Alyssa Shares Her 15 Month Checkup

Hey people, it's me Alyssa again.  Time for another update from me.  Seems these only happen when I have to go to that evil doctor lady.  I really don't know why Mommy and Daddy keep bringing me there.  All that woman ever does is tick me off.  But Mom and Dad seem to think it's important and like finding out how much I'm growing.

Speaking of growing, the doctor isn't too pleased with how I'm growing again.  I'm below the 5th %tile, but I was last time too so I'm not too sure what the deal is.  So I'm only 17 pounds 10 ounces and 28 inches tall.  What can I say, I'm petite.  There was some talk of Pediasure, whatever that is.  What I didn't like is they want me drinking less milk.  Seriously, don't these people know how good that stuff is?  It was so good that I had to say enough is enough with Mommy's milk.  Maybe I'll just start demanding everything Daddy eats from now on so I don't have to give up my milk.

Lets see, what else.  Oh yeah so I'm not talking these days.  Mommy told the doctor and now they want me to go to this Birth To Three thing.  I don't know, Mommy seems excited about it.  Something about more eyes watching me grow.  Jokes on them though because all those words they want me to say I can totally say, but it's so much more fun to scream to get my way.  I also have to go see some doctor called an audiologist.  I sure hope this one isn't so touchy feely and pokey pokey with me.  Mommy says I hear just fine though so I guess this is just procedure.

Oh yeah and I have had this rash for like ever.  It comes and goes and Mommy has been trying so hard to keep it at bay.  Finally the doctor took it seriously.  That thing itches and it hurts.  But not as much as what that doctor did to me.  O. M. G. she cut me to take some sort of sample.  Well, the worst was she had all these people that I don't know holding me down.  Did NOT like that at all!  But now I have this new medicine and have to take bleach baths.  There was something about a strep or staph infection.  I guess that's why they took the sample to see just what it is.  All I know is this better get better now.

Things certainly didn't get better with that appointment though.  After they tortured me by pinning me down then they stuck two needles in me.  Seriously, enough is enough already with the needles.  The doctor got a good listen to my lungs though.  She says I sure have a good set of them.

Hey, here are some more pictures of me from when I turned 15 months...

Pucker up!

Pfff, more pictures?

Concentrating hard

Who do I call to make the pictures stop?

So lots going on.  I don't know when I go back to the doctor again.  I vote for never.  Oh and you know I'm having a blast walking everywhere.  This walking stuff is awesome!  I can get so many places.  So much fun.  So until next time this is Alyssa saying so long!

Alyssa is walking

Last night I had gone downstairs real quick to get something from my neighbor.  When I came back up Joe said you missed it, she walked from the coffee table to me!  What?  She walked without holding onto anything or anyone?  For weeks now she has been standing up on her own and looking like she was going to take those first steps, but has really only managed one or two.  Well, all that changed last night and while I didn't see her very first attempt I did see her walk and caught it on video for you all to enjoy too.  Sorry the video is a little dark, but I think you can still make out what's happening in it ;).



So mark it! 1st steps on March 21, 2012. Alyssa is 13 1/2 months old!

Alyssa's 1 year checkup

Hello blog peeps. Alyssa here and I'm 1 now. Yet again Mommy and Daddy made me go to the doctor today. They really need to stop bringing me there! I DO NOT LIKE IT! I didn't like it from the beginning when the nurse was measuring my head, to the middle when the medical student was touching me with her cold hands, and to the end where I was attacked by those long sharp pointy things! There were 4 things stuck in me today people! Oh and she also forced my mouth open to paint some sealant stuff on my teeth. Did not like that one bit thank you very much. I'm afraid the book I got in the end of it all didn't much make up for it. Although, the bubbles entertained me for about two seconds. Good thing it's a long car ride home and I passed out as soon as we got to moving. I was exhausted!

But you all don't care about my misery I'm sure. You're here to find out how I'm measuring up. I'm still a peanut growing along my own growth curve. I am up to 16 pounds 6 ounces and 27 3/4 inches tall now. I guess the doctor was pleased with my growth as she didn't say anything.

They are going to watch my talking. I've got 3 months to learn 3 words or Birth to Three comes out. Mom says she's not too worried because I babble a lot. Hey a girls gotta move what can I tell you. Who needs to talk with all these big people around doing the talking for me?

I baffled the student doctor with my crawling style. The doctor isn't concerned though because my hips are good and I'm standing and cruising normally. Why would I put both knees flat on the floor? That would hurt. And I get around just fine the way I do it.

The doctor is thrilled that I'm still drinking breast milk. Although, she doesn't like that I do it at night. So that was why the sealant was put on my teeth.

I do have a bit of a diaper rash which Mommy has been battling for a few weeks now. Seems it might have been a little staph infection which is healing and there is also a little yeast. So more cream for the yeast, but the staph is clearing up on its own so unless that changes we'll just wait it out I guess. I'm not really too bothered by it.

All in all I'm a healthy growing girl and looks like I get a reprieve from the doctor until May!

Princess Alyssa turns 1

I had posted Alyssa's birthday letter on her birthday last week, but I never shared the pictures I took of her that day. We had a very tiny little party just the six of us. I made her her own cake and we had cupcakes for everyone else. And while Alyssa was very tired that night she sure did enjoy the frosting! She liked the cake too though. Here are some pictures of her from her cake:

Alyssa's cake, bright pink!

So shy, we were singing to her. Can you tell she's not used to being the center of attention?

Eating frosting!

Mmmm, good!

Here, want some?

Look at that hand covered in frosting!

Hmmm, what's this all over my hand?

Good thing we took her shirt off, frosting was everywhere!

What do you want me to do with this?

Picking at more frosting.

Ooooh!

Two fist time!

No, don't take it away!

What do I do with this little bit?

Getting really tired! Just about time for a bath and bed.

So that was the end of the pictures from her cake. I bathed her and put pj's on her and off to bed she went for the night. The next day she was in a much better mood and was making some really cute faces so I of course grabbed the camera to snap some shots of duck faces and other silly things and every time I put the camera up she grinned ear to ear. I still got some good shots though and well blinded her in the process.

Happy thought!

So shy!

Say cheese!

What a devilish grin

Such a happy baby!

Sweetness!

Giddy!

Giggles!

Lets get serious now!

Okay more smiles!

So now Alyssa is 1. Let me update you on what's going on. She has just the two teeth on the bottom. She eats everything. Her favorites are mommy's baking, ice cream, and chicken and rice casserole. She is still cruising, no actual steps yet, but she's getting there. She is still doing her "gimpy" crawl, but boy is she quick. She is exploring everything. She loves being around her sisters and her brother. She is beautiful and happy and amazing in every way and I cannot believe she has been a part of our family for over a year now! Where did the time go?

Happy 1st Birthday Alyssa

Dear Alyssa,
Having you here for the past year has taught me so much as a mother. While you are our 4th child you are the first one who has breastfed all the way to a year old and you're the first one who I have ever used cloth diapers with.

You are my shy cuddly little girl. Like your sisters and brother you have a smile that lights up a room and can make any bad thing seem so much better.

I have loved watching you learn and grow this past year. At the same time it has been a little bitter sweet for me since you are our last baby.

I love how you adore your brother and sisters. You always have to know what they are doing when they are around and just be with them. I hope you will always be close to your big sisters and you and your brother will look out for one another.

This past year has been an amazing wonderful blessing for me. I look forward to what the next year brings for you. Starting to walk and talk more. I am sure there will be amazing things in your life and I am just looking forward to taking this ride with you.

Happy 1st birthday sweet baby girl. Mommy loves you!

Love,
Mommy

Happy 11 months Alyssa

Wow, 11 months old. Just 31 days until my baby girl turns 1. I can't believe it! She has been growing by leaps and bounds. We were worried about her weight a little, but I don't think we really have to worry. She is still breastfeeding, but she also loves to eat. She eats everything too. I made fajitas for dinner last night and while the rest of the kids were picking out the peppers and onions Alyssa was eating them. Joe had steak fajitas and she even ate some of his steak. There really hasn't been much we have found that she won't eat. She even ate pulled pork on Christmas Eve at my aunt's house.

She has just the two teeth, but she puts them to good use.

She still does the scoot crawl. I've never seen anything like it. It almost looks like she's just going to stand up and take off. Joe thinks she'll be walking before she turns 1. I don't think so. I might be eating my words.

She is cruising. Tonight she was standing at the couch and wanted to get to the coffee table. She was reaching for it and it was almost out of her reach. I think she might have been thinking about taking a few steps. I don't know though.

She is standing now for about a minute at a time. Definitely getting stronger on her feet.

She still is only saying Dada. She claps her hands together. She is a mama's girl most of the time, but there are definitely times when she prefers Daddy. She has the biggest brightest smile that lights up any room. She even had her haircut already. These past 11 months have been wonderful with her and I look forward to celebrating her first birthday with her next month.

Here are a few more pictures of the 11 month old...

So precious

What mom?

So happy

Lounging around

So this month I will be throwing myself into a very special 1st birthday party for Alyssa. Butterflies, dragonflies, and caterpillars have been an unexpected theme in her year. So that's what I have to work with.

Out with the old and in with the new

As we say goodbye to 2011 and hello to 2012 like everyone I have been looking back on the year. I have to say 2011 wasn't a bad year for us. Of course the birth of Alyssa made it extra special, but we had a lot of change in our family.

Adding a 4th child to the mix was of course the biggest change. But having three kids in three different schools. CJ started riding the school bus this year. Natalie got into the Avid program. Kaitlyn thrived in school. It was a great year and I'm a little sad to see it go.

I am looking forward to 2012 though. Alyssa's 1st birthday to start the year. Then after Natalie, Kaitlyn, and CJ make it through this school year they will start some important school year milestones. Natalie will begin her final year of middle school, Kaitlyn will start her final year of elementary school, and CJ will start his first truly official year of school with Kindergarten. This time next year I figure I'll be looking into different options for what we'll do for Kaitlyn for middle school. At this point in time I'm not entirely convinced that public middle school is the place for her and she might be better suited in a Montessori school for middle school. The last half of this school year for her is going to be crucial.

We hope to take a trip to Florida this year too to see family we haven't seen in way too long. So it's going to be an exciting year in 2012. We're sorry to see you go 2011, but looking forward to seeing what 2012 will bring The Barnes Bunch!

Alyssa is 10 months old

So I am over a week late with this post, but Alyssa is 10 months and 1 week old. It's so hard to believe we are so close to her first birthday. This has gone so fast.

You may recall at her 9 month check up there was some concern about her weight gain. We went back yesterday for a weight check and she gained over a pound. She is now 15 pounds 13.6 ounces. Oddly enough she still is not on the growth chart, but the doctor was pleased enough with that amount of weight gain that she said to just keep doing whatever we're doing and we'll see her for her one year. So I'll take that.

Alyssa these days has been doing her cute little scoot crawl and getting herself around very well now. She's also pulling herself to a stand and tentatively starting to cruise. Sometimes she actually looks like she's going to just stand up in the middle of the floor without holding onto anyone. She finally got some teeth. Her first one came in the day after Thanksgiving on the bottom right and then shortly after the one next to it started to come in.

She loves to eat whatever we're eating. She gets upset if she doesn't have what's on our plate. Some of her favorites are chicken, turkey, mashed potatoes, and carrots.

She loves to play peek a boo. She still hates when she's left alone in a room. If she doesn't follow you, then she'll cry. She is very stand offish with people she doesn't know or see regularly and gets a death grip on me if someone talks to her and she plays shy. She gets a huge kick out of CJ. When he's home she loves to follow him around and play with him. He makes her laugh all the time. She likes Natalie and Kaitlyn too, but they are more the other people who hold her than someone to play with I think.

Here are some pictures of her that were taken tonight:

Did you see that penguin diaper? Isn't that the cutest thing ever? I won that for her. And Natalie, who loves penguins, was so ecstatic. She actually thanked me for cloth diapering. Really, this is one of the things I just love about cloth. So cute!

So that's what's going on with Alyssa. Soon we'll be planning her first birthday.

She's really off

Alyssa has been crawling around for a while. I have been trying to catch it on video for a while now, but haven't been able to. I finally got it today. She has a unique crawling style. She has been finding ways to get around for some time, but now she is everywhere. If you put her down on the floor she usually takes off to go see what her big brother is up to. That is her favorite place to go, his room. But have a look see for yourself how this little girl gets around.



I thought by now she would have stopped doing this, but she hasn't. She just gets faster and faster. She always has her left foot on the floor too and her right knee under her.

Princess Alyssa has her 9 month checkup

Hello everyone, it's me Alyssa and it's time for another update from me. It is November. If you remember back in August I was not looking forward to November. Well, I didn't remember that. Yesterday Mommy and Daddy took me to the doctor. Where strange people looked at me and made me cry. Then we went into this room and another stranger was touching me. I was stripped down to just my diaper and put on the scale which said I weighed 14 pounds 6 ounces. Oh yeah and I'm 26 1/4 inches tall now.

I got to play with some new toys for a little while and then that doctor lady came in. She seemed to be in a panic about something to do with my weight because Daddy took me out to the scale. This time I was 14 pounds 12 ounces, but that still did not make the doctor happy. I don't know why. They say I'm doing everything I'm supposed to be. Starting to pull to a stand, motoring around, laughing, smiling, babbling, feeding myself, and afraid of strangers. All totally normal for my age. I've been going along this growth curve I guess that the doctor was happy with right up until now. So now I get to eat more. Good thing I love to eat.

Then after the doctor did all this talking with Mom and Dad she started touching me. I was okay with it for the most part because she gave me this cool wood stick. That thing was really interesting and it sure tasted good too. I guess the doctor was okay with everything because she had my mommy get me dressed.

But then I had to get one of those sharp needles stuck in my leg. I heard something about a flu shot. Let me tell you all the bubble blowing and dancing toys in the world cannot make the sting of those needles hurt any less. Lets just say I was happy to get out of there. But there was some talk of me needing to get another flu shot in a month and a weight check. At least that time my big sister gets to get tortured with me though. I think my mommy scheduled us to go in together. I had a hard time sleeping last night though after that shot so I'm not looking forward to feeling like that again in a month. But I get to eat eat eat for the next month. I love that!

So until December...

Alyssa is 9 months old

So not only did we celebrate my birthday today, but it's also Alyssa's 9 month birthday. I think I say this every month, but it feels like she was just born. So lets see, what is she up to these days?

She is trying to crawl. She does get up on her knees for a little. She can scootch herself around on her butt when she's sitting. If she's on her stomach she'll either army crawl or push herself backwards on the floor.

She loves to stand. She pulls herself up on things even. She is getting better at standing while holding onto something too without too much leaning.

She makes a kissing sound and will even repeat it back to me. She really looks at you and tries to pucker her lips and all. Well she does pucker them.

She would eat whatever you put in front of her if she could. As long as it comes from something we're eating. She hates actual baby food though.

She still doesn't have any teeth which is fine by me. As we are still breastfeeding.

She is fearful of anyone that is not me, Joe, or the kids. She might go to someone else for a few, but if I leave the room she'll flip for sure.

She has a smile that lights up the room. She has a smile that makes me laugh every time she does it. She has a pout that melts your heart. And a cry that breaks your heart.

Here are a few pictures of her from the past few days. I didn't take any of her today though. It has been a rough day with lots going on though and she's asleep right now. So these will have to do...

And that is how Alyssa is doing. She has a checkup tomorrow so I'll probably have an update with all of her stats. I think she's doing great though.

Happy 8 months Alyssa

Alyssa is 8 months old now. How can that be? She is growing so fast. This past week I had written something on Facebook about how she's not such a baby anymore. After CJ had gotten home from school one day last week and ate his lunch he wanted to watch TV. I was feeding Alyssa and as soon as CJ turned the TV on and I put on Playhouse Disney for him Alyssa had zero interest in eating and had to sit with her brother to watch TV. She adores CJ so much. It is great seeing her try to chase after him.

She has been spinning herself in a circle on her bottom now. She's trying to get around. She reaches for everything. Nothing is safe from her reach these days. She hates baby food, but loves table food. She still has no teeth so we have to make sure whatever we give her is very small and very soft. She likes turkey, chicken, mashed potatoes (ate almost all of mine from dinner last night), rice, bread, and enjoys those Gerber puffs too.

She obtained a new skill today. While sitting on the couch with me she started pulling herself to a stand and then she would laugh. It was so cute seeing how proud she was at her new skill. Lets hope she doesn't skip over crawling though. Speaking of crawling she gets up on her knees, but can't get her whole stomach up off the floor yet. So she has been doing the leg kick to propel herself forward. She's getting the inch worm move down really well.

She has added some new sounds to her babbling. Now she says Dada. Of course she does not refer to Joe yet as Dada, but she babbles it a lot.

I thought she was starting to sleep through the night, but that was short lived. She still gets up to eat at night. I try to not feed her and just get her to go back to sleep, but usually she'll have nothing of it. As soon as she nurses though she is out.

Here are a few other pictures from today. She's getting so big...









And that is our beautiful, goofy, funny, tiny 8 month old!