Guess Who's 1 Today?

Dear Addison,

It is hard to believe that you are one year old today! I remember feeling your first little kicks and then your harder jabs and wondering what the baby would be like that was in my tummy. You have exceeded any of my expectations by a long shot! You are such a joy to be around and are definitely a little ray of sunshine. You are such a good, sweet girl and you always have a smile on your face. You love giving hugs and kisses to your mommy and to laugh with your daddy. It has been so fun seeing you grow and learn and take everything in. I can practially see your little mind working! You love being with mommy these days and are even wanting to be held a lot more (which I'm not going to argue with!). You started drinking milk from a sippy cup and are eating table food right along with mommy and daddy. You are still taking a few steps on your own and cruising around the furniture. Your favorite foods are: green beans, avocados, bananas, squash, cheese, and any kind of bread. You love having a snack of cheerios or crackers on the car ride home every afternoon. You love singing, dancing and talking. Your new words this month are "uh-oh, wow, woa, ball, balloon (ba-oo) and mommy." You love cats-real, in books and toys, and you also love Elmo. You love being around other kids and going to the park, the zoo and Sea World with your friends. You love being outside and really enjoy going to check the mail every evening with daddy. You still just have the 2 bottom teeth, but have had some sleepless nights lately, so you might be getting more soon. Nothing could have prepared us for how much we could love and adore you, Addison. We are so proud of you and so blessed to be your parents. We treasure every second we get to spend with you! We love you!

Love,

Mommy and Daddy

Fun at the pumpkin patch

We went to a pumpkin patch on Sunday. While Chris and I weren't too impressed with it (rotting pumpkins, no rides that were supposed to be there, power tools left all over the place!), Addison had a great time!

Fall Break

Lounging in her pajamas

Cute little booty!

The remote is one of my favorite toys!

Exploring the castle at Kidventures

Not quite understanding that it's "baby's bottle"

Giving baby a bath

Dancing in the Disco Room with Colin

I'm outta here!

Worn out from a fun day at Sea World

My school district switched to a year-round schedule this year, so Addison and I had fall break this week and next week. We had a lot of fun play dates and went to Sea World, Gymboree free play, a cool indoor play area called Kidventures, and for a walk on the beach! It is so much fun to be home with her and spend so much time together! Next week we'll be getting ready for her 1st birthday on the 9th-can't believe it!

Mommy/Daughter Day

Playing in Elmo's Playland.

Watching the pretty beluga whales.

Eating lunch with Avery.

Mommy loves her baby!

Addison and I had a fun day today. Chris was in Ventura at a surf contest so Addison and I had met some friends at Sea World for a fun time!

She was really practicing her walking this evening-I guess seeing her friends walking (they are all around 18 months) made her want to do it even more!

I'm not sure why it's sideways and can't figure out how to fix it. Sorry!

11 months old

It's hard to get a still picture these days!

This is what Addison does when I'm trying to cook every night! It keeps her entertained!

How can it be 11 months since Addison was just a teeny, tiny baby in the NICU? This month has been a lot of fun and it seems like Addison can do something new every day! She has taken up to 3 steps on her own so far. She still mostly cruises around furniture and crawls, but is standing on her own and will take a couple of steps toward you before plopping down. She is pointing a lot lately. Every morning when I go and get her, she likes to point to things in her room (her name on the wall, her toys, her closet) and have me label them for her. She is able to point to my nose, eyes and mouth when asked. She says "mama, dada, bye-bye." She is really understanding a lot more lately and can follow some simple directions (go get your book, clap your hands, let's go in the bathroom to take a bath, come get mama-used a lot when she's doing something she's not supposed to!). She has decided that she wants nothing to do with babyfood or us feeding her anymore. She will push your hand away, hit the spoon, or turn away with her mouth clamped shut if you try to feed her. She does well with table food, it's just a little hard knowing how much she's getting because there's a lot on the floor, wall, high chair, lap and bib every night! Addison still continues to be a little ray of sunshine and everyone she meets comments on how happy she is. I pray that she will always keep this sweet personality! Happy 11 month birthday Addison! We love you!

A girl needs accessories

Addison has taken up the habit of carrying things around lately. She seems to always have something in her hand, whether it is a ball, a toy, a book, my nursing pad, it doesn't really seem to matter! This makes life a little more difficult for her at times because when she wants to pull up to stand, her hands are full so either she uses other parts of her body to pull up (like her head) or she drops the item but then has to bend down and pick it up and start the whole pull-up process again. Last night it was plastic spoons. She likes to get into the pantry while I'm cooking, and I have pretty much cleared out the 2 bottom shelves that she can reach of anything dangerous. She had 4 spoons at first, but we widdled it down to 2-one for each hand. Those spoons went with her while she ate, while she played, while she took a bath, got her pjs on and while we read our Bible story and brushed teeth. They came along for her last feeding as well. I had to put my foot down for bedtime, though, as I could picture her poking herself in the eye with the end while she slept! Pretty soon, I'm sure it will be purses and car keys!

Memories

Tonight Chris was working late so I was giving Addison a bath by myself. All of the sudden, she stood up and gave me a big kiss on the mouth. Then preceded to give me 3 more! My heart just melted! I wish I could freeze these moments in time forever. She brings me such joy!