My Little Helper

There's no denying Alexa's excitement about the birth of her new sister - - she has begun to talk to the baby, yelling into my belly to "come out soon!"  Alexa is not as familiar with the calendar months as she is with days of the week, so she has framed the expected arrival as being after Christmas and before Valentine's Day...both very important events in the life of a four year-old (or four-and-a-half as she always reminds me).

Compared to Grant's birth, Alexa is extremely anxious for her baby sister to arrive; it's amazing the difference just 18-months makes in her understanding and maturity.  Granty's birth was a new experience for which she had no expectations, but it's a different story this time around - she's a seasoned pro!  She is ready to play the role of "Mommy's helper," wanting to hold and feed the baby.  She was able to get some valuable practice when we were in St. Louis, as she eagerly awaited for her cousin Alana (4-months) to come over each day to hold and play with her.  I'll have to keep a very close eye on Alexa and her new sibling, as her holding techniques were a little less than ideal :)  Nevertheless, it's comforting to know that Alexa is excited for her new sister and the joy the baby will bring to our family.

Not only will Alexa be helping me with the baby, but it also sounds like she wants to help me as my personal trainer.  Tonight she told me I could be on "The Biggest Loser" once the baby comes to make my stomach flat again...ouch!  She's a harsh critic, but she'll definitely give me the motivation I need to lose the baby weight.

Alexa could not wait to "hold" her cousin Alana....
we'll work on her technique in the next couple of months!