The baby moves!

I CAN CRAWL!!!!!!

Finally. Finally. I've been trying and trying and trying for a darn age to get going in a forward motion. I could get on my hands and knees no problem, just hadn't worked out the moving bit. But this week I've done it! On Tuesday I surprised myself by taking two wee shuffles forward, and over the next few days I mastered it. Today (Sunday) I've been going all over the house. Oh it feels really good to be freeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

Now Finny, watch out - I'm after you . . . if you take something, I'll come get it. If I like the look of something you're holding, I'll come get it. If you . . . you get the picture.

(You can check me out crawling on my videos on the link at the bottom.)

Actually it's heaps more fun playing with Fin now as I can chase him and we can get places together. I should have got to grips with this crawling malarkey weeks ago! It was just so handy having Fin bring me stuff all the time; I didn't really need to go anywhere, did I?

I'm also enjoying talking a bit more now too. I like to say "hiya" to anyone and everything that comes in my path (and I wave at them too, just so there's no confusion). I can say "bye-ah" as well. "Mumma" and "Dad-EYE" are quite effective, and Mum seems to be hugely pleased when I go "ffff-ffff" in response to her asking me what a doggy says (woof woof, in case you're interested. I just can't do the "woo" bit. Yet.).

If I can't get my words to work, I just gesture wildly. It doesn't always work though . . . Case in point: last Sunday Mum and Dad had some friends round for brunch. Mum made a well-tasty bacon and egg pie (very Kiwi, apparently) and she gave me a measley wee bit. Well! Hooooooooooow long did I have to lean forward in my chair, pointing pointedly (the whole point of pointing, right?) and going "mmmm, mmmm" to get my due share? Ages, that's how long! Eventually the adults stopped yakking and Mum noticed and gave me some more pie, so I guess it worked in the long run.

By the way, did I tell you what I'm getting for my 1st birthday? A holiday in Fiji! I kid you not. We're off to Fiji for a wee break on 25th Nov (okay so it's 2 days later than my actual birthday but still!). I can't WAIT! Lots of sun, and apparently there's a reeeeeeally cool pool with sand and stuff at the place we're staying. Fin and I are so looking forward to it! So are Mum and Dad, as we've promised them we'll be good at going to sleep at night and behave for the babysitters so they can go and have dinners out. Maybe! Anyway it's the Christmas treat for the whole family and it'll be a new thing for us all as we've not all been away overseas together ever!

And also - there's more! - just before that, on my ACTUAL birthday itself, guess what? Granddad's arriving!!!! He's flying on a big plane all the way from the UK to come and see us and he's staying for a while. He'll be here when we're in Fiji but he's said he'll look after the car and the house for us and then he'll be here for a whole 10 days when we get back! Can you tell I'm excited? Never met my Granddad before so I'll have to make sure I look extra cute for him.

LOTS to look forward to!

Right, after all that news (crawling, holidays and family all in the one month!), I'm off to bed. And there's a story attached to that one too, but I'll let Finny tell that one on his blog. . .

Lots love all,

Lex

xx

Few pics of us in the park recently and one of me crawling if you're interested. You are, right? ;o)

http://picasaweb.google.com/finlaygeorgesmith/LexieCrawlingAndPark

Life is unfair!

Here I am, look - standing up, doing very well, thank you very much. Then see what happens . . . (sorry it's on its side)

Huh. Just not fair. Two steps forward, one step back!

Just call me . . .

  . . . Fang! 

That’s right, ladies and gentlemen, I have my first tooth!  And it’s one thing I’ve managed to beat my brother on so far, ‘cos his first tooth wasn’t until he was 11 months old.  So nah.

It’s caused a bit of bother, mind you. It’s a bit of a pain in the . . . well, the mouth, really, to have this sharp white thing poking through your gums.  Fortunately it’s not kept me awake at night, much, so everyone’s happy.  And the big plus to having a fang is that now I can reeeeeeeeally chew into my food.  I can bite it and everything!  Especially those nice crackers that mum gives me.  I like getting bigger and growing stuff like teeth and hair!

Yes, I have a little more hair now.  Currently I choose to wear it mohican-style:

I think it looks wicked like this!  Mum, however, is fussing over how nice the colour is and how she’d love to put it in clips and bunches and stuff.  Huh.  Long live short hair, I say.  Anyway, what’s she on about, she’s got short hair too! Guess it’s one of those “do as I say not as I do” moments.  Dad says there’ll be lots of those ahead if he’s got anything to do with it, and even more so if there’re boys involved. I say he’s not got much to worry about on that front, boys are far too silly to socialise with.

Mind you, Fin is really quite cool, and he’s fun to play with when he brings me toys and says “Look Lex” and generally involves me. I just wish – and forgive me for the repetition from previous blogs – he would STOP SITTING ON ME! I like cuddles from him ‘n’ all, just not 12kg ones, thanks.

As you’ll have gathered, I’m feeling fine now, after my poorliness the other week.  I had everything at once, didn’t I?  Rash, fever, sore bum and sore gums.  Still, I call that efficiency – get it all over at once then enjoy the time afterwards.

Not much else going on in Lexie-Land. Oh, apart from we all went as a family to have a swim the other day, the first time ever we’ve all been together.  It was great, I really loved it!  Mum was thinking I didn’t like swimming or pools really as I grumped during my lessons last term and we stopped them as a result.  However, it was only that I didn’t like swimming at that time, it was the middle of the morning and I was tired and just wanted to chill out with Mum at home.  I love swimming really!  I did lots of submersions and kicking and paddling and laughed lots when we all went.  It was fun to watch Finny too, jumping off the edge like a loon.  Mum and I were safely on the other side of the pool, so we didn’t get splashed toooooo much . . .

Right, will go now.  Oh!  Just one more thing – I’ve got my VERY OWN car seat.  It’s great!  I was just too long for my capsule, my feet were kicking into the seat of the car and anyway it’s boring facing the back all the time.  So Mum found these car seats online, and sent Dad out to the shop to choose one.  She said to him to just choose the colour he wanted for me.  Guess what he came back with?  This one :

Mum said he was a great big softie, and she may be right, but I love it!  Nice and girly yet a bit sophisticated with the black as well. 

Go Dad! Maybe I can train him up in shopping after all . . . .







Check out my latest photos here: Mum and I had a bit of fun doing our own photoshoot the other day, that’s here:

http://picasaweb.google.com/finlaygeorgesmith/LexiePhotoshootCoupleOfFin

 

General other ones are here:

http://picasaweb.google.com/finlaygeorgesmith/VariousJulAug09

Strawberry Kid

Hello readers.  It’s been a rough week. First I got a sore – and I mean really sore – bum, which made me cry every time Mum or Dad changed me.  Then I got reeeeeeeally hot and Mum kept sticking this beepy thing in my ear to check exactly how hot I was.  Then I got poked and prodded by the doctor, and as a result had to have special cream that felt particularly cold put on my bum every five minutes. Then I had to keep taking this sweet gloopy stuff off a spoon to make me less hot. Then after a couple of days of this, as if that wasn’t enough, I was a lot less hot but I looked like a strawberries-and-cream pudding! 

Look:

Then Mum went and put this pink stuff on me to try and help, and I ended up feeling even more ridiculous. Look: 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Anyway.  I feel better now, I don’t look rashy any more, I’m not hot and I don’t have to take any more lotions and potions and creams.  Finally all is well in Lexie-Land.

(Turns out Lex had roseola, also known as “baby measles”. It’s a very common illness in babies under 2. High fever for 3 days, very irritable and miserable baby, fever breaks then an impressive all-over rash appears for a couple of days, still an irritable miserable baby, then all is well. The sore bum was a separate, but coincidentally-timed, issue. Bet you wanted to know all that, didn’t you? Ed.)

 

Aside from exciting illnesses, I’ve been enjoying getting bigger.  For a start, it means I can try my best to give as good as I get to that brother of mine. Quite maddeningly, I still can’t manage to get myself up again to sitting after he’s tipped me over, and I can’t shift his big bulk off me when he decides to lie on top.  I keep eating my broccolli and spinach to get nice and strong, but it doesn’t seem to be working yet . . . .

 
Talking of which, isn’t it great?  Food I mean.  Here’s what I like:

* Pumpkin chips that Mum roasts in the oven.  Oh my goodness these are my absolute favourite – nice and squashy, easy to hold, sweet and yummy-scrum.  Mmmmmmmmmmmm.

*  Broccolli.  I like to pretend I’m eating a tree.  A whole one.

*  Banana biscotti – Mum bakes them nice and hard so they last me ages to chew on.

*  Avocado – especially cold from the fridge. Apparently (Mum says), it’s been created by a benevolent God for busy Mums, as it’s instant, cheap and good for me.

*  Penne pasta – preferably with a bit of sauce on it to spread around the tray and my face.

*  Toast – especially nicked from Fin’s plate.  His has peanut butter on it, which is soooooo much better than hummus.

* Rice pudding. Fin says it’s not fair as he wasn’t allowed this until he was much older.  I say that’s the advantage of being the second kid.

Ah, food is great.

 
In other news, I’ve got a new playmate!  Aunty Ange (Nadija’s Mum) had her baby a wee bit early and Bella arrived on 8th July. We’ve been to see her and she makes me feel like a great big grown up!  She’s so tiny (6lbs something).  I’m looking forward to playing with her when she’s a bit bigger :)

 

Over and out for now, will update again soon. Here’s a pic of me and food, just ‘cos it’s on my mind:

I’m singin’ in the rain . . .

Goodness Auckland’s rainy.  It gets nearly twice as much rainfall per year than London, apparently!  So Mum and Fin and I are just kinda hanging out in the house when it does rain.  Lucky I can sing really!  I’ve discovered my voice recently and love to chat and sing away to anyone who will listen.  Look, here I am doing it:

Nice, huh?  Mum says it’s really nice to hear my actual voice rather than just screeches (her words!) or coughs.  Incidentally, I’ve perfected the “poor-me-I’m-dying-of-neglect” cough, which can be used at any time, even when receiving full attention already.  You can check out my perfected technique on my videos and photos album (link at bottom of this blog).

What else is new?  Oh yeah, I tried some steak the other day.  Quite liked it.  Not as much as my brother did when he was my age though, as you can see from the comparison below:

 

 

 

 

 

 

So far, my favourites include: porridge (with lots of prunes); broccolli and yoghurt (don’t pull that face, it’s nice!); mince and tatties (Dad’s pleased); cous cous; cinnamony stewed rhubarb and apple; Mum’s banana biscotti thingummies, which are fab to chew on.  Lots more too but those are my favourites at the moment. 

Mealtimes are usually quite entertaining.  I can watch from my very own highchair now (which is nice and clean and lady-like, and I intend to keep it that way, yes I am talking to you Finlay!).  It’s great, I feel very important in it.  Finny’s using his old highchair as a seat now, without the tray, and it’s really quite entertaining watching Mum trying to keep him sitting down and at the table while we have dinner or lunch. I’m taking notes to make sure I’m very well-behaved for Mum when I get older [maybe that’s wishful thinking? Ed.]

Don’t think there’s any other amazing news.  Oh yeah, Mum and Dad went away for a night for the first time ever ever since having me and Fin.  Dad was getting older so I guess Mum figured he needed comforting, so off they went. They were quite nervous about it I think.  Needn’t have been, it was fun with Aunty Ailsa and her daughter Kora, they kept us nicely amused and saw to my every need.  It was nice to see Mum and Dad when they got back though, and I gave them a nice big smile to let them know!

Pics and a “cough” video here: http://picasaweb.google.com/finlaygeorgesmith/LexieSPerfectedCoughAndMore

Clever me

Hi readers.  I’m very chuffed at the moment. 

I CAN SIT UP!

Well, okay, I can’t actually get up to sitting on my own, but once I’m positioned I can hold my own.  For quite a while, too!  Look:

 

And here’s another one, differently attired, to PROVE that I can do it on successive days!:

 

Couple of wee videos of me too, right here in this album:

http://picasaweb.google.com/finlaygeorgesmith/LexieSittingUp

S’all for now, folks.  Will be back with more wondrous accomplishments from Lexie-World soon, I’m sure!

Lotsa toys!

Hi guys, Mum and I were mucking about with the camera and my toys the other day, check it out:

  It was good fun! I know that Mum did similar pics with Finny when he was my age. She’s put a couple up on the picture albums for you to compare!   Yes, I do look like my brother don’t I?  ‘Cept don’t tell him I said so but his ears stick out more in his toy pics than mine do . . . ;o) (There are loads more pics on the link at the end of this entry.)

Life is going well. I had my 5 month Plunket check the other day, and I’m now 6.8kg (that’s about 15lbs), which is just under double my birthweight!  I like being little, it just involves, eating, sleeping and playing.

Talking of eating, I discovered beetroot the other day.  YUM!  So far I’ve had: chicken and pepper (capsicum as the Kiwis call it), avocado (love that), broccoli, squash (not the Robinson’s sort, don’t worry!) and beetroot.  All very nice, but I think beetroot is the prettiest, don’t you?  It’s very funky to eat too, as it’s sort of sweet and mushy and weirdly-textured. Fin likes to help Mum feed me; thankfully Mum is teaching Fin to do it gently and not ram the spoon down the back of my throat.  Sigh.

I started back at swimming a couple of weeks ago, and that’s going well too.  Still liking going underwater! And because this seems to be a picture sort of blog entry, here’s one specially for Granny N, who wanted to see me in my swim togs:

I’m still the youngest in the class, which is kind of kudos, I suppose. Fin started swimming at the same age as me (3 months), so I’ve still got to beat my brother at being the youngest to do something. Perhaps I could work on being the youngest to start the cryptic crossword or something intellectual like that . . .

 

 

 

Lots more pics here:

http://picasaweb.google.com/finlaygeorgesmith/LexieAndHerToys02

d

No dummies on me . . .

That’s me.  Dummy free!  Mum and Dad are very happy. To be honest I was quite happy having the dummy, it felt nice, and one or t’other of the staff parents was there to put it back in for me during the night.  However, my big brother leads the way, once again: because HE’d got rid of HIS when he was 5 months old, then I had to too.  Huff.  (It might also have had something to do with the fact that Lex needed it to get back to sleep every time it fell out. 2:30am, 3:30am, 4:30am . . . Ed.)

I guess it’s not that bad though.  Took about a week, and was a bit tough at times –  it didn’t get as bad as having shakes and cold sweats, but I still had withdrawal symptoms, which I let Mum and  Dad know about.  Loudly.  Daytimes were most tricky, to be honest – when you’re awake and you want something, it’s so much harder to ignore that want!  When you’re half asleep and in the dark, you just kind of get bored of protesting.  However, it appears Mum and Dad’s resolve was stronger than mine . . . They did give me lots of cuddles to make up for it, I guess, which was really quite nice. So anyway now I can sleep more restfully without it, and Mum and Dad seem happier and don’t have to
“use matchsticks for their eyes” (very strange sayings they have, adults).  Mum also seems to be pleased that she doesn’t have to keep washing the things or taking spare ones with us when we go out.  I must admit it’s rather nice not needing a dummy, makes me feel very grown up indeed.

Speaking of which: growing up is really hard work!  Like I said, I was sleeping more restfully without the dummy.  However, this last week’s a bit of a weird one, I’m pretty grouchy right now (as you can see from this pic here!) so watch out.  Everything’s just annoying me – yes Finlay, that includes you when you poke your finger in my mouth or run into me with your truck or sit on me or give me a nose-kiss/headbutt.  Listening?!  Other things annoy me too, like being put down when I don’t want to be, or being put on my tummy for that pesky tummy-time I’m supposed to have, or being taken out to the shops, or being changed or dressed, or. . . . Sorry.  I’ll stop ranting.  It’s just that like I said growing up takes a lot of energy, I’m real tired right now and just want to sleep.  I sleep lots in the day, Mum likes it ‘cos it means I’m quiet in the car when we’re going somewhere; I’m usually not, it’s so boring being on the back seat and having nothing to look at except the sky.  Oh and Finlay.  Though I suppose he’s quite interesting, really.  An entirely different species, boys. I didn’t realise they could produce such messy sneezes . . . Anyway, I digress.  What was I saying? Oh yes, I need to sleep.  Except the darned thing is that at nighttime I seem to wake up at 1:30amish for no apparent reason.  Mum gives me boob juice, which is nice, but I still seem to flutter awake again about 4:30 or 5 and doze intermittently thereafter.  And for some reason all my clothes seem to be too small for me right now, which is just unreasonable.  I liked those cool rainbow jeans.  Sigh.  See?  Growing up’s just difficult.

Perhaps it means I’ll have some new trick I can do at the end of my grouchy period.  Fin told me that apparently it’s quite common to feel unreasonably grumpy just before you’re able to achieve something cool.  He found he was the same just before he could roll over, or sit up, or crawl, or things of that nature, because your brain’s just working, working, working on developing the capacity to do that activity.

I await my new super-power with interest. In the meantime, sorry Mum, but you’ll just have to give me extra cuddles.

Latest pics and vids of me here (and some of Fin, if you really want to see him too).

http://picasaweb.google.com/finlaygeorgesmith/LatestFinAndLexPicsMarchApril09

Sweet, sweet dreams . . .

I’m so nice. I’ve been giving Mum and Dad a treat these past few nights – I decided I wasn’t so hungry after all, and stopped needing 3 feeds a night. I thought “what the heck, I’ll go cold turkey” and cut them out entirely – all of them! I was aware of Mum creeping into my room at 3am on the first night I did it, she seemed worried ‘cos she prodded me until I moved. Sigh. You can’t win, can you? Be so nice as to keep peaceful and let them sleep, and they come in and wake you up! Contrary, these adults.

Anyway. I think it was the avocado that Mum was giving me that did it. That stuff is yummy! Made me feel nice and full, anyway, and let me sleep longer. I did have a couple of times where I woke up and needed my dummy put back in, but not like I used to when I needed cuddles and patting as well. I was quite happy just to have it to sook on and go back to sleep.

So Mum and Dad are happy, anyway. Sometimes I need something to eat at 5am, but most of the time it’s 6am. I guess I just need to work on not waking up at all now, that would make Mum and Dad even happier I think! . . .

I’ve found my voice too – I love chatting away, the louder the better. Lots of cool noises to be made, and I’ve found that it means I get attention too, which is great. Fin likes it when I chat to him and he laughs and makes funny noises back. I make LOTS of loud noises when I’m bored of being on my back, just so Mum or Dad know to sit me up – I can’t really make it up there by myself yet, but that’s not reason to stay lying down; I just get my assistants to help me.

Fin and I have been enjoying the seaside a lot recently. The summer here is just going on and on, which is fab – Fin told me that when he was born, it was reeeeeeally windy and rainy outside. Ha! For me it’s been balmy and hot most of the way :o) I love wriggling my toes in the sand, and I even dipped my feet in the sea yesterday! I just hang out in the carrier whilst Fin runs in and out of the sea. Boys are so active, aren’t they? I think I’d prefer to just chill out on a towel on the beach, and watch. . .

Water Baby!

Check me out!  I'm a water baby!

Had my first ever swimming lesson with Mum today, and it was soooooooooooo cool.  The water was all lovely and warm, and it was like having my bath only MUCH better 'cos there was heaps and heaps of room to kick around and splash about.  I smiled the whole time!  I even - how cool is this - went under the water SIX TIMES!  Love it, love it, LOVE it! 

The only rubbish aspect to it was that Mum hadn't had a chance to get any togs for me, so I had to wear my brother's old swim pants - and they were FAR too big (not to mention a far-too-masculine blue!).  A lady should never be seen with her pants showing, never mind her pants falling down, for goodness' sake!  Never mind.  Next week I'll be back in fashion again, hopefully.  There are some videos and more pics of me being an Olympic swimming star on the photo link below.

Talking of firsts, I had another first today. My first real food!  Remember I said Mum thought I might be ready for something more than milk?  Mum spoke to a Plunket nurse lady who said to try me on baby rice. I think Mum was relieved to have the go-ahead - for some reason she doesn't seem to like being woken at 9:30, 12am, 3am and 5:30am. . . So anyway, I sampled some baby rice mixed with warm water and some boob juice.  I'll be 16 weeks on Sunday, so I'm okay to go for something mild.  Mild is too right - here's what I thought of it:

Anyway,  it did seem to make me feel nice and full and I was quite happy in the late afternoon, that window of time Mum calls "the banshee hour" 'cos apparently I get really grumpy and moody. Mum gave me some more just now, just before I go to bed, so as I sign off I'm feeling quite sleepy and full . . .  we'll see how the night pans out.

For now, readers, goodnight!

 

Swimming and other general pics here:

http://picasaweb.google.com/finlaygeorgesmith/LexSwimmingAndFirstFood

Success!

Hooray! I just grabbed and held on to a toy! Well, not grabbed, obviously a lady doesn't do such crude things; I took it nicely from Mum's hand. Pleased as! AND I did it twice more after that. It's fun. I was sitting in my Bumbo seat and I was trying to stare out my toes (hard) and so I thought I'd reach for them to see if that helped.  Mum saw and obviously thought this was amazing (simple pleasures for grown-ups, I tell ya).  She made pleased noises ("ooh") and then held a little toy out for me, and made encouraging noises ("Yay! Neeeeearly" etc) until I thought I better speed the process along and made a grab for it.  And got it! Wasn't quite sure what to do with it once I had it, mind, but there we go.  Life is full of strange tasks these days, I find. 

A plus is the fact that I might now maybe be able to get my hands on that darn dangling tortoise . . .  (see Lexie's previous post. The tortoise was a feature. Ed).

Here's me and Mum mucking around on the floor:

In other news, night-time is my playtime, people!  I'm waking more at night now, midnight and 3am, whereas before I was happy to go from 6pm til sometime like 2 or 3, have one feed, then sleep til 6ish.  Now I find myself hungry and want 2 feeds a night! She was a mean mummy last night and tried to not give me a feed at 3am, and let me make a fuss for a bit, but I made enough fuss for long enough that I did eventually get my 

feed. I heard Mum telling Dad that she reckons I might need some REAL food soon.  Apparently Fin started his real food at 4 and a half months.  I'm only 3 and a half, but still, it's exciting to think I might get some interesting flavours soon . . . wonder what it'll be like?  Ooh, I've heard about banana, Fin tells me about those, they seem cool.

Oh, a big thanks to Izzy Bellwood for sending me a bunch of her coolest clothes from when she was wee like me.  Her Mum obviously likes Monsoon, which is ace as there's no shops like that out here (well unless you spend LOTS of $, says Mum) so I get to show off in my new rags!  Here's me in one of my fave skirts:

Anyway, better go for a nap.  Pretty tired now after all that (some would say unlady-like) exertion. Maybe I'll be nice and sleep longer for Mum and Dad tonight. . . 

New pics of me (and some of my brother, who seems to get into everything are at the link on the bottom.

Ciao for now!

http://picasaweb.google.com/finlaygeorgesmith/LexieWeek14

Onwards and Upwards

That's me! Onwards and upwards I mean.

Upwards-wise, I'm now 58cm long and 5.3kg.

Onwards-wise, I can now sleep from 6pm-4:30am without needing a feed.  I only, however, do this occasionally, otherwise Mum and Dad will have it a bit too easy. Besides, I like their company in the night, albeit sort of half-company due to sleep fog. I also require them to turn me over from time to time, keep me ultra-comfy, you know? I mean, they can't honestly expect me to turn MYSELF over once they've wrapped me up in those clever swaddling wraps.  Sigh.  Still, I have to admit that it is nice and comfy and cosy once they have wrapped me . . .

Life is good, folks, life is good.  I'm discovering that Mum and Dad and Fin love me to smile at them, so I treat them to a couple of stunners now and again:

And there's lots to smile about - Mum puts me in the carrier most days and I just tag along in there, watching what's going on, and I see heaps of stuff that makes me smile!  Like:

• Fin putting yoghurt in his hair or on Mum (must take note of his table manners for future reference).
  
• The trees and the flowers in the park when we take Fin there (I've observed that little boys are like dogs and need to have a good run every day).
  
• Mum's very decent cups of tea (and nice accompanying biscuits), I look forward to having those when I'm old enough.
  
• Bouncing on my bouncy chair thingy whilst I try to grab the toy tortoise that Mum hangs above me. I try sooo hard . . . 
  
• My favourite books, which are The Gruffalo, Hairy McLary and Zachary Quack, and also The Owl and the Pussycat
  
• Trying to grab that tortoise . . . 
  
• My favourite songs, which are Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, some of Mum's renditions of Rabbie Burns and - and this is sooooooooo cool - some of Dad's beatboxing attempts.
  
• Getting a kiss from my brother (though not so cool when he "pats" me on the head too enthusiastically.  Sigh.).
  
• Tortoise . . . it's still there . . . I'm not smiling so much now . . . can't . . . quite . . . reach . . .
  
• Being tickled.
  

See? Lots to smile about.  Now, I just need to learn how on earth to grab a hold of that blasted tortoise and my happiness will be complete . . .

Check out my vids and pics here:

http://picasaweb.google.com/finlaygeorgesmith/LexieWeek1011

Arrival in style!

Hello, public. I'm Lexie. (Well, Alexandra if you check my birth certificate, but that's my extremely-posh-will-only-ever-use-it-if-really-necessary name. To you guys, I'm just Lexie.)

I got here quite dramatically, exiting directly from Mum's tummy rather than down the long narrow tunnel bit first. Impatient, that's me!  Did I mention I was 2 weeks early too?  See previous comment! I started the whole thing off early, but to be honest when it got the hard work bit of squeezing down the tunnel and out, I couldn't be bothered so I just hung around in Mum's tummy and waited for someone to come and lift me out.  Much more ladylike that way, and it meant I didn't get unbecomingly squashed, which would have spoilt my first moments on camera. A girl's gotta preserve her prettiness, you know.

I've been here just over 10 weeks now, and I have to say it's a pretty cool place to be. Now that I can see it a little better, that is.  It was quite blurry up until a few weeks ago.  My favourite thing to stare at in the house is all the flowers Mum's put up on the wall by my change table.  All sorts of pinks (yes, I'm girly!) and different sizes, and very entertaining to look at, I must say. Dad's beard is also quite amusing, and the little rhythm-tunes he sings me do make me smile.  I think he likes the whole exercise more than I do, judging by his huge grins back at me!

My favourite activity is sleeping.  I sleep from 6 at night til 6 in the morning, with a couple of half-asleep feeds during the night at about midnight and 4 or 5ish (hungry work, sleeping!). I then sleep for a couple of hours on and off in the morning, and then have another long sleep of 3-4 hours at lunchtime.  Then it's up and a wee play before another doze, then bath at 5:30ish then bed again.  Ah yes, sleeping rocks. Definitely.  Mum worries I sleep too much, but Lynden (that's the nice lady who helped Mum get me out of her tummy) says just to enjoy it.  I know I do, so Mum should too.

My least favourite activity is avoiding being beaten up by Finlay, my brother.  That's probably why I'm so knackered!  Actually, I think he's cool, and to be fair he is gentle with me most of the time, he gives me nice kisses and awesome cuddles on the sofa. It's just he likes pointing out all the bits on my face in a rather enthusiastic manner, and for some reason he likes knocking on my head. Go figure . . .

Things I've achieved so far are:

* smiling

* having a nightly bath without crying

* lifting up my head and keeping it up there!

* enduring tummy-time for more than 30 seconds

* perfecting my different calls to command each parent (whinging, want company, hungry, tired, etc)

* going longer between feeds; 

* telling my brother to get off me (see above)

* becoming a master escaper from swaddling.

Not bad for a 10 week old! 

See you next time, I hear Fin coming . . .