Dan has this week off, so we have been having fun together. Nothing too exciting, but it's been nice to have another set of hands to pass Alex off to every now and then! Alex is proving to be a really happy kid so far. He is pretty calm, crying only to express that something is actually wrong, and it usually doesn't take long to figure out what that is and fix it. So, I count us as pretty lucky parents (knock on wood!).

Alex and I have been going on walks together almost every day. Sometimes to the store, sometimes just around. We all went on a walk a couple of nights ago. That includes all the human members of the family and Sydney. We walked to Blockbuster to pick up a movie we planned to watch with a friend. Alex rode in the baby carrier (OK, he slept in the baby carrier. We've discovered that it is a great way to put him to sleep).

This is Alex and Dad after that walk:


It's getting cold here, so we had to bundle up! We then had to adjust the straps on the baby carrier because they were set for summer in Texas and suddenly it's turning to fall. I know it's already cold in Lubbock and Wisconsin, but the chill has only recently reached this far south!

May I Have This Dance?

Alex and I have been having a lot of fun this week. I am really putting the stroller to good use, and we are going on daily walks, all over the neighborhood. So far we have even managed to walk to get groceries a couple of times. The store is just around the corner, so it's not far, but it is a nice little walk for me. This method of shopping has the added advantage that I can't plan to get much, so the trip is short. I learned on my first grocery shopping experience (not walking, with the car) that if the baby is grouchy when you have 2 items in your cart out of the intended 25 items on your list, the rest of your trip is either miserable or needs to just be forfeited. So, if I go with the intention of getting 5 things, I am likely to get all 5, plus I always get to go in the express lane! I think I might shop like this often :-)

Sarah came by to visit with Craig yesterday. They chatted for a little while, and got to see Alex awake and alert and being a super-happy boy! They dropped off Sarah's baby, Sugar for a few days of dog-sitting. If you are reading this, Sarah, Sugar is doing fine. All the pets are getting along great, although it is a full house: two dogs, a cat, two big people and a little person. Dan was on his way in as Sarah and Craig were leaving. He told me that they made a comment about "Dan and Laura's Ark." We are getting there!

Speaking of Alex being alert and happy, he has been doing a lot of that lately. He's starting to sleep longer at night and then spend more time looking around and enjoying the world during the day. He doesn't have it all figured out yet, he still likes to check out the world by moon light, too, but he's getting better. And, much more fun! We sit and chat during the day, read books, walk around the house together, etc. I put him in the little carrier so he looks like a baby kangaroo, and we do laundry or dishes. He's really starting to show a bit of personality. Yeah! And we can tell that he's learning things. For example, when he wakes up crying, he used to just cry through the diaper change, until he was fed (that being the ultimate goal and reason for the waking in the first place, although he almost always needed a change, too). Now, he calms down as soon as he's picked up and is quiet through the diaper change as well. It's as if he knows that he's about to be fed, so there's no more need to waste his breath crying. And, that is so much nicer on my nerves, too :-) Yeah..he's a smart one!

Oh, there seems to be so much to share, but I'll have to save it for another day!



I am sitting in my bouncer while Mommy does dishes. I am a bit blurry because the bouncer is vibrating, but look at my smile, I am enjoying this! Mommy also has some music on...maybe I'll be inspired to dance!

Oh, yeah, here I go. I'm listening to Moulin Rouge. "Diamonds are a girl's best friend..." I don't know what that means exactly, but it's a catchy tune! I call these moves "The Alex." It may not look like much, but I bet people thought "The Twist" was nuthin' too, and look what happened there. Doin' the Alex...



My arms and legs are just carried away by the music! I can't help myself! It's almost like I'm not in control of my limbs....I'm a dancin' fool!

Finally, An Update

Alex will be 5 weeks old tomorrow. So much has happened since I last updated the world. I aplogize for the delay! It is amazing how all-consuming taking care of a baby is. It seems like there is always something to do: feeding, changing, cuddling, just sitting and staring...plus there are the normal things to do: laundry, dishes, sleeping... It seems like I am constantly busy, yet at the end of the day, it seems like I haven't gotten anything done! Crazy!

So, an update: The wonderful Grandmas have come and gone. They did a great job of keeping us fed, in clean laundry, and keeping the new parents on the right track. Yes, Alex is still in one piece after 5 weeks with his novice Mommy and Daddy! We are both having so much fun with him. He is spending more time awake and alert, and we are starting to understand some of his moods and signals so that we can actually respond to his needs, not just stare dumbfounded at this crying baby, not knowing what to do next! There is the obvious I-want-to-eat face, with the tounge sticking out and the lips smaking, and he has this particular cry that Dan calls the "dirty diaper whine." And, Dan usually calls it correctly (although, at this stage, he has so many wet or dirty diapers throughout the day, that it's a pretty good guess he needs a change!).

Last week's big news was that Alex and I spent two and a half days in the hospital. Alex had a fever on Tuesday evening, and the protocol for babies this young is to go to the ER, get a huge battery of tests, and then spend a couple of days in the hospital, getting steady doses of antibiotics and being monitored by doctors. The results were that Alex had a urinary tract infection. Aparently it is not too uncommon in babies, as diapers make it easy to transfer bacteria around. So, a bunch of antibiotics later, and he is as good as new!

I guess that's enough for now. I'll add a couple of pictures and promise to keep you all updated a little better.

-Laura

OK, I think it's only fair to post these pictures, after posting the one where Alex squirted Dan. It is a three-part series. Dan happened to have the camera ready. This is after a bath, and Alex decided not to wait for a diaper to go ahead and poop. The pictures are really more about me, but Alex is in them, so they are still cute :-)





Mommy: Look at my beautiful, clean baby. Isn't he adorable? I am so lucky to have such a great baby!!
















Um...my arm is wet. Alex, what did you do?


















Dan, YOUR baby just pooped on me. He pooped on me! Stop taking pictures and help me! Stop laughing and help me!

















This little angel? This little angel pooped on his mom?
No one would believe it!