I'm 21 Months Old!

21 months ago my little buggy girl was born! I try and look back each month and recall all of the fun things Addison did each month. This month I am consumed by fun times, but also by how big and smart this girl is! She is really turning into a little girl. It's only during our bedtime ritual that I get to snuggle her now and feel as though she is still a baby. Her head still fits perfectly on my shoulder, but her arms and legs drape so long I can't help but realize how much she has grown. I often hold her like a baby and ask "Remember when you were small?" while rocking her from side to side. She just laughs and giggles at me. Occassionally if it's late and night she'll let me snuggle her in the cradle position, other than that she wants to go, go, go! Dare I think that I may be ready for another? Not quite yet...

Our mornings are filled with breakfast, dressing, and hair brushing. All of which are marathon events excet breakfast, that is only marathon style on the weekends. She never stops eating! It seems like she constintly walks over to her highchair saying "Uppa". She has a particular liking to cereal in the morning. She'll eat whatever I give her, which is generally something boring, whole grain, and low sugar. It's funny to watch her attempt to fish out all of the pieces in the milk with her spoon. She also had soup for the first time this month, that was comedic as well!

As usual, each day she gets excited to put on her shoes (and mine) and go outside. Running around and playing on her slide are some favorite activities this month. She also jumped for the first time (both feet off the ground!). Inside or out she enjoys pushing her baby stroller or shopping cart. On occassion my heels fall victim to one of these toys. Roger seems to trip on them most often at night! LOL! I'm already trying to figure out where the heck a play kitchen will fit in our house!

Her words have advanced more, and she seems to have words that only she knows what they mean.

Some new ones:

• "Tank Tu" Addie's version of Thank you. She only says when prompted.



• "Muckkkk" Addie's version of Milk.

Until next month....

I'm 20 Months Old!

My lord, 20 months old? My baby, my girl, I can't believe it. But those moments when I get sad that she isn't a baby anymore, she breaks out something new and entertaining. This girl is a blast!
Addison,as always ,continues her love for nature. We now will move her high chair closest to the backyard window so she can gaze outside. She cracks up watching the squirrels in the trees (on a side note- we have some crazy squirrels). Roger recently brought home a hummingbird and a seed bird feeder. We hung them both in the backyard a couple weeks ago and explained to Addison about the feeders and how the birds would come visit them to eat. Since then we've had tons of finches and a couple of hummingbirds. She (not so quietly) observes them in the trees and will point them out to us.
If she isn't outside, she wants to be. She's mastered the words "Shoes" and "Outside", which sound more like "sheewws" and "ow-sye" in her little language. We actually need to make sure our front door is always locked also. She can pull down easily on the lever. While outside, she loves to run all over. We go on nightly walks with my neighbor and her kids and she gazes up at the trees and yells to the dogs as we walk around. We've found these walks to be relaxing for her :) She is also all about being helpful. We've been working a lot lately in the backyard. She loves to pick up rocks and bring them over to us. We also recently bought her a kid rake and shovel, it was getting difficult for her to manage with the big ones :) She excitedly will throw things in the trash if you ask her. We just have to watch that she doesn't go crazy. I recently found an aray of toys in the trash as well!
Overall she still eats exceptionally well. She insists on always using utensils, and she has gotten pretty good at it. In the morning she generally eats cheerios, yogurt, or a banana (which sounds like "na na na" in Addie-talk. We just need to work a bit more on her table etiquette. Aside from being a compulsive quadruple dipper, she also has a fit at the end of meals if you don't clear her plate right away. When she is done, she's done. And if you don't watch out, the plate and it's contents will end up on the floor (right next to the eager doggies). While we are on that topic, who tested the suction cups on the bottom of kid plates and bowls? THEY SUCK! I've tried them all and none of them are a match for Addie and her arms.
Nighttime continue to be a breeze, unless she isn't feeling well. She still generally sleeps 12 hours straight at night. Before bed we have increased out stories to 3. It seems two wasn't enough and Addie always wanted "maore".
Some other things to note:

• She's perfected the word "ooww" whenever you attempt to brush her hair.


• She blatantly will tell you "Na-oo" if she doesn't want something


• If you are on the coach and she isn't, look out for "up-pa"


• Shortly to be followed by "da-own"


• She will repeat when asked "peeze" in our attempts to teach her how to say please when she wants something.


• "Baa-oon" means Balloon accordingly to Addison


• She will gleefully exclaim "Ball" when she sees one (side note: I have bought at least 3 of these in Target as a mean to distract a meltdown in public)


• Everything liquid and drinkable is "wa-wer"


• Unfortunately everything she wants is "mii-ine" (We are working on using words for everything when she says this)


• Her dolls are referred to as "be-be"


• She will tell anyone who listens that the stove, grill, and firepit are "ot" while holding her hand up as if she is motioning stop.


• We close each day with "nah-nigh"

Happy 20 months my little bug!

I'm 18 Months Old!!

I'm close this month, only a few days off of her actual monthly birthday. We spent her 1 and 1/2 year birthday together in the afternoon. We had our pediatrician visit, then hit up the mall, and followed up with a visit to Grandma's. We can always count on fun times and animals at Grandma's house!

Addison is just amazing. She is such a happy, fun little girl. She lights up our lives. You can truly see the change in her personality recently. She understands words so much more. She is also beginning to understand the ability to communicate affection. You can ask her for a hug and a kiss and she will gleefully oblige. If she falls, a hug and a kiss make her feel better. And at night, she makes her rounds before bed dishing out love to anyone around.

She is running all over and you can tell she is pleased that the weather is nice. She would be outside all of the time if it was up to her. She walks around talking to the trees, birds, dogs, toys, and anything else she sees. It melts me to see her love for nature and animals. When playing outside she loves to throw a ball back and forth. She cracks up laughing and runs to retrieve the ball. Of course, she walks most of the way back to you before throwing it towards you a foot or so away. She also enjoys just walking around picking up leaves and rocks. She collects them and brings them over to share her new found treasures with Mommy and Daddy.

My life is amazing. I adore this little girl. The last 18 months have flown by, but yet so full at the same time.

18 Month Stats!

We went to the pediatrician on Addison's 18 month appointment on Friday.

Here are her stats:

Weight: 24 lbs 8 oz (50 %ile)
Height: 31" (25 %ile)

Overall we had an excellent visit. No shots for us at all, whohoo! Afterwards Addie and I enjoyed a stroll around the mall to pick up a gift for our family gathering this weekend.

I'm 17 Months Old!!!!

Little Addison is 17 months old! And again, each month passes faster than the one before. Ms. A is not just walking, but running all over the place! She's getting pretty quick too! She loves being outside running around or looking up in the trees and birds and squirrels. Each day when I pick her up I'm greeted with her arms locked around my legs, she doesn't even wait for me to pick her up! Then we walk out to the car while she points at everything and babbles away. While in the car she peers out the window looking for "Mooo". Moo is now the term for any animal she sees out the window. It all started with the cows next to my mom's and has morphed into any large animal. She squeals with delight and makes any attempt possible to get a better view out the window. It's hysterical! We love our animal lover :) We've been taking lots of evening walks lately. Addison kicks back in her stroller and gazes along while we walk. She has even drifted off a few times in it.

Her eating and sleeping habits are still the same. She scarfs down an impressive amount of food for a girl of her size and sleeps like a dream. I still am so happy I sleep trained her when I did. It was so worth it. I loved the days when we co-slept, but moving her into her crib and teaching her to sleep was the best thing I ever did. I can tell exactly when she is tired, and if we follow our nightly routine, she is out like a light all night long.

Sleeping all night doesn't keep her from being crabby in the morning though. If we wake her up before she rises on her own, forget it-we are in for a challenge for the entire morning. She hates getting dressed and being rushed around. She would much prefer to cuddle with us and watch TV or play with her toys. Most weekends I even leave her in PJs until after her nap if I can.

I'm 16 Months Old!!

I say it every month, but it doesn't slow time down a bit, I can't believe my baby girl is getting so big! This month marked so many new things. Addison turned 16 months old, it was the 2 year anniversary of my pregnancy announcement, the 2 year anniversary of my eye prosthesis being complete, Addison starting taking walking a bit more seriously, and we continue to work on the new house. March also brings a sadness to our hearts, as it serves as a reminder of the loss of Roger's father, Earl. This year marked 3 years since his passing. We remind Addison of him all of the time through pictures and stories. It breaks my heart to know that they will never meet, but I hold strongly to the thought that he watches over her.

Addison is still taking her time walking, but she is attempting it more often, especially in the evenings when we are all at home. She'll often walk around our living room, sometimes even carrying toys with her. Lately, I have been trying to walk with her and hold her hand more often for encouragement. Her not walking is OK with me though. More carrying=more hugs for mommy!

Addie is also very into coloring. She loves her crayons and coloring books. She will often reach for pens and paper. It's quite cute! For other books, we still enjoy reading each night. She particularly enjoys touch and feel books that have fuzzy animals. When we read before bed she gathers a stack of books and hands them to me one after another. We just joined another book club as our previous subscription ran out. We got tons of new books to Addie's delight on the porch the other day.

To express her delight, Addie clearly says "Wow". When we open packages or check things out in the store, she will repeatedly say "Wow, wow, wow!" with much emphasis on the "ooww" part of it. It's cute!! Roger have also recently taught her "Hi-ya". Think karate. She wrestles with him and back and forth they yell "Hiii-yaahh".

That's all for now, I'm off to round up other projects in preparation for some special family visits in the next couple of weeks!

I'm 15 Months Old!

Ah, my sweet baby girl is 15 months old already. Where does time go? Lately it's gone to house-hunting, buying, and moving. Things are hopefully taking a downward turn for us soon and we'll be able to get back into the routines that Addison craves so much.

Overall, Addison is awesome! She is really a joy to be around. She is so interactive with everyone around her. When we get in the car after school each day, I adjust my mirror to peek at her. If she sees me, she waves to me.

It isn't all sweetness though, Addie has taken a bit to wrestling also. If we are laying on the floor or the bed with her she wants to body slam or pillow fight us. She loves to be bounced around and flipped upside down. LOL!

Addison took her first steps a few weeks ago. She'll take up to 4 consecutive steps now if you don't stare at her. She has such a look of pride in her face when she takes steps, but she still prefers crawling to get where she wants to go!

Addison is still such an awesome eater. She'll try anything, and loves most things. We just have to keep an eye out as she has recently learned how to share with the dogs!

She is really getting settled at our new place. Now the the daylight is later, we are able to talk walks with her buggy and the dogs in the evening. We've unpacked all of her familiar toys which really seemed to make a difference. The greatest celebration was when her crib was set-up. She went right back to her sleep schedule without a beep. She is still sleeping from around 7PM at night until about 7 in the AM. She takes one afternoon nap for 2-3 hours. Before bed we still enjoy our routine of books and snuggles. After a book or two we turn off the light and I rock with her while we listen to music. It's my time to enjoy the slow pace of rocking and hugging my sweet girl. I often tell her about my day and what tomorrow or the upcoming weekend will bring for our family. I sit in the chair and snuggle with her for a few songs. I can't believe that a baby that used to fall asleep swaddled across my arms, now takes up my whole body. Her arms drape over mine, her head snug in my neck on my shoulder, her legs so long she is bent at the knees on my lap. *sigh* when did she get so big? And how did I get so lucky to have her in my life?

15 Month Stats!

We had Addie's 15 month check-up yesterday. Now, I know I still owe you many pictures, but you'll need to be satisfied with stats for now, LOL!

Here they are:

Weight: 21 lbs 13.5 oz 30Percentile
Height: 29.5'' 20 percentile

We were so happy to her Addie's speach is right on track. She says Mama, Dada, Apple, and uh-oh. She also signs more, all done, and bye. Plus, we checked out with no ear infections-AMAZING! Wooohooo!!

I'll update more later, but I wanted to share stats for now :)

14 Month Professional Pics!

These are scans from our pictures earlier today. We had high hopes of changing outfits and doing a few poses, but Addison wasn't feeling that great. We wound up just taking a few shots to pick from for her Valentine's Day cards. I love them!! I really like the retro finish in the last picture. I had an 8x10 made up of that shot for our house, the finish is unique and it softens the red jacket she was wearing. Overall I am really happy with the pictures. She still had her big Addie smile :)

I'm 13 Months Old!

13 Months? 13 Months old???!! I can't believe it. I'll just keep measuring her age in months so I don't have to say 'year'. Time flies when you are having fun, and fun with Addison never stops!

Our girl is doing amazing. It is crazy how much someone so young can have such a personality of her own. I have watched it evolve up until now, but to see her be able to express keeps me in awe. When she is angry, she lets you know. Usually by way of throwing herself on the floor (who knew that one years olds did that?!) or by screaming. But when she is happy it is constant squeals, hysterical gut laughs, huge smiles, and tons of hugs. The hugs are awesome!! She even likes to cuddle up in the AM or early evening with us. It melts my heart!

She still sleeps so well. She goes down at 7 PM and sleeps through until 7AM. She knows her bedtime and goes down without a peep. We read our nightly story and listen to a song or two from her CDs then it is off to dreamland! The only time she really wakes is when she is in pain from teething or an ear infection.

She eats so great! She has a huge appetite, most days I can't figure out how she consumes as much food as she does. She also has 12 teeth now to process all of the new foods she samples!

We still are not walking yet, but she cruises around furniture quite quick. She'll move from couch to coffee table, or from couch to someone. Today even she stood by herself for a few seconds before she realized and then fell. I'm sure it will be soon enough for me that she will be walking. I'm in no hurry!!!

10 Month Professional Pictures

These were taken yesterday at the Picture People. These are scans of the actual pictures, so the quality isn't that great. I was surprised Addie was in a good mood since the appointment was late in the afternoon. She did really good though. So many good shots that I had to narrow down. Even considering it is really difficult to take pictures of a baby that just wants to crawl, the photgrapher did an awesome job!

I'm 10 Months Old!

LOL! Photo shoots are get more difficult now that we have a fast crawler on our hands. It took two of us and bribery by way of keys and cell phone to get her to stay for just a second to take a picture.

10 months??? We hit double digit months. I can't even grasp how fast time has flown by. I savor every moment with Addie, but still them seem to fly by so quickly!

Addison is doing amazing overall! She crawls everywhere and pulls herself to stand on mostly anything she can get next to. She is such a good sleeper (at home!) and is sleeping through the night, finally!!! She eats really well. Tons of baby food variety, fresh fruits and veggies, and crackers! She loves her carbs :)

Talking wise she does her da-da-da sounds and just started the ma-ma-ma. She is quite the babbler. She is all about getting people's attention. Even when strangers are not looking her way, she'll let a yell out to get their attention. She is quite personable when either her mom or dad is holding her!

Size wise this one is still really petite, only weighing in at 16 pounds!

I'm 8 Months Old!

My baby turned 8 months old on July 30th. Man, time flies. It goes by faster and faster each month.

Addison got her 3rd tooth this month. And different from what I have read in baby books (I know, I know, I can't just go by 'the books') she got her top tooth to the left side of the two middle top. We could have sworn the top middle was coming in, this one shocked us. I think we have quite a few more on the way as well. The drooling is crazy :)

Addie is a full-on crawler now! We have reached the point where she has connnected this new skill with her desire to get somewhere. And now, we babyproof! It's so cute to see her crawling around. To me she still looks like this little baby that is too little to crawl.

She has also mastered going from crawling to sitting and back. The one skill I wish she would master is getting down from standing. As of now, she just cries and we help her. We keep attempting to show her, but this princess is a little lazy and does things at her own pace. I wonder where that comes from :S

Overall her sleeping has improved as well. Her naps are very consistent and nighttime is getting better. She goes down around 7:30-8 PM now and usually sleep until 5:30 AM, then back to sleep until around 7:30, depending on if I am up getting ready for work.

7 Months Old!

At least she wasn't crying like she was in last month's picture :)

My baby is getting so big! She just wants to do everything on her own, but she doesn't quite understand that she isn't capable of it yet. She continues to work on the same milestones as last month. Especially crawling! She can now get up on all fours and do the famous almost crawling rock. It must just be something in their muscles that they learn to just do it. Even at night if she rolls on to her belly, she gets up to crawl, but she is still in mid-sleep so she gets frustrated and cries. She learn soon enough, I remember she did the same thing when she learned to roll over. I would lay her in her crib and she would roll, and roll, and roll. Finally she would settle down and sleep. I think this is just another phase we need to pass through.

6 Months Old!

And she wasn't very happy about getting her picture taken last night!

6 months, 6 MONTHS! Good god, it's been a half of a year since I had my angel. Not only that, but she is half way to being 1 year old! Time flies, it really does.

Well, my girl has quite the personality now. She clearly displays her feelings of both like and dislike, and I might mention when she doesn't like something, she shrieks. It's a horrid sound. I hear it often these days. We are working on some sleep issues with Addison. She used to conk out at night during her last feeding, but now that she wants to be more active, we have a harder time getting her to sleep. I have recently started putting her in her crib after I feed her and let her fuss. She goes down right after our bedtime routine at the same time every night, 7 PM. The book I am reading called Healthy Sleep Habits, Healthy Child gives great suggestions for sleep training as you would call it. To my dismay, none of them are magic or easy :) I put her down and let her fuss for 5 minutes, then I go in and comfort her without picking her up. Next I go in at 10 minutes, again no picking her up. Then 20, then 40, you get the idea. Going down the first night she cried for 1.5 hours, the next night is was 45 minutes, then 35 mintutes, and now about 20. Once we get this down for the nightime, we'll work on the naps and the night wakings. For now she goes down at 7 pM and sleeps until 2 AM. Then she is up every 2 hours after that! That is the tough part!

As far as activity Addison still loves her jumper and her playmat. And, of course, things are all so much more interesting now that she can sit up! She loves riding in her stroller. She adores being outside. The sprinkler out front has been known to soothe her. Addison loves running water! She has also graduated to the shopping car seat! That was new and exciting also! She loves to watch her baby Einstein videos and read her books before bed.

It's a good feeling that summer is here and the daylight is longer. I still get sad that by the time I come home I am starting her bed time routine after just a few minutes, but at least I know that it is *my* time with her. Then we binge on the weekends!

We go for our 6 month doctor appointment tomorrow!

5 Months Old!

I feel like I just posted the 4 month update, and here we are again! So, this month we got our first tooth, and the second is on its way. Addison has perfected rolling around, and that she does! We ditched the nightime swaddling as a result. She did better than I expected with it, she stills sleeps the same intervals.

This month she has also learned to understand distance better. She reaches out for things within her range and grabs on to them. She is also intrigued by texture. She rubs her hands and feet on everything! And speaking of feet, she has discovered hers. Just this weekend she was doing the typical baby pose of lying on her back grabbing her feet. It was cute! At night while drifting off to sleep she scratches her nails on the sheets or rubs her face in a blanket. The bug is even getting more ticklish. She laughs like crazy if she is tickled under her neck or arms.

We can't wait for more of this warm weather so we can try on our new bathing suits and jump in our pool! We also can't wait for that first boat ride!

4 Months Old!

Yes, already!

Addison is four months old today. If you ask me, I'm happy and sad at the same moment thinking of it. It's amazing how time flies by.

We have had an eventful month. I went back to work on the 15th. Addie seems to be doing ok with it, we make the best of the time we have. Her nightime sleep schedule hasn't changed even though her daytime one has and she is getting woken up much earlier than she is used to.

This month she rolled over from her belly to her back. For weeks she strategized on her side, grabbing at her playmat, then finally flipping over. She has become so much more interested in people's faces. She loves to watch you while you talk to her. She also really cracks up laughing, it's the cutest sound!

She tries to pull and worm herself everywhere (as evidence in the picture shows). She need to be strapped into everything! She is always pulling her shoulders up out of her chairs.

The weather is getting nicer here and hopefully we'll be able to spend more time outside. She really enjoys the outdoors.

I'm starting to think she is teething, it's amazing how much this kid drools! Things to look forward to! She also puts everything right into her mouth.

We have another big set of shots at her 4 month check-up on April 6th. Niether of us are looking forward to it :(

I adore this little girl!