Rejected

It took about 40 photos to get the one that made it to our Christmas Card.

Here are some of the rejects:

If only you'd stop moving!

Once again with the moving!

I don't that's how the antlers go...

I"M WATCHING YOU !

Excersaucer 2.0

Uhm....

I don't think this is how the excersaucer is supposed to work.

But I am still proud of you!

Brutal

Last Thursday Chris and I made a huge step in our parenting career.
We have decided to once and for all, get Alex "Sleep Trained"

Sleep Training?
Whats that you ask?

Well Timmy , just like we as parents need to teach our children how to eat and guide them through the stages of movement, we need to do the same with sleeping. We have to help them gain the tools to soothe themselves into falling asleep on their own. Unfortunately this involves leaving little Xan-man in his crib to fall alseep on his own and therefore leads to a lot of crying and is a very very hard thing to do.

Basically, Timmy, Sleep Training Sucks,

Sucks hard,

in one word its......

BRUTAL

Xander is left alone in his crib to cry it out and I can only imagine the hurt and fear and desperation that is going through his little mind.

I am left feeling like a cruel mother who is scarring her child for life.

Chris is left with both of us in tears while he pretends to be the strong one.

However, its about time that I confess.
I , Xander's Mom, am an Enabler.

I thought I was filling him with love and affection but I was only making him dependent on me. I have continually failed Xander by teaching him to fall asleep in my arms. Its my job as his mom to make him feel safe and loved and my heart breaks a little when he cries. I couldn't bear to hear his screaming cries of abandonment so I would pick him up. Other nights I was just so exhausted from lack of sleep myself that it was just easier to hold him in my arms all night on the worlds smallest couch.

Did I mentioned that Alex hasn't slept through the night since I recovered from my surgery?

In my head I know that these couple of weeks of tears are the right thing to do, My heart however doesn't see how it can be healthy for him to cry for two hours and then puke all over himself.
I have to pick him up right?
But If I do I will be picking him up forever right?

Either way, something needs to change.

So I made a goal within myself to give it a real try.
I have researched sleep training on the web, read this amazing book, and even talked about it with some other moms, so I finally got up the gumption and inner strength and with Chris's help we got a night schedule set up and started the training last Thursday.

I do have to admit although its been super hard on us, things have been better this time around, each night is a little better, and I really do think that its going to stick this time.

(crossing fingers and knocking on wood)

We have found that it takes twice as long for him to calm down if I am the one trying to calm him down, so usually in the early hours of the night Chris will help him. I in the mean time have to come up with ways to not rush in and pick him up so I have devised ways to distract myself like:
doing dishes...
crying ....
putting away the random toys....
folding laundry.....
sitting on my hands......
joining Facebook....

this was just Tuesday

Tonight Chris had to work a concert so I am Blogging.
I think its helping.

I don't really know if I have really summed things up this time, but it does help to get my thoughts down on paper (virtual paper) But I guess I just want ya'll to know that things aren't always easy here at Team Xander- even if he is super cute and makes me laugh like no other.

So wish us sweet dreams and less tears.

TP

pssst .........
I think you got something suck to your shoe!

Magnet

Now that Alex is crawling a whole new world has opened up to him!

A world beyond our protective arms.
A world full of things to explore and get into and onto and over.

A world starting to fill with the sounds of laughter and "No Alex!"

It seems that we can't turn around with out Xander at his favorite toy.

(he's very fast and sneaky)

Its like a "Baby Magnet" and Fred is not happy about it all.

I've moved it from one side of the room to the other.
I've even given him his own set of dog bowls to clang around.

But its all to no avail, he wants to play in the water and try to eat the kibble.

and by eat I eat I mean choke on.

10

Two Sundays ago Xander turned 10 months old!

To celebrate we decided to enjoy the first real snow of the season!

well we tried....

apparently snow is cold...

So instead we went back inside and worked on our crawling.

Winner - 2.0

Well folks its that time again....

Time to announce which grandparent is overjoyed....

and which one has to suck it up for a awhile.

So with a pathetic score of 14 to 34

Sorry Gamma Q.

(expect a package to arrive at your work soon)

You have to admit, only Zander could make purple and gold look good.

Gobble Gobble

Xander and I went to Gamma Q's for Turkey day!

He had huge feast of turkey, potatoes, stuffin, and cranberries.

and even worked on some of his spoon skills!

He was having lots of fun until...

he discovered my plate was more fun!

Note: Cranberries are squishy and like to fall to the floor,
then Alex likes to crawl all over them,
and stain his jeans,
and his mama's socks,

and his Gamma's floor.

The rest of the weekend was spent visiting family, and of course shopping!

(Shout outs to Raquel, Maddy and to his Great Aunts!)

But best of all Gamma Q helped Alex work on his crawlin' skills!

Yay for Gammas!
Yay for Turkeys!

no yay for cranberries.

Daddy-Do-List

Dear Daddy,

Mommy said that you have to lower my mattress.

ASAP

I guess she thinks that because I am working on how to pull myself up...

that I might fall and hurt myself.

I think she is just a party pooper!

So how about we go for an ice cream instead!

love,
Xander

Chaser

The past few weeks have been super busy.
We have been passing around a nasty cold and
both Chris and I have been working like crazy,

(at one time I actually had 6 shows a once!
Thankfully I am now to down to 4)

And Xander has been working hard too!

Working on going FORWARD!!!!

Last week he finally mastered the skill of sitting up from a lying position with maybe a few forward pushes before twisting around to go backward to get to his goal.

However, this week we "are off and crawling"

He will go from one side of the house to the other.
From the kitchen to couch and then to the bathroom.

And he's fast!

He is all over the place now and into everything!!!

i.e. we can no longer "plop" him in the corner and expect him to happily stay their and play with his blocks. Nope he's gotta get to that dog dish or the shoe or that dangling cord and then maybe a toy or two.

*Sniff Sniff*

He's getting to be such a Big Boy!





To be fair Alex's pajamas were extra slippery on the floor and
he had been "chasing" this block for about ten minutes all over the house.

He might have gotten Chris' good looks,
but he definitely has my patience.
or lack of...

Music ?

If only he could learn to hold the spoon longer....

No Reason

Sometimes you just wanna see silly photos

Hmmm. I wounder how this works.....

Playing is hard work....

MOOOOOOOOOO ?

A letter to Xander

To My Son,

When you wake up tomorrow this nation will have not just changed itself but also the world once more.

It has been a long and very complicated journey but the American people have risen above hate and bigotry to elect Barack Obama as our new President.

John McCain, Obama's opponent, is a hero and a very noble man who truly loves his country and serves it with all his heart and soul and you should know that he is a great man who will hopefully continue to do great things for our country.

I am so glad that you have been born in this era where we can finally elect our leaders based on their ideals and beliefs and not just their skin color. We have risen above our past full of hatred and fear and it brings tears of joy to many of our eyes.

We still have more battles to overcome, one of these battles is that of seeing woman as equals, and now with a historic amount of 17 women in the senate, and with how close Hillary Clinton came to the "final two," we have cracked that glass ceiling and small pieces are starting to fall away.

Although history has been made tonight, its still a scary time for us as a nation, with our economy in a really bad place, and with two wars going on over seas. However I finally have some hope that things will get better. I can finally be optimistic about the world you were born into and that makes my heart sing.

I think the greatest thing about this letter is that by the time you are old enough to read this you will be rolling your eyes at me as you will have grown up a new world and think I am making too much out of nothing, and I am so very envious of that.

Eventhough their are fireworks bursting outside your window right now, I hope your dreams are sweet as I know mine and so many others will be.

I will love you always and forever more,

Me, your mom.

Halloween

Alex's 1st Halloween started with a Part-ay!

Liberty is showing Xander the joys of crawling
She was a "Tuu-Tuu Wearing Hip Witch"

This is Isabella as a "Moo Cow"

This is Alex 'petting' the Moo Cow

Here are the twins as a Bumble Bee and Puppy Dog

Wanna Coookie?

After the party Xander and I went "Trick or Treating"
We went to the few neighbors that we've actually met, and gave them cookies and candies. I think it weirded them out that we were the treaters and not the takers.

Because it was such a nice night out we then sat on our front porch to give out candy! Alex loved staring at all of the goblins and animals and whatnots.

All this was way too much for Xander and he barely made it through his bedtime bottle before completely passing out.

Followed very shortly by mommy.

Hollows Eve

BOO!

Oops did we scare you?

Well no need to fear I'm here to protect you!

ROOAAARRRRRRRR!!!


I'm on the prowl for treats!

I'm not exactly sure what treats are yet
but I can't come home til my plastic pumpkin is full.

Is this really how my mom is going to treat me for the rest of my life?

Making me dress up in silly outfits for her own pleasure?
I guess it could be worse, she could have made me a silly monkey.

Happy Halloween!

Tiny Print Notice: Due to voter tampering from a recent voting poll (16 votes from 13 people) the Secretary of Mommy had to step in make a final decision. Basically this out fit was far cuter and we all know this is her last chance to decide what he gets to be for Halloween.

B

Today's Blog has been brought to you by the letter....

B

B is for the Beautiful Bouncin' Blue-eyed Baby Boy ...

who can only go

Backwards

he he

Winner

Xander lives in a house divided.

Its a Hatfield and MacCoy type of thing where we love to battle .

Battles full of blood, sweat and tears.

-all fought in shiny tight pants.

Yes people, we are talking about football!

More importantly the rivalry between the Bears and the Vikings!

Gamma Q is all for the Bears, and by default so am I.
Gampa Ken is all for the Vikings and by default so is Chris.
A truce has been called and until the age of 5 all sides have to remain fair
at which point Alex will choose his team!

as long as it not the Packers

Unfortunately, this truce makes game day a real problem for Xander.

This was his outfit this past Sunday when the Vikings visited the Bears

A real humdinger if you ask me.

As part of the deal brokered between the gramma and gramps the losing team gets to proudly display a picture of Alex as the winning team on their desk at work!
So that all can see!

So Alex, who won?

Yeah Team!

HELP!

Ok y'all so as you know it takes a village to raise a kid,

and in these tough and turbulant times things get hard,

and as a new mom I've had to learn the hard way to ask for help......

I don't know what to make Xander be for Holloween!

(I'm a total failure I know)

So here's the idea I have scouted out the following ideas.
And have posted a "poll" on the side of my blog.
Please try to hold back to only one vote
Write-ins can be submitted through my comments

as well as pro and con arguments!

Thanks so much for your help!
The winning idea will be posted on 10/31!

small legal print: winning i dea is subject to change due to availability and cost and if Chris really hates the idea or i get totally inspired by something completely new or even cuter

Teddy bear

Dinosaur / Monster

Froggie

Puppy

BatBaby

Lion

Piggie

Monkey

Shout Out

In honor of his Gamma Q...

Xander put on his 'Birthday Suit' so that he could......

in theory he was gonna hold the card all cute like,
oh well.

Hope you had a good one Mom!
love ya 'hole bunch and evas!
-me

Got Cracker?

Xander has gained a new skill!

Yep!
He can do a finger food!

We have been trying with Cheerios but all he wants do is play ....

Graham Cracker to the Rescue!

Before I was a mom I was clueless in the idea that you have to learn to eat.

(I was clueless about a lot of things really )

We are not born knowing how to feed ourselves which is why we start with sucking and work our way up to swallowing and finally chewing.

And being able to put food in your own mouth is huge!

Its more than just developing fine motor skills...

its also one step closer to self-sufficiency!

Can you hear the voice over guy....
(In his natural habitat the Human Boy struggles to keep hold of latest kill)

he he

Healing Up

Well its finally done.

My Gall Bladder has left the building.

My surgery went well, but I still had a "Rogue Stone" in one of my ducts.
So I was promptly scheduled for a second operation for Tuesday morning.

Can you say "RotoRooter"

First off I have to do some shout-outs to the nursing staff on 400 west.

You Gals Rocked!

Besides giving me great meds they were awesome at making me feel less scared and were like my little cheerleading squad in helping me get to the point where I could go home.

My second shout out goes out Ginny and Liberty who stepped up to the plate and watched Xander for us Tues when we were in a day care crunch
Thankyou so much!


It is great to be home, but the house is very quiet and lonely.
The boys are at the Grandparents so that I can have some time to heal.
I have been given a 20lb lifting restriction for two weeks

(Xander now weighs 20.4)

And having 54lb lap dog would not be wise either.

Hopefully I will be stronger tomorrow and both kids can come back home!

Till then its Vicoden, my sleeper couch, and Girlie TV to the rescue!

Surgery: 12,000 (estimate)
New Pajamas to lounge in: 14.00
Having my husband wait on me : Priceless

Blurrrrrrrrrr

Xander loves to go bouncing...

Unfortunately, it is super hard to get a good photo

Hopefully this little video will work!

That clicking noise is Alex's new "thing"
What else do you do with six teeth?

Land Shark

Not sure if this is an attempt to swim or crawl .....

it sure does look exhausting though...

2/3

Xander is now 2/3's of a year old!

(8 months for those who don't do fractions)

One of his favorite toys are his UN-Stacking Rings!

He doesn't seem to get the "stacking" part

Can someone please tell me whats going on with his hair?

Although Xander is an accomplished sitter, we still wobble some times......

But that means we can work on our PUSH UP!

Almost....

Yay! Your up!