First Doctor's Appt!

OK I know this picture is not good at all, but can you see that seahorse looking smudge kind of to the left side of the black oval? Well, that's Baby Alexander #2!!! It's still very early, so there are not really any recognizable body parts yet, but hopefully next time I go we will be able to see a lot more! The doctor said that the baby and I look good and the important thing is we saw the heartbeat and it's not twins! So YAY! Due date is still set for the end of January. Your prayers are appreciated, and if you want to be specific, no nausea!! Thanks!

Dress Up Day with Daddy

(for those of you who know Ashley Alexander, is this below face not an Ashley face or what?! You have to make the picture bigger to see it!)

First of all, let me just say how fun and sweet Avery has been lately. Craig and I have been talking about what a joy she has been lately...just hugging and kissing us and being so funny and entertaining! Well, yesterday I ran to Kohl's for about an hour, and I came home to the funniest thing ever. Craig and Avery both had on boots and cowboy hats (and shorts!) and Craig said Avery made him dress up! What a great dad!! Avery loves her rain boots, so she had put them on with her cowgirl hat, then said "put on your boots, Daddy." He tried to say he didn't have any, but she said, "yes, in your closet, I'll show you." And she proceeded to show him the boots he bought at Goodwill for her birthday party this year. So he had to put them on. Then she said "put your hat on Daddy." He again tried to say he didn't have one, and she pointed up to my cowboy hat I bought for the party, and said, "right there, Daddy. Put it on!!" So he had no choice but to oblige, and Dress Up Day with Daddy begun. Later, Avery insisted on putting on her mittens and winter hat as well, and so she switched between all of her hats all day long. I especially love the winter hat, mittens, and rain boots on her rocking horse. What fun she is! And what a great Daddy she has. How many dads would dress up and play with their daughter on their Saturday afternoon? I hope Avery realizes how blessed she is with her Daddy!

The Fire Station

Today we joined a different playgroup and went to the fire station in Jenks! When I told Avery at breakfast that we were going, she started clapping her hands and yelled "YAY, FIRE STATION!!!" She then talked about it for the next hour and a half until it was time to go. In case you don't know, fire trucks (and other emergency vehicles) are one of Avery's favorite things! She loves to see fire trucks, ambulances, police cars, etc. when we're out driving and if she hears a siren, she always wants to see the truck wherever it is! So needless to say, she loved the fire station and the kids got to see inside the building, inside the trucks and one of the firemen put on his whole outfit for them to see. The kids had a great time and I'm sure it will be the highlight of Avery's summer!

New Background Again!

OK, sorry if this new background change annoys you. I loved the other one I chose, but it was really annoying me how you could see the background through the pictures! So this one makes the pictures solid and you don't have a flower stem shooting up through anyone's head! Better!

Tricycle Maniac

Avery got a tricycle for her second birthday back on March 1st. So she has had her tricycle for 3 months now, and this girl is a tricycle maniac! She loves to ride it and she is so good at it! A couple weeks ago, she rode it around the entire block while I followed behind! I thought for sure it would take her all summer to master it, but it barely took two months. I am just now getting pictures of her on it! You really can't tell, but I wish I had gotten a picture of her 30 minutes before these were taken. She was eating a lime green popsicle and of course it was running everywhere because it was in the 90s here today. Her hands, arms, face, and the front of her dress were covered!! Oh childhood summers....

First Polished Toes

Avery has always been interested in my polished toenails, but I have never wanted to mess with trying to put polish on a toddler! Well, today I noticed a couple girls in her Sunday School class had their toes polished, and she also asked me today to put some on her toes. I thought she was old enough to obey and not touch it until it dried. So we sat in the kitchen and she let me polish her toenails pink and thankfully it dried very quickly so she didn't have to resist touching it for too long! Our little girl is growing up so fast! Also, I have to add that she has been saying hi to the new baby lately. She will lean over and say "Hi Baby" and kiss my tummy! It's so sweet. Then on the flip side of the sweetness, she tried to see what the baby was doing in Wal-Mart the other day by lifting up my shirt! Oh the things to look forward to as the belly grows... :)

Washcloth

This is something I wanted to remember, so I thought I would write about it on the blog so you all could share the joy--or strangeness. :) Avery's new favorite thing to play with is a washcloth-- damp or dry. Lately she has been asking me for a washcloth or getting one out of her bathroom and she carries it around and rubs it on her face, arms, and legs. Today she gave Craig and I a sponge bath with a dry washcloth. It's so funny. It has been keeping her happy and entertained for a long time! Whatever keeps them happy, right?!

Playdough

Today was kind of a boring day, so I had to think of something different and fun for us to do. So we decided to make homemade playdough! Avery has never really played with playdough, so this was a new experience for her. It is so easy to make and way better than store-bought playdough. I used to make it for my Pre-K class all the time, so I pulled out my recipe and let Avery help. She got to use a rolling pin and some cookie cutters and she loved it! Here is the recipe:

1 c. flour

1/2 c. salt

2 tsp. cream of tartar

1 c. water

1 T. cooking oil

several drops of food coloring


Stir dry ingredients into a pan, then add wet ingredients and cook on about medium for around 3 minutes or until mixture pulls away from sides of pan. Dump out onto the counter and knead almost immediately. It is hot, so be careful. After it cools a little, you are ready to playing! Store in an airtight container and it will last forever!

Our Big Annoucement!

Well, most of you already know--but we have a big announcement!  Avery is going to be a big sister!  We found out this past week that Baby Alexander #2 is on the way!  We are extremely excited that God has blessed us in this way and that he blessed us so quickly after we decided we were ready!  Thank you Lord!  If you ask Avery what's in Mommy's tummy, she will say "a new baby" but if you ask her if she thinks it's a boy or a girl--you will get a different answer every time!  We don't care what we get next time as long as he or she is healthy!  We appreciate your prayers for the safety and health of Mommy and Baby!

Boots and Books

(sorry this one's a bit fuzzy)

I just had to post these pictures of Avery from this morning. She was playing really well by herself in her room (and trashing it in the process--but I had to bite my tongue!) and she decided to put on her rain boots with her shorts and plopped down in the floor to look at her books--not just one or two--ALL of her books were practically pulled off the shelf! But I am so glad she loves to read like her mommy. She would let me read to her all day if we had time!!