Big Trip and Big Changes

Well, we haven't disappeared...we're back home after our big plane trip with Little Miss. Allie did great on the plane both there and back. Kudos to ExpressJet; what they lack in space on their planes, they make up for in service!! We had a good time with our family and friends in Slidell and Waynesboro. Allie struggled with sleeping for the first half of the visit, but we all survived that (though there were a few moments we didn't think we would!) Allie had her first carrot on her first plane ride, her first "biter biscuit" at Nonna and Papa's house and her first graham cracker and taste of grits at Grammy and Pappy's house. She got to see/meet grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins. We also came home with quite a few more clothes, stuffed animals, etc. for Allie than we left with and had some concerns about the luggage weight limit!!

Enjoy a few pictures below from our visits. But first...

We have been quite busy since we returned. On Monday (3/24), Allie popped up on hands and knees and began crawling all over the place...and hasn't really slowed down since. On top of her new mobility, Allie has been unbearably clingie to Joy all week. In fact, Joy can't really leave the room without Allie bursting into tears and (yes, it gets worse) crawling after her while still sobbing uncontrollably. This has made household chores and sanity quite unreachable all week, to say the least! Yesterday, Allie began pulling herself up onto her knees from a crawling position and has shown some interest in standing as well. Now we really have to "batten down the hatches!" I'll post some more pictures soon!!

Allie with Great-Grandmother Kay


Allie with Pappy and Grammy


Allie with Great-Aunt Connie


Allie with Papa


Allie with Uncle Jimmy and Aunt Jane


Allie with cousins Jared and Jacob


Allie with Daddy, Nonna and Great-Grandmother Gizynski


Allie with "Aunt-Nanny" Carol and Daddy


Allie with Aunt Jane and Nonna


Allie with Great-Grandmother Rancatore


Allie with Nonna

Ready for an adventure

Allie is preparing and looking forward to her big plane trip, so we wanted to post a few pictures from home for everyone!!

A Bright, Sunshiney Day

We have enjoyed some amazing weather the past few days. Yesterday the temperatures were in the 70s with a delightful breeze, so we took advantage of the spring conditions and hung out in the back yard for a while and took a walk around campus. In the morning we did a little photo shoot in one of Allie's fancy outfits; then in the afternoon, Allie wore one of her summer hats--she was just too cute, so we took some more pictures!!











Each morning, Tony gets Allie out of her crib and sits her in her chair while we get her breakfast ready. Wednesday morning, Allie was apparently very interested in watching TV. She was leaning forward in her chair, staring intently at the TV.

A Sparkly Grin

Just wanted to share this picture of Allie's first tooth!!

Weight Update

Today was Allie's six-month appointment at the pediatrician. She was very happy the entire time, from watching all the other kids in the waiting room to giggling at herself in the mirror in the exam room to trying very hard to destroy the paper on the exam table (which she accomplished quite well, by the way). She greeted both the nurse and doctor with smiles. She drank her medicine very well. When it came to the shots, she gave an initial look of horror and burst into tears, but stopped and went back to being her happy self as soon as I picked her up. No big deal!!

She now weighs 12 lbs., 12 oz. (4th percentile), is 25" long (20th percentile) and has a head circumference of 41.1 cm (15th percentile). So, she is growing well; and Mandy, our pediatrician, was pleased with her progress. She gave the nod of approval to move on to mixed baby foods, veggie and fruit puffs and Cheerios.

We don't have to go back to the doctor until Allie is nine months (June), and she won't have any shots then!! So far, Allie hasn't seemed to have any effects from the immunizations today. I gave her a dose of Tylenol before we went this time, so maybe that made the difference.

One new accomplishment to note: Allie is finally rolling from her back to her tummy. She suddenly flipped over yesterday while she was playing on the floor. She's been able to go from her tummy to her back since she was a week old, so this new trick has been a while in coming.

Six Months Old!!!!

It's hard to believe, but our little bundle is already six months old!!!! She grows and changes every day. She has so much personality and is constantly learning new things. We'll go on Wednesday for her six-month appointment, so we'll be able to update you on her weight and length then.

As you know, we've been dealing with her teething for the past few months. With that, we haven't had a full night of sleep for weeks. Well, last night, Allie slept all night long--from about 7:30 last night to a quarter 'til seven this morning. What a relief!! We just hope it continues. She had been doing so well with sleeping through the night before the tooth incident.

The weather here yesterday was beautiful, so we took Allie outside for some fresh air, playtime and a photo shoot. We took almost 700 pictures of her! Ah, the beauty of digital cameras! Allie's a great little model, so we wanted to share some of the best pictures with you--don't worry, we pared it down to a hand full, not 700!

They're breaking through!!!

After several months of misery, Allie is starting to get her first teeth!! Her first one finally broke through the skin on Thursday. Once it gets more visible, we'll take some pictures to share.

Allie continues to eat well. She enjoys her cereal and solid food. Now she enjoys crackers and juice or water for snack time. She's so cute eating her crackers. It's fun to watch her try to figure out how to get the last little bit of the cracker into her mouth when it's closed tightly in her fist!!