Beach Bum

Finally! Leah's first ever trip to the beach has been blogged! Of course there are MANY more photos than this, but I almost crashed the whole slide show application trying to include them all. Below are the highlights. Leah was a superstar for her first plane ride. You will see that Leah's first experiences at the beach and pool had some ups and downs. Mommy & Daddy didn't plan the beach well, and arrived very close to Leah's nap time. Combine that, with the fact that Leah sleeps to ocean sounds every night (naps too), and the sound of the real ocean put her over the top. She cried, and then sacked out in the stroller. The first dip in the pool was also not smile-filled, but Leah's confidence grew with each additional swim. You will also note that she had one bathing suit for each swim - what a fashion plate! While we were in FL, Leah also got a chance to meet Mommy's friends, the Burton family. She and Andrew had a great time watching each other over lunch. One more first that we were able to squeeze in was the first shower. Leah seemed to enjoy it once she got the hang of it. Thanks again for a great time Bubbe & Honey!!

If you have a huge desire to see the rest of the pics, let me know. I can e-mail a link to anyone who wants it. - J

OK, a few more...

The other day, Leah was just stuck on Alex's baseball cap. She kept trying to chew on it, or pull it off of his head. Finally, Alex thought she might like to try it on for size...


While Leah & Samuel see eachother often, yesterday was the first time that they have gotten to really interact. Usually, we're at a restaurant, or walking at the river. They were very interested in one another, and had a good time watching eachother play.


Bad hair day. Enough said.


So, Leah had an exciting Valentine's Day. She had goodies and cards to open, and then she got to visit her favorite offices at United Way. There she got to greet her public, and charm people with her smile and giggles. Needless to say, all of that excitement preempted Leah's afternoon nap. Sometimes, when a baby misses naps, they move beyond "cranky" to "punchy". Leah was so over-tired by time for her last bottle that she had trouble focusing to eat. I wanted to catch a picture of her in her Valentine's bib, which made her chuckle...then giggle...then laugh hysterically. Do you know how hard it was not to laugh along with her? Finally, the hunger took over, and she kicked back a few ounces before bed.

Happy Valentine's Day

Happy Valentine's Day from Leah & all of us!

Sunny Days

The results from Leah's 6-month check up are in: She weighs 15lbs, 4 oz. She is 25 1/2 inches long. Her head is 16 1/2 inches around. That puts her at about the 25th percentile in every category. The doctor was very pleased with her dexterity & fine motor skills - she is already hitting a few 9-month milestones! Now it is on to expanding her food repetoire a bit. Here she is practicing her "basking beauty" routine. She wanted to get comfortable in her hat & shades before we head to FL next week...

Busy Baby

Ahh, the days are flying by. Leah is more than 6 months old now, and she really does learn something new every day. Her latest feats are: waving, and helping with the spoon when she eats. The waving is practiced frequently, and with enthusiasm. Earlier today, she was waving at her toys. Surprisingly, they didn't wave back. Below is some of our handiwork with the spoon - avocado, yum!


One of the new activities that Leah has added to her day is sitting up in her Pack'n'Play. She can typically make it for 10-15 minutes before her little muscles give in and she topples over. Now Mommy & Daddy are scrambling for good "sitting up" toys to keep her busy as she practices her new skills.




Finally, here is Leah and her bedtime friend, Flat Stanley the teddy bear. Bubbe brought Stanley into our lives, and she fully intended for Leah to use him as a pillow. Mommy & Daddy never reinforced this plan, but apparently Leah was listening to her Bubbe (smart girl)! She pulled the bear up, and rested her head there all on her own.


As always, Leah is a girl on the move. Coming up we have the Zaban family baking extravaganza (where we will prepare goodies to send to the Temple Zaban Night Shelter for homeless couples), Leah's first Valentine's Day, and then a first trip to the beach complete with first airplane ride. It seems like you can expect some interesting photos ahead! - J

Winter Wonderland

Following are some of Leah's recent exploits. Most notably, her first snow day. As you know, snow in the South is a rarity, and an exciting time for all. Leah loved watching the snow from inside the house, but wasn't so sure about being out in it. She was not at all impressed with the snowsuit, or with cold wet snowflakes hitting her face. You will also see that Leah has been spending some quality time with her Buffett-doggie. He loves to keep an eye on that girl. Last, is a cute shot of Bubbe with her girls. Leah had a great time with Sophie, but wanted nothing more than to touch Sophie's hair. We may have a future girlie-girl on our hands! - J

Happy New Year

Leah has been traveling, and made her first trip across state lines to spend New Year's with V.V. and Pop in NC. While there, she visited with Auntie Christina and family. She also met part of her namesake - Great Granny, Alice Beall. Before we headed out, she got to visit with Uncle Jacob, and meet the Sink Family.

Here is Leah's second meeting with Uncle Jacob. As is a common theme with her, she slept through their first meeting when she was about 7 weeks old.


Here are Leah & Daddy with the Sink family. Alex and Bo were college roommates at Elon. Leah had a very good time watching the "big girls" while we were out together.


This is Leah as we crossed the state line into NC for the first time. Rest assured that we also captured her first time leaving GA (entering SC), but she was sleeping, so this photo seemed more interesting for blog material.


Leah finally got to meet her Great Granny with V.V.'s help. Leah Alice, meet Alice Alexander.




Finally, we got a shot of Leah with Auntie Christina on New Years' Day. Thanksgiving was so crazy that we didn't get a picture during that visit.