Early Riser

For about the past two months, Allie has been up before the birds have.  Six o'clock am is about the time I hear little whimpers and whines coming from her room...sometimes even before six...UHHH!  I'm desperate to sleep in during my summer vacation (I'm talking like until SEVEN...that would make me a happy lady).  I tried playing around with her bedtime.  Earlier...later...neither worked unfortunately.  Sooooo, I thought of a couple ideas to help Allie stay asleep longer, or just stay in her crib quietly and let her momma get a few extra minutes of shut eye.

I hoped that if Allie had some books or toys in her crib to play with in the morning it would keep her occupied for a bit until I crawled out of bed to get her.  However, I didn't want her to be rolling around all over her hard board books all night long.  So I came up with this...

I think it's soooooo cute and I'm pretty proud of myself for making it!!!  I used the leftover fabric I had from all the other decorating I did in her nursery.  I only had to buy the interfacing and ribbon.  Total cost = about $7.00!!!  It holds some books and toys...and when Allie is older, I'm sure this can grow with her...one day she'll be hiding her journal or other prized possessions in there.  The ONLY way I was able to get this thing done though is because Allie's grandma came over to keep Allie occupied while I worked.  Thanks, Mom!!!

My other bright idea was to buy this awesome, amazing, wonderful, why didn't I think of this, CLOCK! 

This is the TOT CLOCK...a clock designed for toddlers and kids to help them stay asleep longer (or in bed longer) and let their parents sleep longer too!  It turns blue when it's time to sleep and yellow when it's time to get up and out of bed.  Allie is learning the colors yellow and blue and knows that when it turns blue, she goes to bed and has to stay in bed.  Todd and I set the clock to turn yellow at 6:30 am (we'll work on stretching it to 7:00 soon).  For the past two days Allie has slept past 6:30 (go figure) so her clock has always been yellow when she wakes up.  Hopefully this is a good sign and she'll continue to sleep long after 6:00.  She is so cute when we put her to bed.  She says "Boo" telling us it's time for bed.  In the morning when she calls (cries) for me, the first thing she says is "ock" letting me know that it's yellow and she is allowed to get out of bed.  What a GREAT invention...why didn't I think of that?!?!

Even though Allie is sleeping longer...I still am not!  Todd wakes up a little before 6:00 to get ready for work...he's pretty quiet but, once I hear him...I'm awake the for day.  It must be those new mommy bionic ears I now have.  Good thing Allie takes a nap during the day because when Allie naps, I nap too!

Tiny Town

A new fun place for us to visit!  Tiny Town opened recently and it's SUPER CUTE!  It's an indoor play area for little ones with lots to do and experience.  There's even a bubble tree...who doesn't LOVE BUBBLES?!?!?

Allie met her friends for some fun.  This was her first time jumping on a trampoline....she was hysterical!  Allie kept jumping up and landing on her bottom...over and over again!  We can't wait to go back soon...especially on a cold wintry day when we are tired of being cooped up in the house.



Tiny Town is SOOOO cute!

Allie, Julia, Brady, and Brennan

Fun on the trampoline!

My Little Goldfish

Well...we FINALLY gave in and signed Allie up for swim lessons at Goldfish Swim School.  We were trying to find another place to go that was a bit cheaper, but when I heard HEATED pool...I called them up and willingly read off my credit card number.  After attending only one lesson, I'm VERY happy with our experience thus far.  I had to go in with Allie, but at this age that's pretty much a given.  As I was packing our swim bag, I dug out from my bathing suit drawer the only one-piece suit I own...my life-guard red Fruit Camp Speedo from eons ago.  I had forgotten how TIGHT those Speedo suits are, lol.  Now, everyone in our class will know that I'm a qualified aquatic observer.

Goldfish is the CUTEST place EVER!  They specialize in infant and toddler swimming and water safety.  There were many water toys to play/practice with and our instructor, Mr. Mike, was fabulous.  Allie was a little reluctant to warm up to him...partly because she was clinging on to me with the death grip.  Allie spent about half of the class whining whenever I made her practice a skill where she wasn't hanging onto me.  This was her first time being in this big of a pool.  I have to say that she did an okay job and I'm SURE that after a few more lessons she'll be a jumping into the pool before I can get my flip flops off.

The Binky Tree

The pacifier, the binky, the "mute button" (as I like to call it), or "nee-nee" (as Allie has started calling it)...has been our saviour.  I swore I wasn't going to give Allie a pacifier because of the whole nipple confusion thing.  Well...that lasted about 24 hours after her birth...along with the "no formula...I want my baby to only have breast milk."  After Allie cried non-stop all night long her first night in the hospital...Todd and I gave in.  She was STARVING!  Give her SOMETHING...ANYTHING!

The pacifier became one of our essential baby items we made sure to NEVER leave the house without.  Allie to this day, only likes the big, round, ugly hospital pacifiers...not those cute ones that you can now personalize with your child's name or bling out with cute rhinestones.  We did buy a pink and purple one...but they are not nearly as cute.  We had a binky at day care.  We had one in the diaper bag.  We put about five or six in the crib at night.  We even had one attached to a monkey stuffed animal. 

Monkey (aka: mu-chi) has become Allie's best friend.  I bought monkey when Allie was about a month old and I was desperate for her to sleep through the night.  I can recall very vividly those LONG, sleepless nights of Allie waking up every TEN minutes because the pacifier would fall out.  I spent MANY nights hanging halfway in her bassinet holding the binky in so we could ALL get some shut eye.  Monkey worked out pretty well.  It helped hold the pacifier in front of her mouth as she slept.  It also helped the binky to stay in the crib at night because we are one of those "no bumper in the crib" families...yes...our pediatrician scared us with the suffocation stories. In the morning every single pacifier would be on the ground and only monkey would be left in the crib with Allie. 

Monkey eventually fell apart.  So, we just clipped the pacifier onto his tail with a pacifier clip so it still wouldn't fall out of the crib. 

Overall, I'm glad we used a pacifier because it helped Allie sleep through the night...which was great for Todd and I too!  It quieted her down when we were out in public.  It soothed her when she got all of her immunizations.  Sometime along the way, we started to restrict the binky to only her crib.  Personally, I didn't want her running around and talking with a pacifier hanging out of her mouth.  She adapted easily to the change.  I knew in the back of my mind that we would need to eventually break Allie of her binky habit.

Within the past month, Allie started asking for her nee-nee.  OH, NO!  Time to say bye, bye to binky.  Todd and I have been preparing Allie to say bye to her binky by watching numerous Elmo videos about putting down the pacifier (she LOVES Elmo). We made a calendar to count down the days to when we'll say bye to our binky. We've told her how big girls don't have binkies...but they can have blankies and dollies. 

A while back I stumbled across something on the Internet called the "Binky Tree."  The binky tree grows in Northville and is the home to many binkies that boys and girls have left hanging on the branches when they were ready to say bye to their binky.  Allie and I made a visit to the binky tree today.  I showed her how BIG boys and girls hang up there binkies and say "bye, bye."  I told her that when she does say bye to her binky, the Tooth Fairy will leave her a special present for being a brave, big girl.  She agreed and nodded her head yes...she probably really doesn't know what she's in for.

July 21st is PUT DOWN THE PACIFIER DAY!!! 

(for Allie) 

Happy Fourth!

Happy 4th!  This Independence day we took Allie to the parade again...but this time it was in MI and not in MA.  It was super HOT out but we all survived.  Todd was miserable (of course...anything to do with heat and he's miserable)...but he toughed it out for Allie and it was well worth it.  She did really enjoy herself. 

Allie was decked out in her red, white, and blue...

Look familiar?  Yep!  That's the same dress she wore last year?  ...and she still fits into it!

Allie's first 4th at 7 months old

Allie did like looking at the cars and people (and dogs) go by in the parade...but I think the best part of the parade for her was the LOOT that was thrown out at her.  She pretty much ruined her lunch with Skittles, lots of Goldfish crackers and tons of Tootsie rolls.

What's left of Allie's goodies...that she didn't eat at the parade.

In the afternoon, our neighbor, Ainsley, celebrated her first birthday with a 4th of July BBQ.  Allie had pretty good time playing with Ainsley...and all of her toys.



Ainsley and Allie...sharing...how nice!

Happy 4th!  (2012)

19 Months Old

I can't believe how big Allie is getting...she is learning so many new things each and every day.  Some of Allie's favorite foods this month were chicken nuggets, peas, and potato chips.  She learned how to dip her food in ranch dressing, ketchup and chip dip.  Allie learned how to say so many new words.  Any word we taught her, she repeated and spoke later on.  She was like a little sponge.  Allie had croup for the first time this month and didn't eat or drink for a good four days.  She was very cranky and miserable.  Allie liked to ride her tricycle and ride-on toys down the driveway. Allie started to LOVE Elmo.  She read books about him and even watched a video here and there.  Allie liked to push her "Dolly" in her toy stroller all around the house and outside.  Dolly often went where Allie went.

Our First Trip to the Cottage

After being invited up to the cottage about a half a dozen times...we FINALLY made the 2+ hour drive up north.  Our wonderful friends, Mark, Kathleen, and Austin, have a cottage on Houghton Lake.  Thanks, you guys...for not giving up on us...I knew we would make it one of the these days.  NOW...we can't wait to go back. 

We had a great time, and so did Allie.  The car ride up to the cottage went pretty smoothly.  Allie ate her breakfast and then enjoyed an Elmo video or two. 

The very first thing Todd did was take Allie for a spin on the jet ski.  I was actually surprised she wore the life jacket.  I was expecting her to put up a fight and scream the whole time.  But, when Austin slipped into his, Allie put hers right on after.  They were both TOO CUTE for words.  Allie rode the jet ski for a whole two minutes.  She was much happier on land watching her dad from afar.  Austin is a seasoned rider however, and could have rode with his dad all day.

Allie and Austin enjoyed the pool...

...and the boat (check out Captain Austin)...



...and the lake. 

The daddies and kiddos playing in the water.

Overall the weekend was a success (except for Allie still waking up at 6:00 am).  The mommas got their tans, the daddies rode the jet skis, and the kiddos had lots of fun in the water.  And after the little ones were in bed for the evening, the parents enjoyed my most favorite thing of all about up north...the campfire and s'mores (which I ate way too may of...as I usually do).

Thanks again for a fun weekend.  We can't wait to make more memories with you guys.