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.

10 Months

Oh how I have enjoyed watching my little bundle grow, but oh how I miss my tiny little baby. Addie Mae is so wonderfully made and there is no doubt in my mind in the image of our awesome God. She has the most amazing personality/sense of humor of anyone I have ever met! We will just be siting there together and she will lunge towards me just to stop right before she hits me, then lean back and laugh!! She still loves to splash in the bath, dance to music and talk on the phone. She is the apple of my eye. I am so proud of all the things she has accomplished in the last 10 months, she is really the smartest little booger. I can still remember her first smile on her one month birthday. She has been crawling for about 4 months now, and pulling up/cruising for at least 2. She says 4 words : Mama, Dada, Hey, Bye Bye; she sticks close to Mama though most of the time. It just warms my heart to hear her call my name. She knows where the light is and who the Booskers is (she loves him...). She brings so much unadulterated joy to our lives, We love her so much! Happy Birthday Sweet Adeline!!