11 Months

Wow Addie Mae, last week you turned 11 months and nothing makes me happier than to know that I have been able to be your mommy for these past 11 months. Well for longer than that really, even in utero you were the best little girl a mama could ever wish for. Labor was absolutely wonderful, no hitches whatsoever!! I can't even think really of anything during all of your development thus far that has caused me any strife. Other than the crazy worrying that I do, but I will do it till the day I die, because I love you little one.

Now, baby girl, you are growing up so fast right before our eyes. In the past month alone you have become so much more vocal, you are saying 7 words total now and 2 sounds. Cheese, after you get done brushing your teeth to see how clean and pretty they look or when Mommy is trying to take your picture and the priss that you are you just have to stop and pose(while saying cheese of course). Hey, well hey was your first word, I remember when you were just rolling around on the floor and we would walk up to you to say hey, with witch you responded back. Now you say it constantly to greet someone or get there attention, along with bye-bye when they leave the room. Oh and you are so funny with Mama and Dada, I like when we are trying to get you to say one and then you start saying the other, it is so cute and you know what you are doing because you address both of us by the right names any other time. Honestly though I don't care what you call me, as long as you look at me like you do, forever. Kitty, well this one had to be one of the firsts huh, I think he is really the reason why you have done most of what you have and when you get so excited over him and stand there clapping and exclaiming YAY!!

Ok, so as far as your "sounds" what does a cow say "Mmmm" what does a sheep say "babababa" You are so stinkin' smart!!! You can go get your book when you want to read a story or maybe your guitar so you can play with Daddy when he gets his down. Dinner time, well not much to say there except for "no spoons allowed" it is all you baby, you are such a big girl now.

You are 100% my child however, one strong willed little girl, you want what you want when you want it and that's that. Needless to say we butt heads at times because you have to learn and we want you to learn now so that the attitude doesn't get out of hand later. But I love you and all of your silly ways. I can't believe that you are going to be a year old in less than a month!!! I have been planning and planning and I think that we have come to an agreement on what we are going to do for your party. Not that you will care in the least about what is going on but at least we will have lots of memorabilia to show you when you get older.

Well I guess that's about it baby girl, you are the most amazing 11 month old that I have ever met, Thank you God for letting me be her Mommy.

Oh the places she will go

Haley Hope's Birthday Party

On February 24 Haley Hope, one of Addie's friends, will turn 1 year old. Today was her birthday party. We had a great time, Blake's (Haley's Daddy) Mom made chicken stew, it was very good, and Mama and Daddy made her a ladybug cake. It was really cool to see Addie and Haley together. Addie still isn't quite walking yet, so they were still on other sides of the spectrum (Haily's been walking since New Year's Day). They did interact a couple of different times, but I think that when Addie can walk they will have a better time together. All in all it was a really great day, Thanks for inviting us Haley!!

Of course like every other time that we go somewhere special, I forgot my camera. I really don't know what my problem is, I guess I am just a little preoccupied with my little sweetness. Therefor I only got a few pics on my phone, because(well let's just face it, my mind isn't what it used to be) it took me over halfway into the party to realize I should have been taking pics with my phone all along. LOL, oh well at least the ones I got were cute!!

Step by Step, Day by Day

Well we got a few more steps in today, still not ready to be walking on her own totally yet, but we are working on it. Hopefully she will be walking by Haley's birthday party this weekend! How cool would it be to be able to see them walking around playing together. Oh well if not it's all good. One week from today Addie Mae will be 11 months old!!!

False Alarm

So yesterday Chris and Addie came up to the CU to see me, I went out to the front to meet them and Chris was talking to one of my co-workers, so I took Addie to the back to see my boss. She had a little girl, Haley, just a month and a day before Addie Mae was born. So I was walking Addie in there (she was holding my hand) well somehow I was able to let go of her hand, and just support her from the back. Well Jennifer squatted down to see her and low and behold Addie took two steps toward her with NO SUPPORT!!! I was as proud as any mommy could get, the feeling alone was awesome. I was shaking, my heart was racing, I couldn't stop smiling, yet I wanted to cry(the feeling only a mother knows). Did I mention I couldn't stop pacing, OMG, really...






I haven't been able to get her to do it since, so maybe she won't be walking by her birthday. Oh well, it doesn't make me love her any less. Actually I love her more!! The only word that comes to mind is unconditional. I am so proud of her.

Lovey

So I was reading one of my parenting magazines the other day and it was saying how not to be concerned if your child has something that they won't let go of like a blankie or teddy bear or something. We look at them like they are dependant on these things, but it's not their dependency that we need to be paying attention its the fact that these beautiful children of ours have the capacity at this young age to love and care for something.


Translation: We as parents have succeeded in showing our children how to love, because we love and show love, they know how to love.



Addie has this pink bunny, but it is part stuffed bunny and part blanket. I would have never given one f these things to her because I always found them to be kinda creepy, but she chose it. She LOVES that thing!! Can't go to sleep without it. Guess we aren't doing so bad after all.

Votes to completely remove the 'X' from the alphabet

So last night Addie and I were standing at the refrigerator, we have these foam alphabet and number magnets, so we were standing there spelling stuff out when I looked down and she was in the process of putting the entire 'Q' in her mouth. So I immediately took the letters and moved them to the top of the fridge. Then just to double check I started, "Addie lets say A, B, C, D....T, U, V, W, x, Addie where's the x, Addie...Addie where's the X!!!



.....Well, got our first x-ray last night. You know Addie really is the perfect child, I mean I know every mother says so, but...This child was happily playing with the letters on the fridge (somewhere she is not allowed to go usually), then all of a sudden is swept up (no bath, no bottle) and taken to this place where she has to lay down and have this huge machine shine a light on her belly. Then to be taken from there to the doctors office where she gets more lights shown on her and examined there, and not a peep. This child was the absolute best having to go through all of this, especially at bed time. Doing everything the way she was supposed to, to have the pictures come out right and not fussing one bit.


No worries the 'X' was just hanging out underneath the water cooler at home. She was just picture perfect though, I feel so horrible that she had to go through all of that for nothing, but so thankful that she was able to take it all in stride.




Take my breath away moment: At Forsyth Imaging-Addie is still in the carrier in the chair and I am standing next to her with my left hand on the side. She has this little stuffed snowman rattle she was playing with, when she puts it down, and grabs m hand. Then she adjusts her hand to hold mine and we just stay there for a minute and stare at each other.


Stupid X

Bitter Sweet

I find myself getting more and more depressed as Addie's first birthday gets closer to date. As proud as I am of my sweet baby, I really can't believe that a year ago we were just moments away from meeting the most amazing little girl ever! As I say I am getting depressed, I feel that I must clarify I wouldn't give it back for the world!! I am not depressed in a bad way but it is so hard to let go of being able to feed her, because she feeds herself now. Quietly bathing her oh so gently, because she wants to kick and play and splash now. Holding her so that she just cradles in one arm, because she is so long now that she drapes across me and off the other side. Laying with her in the floor just staring into her eyes, because now all she wants to do is get on top of me and jump up and down. This past year has brought us unimaginable joy, just watching this little angel turn into her whole own self. How does she know to wave when she hears someone say hey and then say it back in response. Why does she know exactly which toy in the toy box she wants, then stands there until she has removed every other toy keeping her away from attaining the toy that she wants. How is it that when she hears bye bye she blows a kiss, or to giggle back at you because you were giggling at her for doing something cute, and she knew it. (make sense?) What an amazing creation, this life that we were given to mold, oh so beautiful, oh so fragile. What a humbling gift. I am sad to see the past go, but eager to see the future come, stuck in the middle, and so in love. I guess you could just call me mother.