Sitting up & Crawling!!!

It's pretty amazing the steps Xander takes in just a couple weeks. He is now sitting 100% Independently!! The doctor said around 7 months he would start sitting and he was right on schedule!





Isn't it adorable! It's makes things SOOO much easier on me now that I can sit him down on the floor at the office with a bunch of toys and he can play and entertain himself for a while. Also he has learned to "Crawl"! Ok so it's not your traditional back or forward crawl, more of a side to side shuffle and rolling over and over to get where he wants to go. It's pretty amazing actually, one second he's next to my desk the next he has gone all the way around to the front of it and is kicking it! He's pretty good with obstacles as well and definitely knows how to get what he wants. The other day I kept moving his walker farther and farther away and he'd just roll right back to it, he likes to examine things like that, almost trying to figure out how it works. I think he's going to be very curious, which could be big trouble for mommy and daddy as he becomes more and more mobile.

Miracle Blanket!

As I'm sure you've heard me mention before I am a HUGE fan of the Miracle Blanket, the ONLY reason Xander slept so well for so long, our little escape artist. Anyways, the makers of Miracle Blanket saw our blog! They gave us a mention on their website: http://www.miracleblanket.com/blogs.htm AND they wrote me and offered to send us a brand new Miracle Blanket! Isn't that awesome! I'm SO happy because Xander completely wore out BOTH of his, I was disappointed I wouldn't be able to save them for our future little ones. Also I have to note: I recently discovered the Miracle Blanket is made right here in Rio Rancho, New Mexico! Isn't that great? Yay Miracle Blanket! lol

Valentine's Day Part 2

Chris and I had an actual night out for Valentine's Day! It was really nice, I think we were due. We went to I love Sushi, which was great as always. We sat at the grill (you really think Chris eats raw fish? lol) with a few other couples, and it turned out the couple next to us had a 6 month old too! About 2 weeks younger than Xander. Of course we got into a long conversation about our little one's exchanging pictures and stories. New parents are the best because we are all still SO amazed by this little person in our lives we could go on and on FOREVER lol At one point we were discussing breastfeeding and kinda looked at each other and laughed, how on earth did we get on this topic? the wife asked me ha ha Mom's LOVE to talk! It was a really good time! Then Chris and I headed home early, watched a couple movies together on the couch and slept in Sunday morning! My mom (Grandma Nancy) was very happy to watch Xander Saturday night so Chris and I could have some alone time, and even let us sleep in on Sunday. When we brought Xander to mom's Saturday night we took a couple pictures before we left...




Mom and I were at Walmart earlier that day picking up Valentine's gifts, she had picked out this adorable lion that danced and sang and lit up, we thought it would be the perfect gift for Xander. Then as we were heading to the check out... I spotted it, it was a bouncing Tigger doll that jumped up and down and played the same Tigger song that Xander's other Tigger doll sings. Mom got it for him and it was SO great! He really loves it, it bounces and plays the Tigger song when you press the tail, which Xander picked up on right away and pressed the tail over and over while chewing on the rest of it, VERY adorable...




One Update for you all, Xander has TWO teeth now. The bottom front two teeth, AMAZING!!!

Happy Valentines Day!!!!

A couple of pictures for your Valentine's Day enjoyment! Xander in his Valentine's outfit, yesterday, he's discovered his feet...



Hope Everyone has a Happy Happy Valentine's Day!!!

1st Tooth has Arrived!!!!

Yes it's true! I knew it was coming for a while now, and last night for the first time I felt it, it cut through! Xander was biting things like crazy all night so I had a feeling and when I felt the front bottom gums I had a sharp little tooth almost cut me! Yes it is 100% for sure there. I can't see it because he won't let me get a good look but you can definitely feel it. Another milestone passed, this boy is growing SO SO fast!

On another note, Xander also had his first green veggie last night, Peas. He seemed to really take to them, ate half a jar. Also Xander is days away from sitting 100% independently. He can sit on his own, but if he leans to either side he falls over still, but we are getting VERY close. Exciting stuff!

Splish!! Splash!! Oh my!

Xander takes a full out bath twice a week. On the other day's I do a sponge bath/wipe down. His skin has been super dry so I've cut back on the full bath's to twice a week. Plus with work and everything it's just easier for us both. So recently bath time has been getting more and more difficult, because he's growing much too big for his baby bath tub at all, even with out the little hammock thing. Thursday night I decided it was bath day and Chris got him undressed and I got the tub ready we put him in and he hardly fit! Well just enough to where he could splash over and over really hard with his feet! For the first time he has discovered the art of the splash. He was going crazy kicking the water and making it go EVERYWHERE. So I took him out and handed him to Chris and I filled the big bath tub, because in the little one I couldn't even lay him down to wash his hair! I set Xander in the big bath tub and he just splashed and slid everywhere, it was awful, I could hardly hold on to that slippery baby, there was NO way I was gonna be able to wash him. At this point I'm pretty much soaked as it is, so I gave in, took off my clothes down to my undies and bra (I'm still not sure on the appropriateness of boys seeing mom naked even at this age and I don't wanna screw him up or something lol) and jumped in the tub and gave him a bath. What could I do? Looks like mommy will be swim suiting up for baths from now on, until Xander is a little more stable in the tub, hopefully not too long.

On another note Xander is eating about half a jar of baby food per meal! He really likes eating! It's awesome, he eats at dinner time and then has about 3/4 his normal bottle. Only once a day still but I'm think of stepping it up to twice and I'm thinking about trying yogurt for breakfast maybe next week I read it in my what to expect in baby's first year book and the doc recommended it! Just plain of course. So far Xander has tried and enjoyed: carrots, sweet potatoes, bananas, apples, peaches, pears and squash. We haven't gone to green stuff as of yet, probably soon. The squash has been the strongest flavor, I tasted it and it was good but a much stronger flavor than all the other foods, he didn't eat quite as much of that one. ha ha The doc also said I could give him a baked potato to play with/eat one day, I'm pretty excited to try that, probably in the next couple weeks, I'll take pictures : )

What's in your mouth???

So far the answer to that question can be just about anything in the range of his arms lol the dog's tail almost ended up in there the other day, but Chris and I were able to stop what was a VERY close call



Xander's favorite thing to chew by far I'd have to say would be the tail of his singing Tigger doll (as seen above) The Tigger sings the Tigger song which Xander loves, but most of Tigger's parts are too big to fit in his mouth, that's when he discovered the tail, he LOVES to suck on the end of the tail, it's too cute!

Below is a picture of Xander eating the leaf on his Pooh, he's developed his skills, he can go no handed now...



Lastly I'll share with you the object of his desire, the star, what can I say, this star is attached to his bouncer, and doesn't bend enough for him to put in his mouth, many times after battling with the star for several minutes he will just give up and yell at it, it's pretty cute. He'll look right at it and scream, like that will make the star get in his mouth ha ha such a cutie!

Bye, Bye Miracle Blanket!!

We did it!! SUCCESS!!! It only took 2 days and now Xander is sleeping swaddle free with NO fuss! Yay! I honestly can't believe it, it feels like such a huge step for us.
First, if you've never seen it here's a couple pictures of Xander wrapped up in one of his miracle blanket's It's kinda like a baby straight jacket, lol, the only thing that worked for our little escape artist...


probably the BEST investment I ever made. It has brought us 6 amazing months of sleep, something parents of newborns rarely get, but we were blessed. I believe him going to work with me everyday and that swaddle are the two reasons he has slept 11-12 hours a night, since he was 1 1/2 months old! Yes you read that right.

I have read and doctor confirmed at his 6 month appointment that you shouldn't really use a swaddle past 6 months (also it's about at the point where they won't fit him anymore). I have been really nervous about letting go of the swaddle and putting him in bed with the dreaded blanket! lol I guess I read too much, but I see a baby with all those blankets and it just terrifies me! All the dangers, but I have to admit Xander's old enough to roll all around in his bed so with blanket he should be fine. We decided to wait until the weekend to try no swaddle at bedtime (we wanted to make sure we could sleep in the next day if he kept us up all night haha) and Friday was our first try. Amazingly it took no more to get him to bed than usual, I had to go in his room 3 times to reassure him and tuck him back in (but that can happen any day really) and he fell asleep at 7:30pm woke up at 4:40am, I found him on his tummy with his hands propping him up screaming, it was kinda cute lol. Then he slept until 6:30am and then until 9:30am! It was wonderful! I haven't slept till 9:30 in too too long, it always seems like he only sleeps in on the weekdays when I have to be up and getting ready, but I got lucky this weekend. Xander then took his first nap without swaddle but the 2nd one he got too cranky and wouldn't sleep so we, well I, gave in and wrapped him. Last night we went no swaddle till 4:30am once again then I wrapped him and he slept till 6:30 and then he woke up again at 7:30 so not a fabulous morning, but he's already napping now at 9:30 completely unwrapped. I think I will not be wrapping him up again from now on.