Easter Weekend

Ali’s first Easter was great! Not only did the girls get to do an Easter egg hunt, but on Good Friday we went to the World Wildlife Zoo.
First up, Friday and the World Wildlife Zoo. After driving to the far west side, we finally got there with the girls anxious to get going.
We saw lots of birds (the Macaw seemed like a good pose for a background).

Ava was impressed by the giant tortoises.

and we could roam around the Kangaroos.

Even the momma Kangaroo and her Joey seemed pretty relaxed.
Speaking of relaxed, Ali was pretty chill in her stroller with the shades on.

After some outside fun, we went into the aquarium. They had a touch tank for Ava to touch the starfish and sea urchins.
and on the way out, the two big girls got to do the log ride…



On Saturday we made Easter Eggs. Ava loves the coloring process…

while Ali was happy just trying to pull herself up the step stool.

On Easter Sunday, the girls got all dressed up for Church.
Ali wore the same dress that Ava wore for her first Easter.

While Ava wore some brighter flowers.

The girls all posing in front of the house.

After church we went to some friends for Easter brunch and a backyard Easter egg hunt. The big kids were ready for the hunt…

While the smaller kids (at least Ali) were happy just chomping on some toys.
We didn’t have the Easter bunny there, but we did see the Easter bunny at the community egg hunt the previous weekend…
Later that afternoon, we all went for a swim. The girls wore the matching swimsuits that the Easter bunny brought that morning…

Ali’s 9 Month Update

A little belated happy 9 month birthday to Ali. It’s hard to believe we are closer to one year than the infant stage.

Let’s jump right in to what the last month has brought.

LIKES

Crawling. She is seriously all over the place and does not like to be cooped up in the stroller or car seat now that she’s mobile. She is still a fan of bath time and has shown her love of water in the pool too. I think she will follow in Ava’s footsteps of being an excellent swimmer. Another thing Ali really likes; electronics! Specifically the Apple products and she is constantly trying to take my iPhone or iPad. As for food, Ali likes to feed herself cheerios, Kix, graham crackers, carrots, blueberries, peas and cheese. ( She still eats some pureed foods and nurses a few times per day.) She also loves when big sister makes funny faces and sounds, and starts to giggle. Jumping and “flying” in the air are also ways to make her smile and giggle.

SLEEPING:

She is still sleeping from approximately 7 pm to 6 am, but getting up once in the middle of the night to eat. It is probably a comfort issue, but she is so tiny, I don’t mind her getting the extra feeding. Now that she is crawling, napping has happened again. We don’t always get a morning nap, but usually a good 2 hour nap in the afternoon to recharge for the late afternoon activities.

FIRSTS:

It feels like a lot of firsts this past month. Crawling is the biggest change and challenge! Ava has to keep her small toys out of reach, because they go straight into Ali’s mouth. We also celebrated her first tooth! While we can tell she is uncomfortable, she has been a champ getting through the pain of that first bottom tooth. I think more are on the way, as she just wants to gnaw on all her toys and hard objects. This month was also Ali’s first Easter. See more on our Easter Weekend post. She also debuted in the outdoor pool for the first time. Ali loves to be outside, so it was natural for her to enjoy going to the community pool and enjoying watching Mommy and Ava swimming amongst the other neighbors.

First up, fun with the 9 month sticker.

Trying to eat the sticker…

Big sister Ava is always ready to ham it up.

Earlier in the month, Ava was trying to educate Ali on the finer points of crawling.

Which Ali begins to experiment with more….

On her way to mastering it.

By the March she has mastered crawling and “doing planks”

Ali loves the park, especially watching the big kids play.

By the end of the month, Ali is playing peek-a-boo in the park.

At home, Ali loves to play with the cabinets…

and feed herself…

and look out the sliding glass door…

 

Got to go catch her now that she is mobile…

Ali 8 Month Update

I know it's cliché but I can't believe my baby girl is 8 months old already.  Time seems to be speeding in overdrive.

We didn't do a recap last month, so there is a lot to catch up on.

Likes:

Ali’s favorite things in the world (besides Mom of course :) ) are taking baths, watching kids play at the park, and jumping. She has always loved bath time, but she’s really started to love it now that she can actually play in there.  Ali also likes sucking on her Sophie giraffe, and pulling mommy's hair. 

Going outside in walk is something she is also happy to do as well.  Like the rest of us, Ali is a dog lover and giggles and smiles when she plays with Pepper and sees the neighbor dogs. Ali also likes the library time – she loves to try to jump and dance with the music and enjoys watching the bigger kids run around.

Dislikes:

Ali hates sitting still – she needs to be on the go 24/7. I have a feeling she will be a very tiring toddler - we’ll have our work cut out for us. If Ali is upset she is probably bored or tired. Also, she is not a fan of being strapped in the car seat. 

Sleeping:

There have a been a couple bumps in the road this month. She has dealt with a few sicknesses and teething. Boo. But honestly, she hasn’t let it affect his sleep that much. She has gotten into the habit of a midnight feed, and in the last week of sickness, another around 3 am - where she is ready to party a bit after.  Bedtime is around 7 and wakeup is usually between 5:30-6:30 am. 

Eating:

Ali is still a good nurser, but a cough and teething turned her off of true solids for a bit. Right now she is more comfortable with chunky purees, and baby oatmeal, but I’m sure she’ll get back to eating real food soon. She loves feeding herself the crunchy carbs like Cheerios, puffs, and baby Mum - Mums.   She is also learning to drink water from a sippy cup.

Firsts: 

Sitting up - that started right around 6 1/2 months, and now at 8 months she has recently added getting herself up from her tummy or back to a seated position. 

Scooting around a bit, but not full on crawling yet.  (Thank God!) 

Ali did her first hike with Dad this month too.

Still no teeth, but all signs are there for one to pop through any day now. 

Ali still gets complimented from daycare and friends at what a happy, easy going baby she is. 

Ali at 8 Months…

With her Sophie giraffe…

Hanging out on the blanket…

Ali catching up on some Baby Einstein.

The sister’s going down the slide.

Ali’s first hike…

Playing with her toys on the big bed.

Ali is a big fan of looking at us upside down…

Ava, Ali, and Pepper hanging out on the floor…

Sleepy girl….

And a few 7 month photos…

Happy playing in the office.

And sucking her thumb…

Stay tuned for the next update….

Pepper–the newest Ameduri

After a few months of no Chase, and continual asking by Ava of when we were going to get a new dog, we found the right new guy for us. Thanks to the nice folks at Rescue a Golden of Arizona, we welcomed Pepper into our home. He’s a well behaved (mostly) 4 year old Golden who loves the girls and is always ready to play ball.

Some quick photos of Pepper and the girls:

Pepper posing for the camera.

Pepper meets Ava and Ali…Ava is bribing him with treats.

Curled up on the bed after the second day.

Ali trying to get up close and personal.

Ali loves Pepper’s collar (especially the jingly tags).

Pepper working hard in the office.

Ready for a hike..

He’s a good fit for us – always ready to go and play with the girls…

New Year

Hard to believe that we are already a month into the new year. In the deserts of Arizona the weather alternated between chilly and good weather. On the nice weeks we have been making good use of the parks – Ava is perfecting her riding skills while Ali loves watching all the big kids play.

Of course Ali and Ava are always having fun together. Ava and Ali love a little cuddle time.

Click the image above for a video of Ali and Ava playing

Sometimes the girls just like to clown around.

Ali is happy playing with her toys. Oh and she can stay sitting up now too…

Ava is happy riding anything outside…both at the park.

And riding her bike outside at home.

With days ranging from cold (note the hat and mittens)

To sunny and warm just a week later.

Ali continues to be the happy baby – bouncing in her bouncer.

Click on the image above for a video of Ali bouncing.

And even when big sister is feeding her.

Hard to believe Ali is 7 months old already! Where does the time go?