Lexi Anne: 9 Months

November 16, 2017:

Happy Thanksgiving Lexi! I am loving this Holiday season with you, I have always loved the Holidays but having you with us makes it a million times better! It is hard to believe though that we are already to the end of November and that in just a few short months you will be ONE! But we won't think about that right now, we'll just pretend that isn't for another year. ;)

What a fun month we have had, We spent a week and a half down in Utah visiting mommy's family. Uncle Brady had a Saxophone solo at his school so Daddy and I went with your grandparents and uncle Chris and aunt Carla to watch him. He is so talented not only with the saxophone but also at the piano. Mommy was able to attend aunt Emily's last year in the Nutcracker ballet that her dance company puts on annually. It was bitter sweet as I have enjoyed this tradition that last five years, sadly I wasn't able to bring you because you were too little but I bet that we will see many a Nutcracker performances when you are older. We also celebrated your first Thanksgiving with my family (a little earlier than actual Thanksgiving). That is also part of my families tradition after seeing Emily's Nutcracker we always do an early Thanksgiving because Grandpa always has to work on the actual holiday. :(

Mommy and Daddy at Brady's solo

Grandma, Grandpa, Chris and Carla

Nutcracker! 

Aunt Emily was the prettiest Snow Queen Ever! 

Candy Cane

Waltz Soloist 

The whole family (minus you and dad)

Grandma, my aunt Karen and cousin Sammy came too

 Grandpa and I

We celebrated your Daddy's birthday the day before Thanksgiving by going out to dinner with Grandma and Grandpa Almond. On actual Thanksgiving we were with Daddy's family at great Grandma Ruth's house. It was fun but also odd since you were the only kid, we are used to having your cousin's there. We sure missed them, it was way too quiet. You mostly slept through Thanksgiving, but when you were awake you were such a happy baby. You spent the awake time crawling and playing with either your dad, Grandparents, me or aunt Dorothy. After your afternoon nap your dad and I gave you some mashed potatoes and some turkey, you didn't really seem to like the turkey (the real stuff not the pureed baby food mush) so we ended up giving you some baby food to make sure you weren't hungry. You loved sharing my coconut cream pie with me, but mostly I think you loved the whip cream ha ha.

We didn't have any doctor appointments scheduled until December 1st, at the appointment you weighed 17 lbs 6 oz and you are 26 inches. You still really love solids and we are trying to do what they call "baby led weaning" by introducing more table food instead of pureed baby mush. This way by the time you are one and older you will be used to the foods textures and able to eat them without being mashed up. So far you really like sliced apples, banana and avocados. I tried to introduce steamed broccoli and you spit it out, should've known better ha ha. You still just have the two bottom teeth but I think your front top teeth may make an appearance next month. We'll see, your dad keeps singing the Christmas song "All I want for Christmas is my 2 front teeth" whenever I say you might be teething ha ha. We are working on getting you to sleep through the night and have stopped the night time nursing all together. You seem to do fine with the not eating in the early morning but the going back to sleep on your own is a work in progress. Your hair is starting to get longer so its harder for me to style it, but this month I did try a little side ponytail and it was too cute! You are still wearing size 3 diapers and mostly 9 month clothing, some 6-9 month outfits still fit you though. We sure love watching you learn and grow each month Lexi!

Cutest little 9 month old! 

Such a good model! 

Lexi Anne: 8 Months

October 16, 2017

Happy First Halloween Lexi! I can't believe we are already to Halloween, its crazy how fast this time is flying by. I also can't believe you are 8 months old! Seems like yesterday you just turned a month old and I was leaving the hospital...FINALLY! :) Now you are a busy and social little baby, and we love it!

This month has been so fun, we went with Aunt Dorothy and cousin Mariah to a pumpkin patch for your first time. You loved the pumpkins and were really interested in what they were. You were so stinkin' cute sitting on top of the big pumpkins, you immediately started to explore them to figure out what they were. We had so much fun taking pictures of you and watching you get excited.

Pumpkin Patch fun! 

We also got to go and visit Grandpa and Grandma Almond in Nampa this month. Your dad had a school event so we took that as an opportunity to go and visit. We also got to see Aunt Kristin, Uncle Artie, Dillon and Caleb. Aunt Melissa, Uncle Chase, Cohen and Claire. While we were there we were lucky enough to go as a family and visit the new Meridian Temple, it is so BEAUTIFUL! You loved the lights once again. I think one of my favorite rooms was the celestial room, the chandelier was breath taking. While in Nampa we also got together with our friends Dusty, Courtney and Clara, Courtney was so nice and took our family pictures for us. The last picture of us as a family was taken in the hospital so it was definitely time for an updated one. :) They turned out so cute, you look so big in a few shots so I am glad that we were able to get some taken.

 Family pictures! 

Meridian Temple:

We got to celebrate your first Halloween with you! I have been waiting so long for us to be able to do family costumes and I can't wait for the many more years we get to do this. This year we couldn't decide what we wanted to be, we kept going back and forth and then time got away from us. So we found a cute bear zip up for you and decided that we would be Papa bear, Mama bear and you would be the baby bear. You looked so cute, I decided to add bows to your ears that way people would know you were a girl. :) We got to go and visit my friends from my previous job, it was so fun to see everyone again.We also went to our ward trunk or treat, everyone kept commenting on how cute you were! You loved watching everyone in their costumes you were such a trooper as we took you around to the different Halloween festivities! I can't wait to see how you react next year when you will actually be able to walk and say Trick or Treat!

This month you learned how to officially crawl! It was so fun to watch you go from sitting, to getting up on your knees and then figuring out how to move your arms and legs. You look so dang cute and are pretty proud of yourself. You like to follow me around the house and when you make it to the kitchen you like to lay on your belly and pound the floor. You like the sound it makes, its really cute! You also said your first word this month....MOM! Sorry daddy :) You don't say it a lot but when you do I can't help but smile. You also like to say Hi, sometimes when we are out and about you will say it to people. Mostly you just say it to us or family but we love it! We're working on Dada or dad but so far you just smile when we say it to you.

 Little lady you don't ever slow down, now that you have mastered crawling you are onto the next thing. Lately we've found you standing up all by yourself and not holding onto anything! You are so strong! Granted that only lasts for a few seconds before you fall onto your bum, but still. Ugh, you're trying to grow up too fast! You also tried to stand up in the bath tub and learned the hard way that isn't very safe, but you still really love your baths! On October 7th you cut your very first tooth, and on October 25th we found a second tooth came through. Your dad likes to say you got your two front teeth before Christmas, but I remind him that the ones you have are on the bottom so technically you could still get your two front teeth for Christmas. Anyway you won't let us look at them or get a picture so we have to feel, but it's cute when you smile to see those little pearly teeth. You have tried a few new foods this month. You liked trying avocado, tuna, mac and cheese and you also like pumpkin (definitely your dads girl). You are still wearing some 3-6 month clothing but you are starting to grow out of them so mostly you wear 6 months and occasionally something 6-9 month (every brand is so different size wise, so it's hard to tell without trying it out). We bumped you up to size 3 diapers which seems much better and not as snug. Sadly you got your first cold this month so we took you into the doctors to make sure you didn't have any ear infections etc. Luckily you didn't and the doctor said you were getting over it, while there we decided to see how much you weighed. You are 16 and a half pounds! I wish I would have asked them to get your height but doctor says you are growing as you should.

I am so excited for this Holiday Season and can't wait to share many more memories with you as a family. We love you Lexi!

Lexi Anne: 7 Months

September 16, 2017

Lexi you are now 7 months old and it's almost Fall! That is my favorite season and I am very excited to share that with you. There are so many fun Holidays coming up and your dad and I can't wait to share them with you. But for now we will just focus on taking it one month at a time, maybe then this year will slow down a bit haha!

This month was filled with a lot of family things, not just with your dad and I but with my side of the family. The first day of September was Grandma Pope's Birthday and to celebrate with her since we couldn't be in Utah your dad and I FaceTimed grandma with you and she was so happy. We also went to Costco a few days before her birthday and printed her off some pictures of you which also made her day!

You got to help mommy in her church calling by coming to a Back to School Night Relief Society activity, you were really clingy that night and wouldn't let anyone else hold you. Which I had a love and hate relationship with that night, only because I was in charge and felt like I wasn't really able to help out very much, but I love that you like to be with me. This day was also a sad one as mommies grandma Harris passed away that night in her sleep. But I know that she is in a much better place and I am so glad she is reunited with Grandpa and aunt Connie.

Grandpa and Grandma Pope came to visit us for a day and they were nice enough to take us back to Utah with them for a whole week! While there we got to celebrate my birthday, which I might add you loved! You got to try cake for the first time, which was an accident at first since you were sitting with me and double fisted my cake but it was so cute! We also celebrated Grandpa's birthday since we were down for my Grandma's funeral and his birthday was that Saturday. It was so fun to do a combined birthday with him, that was something that was a little tradition when I was growing up since my birthday and my dad's birthday are a few days apart. That week was spent with lots of movies, treats, a trip to the park, shopping, laughs and love. So grateful that we have such a wonderful family! I couldn't have asked for a better day, the only thing that would have made it better was if your dad could've been with us.

Grandmas Harris's funeral was also this month before we came back home we got to celebrate her wonderful life. I am so sad that she didn't get to officially meet you, we were able to visit her once before she died but she was so sick that I don't think she quite knew who we were. But I know that she loves you and I and would be so happy for our little family. It was so much fun for me to introduce you to a lot of my family who didn't get to meet you yet. You were so cute in your black polka dot dress everyone kept saying how much you look like your daddy! Hopefully one day you'll start to look a little like me too ;) Daddy met us in Malad where Grandma was buried, he was so happy to see us! He was so sweet and kept telling me how much he missed his girls that week we were gone, I hope you know how lucky you and I are to have him in our lives. When we got home daddy surprised me with my birthday gift, he made me a beautiful shelf that had coat hooks to help declutter our full coat closet. :) It is so beautiful your dad is one talented guy!

Well little sis, you continue to grow and grow. You are 16 lbs. and you are still wearing 3-6 month clothing. We have you in size 2 diapers but we're thinking you are close to being ready for size 3 we'll contemplate that a bit (haha). You are sitting up all on your own and while we were in Utah you started to reach for toys more and get up on your knees. You still really love solid foods and while in Utah you were also introduced to table foods which you LOVED! You are getting a little better about being on your tummy and are rolling from front to back and back to front. You are taking 2 naps a day now and you only wake up about 1-2 times a night, if I am lucky you usually wake up once and sleep the rest of the morning which is so nice! Still no teeth yet but it looks like you might be starting to get your bottom teeth. You are such a cheeser you give us the cutest little gummy smiles and we love to make you laugh. We do the silliest things to get you to laugh but those are what get you the most. I am loving watching you learn and interact daily and I feel so lucky that I get to be at home with you! I hope you know how loved you are little Lexi, we feel so lucky to have you in our family.

Lexi Anne: 6 Months

August 16, 2017

Happy half Birthday Lexi girl! I can not believe that it has already been six months since we brought you home from the hospital! I am worried that I will blink and you will be a teenager already, please slow down! Well we've had yet another busy month, with it being summer I am really not too surprised. :)

We started the month off with a Pope Family reunion (mommy's side) although aunt Emily missed it due to a friend inviting her to Lake Powell, but we'll forgive her. :) We were able to spend time with Grandma and Grandpa, uncle Chris and aunt Carla and uncle Brady and his girlfriend Becca. We played some games, had lots of yummy food, Grandma and I stayed home with you while everyone else went shooting the first night but we got to watch a movie so it was still a fun night.

Daddy's friend Nate from Pharmacy school got married this month so we went back to Utah the following weekend and you were able to go and spend some time with aunt Hillary, uncle Matt and their sweet boys! They were so nice to watch you for us, you had so much fun playing with new toys and watching the boys play. We sure love having amazing family in our lives.

 Mommy went a little crazy this month and decided to do a six month photo shoot of you, I had to celebrate your half birthday! I have waited so long for kids and I want to make sure and do lots of fun things with you, well I am not sure how much fun you had but I sure enjoyed it. You were actually pretty good during the whole thing, you took naps in between and I would think up new ideas for when you woke up to take some pictures. I sent some to Grandma Pope and she told me you must have known you were having your own photo shoot, you are so photogenic. :)

Daddy started school again so sadly we don't see him much in the mornings but we're lucky enough to get to see him in the afternoons most days. You are such a daddy's girl, you light up as soon as he gets home from work you are all smiles. I try and not get too jealous since I am fortunate enough to spend all day with you. But seriously you are one lucky girl to have him as your daddy, he loves you so much!

This month we had the opportunity to see a total solar eclipse and you got to "watch" it with us. It was really neat, we joined your dad and his co-workers at Costco and watched as the Sun was almost completely covered by the Moon. In Idaho we only got to what they call 99% totality so the Sun wasn't all the way covered but pretty close, it was cool but also a little eerie as it started to get dark at 11 am. It was pretty special sharing that with you even though you weren't sure what was going on you still had fun.

You had your six month check up on the 25th and the doctor says you are doing great! You weigh 14 lbs. 12 oz. and are 24 3/4 inches tall. You are really loving the solids, in fact if you had some teeth I would probably feed you more of what we eat, you are such a curious little girl. Every time your dad and I have anything whether food or drink you are looking to see what it is, after you see us drink or take a bite you smack your lips indicating you want some. :) It's super cute! Your favorites are of course fruits because they are sweeter than veggies, but I think your favorite veggies are sweet potatoes and squash.

You have three meals a day like dad and I and you nurse every 3 hours, still wearing 3-6 month clothing and size 2 diapers. No teeth just yet but at times I swear you are teething, you really like to bite onto things. You are sitting up all by yourself, you are so happy when we clap and call you a "big girl" you grin and are so proud of yourself. You are still not a fan of tummy time and in fact you have stopped rolling over to your belly, probably because you dislike it so much. :) The funny thing is you love to sleep on your belly but if we lay you on your back you won't fall asleep, you like to play with your toes and even suck on them. Mommy went a little overboard and bought you a "few" (probably more than I should've) new toys, right now you only like them for a few minutes and then you get frustrated with them as you try to figure them out. But being that you are so curious they always seem to entertain for a few minutes. :) We sure love you Lexi, we can't wait to see what the next few months bring.

New toys

Watching the Solar Eclipse

our beautiful 6 month old!