Check Up

Today we had our doctor's appointment for the 38th week. The strange thing about this appointment was that my regular doctor is out of town, so we had a substitute doctor who was a man. It was a little disconcerting to have a male doctor since I've been so used to my lady doctor, and I was a bit uncomfortable coming into the appointment. The doctor was really nice though and he even got Chris to participate a little. When the doctor was checking Alex's position, he invited Chris to come up and feel where her head is and everything. I think Chris really enjoyed that and he said that he could feel her little head but he tried not to squish her. Alex is continuing to do really well. My baby bump grew about an inch in diameter which means that she is growing well. She is still head down although her head is pretty high and she has not dropped down yet. Her heart rate sounded really good and the doctor listened to it longer than our normal doctor does (he was kind of jamming out to it). I've dilated a little!! Hurray! Instead of only being dilated about a fingertip, i'm at about a one (which is honestly not that much bigger, but it's progress)!! My blood pressure is really good and i'm also really well hydrated. The doctor also talked to us a lot about my blood type (i'm RH -), the option of an epidural (I haven't decided if I want one yet), and about when to come into the hospital for delivery. Overall it was a good appointment and we are thrilled that there has been some progress made! 

My New Chair

Here is my new chair!  It is really comfortable and it will be really nice when i'm cuddling with Alex.

Week 37

Alexandria is considered full term this week which means that no matter when she comes, she should have limited  or no problems! Hurray! My doctor's appointment this week was pretty much the same as last week. Alex's weight gain is good and I haven't really dilated again. Bummer. I was hoping that I had dilated a little bit more since I feel like i'd been getting short cramps every once in a while. Oh well. Alex is still in a head down position which is good and it seems like she is starting to kick more than ever! I keep telling Chris that my insides my be black and blue from all the kicking! You'd think with all that movement, that she would want to get out and stretch, but no, she seems to be quite content to stay where she is! I guess that she'll defiantly come when she's ready and not before. 

This week i've been trying to get a lot of her stuff washed so that it's ready for her arrival. I've washed most of her clothes, socks, hats,etc. I've also washed her blankets and burp cloths. The only thing left to wash is her bedding which i'll probably try and wash next week. This week (well, last weekend actually) Chris and I ordered my new throne, also known as my glider chair! I am way excited for this to come so that I have somewhere comfy to sit while nursing or just cuddling with Alex! Well, I think that's all of the updates for this week! I'll post a picture when my chair comes in :). 

Check Up for Week 36

Today was my first every week check up with my doctor. It was a good appointment and the baby is doing great! We got the test results back for my bacteria check and it's negative! Yahoo!! I don't have to have antibiotics when I go into labor! The baby is measuring well and the doctor estimated that she will be a small baby. Probably only about 6 to 7 pounds. This makes me feel a little better since I won't have to be popping out a huge baby. She will still probably feel huge though when i'm in labor :). I have not dilated much yet which is fine since there are still 4 weeks until my due date. The baby is still in a head down position which is good and boy is she ACTIVE! She likes to move around mid morning and after meals. She also seems to like it when I sing to her, she'll often move around when I sing which is fun. The doctor said that  my weight gain is right on and that i'm drinking enough water and not retaining. Yeah!! I'm glad that Alex is healthy and right where she's supposed to be! Next week she will be considered a full term baby and could technically come any time (although I think that she's content to wait).

Happy Father's Day Daddy!

This is the first time that I get to say Happy Father's Day to Chris since he soon to be a daddy for the first time! He is an amazing puppy daddy and I know that he'll be a wonderful father to our little Alex. I can't wait to take this adventure with you Chris, you are such an amazing man and I am so fortunate to be married to you. You are going to be an extraordinary father for Alex, Gir, and our other future children. I love you so much! 

Alex Check Up for Week 35

Wow! I can't believe that I'm already at week 35!! Only 5 more weeks until Alex's due date! Crazy! The appointment went pretty well today, Chris and I got to hear her heartbeat which sounded really good. The doctor also said that she was already head down and getting ready to come! I was checked to see if I've dilated yet, but so far, I've barely dilated which is pretty normal for where I am. During this visit, I also got information on how to tell if i'm in labor and what all I should bring with me to the hospital! This visit was my last every-two-week visit and i'll now be seeing my doctor once a week until Alex makes her appearance! Even Chris participated in today's check up, he got a Tetnis Shot to help protect Alex from Whooping Cough when he holds her. I was kind of glad that I was not the only one getting poked and prodded today! He was a good sport :)

The Kindness of Others

Chris and I have been so blessed with the amount of support that we have gotten since finding out that we were going to have Alex. This week, we have received another example of the kindness that can be shown by others. Yesterday, I went to check our mail as usual, when I found that we had a package. At first, I only saw Chris' name on the package so I figured that it was just some parts that Chris had ordered for the car. then I looked closer and I saw that my name had also been included but I didn't recognize where it was from. So,
when I got inside, I opened the package and this is what I found: 5 pairs of clothes, 6 pairs of socks, 1 pair of shoes, and a monkey blanket. I was astounded! I opened the card that was included and all of these items for Alex was from Chris' Aunt Pat. I was really touched that someone that I had never met had sent us such a generous gift for our little daughter to be! Thank you so much Aunt Pat! We are really grateful for your kindness! 

The Nursery is Finished!

Our nursery is finally complete! I was so excited when the painting was finished this week (the painting looks AMAZING by the way) and I was able to move Alex's furniture back into her room. I think that it looks super cute! I turned out way better than I imagined it would. 

My grandfather built this crib for my mother when
she was pregnant with my older brother. So,
Alex will use the same crib that I used as a child :)

Baby Shower

Yesterday was my family baby shower and it was great! Chris' cousin Brittnee made me this beautiful cake that tasted absolutely wonderful! My Mom and cousin Amanda made cookies so, there was plenty of good food for everyone. I was so happy that people from both my family and Chris' were able to attend plus some great family friends. We played a Guess the White Powder Game where the participants had 12 bags of white/off white powders such as flour and baby formula that they had to guess what it was just by looking at the powder. I think that everyone enjoyed the challenge and my cousin Annette won getting 10 out or the 12 powders right. There was also a small game of guessing how many M&M's were in a jar and whoever got closest won the jar of  M&M's. Chris' Aunt Iras won the Peanut Butter M&M's and my Aunt Julie won the Almond M&M's. After the games, I opened the gifts. Alexandria sure was spoiled! She got lots of clothes, bath-time gifts, a Bumpo chair, a diaper bin (I will probably be more excited about that one than she will), blankets, bottles, a nursing pillow, toys, and much more! After presents, we cut into this beautiful cake and talked to for the rest of the time. Thank you so much everyone that came, I know that Alexandria will be well loved when she arrives!