We’re very fortunate to have my parents so close by, as they see Alexandra on a regular basis. With Ian’s parents in Florida, it was a nice treat for Alexandra to see her Nana a few weeks ago. And we’re definitely looking forward to Alex’s birthday next week (!!!) when all of the grandparents will be together!
Post-brunch snuggle with Nana. (June 23rd)
Grandpa has brushed off his swing-pushing skills. (July 1st)
Whatcha gonna have for lunch, Grams? (May 23rd)
Good morning everyone!
Wheee!!!!
Editorial note: Yes. The cup is empty.
Neither Ian or I can quite believe that it’s already Q3 and the year is halfway over. Which also explains [excuses] why I’ve been a bit remiss in posting the bear pictures…it’s my own mental protest against the passing of time. Though with 17 days until her first birthday, it’s time to get on board!
(I also included some bonus swim pics–enjoy!)
8-month bear pictures. Alex continues to find the glasses to be the best part of this monthly event. (Actually taken on May 20th)
While the glasses didn’t make it into the picture, we did manage to get her to stand still. (Only a day late this time, taken on June 20th)
Alexandra kicking up a storm. (June 8th)
Sunnier day at class, hanging out with her buddy Myles. (June 22nd)
Yay swim class! (June 22nd)
A small glimpse into the lives of the smaller McCulloughs. While Alex and Bo are the primary focus in the video, you can also see Bugsy in the background, ignoring both of them.
There’s a lot of cuteness in this video…enjoy!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NvvXSOeQA78
As I’ve mentioned, we joined Gymboree last month. For the uninitiated, Gymboree “Play & Music” is basically a giant romper room. They have weekly “classes” which is more-or-less directed playtime (I suspect it becomes more directed as the kids get older). In addition to the weekly classes, we can also go to “open gym” which is basically a way to kill some time in an air-conditioned room where Alex can run around and tire herself out. Here are some of the highlights from the past few weeks:
Walking on the net for the first time. And, yes, that’s the Swedish Chef on her shirt. (May 28th)
Her continued love affair with bubbles. Note the one on the top of her head. (May 28th)
Pensive Alex. (June 4th)
Open Gym time with Grandpa. (June 7th)
It’s great. To be. A Michigan Wolverine. (June 11th)
Ha! My ball! (June 21st)
Two weeks ago, we went out to a restaurant with tablecloths. (We’d forgotten it was such a ‘fancy’ place. We hadn’t been since before Alexandra was born.) At the end of the meal, Alex made up her own game, as you can see below.
Also, we posted all the pictures from last month’s photo shoot on Shutterfly. You should be able to order prints directly or you can just let us know which ones you’d like (they now have numbers, which makes it way easier than giving timecodes).
share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=0AZsmjNo3buGrnQ
Enjoy the video!
As you know, Ian is currently between consulting gigs. Which means we’ve essentially had a family staycation for the past four weeks. We’ve been having lots of fun with our (not so little anymore!) Alexandra. With many pictures to share, I’ll try to post more often but not overwhelm you all with too much cuteness at once.
We’re a little scared that she did this without prompting. (At Jack’s with Grandpa, May 15th)
Swim class with Mommy! (May 18th)
Makers Fair with Daddy. (May 18th)
The instant when Alex completely loses it upon seeing Jason in the giant cardboard robot suit. (May 18th)
Cardboard fingers are fun…and tasty! (May 19th)
Tunnel Day at Gymboree. (May 24th)
Now YOU pat the bunny! (At the humane society, May 26th)
As you know, Alex took her first step a few weeks ago. Yesterday, she progressed to actual walking…we were at Gymboree and she was following the bubbles. (She loves bubbles *almost* as much as she loves dogs.) Ian was able to capture her new skillz on video today:
Well, it’s official, though not all that surprising…Alexandra’s first word was “dog.” We were at the dog park on Monday (that’s May 27th, for those of you keeping track) and she said the full word after some prompting. “Dada” and “mama” have been around for a while, too, but we think “dog” counts as the first word since it’s all the different sounds coming together.
We don’t have video of the first word, so we hope these pictures keep you entertained in the meantime:
Cutey-patootie! (May 15th)
We joined Gymboree. (May 14th)
BUBBLES! Hopefully the resolution is good enough for you to note the bubble on her nose. (May 14th)
Dinner out with her buddy Myles. At Jack’s, of course. (May 14th)
Chillin’ at Target. (May 14th)
Hanging with Teacher Nicole at music class. (May 16th)
Playing the guitar with Daddy. (May 5th)
This is one of those phrases that I never would have imagined I’d say, but having a baby changes all the rules. Alexandra views Bo as her personal jungle gym and decided that soft ears might be tasty. Thankfully, as previously stated, Bo is INCREDIBLY patient with her and didn’t even blink at this.
In other news, we just got our photos back from a family photo shoot on May 5th. In honor of Cinco de Mayo, Alexandra is wearing her authentic-from-Mexico-thanks-to-Aunt-Sarah dress (plus another outfit to reflect her Scottish heritage). We are hugely thankful to Rosaura Sandoval for the great pictures. (Rosaura was also my voice instructor who helped me record the wedding song for Ian, so she’s been present for some great family memories.) Please enjoy the link…not sure how long she’ll be able to keep it up, so watch now! Plus, if there’s a photo you REALLY want, please let us know as we’re meeting with her next week to determine which images to buy.
http://www.rosaurasandoval.com/slideshow/mcculloughfamily2013/