Merry Christmas from the Beach Baby

This South Beach Babe is headed to the West Coast for Christmas, but don't worry she will not be far from the beach. Although, I doubt we'll be getting in that cold Pacific water. We don't even like to get in the Atlantic in the winter...burrrr. Happy Holidays Everyone!

Watching A Heat Game

Sonja Clause

For Lexi, this weekend was all about Charlie the Rocking Caterpillar. It started Friday night with a fun evening at my friend Sonja's house. Sonja was so kind to take care of her, while we went to Steve's company Christmas party. When we came to pick Lexi up, Sonja Clause sent us home with the most WONDERFUL gift ever - Charlie. As you can see, Lexi really enjoyed it. Unfortunately, the video I took was too dark. If not, you would see a maniac rocking back and forth. She only stopped to sleep, eat, attend my company’s Christmas party, and go shopping with her dad on Sunday (note the Dolphin dress).

New Things

Over the last few weeks, Lexi has started doing a lot of new things. I’m sure I will not remember to list all of them, but I’ll try.

1. She is now waving like a beauty queen with her fingers very still.

2. She started playing catch with me. When she was sick, we didn’t have a ball, so we started tossing a plastic block back and forth. I put her about 6 feet away from me. Half the time she throws it right to me. I usually toss/roll it back to her.

3. Her temper tantrums have increased and last longer. When she is tired, she throws little fits over everything.

4. She is singing funny little songs now.

5. She is clicking her tongue a lot and will often look at someone very seriously and start doing it.

6. She says, “ut oh, ut oh, ut oh.” over and over and over again.

7. She hates the baby food lasagna and spaghetti, but can’t get enough of the Italian food I make for us.

8. Her appetite has finally returned after last week. Actually, it has returned with a vengeance and is making up for lost meals.

9. She is even more playful if that is possible. All of the doctors and nurses were so surprised that a baby as sick as she was would still play peek-a-boo with them.

10. She is also saying, “dog,” whenever we see a dog. However, it sounds a lot like the way she says duck.

Funny Tantrum

Tantrums can be quite funny.

Hair Surprise

Yesterday, when I arrived to pick Lexi up from Daycare I was surprised. Before dropping her off, I put a cute little clip in her hair. As usual, the clip has disappeared, which is why I rarely put one in (and never put cute bows in for daycare). ....But this time, her hair had 2 very funny pig tails. I started laughing because suddenly she looked like a reindeer to me.

Her dad and I were laughing even harder, when I took them out to give her a bath. She looked a little more devilish. So...we took another video:

Trip to the ER

We have learned something new about Lexi. She is allergic to Augmentin. In fact, I wish this medicine had never been prescribed. Looking back, it was not meant to be. When we went to pick it up, all of the pharmacies on the Beach were out. When we finally got it, she hated the taste (she is now protesting all medicine). Then, it made her nauseous to the point of volcanic vomiting. When I finally figured out how to keep it down (still no appetite), she broke out in a rash. New Nick Name: Miss Spot. I called her doctor. Being the very helpful take her to the ER for everything kind of doctor that he is, you can guess his recommendation. This time, I said fine because it is much closer than Urgent Care. All she needed was a dose of Benadryl and a new prescription. I will definitely be looking for a new doctor. I also happen to be looking forward to the appointment with the ENT on Monday.

Back At It Again

Friday morning, Lexi finished off her last teaspoon of Ceprozil (antibiotics) and I foolishly thought we would have a breather. Unfortunately, there wasn’t even a chance for a half a breath. By that evening, she was running a fever. The next day, the fever was about 101, so I kept her on Tylenol. Saturday night, sleep was merely a dream that kept getting interrupted by painful screams.

...Sooooo... Sunday, we went back to Urgent Care. When they finally took us back to a room, Lexi’s temperature was 104 degrees. Yes – very scary. They gave her Motrin and discovered that both ears are infected. They also did a chest x-ray just to make sure she didn’t have bronchitis (she didn’t). The doctor also wanted a urine sample. The medical assistant (who looked like he was 12 years old & was afraid of babies) gave me a little plastic bag with an opening to tape on her. I stuck it on then fed her a bottle followed by a cup of water. After that, we waited and waited and waited, but Lexi would NOT go. We were waiting over an hour (had been there a total of 5 hours), when they finally gave up and released us.

We headed back towards home and stopped at Walgreens to pick up her prescription, Augmentin (commonly used for pneumonia). They were out, so they called the one up the street to discover they were out too. We went to CVS and got the same story (also called the other one). Fortunately, they offered to place an order and said it would be in the next day. We accepted.

I dragged her to work for half a day yesterday to get a few things done and pick up more work. She has been extremely clingy, sensitive, and moody although she is still trying to be her happy and playful self. She isn’t eating much and has begun protesting food and medicine. I think she vomited on me a total of 4 times yesterday. The worst one was right before I was about to put her in bed. I had given her a bath and a bottle. I held her while Steve squirted the medicine into her mouth and suddenly she erupted like a volcano. Poor Steve had to clean up the mess in the kitchen, while I stripped both Lexi and me and hoped into the shower. I am going to call the pharmacist today to see if I can mix the medicine in her formula. By the way, I also made an appointment with an ENT for next Monday.

For now, Lexi and I are staying home and dreaming of a time when sleep will be possible again.

Quick Peek Into Bath Time

Keeping today's post simple - photo & video

10 Months Old

Life is keeping me too busy lately. I haven't had time to post Lexi's latest milestones. Of course, not much comes to mind when I sit down to type. I guess I'll just have to go with the easy ones. She now has 7 teeth - 4 on top & 2 on the bottom. She is also standing like a pro. She can stand for several minutes and even bend over to pick things up without falling. She is taking steps, but only when holding on to something. Believe me, walking is not a milestone I am looking forward to. It is hard enough to keep up with her now. As you can see in the photos, she is still very fascinated by electronic gadgets like cell phones and remote controls. I doubt that will ever change.

More of the Fun Times

The girls pile on Dad

Granny's Great Granddaughters

Dad & Lexi take a walk to the creek with all the kids

Lexi & Camille with their Dads

Niece's Blog

BIG ANNOUNCEMENT....

My brother & sister-in-law have created a blog for their cute little daughter, Eden. I am so happy to finally see pictures of her. Here is the link:

http://littlecowgirleden.blogspot.com/

Thanksgiving Day Photos

Lexi loving the broccoli, cauliflower, and turkey bits

Granny surrounded by all of her great grandkids

Granny with youngest great grandkids

Granddad, Granny Lou, Momma, Lexi & Dada

Granny & Lexi

Granny Lou's Big Family

Granny Lou sure has a big family. In this photo, we are gathered together in front of Aunt Snookie's house on Sunday. Now, we are home and wishing we were still there. More stories & photos to follow.

Just Perfect

I had an office visitor today. Can you guess who it was? Yep - Ms. Lexi Lou in her full glory.

Let me just tell you that she was well enough to be loud and playful at times and extremely cranky at others. I feel like I have been on a roller coaster (a horrible one designed by Satan himself). Being at work with a baby that has an ear ache and 2 teeth coming in could never be a picnic. Besides all of the regular struggles of trying to keep Lexi fairly quiet and get something done, she has brought this to a whole new level of torture. First off, she only slept for 1/2 an hour. What kind of break is that? Second, I had to miss the little Thanksgiving luncheon that a project site had. (Yes, they still got my Green Bean Casserole). I knew taking her would be a problem, so I volunteered to stay & man the phones. Hmm...sit in the offce & answer the crappy phones or go to a luncheon. Ok, so there were only 3 calls (I can't complain about that too much). Third, she wanted to be held a lot. I have a huge deadline coming up the beginning of December that involves design work, which is a two handed task (more so than typing).

Plus, I absolutely CAN'T forget to mention that perfect work days don't involve puke. It shouldn't be all over my pants or the carpet in my office, not to mention Lexi and her pack-n-play. Thank goodness we will be moving to a new location next year, which is a completely separate post. BTW, the puke did not come from being sick or the book. It is a result of jumping around her pack-n-play while trying to eat a gummy treat for babies. I guess I can report that her gagging reflexes are quite good.

Needless to say, the little one is going BACK to the daycare tomorrow. She might be a handful for them, but we have to pay whether she is there or not & tomorrow they'll earn their money for the week. Besides, she can't miss their Thanksgiving party and I NEED to get some things done.

Blue Eyed Cranky Pants

Lexi is feeling a bit under the weather again. Last night, she decided to be silly while sharing her frustrations. Can you say, "night, night?"

Fourth Word

Lexi finally uttered another word. She said "Oye." Steve turned to me with a confused look and repeated it. I laughed. I knew that spending all that time in around Spanish speaking teachers would influence her. When I tell you what it means, you'll understand exactly why that would be a word she would hear a lot. Oye = Listen. Unfortunately, Lexi is already good at pretending to be deaf.

Remote Control

As you can see, we have a new remote control hog. She is constantly battling her dad for the power to make changes. Can you guess what her favorite button is? No? Ok, it is mute. It is a boring grey button, but she likes it. See her left hand? Her thumb happens to be right on top of the button. She tends to push it right when some interesting words are about to be spoken. So, if a major world event happens, be sure to call us because we'll surely miss the announcement.

Because My Brother Teased Me

On the way home from work, I called my brother to nag him once again to send photos of his daughter. For heaven sakes, the girl was born 3 weeks before Lexi and I have only seen one photo of her. It was back in JANUARY when she was 3 days old that he e-mailed a picture. As the conversation progressed, I tried to convince him that he & his wife should start a blog. They don't live near any grandparents or many family members, so it is a great idea. Plus, then I could stop nagging him. One of the selling points I mentioned was that everyone could keep up on her latest news.

THAT is when he started laughing. He said everyone knows every little thing about Lexi and that I have done more than a great job at the information flow and photos. I guess we are on opposite ends of the spectrum, but I still think he should e-mail a photo at least every 2 months. Is that too much to ask? So, Mr. Never Send Photos of your Daughter, I'm posting these pictures for you. I know you were dieing to see Lexi in this cute little outfit!

I vow to continue nagging you & our other brothers who live near you until you are motivated to send a photo. Yes - simply e-mail a photo. We'll work on getting you a blog later (cowgirl themed b/c that fits).

Sunny Bunny

The weekend in which Lexi officially became a Beach Babe. Don't worry, the sun block is always caked on.

How It Works

Ok all you closet blog readers, I know who most of you are and I could list names, but I'll be nice. I am glad that you are all reading this blog, but do you know the official term for what you are doing is called lurking? While it is not a bad thing, poor little Lexi's blog appears to be very unpopular. Post after post goes with no or few comments. WizeUp, The Princess, and the Boss are probably getting tired of carrying all of you. Blogging is meant to be interactive. That is what makes it fun.

I realize that most of you are not bloggers and therefore are probably unaware of how the comments section works, so this post is dedicated to explaining it. On the bottom of each entry there is a link that says Comments. If you click on it, you can read and add comments. You can type in your name or a nickname. Then, type in some comments. It can range from one word like, "hi" or "wow" to a long paragraph. You don't have to add your e-mail, but if you choose to I will be the only one who has access to it. In order for me to access it, I have to go to a different website and log in. Most likely, I'll just leave a comment on the blog to reply to yours.

See...it is easy! Be wild & try leaving a comment. I promise it doesn't hurt.

Veterans Day Fun

Lexi's daycare is closed for Veterans Day, so she gets to spend the day at work with me. Fortunately, she is feeling much better today. She is also getting better at entertaining herself, but it will still be difficult trying to get work done and keep her relatively quiet. The plug (pacifier) only helps so much.

Momma Bear

Yesterday, I went to a luncheon that focused on a topic that has been on my mind a lot lately. The panel discussed the importance of surrounding yourself with good people. I believe it is vital for business and life.

Looking back on my life, I realize that I have been completely fortunate to have a family that has strong values. I guess that was deeply instilled within me because all of my friends have been amazing people too. Teenagers often experiment and try to find independence through partying, but I didn't. My group of friends in Texas was so fun and about the only "wild" thing we did was stay out late. It is not like we were the nerds of the school; two of the guys were stars of the basketball team. We were always together having fun playing volleyball, watching movies, playing video games, swimming, and basically hanging out. We all just came from good families. I think that is how the teenage years should be - full of good clean fun.

With Lexi in my life, I feel an overpowering need to only surround her with positive people. I want her to have the best influences, great experiences, and fun friends. I hope Steve and I can instill only wonderful values in her so that later she makes wise decisions about friends and her life.

I believe something crazy and amazing happens to parents, but especially women when they have a baby/child. Nice girls become exactly like momma bears. They are fiercely protective of their cubs and quite weary of others. We all know how momma bears react when they are trying to protect their young. It is just part of the love that comes from being a parent.

Sharing Time

This week, Lexi has started the feeding others/sharing phase. She tries to feed me her Gerber Wagon Wheels and Cheerios. She is also showing her kindness by trying to share her pacifier. Oh, how thoughtful.

Frustrated Fans

Steve is one of those fans that want his team to completely obliterate the opponents every second of the game. His team has to execute every play perfectly or he gets frustrated. Lexi and I watched the Dolphins vs the Bears game with him on Sunday. It was a miracle that the Dolphins were actually winning, but Steve still took a moment to goof around with Lexi's teasing frustrated reaction. She does this quite often and we finally captured it on camera.

Expressions

A few weeks ago, someone I work with asked me how you can tell what your baby is feeling. I just laughed and said babies are very expressive. In fact, these photos were taken in a matter of 5 minutes. She lets me know exactly how she feels.

I haven't had time to write all the changes that have taken place in the last month. I usually try to do that on each month birthday. She turned 9 months on Oct 26th, a week ago. I guess I'll just note a few things. She started doing kisses (she photo #2), standing without holding on (lasts a few seconds), trying to stand up with out pulling herself up (sometimes makes it up for a few seconds), saying duck (a lot & for everything), and doing probably a few things I am leaving out.

I also discovered something that she does not like to eat, which is a big deal for her. Let me just say that the daycare ladies are all very impressed by her eating skills and lack of pickiness (I think she gets it from my brother/dad). Since we started grocery shopping on the Beach, I have discovered a few tropical flavored baby foods. So far, she likes mango, but guava is a definite no (despite the pink color). When I fed it to her, she kept opening her mouth, but would shudder with every spoonful. Finally, she started turning her head and would not eat another bite. It was pretty funny to see her act like that.

**Adding On** - When I took Lexi to the doctor today (ear infection), she weighed in just 2 oz shy of 20 lbs.

Halloweenie

Things are crazy around here, but I decided to post a few photos of our MetroBoo experience (Photos of us with Lexi as Aunt Angie likes). The place was packed, especially near the candy stations, but weren't interested in those anyway. We had fun looking at all the interesting costumes and seeing the animals. It was definitely a hit.