We have a little girl...

We have a little girl...

Who is 5 months old.
Who loves to smile and grin.
Who has two little front teeth.
Who giggles at silly things her mommy and daddy do.
And a mommy and daddy that would never do those things in public!
Who gets the hiccups after she giggles, just like her daddy.
Who is loved unconditionally by so many.
Who loves to roll over and play on her tummy.
Who likes to watch all that is going on around her.
Who loves to snuggle with her mommy and daddy.
And a mommy and daddy who cherish snuggle time with her.
Who enjoys making silly sounds.
Who is more beautiful than anything her mommy and daddy could have ever imagined.
Who will talk all day long if she wants to.
Who completes her mommy and daddy’s world.
Who likes to touch and feel everything around her.
Who delights in the sight of her daddy when he gets home from work.
Who loves her little chubby feet.
Who has a mommy and daddy that would do anything for her.
And grandparents who would buy anything for her.
Who has beautiful brown eyes.
Who loves to put everything in her mouth.
Who loves to read books with mommy.
Who is very ticklish.
Who smells so sweet and feels so soft.
Whom we call pumpkin, Addie girl, chunky monkey, and sweetie, just to name a few.
Who gets thousands of hugs and kisses everyday.
Who loves to giggle at herself in the mirror.
Who has a mommy and daddy that love her with everything they have.
Who is always on the go.
Who loves to comb her fingers in what little hair she has.
Who has her mommy’s eyes and her daddy’s cheeks.
A little girl who seems to be growing up in the blink of an eye.

We have a little girl who we welcomed into this world five short months ago.
A little girl who has forever changed our lives.

We love you Addie girl.  You make mommy and daddy so happy.  Thank you for the happiest five months of our lives.  We love you with all of our hearts.  Happy 5 months!!

Our first...

Our first trip to the doctor that is.  I am not including her normal check-ups and shots.  This was our first trip to the doctor because our little Addie is not feeling good!  She hasn't been sleeping these past couple of nights and woke up this morning with a runny nose, diarrhea (which was hard to determine because her stool is always runny being breastfed), temperature of 99.9, phlegm in her throat and choking on it, throwing up phlegm, not wanting to eat, and really just not acting like Addie.  I decided to call the doctor because I really could not tell if it was because of her teeth or if she was coming down with something.

Momma called the doctor and the doctor said...bring her in! You thought I was going to say "NO MORE MONKEYS JUMPIN' ON THE BED!!  HAHAHA!!  Anyway...back to the story.  They wanted to make sure it was not the start of RSV because that has been going around.

Addie and I headed in to the doctor and were told that it was just a virus.  I am giving her Tylenol to help with her fever and sucking out her boogies so they don't drain as much into her throat.  They also weighed her while she was there and our Chunky Monkey (as we like to call her) was 16lbs. 11oz. Funny thing is that before we left she was really not acting like herself.  She wouldn't smile or giggle with you, and that is not Addison.  When we got to the doctor, she was full of smiles and giggles for them...what a stinker!! :)

So here marks her first sick-trip to the doctor.  When we got home I was cooking lunch and put her in her highchair where she fell asleep...poor baby girl!  Good thing our highchair has a reclining back so that I could lay her back a little.  I am sure she slept good in this because she could breath a little easier.  Even dealing with a sick baby I LOVE being a mommy!!

Lets all hope she starts to feel better...and sleeps through the night tonight!!

21 Weeks...

Whoa...21 weeks!! Next week we will be hitting the 5 month mark! As I say each and every week, I can't believe how fast life goes with a little one!

For some exciting news...Addison got her first two teeth this week. Yes, two!! I noticed that on Friday she had been a little more attached to me than normal, but thought nothing of it. She really didn't act any different other than waking up a little earlier in the morning and taking shorter naps. Silly me thought it was just another growth spurt. On Saturday I noticed that she was running a temp. and wouldn't even let me leave the room. That's when I started to figure out something was up. So I went and washed my hands and sure enough there was a little tooth sticking up! Her bottom left tooth. I also noticed that there seemed to be a lump next to it, but didn't know if her gums were just swollen from the tooth coming in. I couldn't believe it, our little girl had a tooth. I should have known from the night prior when she was in her Jumperoo and had slobber EVERYWHERE! Later that day I decided to check in her mouth again and sure enough another tooth poking out!! Not only did I miss that she was getting one tooth, but I missed two! I guess I should be happy about this because I am hoping this means that she will not be grumpy for any of her teeth!

When I found the first tooth I of course called daddy (Dan) to let him know and he couldn't believe it either! He was going to be home from work in a few hours and he was so excited to see! The moment he walked into the door and greeted Addison was priceless. When daddy comes home he will always say hi to his pumpkin because he has to wash up before he can take her! When he said "hey pumpkin" to her on Saturday she started babbling in a VERY whiny voice like she was telling him that she didn't feel good because she was getting a tooth and mommy gave her some icky tasting medicine... Another moment I will always cherish and Dan and I will laugh about for many years! Addison has a great bond with her daddy and is always smiles with such joy in her eyes when her daddy comes home from work, so it was funny to see her react this way and SO appropriate!

 

As you can see she was all smiles most of the day (if mommy or daddy were in the room) and she always had her fingers in her mouth.

 This was the night before chewing away at her toys!

These past few days we have been a little out of routine, which Dan and I both hate when that happens because it usually also means that the two of us also lose sleep! On a normal day Addie gets out of bed around 7am, eats a bottle, plays in her play gym while mom (me) pumps, and spends bonding time with mom until falling asleep again at 9am for her 2hr. nap. She takes another nap around 1pm with her daddy while he is home for lunch, and a few cat naps after that. At night we start her bedtime routine at 8:30pm first having some floor time with mommy and daddy, changing her diaper, swaddling, eating bottle while rocking with mommy, and off to bed she is by 9pm. These past few days she has waken up at around 5:30am, eating a bottle and going back to bed until 8:30-9am with really no change in her night routine. I am happy to report that yesterday and today she is back on her little routine...YAY!!

Each week Addison continues to get better and better at sitting up. This week we have noticed that she will go from laying back (like against a pillow on the couch) and sit up straight on her own. She loves to be able to see everything that is going on! We just have to be careful because sometimes she tries to get up so quickly that she ends up tumbling forward. Poor girl doesn't know her own strength!

Addison also continues to scoot a little way on the floor. This week she has been moving more in circles than she has forward. She just hasn't quite figured out that she also needs to use her hands, not just her legs to crawl!

She continues to love her Jumperoo and all of her toys. She now will delight in the sight of certain toys knowing that they are her favorite ones! Yesterday we were sitting in the living room and her Jumperoo was just across the room. She was looking at it and started jumping in my lap like she knew what it did and wanted to jump! So I put her in there and it was exactly what she wanted!  She has also began to understand peek-a-boo and loves to play it!  Sometimes she will even move the blanket herself while she is playing.  She really likes to have soft things on her face, I think she is going to be a blankie girl just like her mommy was!

 

 Addison in her little booster seat that Grandma Jen got for her.  

We always made sure she had a toy to chew on!!

  

I have talked on the blog how Addie loves to look into your eyes and feel your face, 

so I put of picture of her doing that to me on Sunday.

  

Addie on the floor telling mommy a story.

  

I was trying to take a picture of Addie and all she wanted to do was talk to her 

daddy who was sitting on the couch.

  

I think the pajamas are so cute!  They even come with a little hat!

 

 Addison gets better and better at holding herself up.  Here is her picture taken today at 21 weeks!!!

All About Mommy:
I know that I updated everyone on me last week...but have more questions for this week!

One of my great friends Megan called me yesterday and asked me to be in her wedding. I am thrilled that she asked and so excited to be in her wedding! What I am not excited about is that the dress is knee length and I have terrible stretch marks on my legs!! UGH... I have asked people before what to do about the stretch marks and most people say just keep putting cocoa butter on them. Well, I have been doing that and they are still a purple color. I have them on the back of my thighs and calves. Luckily this is really the only place that I got stretch marks, along with some on my breasts, which have already faded! Can you tell I am freaking out? My legs are so ugly right now! Well, I have a little over 5 months to try and get rid of these. I guess I will hope for the best and some half-way good looking legs! Question: Does anyone know if tanning helps stretch marks or makes them worse? I plan on starting that so I don't look like a ghost at the wedding! If anyone was has any suggestions...they are always welcome!!

Thanks for visiting!!

baby jeans, onesies, and shirts...oh my!!

Well the dreaded job is done! Addison's clothes that no longer fit are put away and clothes that will soon fit are out! I find it sad and yet exciting at the same time. I remember putting the outfit away a few months back that she wore home from the hospital and I cried! It was not as emotional to put her 0-3 month clothes away yesterday, but it was sad that she is growing so fast! On the other hand it was exciting to get out the clothes that we had bought for her anxiously awaiting her arrival so many months ago! I am so excited for summer to get here so she can wear some of these clothes!!

Bye, bye, old clothes...

Hello new clothes!!

While going though the clothes I found so many cute things! As you can see in the picture below, I am a huge fan of little babies wearing jeans. I think I may have bought a few too many pair, but it will be fun anyway! I also found her two little swim suits that I got her at Old Navy last year on clearance. They were like $2 each! She has a one-piece and a two-piece. I remember when I bought them and got them out to show Dan...he really didn't think that our daughter should be wearing a two-piece suite already...lol! I can't wait until she tries to sneak out of the house with a really short skirt on!!

So the work in all of this was getting everything washed and put away. An all-day job! There are still more to wash and put away, but it will get done sometime today. It's always hard with new clothes because I don't want them to bleed!

So here are some pictures showing the near-end result. Like I said, I still have more washing, folding, and putting-away to do! I thought I would put these on here to show you just how many clothes this little girl has. She definitely has way more than her mother! (I'm not sure if she beats me in the jean department though...I kind of like to buy jeans! Even though all of them are now too big for me and I have two pair out of 22 that fit me!!)

Here is her pant drawer. I really don't know how we could possibly fit any more clothes in here! Look at those cute little jeans!

Here is her drawer of onsies!

Pajama drawer.

(I left out her sock drawer, because there really wasn't any changes there!)

And finally her closet. I really could not fit the closet in one picture, but you get the idea! Dan really needs to get working on the second bar in her closet!!

And yes, I do keep her drawers and closet organized! I kind of NEED organization in my life...makes life much easier! I remember showing everyone Addison's new room and everyone would tell me that it will not always look so organized...well I think that I have proved them all wrong!

You may also ask where Addison was during all of this...well I had her play gym in her crib! I noticed that she really did not play with anything above her head, because she will not stay on her back! She loves to be on her tummy, so she kept herself entertained with other toys!

HAPPY LAUNDRY DAY TO ME!!

Motorboat

YAY!! Thanks to help from Kelsi, I was able to get the video on our blog!! So here it is...

Shopping, Church, and Frustration....

Addison and I had a great day yesterday! Momma was getting a little antsy staying at home, so I decided since the weather was decent and the sun was out...WE WOULD GO SHOPPING! What better pastime is there?? Addie did so well on our day out! She slept the entire way to Mason City, woke up while we made our stops, and fell back asleep all the way home! What a good girl! We started shopping for things to put in her Easter basket and clothes for the two of us! I also finally got a tub for more of her clothes that she has quickly outgrown! 

Wednesday night was not quite the same story! Dan, Addison, and I went to church for Ash Wednesday and had quite a time with little Addison! When we go to church on Sunday morning our service doesn't start until 10:30am, which is usually her nap time. She sleeps through some of church and is up when the music is playing. Well Wednesday night was a traditional service with no cool music, so she was pretty antsy. On top of that she is used to being home with her mommy and daddy at that time playing with them, and church was just not satisfying her attention! If only they would allow us to bring the jumperoo to church!

So today our plan is to go through her closet...AGAIN!!  It is unbelievable just how fast she goes through all of her clothes!  I think I also may unpack her 6-9 month tub too.  She will be fitting in those soon enough since she is already wearing 6-9 month pajamas because she is so long!

After four - yes four - failed attempts at uploading a video I have given up!  I don't know what is going wrong, but it is VERY frustrating!!  I took the footage on my camera and uploaded it to my computer, but when I try to upload it to the blog it does not work.  It tries for a good 2 hours and then tells me that there was an error...ugh.  The last time a window popped up saying to send it to technical support, but when I tried the page would not load either!!  I guess it was just not meant to be...for this post anyway.  If anyone has any suggestions please let me know!

Since I could not upload the video, I guess I should tell you what I was trying to upload!  As I mentioned in our last post it is hard to be sure that I am covering all of Addison's milestones! One of them that I did forget to mention is her love for attempting to make the same noise that mommy or daddy are making.  One of her favorites, along with different types of laughs, is the motorboat sound.  It is so funny because she tries to sound just like you and gets frustrated when she doesn't.  The story would have been so much better if you could see it!  I will keep trying and see what happens!

A post just isn't a post without pictures!  So here are some pictures of Addie from the last few days!!

Our flying attempts on the floor....

 

 

and those flying attempts seem to tucker little Addie out!

  

Addie and Daddy snoozin on the couch.

 

P.S. I have spoken in a few other blogs (on our previous blogging home) about recalls and remaining up to date on them.  I have been able to locate the CPSC's blog and added to my blog list if you would like to check it out!  You may think I go a little overboard on this, but I have a friend who lost their child while he was playing with a toy that they thought was safe.  I would never want that to happen to anyone!  Anyway, just an FYI.  Have a great day and thanks for visiting us!!

20 Weeks...

Sometimes I think that our life is stuck on the fast-forward button! I can NOT believe that it has been 20 weeks since Addison was born, especially when it feels like it just happened yesterday!  I was sitting with her last night thinking of how much she has grown and learned in the few short months she has been alive.  I often wonder just how much is going on in her little mind as she sits there and plays with her toys without any care in the world other than that toy stay in front of her for entertainment!

Boy, where do I start?  I know that I would like to mention every milestone she has ever reached, but there are just too darn many!  Some are big and some are small, but all are important to us! It seems like she is learning something new every day!  Especially when she comes home on Tuesdays from daycare. I think that the kids teach her a lot there and I am happy that she gets to go! So to start out with...talking...yes she loves to talk to just about anyone! She talks in this high pitched squeal that was so cute when she first started doing it and now has become a little ear-piercing! I say this because yesterday she literally talked like this every moment she was awake!!

She continues to sleep through the night, but now has started rolling over on her own in the night to sleep on her belly.  Her doctor says that there is nothing you can do, but start them on their back.  I know that she sleeps better on her belly, but it makes me nervous.  So now I am not getting any sleep because I am constantly going to her room to check on her to make sure she is okay...I know I am a crazy momma!

With new milestones also comes new challenges!  Addison rolls over in seconds every time you lay her down! She loves her tummy time and likes to try to see if she can scoot any further that day!  GO, GO, GO, is where Addison's mind always is.  Changing her diaper and her clothes has become quite a challenging thing.  I think that God made new babies so that they would not move and the parents would get to practice speed while they were immobile!  SPEED is the word now! You just try to get it done as fast as you can because all Addie wants to do is move, whether she has a diaper on or not!

 She loves to scoot off her blanket and feel the carpet!

Addison continues to work on sitting up for longer periods of time.  She has gotten pretty good at it until she finds her feet!  She loves her feet and thinks that EVERYTHING has to go into her mouth!  So you catch her bending over to get her toes in her mouth! She is also getting better with her hands at grasping her toys and her bottle.  If you use her small Dr. Browns bottle she is able to hold it and feed herself!  The only problem is that she likes to play instead of eat, so we really don't let her do it too often!

"How do I get this darn ring off my wrist so I can put it in my mouth?"

At night when Dan and I are preparing and eating supper we put Addison in her highchair so that she can watch us and play with her toys.  She loves to sit up and see what is going on! We have noticed that when we are eating she is paying more attention to us putting the food into our mouths and if you are close enough to her she will sometimes open her mouth too!  She still seems satisfied with breast milk so we are going to keep her on that as long as possible and try to get as close to 6 months as we can before starting cereal!

All About Mommy...
I have healed completely from my c-section and barely have any scar!  It is just a thin line you can hardly even see!  I call it my Addie battle scar! I have lost all of my weight since Addison was born and another 20lbs on top of that.  I really should have lost that 20lbs. before I got pregnant! Breastfeeding has really helped with that, but I am not able to do ANY dieting while I am breastfeeding.  I actually take in more calories than usual.  I am hoping that I will be able to keep the weight off once I am done and cut back on my appetite!

I have always been an on and off person when it came to exercising.  What it usually turns out to be, is that I get really good at it in the summer time when there are things to do outside, and horrible again in the winter.  I have slowly been working my way back into the "in shape" world at home.  Dan has a Total Gym and that is what I have been using little by little!  My main goal is not to lose any more weight, but to gain muscle tone and to get my belly back into shape! I know that it will not be an easy task, but I am ready!

I continue to enjoy my stay at home life with a little work on the side!  I love the time that I have with Addison and would not trade that for the world! Our family has had to be a little more frugal than usual, but again...SO WORTH IT! There are times (I will have to admit) that I miss the relationships that I had at work (hospice), but I am lucky enough to have very good friends that I keep in contact with! With my job now I am on my own. I go to my client's houses and mail in my paperwork, so I really don't get the contact there either.  The blog has been very helpful in sharing my feelings and stories about being a mother and having that fullness feeling!

On another note...here some picutres taken from this weekend!  Both of our families think that they really could not survive if they don't get their "Addie time" as they call it, each weekend.  So we take Addison into see my side of the family on Saturday and Dan's side on Sunday (usually).  It is good to know that she is loved by so many people!!

On Sunday my 6-year-old brother Max asked if he could come to our house and spend some time with Addison.  We went to go pick him up and when he walked up to us he had these silly glasses on that he got that weekend!  Dan and I laughed our butts off when he was walking out to our vehicle and when he fell asleep in the backseat with them still on...LOL!!! So we had to put them on Addison.  She did not like it very much so we had to take a very quick picture!

 

 Here is a picture of Max with them on.  Addie was thinking that her Uncle Max was looking a little goofy!

  

Grandma Jen (my mom) with Addison.  Notice she is wearing her bib that says, "Grandma Lets Me!"

  

Here is Grandma and Grandpa G. with Addison (Dan's parents)!!

 

Happy 20 weeks of life Addison!!!!

Addie's Weekend with Mommy and Daddy!

An entire weekend spent together as a family...finally!! Dan only gets one weekend off a month and it was this weekend.  We were finally able to spend some great uninterrupted moments together and of course we took a lot of pictures!!
On Saturday morning we did a little shopping.  Addison needed diapers, so that was our excuse to get out.  Daddy hates shopping and will find any excuse not to go!! After that Daddy had a hunting meeting in Clermont. I guess spouses usually go, so Addison and I went with him and we enjoyed some TJ's pizza, which we haven't had since we were camping this summer (and I was big and pregnant). We couldn't see the camper because they do not clear the back for us to drive through, but I am sure there is a ton of snow surrounding it right now! The campground will finally open on April 15th...YAY!! We are counting down the days, but I am sure with Addison we will have to be fair weather campers this year.

On Sunday morning we went to church and had dinner with Dan's family after. Addie received a bunch of Valentine gifts from all of them!  Can you say SPOILED?? After we were done there we spent some time with my family at our house.  My little 6-year old brother Max came out for a while before my parents came.  Addison just loves it when he is here.  I will post some pictures I took of them in a later post! Sunday night Dan and I rented a movie and ordered pizza. It gets harder and harder to sit down and enjoy a movie with Addison.  During this one she decided to squeal through much of the movie, so needless to say the pause button was hit a lot!  Finally around 9pm she was in bed and we were able to enjoy the movie!!

We had such a great weekend together! Dan and I both talked about how lucky we are and just how beautiful life is with Addison included! Here are a few pictures that were taken this weekend.  When I say a few that is really what I mean!  I plugged my camera in to upload the pictures I took this weekend and there were 77!! Ridiculous...I know, but we want to capture every moment possible with our little girl!

Mommy, Daddy, and Addie spending time playing on the floor!

One of Addison's ways of showing affection is putting her forehead against yours.  It is the cutest thing EVER! She even does it to herself in the mirror!

Daddy and Addison playing on the floor. Can you tell she is about ready for bed??

This picture is actually from Friday night.  Addison and I cuddling on the couch.  She is trying to turn to see the television, which she finds very interesting! I don't have it on at all during the day when I am home, so she loves to watch it at night when daddy is home!

Here is a picture of us after church on Sunday.  Addison was really not in the mood to take any pictures!

Addie and Momma on the couch.  She loves to touch my face...and I love it when she does it! She usually does it when she is facing me.  She looks into my eyes and just starts feeling around like she is learning my face.  Sometimes you have to watch out though because she will try to poke my eyes!

Daddy being a goofball when I told him that he needed to smile a little better!

Daddy giving Addie a zerbert (really not sure how to spell that)!!

Everyone have a FABULOUS day!!

Addison's First Valentine

This morning Addison and I woke up to Valentine's Day cards from Daddy!  We had discussed not doing anything, but Dan thought that a card was just something little and he thought it would make us both very happy.  I was so proud of him that he also got Addison her first Valentine!  I talked about how wonderful my husband was in the blog yesterday, so I won't do that today, but what a great daddy!! He didn't even discuss it with me and had it all filled out from the two of us! Addison loved her card and immediately started feeling it because it has fabric on it!! So here is a picture of her little card from her mommy and daddy!

Happy Valentine's Day to everyone!!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Happy Valentine's Day! A day to celebrate our love for our one true Valentine. I decided to dedicate my blog today to my Valentine, my husband Dan. Dan and I have been together since we were in 8th grade. Friendship grew into love and soon we were inseparable. Dan asked me to marry him on May 5, 2005. We married on September 9, 2006 in a beautiful ceremony, celebrating with our family and friends. It was one of the happiest days of my life! I remember going home that night and thinking about how much my cheeks hurt because I had been smiling all day long! We spent our honeymoon in Mexico (I wish we were there now) and that is where we took my all-time favorite snap-shot of us on the beach.

Throughout the years our love continued to grow and so did the thought of having children. We always knew that we wanted children, but the question always was "WHEN??" We found out that we would be expecting our first child on January 23, 2009. We were so excited yet very scared to start this new chapter in our lives. Our love grew even more in those 9 months of pregnancy. He was one of the most protective husbands EVER! He was always holding my hand while I walked, just in case I might fall. He would do anything to make my world a little easier and still does to this day.

On September 29, 2009 we welcomed our daughter, Addison Marie into our lives. This was the best day of our lives! Our love has grown even more since Addison was born and Dan has become a wonderful father to Addison. We have come to realize what is important in our lives and many things that mattered before do not matter now. We live our lives for our daughter and love her more than words can describe. I love my family so much it almost hurts.

Before Addison arrived I would come home to flowers every Valentine's Day. I have gotten flowers since we were in 8th grade. This is one of the many funny memories we have. In 8th grade I actually did not get the flowers on Valentine's Day because the florist forgot to deliver mine...lol! Dan called me that night (I am upset because I didn't think he got me anything) and asked how I liked my flowers. Needless to say I received them the next day! We have so many precious memories together and are so excited to create more with Addison. This year, realizing that there are truly more important things, we are going to spend our Valentine's Day very simply as a family. He has already given me the greatest gift in the world, our daughter!

Happy Valentine's Day to my super, caring, terrific, loving, thoughtful, devoted husband...I love you!!

I know that I said I would dedicate our blog to my wonderful husband, but I have to include the pictures of Addison I have taken in all her Valentine's Day clothes. I thought that I might get her a little outfit to wear, but soon realized that her closet was full of clothes with hearts on them!

What a cutie in her little outfit from our friends Zach and Kacie! Hands always in her mouth!!

Another cute outfit with hearts all over from Grandma Jen! Look at her with her little hood up!

This photo session was not much of a success.  Apparently kicking her legs and watching her feet are more important than her momma trying to take a picture of her!

Look at the BIG girl sitting on the floor.  She can sit for long periods of time now.  She sat here for about 8 min. all by herself! Look at the little heart outfit from our friends Scott and Chelsea!

Here she is in her little Ralph Lauren dress.  It is already kind of tight on her!  Thank you cousin Brenda for her pretty little dress!

Happy Valentines Day!!!

A New Blogging Home

Welcome to our new blogging home! I am so excited to be using blog spot...as you can see it is a lot more FUN!!

I am so happy that blogging as been so much fun for me and would like to thank everyone so much for following us through our life with Addison!! We had almost 800 views in the two short months that I have been doing our blog...WOW!! So welcome to our new home and I hope that you enjoy reading about us here as well! You can still go to our old home and read past posts that I have put up!

I am trying new things out on the blog so I had to put up a picture of Addison so that I could figure out how to put them on the blog! This is a picture of her in her room hugging her comfort bear from one of my good friends! Isn't she so CUTE!!