If you're happy & you know it....

CLAP YOUR HANDS!!!

  This morning I got Addie on tape clapping along as I sang (and I use that term VERY loosely) "If you're happy & you know it".  She was so excited & animated about it...she had pretty good timing too! 

Visiting Santa

We were invited to personally meet Santa & Mrs. Claus at a friends' house. Josh was SO excited to talk to him, but we were curious how he'd react once he saw them in person. We shouldn't have been curious...he took right to him! Addie, on the other hand, didn't warm up quite as much!

Josh climbed right up on his lap...Addie pinched her eyes shut when we put her on Santa's lap & started screaming! Santa asked Josh what he wanted and then Josh had a memory lapse. He kept repeating "I want...um...I want...um..." over and over. He was in a daze...it was pretty stinking cute! He finally got around to telling Santa that he wanted monster trucks, a blue choo-choo (AKA Thomas the Train), a blue dress and a blue bike.

Addie, Ethan, Taylor, Bryce & Josh with Santa & Mrs. Claus

Getting ready for Christmas!

We got off to a little bit of a slow start, but we're finally all decked out for Christmas! 

Momma & Joshua decorating our tree at home

...even Addie was helping with the ornaments!

Decorating our tree was a 2-day adventure...and Josh FINALLY got to put the angel on top!

I asked Josh if he wanted to write a letter to Santa & he was so excited...I started it for him and let him go to town...he would "write" something, then tell me what it was...I thought I'd help Santa out by translating Josh's "shorthand" :)

(and yes...our son is in fact asking for a blue dress for Christmas along with Monster Trucks and a blue bicycle)

He'll LOVE reading all about this in 15-20 years :)



Addie is 7 months old!!!

Oh, how the time is just flying by...I know I say this every month, but I really mean it!  Before I know it, I'll be planning Addie's first birthday (that's bittersweet)!!  She is the 2nd oldest in the school nursery...there are lots of itty bitty babies in there now! 

We officially have another thumb sucker in the family!!  Addie is sucking her thumb now on a pretty regular basis.  She is still sleeping like a champ at night.  She is definitely showing signs of teething, but I cannot see/feel any bulges indicating that a tooth will appear soon.  Everything she can get her hands on goes straight into her mouth...including books, toys, her feet, fingers...you name it!  She has discovered her toes & fingers.  It's entertaining to watch her play with them!

She is eating cereal, pumpkin, applesauce, prunes, sweet potatoes & pears now and can't seem to get enough of it at lunch & dinner time!  Addie is rolling over all around now to get where she wants.  Her preferred method is still to hollar until someone picks her up or gives her the desired toy, but if she must, she can get to it!  She's sitting pretty all by herself and much more graceful now when she does fall backwards. 

Addie has developed separation anxiety and a little adversity to strangers.  She likes to have Josh, Momma or Daddy around her at all times!!  She does well at school though...she seems to love her teachers.  She gets especially excited when she sees Ms. Linda (who I recently found out feeds her)!!

Here are some pictures from our 'photo shoot'!! She sure is getting big!

I LOVE this little grin!!

She loves playing with her toes!

Thanksgiving 2011

I know...it's a little late, but better late than never, right?!  I think this momma has bit off more than she can chew for the next few weeks...BUT, I didn't want to get too far behind, so here goes!

We spent Thanksgiving with MeMe & Grandpa (Mike's parents) this year!  We thought it was just going to be the 6 of us (including both Josh & Addie), but Andy, Christi, Hailey & Jenna ended up joining us for lunch as well.  After lunch, Mike & I got to do something we haven't done in what seemed like FOREVER...we took a walk just the two of us.  No kids...no dog...just us!  We walked for almost 45 minutes...just chatting and holding hands!  I loved every minute!

Josh helping MeMe decorate her Christmas tree! 

On Friday, Mike went to the deer lease with David.  Josh, Addie & I visited with Allison & Ethan for a while, then stayed the rest of the weekend in Rosenberg with Grammy.  Poppy went to his deer lease too, so we missed seeing him this time around!  We visited with Granny Hudec & Grandma Pilcik.

Addie's a little stinker!

After battling Addie to try & get her to eat baby food for almost a month now...I think we finally figured out the problem....MOMMA!  I tried rice cereal, oatmeal, applesauce & even pumpkin puree (Josh tried it first & he really liked it) :)  She wouldn't eat any of it for me...she'd throw her head back & forth & cry...flat refusing the food. 

Yesterday, her teacher at daycare suggested bringing some baby food so they could try today. Well, I did & guess what?! She ate all of it without hesitation! To test this, I mixed up some oatmeal tonight for her & Mike fed her. Again, she ate all of it without hesitation! 

mmm...she couldn't get enough oatmeal

my lil' stinkers (all 3 of them) :)

Guess we'll have to work out our evening routine so Mike can feed Addie dinner. 

Addie is 6 months old!!!

It's so hard to believe that in 6 short months, we'll be celebrating Adelyn's first birthday!  I know I say this each month, but I really cannot believe just how fast time is flying by!  Addie had a pretty exciting half-birthday!  She had a check up with Dr. Fitch.  She weighs 14 lbs 2.5 oz, her length is 24.75" and her head circumference is 15.75".  Dr. Fitch said she is proportionately petite :)  I had to laugh and asked Dr. Fitch how she could be petite with so many rolls. LOL!  She's hit a little bit of a growth plateau, but he is pleased with her interval growth.  She's about 25% on all measurements.  Overall, he said she's perfect!  Addie is still exclusively nursed; however, he encouraged me to start introducing some baby foods now.  I tried starting rice cereal when she was 5 months old & it seemed to upset her little tummy.  I kept trying periodically & she just didn't want anything to do with it.  So, I tried oatmeal cereal next....same story :(  Yesterday I decided to try applesauce.  I mean what kid doesn't like applesauce, right?!  Well, apparently my daughter doesn't like it.  She cried & wouldn't eat it either.  So...at this point, I'll keep trying, but we may have a very picky eater on our hands :-\

 

Developmentally, Addie is right on target.  She's cooing & talking...  She's laughing & gets so excited when she sees someone she's knows!  She's rolling over all over the place & wiggles like crazy!  Most mornings (and some nights), I cannot even see her in the video monitor because she's moved around so much! :)  She is sitting on her own now!  Exciting times!  I still don't trust her on the tile, so we mostly let her sit on the rug in the living room or on the carpet in the bedrooms.  She also loves playing with Josh's toys...especially his books and playing in her Baby Einstein exersaucer!  Addie is showing some signs of separation anxiety when she cannot see Mike or myself but she will freely go to just about anyone who wants to hold her.

In addition to her regular check up and immunizations, Addie also got her 1st flu shot.  We have to go back in a month for the 2nd dose :(  She ran a bit of a temp today and was extra fussy...I hope the next dose doesn't have the same ill effects on her...poor baby!

And...last, but certainly NOT least, Addie got her ears pierced by Dr. Cevey (another pedi in Dr. Fitch's group).  She did great!  They put some numbing cream on her ears and Addie didn't cry at all when she got her ears pierced!  She's got some pearl inset studs on...  I told Dr. Cevey, "Well, since you don't offer the diamond studs, I guess she'll have to settle for the pearls!" LOL! 

Look at my beautiful baby girl!