December 8, 2014 (8 Months)

Alex is 8 Months old!!!

After mastering crawling, Alex quickly moved on to learning how to pull himself up to standing. All he wants to do is stand! He stands up every chance he gets and is starting to slowly cruise along furniture.

Despite the colder temps Alex still enjoys getting some fresh air outside.

Alex played with play dough for the first time, he wasn't too sure what he was supposed to do with it.

 

Alex loves to have his picture taken, whenever he sees the camera he gets a big smile!

Alex now has both his bottom front teeth, he was miserable for several days while they came in :(

November 8, 2014 (7 Months)

Taking Alex's monthly picture is getting much more difficult now that he is so mobile!

Alex is crawling!!! He did his first couple crawls on Halloween night and within a week he could crawl across the room. The best way to entice him to get moving is to try and fold a load of laundry on the other side of the room.

For Halloween Alex was a penguin and he also wore the dinosaur costume that Andrew wore on his first Halloween. It was a cold night but Alex was a trooper trick or treating with his big brother.

Alex likes to exercise, he does a lot of "planks" and his favorite yoga pose is "downward dog."

Alex loves to be outside and had fun playing in the leaves!

Alex is continuing to do well with solid foods. His menu now contains broccoli, cauliflower, sweet potatoes, squash, green beans, avocado, carrots, banana, peas, spinach, potatoes, apple, pear, cantaloupe, yogurt. We haven't found anything that he doesn't like yet and are looking forward to trying new foods and more complex combinations.

Changing Alex's diaper is becoming increasingly challenging as he tries to roll, push off, kick his feet, eat his toes, and just in general squirm. Usually it is with a smile on his face and lots of giggles, he is lucky he is so cute!

Alex can sit himself up now and also likes to practice standing and leaning against things.

Alex has very inconsistent sleep habits. His naps range from half an hour to three hours. On good nights he will wake only once to eat and go back to sleep until 6am. Other nights we will wake two or three times or get up for the day at 4am. We are blaming the time change!

Alex has adjusted to sleeping unswaddled; a lot of times he falls asleep while feeding but when he is put down awake he usually is able to put himself to sleep.

Alex is a really happy guy, it is easy to make him smile and giggle just by smiling at him and making faces. He is also really ticklish!

October 8, 2014 (6 Months)

Alex continues to be a very good natured, happy, smiley, content baby! He accompanies us happily wherever we need to go. Some of our more fun outings this past month include the Milwaukee Zoo, Schuster's Farm, and Door Creek Apple Orchard.

Alex has started eating "solid" foods and is loving them! So far he has had sweet potatoes, bananas, avocados, apples, and carrots. We can't seem to get the spoon to his mouth fast enough!

Alex wants to crawl SOOO bad! He gets up on his hands and knees and rocks forward so it won't be long. Even without crawling he gets around really well with rolling, scooting, and army crawling.

Alex was sleeping really well until one unfortunate night when he rolled onto his belly while swaddled and so we had to pack the swaddle blankets away. He is now working on adjusting to sleeping unswaddled and it has been an adjustment! Naps are shorter and he wakes several times during the night. The good news is he wakes up happy and ready to play!

Alex loves to be outside. He enjoys sitting in the grass, swinging, going for walks, and of course stroller rides with his big brother.

 

 

 Alex loves to get his picture taken. Whenever he sees the camera he is always more than happy to look and smile :)

 

 

 

 

 

September 8, 2014 (5 Months)

At 5 months Alex is a very happy and content baby!

Alex is a quiet observer most of the time but is starting to find his voice.  He is full of smiles and giggles, he especially delights in silly faces and voices and being held above your head.

Alex has finally won the battle with thrush and his clogged tear duct has resolved itself! Life is good!!!

Alex now really enjoys floor time and is getting quite strong.Whenever he is placed down on his back he immediately rolls over to his tummy and does a push up. He rolls all over the place and can scoot himself forward by pulling with his arms and pushing off with his feet.

We took Alex swimming a couple times last month but he was pretty indifferent about it. He wasn't fussy but not really happy either, just kind of took it all in quietly.

Alex went on his first camping adventure at Pride of America campground. He did great and really seemed to enjoy all the outside time.

Alex went through a rough patch where he was waking up 2-4 times every night but *fingers crossed* he seems to be back on track waking to eat only once a night around 3am.

Alex continues to like bathtime and has now taken a couple baths in the tub with his big brother who likes to help wash his hair and pour water on him.

 

 

 

 

August 8, 2014 (4 Months)

Its hard to believe Alex is already 4 months old! Then again its hard to remember life without him! :) He is such a sweet, happy, quiet, snuggley baby.

Alex loves to stand up, his legs are still a bit wobbly but he locks his knees and looks at you with the proudest little smile on his face.

Alex still has one clogged tear duct on his left side and he is still battling a mild case of thrush. He also has a little stuffy/runny nose but none of that seems to be dampering his spirit.

Alex is starting to actually enjoy tummy time for small periods. His neck is getting strong so he can look up and around at all his toys.

If Alex is fussy, taking him outside always cheers him up! He loves to be outdoors sitting in his chair, going for a walk, swinging at the park.

Although it is a bit early we are questioning if Alex might be teething already, he is always trying to eat his fingers and see how far they can fit into his mouth.

Alex also enjoys bath time, it is another sure fire way to make him happy. Although he doesn't always love getting out of the bath.

Alex regulary takes a 2 hour morning nap, a 2 hour middle of the day nap, and a half hour late afternoon nap. He has been waking up usually 2 times to eat at night.

Alex struggles to take naps away from his crib and swaddle blanket. He used to nap on the go very easily but now he will barely even fall asleep in the car.