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! 

Lexi Anne: 5 Months

July 16,2017

(Happy girl)

I can't believe another month has come and gone for you, Lexi you are such a joy to watch as you are learning and growing. We have had a busy month which is normal for the summer. We got to celebrate your first Fourth of July this month, although you didn't do much celebrating just sleeping. :) We also had a little Almond Family reunion with Dad's family right before the actual fourth. We spent the weekend before July 4th with Dad's family, we stayed in Utah at Uncle Matt and Aunt Hillary's house. The older cousins went to see a movie with the grown ups while you napped then we met up that afternoon and did lunch and a slip n'slide, unfortunately you were too tired to participate. Such is the life of a baby. :) Next summer though you will be all about the fun with the cousins. 

That Sunday we went to my mom and dad's and had dinner with my family and then played a few games and celebrated Aunt Carla's birthday. It was so fun to see her and her parents again, they are really nice! Dad had to work the Monday before the Holiday so you and I stayed with Grandma and Grandpa until Tuesday then we met up with Dad's parents and went to Pocatello with them. This year the fourth of July is even more fun for us, last year we found out we were pregnant and this year we got to share it with you! Every Fourth of July your dad's family does a big BBQ at his Uncle Dan's so we were very excited to go again this year. Sadly you weren't in the best mood, we think you were starting to either get sick or maybe teething so we ended up going home before the fireworks. Your dad was worried you wouldn't sleep but you were a trooper and the fireworks didn't bother you at all.

(Happy 4th of July)

We also got a visit from Grandpa and Grandma Pope this month because my cousin got married in Idaho Falls. Uncle Brady came with them and we got to ride together to support my Aunt Karen's son Matt. It was so fun to see some of my cousin's that I haven't seen in a long time, your dad had to work so you were my lucky wedding date. Aunt Karen also got to meet you for the first time and just loved you! You really got a lot of attention that night, hopefully the bride and groom didn't mind too much. :)

(My cute wedding date)

Well we didn't have a Dr. appointment scheduled this month but we did take you in because we thought you had gotten sick so we found that you weigh 13 lbs. 6 oz. and you are doing great! You still wear size 3-6 month clothing and you are also still wearing size 2 diapers. This month you have really found your laugh, your dad and I love finding new ways to get you to giggle. We finally caught you on camera too so we will have that memory forever! You are loving your rice cereal and baby fruit at night we have also started to give you a little in the morning since you seem so hungry and sad when you dad and I eat. Your naps have started to get a little longer which I am grateful for, it helps me to be able to get more done during the day now. Your first nap is anywhere from 1-2 hours and the next two are closer to the hour mark.  We sure love you little lady and are so lucky you are a part of our little family.

Lexi Anne: 4 Months

June 16, 2017

These months just keep flying by, I swear I blink and you are another month older. This month brought a lot of new things for you and I. The first is a big change for your dad and I, after a lot of contemplation and prayer I decided to give my 2 weeks notice at work and be a STAY AT HOME MOMMY! I have loved every minute of it, we have had our fair share of good and bad days but ultimately I feel like we made the best decision for us!

Some big milestones for you this month are rolling over, more sitting up and better head control. You have always been curious about the world we live in but you weren't able to keep you head up alone, now that you are stronger you love to sit up more and see the world from another point of view. You are really liking the bumbo which is a chair that helps support your back to let you sit up. You will sit in that while I get ready for the day and watch me put on makeup or do my hair. I can't wait for the day I get to show you how to do makeup, it will be so much fun!

Your Dad and I decided that you were ready to sleep in your own room in your crib. It was a hard decision but you like it more than I thought you would. The first time I had you sleep in there for a nap you kept waking up because you could tell it was different from your Rock and Play Sleeper, but eventually you took a 30 minute nap. That night we decided we were just going to go all in so that we didn't confuse you going back and forth from crib to the rock and play. Well needless to say that didn't go as well, we were up every 30 minutes but in the end it was all worth it because you sleep in there all night now!! Wahoo! I love watching you sleep, the funny thing is you really don't like tummy time but since learning to roll over you are determined to sleep on your tummy, although you do fuss when you first lay on it. :)

This month we have been enjoying the warm weather, you and I go on walks sometimes with Dad if he's not at work. We bought you a hat to block the sun from your face, you don't really like it much. :) We also celebrated your Dad for his first official Father's Day, although there wasn't much celebrating since Father's day was the day after your first night in the crib, but you and I surprised Daddy with some socks with his favorite Football teams logo on them (Seahawks) he was so happy!

The final fun thing we did this month was actually finish decorating your room, its officially half yours now. Haha let me explain, since we live in an apartment we have 2 rooms so you are sharing it with the office, but your Dad gave up the closet for you so that should make you feel special. :) I was so excited to get your room completely finished and organized and I have to say it looks pretty dang cute!

You continue to grow, you weigh 12 pounds 3 ounces and are 23 inches. You are starting to grow out of the 0-3 clothes and so now we are putting you in 3-6 month. You are wearing size 2 diapers which like I thought are a little big but the size ones are too tight so we will make 2's work. You have also starting eating rice cereal at night, our pediatrician said it was okay to start introducing if you seemed interested. I think you really enjoy it, at least you don't complain while you're eating it so that's a good sign. I think that is another reason you will sleep 6-8 hours at night. (I won't complain!)

Well sweet Lexi we sure do love you and are loving watching you learn and grow each month!



Lexi's room:

Lexi Anne: 3 Months, Mother's Day and Blessing

May 14, 2017 Mothers Day/Blessing

Today is a very special day for you and I, its my first Mother's Day and your daddy blessed you today at church. Aunt Emily was so sweet and let you borrow her blessing dress, you looked beautiful! You had so many visitors from family and friends, you sure are one lucky little girl. Your dad was nervous but he gave you a beautiful blessing, it made a few of us cry (mainly me). Grandpa Almond said that you looked at daddy the whole time with a big smile on your face! What a speical memory that we will always cherish, Grandpa Almond said he's never seen a baby do that before! You are one special little girl! This is a day that we both have waited for, I remember your dad and I went to our friend Will and Ali's little boy Nixon's blessing 3 years ago and dad was asked to stand in the circle while Will blessed Nixon. After his blessing your dad was teary and I asked him what was wrong and he told me "I just want to be a dad." That is a very special memory to me because I knew that your dad was going to be an amazing father to our kids one day.

After your blessing we went to great Grandma Ruth's house for a luncheon, she was so nice to share her 98th Birthday with you. We had our family and friends over for some yummy food and we took a few pictures. Sadly we weren't able to get everyone as mom was so busy entertaining and helping you that she forgot.

May 16, 2017 3 Months

This was a busy month for us, your dad finished his second year of Pharmacy school yay!! We went with dad's family to tour the Idaho Falls temple before it was rededicated, I was worried you wouldn't do well but you surprised me and were so content the whole time. You loved all the lights, you kept staring at them. We made two trips to Nampa, the first was for a class dad had to take for school and the other was for Memorial Day weekend to help Grandma and Grandpa Almond re-roof their home. Dad did a lot of hard labor that weekend, he's a trooper.

I can't believe that you are already 3 months, they all told me that time would fly by but it is just whooshing past me. You are getting so big, you still aren't a fan of tummy time mainly because you just want to sit up and be a big girl. You will lay on my lap or the couch and do crunches and fuss until we hold you up. You are one social little girl, not quite sure where you got it from (ME). You love to coo and make new noises as your dad and I talk to you. You have discovered your hands this month, When you are not eating those fists are constantly in your mouth. You also have started sucking your thumb, its super cute but also a bad habit that your dad and I are trying to break. :) You are still eating every 2 hours during the day and you go about 5-6 hours at night (thank you!). You are wearing 0-3 month clothes and size 1 diapers. Dad says since you weigh 11 pounds we should try putting you in size 2 diapers soon, we'll see how that goes, to mommy they look too big for you.

 Lexi I hope you know how loved you are today and always by your dad and I. We have waited so long for you and are so lucky to call you ours. Thank you for picking me to be your mom I couldn't have asked for a better first Mother's Day! Love you little lady!