Playing with Trains

Celebrating Olivia's 1st birthday with her since we missed it because we were in Iowa.Sophia, Olivia, and Alexis

Using our Imagination

Today, we went to Imagination Avenue to play with some friends. It's an indoor play area for kids that we just discovered and had a great time. We will definitely be going back.Driving the big yellow School Bus!Our friends Sophie and Melissa"Get in Jadyn, I will take you for a ride in the Fire Truck!"

Only in Phoenix, Arizona . . .

do they have a Snowball Event in the middle of August! This happens to be a pretty popular thing to do here in the summer. They bring in snow to a park and the kids come to play in the snow in their shorts, snow boots, and mittens! Lexi ate her first snow ball.Beach Balls and Snowbuckets!?!?!?!

This snow tastes pretty good.And of course, Frosty made an appearance.Bubbles, bubbles, and more bubbles!

Trip to IOWA!

I know you have all been waiting to see and hear about the fun adventures we had on our trip to Iowa so I will let the pictures tell the story!

Cousin Trevor hanging on tight to Lexi so that she doesn't fall out

Three little monkeys going on a wagon ride (Cousins: Trystin, Lexi, Trevor)

Trystin and Alexis hanging out on Trystin's pink sofa

Trevor, Trystin, and Alexis at the Blank Park Zoo in Des Moines.

Going for a train ride at the zoo (Mommy, Lexi, Aunt Jenny, Cousin Trystin).

Trystin and Lexi sitting by the flowers at the exit to the zoo.After the zoo, we went to meet Joey and Maddox. We had a nice walk with the kids and enjoyed some ice cream! Joey and Maddox are my friend Holly's two boys. Wish we were closer and could do that more often.Alexis and Great Grandma Laurel.Lexi's birthday party with Mommy's family. She enjoyed playing with Trystin's cool karaoke machine.Corn Fed Baby! Lexi had a lot of fun eating her first ear of sweet corn.Here is the birthday girl ready to rip into her presents!We didn't have to encourage her to eat this blue cupcake - she knew exactly what to do.
Making sure she doesn't miss any of the frosting!Nana Sandra and Grandpa Larry come to take me to lunch.On Monday, we went to Ames to visit my friend Andrea and her son Kevin. We had a nice visit and a great time at their park.Saying our goodbyes to Trevor and Trystin.Grandma Cindy rocking me to sleep my last night in Iowa.
Four Generations - Great Grandma Laurel, Grandma Cindy, Mommy, and Lexi
(This was taken at the airport before we left - wish we would have got a nicer picture of the 4 of us but I didn't think of it earlier).
Waiting to board our plane - snuggled up with her Iowa pig.

Alexis and I had a wonderful trip to visit my family and friends. She was a great passenger on the plane. She got to meet and play with her cousins for the first time. Trevor and Trystin showed her all their fun little tricks. She even warmed up to Papa Tom 3 days before we left (so sorry I don't have a picture of the two of them playing). My family threw Alexis a birthday party and as you can tell she really enjoyed her cupcake.

Eleven Months Old

We are practicing our animals and their sounds as we prepare to visit the farm in Iowa!
Only 1 more month to go until the Big 1!. Alexis has become Miss Independent the last month. Ever since she has learned how to get around by herself, she suddenly doesn't need us anymore. It is so great to see how far she has come in 11 months but also so sad to see our little baby girl growing up into a toddler. Her favorite thing to do is to cruise around the living room from sofa to chair to gate to loveseat. Her new language that she is speaking is quite cute to listen to. I would have to say her favorite food is cheese! She can even say it. Alexis is no longer a big fan of jarred baby food she would much rather eat what is on your plate. I am a little distracted today because we are supposed to be packing for our trip to Iowa. Lexi's first plane ride and trip out of Arizona will be to Iowa to meet my family and friends. We should have lots of new pictures to add next week when we get home.Taking a ride with Bert and Ernie in their fire truck!The Fab Four celebrating Giavanna's birthday - She's the 1st to turn one!Taking a ride in Gia's cool set of wheels.
And here are a couple of videos of Alexis walking with her little assistant. She is so proud of herself!

Any signs of Daddy????

Finally, after always being called Mommy's Mini Me I think we may have found some evidence that Alexis has some of her daddy's characteristics. Everyone says she has her mommy's sweet cheeks but those aren't exactly small cheeks on Daddy as a baby.

Little Boy Brady loves my daddy!

I love this picture - little Brady loves Rick. We went to his birthday party on the 4th of July and then saw him again this last weekend at Jade's birthday party and he wanted Rick to hold him the entire time. Not sure what the infatuation with Rick is?!?!?!
Just a cute pic of Alexis crawling thru a tunnel at the mall playground.

In someone else's eyes

Last week we met with Dr. J (another pediatric cardiologist) to see what his thoughts were on Alexis' heart condition. After doing another echocardiogram (ultrasound of the heart), O2 saturation levels, and physical exam he came up with the following plan and observations. There appears to still be some tight muscle tissue underneath her pulmonary valve. So he has put her on a medicine that is supposed to relax her heart so that the tight muscle underneath her valve can relax and hopefully that will allow the blood to move and flow more freely thru her pulmonary valve. Dr. J says that Alexis is the boss (like we didn't already know that ;) ) and we will just have to wait and see if her heart responds well to the medicine and if this plan is going to help her. We are praying that this works and prolongs the need for open heart surgery anytime soon. One day at a time is how we handle her condition and are so very blessed and thankful for all the thoughts and prayers that have gotten us this far. And with all of this going on with her heart she still manages to party like a rock star at her friends' birthday parties!

Happy 4th of July

Sending lots of love from the All-American Girl!

10 months old

These are the days to remember and to try and slow life down so that they don't go by too fast! A lot of things have happened lately to make me stop and think about how if you don't make a conscious effort to stop and enjoy the great moments of life they can so easily just pass you by. Tomorrow Alexis will attend her very first birthday party for one of her friends (this is only the beginning of a 2-3 month whirlwind of friend birthday parties). I can't believe that we will be preparing for Alexis' first birthday party in just 2 months. Alexis finally figured out how to crawl on her own on Tuesday and has since been making her way around the house and into everything she possibly can. She has a new found love for balls, she loves to throw them and then crawl after them (maybe I should call it self-motivating way to get faster and better at crawling). She has also graduated to big girl pajamas - they don't make footie-one piece pajamas in 12 months. :( I was quite disappointed to find this out. You can see for yourself how big she is getting. First day home from the hospital - 10 days old 10 months old

Here are some of the photos we had taken last weekend. Enjoy!Happy 4th of July!