The Alexander's

Mercedes turns 11

2012-01-26T15:58:00.002-06:00

Mercedes-

Today you turn 11! I am so not ready for you to be growing up so fast. Its seems like over this past year you have matured so much. I wish I could just pause time and keep you at this age...so young and innocent. You are such a wonderful young lady with so many talents. You excel in school especially math and art. You seem to win every poster contest in school. You love soccer and hate to lose. I think I may have seen you cry a handful of times and almost all of them were because your team lost. You are very competitive..to the point it drives me crazy. In gym class you have a game called Pacer and you have never lost. I'm sure your entire class hates playing it with you! You l.o.v.e your itouch. We have to physically remove it from your hands. Sydney and Savannah just love being around you. You are so sweet to them (most of the time) and always seem to get them crazy wild right before bed. Graham loves when you hold him but you get bored quickly with him. Between school, soccer, homework and texting with your friends you are one busy lady. Growing up way too fast!
My prayer for you is that you always remember that we love you. You may not be "ours" biologically but we love you as if you were. You have been such a blessing to our family and to our lives. I can not imagine our world without you in it. You keep us on our toes and sometimes drive us crazy with your 100 questions daily. Your strength, determination, and love are an inspiration to us. We love you more than you can imagine.
I pray this year all your hopes and dreams come true!

Singing to you. Graham was very unsure about the fire coming from your cake.

Before school. You took donuts for your class.

Dinner at Longhorn, your favorite restaurant.

We surprised you with cupcakes after soccer practice the night before your birthday. Coach Shane and your teammates did an awesome job keeping it a secret. It was awesome! You were so shocked! I am so mad I didn't tape it.

Mercedes' 11th Birthday Sleepover

2012-01-25T09:50:00.002-06:00

Last weekend Mercedes had three friends over for a sleepover to celebrate her 11th birthday. We ate Chinese food, cake and ice cream. Then I took them to a movie. They stayed up way too late laughing, playing games, and playing with their electronics. The twins tried to be in the mix the whole time. They really don't see the difference in age!

Tummy Time

2012-01-25T09:47:00.001-06:00

Graham's first bites...

2012-01-25T09:44:00.001-06:00

Graham 5 months

2012-01-22T19:30:00.004-06:00

I mean seriously have you ever seen a cuter baby?!?! I know I am bias but still! He just makes my heart melt. How he is 5 months already?

G-Man,
You continue to be such an "easy" baby. Lately you have been sleeping 7pm-7am, only waking once to eat and then go right back to sleep. You have a deep love for your crib and must be in it by 7pm or you throw a fit. You can ride around all day and never say one word but come night time you speak up if you are not tucked into bed. You still only roll from belly to back and only roll to the right. We just started feeding you rice cereal at night time. You make (or should I say we make) such a mess. I am actually surprised how much you swallow. You love to giggle at Sydney and Savannah and they love it when you pay attention to them. Mercedes is such a big helper with you and you love to stare at her. You have started to babble a lot more. You reach for everything and want so desperately to be able to move. As soon as we lay you down you roll over and then put your arms in back of you...like a seal and then spin in circles on your belly. You prefer to be sitting up and love to play in your excersaucer.
Happy 5 months sweet baby!
We love you so much.

Uncle Micah took these sweet pictures of you. We love them all. Thanks Micah for capturing our sweet boys smile so perfectly.

Sydney & Savannah- Age 4...only one month late!

2012-01-08T19:53:00.004-06:00

To Sydney, on your 4th birthday-
We should have known that you got your Mommy's stubbornness when you didn't want to make your entrance into this world four years ago. This past year has been interesting raising you and your sister to say the least. Your little personality has really blossomed this year and we just love seeing what you are going to do next. You have tested our patience beyond belief but filled us with an immense amount of joy You have made us cry until we laughed and laugh until we cried.
You are strong-willed and determined. You are dramatic and passionate about everything you do. You are as beautiful on the inside as you are on the outside. You are smart and a very quick thinker. You have countless amounts of energy and are always eager to be doing something. You are such a sweet little girl with just enough sass. Your giggles are contagious and your smile lights up the room.
Your bond with Savannah is something that words simply can not describe. You are the bestest of friends. You fill this house with giggles (and sometimes with screams) from the moment you wake up, which is early, to the moment you go to bed. You two are always watching out for one another and very protective of each other. I pray daily that the love and compassion you have for one another remains strong.
You love to do any art project. You can color for hours, then cut your drawings out and play with them like dolls. You are left handed and very coordinated with your hands. You love to help us out with everything. From cooking, to cleaning, to folding laundry you always have to be in the mix of things. Currently you love watching Olivia, Barbie's Perfect Christmas, really any show that has girls wearing tights. Speaking of tights you LOVE them. It is a constant battle getting you dressed for school in the morning. You want to wear tights and dresses everyday. If you can't, you try to wear leggings with your socks pulled up high, in an attempt to make them look like tights. You love to sing...very loudly. You know all the words to all the songs on Barbies Perfect Christmas. You have the sweetest little voice. I'm sure you and your sister will be famous singers one day. We had to purchase the music on itunes because you were watching too much TV just for the music.
You love school and love your teacher, Ms. Thomas. Ms. Thomas says that you are an amazing student who always listens and follows instructions immediately (I'm not sure why you don't do this at home though!). Your favorite thing about school is going to music and Spanish. You also love art/craft time. You and Savannah are best buddies at school with a little girl named Alex. You tell the most crazy, most animation stories I have ever heard. Your facial expressions are hilarious, as well as your hand and head motions. You repeat everything and never forget anything. I could honestly write a best-selling book with stories from you and your sister.
I could write for hours on you and your sister but this is already a month late!
We pray that you always know how much we love you. We feel so blessed that God chose us to be your parents. Happy 4th birthday sweet girl!

To Savannah, on your 4th birthday,
Where to even start with you! You are such a beautiful little girl, on the inside as much as the outside. Your sweet spirit is so refreshing. You have brought so much happiness to our lives. You still love to snuggle and have the sweetest little voice. You are full of surprises, one of my favorites is your surprise kisses and love yous...you randomly come up to us throughout the day and give sweet kisses or just say "Mommy I love you". Melt my heart. You are very polite and are always quick to say "Yes Mommy. Of course Mommy" in your sweet little voice. Every night when I tuck you into bed your big hugs and kisses remind me why I love being a mom so much. You are very easy going like your Daddy.
Even with all that sweetness you can throw some fierce tantrums. You just lay back and let the screams come out, feet and arms go flying, and when you finally sit up your face is beat red! Sometimes these fits are so random and ridiculous I have to just laugh. Sometimes though these fits drive me wild because I have no idea where it came from. Thankfully you never do them in public! You tend to blame a lot of your misfortunes (tripping, toy breaking or misplacing a toy) on Sydney. Half the time she doesn't even tell you that she didn't do it and just takes your punishment until I step in to clarify.
You love Sydney with your whole heart and are always watching out for her. Last summer you actually told us that she slipped through her tube at the pool and was under the water. (Don't judge us..we really were watching you both!) You speak in public more than Sydney but never leave her side. You two play wonderfully together and have enormous imaginations.
You love, love to dance and dress up. Costumes are always spread throughout the house. I spy on you while you are practicing your dance moves and it may be the cutest thing I have ever seen. You love to have us watch you dance and love big applauds.
Your favorite show right now is Olivia. Your favorite movie is Barbie's Perfect Christmas. More than anything you love them music in them.
You love school and are a quick learner. You love to please Ms. Thomas and are very obedient. You love art projects and are very precise in your work. You could do arts and crafts all day. Your best friend at school is Alex. The teachers have made comment how the three of you should have been triplets. You love to read books at school and at home. You also like to read to us and your stories are always so creative.
Every one always ask if you and Sydney are as much alike as you look alike. Our answer is always NO. As much as you both like the same things (toys, movies, clothes), your personalities are so different. You each are so unique. It is a joy (and a challenge) raising you together. We pray that your bond with each other grows stronger every day. We also pray that you always know how much we love you and thank God that he picked us to be your parents.

Love Mommy & Daddy

Shreveport Visit

2012-01-03T14:04:00.003-06:00

We traveled back to Shreveport for a few days after Christmas. It was Graham's first trip to Shreveport and he did great! It was so great to visit Mimi, Pops, Micah and many friends. The girls had a great time cooking with Pops and painting with Mimi.
Thank you Mimi and Pops for letting us invade your house! We had a wonderful time.

Mercedes Maine Christmas

2012-01-03T14:01:00.001-06:00

First Pinterest Project- Very Simple

2012-01-03T09:22:00.006-06:00

My craft abilities are very close to a zero. My creative thoughts are sometimes close to a 5. But with Pinterest these numbers are only going to get higher! This project takes no skill or special abilities but is very useful I thought and it was FREE!

We are blessed to get many Christmas cards and I LOVE them all. But what do you do with them after the holidays? The stack has sat next to my trash for 3 days. I just could not throw them away. Our friends have spent countless hours taking pictures, ordering cards, addressing them, and spending hard earned money to spread Christmas joy. It made me too sad to simply throw them away. Well last night on Pinterest I found this very, very simple way to organize your cards and keep them for years (and that is what I will do since I am a borderline hoarder).

All you need are some Christmas cards...

and one of these "O" ring thingies and...

a hole punch and you get this.....

I think I will add a little ribbon to the ring to jazz it up a bit.
Does that boast my creativity number?

Random Pictures of Graham

2012-01-02T16:41:00.002-06:00

Christmas Morning

2012-01-02T16:30:00.004-06:00

Santa came!!

So excited to see if "he" really came!

FaceTime with Mercedes :)

G really wanted to go back to bed!

This Christmas was the first that Mercedes was in on the Santa secret the whole season and was also the first that S and S were really into him. They each received a video from Santa (via computer) to let them know whether they made the naughty or nice list. It was very cute to watch their faces. This year it was also the first time that we think that S & S really understood the true meaning of Christmas (of course getting presents was always on their mind). One of their favorite activities was playing with the Nativity and teaching their Barbies and other dolls about Jesus which was very cool to watch.

Christmas Eve

2012-01-02T16:18:00.003-06:00

Sydney was really concerned about Santa not being able to fit through the chimney.

This Christmas was very different because we did not have any family in town AND Mercedes went to Maine to spend her winter break with her Grandmother. She loves to ride and spend time in Maine so we decided to let her go. She has a great time but it just wasn't the same on Christmas Eve and morning without her. We were able to do FaceTime while we opened presents but it still wasn't the same :(

Birthday Party Fun

2012-01-02T16:07:00.005-06:00

For Sydney and Savannah's 4th birthday they requested a Bubble Guppie party at I Jump. Having it at I Jump was the simple part...however there is zero party supplies with a Bubble Guppie theme!! Thankfully not much was needed since I Jump provides everything but the cake :) Miss Katie made them dresses with their favorite characters on them. They LOVE the dresses and try to wear them daily. The girls had a blast and are still talking about their party. Savannah in the big chair! Ready to party!

Sydney was so excited her birthday had finally arrived!

Sydney and Savannah Turn FOUR!

2012-01-02T16:01:00.002-06:00

On December 18th Sydney and Savannah turned FOUR! We celebrated that morning by having Krispy Kreme donuts and opening presents. Later in the day we had their party at IJUMP (will post on that later). It was a wonderful day filled with many sweet memories.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SWEET GIRLS!

Gingerbread house disasters!

2012-01-02T15:56:00.002-06:00

Building a gingerbread house (or 3) is a lot harder than one would imagine. It was a pure disaster! The girls still had fun decorating them and eating them of course.

S & S Birthday School Snack

2012-01-02T15:54:00.001-06:00

Sydney and Savannah got to bring a special treat for their birthday at school. It was also Christmas PJ day.

16 weeks of pure joy....

2011-12-12T13:22:00.004-06:00

Graham is 16 weeks old today. I must say it has been the best 16 weeks of my life.He is the sweetest, most laid back baby I have ever met. He must take after his Daddy!Graham rolled over for the first time last week (from back to belly). He always wants to be sitting up so he can see the action going on around him. He loves to smile, coo, and giggle. He already smiles so big when he sees his Daddy walk through the door. Graham is still a great sleeper..usually goes 9ish-5ish only waking up once and then heads straight back to bed for another couple of hours.
At the doctors today he weighed in at 15 lbs 9.5 oz and is 26 1/4 long. Once again Dr. Levin commented how perfect he is (I'm sure he says this to every parent...but we really think he is!)

Our Magical Vacation

2011-12-09T12:09:00.011-06:00

We decided it was finally time to take the girls to Disney. Nate happened to have a few vacation days left that he had to use before Christmas break and we did not know when the next time that would happen. The beginning of December is a wonderful time to venture to Disney. The crowds are lighter, the weather is perfect and everything is decorated so gorgeous for Christmas. We rarely had to wait in line for a ride. At the last minute we found some reasonably priced airplane tickets and decided to fly. I am so glad we did because we were exhausted at the end of the trip.

These two girls were super excited to get on the plane!

"When are we going to get there?" I only heard this 1000x on the two hour flight!

First of many Mickey Mouse ice creams!

The girls loved our towel animals/figures every night.

First stop...Animal Kingdom.
On the Kilimajaro Safari which was awesome.

Sydney and Savannah really wanted tattoos. They were suppose to last 2-3 days. Somehow Savannah still has her very large tattoo of all the fairies....8 days later.

Sydney and Daddy with Minnie Mouse. Sydney was very shy around all the characters.

Savannah..on the other hand...LOVED everyone. It looks like Minnie is pointing at Savannah's belly but she is really pointing at her "Happy Birthday" sticker.

Walking into "A Bugs Life". We lasted about 3 minutes before the twins were screaming because of the bugs. Not recommended for young children.

Obviously M and I were very excited about our new shades.

Kali River Rapids.
We all rode it one time and the girls liked it but not enough to stay on and do it again. So glad we got off because Nate and Mercedes got soaked the second time.

Headed to dinner

Passed out. Naps in strollers were frequent on this trip.

Breakfast at Chef Mickeys. Loved it. Characters were great and spent a lot of time with the girls.

Savannah with Minnie.

Pluto was the best. Spent lots of time with the girls. Even Sydney warmed up to him.

Magic Kingdom. Walked right up to Minnie and Mickey.

Next stop....the Princesses!

Its a Small World was a favorite!

Winnie the Pooh

We have a similar picture from 2007 when we took Mercedes. Oh how things have changed!

Buzz Ride

We all wanted to stay in the castle forever.

One of my favorite moments...Savannah was passed out. We tried and tried to wake her up especially since she l-o-v-e-s Jessie. So we got Jessie to hold her so we could get a picture. Savannah loves to look at this picture.

Next stop...Hollywood Studios
The Toy Story ride is amazing here. We only got to ride it once because all the fastpasses were GONE by 10am (thankfully we got one before this). It was the only ride we had to wait for the entire trip.

We love some June around here...I think its because she is a ballerina.

Back to the Magic Kingdom for the Christmas party.

We literally rode the tea cups 20 times. The girls loved it.

The castle was beautiful in Christmas lights.

Alice was talking to the girls. Their mouths were open in shock for about 5 minutes!

One of the dwarfs shaking Savannah's hand. She loved it.

The parade was amazing!
Highly recommend any parade or show at Magic Kingdom.

Headed home :(
We took over 500 photos and I am sure I am leaving lots out!
No worries I am already planning our next trip. (insert Nate rolling his eyes!)

We had so much fun and made some wonderful memories. I'm not going to lie. There were times when the trip was not so "magical". Since we were only there 3 full days I felt like we were running the whole time which is not always pleasant with 3 kids. But we learned a lot and I think our next trip will be even better! I think the sweetest part was our first night at home and Sydney asked if we could go back to Disney but added in that we could not leave Graham home again.

Our sweet friends, the Hollands, took care of Graham while we were gone. Leaving him was honestly one of the hardest things I have ever done as a parent. The only reason I got by was because I knew he was being super spoiled by Katie, Matt and Lele. It is an awesome feeling knowing that you have such amazing friends that love your children so much.
We can not even begin to thank Katie and Matt enough for taking such good care of our little man.

Another Katie I have to thank is the Katie that helped me plan our trip. Katie Smith knows everything Disney and she took so much planning stress out for me. If you are planning a trip you must talk to her before you go.

Storytime

2011-11-26T12:43:00.002-06:00

*several new posts below*

Thanksgiving 2011

2011-11-26T12:35:00.002-06:00

This Thanksgiving we opted for the easy Thanksgiving dinner so we ate out at Ross Bridge. It was so yummy and the best part was I didn't have to cook...or clean up. Bad part was there were no yummy leftovers.

We decided to capture a family photo before we left for dinner. Have you ever tried to do the self-timer for a photo of 6 people?? Don't unless you have an hour to get one deceit photo. We did capture come funny faces though.

Sydney was ready to leave and refused to take any more pictures.

Before we ate lunch we went around the table and said what we were thankful for...

Savannah- Daddy, Mommy, Mercedes, Graham and sister
Sydney- Daddy and Mommy and Ross Bridge
Mercedes- soccer, horses, friends, Nate, Kimmy, Sydney, Savannah, Graham, Grandma, Grandpa, Janna, and Ruth

Psalm 107:1
"Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever."

Thanksgiving POW WOW

2011-11-26T12:30:00.003-06:00

The Friday before Thanksgiving all the 3 year old classes put on a Thanksgiving POW WOW show for their families. It was beyond adorable. All the children did really well on stage.

(Sydney has dark purple head band and Savannah has the light purple)

Poor Graham was totally over 100 three year olds. He thinks two is plenty and wanted out of there!

In less than 1 month...

2011-11-26T12:28:00.001-06:00

these two precious girls will be 4!

Graham- 12 weeks

2011-11-16T07:35:00.005-06:00

Graham, You have made the last 3 months of our lives so enjoyable and full of happiness. You are honestly the best baby anyone could ask for. You make every ones heart melt with your contagious smile. You have made our family complete and we all love you so much!

Here are just a few things that you are doing....

You love to smile especially when people tell you how handsome you are.

Your eyes follow your sisters around all day. I can tell you are going to be their shadow as soon as you can move.

You let your sisters do anything to you...from dressing you up to giving you a bath to shoving your paci in your mouth.

You can fall asleep anywhere. I have found you on your play mat asleep multiple times.

You love to snuggle and would sleep for hours on anyones chest.

You usually only wake up once a night, sometimes twice (between 8pm & 6am)!
The picture below was from the other morning (no they don't sleep in my bed all night!!)

You eat like a champ and just starting wanting 5-6 ozs before bed.

You have wonderful timing when it comes gas (weddings, church, anytime its too quiet!)

You prefer to suck on your fist over your paci.

You already want to be just like your Daddy!

Interrupted

2011-11-02T10:33:00.002-05:00

This morning while changing Graham I decided to grab the camera and try to get some pictures. It wasn't long before we were interrupted....

Good thing its Halloween...

2011-10-31T12:24:00.002-05:00

Grandpa and Mimi brought more camo and orange with them! Just in time for Halloween..except they really think he is going to be a hunter!!

*several new posts below*

Trunk or Treat at St. Marks

2011-10-31T11:43:00.003-05:00

Lazy Sunday

2011-10-31T11:40:00.001-05:00

Daddy doesn't get to enjoy too many days like this. He was loving it and so were the kiddos!

Lady Phantoms Freak Night

2011-10-31T11:34:00.002-05:00

On Saturday Mercedes' soccer team, the Lady Phantoms, had a Halloween party. It was lots of fun and ended with the kids playing soccer. They just can't get enough!

Pumpkin Patch

2011-10-31T11:28:00.002-05:00

Pumpkin Painting and Carving

2011-10-31T11:25:00.002-05:00

S & S Halloween Party

2011-10-31T11:22:00.001-05:00

S & S had their first Halloweenish school party on Friday. It was really only cookie decorating with juice boxes.They got to wear silly hats which I totally didn't get a picture of.

Obsessions

2011-10-31T08:47:00.003-05:00

We have some obsessions around here lately...1)our hot pinks tights and 2)headbands.S & S HAVE to wear or take their pink tights everywhere. I have no idea why or how this started but it is on the verge of out of control. They even try to wear them to bed. The first night we let them and then took them off while they were sleeping. That night we woke up to Sydney screaming from her closet at 3am. Nate found her sitting on the floor in her closet with all of her undies, socks, tights, and hats around her. She was wearing her winter hat screaming, "WHERE ARE MY TIGHTS??? WHY DID SOMEONE TAKE MY TIGHTS OFF ME???" So now we just let her sleep with them! Oh, she also took them to school one day when I would not let her wear them. When she got to school she told her teacher that she HAD to wear them. Obsessed? YES!

Grandma's Visit

2011-10-31T08:41:00.002-05:00

My mom came to visit for one whole MONTH!
It was so nice to have an extra set of hands...and eyes around here. Thank you for coming to help us during this crazy time. We miss you already!

Mercedes Soccer- Memphis

2011-10-31T08:36:00.002-05:00

Two weekends ago Mercedes, Graham and I headed to Memphis for a soccer team with the Lady Phantoms. It was a great weekend of soccer. Mercedes played really well and her team is so fun to watch. They played some really tough competition from all over the south.

The girls decorated all their cars for the drive to Memphis. What you can't see is that Nate wrote "Awesome" on both of our windows with arrows pointing to us. Nice.

Graham 8 weeks

2011-10-31T07:59:00.002-05:00

Graham you are the sweetest little boy we have ever met. You always wake up with a big smile and lots of snuggles. You are so strong and lift your head to look all around. The only times you cry are when you are really hungry or really tired. You love to be held and we love to spoil you. You have lots of patience and are willing to wait to be picked up, fed, and changed. You have already taken two long road trips and stayed in hotels. Everyone always says you are the BEST baby and we totally agree! At 9 weeks you weighed 13lbs 8ozs!

Mercedes' Maine Project

2011-10-20T13:11:00.002-05:00

Mercedes' first social studies project was to "take a trip" to one state and "bring back" 5 souvenirs from your trip. She had to pick her state from a hat and what did she pick?? MAINE!! What are the chances she would pick her favorite and most frequent visited state?? I guess 1 in 50! She did an awesome job and got an A!

So in love....

2011-10-17T11:11:00.002-05:00

Last weekend Nate, Graham and I headed to South Mississippi to see one of my sweetest sorority sisters marry the man of her dreams. It was the most amazing country-chic wedding you could have imagined. Brooke did an awesome job with all the details and looked stunning! It is always so good to be with all my Roanoke girls. Every time we are together (which is not often enough) it's like we had never left each other. Graham was such a good baby on his first road trip and wedding.

Darwells Cafe

2011-10-17T11:05:00.002-05:00

If you are ever in South Mississippi you must visit Darwell's Cafe. The food is beyond amazing and Darwell is an awesome host. FYI- Darwell's was on Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives.

Sibling Love

2011-10-17T10:53:00.001-05:00

Wordless Wednesday

2011-10-12T15:41:00.001-05:00

Love this face....

2011-10-07T15:41:00.000-05:00

Latest Fashion Trend...Swimsuits and Mittons

2011-10-07T15:35:00.001-05:00

Already a hunter??

2011-10-04T16:10:00.002-05:00

Thanks to Grandpa and Mimi, Graham is ready for hunting season.

The shirt says "My First Tree Stand".

1 Month

2011-09-20T16:22:00.002-05:00

It is really hard to believe that Graham is 1 month old already. He weighs 10 lbs 11 oz and is 23 inches long. He is a great eater and great sleeper...until 4am which he thinks is morning time. He is not cranky at 4am just doesn't want to go back to sleep or be put down. Then as soon as we get him back to sleep around 6am, the twins are waking up. I keep telling myself that one day soon G will not want me to hold him and I need to cherish those precious moments that he wants to be in my arms...even at 4am!

Wordless Wednesday...kind of.

2011-09-07T13:12:00.001-05:00

Yes, that is a pink blanket. It was the only one handy!
Several new posts below.

Getting some sun...

2011-09-07T13:09:00.002-05:00

Last week Graham was getting some sun and Savannah decided to keep him company.

I thought it was so sweet.

Uncle Micah's Visit

2011-09-07T13:06:00.001-05:00

Last weekend Uncle Micah came to visit and meet Graham. We didn't get many pictures of him with us but he took a lot of us with his amazing photography skills. I can not wait to see them. Thank you so much for coming to visit! We had a great time with you.

Graham's Room

2011-09-07T12:57:00.005-05:00

Graham's room is finally complete...however he has only spent one night in it. But that is because we have had company....and soon, really soon we will transition to his room.
Notice how I said we will.

Thank you Mimi for the amazing giraffe and initial paintings. They are awesome!

Graham- 1 week

2011-08-30T14:24:00.003-05:00

At one week old Graham has already surpassed his birth weight.
He now weighs 8 lbs 10 oz of pure love.

Sisterly Love

2011-08-29T20:26:00.002-05:00

Sydney and Savannah have defiantly taken a liking to their brother. Maybe a little bit too much! They love giving him kisses, hugs, holding him, counting his fingers, rubbing his toes, and protecting him from "outsiders". For example, Audra was trying to get a piece of dry skin off his ear while he was sleeping. Once Savannah saw this she quickly said, "STOP that. He doesn't like it". Let me remind you that he was sleeping quietly and not minding it at all. They will not hesitate to tell you, "He is MY brother."
They also love diaper changing time. As soon as I start asking, "Can someone get me....?" they both leap up, run to the basket where we keep the supplies and tackle each other to get their hands in there first. I quickly learned that I always have to ask for two things. Then the whole time I change him they are both so close that I am afraid that they are going to get sprayed (if you know what I mean). They stay so close because they love to throw the dirty diaper away and fight over it. They do really well keeping track of who got to throw it away last time.
Mercedes also loves to hold him but wants nothing to do with the diaper changing! She is more protective of me and wants to make sure that I am taken care of. She is mother hen over me.
Hopefully their love continues to grow and grow for him.
More pictures soon!

2011-08-27T20:36:00.003-05:00

Graham is doing just awesome. He is the sweetest baby ever. I really could just hold him 24 hours a day! The hardest time for him is 10pm to 1am. He is just really fussy and gassy but just wants to keep eating. He is a really good eater and a great sleeper (expect those 3 hours at night). And that is about it...he eats, he poops, he sleeps. And we kiss, and kiss and kiss him some more.

Several news posts below.

Coming Home....

2011-08-27T20:16:00.004-05:00

Grandpa just couldn't get enough.

Dr. Hoover and Graham

Daddy getting G-Man dressed to go home.

Our view

Nervous Nate wasn't even going the speed limit.

The girls were happy we were home with Graham to get home but Wells was SO excited!

Savannah loves holding her baby brother.

We really have been having a great time adjusting to a family of 6. I'm not going to lie...it has not been easy but it has been easier than I thought it was going to be. Mercedes loves to hold him. S & S have been warming up to him. The first time they met him in the hospital they really didn't pay much attention to him. After a few hours their friend Wells came with his parents and just loved Graham which made the girls (especially Savannah) much more interested in Graham. She even said, "That is MY brother." Since then they will ask to hold him but have not been jealous once. I have been very impressed with their patience and love for him.

More Pictures From The Hospital

2011-08-27T20:10:00.002-05:00

Happy Birthday Graham

2011-08-22T21:43:00.002-05:00

Graham Cole Alexander arrived today at 2:03pm weighing 8 lbs 9 oz and 21 inches long. He is just perfect and so sweet. I am feeling great and we can't wait to introduce him to his sisters tomorrow. Nate even got to help deliver him which was extra special.
Lots more pictures to come!

Grandpa finally got his BOY!

We Are Pretty Fancy Around Here....

2011-08-19T14:26:00.002-05:00

5th Grade

2011-08-19T14:09:00.002-05:00

Mercedes started 5th grade last Monday. She of course was excited and ready to get back. She has a very busy year....for half the year she will be the Anchor for the school broadcast in the mornings and for the other half she will be working safety patrol in the afternoons.

Soccer is in full swing also. Last Sunday the Lady Phantoms played their first game of the season and won 5-0 with Mercedes scoring 3 goals. She is one busy kid!

First Day of 3K

2011-08-11T10:03:00.004-05:00

Today was Sydney and Savannah's first day of 3K at St. Marks. Yesterday we met their teacher, Ms. Thomas and we all love her. I think they are going to have a wonderful year. This year they also do carpool in the morning and afternoon (which I think is amazing) but was really nervous about someone else getting them out of the car but they did great...not one tear. Please say a prayer that its always that easy for them.

37 weeks

2011-08-09T13:19:00.002-05:00

Time has really flown by with this pregnancy. I can not believe that sometime this month we will have a baby boy in our family. I think we are as ready as you can be for Graham's arrival. He is just a moving n' shaken in my belly. I don't know if he is settling in for the long haul or trying to get out. Hopefully the later!

Reunited and it feels so good....

2011-08-08T16:26:00.003-05:00

In two months my sweet friend from college, Brooke, is getting married. So, of course we had to throw her a bachelorette weekend. Since I was not allow to travel past 35 weeks these amazing friends decided to come to Birmingham. How nice is that?? I am so blessed to have such incredible friends. We had an amazing time as always!

Our Maine Trip...lots & lots of pictures

2011-07-22T07:44:00.009-05:00

I know a lot of people thought that I was crazy traveling to Maine at 32 weeks pregnant and staying for two weeks. Especially when they found out that we were staying at my dads fly fishing campground with the nearest hospital at least 3 hours away (that I would want to deliver at). But I thought that it was important for the twins to visit their grandparents and have some time away at "camp". We had an amazing time and wouldn't trade those memories for anything. Nate was even able to come for five days which was amazing since he couldn't receive any pages or calls from the hospital.

Get ready for lot of pictures (which is only a 1/4 of what I actually took)....

First stop...Hallowell Seafood. Love this place. If you ever want fresh Maine seafood shipped this is the place to get it from. Ask for Justin and tell him Mrs. P sent you (he can't get the A down). The girls were not so sure about all the live lobsters in the tank.

Feeding all the animals was the highlight of the trip for the girls.

They liked the chickens as long as they were in their "cave".

Waiting for the ducks to come.

Swimming in Grandpa's "pool".

Nothing like playing dolls with 10 ducks in the yard.

They loved going fast in the boat.

Nap time...we only had to travel to Maine to get naps back.

Cooking out. Notice our jackets...oh nice for this pregnant momma.

Mercedes finally left horse camp to come visit us. The girls loved painting rocks.

Look at that face.

After a long delayed flight, a 3 hour drive, and 2 hours of sleep Nate wanted to catch his first chicken. It took him awhile.

He was pretty excited.

Might I add that these are the nicest and easiest chickens to catch. Not sure why Nate had such a problem. Poor guy.

Sydney loves steamers as much as her momma.

Dinner time...stuffed and steamed lobsters.

Mercedes ready to catch a fish.

My all time picture of my dad.

Sydney love driving and going fast. Hopefully she out grows this.

Lunch time!!

The girls loved working in the store.

Sitting on the dock watching Savannah and Daddy kayak.

Daddy and Savannah.

Sweet Savannah

Nate's close encounter with a moose.

Mimi found a mini tea set and the girls l-o-v-e-d it.

Graham received his first camo outfits.

Last day at camp. The girls didn't want to leave.

Mercedes and Flame N

Girls waiting to ride...wondering where their pink horse is.

Mercedes really could ride every day of the rest of her life and be perfectly happy.

Nate rode for the first time in five years. Sydney would only ride with him.

Savannah would only ride with Daddy AND Sydney.

Now if these two want to leave me all summer for Maine I am in trouble!

Mercedes at Horse Camp

2011-06-30T21:08:00.001-05:00

Mercedes is loving life in Maine. We may never get her to come home.

Video of S & S Swimming

2011-06-28T06:35:00.002-05:00

Last week Sydney and Savannah started swim lessons. I was a bit nervous that the instructor was just going to throw them in the water and they either sink or swim. However, Ms. Laura is so patience and loving with each child. She is just firm enough to make them do what she wants/needs them to do. After just 3 days of classes they were literally swimming by themselves. They still don't "enjoy" going to class but tolerate it. They would much rather go to "their" pool and swim. We still have four classes left so I can't wait to see how much they improve.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sXQLaZNNElY

Happy 30th Birthday Nathan!

2011-06-27T07:10:00.000-05:00

Today Nathan turns 30!!

We celebrated last Friday (through Sunday) since Mondays are typically long days for Nathan. The girls were so excited to bake their Daddy a homemade cake. As you can see they are amazing cake decorators.

Happy Fathers Day

2011-06-21T14:17:00.002-05:00

This post is way late and not at all up to par of what it should be for this amazing Daddy of ours. Sunday was a huge day of recovery for me (baby shower + dance recital + ENT party = one exhausted momma). So Father's day did not really goes as I had planned. As you can see from the picture Nate even had to make his own waffles for breakfast! At least I snapped a picture before I went back to bed right?? I think they still had a great time without me. They got to spend the whole day together which rarely gets to happen.

Nathan, you are an amazing father and I thank God every day that he has blessed us with you. Your hard work and dedication to this family is like no other. We love you!

Sydney & Savannah's First Dance Recital

2011-06-19T15:08:00.004-05:00

ENT Graduation

2011-06-19T14:46:00.003-05:00

Last night was the ENT Graduation Celebration. It was a fun night filled with lots of laughs and even a few tears. Nate recieved the "Resident of the Year" award which was quite the honor.

Angela, Blake and Nate (all about to be Chief Residents)

Jennifer, Brian, Nate and I
Brian was one of the residents graduating last night. It was very bittersweet. We are very happy for them but so very sad that they are moving. Jennifer was my first friend here and I have no idea how I am gong to live in Birmingham or be a "residents wife" without her! They have become our family and will be forever close in our hearts.

Graham's Sprinkle

2011-06-19T14:27:00.003-05:00

On Saturday some of my sweetest friends threw Graham and I a baby sprinkle. It was so cute and full of lots of blue things. Thank you to all my friends who were able to make it and help us prepare for the arrival of Graham.

Seriously how cute is this??

Graham is already very spoiled!

Cutest wreath.

My mom, me and my mother-in-law.

Katie, Carrie, me and Dana
Thank you ladies for an awesome shower. I love you girls so much.

First Haircuts

2011-06-09T12:10:00.002-05:00

Last Saturday we took S & S to get their haircut for the FIRST time ever! They were not happy about it either. Oh and to top it off it was in a mall salon (scary)!! It was only an inch, I could have really done it myself, but thought we needed to experience a salon cut. Sydney had to sit on my lap but Savannah was brave enough to sit alone.

(Sydney is in the top two, Savannah bottom two)

5 years!!

2011-06-03T07:20:00.003-05:00

5 years ago today I married my best friend.
I honestly thought that I couldn't love him more than I did on that day. Boy was I wrong!
It has been an incredible five years and I can't wait to see what God has in store for our family.

And he shall be named...

2011-05-27T17:28:00.002-05:00

Graham Cole Alexander

What a weight off our shoulders!! Sweet baby boy's name was the hot topic between Nate and I for months. Now that we have named our son we can deepen our relationship conversations!

Point Clear Alabama

2011-05-25T08:37:00.006-05:00

Last Saturday we packed up the van and headed to Point Clear Alabama. We stayed at the Marriott Grand Resort. It was such an awesome place for kids and adults. There were two huge pools with water slides and a lazy river. It is located on Mobile Bay so the girls were able to play in the sand and splash in the little waves. It was the perfect way to celebrate the end of Nate traveling and him matching for his fellowship. No one wanted to come home!

Drum Roll Please.....

2011-05-25T08:33:00.000-05:00

After two and a half months of traveling to 8 different states, our wait for where Nathan would match for his Pediatric Otolaryngology Fellowship can to an end yesterday. In June of 2012 all six of us will be moving to......

CHICAGO!!!!

Team Freedom

2011-05-25T08:28:00.000-05:00

Baby Alexander

2011-05-17T12:10:00.003-05:00

So, I just realized that I have not dedicated a single blog to this sweet baby I am carrying. I can not believe that I am already 25 weeks...time really goes by fast the second time when you are already chasing around other children.
This pregnancy has been fairly easy other than the exhaustion (which is probably more of his sisters fault than his), cramping, and reflux...I think. At our last doctors appointment he was measuring exactly where he is suppose to be and moves so much. Mercedes actually got to feel him the other day which made her very excited. Every time Nate puts his hand on my belly he stops moving! Nate claims he has a calming effect on the baby! Savannah is always rubbing on my belly and giving it hugs. We did have to have a lesson on where exactly he is located though. She came up to me the other day and started rubbing my breasts. I asked her what she was doing and she said "loving on baby brother". I quickly informed her that he was only in my belly. She looked a little confused at first.
Baby Alexander is still nameless (well he does have a first name..99.9% sure but no middle yet). Stay tuned for the big name reveal...hopefully we can decide soon.

My Sweestest Blessings

2011-05-08T17:11:00.002-05:00

Mothers Day 2011

Sydney

Savannah

Mercedes

Baby Boy at 24 weeks

Junior Lady Phantoms Tournament

2011-05-01T19:03:00.003-05:00

Mercedes was named MVP for two out of the three games!

Easter 2011

2011-04-25T18:00:00.004-05:00

He is Risen, He is Risen Indeed!

Fusion Mom's Group Easter Egg Hunt

2011-04-25T17:56:00.001-05:00

Mercedes Playing Soccer

2011-04-25T15:58:00.002-05:00

I have been really bad about bringing my camera to the field this soccer season. Here are two (not so great) pictures of Mercedes. It didn't really help that the day I remembered my camera I forgot my zoom lens so I was practically on the field with her. She loved it...not!

Oh and by the way......her regular season team is currently undefeated!

Coloring Easter Eggs

2011-04-25T15:50:00.001-05:00

Learning to Love the Mailman

2011-04-25T15:46:00.002-05:00

Mimi and Pops sent the girls Easter trees with lots of cute little decorations. They have loved decorating and un-decorating them this past week. They have also learned that the mailman brings lots of fun things...however, today he didn't bring anything but bills....needless to say they were not happy.

Packages from Maine....

2011-04-18T16:26:00.002-05:00

Grandma sent the girls their own package for Easter and they were so excited! The packages were filled with chocolate, stickers, Barbies, sunglasses and other fun stuff! Thanks Grandma!

Our Own B-ball Team and Cheerleaders

2011-04-18T16:23:00.002-05:00

We have formed our own basketball team and they are pretty good considering their height!

We even have cheerleaders.
They actually eat more ice cream than cheer though.

Budding Artists

2011-04-14T11:30:00.000-05:00

Our Cute Lil Bunnies

2011-04-14T11:14:00.003-05:00

*two new posts below*

Silly Girls Being Creative With Their Clothes...

2011-04-14T11:07:00.001-05:00

Thank you Grandpa!

2011-04-14T10:56:00.001-05:00

Grandpa was in town and bought Mercedes a basketball hoop. However, the twins think its theirs...they just need a little help reaching it!

Ready for summer....

2011-04-13T13:49:00.001-05:00

Art Contest Winner!!!

2011-04-05T09:51:00.002-05:00

Mercedes recently won the art contest for Fire Safety week.
She was awarded a medal and a certificate. Soccer has also started for Mercedes and we are FULL speed ahead. She is currently on THREE teams...her regular team, a special tournament team, and was just selected to be on Lady Jr. Phantoms again- which is another competitive team. Each season she gets more and more exciting to watch. She is by far the fastest kid on the field and her foot work has improved so much that she can move around any one. I can't wait to see what God has in store for her sports career.

Make room for some BLUE!!

2011-03-24T11:16:00.004-05:00

That's right we are having a BOY!!Praise God he looks just perfect. He weighs 8oz and looks healthy.
We are super excited and can't wait to tell the girls they will be getting a BROTHER!

3 year check up stats

2011-03-22T14:16:00.004-05:00

Since I have seemed to lose one of the girls baby books I need to post their stats here so we will always remember...

Sydney-
31.8 lbs
38 1/4 inches tall
19.5 head

Savannah-
30.7 lbs
37.5 inches tall
19.5 head

They were such big girls at their appointment...no tears were shed (not even when they got their finger pricked). They even answered all the questioned Dr. Levin asked. He said they were "just perfect" which I already knew (yes, he says that to every mom, I'm not that naive)!

How Different It Is The Second Time Around...

2011-03-19T13:28:00.002-05:00

One of my long distance friends asked me to send her a belly picture and it made me start thinking how different this second pregnancy has been. Not only physically and emotionally but also mentally. Don't get me wrong I am very, very excited about this baby but having three children here that seem to need me every second sometimes this poor baby gets pushed out of my mind. For instance, I talked/sang to the twins all.the.time. If I had a hidden camera placed in my house I probably would have been committed. I had a break down the other night because I realized that I hadn't even played music for this one. Before I get into too much detail on things people don't care about and how crazy I am, here are some other things that will absolutely not be happening "this time around".....

1000 bare belly pictures or even one for that matter. I thought I had lots of friends but no one seemed to tell me to pull my shirt down. I really did love my belly but come on people. I may take some belly pictures towards the end just so Baby Alexander can see how stretched out it made it's momma. BUT my belly will be covered...I promise.

Nathan will have to find another way to let his creative juices flow...no belly molds or using my belly as a canvas.

However, I can't promise you will not see this happen again....

(For those of you who have never seen this picture here's the story. Nate had just taken the 500th photo of my belly (and to top it off I was wearing this awful outfit). I changed and just had gotten into bed when he walked out of the bathroom like this. I died.)

Help Bring Caroline Home

2011-03-15T08:37:00.002-05:00

Our dear friends, Kelly and Scott Brown, are adopting another girl from China. They went to China about a year ago to bring sweet Virginia Grace home to big brother Carter. They are doing their first fundraiser and need your help. I must say that the product is super cute and so useful. I couldn't get a picture to download so check out their blog to see the towels and see more details. Sydney and Savannah will be sporting one after bath time (once I pick which one I want)! Read and follow their story by clicking here. I know Caroline will appreciate your help!

Zoo Trip with Mimi and Grandpa

2011-03-01T17:06:00.003-06:00

*several new posts below*

Sweet Girls

2011-03-01T17:02:00.002-06:00

Pretty Dresses from Ecuador

2011-03-01T16:58:00.002-06:00

Nate recently just got back from Ecuador on a medical mission trip. I promise he will make a post about his trip soon...or at least by 2012! He was very kind to bring us each a gift home. He brought these sweet little dresses home for the girls. They, of course, want to wear them every. single. day.

As you can tell taking pictures of the girls has become near impossible. At least they don't run from the camera like Mercedes!

*new post below*

Dancing In The Street (almost)

2011-03-01T16:52:00.002-06:00

The girls have been spending a lot of time with Grandpa and Mimi. They stayed the whole time Nate was in Ecuador and came back to stay with the girls while I "lived" at the consignment sale. The girls just adore Grandpa and Mimi and always have a great time with them. Nate and I are so grateful that they love the girls and us so much and take such good care of all of us. We have been spoiled and are having a rough time adjusting to "being on our own"!

The pictures from above are of the girls new favorite activity...dancing to "oldies" that come blasting out of Mimi's truck. Yes, the neighbors love us.

Twice As Nice Consignment Sale

2011-02-21T21:15:00.003-06:00

That's right folks...its consignment sale time again. I truly feel like this sale is going to be the best ever. We have 120 sellers and already over 25,600 items entered (and I know people who haven't even started entering their items into the system!!)! So I am sure that you will find what you are looking for and find it for a great price. I will be working the sale the whole weekend so I hope you see many of your shining faces there!

Click here to get your invite for the Friday night sale. Oh, and this year you get a whole another hour to find those great deals. Shopping starts at 5pm this Friday and is cash only!

Happy Valentines Day

2011-02-14T12:39:00.002-06:00

I finally dusted off the camera and took some pictures of our pretty ladies for Daddy while he is away. Happy Valentines Day to the sweetest man we know!

Our Little Jumping Bean- 11 weeks 2 days

2011-02-08T15:47:00.001-06:00

This little jumping bean was a moving and shaking today. Everything looked great and we can't wait for our next ultrasound to find out the sex!