Weekly Update - VACATION

Week of June 8, 2012


Addie's Weekly Photo

Cooper's Weekly Photo

On Friday of last week (the 1st of June), we started our drive towards Florida.  The plan was to make the trip last over several days so that we weren't rushed and could actually enjoy our rather LONG drive.  Friday we didn't have reservations for a hotel so we decided to drive until we were too tired and ended up in Batesville, MS.  Saturday we stayed in Mobile, AL.  Sunday we checked in to Jacksonville, FL and then Monday we were at Cape Canaveral, FL.  The drive went relatively well and Addison did GREAT!  All of us were missing Cooper even after just one night but mommy took it particularly hard by around the third night.  :(  It helped that Nana kept all of us updated with texts and pictures daily.  The cruise left on Wednesday the 6th and was back in Canaveral on the 10th.  We were able to drive straight through, with the exception of stopping for gas, food, and bathroom breaks.  I think all of us were ready to see our little Cooper and to be in our own beds!!

All about Addie

Vacation:  This was Addison's first "real" vacation.  We've gone on short weekend trips here and there but never anything this adventurous!  Addison did great being in new surroundings, and meeting new people.
The drive:  I think road trips are going to be more frequent in Addie's future.  She seemed to love it when daddy and I would point things out like Trains, animals, trees, trucks, water, etc.
The food:  I can't say that Addison really ate much the entire time we were gone!  Seriously!!  While Shane and I were trying all new foods, Addison stuck with french fries and fruit!! ha ha
The People:  Addie has begun a shy phase where she will hide behind Shane or myself on occasion if someone engages conversation with her.  Sometimes we can get her to snap out of it but other times she will hold her ground and not say hi.  Once she would come out of her shell, she would get very excited and talkative!  While on the cruise, there was a server named Charm who became Addie's best friend!! I've never seen Addie light up the way she did with this girl!  It seemed like every night, no matter what mood Addison was in, Charm was the one person that could get Addison to have a great time!! Thank GOD For Charm!!
The characters:  Addison LOVED the characters on the ship.  We got as many pics as we could but her favorites were probably Minnie and Mickey.  Where most of the younger girls were excited about the fairies and princesses, Addison just wanted the Characters from Mickey Mouse Clubhouse!  The only time we noticed Addison freak out when she got close was when we walked her up for a picture with Stitch (from Lilo and Stitch).  She walked away shaking her head saying "no... no... no" in a somewhat panicked tone.
Shows:  We took Addison to a few shows and she did pretty well.  I'm not sure if she has a sensitivity to sound or not, but she seemed to cover her ears every time people would cheer or clap.  Other than loud noises, she loved watching most of the shows on the ship.
Elevators:  These are hit or miss.... sometimes we would get on the elevators and Addison would get really excited, and other times she would scream outside of the elevator like she was scared to get on!  There were times that Addie had the whole elevator cracking up because of how excited she would get when it would start moving.  She also had people in the elevator in awe when she would count with the digital screen as it would go up or down.  Very cute AND smart!! LOL
Sleeping:  Addie slept in our bed through the whole vacation.  We were a bit lazy and didn't bring a pack-n-play and didn't want to request one to our room.  It was nice anyway because we would all lay in bed and giggle and it was a nice time to bond.  Once we got home though, I think we were all ready for SPACE, Addie happens to be a kicker and very restless sleeper at night!
Moods:  Overall, Addie had a great mood on the cruise.  The only time we noticed much of a bad temper was around dinnertime once we got on the ship.  It seemed like clockwork too.... around an hour or so before dinner, Addie would turn into a bear!!!  I thought it might be because she was hungry, but she would eat and would throw tantrum after tantrum!!  Luckily, we had the greatest server at our side during each dining experience and she always was able to turn our meal into a pleasant experience!! Thanks CHARM!!  :)

Classic Mickey:  We bought a Classical Mickey DVD for Addison recently.  We showed the DVD to Addie for the first time during our drive to Florida.  At some point while she was watching, she became very teary eyed and acted as though something scared her.  We immediately turned the movie off and put one of her Clubhouse DVD's in.  Thinking it was just a fluke, we tried the DVD again on the way home and received the same reaction.  We still haven't looked to see what freaked her out so much (can't see the DVD screen from the front of the car), but I will be checking it out soon!!!

Buckle Me:  I'm not sure where it comes from but if you get into the drivers seat without buckling Addison, she will begin to cry and scream!  The car was hot one day that I had started loading us in and I didn't want to buckle Addie in until I started the A/C so after setting her in her seat, I made my way to the front of the van and started it.  Upon turning the ignition, Addison lost it and began repeating "buckle...buckle...buckle!!".  I went back to her seat and reassured her that everything was okay and I was going to buckle her.  This happened a few more times while we were on vacation.  I can't recall a time that we didn't buckle her and drove around but she must think we are some crazy drivers!!! HA!

All about Cooper

Vacation:  Okay, so he wasn't in Florida with us but this was his first time away from all of us (Daddy, mommy and Addie).  Nana said he did really well and was obviously very spoiled while we were gone.

Sleeping:  While Cooper was with Nana, Aunt Cheryl, and Grandma K, he began sleeping through the night!!  Starting around day 2 of vacation, he started sleeping 8 to 10 hours per night!!!  Mommy couldn't believe it but sure enough once we got home, he slept 8-10 hours each night!! WOW!  We should take vacation more often! :)

Flirts with Minnie Mouse:  Cooper loves it if we put stuffed animals/dolls in front of him while he's sitting up or laying down.  One of his favorites is Minnie Mouse.  It's the cutest thing because he will look at Minnie and then smile and bat his eyes looking away.  I think Coop has a crush on Minnie!! :)


More Photos From the week (and more to come):

I've got my eye on you!! LOL

Our drive to Florida 

Yet another day of driving!! 

And ANOTHER day of driving!! Ha ha

YEP!! ANOTHER day of driving!! :)

Eating cheetos and trying not to fall asleep. 

I actually got a video of this and it's hilarious!! 

The view from one of our hotel rooms!! AWESOME!

 Hanging out in Jacksonville FL

Downtown Jacksonville, Addie needed to play

in the water fountain... of course!! :) 

Stopped at a random beach in FL

Addie's FIRST time seeing the ocean! :)

She loved just sitting on the shore and throwing sand :) 

There was a little park just off the beach where

we splashed around after Addie's first visit to the ocean. 

Hanging out in the pool at our resort in Port Canaveral, FL. 

Nana sent us many pics of Coop 

while we were gone..... 

Bath time! 

What a cutie! 

Flirting with Minnie Mouse 

Sleeping through the night!! 

Telling the camera person to shhhhh! 

One of the babysitters while we were gone

Aunt Cheryl!! :) 

And Grandma K!!  Coop's Favorite!! :) 

Don't tell Nana and Cheryl! ;) 

Grandma's have the magic touch! :) 

The view from our balcony on the cruise ship at Nassau! 

This was our view at breakfast! :) 

Addie and Daddy at breakfast 

Just before boarding the ship they 

take your picture on the Disney Dream cruise

Addie giving Mickey one of MANY hugs!! 

It doesn't show from the pictures, but she 

LOVED taking pics with all of the characters!

Here's Chip and Dale 

Pluto 

Goofy was....well.... GOOFY!  

Very cute to watch him interact with kids :) 

Mickey.... again ;) 

Daisy 

I think Minnie was her favorite (other than Mickey)

We caught Minnie at a time that she was able to interact

with Addie a long time and Addison stood around

"talking" to her for a good 5 minutes. 

She loved Minnie!! 

US! 

Mommy and daddy's favorite character on the ship

CHARM!! We miss her and love her! She became

family while we were on the cruise ship and was

AMAZING with all of the kids at our table. 

Minnie Mouse dressed for Pirate Night 

Castaway Cay "Key"

And our ship in the background 

One of the splash zones on the ship.  

Pretty overcast this day, but nice enough to explore the ship!

"Formal" night aboard the cruise.  It's fun to get

dressed up for dinner just for one night ;) 

They took a picture of us and Shanes family in

front of the grand staircase.  CUTE! :)

Weekly Update - Excited baby!!!

Week of June 1, 2012

This week we made a trip to Shane's Uncle Floyd's farm for a family party.  We had a lot of fun hanging out with family.  Addie seemed in her element... OUTDOORS!!  Although it was pretty hot outside, Addison loved walking around the property and exploring.  When it was time to cool off, Addie and Cooper loved all of the attention they were getting from the family.  The day was a blast! :)

Addie's Weekly Photo

Cooper's Weekly Photo

All about Addie


Poor little Ears:  We've been battling ear infections since Addison was a baby.  On Saturday, Addison was not herself.  She was quite cranky and toward the middle of the day, I noticed her pulling on her left ear quite a bit.  By late afternoon, Addison was nearly unbearable!! I wasn't sure if she just needed another nap or what but she would be playing and then all of the sudden break out into tears screaming for no apparent reason!  By bedtime, we decided she was probably just tired from our trip the previous day and needed to sleep.  Only an hour after going to bed, Addison woke up crying (extremely unusual for her as she is a really good sleeper).  I went in to check on her and she was pulling quite a bit at her ears.  We gave her some motrin and tylenol (as directed from her last ear infection) and decided we would take her back to the doctor in the morning.  Sure enough, at the doctor they confirmed DOUBLE ear infections and it looked pretty bad.  Dr. Neill said that after we go on vacation, we should talk about the possibility of tubes.  I'm not sure what my thoughts are on tubes, but it's something Shane and I will have to talk about.

Singing songs:  Addison loves to sing songs wether music is playing or not.  Favorites right now are twinkle-twinkle, you are my sunshine, row your boat, wheels on the bus, and london bridge is falling down.  Of course when she sings, it's just bits and pieces of the song, but it's still absolutely ADORABLE to hear and definitely music to our ears! :)


Reading:  No, she's not actually reading but after much repetition of us reading to her, she remembers words on the pages of her books.  For example, there's a penguin says please book and the very first page says "good morning penguin" and as soon as Addie opens the book, she says "good morning penguin".  By looking at some of the pictures in her books she also "reads" along.

All about Cooper


Excited baby:  Cooper has started getting bursts of energy when he's sitting or laying.  I'm not sure what really starts it but it's so cute to watch.  He will gasp in and start kicking his legs and flailing his arms around.  I remember Addison doing this quite a bit when she was a baby.

No Vacation for Coop :(  Cooper does not like being in the car for very long and he still hasn't quite pulled out of the issues with acid reflux or constipation.  After much thought, we decided not to take Cooper on vacation in June.  It took us quite a while to decide because neither of us wanted to leave him but also considered how uncomfortable he would be for the trip.  We came to the conclusion that we would only be bringing him for our own enjoyment and not for his.  Nana volunteered to watch him while we're away and to help out, my Grandmother (Gma K) and aunt Cheryl said they would come stay too.  Although it's going to be really hard to leave Cooper, knowing that he's in such good hands will help out.

Sleeping:  Overall, I can't complain too much about Cooper's sleeping habits.  Although he isn't sleeping as well as Addie did at this point, he's doing so much better than he used to.  For a while he was sleeping 4-6 hours at a time at night but now he's back to around 3-4 hours at a time.  He doesn't seem as angry when he wakes up which means that the Prevacid must be working.

Pooping:  I don't think that apple juice and prune juice did much for Cooper as far as helping with constipation and the Kayro syrup didn't seem to help too much either.  If anything, it seemed like those items were making him MORE constipated.  We've started him on MiraLax (only when he seems to be having troubles).  So far it's working nicely but I'm hoping he can get back on a regular pooping schedule soon so we can slowly get him off these meds!!

Mommy Update:  

Weight:  Most women don't want to talk about their weight.  Although I can't say I'm proud of my current weight, I've come a long way!   I'm at 133.5 which is what I weighed right before I got pregnant with Addie.  When I got pregnant with Cooper, I was at 126 so I have a little ways to go before I'm at my true pre-baby weight.  I'm hoping to get back down at least back into the 120's because I'm most comfortable in that range.  I can't say I'm doing much to lose the weight because it seems like I eat everything in sight, but the breast feeding helps a lot!

Sleep:  I think it's a given that mommies are sleep deprived their entire lives, but I will say that I don't feel as exhausted as I was weeks ago.  Cooper's schedule is a bit more predictable lately and easier for me to plan sleeping times and resting times for the rest of the family.  Hopefully in the next few weeks, sleep patterns will improve and we will all start to look less like zombies :)

More photos from the week:

Aunt Naundie and Coop

This face cracks me up!! 

Aunt Shan and Cooper 

Calin and Addie 

Lexie and Cooper 

Addie and yet another ear infection :( 

Weekly Update - Chocolate or poop?

Week of May 25, 2012


Addie's Weekly Photo

Cooper's Weekly Photo

All about Addie:

Chocolate or poop?  Addie has a new fascination with sticking her hand down the back of her diaper.  I've noticed she does this quite often and I've always thought that one day she's going to end up doing it after filling her pants.  My thoughts became a reality this week when my mom was watching the kids for a few hours.  Addie had walked into Nana's living room holding her hand out to show her something.  My mom noticed the "chocolate" on Addie's hand and wondered how Addison had gotten into chocolate.  As she got closer, my mom began to notice an overwhelming smell.... I'm not sure how common these actions are for a toddler, but I'm hoping she grows out of it soon!! EEW LOL

Chicken Nuggets:  Addison has become the pickiest eater in the last few weeks.  I think the only meal I was able to get her to eat this week was chicken nuggets!! Any night that I made anything different, she wouldn't eat.  Addison used to LOVE green beans, corn, carrots, etc. and now she won't touch any of them.  Aside from chicken, her favorites seem to be noodles and rice.  I try to avoid being a "drill sergeant" at the dinner table because I don't want mealtime to become a chore.  I'm hoping that maybe it's just a phase and Addie will grow out of the picky stage on her own.  Fingers crossed. :)

Counting Backwards:  She must have learned this watching Mickey Mouse Clubhouse because I don't think I taught it to her.  This week, we were playing with some of Addie's toys and she began counting backwards from ten to one.  I think I startled her after she was done because I cheered really loud and smiled at her!! ha ha


All about Cooper

All eyes:  Cooper is so alert now and loves to watch what we're doing at all times.  If we're moving around the room, he does anything he can to keep his eyes on us.

Ignoring us:  It sounds contradictory to the previous statements about Coop always watching us but anytime someone is holding Cooper out in front of them and trying to catch his eyes, he will intentionally look away.  Once you finally get his attention and start "entertaining him" by making faces/noises, he doesn't want to look away though.  Very funny!

Angry when burped:  I'm not sure if it's the burping part or just the fact that the bottle has been taken away for a few brief moments, but Cooper gets EXTREMELY angry whenever we burp him.  Sometimes I wonder if it's really painful burps making their way up and sometimes I think it's just that he doesn't want that milk taken away from him.  At times though, it makes burping that much more of a chore because he struggles and keeps the bubbles from making their way up.

More Photos from the week:

Weekly Update - Cooper's Improvements

Week of May 18, 2012


Addie's Weekly Photo:

Cooper's Weekly Photo:

All about Addie:

Sick....AGAIN!  Addie has been off her antibiotic for about 4 or 5 days now and came down with a 104.5 fever Thursday evening.  I also noticed a (sorry TMI) greenish something or another when changing her diaper in the morning.  I wasn't sure if one thing was related to the other, so I called the doctor.  They advised us to come in and have her checked out.  The doctor said it looks like a yeast infection (down below), a bit of bronchitis is still lingering, and her ears still look a bit red from her last infection.  The doctor put her on another dose of antibiotic so hopefully this time we tackle everything.

Shy:  In the last week, Addison has been acting more shy around people.  Wether it's a stranger or not, she will sometimes shy her face away from them and/or hide behind daddy or me.  Daddy and I crack up though because she will look away at the cashier at the grocery store and then as we're walking away she will yell really loud "BYE BYE!!".  Too funny!

Nose obsession:  I know all kids go through some phases where they are obsessed with orifices and right now Addie's is her nose!  It seems like her fingers are in her nose most of the day.  I don't think she's necessarily trying to get anything out, I think it's just an exploratory thing.  Lets hope she loses this habit by college ;)

Gymnastics:  This week, Addison did much better with gymnastics than last week.  She followed directions better and lasted longer though the session without any tantrums.  Of course I'm sure we still have a way to go before Olympic status, but it was a step in the right direction!




All about Cooper:

Cooper's Improvements:  Although I can't say he's 100%... or even 75% for that matter, but he is definitely improving!

Entertainment:  Cooper is quite entertaining when he wants to be but seems to enjoy BEING entertained more.  There are times that I think he cries just because he wants someone to talk to him or entertain him.  Coop LOVES to watch Addie play and will smile/laugh wether she's interacting with him or not!


More photos from the week: