Trial Run

Last week we had the sheer joy and privilege of watching our three month old nephew for a few days!!! It was so much fun! I thought of it as a challenge and trial run for someday when we have a baby around. It was interesting to see how Allie reacted to having to share the attention. She did REALLY well! :) She was a big helper! She didn't want to leave him out of her sight.  He was napping a couple times and I tried to get her to come to another room to play with me, but she would always sneak away and go to wherever he was to be near him! :) I was very proud of her! :) I was also kind of proud of myself for keeping up with everything and taking care of two kids. :) I think I was pretty tired, but it was so worth it, and I'd do it again in a heartbeat! He was a fun little guy to have around for a few days. Daddy asked me on Sunday evening if I was nervous to have them both by myself during the day. I wasn't at all. It went very smoothly! Thanks for trusting us enough J and S to watch your sweet snuggle monkey. :)  As an extra bonus, I got the chance to try cloth diapering to see if I would like it. (My choice- she was going to leave me disposables and I asked for the cloth too. ) I got the full experience and I'm still not sure what I want to do. I kind of feel guilty for NOT cloth diapering because it saves so much $ and seems to be "easy" enough. I DID learn that I am a pocket diaper vs. a cover/prefold type person. I had myself convinced I could do either one, and after trying a cover and insert that you change just the insert, I had enough! :) Ha! I quickly went back to the pocket ones. I didn't have any trouble with them leaking or anything. I think the biggest thing is keeping them clean and knowing I'd need to wash them often.  In the same breath, disposables are SO easy- just use and toss! :)  Good thing I still have time to decide. :) 

New Baby Cousin!

We are excited to welcome Allie's sixth new baby cousin.... 

Michael Zachary. ;)

He was born on September 22 and weighed 9 pounds 1 ounce. 20 inches long

He is a cutie pie and OH SO Snuggly! :) 

A kiss for baby Michael.... :)

New Baby Cousin

We are excited to welcome a new baby cousin to our family.  Baby Mikaela was born on September 6th.  :) She is a precious little bundle! Allie is totally smitten! :)  She has wanted to rename all of her babies and puppies Mikaela.  :)  When she was first born, we got a picture text and Allie just held and held the phone and kept staring at her. :) When the phone would go to sleep, she would push the screen again to make her light back up. ;)  She got to see her in the nursery the first night, and then hold her the second night. She even got to help Grammie feed her her bottle.:) She is going to be a HUGE helper someday when her new sister or brother comes. :)  

 

Here is a picture we took of Mikaela.....

And here is one of Allisynn as a newborn....we thought they looked SO similar.... God is so amazing! 

Odds and Ends...

We've been busy since our last post... It is hard to update when your time is consumed chasing around a little girl. :) We are loving this stage. She is so active and curious and is starting to pretend and it is just too much fun to play with her! :) She is talking more and more and is acting so big and grown up! I haven't done monthly updates for a couple months now, but she is still changing and growing. She has all of her teeth but her four eye teeth. She chews on her hands a lot and acts like she's working on them.

She is getting over a sinus infection and the start of a double ear infection. We just finished her antibiotics. She doesn't take bottles anymore. We stopped the night bottles cold turkey on Dec. 21st. We were nervous, but she did well. She has been sleeping through the night more and more, and it is rare to get up with her. :) Yay! (Hopefully she keeps this trend.... we are all much happier with sleep! :) :) ) She eats so much more since she isn't taking bottles! Sometimes we wonder where she puts it all.

She is wearing size 24 month/2T clothes now, and has been since before Christmas! She is so tall!!! She weighs 25 pounds and is 32 inches tall!

Here are some pictures... enjoy!

She loves to be pushed in her car around and around the circle in our house.... :)

She does her sign language sign for more and please when we are done. Of course

it is so adorable we HAVE to keep going! :)

She loves the kitchen we got her for Christmas. She loves to pretend in it. She plays

with the microwave and mixes things on her stove. She loves to feed us too. :) Too precious! :)

Allie and Cousin A got to play together for the Rose Bowl! :) Of course they had to

wear their Ohio State stuff!!!! :)

Allie kept saying "Buckeye!"

Allie got a baby doll (Her name is Bailey, but she calls her Allie) for Christmas from Nana and Papa. We got her cradle (that used to be mommy's for her dolls- made by mommy's grandpa) down and put blankets in and every night we put Bailey to bed with her puppy before we put Allie to bed. It is too cute to watch her put her in her bed and kiss her good night!! !:)

We've been playing with blocks a lot too. Gramps and Grammie got her a set and so did Great Grandpa. One day, daddy built a tower that touched the ceiling! :) Sometimes I think we have more fun building stuff than Allie does! :) Hee! Hee! :)

We welcomed a new cousin into the family. Little L was born a few days after Christmas. We went to visit, and Allie just looked at him and patted his head and then was done. I'm sure she'll love playing with him someday! :)

We had a play-date with cousin K too. They had a blast playing in the kitchen together! :) They are such good friends! :) I'm so glad they are close in age and love to play together! :)

Such a little ham! :)

Reading Lots of Books !!! This girl LOVES books!!!!!!!!!

This little girl is still a magnet to this fridge. As soon as the door

opens, VROOM! She's there. You almost can never open the door and get

something out without having to put at least one dressing container back on the

shelf! :) This time, I just let her go! :) Pretty funny!