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Friday, January 6, 2012

Weekly Update - Happy New Years!!

Addie's Weekly Photo Week of January 6, 2012 (87 Weeks):




This week was the start of the new year.  On Saturday, we kept it pretty simple and stayed in.  Of course Addison only lasted until around 9pm.  We had Nana, Uncle Dillon, Aunt Joy, Blake and AV over but everyone was so tired that they had left by 10pm!  Nana, Daddy and mommy stayed up until midnight watching TV but by the time midnight rolled in, we were ready for bed!!

Addie's Weekly Milestones:

Refusing Help:  Addison has always been little miss independent but lately it's been quite hysterical to watch her in action.  Wether it's trying to climb onto a bed, couch, or other task, we will ask "do you want help" and she will reply "no" while shaking her head.  Very rarely, she will ask for help.  We've always been really diligent about not jumping right in and assisting her with everything because we wanted to make sure she didn't rely on us for every little thing.  Many times, company will try to help her with little things like climbing the stairs, getting on the couch, etc. and she will throw a fit if they intervene.  I usually have to let people know to give her a chance to do things on her own, so we can avoid the tantrum!! LOL

Best Friends:  Addison actually has TWO best friends right now.  Fredbird has been there for her for a while now and he seems to be her main squeeze anytime she's in the house.  She likes Fredbird to be involved in tasks like mealtime, bedtime, storytime, and playtime.  We've even caught her trying to feed Fredbird at breakfast, trying to give him her pacifier at bedtime, and pointing to pictures in books and then looking at him to make sure he sees them too!! LOL  Mickey Mouse is her other buddy.  We keep Mickey in the car so she has a toy in the car.  If we don't get Mickey in her arms right away in the car, she will repeat "Meeekeee-Meeekeeee-Meeeekeeeee" until we do.  The only problem with having these cute little friends is that they get very dingy after she takes them everywhere with her.  How do parents keep stuffed toys clean??? LOL  I'm afraid to put either of them in the washing machine because I'm not sure how they will come out.  I guess it's something I will just have to chance once of these days.

Helping Nana:  Nana has been helping mommy get the house ready for Cooper so she's been spending a lot of time with Addie.  One afternoon, mommy took a brief nap while Nana and Addie were hanging out.  Apparently, Nana stepped out onto the back deck for a second and upon turning around, she saw Addison pushing the door closed!  It didn't become a scary situation until Nana realized that the door was locked!  Before panicking, Nana said she pointed to the door handle (a french door-style knob) and told Addie to "open".  It apparently only took Addison a matter of seconds to follow the order and get the door to open just enough that Nana could push it the rest of the way.  What a smarty-pants!!

Teething:  We took a trip back to the doctor this week because Addison was not eating much and very restless at night, not getting much sleep.  By Wednesday, she had a fever again so we knew it wouldn't be a bad idea to get her checked out. We figured that maybe her ear infection was back.  Doc checked her out and found that the ears look great and fever, lack of sleep, and lack of appetite was due to at least FOUR new teeth coming in!  It was a relief to know that the symptoms were going to be temporary and she should be back to normal within a few days.

Changing time:  We have been working with Addison on naming parts of her body (eyes, ears, nose, etc.) and we do it most while changing her because it keeps her from getting restless and annoyed about changing time.  In the last few weeks, she's been naming the body parts on her own without us prompting her.  She will point to her eyes, mouth, nose, etc and tell us what they are without us asking!  What's more, when we put her pj's on, she will say "bye-bye, toes.... bye-bye, belly button"....etc.  It's super cute!!!

Baby #2 update: 

"Nesting" : Over the last week, Nana has been staying with us to help mommy and daddy get the house ready for Cooper.  With the move and the holidays, mommy hasn't had much time to focus on unpacking the necessaries for bringing baby home.  It's been SUCH a relief to have the extra help around to clean, cook, and organize.  If it weren't for having Nana around, we probably wouldn't have knocked out all of our to-do's until the last minute.  Thanks Nana!!! :)

Bi-weekly checkup:  Everything is looking good according to doc.  We won't do the 3D sono until week 36 so for the next few weeks, checkups should be pretty quick and uneventful.  Mommy had the usual Gestational Diabetes test at this weeks appointment.  Unfortunately, mommy didn't pass the 1-hour test so I was sent back in for the 3-hour.  I won't find out the results until Monday but I'm hoping that the negative result was only because of my poor diet the night before the test! Fingers crossed.

More Photos from the week:

Singing with Elmo

Elmo plays the drums while Addie sings 

Rock-a-Rock-a-Rock-a... She loves to rock on the horse 

Breaking in her new monkey hat,
sitting with Nana at Uncle Dillon's 

Singing Twinkle Twinkle little star 

Helping Nana Decorate 

Feeding Fredbird 

Playing the drums 

 This is what she will do when she's ready for naptime,
she will lay down just about anywhere. 

Night-Night! 

Then she realizes the bathroom floor isn't the best
place to take a nap..... eewwww 

Talking to her twin in the mirror 

Playing copy-cat 

Giving kisses 

Muuaaahhh 

She saw the moon coming out and said "stars" 

Hanging out in the beautiful weather  

Thursday, December 29, 2011

Weekly Update - Merry Christmas

Addie's Weekly Photo, Week of December 30 2011 (86 Weeks):



We were especially excited about this Christmas because we figured at Addie's age, she might be a little more likely to participate in opening gifts.  Since we had a gift opening in Branson a week ago, and then opened a few during the week, and then Christmas Eve.... I think Addie became a bit burnt out by Christmas morning.  Overall, I say she did really well.  I can only imagine what went through her head each time she opened something and we had to eventually take it away so she would focus on opening a new toy!!  Maybe parents of toddlers should just set it up so that their children open one gift a night the week before Christmas instead of all at once Christmas morning because at Addie's age, they don't seem to want to push the new item aside once they open it! LOL
We had Nana, Uncle Dillon and family over Christmas eve and then it was just mommy, daddy and Addie Christmas morning.  Daddy made pancakes for breakfast Christmas morning and we watched cartoons.  Once we were done eating, we lured Addison into the living room where Santa had left the goods!  The first thing she went for was the ball, of course.  We had to eventually hide the ball because she didn't want to focus on anything else!! LOL  We spent the next few hours opening gifts and playing.  For dinner, we decided to go over to uncle Dillon's for a relaxed evening.  What an awesome day!! :)

Addie's weekly Milestones:


Sit-On-It: Addison's newest fave is to sit on just about anything.  It started with all of the gift boxes from Christmas.  Before AND after she opened gifts, she wanted to sit on them.  Even now, Addie has tried to sit on her drums, books, a stuffed dog, elmo, a ball, etc.  It's actually quite funny to watch her balance and sit on these items and she doesn't give up easily if she can't quite get steady right away.


Sleep:  We noted last week that Addison had yet another ear infection.  She seemed to sleep fine from the time she was put on her antibiotics until around Tuesday of this week and all of the sudden, she has become really restless at night.  She's not crying or anything, but we can hear her tossing and turning and making noises.  We're thinking that maybe her ears have begun draining and perhaps it's preventing her from staying asleep.


Vocab: Addie's ever-changing vocabulary is in full spin lately.  Sometimes it's a new word and sometimes it's just a matter of her saying a word better than usual.  This week, we noticed that instead of calling a balloon a "ball", she calls it a "bag-een".  Another new word she picked up is water, or "wa-wa".

Singing:  For the first time, Shane and I heard Addie actually put several words together while singing along with her cartoon Mickey Mouse Clubhouse.  She has tried to say words in songs before, but it's usually just bits and pieces.  We were watching Mickey Mouse and during the "hotdog dance", Addie sang the part "Clubbbb-Houuuusssseeee".  The cutest part is that Addison tried to hold the notes as long as the song held them.  Hearing Addie sing was so heartwarming!!

Favorite new toys:  Addison received SOOOO many toys this year.  Some of her favorites were books, a pop-up tent, wagon, Rock n Roll Elmo, a drum set and a baby stroller.

Baby #2 Update:

Un-COMFORTABLE:  I'm not sure if there is an expectant mom out there who doesn't complain about being uncomfortable.  I've tried my best to keep the complaints to myself, but in the last week or so, it's been difficult! LOL  Shane is a trooper because he's always there to listen and sympathize.  I LOVE HIM!!  The smallest tasks are becoming increasingly hard because of the lack of flexibility on my part.  Just sitting can be a chore lately too.  Shane usually has to grab a few pillows for me to put behind my back.  What a trooper he is! :)

More pictures from the week:

Our Christmas morning pile

The "other" tree, and Addie sitting on
one of her newest gifts (from Nana) 

Addie opening one of Daddy's gifts for him Christmas Eve 
Just a small example of Addie's new fascination
with sitting on just about everything.  

Another one of her new favorite gifts 

It was unseasonably nice outside for Christmas Eve! 

What a cutie! 

Addie didn't care about gifts once
 she was handed a twizzler. 

Another one of her new favorite toys!! 


Tuesday, December 27, 2011

Weekly Update - Branson Holiday

Addie's Weekly Photo, Week of December 23rd 2011 (Week 85):




Over the weekend (16th and 17th) we went on our Annual trip to Branson, meeting up with Shane's family.  Shane took Friday off so we decided to head up early.  After a bit of shopping in Springfield, we ate lunch at Chuck E Cheeses.  It was awesome because we went early enough that the restaurant was not busy.  Addison had a BLAST!  We were most surprised because Addie liked watching the animatronics on stage.  I figured she would be scared of them.  Her other favorite was the racing arcade games.  Once we would sit her at one of the racing games, she didn't want to move!  I think Addison had an amazing time, but mommy and daddy had a pretty good time too ;)
Branson was a good time as always.  Addison's favorite was probably the lights parade at Silver Dollar City.  During the parade, Addie kept waving and blowing kisses at all of the participants.  I wish we would have taken pictures!  I'm hoping that Shane's family took a few.  If we get a hold of some, we will definitely post them.

Addie's Weekly Milestones:

Shaking head "no" then "yes": It's pretty funny but Addie will answer many times by shaking her head "no" and then immediately follow up with shaking her head "yes".  I'm not sure where she picked this up from, but it's both confusing and cute all at the same time!! LOL

Fish lover:  Any time we go into Petco, Addison wants to go over and look at the fish.  She could spend hours walking from tank to tank saying "ooohhhh, fish!".  The bad part is that she never wants to leave and will usually throw a bit of a fit when we try to pull her away.

Ear Infection #3 :(  Starting Sunday evening (upon coming home from Branson) Addie had been pretty constipated (sorry if TMI).  Wednesday, I decided to give Addison some PediaLax before bed.  Only an hour within putting her down for bed, she became really restless.  By 10pm, Addie was crying and Shane and I could tell something was REALLY wrong.  We figured that her belly was probably hurting from the constipation, so we decided to sit up with her for a while.  Eventually, Shane had to go to bed to get rest for work in the morning.  Luckily, Nana was staying with us so I had another hand to help out.  We noticed that Addison began pulling at her ears started to become pretty hysterical.  The only way I could get her to fall asleep was by holding her upright in my lap and gently bouncing her and even then, she would pop up at times and begin throwing herself around crying.  I called the E.R. to find out what to do.  The nurse on the phone suggested alternating Ibuprofin and Acetaminophen.  By 3am, we were FINALLY able to get Addison to fall asleep.  In the morning we made our way to the doctor where we found out that the issue was, in fact, ANOTHER ear infection :(  The doctor said that since this is Addison's third ear infection in 4 months, we need to start keeping a close eye on things to determine if tubes will be necessary.

Baby #2 Update:


Mommy Checkup:  As usual, the appointment was short and sweet.  Everything is looking good (per the Doctor).

Sleepy:  During my first pregnancy, I was most tired in the first and beginning of the second trimester.  I really didn't experience the exhaustion this time around.... until now, that is.  It seems like within the last week or so, I've been very sleepy around the clock.  The worse part is, that I've been putting a lot of tasks off thinking I've got plenty of time to take care of them.  Now that I'm loosing my motivation from been too tired, I'm not so sure all of the tasks will be completed!! ha ha



More pictures from the week:


One of our recent visits to Petco

Chuck E Cheese 

She LOVED her cup with the fun straws! 

Just as the animatronics were starting.
LOVE her facial expression!! LOL

Nana came to visit.  Addie likes reading
books with her Nana. 

Watching cartoons in daddy's "man-cave" LOL 

She's mesmerized!  

Friday, December 16, 2011

Weekly Update - "Al-RIGHT"

Addie's Weekly Photo Week of December 16, 2011 (84 Weeks):

Addie's Weekly Milestones:

"AL-RIGHT" - This week, daddy was reading Addison books before bed and she was pointing to different pictures and saying their names.  A few of the pictures are difficult to pronounce and Addie had said one of them correctly so daddy held his hand out for her to give him five and before he even said it, she exclaimed "AL-RIGHT!"  I could hear them on the nursery monitor and couldn't help but laugh, it was super cute!!

Hair Cut - Addie received another hair trim this week. This was her third ever!

More pictures from the week:








Saturday, December 10, 2011

Weekly Update - 19 Months

Addie's Weekly Photo, Week of December 9, 2011 (83 Weeks):


We finally have internet at the house!  It may be a bit slower than our last service, but better than nothing!! :)  Hopefully I can stay on top of the blog now.  This week was pretty eventful because we started Tuesday off with a drive to Chicago to visit with Nana and then a trip to Hudson to visit with Aunt-T, Uncle Mark, Cousin Michele, Grandma & Grandpa.  Addie and mommy made it back home by Thursday.  While in Chicago, we finished all of our Christmas shopping in ONE DAY!! I couldn't believe how well Addie did with the shopping too.  At one point, she was entertaining several people in the mall, dancing to an a small band playing in the background. After the long day, Addie slept really well though :)


Addie's Milestones:

"OhNo!"- Addie's vocabulary is constantly expanding, but her latest ADORABLE phrase is "Oh-No!".  She uses it in the right context too.  For instance, if she drops her sippy cup or a toy, she will say "OH-NO".  The funniest part about it is HOW she says it, like she's really concerned.

Fly In the Sky - While in Chicago, Addison's biggest obsession was the airplanes!  Nana lives really close to the airport so planes are constantly flying right by her balcony.  Every time Addie would see one, she would point and say "pane!! PANE!!".  It's super cute though because even when she sees a bird in the air she will still say the same thing! LOL

Smarts - We bought an ABC book with pictures on each page for the letters of the alphabet.  Upon turning the first page, Addison pointed to the picture (apple) and said "APPA".  Shane flipped through the rest of the book with her and several pictures she already knew (fish, nose, sippy, etc.) but even the ones she didn't know, she repeated after Shane mentioned them.  What a little smarty!!! LOL

Christmas Pics - Usually we take our family pic at Thanksgiving because we take advantage of having people around to make Addie smile/look at the camera.  This year things were hectic and we didn't think about it, so mommy just took a few pics of Addie to put on a card.  Addie wasn't 100% cooperative, but did okay considering she was in desperate need of a nap :)  I will scan a copy of the cards and get them on here sometime.

Baby # 2 Update:

Checkups: My next dr. appointment is on Monday.  Checkups are every three weeks now since I'm nearing the end of my second trimester.

Movement: Coop is a really active baby still and his kicks are getting stronger every day.  It used to be that he was most active at night, but I'm noticing more movement during the day now.

More Pics from the week:


Taking a break from shopping in Chicago

And another break..... 

So stinkin cute!!! 

An attempt at Christmas Photos.  I could get
her to laugh, but not look at the camera... lol 



Showing mommy her shoes 

Attempting to snag a smile with a sucker.... 

IT WORKED!!! HA HA 


Two smiles! YAY!!!! ha ha