I am still alive!!!

Have you ever felt that you have fallen so far behind on something that you need massive amounts of time to get caught up and so you put it off and then it just keeps getting larger and larger??? Well, that's exactly how I've felt with this blog! I began this as a way to document what's going on in our lives so that Addison can look back on it and enjoy all of the memories but somehow it became a chore...not sure what happened! So, I've decided to heck with it, I'm just going to start now and not worry about all that was missed! Sound good?


But before I go, here's one thing that I've wanted to share: all of Addi's 6 mos. professional pictures! I know I'm a little bias but isn't she SO cute?!!! We are so blessed!

A few pictures with cousin Clara! Aren't they adorable?!!!

It's beginning to look a lot like...

WINTER!!! Maybe I shouldn't write that with three exclamation points since I despise winter! I don't mind snow on Christmas, but then it can just go away! Oh, and it most certainly should not arrive before December 25th! However, this is what it looked like today outside:

And look at this big girl holding her own bottle--glass bottle I might add! Such a big girl growing like a weed!

At her doctor's appointment on the 17th she weighed 13 lbs 12 oz (50th percentile), 23 1/4 inches long (40th percentile) and F.O.C. 40 (30th percentile). So she's growing well! In fact, just this weekend she began to reach out to touch and grab things. She's been attempting to do this for a week or so now, but she's definitely mastering it with more and accuracy (plus some adorable awkwardness)!

She's saying, "Mom, I'm soaked from all this spit-up. Quit takin' pictures and change my clothes...for the 3rd time today!" I asked the doctor about this for the 100th time and he continues to tell me there's nothing to worry about...we're just over feeding her. So, we've cut her bottles back to 4 0z, but try to explain to an infant why she can't have more when she's used to eating more! Oh yeah, you can't! Anyway, this has helped some, but she's still spitting up a lot. In fact, just last night, Eli caught one spit-up with the bib and I dumped it back into the empty bottle to find that she had spit almost 1 oz up. (Gross I know, but I wanted a number for the volume coming back up! Rest assured, I thoroughly washed her bottle before her next feeding!) Anyway, that's 25% of what she's taking in...not to mention all the subsequent smaller spits...ugh! I guess she's gaining weight fine so we'll just ride this boat and hope that we hit smooth waters soon!

Oh, and might I mention...WE'RE GOING TO VISIT THE *PARENTALS* or should I say *GRAND PARENTALS* IN JUST A FEW DAYS!!! I can't wait! I need a break from work and Moscow life!!!

This and That

Here's Addison playing at school in the bouncer!

And here we are with my sister at her baby shower! Not the best pic of Addison, but it's still a fun one!

Thank you to all the phone calls, facebook and blogger comments about my previous post. I am taking it all into consideration, but I am laying low with the entire "sleep" thing until Addison is feeling better! Apparently between my scorching high fever last weekend and Eli's bronchitis, Addison has taken her fair share of sick buggies :(

So, Eli and I have decided that starting the first of January, you know after the huge gift buying season is over, that we're going to focus on getting out of debt. I've been reading Dave Ramsey's book The Total Money Makeover and I am getting completely motivated. It's not to say that we're in too much debt, but unfortunately we do have student loans, car and truck payments, and just recently some credit card debt.... I have always vowed to never carry any balance on a credit card, but we caved. Needless to say, it's getting cut up! Anyway, this book gives me hope that if we get out of this sooner than later, we will be able to save a substantial amount of money for retirement, vacations, Addison's college, etc. If anybody has any debt, even if it's just a mortgage, I strongly encourage you to read this book! I'm reading it now, then Eli will. We're giving ourselves until January just so we can get through the gift giving season, and then, we're buckling down! If anyone has read this book or had success with his ideas, I would love to hear your thoughts!

Calling All Moms

Addison has been doing really well with sleeping through the nights and taking good naps until this past week. Every night she has woken up between 2 and 3 am which isn't too bad but I would really like to get her back to sleeping through the night. Furthermore, I would like to figure out her daytime nap schedule. I've taken a lot of things from the book Baby Wise and have found much success with her eating and sleeping patterns...until last week! Her previous schedule was to eat ~5 oz. at 6:00, 9:00, 12:00, 3:00, 6:00 and final feeding at 9:00. After each feeding with the exception of the final one, she would play for awhile and then go down for a nap until her next feeding. I have not taken the leap to put her to bed awake only to let her cry herself to sleep...

Anyway, her new thing is to eat at all of those times, but then only sleep for 20-50 minutes off and on between each feeding. This afternoon and evening she has only slept on and off for an hour...not nearly enough. I think she is getting to the age where she may be ready to put all those little naps together into one long morning nap and one long afternoon nap. I also wonder if she needs to eat more at each feeding, maybe somewhere between 5 and 6 oz.

So I need your honest input and help...
1. What have you found that has worked for your baby(ies) as far as sleeping patterns?
2. I want to stick to our feeding schedule, but how can I culminate all her little naps into one larger nap?
3. Is this normal for a child to completely change her sleep schedule all of a sudden?
4. Baby Wise suggests teaching an infant to fall asleep on their own starting at 2 weeks of age, but I strongly disagree with this. I don't think a newborn should be left to cry. But Addison is now 3.5 months old, in your opinion, is this too early to have her cry herself to sleep until she figures out how to go to sleep calmly?

She just finished going through a growth spurt so I don't think she's going through one now... She does have a cold, and maybe that's what's contributing to all of this???

Anyway, I thank you in advance for taking your time to help me. This whole mom thing is just a huge guessing game! Does it ever get easier?

To family members that don't have a google account, you can always leave feedback as "anonymous" and then in your comment leave your name so I know who wrote it! I would really like your input!!!

There is nothing I HATE more than...

BSU...

"One child left behind..."

GO VANDALS!!!

***To all you BSU fans/alumni/students, so sorry you chose Donkey State...hopefully you'll be able to make better choices in the future!!!

Can I just say...

...I am SOOOO glad that I'm not pregnant anymore! I was looking through pictures from this summer and came across this fun one from my sister Megan's graduation from medical school. This was taken about 1.5 months before Addison was born!

***This is also a fun picture because it's the only one I have of Amanda, my other sister, and me being pregnant at the same time!

Our Weekend Adventures!

Addison was a trick-or-treating, costume wearing, football game watching, tailgating kind of girl this Halloween! Last Friday Addison dressed up with all of her friends in celebration of the special day! She was actually able to go with me as I took my class around to some of the local businesses in search for some Halloween treats! We had a lot of fun!

Such a cute Bee!

This was also her cousin, Evelyn's, Halloween costume from last year! So adorable!

I was super original and went as a "Big Baby" for Halloween with my kiddos! I was comfortable and the kids loved it!

This is my friend's daughter, Jaymie, who in turn, is one of Addi's friends from Building Blocks! They are exactly 6 weeks apart!

Friday night we decided that it was time for Eli and me to get some "alone" time. Initially I had a babysitter set up, but on Thursday, I chickened out and cancelled. (I might note this was the first time we have ever left Addi and she's a little over three months old!) On Friday, some friends from work changed my mind, and convinced me that Eli and I needed to go out with them. So, our good friends, Brad and Michelle, took GREAT care of our baby girl. Anyway, after we dropped her off I cried and cried...all the way to Pullman. In fact, I think I sent my first text within 5 minutes of dropping her off (and sent many more throughout the night)! Needless to say, Eli and I had a lot of fun! I went as an 80's girl and Eli went as a rock star!

On Saturday, Addison dressed up in her Vandal gear to cheer on the amazing Vandals and what an amazing game that was! And despite how loud the dome was, Addison did really well! She cried a little but for the most part, she just slept! (Oh the life, to sleep anywhere, any time!) Anyway, Addi was very proud of the Vandals and their amazing come-from-behind victory (and so were Mommy and Daddy)!!! We had plans of taking Addison around in her costume to a few of our friends' houses, but instead, we all fell asleep on the couch around 8! We were tuckered out!

GO VANDALS!!!

Celebrating the victory on the Idaho 50 yard line!!!

All bundled up warm for the tailgate! Not that we were really out there long, but it was very cold even for the short time we were out and about!!!