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All Alaina

2012-02-12T21:38:00.001-05:00

Alaina was just too cute today for us not to take a lot of pictures and share them with you.

First, check out her newest trick...

Alaina now plugs her ears to stop sound. She LOVES to do this while eating. She started doing this earlier in the week and I would say her name and she would laugh. It's really cute, now; we'll see how we feel about it when she starts plugging her ears when we need her to listen.

Then, just after dinner, Harry and Alaina had daddy/daughter hair salon time. I put Alaina's hair in a pony tail after her second nap, but Alaina and Harry decided that hair bows were also needed. This is what they did...

Alaina and Tank

2012-02-10T20:00:00.001-05:00

Alaina has always loved dogs. Her first loves were Jasmine (Jazzy) and Frannie at her first nanny's house. She has found a new puppy love at her new nanny's house... Tank. Here they are hanging out together.

Tank is pretty taken with Alaina, too. He waits for her at the door each morning and walks her out in the afternoon (I think it's because she brings him crackers every day).

More Paint!

2012-01-28T20:18:00.000-05:00

Today, Harry, Alaina, and I painted an accent wall in our living room and in our kitchen. We love how it turned out and look forward to painting more next week.

The views of the living room. Yes, that is Antiques Roadshow on the TV; we're dorks like that.

The kitchen (featuring Alaina eating dinner).

We also painted the stop and drop. The rest of the kitchen, living room, and hallway will be a tan color; we think the blue/gray will look really nice in contrast.

Playtime with Liam

2012-01-26T21:12:00.001-05:00

Today, I had to work late at school so Jessica and I planned to take Liam and Alaina to the mall for some playtime before heading back to school. They both had a blast and Jessica and I enjoyed seeing our little ones play.

Pretty in Pink

2012-01-22T20:46:00.001-05:00

This weekend we painted the first room in our new home; of course we had to start with Alaina's room. We had worked so hard making the perfect nursery for her in our old house and I hated leaving it. We decided to change things up a bit for her new room. She still is using the same nursery bedding, but we opted for a pink room for our growing little lady.

Her crib and her name above her bed... just like in her first nursery. We also have her Beatles quote that I made for her hanging to the left of her crib.

Her windows, I'm not sure why it looks so smokey in this picture. I'm hoping there isn't a smoke monster at our house (yes, that was a Lost reference).

The door to the left leads to our hallway, the door to the right is the entrance to Alaina's Jack-and-Jill bathroom.

Her closet and the entrance to her room.

I am planning on making her new curtains as soon as I find the perfect fabric. I know exactly what I want, now it's just the process of finding it. I really hope our little lady loves her new room color.

Alaina's Babies

2012-01-22T14:39:00.000-05:00

Alaina has become very interested in babies lately. There is a 4 month old with her at her nanny's and she has a lot of baby dolls at our house. Her favorite has to be her Bitty Baby American Girl Doll; this doll was a present from her cousin, Madison (and the rest of the Jones family... but Madison picked her out). She plays with her baby, sleeps with her, and has been taking really good care of her.

Alaina and baby Olivia at her nanny's house.

Alaina and her baby doll. We are still trying to come up with a name for this baby. Madison's baby is named Hannah, so we are trying to think of a similar name. We're open to suggestions. :-)

Budding Artist

2012-01-19T19:13:00.003-05:00

Alaina has been coloring more and more lately. She loves markers, but I don't love scrubbing them out of her clothes, so we stick to other mediums. This is Alaina today, coloring with her nanny.

Notice how she studies the color to ensure it is the perfect shade. She really has some talent.

A Day Off

2012-01-16T08:06:00.001-05:00

Alaina and I are enjoying our MLK day here at home catching up on our rest. We are hoping for warmer weather this afternoon so we can play outside.

Welcome Home, Edward!

2012-01-12T20:02:00.003-05:00

Our brother-in-law, Edward, returned home from Afghanistan late last night. We are so thankful for his safe return.

This looks like one happy family.

Christmas in Wilmington Part 2

2012-01-04T21:03:00.001-05:00

After my brother and his family left Wilmington, my sister and her kids came for a visit. We had a blast hanging out together.

Alaina helping grandma unwrap a present.

Madison and Luke opening their presents.

More presents for Alex and Alaina.

Picnic lunch at Carolina Beach State Park.

Family photo time!

Petting the neighbor's cat.

Yes, these 2 girls are related...

Luke also loved Alaina's pink 4-wheeler.

Alaina loved the tractor, too.

Christmas in Wilmington

2011-12-30T17:49:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, Harry, Alaina, and I drove to Wilmington, NC to spend some time with my parents. My brother, Clay, and his wife, Karen, and their son, Weston, were already in Wilmington.

We opened presents once we arrived and Alaina got a new 4-wheeler! She and Weston both really liked it.

Alaina pushing Weston on the 4-wheeler.

Alaina also really enjoyed Weston's gift... a scooter.

Clay, Karen, and Weston left this morning to begin their long trip back to Oklahoma and we decided to go to the beach!

We had a wonderful day and can't wait for my sister, Martha, and her children, Madison, Luke, and Alex, to get here very soon!

Merry Christmas!!

2011-12-25T21:41:00.002-05:00

Merry Christmas everyone!

We began our celebrations at our home today. We must have been good this year because Santa did indeed pay us a visit. After opening presents at our house we moved the celebrations to Harry's parents' home.

Oh yes, Santa did come.

Alaina's first present... a Minnie Mouse Cup.

Waiting for daddy to free the laptop from the package.

Dancing on the dollhouse box.

Chef Alaina at her grandma and grandpa's house.

Reading with Aunt Laura

Reading with cousins Charlie and Leah

Christmas Eve

2011-12-24T21:00:00.002-05:00

We have had an enjoyable Christmas Eve at our home. We baked, watched Christmas movies, went to church, and had fun together as a family.

Christmas at the Nativity

2011-12-24T20:49:00.000-05:00

Last night Harry, Alaina, and I visited a live nativity at a local church. We all really enjoyed seeing the animals, hearing the Christmas music, and listening to the Christmas story.

I forgot our camera so I only had my phone to capture pictures. The video seems the best way to share all of the events.

Alaina really liked the camel but was unsure of the donkey. She also enjoyed waving at all of the nativity participants.

Santa Baby

2011-12-23T15:27:00.000-05:00

Christmas Cookies and Playdates

2011-12-23T10:24:00.000-05:00

I've been out of school for three days now (woohoo) and Alaina and I have been enjoying our time together. For any of you that know Alaina in real life, you know that she is a very picky eater. I've been trying to get her to try a Christmas cookie since I baked them weeks ago. Yesterday, I was eating a Christmas cookie for breakfast (don't judge me... you know you do it, too) and Alaina pointed to the cookie. Success! Alaina finally tried a Christmas cookie and liked it!

After the great cookie adventure Alaina and I headed off to a play date with some of her friends.

Here they are! From left to right Liam, Alaina, Kathleen - Lilly's mom, Lilly, Zach, and Beth - Zack's mom. Missing from the picture is Ayla who was playing in another part of the room at the time the picture was taken. The babies had a great time playing together. Alaina was a pacifier hog and was stealing everyone's paci (Zack's is in her mouth in this picture). That's my girl!

Grandpa

2011-12-20T21:39:00.000-05:00

My grandfather passed away yesterday so I thought it was only fitting that I share some of my fondest memories of him today. He lived 89 years and in that time he made his mark on both the world and on our family. He fought in World War II with the Navy in the Pacific and opened his own jewelery store in Alliance, Ohio. He fathered 2 children and adopted another. He has 9 grandchildren and 8 great-grandchildren.

Grandpa and me

Martha, Clay, Grandpa, and me

There are a few fond memories I will always carry with me about my grandpa. I will always remember how he used to bring bags of butterscotch to our house when he visited. He would feed the butterscotch to our horse, Hasan. I think that grandpa really enjoyed Hasan.

I will always remember going to my grandpa's jewelry store to pick out my first pair of pierced earrings (my uncle, who is a doctor, pierced my ears when I was in 6th grade and my grandfather supplied the earrings). I loved visiting grandpa's jewelry store and I especially loved going into the safe.

Finally, I will always remember my grandpa's humor. My brother, Clay, was obsessed with the movie "An American Werewolf in London" growing up. Grandpa watched this movie with us on one of his visits and disappeared upstairs for a few minutes mid-movie. When he came back downstairs he was wearing his bathrobe and had his pants rolled up underneath it. He told us that the movie had scared his pants off.

I loved my grandpa and I will miss him but I know that he is in a much better place, now.

Alaina's Bike

2011-12-17T20:00:00.001-05:00

Yesterday, Alaina and I had Christmas with Paula and her BFF, Emma (Kevin and Harry were still at work). They got Alaina a bike (since she likes riding Emma's bike so much) and Alaina was tearing around the house on it today.

Alaina and Paula

Merry Christmas...

2011-12-15T20:49:00.000-05:00

from our family to yours.

Christmas at Birkdale

2011-12-11T21:01:00.000-05:00

After visiting with Santa, Harry, Alaina, and I snapped a few pictures at Birkdale Village.

We had a great time and got some really nice pictures.

Visiting Santa

2011-12-11T16:11:00.000-05:00

Today, Alaina visited Santa and told him she had been a good girl this year; she also shared her Christmas wish list.

She was very well behaved during her visit and I'm pretty sure Santa will bring her everything on her list.

Alaina Has Skills

2011-12-07T21:05:00.000-05:00

Our little lady has been working on using a spoon lately. Yesterday, she fed herself her macaroni at dinner and did a really great job.

As a righty...

and now as a lefty.

Our Little Jumping Bean

2011-12-02T20:25:00.000-05:00

Alaina has recently acquired a new skill... jumping! She loves to practice her jumps in the evening. Occasionally, she even gets both feet off the ground.

Holiday Cheer

2011-11-30T21:45:00.000-05:00

As promised, here are a few of our holiday decoration pictures.

The front of our home.

Our tree; Joey has assumed his position under the tree. This year, our lower ornaments are a little sparse (due to a roaming toddler) and are all wire hanger-free and unbreakable. :-)

Getting Ready for Christmas

2011-11-26T14:49:00.001-05:00

Today, we decorated our house for Christmas (decoration pictures to follow later). It was really fun decorating the new house and Alaina enjoyed starting a tradition this year. Last year Santa brought her an "Elf on the Shelf" to watch her and report back on her behavior; so today, we set up the elf.

Alaina thoroughly inspected her elf.

Then gave him a hug.

Now, he is ready to send a detailed report to Santa each day.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-25T09:54:00.000-05:00

From our family to yours.

Alaina Meets Lily

2011-11-20T20:58:00.001-05:00

Today, we traveled north to Mocksville to see our friends Brendt and Danielle and meet their new little addition, Lily (she was born on October 12).

Alaina is all ready to go!

Alaina with Danielle and baby Lily.

The happy family.

Just Chillin

2011-11-14T20:19:00.001-05:00

This past weekend Harry, Alaina, and I spent a lot of time around the house hanging out. We took a walk in our new neighborhood to explore a bit. We didn't get far on that trail but we did find another one we will try next weekend.

Out for a walk.

This next picture was taken a few weeks ago but it's just too cute not to share and it goes with the "Just Chillin" title since Alaina was hanging out in her jammies.

Fall Fun

2011-11-09T19:43:00.000-05:00

The leaves have changed and are now falling in the Charlotte area... Alaina and Emma spent the afternoon enjoying the season.

Kicking Back - Alaina Style

2011-11-07T21:39:00.000-05:00

Alaina has taken to singing in the car the past few weeks. Today, I was at a stoplight and managed to catch her vocal stylings on video.

She also has been enjoying her chair in the living room as more than just a jungle gym.

She sat like this for minutes (which doesn't seem like a long time, but for a busy toddler, minutes are more like hours).

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-31T21:26:00.000-04:00

Happy Halloween from our little pink bunny.

Emma and Alaina both were ready for trick-or-treat when I picked up Alaina today.

A tired bunny by the end of the night.

Our Little Pumpkin

2011-10-30T20:35:00.000-04:00

Today we carved our pumpkin for Halloween. Little Alaina, also our little pumpkin, "helped" by watching from the screen door. Here is how our pumpkin turned out...

Happy Halloween!

Carolina Balloon Festival

2011-10-23T22:05:00.000-04:00

Yesterday, Harry, Alaina, and I went to see the balloons at the Carolina Balloon Festival. The festival sold out of tickets before we got there, but that actually worked out even better for us. We pulled over on the side of the road and watched the hot air balloons from a golf course. Little Alaina loved running and playing in the grass and even looked at a balloon or two.

The Pumpkin Patch

2011-10-22T21:30:00.000-04:00

Today our little family made its way to the pumpkin patch to pick out our Halloween pumpkins. My dad came up with the rule, many years ago, that I could get the biggest pumpkin I could carry. We explained this to Alaina today and she tried very hard to pick up her pumpkins. She wasn't able to pick up a very big pumpkin, but luckily Harry can carry a pretty big pumpkin.

Looking for the perfect pumpkin.

Miss Independent

Harry talking to Alaina about how to pick the perfect pumpkin.

Trying to carry her pumpkin.

There was a tractor off to Alaina's right... can you tell?

Alaina is trying to decide which pumpkin to pick.

The picture on the left is better of Alaina; the picture on the right is better of me. I'll just post both.

Our family portrait.

The Playground

2011-10-22T14:08:00.000-04:00

Yesterday, Harry and I took Alaina to the playground at our neighborhood. She loves it there because there are swings, a jungle gym, and some riding equipment (an airplane and a "fundozer"). Here are a few photos I snapped with my phone.

The playground is right next to our community pond. It looked so pretty last night.

Harry and Alaina crossing the bridge.

13 Months Old

2011-10-10T22:20:00.000-04:00

Today is Alaina's 13 month birthday. She is growing more and more every day and loves the independence she is gaining as she gets older.

Alaina loved the tractors at the corn maze yesterday. Her grandpa will love that it's a Farmall.

Since our move we have had this picture sitting on the floor in the dining room. Every day Alaina would sit in front of it for the longest time and just stare at the photos. She would touch each picture and would kiss Harry and I in the pictures. It almost broke my heart to hang it yesterday. I think I might need to get another copy and put this on the floor in her bedroom.

Finally, Alaina has been trying to dress herself more each morning. She found Harry's vest yesterday and (with a little help) slipped it on and ran around the house in it.

Happy 13 month birthday to our sweet little lady.

The Corn Maze

2011-10-09T20:46:00.000-04:00

Today Harry, Alaina, and I met our friends to walk the Rural Hill Corn Maze in Huntersville. We have cracked this maze in previous years so we were pretty excited to introduce Alaina to the challenge. This years theme was a triathlon/fitness theme; we found this very interesting since there was also a triathlon that took place right behind our backyard today.

Little Alaina and I made it through the maze together. She started out on Harry's back and we switched halfway through.

The whole gang... Liam, Siggy, Jessica, me, Alaina, Harry, Shannon and Joanne.

Our family portrait.

NC Zoo Trip

2011-10-08T21:33:00.000-04:00

Today, Harry, Alaina, and I met my sister, Martha, and my niece and nephews at the NC Zoo. We had a great time and saw some amazing animals.

Alaina's New Chair

2011-10-04T21:04:00.000-04:00

Alaina recently picked out a new chair for our living room that is just her size. She loves her chair but rarely uses it for its intended purpose.

She loves running straight at the chair and then burying her face in it. In this picture she also managed to get her foot up on the chair. Every now and then she sits in the chair, but not for very long. Maybe one day I'll catch a picture of that.

The Whitewater Center

2011-10-01T21:17:00.000-04:00

Today, we took a break from unpacking to visit the US National Whitewater Center in South Charlotte. The USNWC began as a training facility for Olympic athletes and is now open to the public for a variety of activities. We didn't go rafting or even take a trip on the zip line today because Alaina didn't meet the weight/age requirements and Harry and I keep getting sick; since the temperature in Charlotte was only in the low 60s (YAY!) we decided to stay dry and just hang out with some of Harry's family.

This was Alaina's favorite part of the whitewater center... walking up and down the stairs of a bridge over the rapids.

Alaina loved playing with her second cousin, Leah.

Here come the rafters! In the boat are Harry's cousins Russ and Matt and Rachel's mom, Marcia, (Rachel is Russ' girlfriend). You can see Charlie and Leah (Matt's children) on the bridge that Alaina loved so much. We had a great time and we really enjoyed being outside in the crisp fall weather.

Our New House

2011-09-29T21:14:00.000-04:00

As promised, here are a few pictures of our new house.

This is not our house but part of our backyard. One of the things I love about our new house is that it is in the country. We have a hay field behind our house and a rooster visits daily. We also get a large variety of visiting wildlife. This hawk was on the fence at the edge of our backyard today.

This is Alaina's playroom (our bonus room over the garage). Right now it is missing large furniture, but our current living room furniture will be moved up here in the near future.

This is Alaina's room. It doesn't have decorations on the wall yet, but everything is unpacked!

This is Alaina's bathroom (also the guest bath). She and Harry were getting ready for bath time.

Our living room. You can see the backyard and hay field through the windows. We will be getting new furniture for this room, soon.

Our kitchen. I LOVE our kitchen. I've gotten used to cooking with our gas stove (it scared me a little bit at first) and the convection oven is awesome! I can't wait to have a little more time to cook in this beautiful kitchen.

As you can see, we still have a long way to go; but for only being here less than 2 weeks, I think we are doing pretty well. I'm hoping to get more unpacking done this weekend so I can share more pictures, soon.

We've Moved!

2011-09-27T21:13:00.000-04:00

You may have noticed that I haven't posted lately... that's because we've moved!

We packed up the house we lived in for 7 years and moved into a larger house. We are currently settling in, so please forgive me if I take a little more time off. Lots of pictures of the new house and us living in it to follow.

Enjoying Birthday Presents

2011-09-11T20:58:00.000-04:00

Alaina spent most of her day today playing with her birthday presents. Here are a few pictures of some of her new toys.

Happy First Birthday, Alaina!

2011-09-10T21:11:00.000-04:00

Today, our little baby turned one. It's hard to believe that a year has gone by this quickly. We celebrated with a party in the park.

Alaina and her cousin, Madison, dressed alike for the party. I can already tell these girls are going to be lifelong friends.

More girl-time... Alaina's other BFF, Emma, was at the party, too, but I didn't get a photo of them together. Hopefully I'll get a copy of one, soon.

An attempt to get a photo of Alaina, her cousins Madison, Luke, and Alex with grandma and grandpa.

Alaina got her own mini cake.

Happy First Birthday, sweet baby girl!

Busy Little Baby

2011-09-08T20:47:00.000-04:00

Now that Alaina is up and walking she is constantly busy. She LOVES playing outside and has fun helping out around the house when she is inside. Here are a few pictures and a video of Alaina's play and work time.

All Business

2011-09-05T20:51:00.000-04:00

Today, Alaina and I got to spend Labor Day together and she was all business despite the relaxing nature of the holiday.

She started out taking her "brief case" to a very important meeting. Harry noted that it must be business casual if she can go in a PJs, but it's Labor Day so I think it's ok.

Then she sat down for a good read. She did sit in her basket of toys (something she started doing yesterday and seems to love) but she didn't play... no, no. She was very into her studies.

Happy Labor Day!

On a side note, this was Alaina's due date 1 year ago. She was 5 days late so her first birthday is coming up on Saturday!!

Walking!

2011-08-30T21:46:00.000-04:00

Alaina took her first steps weeks ago but this past weekend she really started walking to get where she is going. She does this adorable impression of a T-Rex while she walks by holding her little hands up to her chest. She's getting really good at walking and I know it won't be long before she is running!

Our Last Day of Summer Break

2011-08-18T21:12:00.000-04:00

Today was my first day back it school and Alaina's first day back with her wonderful nanny. To prepare for our separation, we spent yesterday snuggling, playing, and having fun at the park.

We visited the swings, Alaina's favorite, and went for a walk down by the water.

Checking out her new kicks... baby New Balance.

She's a brave little lady.

Lady Liberty

2011-08-10T21:40:00.000-04:00

The past few days, Alaina has been helping me do some spring cleaning (in August?). She has found a lot of interesting things: keys to my high school car and keys to the boat I worked on in high school, negatives from my sister's wedding, and various other trinkets. Her favorite has to be the New York City glasses.

I think they just might be my favorite, too.

Oh, and just in case you are wondering... we are keeping these (probably with Alaina's things).

11 Months Old!

2011-08-10T17:53:00.000-04:00

Today is Alaina's 11 month birthday. In just one short month our little lady will be a year old; it's so hard to believe that almost a year has gone by already.

Current Likes:

Goldfish Crackers; Ritz Crackers; Toast; Chasing mommy, daddy, or the cats; Pulling things out of drawers; Getting into cabinets (and trash cans); Swimming at the pool; Playing with a variety of toys; Playing Peek-a-boo

Current Dislikes:

Her carseats; Getting out of the bathtub; Being told "no"

New Tricks:

Clapping; Standing unassisted; Taking a couple of unassisted steps

Random Pictures

2011-08-07T21:32:00.000-04:00

I've gotten some pretty cute pictures this past week of our little Alaina... here are a few.

Cups! I love cups!

Sharing is caring! Story time at Davidson Public Library.

I'm not going to sit here much longer!

Let's go this way, Mom.

I really like this walking thing.

Standing and Walking!

2011-08-02T21:44:00.001-04:00

Today, Alaina took her first unassisted steps! She was sitting on the floor and I rolled the ball away for her to chase. She stood up on her own, steadied herself, and then took 3 steps toward the ball! Yesterday, I helped her take a step (or maybe 2) towards her walker/stroller but she had help getting started so we are counting today as her first official steps. Best of all, Harry and I were both here to witness the momentous event. Our baby girl is getting so big!

I took the following video earlier this evening to show Alaina standing unassisted. I'll work on capturing the walking on video, too. Yay Alaina!!

10 Month Stats

2011-07-21T21:29:00.001-04:00

Alaina went to the doctor for her (ahem) 9 month check-up today... yes, she is 10 months and 11 days old, but I had trouble getting an appointment. Anyway, here is how our little lady measured up today.

Weight - 22 pounds and 10 ounces - 90th percentile

Height - 29 inches - 75th percentile

Head Circumference - 18.5 inches - over 100th percentile

This picture was on my phone from our recent trip to Hilton Head Island and I couldn't resist posting it. Alaina found her way into the bathroom of our hotel and then proceeded to shred the toilet paper. Harry and I feel foolish that we invested in a paper shredder; clearly we should just give Alaina all documents we don't want to fall into the wrong hands and she will keep our personal information safe while having the time of her life.

Hilton Head Island Vacation

2011-07-19T16:27:00.000-04:00

Harry, Alaina, and I spent a long weekend at Hilton Head Island. It was just what we needed to relax and recharge and even escape the heat in Charlotte. Here are some pictures from our trip.

The walkway and entrance to Coligny Beach. It was a beautiful beach with a great park.

Alaina saw her first alligator in the swamp behind our hotel. She got a stuffed alligator to remember the occasion.

Snack time on the beach.

Playing with daddy.

On Vacation

2011-07-16T16:10:00.000-04:00

We are currently relaxing and chasing seagulls at Hilton Head Island.

More pictures to follow when we return.

10 Months Old!

2011-07-10T20:37:00.000-04:00

Today, Alaina turned 10 months old!

Current Likes:
Cats and Dogs, Playing with other Kids, Lil' Crunchies, Climbing the Stairs, Playing Chase, Hugging her Baby Doll, Pushing Her Stroller

Current Dislikes:
Wearing a Bib, Being Told No

Here Comes the Hotstepper

2011-07-06T22:30:00.001-04:00

Alaina was a very busy bee today. She started the day at home playing with her new car seat....

let's hope she likes it this much once it is installed.

Then, she decided today was a great day to learn to climb the stairs all the way to the second floor!

It might be time for a baby gate at the bottom of the stairs.

Then, after a nap, it was off to the park for a picnic with Jessica and Liam.

Yes, she is stealing goldfish from Jessica.

Finally, it was over to the jungle gym for some swinging and a little driving.

Here, Liam is turning the wheel and making "vroom vroom" noises while Alaina danced next to him.

She should sleep very well tonight.

Happy Independence Day!

2011-07-04T20:41:00.000-04:00

We hope you all had a wonderful 4th. Harry had to work today so Alaina and I spent the afternoon with his family in Charlotte for the Winget family reunion. I didn't think to get pictures but I know some will show up on Facebook soon so maybe I can post some after that.

Once we were home, Alaina celebrated our nation's independence by having a little sing-along/dance party to Sesame Street.

We then finished up the evening by visiting with friends for a cook-out (again, I didn't take pictures... I don't know what's wrong with me today). We enjoyed our day and are very thankful to all who have fought and continue to fight for the freedoms we enjoy.

Hugs are Free

2011-06-28T21:20:00.000-04:00

New Cousins, Same Bragg

2011-06-27T22:37:00.000-04:00

This past weekend, Harry, Alaina, and I visited my sister and her family in Fayetteville. They just recently moved back to the area from Yuma, AZ after Edward, my brother-in-law, was transferred back to Fort Bragg. He will be deploying to Afghanistan mid-July so we wanted to visit them before he left.

This was the first time Edward and my niece, Madison, and nephews, Luke and Alex, were able to meet Alaina; all of the cousins had a great time getting to know each other.

Luke, Alex, Alaina, and Madison playing together with Alaina's new iPod.

There were a lot of hugs this past weekend, especially for Alaina.

Alex and me after a nap (his, not mine, unfortunately).

Martha and Alex after a tattoo session; thank goodness for washable markers.

Madison, Harry, and Alaina all look pretty happy.

Our Water Baby

2011-06-22T22:09:00.000-04:00

Since I'm on summer vacation (yay!) Alaina and I have been spending a lot of time at the pool. Alaina LOVES swimming. She is learning how to kick when we hold her out and loves to splash and chase her swimmy turtle around the pool. She is not a fan of adult swim time (10 minutes each hour). She wants to be in the pool or crawling around the pool, which would not be so good for the skin on her knees.

Here, Alaina is impatiently waiting for adult swim to be over; as you can tell she was talking up a storm and was most likely saying how unfair it was that she couldn't be in the pool. (How cute is she in her bathing suit?!)

Happy Father's Day!

2011-06-19T09:22:00.000-04:00

To all the wonderful dads out there... thank you! Especially these great dads:

My dad, Martha, Clay, me and our horse Hasan

Harry's dad and Harry

Harry and Alaina

Dancing Queen

2011-06-18T16:42:00.000-04:00

Today, Alaina showed off her dancing skills while listening to Harry's computer (he was listening to Lady Gaga).

You know you are tired when...

2011-06-17T21:08:00.001-04:00

...you fall asleep like this.

(And yes, those are tiger kitties in submarines looking at fish on her PJs.)

Strolling Along

2011-06-15T13:47:00.001-04:00

Alaina got a stroller/walker from my parents a few weekends ago and is just now getting into walking with it. Up until now, she has played with it while sitting on the floor or stood with it; but the past few days she has been walking with it.

Before very long, she'll be walking unassisted!

9 Months Old!

2011-06-10T21:18:00.000-04:00

Today our little Alaina turned 9 months old. She is crawling, pulling up and standing, and talking... a lot!

Current Likes:

crawling, playing, swimming in the pool (both baby and big), opening and closing doors and cabinets, eating finger foods, and being independent

Current Dislikes:

her car seat and any other restrictive device and getting out of the bathtub

Jump, Alaina, Jump!

2011-06-09T22:39:00.000-04:00

Alaina got a new toy at Target today, a Johnny Jump Up. We've put off getting one since we only have 2 door frames downstairs (our bathroom and laundry room); however, with summer coming, I know I'll spend more time at home and upstairs where Alaina can enjoy it.

She had a hard time using the jumper for its intended purpose; she wanted to walk in it more than jump. Harry commented that it is acting more like a tether than a jumper, but that's not necessarily a bad thing.

Happy Memorial Day

2011-05-30T21:31:00.001-04:00

This weekend Harry, Alaina, and I headed to Wilmington to visit my parents for Memorial weekend. We spent our time relaxing at the house, going to the beach, and eating seafood. It was wonderful.

Alaina waited a whole 15 seconds before eating her first fistful of sand.

It was a little windy so Alaina felt the need to hang on to the umbrella.

One sandcastle, destroyed!

Sitting in the water with Harry.

She loved the ocean here... not so much as we went further out.

Sleepy eyes.

She was so tired she put her head down on the beach chair.

Hanging with grandma getting a bottle.

Looking very innocent.

Mowing

2011-05-25T21:53:00.001-04:00

Today, Harry mowed the lawn and Alaina loved watching him through the glass door.

(Make sure your volume is turned up, her little excited noises are too cute.)

A Trip to Pinky's

2011-05-21T22:24:00.000-04:00

Today, Harry, Alaina, and I made a trip to Pinky's Westside Grill downtown. This is one of our favorite restaurants (for those of you familiar with Charlotte, Pinky's is owned and operated by the former head chef of the Penguin Drive-In). While we were there, Alaina had her first ever french fry... she LOVED it. It was a sweet potato fry so I don't feel too guilty; hey, a girl has to splurge every now and then.

Taste-Testing

Yep, she liked it!

First Timer

2011-05-15T21:54:00.000-04:00

Today, Harry and I took Alaina to Jetton Park for a walk and for her first ride in a real swing. She had a blast!

Here we are by the water... she was taking an awesome nap.

Her face says it all!

8 Months Old!

2011-05-10T22:44:00.000-04:00

Today, our little Alaina turned 8 months old! She is getting so big and growing up SO fast!

Current Likes:

crawling!!!, standing (especially in the crib and at the coffee table), pulling up on anything that stands still long enough, peek-a-boo, toast, crunchy snacks, her kitties, remote controls, phones, cameras, bath time, and her pacifier

Current Dislikes:

her car seat (I don't know what that thing did to her), getting out to the tub, being tired, cutting new teeth (she currently has 4)

This picture was taken today as she was crawling all over the living room. She is all over the place and I can tell she is going to get into everything. We love her so much... happy 8 month birthday, sweet baby!

Our Little Jumping Bean

2011-05-09T21:25:00.000-04:00

I'm pretty sure this wasn't the intended use for the exersaucer, but it makes Alaina happy so who are we to stop her.

Crawling and Standing!!

2011-05-05T22:04:00.000-04:00

A Weekend of Weddings

2011-05-01T21:29:00.000-04:00

This weekend, Alaina participated in not one, but two weddings! Of course, we watched the royal wedding on Friday; however, she went to her first wedding on Saturday to watch our friends Katie and Kevin get married. Harry was a groomsman, so Alaina and I were in the audience flying solo. She was on her best behavior and didn't make a peep during the ceremony. She then stole the show after the wedding by simply playing her the grass outside the chapel.

I know I'm biased, but this is the CUTEST baby ever!

Starting to Crawl!!!

2011-04-28T21:43:00.000-04:00

Oh no... it has begun!

Happy Easter!

2011-04-24T22:52:00.001-04:00

Today, we celebrated Easter with an Easter Egg hunt, church, and then lunch with Harry's family. Harry and I really enjoyed showing Alaina how to hunt for Easter Eggs. It was lucky for her that the bunny didn't make the hunt that difficult.

Most of the eggs were scattered on the living room floor.

Yay! The Easter Eggs had puffs or yogurt melts inside!

Joey thinks this is his Easter basket...

and Phoebe is convinced the eggs are on the floor so she can bat them around.

Thankfully, there were some new teething toys in the Easter basket; the Easter Bunny must have talked to the Tooth Fairy and knew that Alaina needed these.

Alaina found one of the hidden eggs.

Woohoo! Two more hidden eggs!

The Easter Bunny also brought Harry a chocolate bunny... his favorite.

Another Visit From the Tooth Fairy

2011-04-23T22:11:00.000-04:00

Today, Alaina got her third tooth! She has been a little fussy all week long (and hasn't wanted to nap... adding to the fussiness) so I was relieved to see the new tooth make its appearance today. The latest edition to her set of chompers is the left upper incisor. She has yet to show it off proudly, I'm guessing it's still a little tender, but I got to finally feel it tonight when I brushed her bottom teeth. I'll post a picture of the newest tooth as soon as I can get a decent one. Until then, enjoy this picture of Alaina in her Beatles onesie with Harry in his Avett Brothers t-shirt.

Sometimes, people tell me that Alaina looks like me. When I see a picture of her with Harry, I know that those nice people are lying to me. She is all him and that's just fine with me.

The Chase

2011-04-20T21:09:00.000-04:00

Today, I chased little Alaina around in her walker while she chased Joey. She had been walking up to things and banging on them so that's why I keep saying "bang, bang, bang," in the video. With her hair in the pony tail, it seems like little Miss Pebbles would have preferred "Bam Bam" instead; however, you saw the bed head from this morning so the pony tail was the only way to go... Anyways, enjoy the video.

Bed Head!

2011-04-20T08:40:00.000-04:00

I love spring break. Alaina and I are sleeping in (sort-of) and enjoying our time together.

Happy Palm Sunday

2011-04-17T21:06:00.000-04:00

Walking

2011-04-15T20:10:00.000-04:00

Woohoo! It is spring break here in Charlotte and that means that I now get to spend 9 whole days, in a row, with my little Alaina. Her wonderful nanny let us borrow the walker that Alaina uses at their house so she can still get some exercise over the break. Alaina is thrilled that she can move around the house; meanwhile, the cats hate (and I mean really hate) that she is more mobile.

Alaina has already figured out how to get up onto the carpet in our living room from the kitchen. I'm pretty sure that by the end of the 9 days she will have figured out how to get the walker upstairs. Harry and I really need to batten down the hatches!

7 Months Old!

2011-04-10T20:04:00.001-04:00

Today is Alaina's 7 month birthday! Her first year is flying by. She posed for a few pictures today with one of her newest obsessions... balloons.

Current Likes:

Kitties and Doggies!

Her Sippy Cup

Blocks

Toys that Make Noise

Puffs and Yogurt Melts

Trying to Crawl (She's So Close!)

Current Dislikes:

Getting in her Car Seat

Learning Something New

2011-04-08T23:08:00.000-04:00

After about of month of practice, Alaina finally learned how to use a sippy cup! Who would have ever thought drinking from a cup would be an accomplishment. Our little baby is getting so big!

Cute Stuff

2011-04-07T21:22:00.001-04:00

I took a couple of videos of Alaina today in her normal routine. The first one is Alaina and Joey's daily reunion. They are both thrilled to see one another when we get home each afternoon; it is so sweet to watch. The second is Alaina playing. She really enjoys banging blocks together and making a mess. I think we are in for some real trouble when she starts crawling and walking.

Cooper River Bridge Run Weekend

2011-04-04T22:02:00.000-04:00

This past weekend Harry, Alaina, and I went to Charleston to run the Cooper River Bridge Run. This was the 34th annual bridge run and approximately 50,000 people ran it this year. Our friends Joanne, Jessica, Siggy, Liam, and Shannon went along with us. Joanne and Jessica ran the bridge run while Siggy and Shannon took care of babies Liam and Alaina. After the run (no pictures... we decided not to carry a camera on the 6.2 mile run) we all headed downtown for some sight seeing.

Harry, Alaina, and I in front of the US Custom House.

Jessica and I near the port

Joanne, Siggy, Liam, Jessica, Shannon, me, Alaina, and Harry

On Sunday, after a relaxing breakfast at the hotel, we headed out to Sullivans Island to meet up with some of Harry's friends from high school and to see the beach.

Talking

2011-03-27T17:17:00.000-04:00

Alaina was talking up a storm during lunch today. It was SO cute.

Prunes and Apples

2011-03-23T21:22:00.000-04:00

Check out Alaina's face!

6 Month Check-Up

2011-03-14T22:01:00.000-04:00

Today, Alaina had her 6 month check-up. She took her shots like a champ and only cried a little bit. Here are her 6 month stats:

Head Circumference - 17.5 in (90th percentile)

Height - 26.5 in (75th percentile)

Weight - 19lbs and 3 oz (100th percentile)

6 Months Old!

2011-03-10T21:57:00.002-05:00

Alaina is 6 months old today... it is so hard to believe that half a year has gone by since she was born. She is such a blessing and we love her so much. Here are a few recent pictures.

Alaina and Grandma Huffman on a recent visit.

Hanging with daddy and kitty.

Ready for Easter.

Officially 6 months old.

Current Likes: Prunes, Sweet Potatoes, Apples, Bath Time, Peak-a-Boo, Chewing on Anything, Kitties!

Current Dislikes: Going to Bed, Teething

A Week of Alaina

2011-03-07T22:11:00.000-05:00

Harry was in California the past week so I was taking a lot of pictures of Alaina to send to him. Here are a few of my favorites.

Sitting Pretty

2011-02-22T21:14:00.000-05:00

Our little lady can sit up on her own! Also, check out her super cute jeans... she wore her first pair today.

Visits from the Tooth Fairy

2011-02-21T21:39:00.000-05:00

If you are wondering why there have been fewer posts lately, it is because Alaina cut 2 teeth in 1 week. Both of her bottom teeth came in on Saturdays... the first one on February 12 the second one a week later on February 19. Harry and I are tired to say the least. I'm beginning to wonder if she is working on getting even more teeth because of how much she was chewing this afternoon; only time will tell.

In addition to growing teeth, Alaina also tried orange food for the first time last week. We started with sweet potatoes and she loved them!

First Tooth!

2011-02-12T21:14:00.000-05:00

Tonight, while giving our little one a bath, Harry and I commented on how much Alaina was chewing on things today. I felt inside her mouth (like I've been doing a lot lately) and found that she finally cut her first tooth! I feel like she's been teething forever, so I was glad to finally feel that bottom left tooth. Yay for another first!!

5 Months Old!

2011-02-10T21:24:00.000-05:00

Today our little lady turns 5 months old! She is able to roll over from front to back and back to front and is even starting to sit up on her own for short periods of time (see the photo to the left). She is almost out of her 3-6 month clothes and is growing so fast!

Current Likes: Peas (yum, yum, yum!), Sophie the giraffe, sitting up, hugs, kisses, taking baths, rolling over, playing with her toys

Current Dislikes: Strangers and large crowds.

Happy 5 Month Birthday, Alaina!

Giggle, Giggle, Giggle!

2011-02-09T21:15:00.000-05:00

Mmmmm, Peas!

2011-02-08T21:17:00.000-05:00

Maybe I Was Wrong

2011-02-08T21:13:00.000-05:00

A few days ago I posted that Alaina preferred sleeping on her back. I might need to change that. This is how she slept all last night; oh, and she slept though the whole night without a feeding. So, maybe I was wrong.

Sleepy Time

2011-02-05T22:51:00.000-05:00

This is how Alaina usually sleeps... usually. The past few nights she has been rolling all over her crib. She wakes herself up a few times a night because her head is stuck at the top if her crib (thank goodness for bumpers). Notice in the monitor that she is at the bottom of her crib; she will be at the top of her crib in no time. Last night our little mover and shaker flipped herself over onto her tummy in the middle of the night. Alaina isn't much of a fan of tummy time so needless to say she wasn't too happy about waking up in that position. Here's hoping our little lady can settle down and get a good nights sleep.

Smiles are Free!

2011-02-03T21:44:00.000-05:00