all about Alyssa . . .

I thought I'd do an update all about Alyssa. She's almost six months old now and a whopping 19 pounds - my biggest baby yet. She's 95th percentile for weight but only 50th percentile for height so she carries the weight in her double chin, her cheeks, her thighs - you get the picture. My rolly poly baby. The baby carrier is getting awkward to carry but still so convenient that I'll wait a couple more pounds before switching her to a big carseat.

She was an excellent sleeper for the first four months of life but since then she's been waking up several times at night. Sometimes I feel like a yo-yo with the amount of times I'm in and out of bed for her. But it's not her fault, the poor kid has been suffering from either a runny or stuffy nose since less than two weeks old. Sometimes she'll clear up for a day or two but then it comes right back. I even took her to the chiropractor in hopes that it would help. It did change from four times a night down to two and she really drained a lot of fluids through her nose for a week but she still hasn't cleared up completely. I also elevate her mattress in hopes this will cause less pressure. I've also tried soy formula more recently thinking this might be an allergy but so far it hasn't improved but I'll give it another week before I decide if I want to continue it or not. She was breastfed the first three months so I don't think this should fix it, but I'm willing to give it a try before I rule it out. She went to the doctor yesterday after a particularly bad night and they ruled out ear or throat infection. He also said this has gone on too long and gave me a referral to a pediatrician. Hopefully they can find some answers to her constant runny or stuffy nose. Maybe allergies? I did get a good night's sleep last night though since I tried a type of swaddle with her blankets where both arms were pinned down - it was the first time she slept more than seven hours solid in a long time. I'm definitely trying that again. But all in all, even when I do get up several times, she is very easy to get back to sleep, it's not usually a long amount of time that I'm up every time. And if I really need to, I can always catch up with a nap the following day. Most days I have all three girls sleeping from 1-3 so I'm not complaining about me here, but I am hoping to resolve this issue since it's not good for her.

But that's just one small part of what she's like. She is such a happy, enjoyable baby. She is getting so interactive now and we all love her like crazy. She gets so excited when her big sister's pay attention to her, she loves to be tickled and laughs like crazy when she is, she is so quick to crack a big smile, is very easy to get to sleep, tries to grasp the bottle during feedings, doesn't like being held too long - she would much rather be put down with toys or in her exersaucer which she LOVES, spits a lot, farts a lot, loves her soother, loves to pull her big sisters' hair, can roll from tummy to back but doesn't know what to do once she gets there, "talks" a LOT, and loves face to face attention. She is very adored and loved in our little family.

family pictures

We spent a chilly Saturday morning getting family pictures done. Next time I think we'll get them a few weeks earlier and warmer.

update

well my camera has been stuck in the back of the van for the past couple days and I keep forgetting to grab it so no pics this time but I wanted to give a quick update anyways.

Elayna has been sick today - she woke up a few times last night and I thought it was an ear infection but then this morning she threw up - on my new carpet - and we had to cancel our morning plans. And her ear feels better today. She's the sweetest sick kid with huge grins right after she lost her lunch and keeps trying to convince me that "I'm all better now, I'm not sick anymore." But she's on her third nap today and hasn't done much besides watch tv. Hopefully the other two stay healthy.

Brad and I have been talking for awhile about getting away for a weekend with no kiddies and we finally went ahead and picked a weekend and booked something. So for two nights next month I'll be leaving my baby with an aunt and the older girls with sisters. I can't wait but I'm also wondering how I'll do without Alyssa - I haven't been away from her more than a couple hours since she was born. Oh well, there's a first for everything. I think this is the fourth time we're getting away without kids for a weekend since Elayna was born and every time I come back feeling thankful for the break and having more energy for the kids again.

still loves the sling and other random pics

Well I hadn't tried the sling in awhile but needed some hands free while making dinner ready and Alyssa did not want to be put down. So it worked and she has more head control now so she can sit up in it. She got a little fussy again after awhile so I flipped her to the front and she fell asleep.

Elayna hamming it up for the camera.

Alyssa enjoying one of her "sister-safety" spots (in the pack and play).

Girls goofing off

I guess none of our girls have the same motion sickness problem that Brad has. This went on for much longer than just this video. And don't worry, Alyssa was loving it. The older girls just have louder laughs than hers.

LittleMissMatched

Chantel received a special delivery from Grampa and Gramma today which included a book, friendship bracelets, stickers, and some socks. They're called LittleMissMatched and came in a pack of three socks. The idea is that you purposely wear a non-matching pair of socks. My first instinct was to find an identical set on Ebay so she could match but that's just me and my nature I guess. Chantel on the other hand thought this was a great idea and loves being mismatched. Now my only problem will be getting them through the wash regularly cause I'm sure she'll be asking for them all the time now! And I did check out their website, the swimsuits and pajamas are especially cute.

Chantel is THREE!!!

Our middle baby is three already!! She had a great time on Friday with a bunch of friends at her b-day party. On Saturday we went out to Coquitlam spur of the moment - a rarity for my hubby but greatly appreciated. Shopping in our little town just doesn't include Ikea, Toys R Us, or the choices at Coquitlam Center. We got some lights for the girls room, Chantel's birthday present, and some cute clothes for the girls (Children's Place was 50% off the sale price!) On Sunday we had Thanksgiving Dinner courtesy of the Bosch's - lots of fun and very yummy:) We stayed till 11pm cause the kids were doing great playing with the Slaa kids and the adults were actually getting adult time - something I crave with three under 5! Then on Monday night (her actual b-day) we went out for a nice family dinner at White Spot. It was a nice relaxing weekend for all of us (I didn't have to cook two nights - woohoo!) And Brad even squeezed in a game of golf on Monday.