Valentines' Day Gun Show

For Valentines' Day this year, Alexandra and I decided to take Christopher to his very first gun show. It was the Nation's Gun Show in Chantilly, VA. It was a very interesting experience. Christopher had hoped to sell some of his swords there, but we didn't find the right market. Everyone was very polite, and people kept commenting that we were helping Alexandra to appreciate guns at a young age. I refrained from commenting that I am from Texas, you know!

After the gun show, we had lunch (with frozen custard for dessert), went to our favorite used book store, and Catholic store. We found a Veggie Tales piano book at the used book store, which I have been having fun playing from ever since! My favorite part of this Valentines' Day would have to be the adorable card that Alexandra made for me at daycare, complete with little red footprints on it. It was a great day!

Sully!

This post is dedicated to Alexandra's favorite toy: Sully - a blue monster from Monsters, Inc. Her Aunt Sandi gave him to Alexandra after getting him out of a cereal box during Christmas vacation. I think she likes him so much because he fits in her hands very well. When looking for fun toys for her now, Christopher and I try to find things that are "Sully sized." We also joke that she can carry him around in her outfits with pockets. I hope we never lose this silly little guy!

"Sometimes, the best things in life are free!"

Birthday!

I had a wonderful 29th birthday last week (the "last birthday of my youth" as Christopher and I like to say). The Saturday before, I enjoyed having tea with Rachel, Margaret, Laura, and Olivia. On Sunday, we had Bill, Barbara, William, Erica, and Will over for dinner. I think it was the most successful extended family dinner that we have had - with both the babies happily eating in high chairs so that their moms could eat and converse with everyone! On Monday, my actual birthday, Christopher, Alexandra and I celebrated by going to Outback. We've decided that we're pretty good with restaurants on the weekends (better at lunch), but week days are still a little "if-y."

Alexandra and Will playing together.

Family photo!

Alexandra wouldn't sit in her high chair at Outback. She ate sitting next to her daddy in the both. I took this photo with my phone.

Crocs! (sort of)

We had a warm weekend the weekend before last, so I pulled out this spring outfit for Alexandra that I'm afraid will be too small when it is actually spring. Also, she had fun wearing her "crocs." These are actually the first shoes that I ever bought for her (before she was even born).

She loves to play with her Baby Einstein piano (it can count in English, French, or Spanish).

"Do you think GG and Grandpa, since they live in Boulder County, will be mad that Mommy bought generic "crocs" instead of the real thing?"

Two Down, Eighteen to go!

I was just telling Katy yesterday that Alexandra was never going to get teeth. . . .and then she cut TWO today! We first saw both of them (the two bottom middle teeth) when she was eating her dinner. Yeay!! There's a reason why she was so fussy Monday night! Strangely enough, she managed to bite through a toy at daycare on Tuesday with her toothless gums (totally ruined what looked like a little stuffed toy basketball). I guess that should have been a sign that the teeth were almost here.

I don't know if you can see them very well, but trust me, they're there!

"That's why I was so grumpy, mommy!"

Snow day!

Due to snow and horrible ice on the DC roads, Christopher and I both worked from home this last Wednesday. We had a lot of fun trading off playing with Alexandra throughout the day. And she did a lot of "firsts" this week. Here she is "flying" with her mom in the photo above.

The night before, she showed us that she can stand while holding on to furniture (not yet pulling up by herself, though).

Eeekkk!! This is the scariest thing she has shown us, yet! She's still not the best at going forwards (although she managed to flip over part of her rug somehow here), we watched her crawl/scoot backwards and sideways. This was the first day I really saw her pull up her tummy to crawl (instead of scooting on it).

"Hope the house is baby-proofed, Mom and Dad!"

Ninja method of crawling

Alexandra is moving around quite a bit now. I'll put her on her blanket on the floor, turn my head for a minute to do something, and the next thing I know - she's underneath her exersaucer grabbing at fallen toys. Christopher and I have decided that Alexandra enjoys the "ninja method of crawling" - she goes places, she just does it in a stealth-like way so that we don't actually see her do it!

If she's a natural ninja, this should help out her daddy when he starts to teach her martial arts in a couple of years :)