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!!!

We will miss you...

Meet Tina and Jake...

We met them a little over a year ago through some mutual friends. We hit it off imediately! We enjoy spending time together playing games and sharing some drinks!

Last New Year's Eve we all got together to celebrate and Tina informed me that she and Jake were expecting; I responded by telling her that Eli and I were expecting too! Who would have ever thought that these two amazing people would be going through the same amazing journey in life at the same time as Eli and me! Tina was due just a week and half before me but then Addison made her appearance a month early so she was born two weeks before Ryleigh, their precious angel!

Tina and me at around 33 weeks pregnant!

As luck would have it, they have yet a new chapter in their life beginning that is taking them away from the Moscow area :( While we are so excited for them, we are super sad to say goodbye. It was so fun and helpful t0 have a friend go through her pregnancy and birthing classes at the same time as Eli and me. Tina and Jake are amazing people and I know they will meet many new friends but I'm selfish and want them to stay! This is just one of the major downsides of living in Moscow...our good friends keep moving... :,-(

We love you lots Jake, Tina, and Ryleigh! Come visit often and be sure to keep blogging so that we can keep in touch! Hearts to you!!!!

Say a prayer

My sorority sister from college, April, and her husband, Brad, could use a few extra prayers right now. Monday night her 28 year old husband suffered a heart attack and is currently in the ICU....

Makes me realize how precious life is...

Leavin' on a jet plane...

We're flying out of Pullman and into Boise today for my sister, Amanda's, baby shower! It should be a lot of fun! It's just Addison and me going; Eli is staying home to work and take care of the puppies :(. I'm sure all will go well, but I'm nervous about going alone and I just know I'm forgetting something! I have been packing and packing...all for a SHORT trip! How can one little tiny baby cause me to take SO much longer to pack? And how can one little tiny baby's necessities take up so much room?

Side note, Eli and I got our flu shots yesterday and my arm stinkin' hurts today.... blah....

And of course, how can I possibly do a blog post and not leave any pictures?! So here you go...

Tummy Time!

WONDERFUL VISITORS!

As I stated in my previous post, I am attempting to make an effort to get caught up, not only for your reading pleasure, but so that I have the memories to look back on in the years to come!

Being away from family has been really difficult for Eli and me as I know it has been for our families (especially for the Grandparents!) At times I wish that we lived a little closer but we love Moscow and probably won't be leaving anytime soon! Therefore, it's extremely exciting when family comes to visit us! Just before I returned to work, Addison got the opportunity to meet Grandmom and Granddad and my sister, Amanda! While they weren't here at the same time, they were here within hours of one another! Addison had a wonderful time getting to know everyone! Some of her favorite highlights of the visits include:

• Hanging out at the campground where Grandmom and Granddad stayed
• Visiting the bears at WSU
• Eating Ice Cream with Granddad (okay, Mommy did that part, but in a way, she partook as well!)
• Going to the antique store in Moscow
• Cuddling in Grandmom's arms
• Cuddling in Granddad's arms
• Cuddling up next to "B" in Amanda's arms
• Shared many spit ups with everyone making sure to mark everyone's shirt at least once! It's her way of say, "I REALLY love you!"
• Going shopping in Spokane
• Avoided the widespread outbreak of Swine Flu (as did all of our visitors!)
• Going to the Fair to see all of the farm animals
• Going for a walk and stopping at the U of I bookstore to assist Amanda in finding a Vandal Dress for "B" (Pretty sure she nearly marked the yellow dress with her spit up! She apparently preferred the black dress over the yellow one!)
• Sharing loves with EVERYONE!

As you can see, we were very busy having fun! Now we can't wait to go visit everyone again this weekend for Amanda's baby shower! (Addi and I will be flying down to Boise together...I'm a little nervous about flying alone with her. Wish us luck!)

Thank you Grandmom, Granddad, and Amanda for coming to visit us! We REALLY enjoyed having you! We can't wait to see you and everyone else this weekend!

Where oh where has the time gone?

It seems like it was just a couple of weeks ago Addison was born, yet she's 2 1/2 months old! I can't ever seem to get any posts done and many family members are frequently asking about pictures...guess I've been slacking in that area! So here's the plan, over the next several days I plan to blog about several things including:


Grandmom and Granddad's visit
Amanda's Visit
Returning to Work
Erin and Bobby's Wedding
Amanda's Baby Shower
Getting Addi on a schedule-tips needed!
Weight loss (or the lack there of!) update!



I'm a checklists kind of girl, so consider the above my checklist of blog posts to be created! To be honest I should create some other checklists of things that need to be completed in my daily life...you know those things that just keep getting pushed to the back shelf piling up and although mundane, they cause great stress in the middle of the night! You know what I mean?! Some day...some day my life may become organized again...


Oh and might I say that motherhood has become SO much more enjoyable over the past several weeks?! It's not to say that I didn't enjoy those precious early moments with Addi because I did immensely, it's just that now I'm able to enjoy so much more about everything! No more stress about feedings; no more stress about gaining weight (Addi, not me...I do just fine in that department!); no more fear of leaving her in someone else's care for the first time; no more postpartum blues! AMEN! Everyone kept telling me the first two months would be the hardest, and so far, I would agree!



Now I will leave you with some bath time pictures! This is by far one of Addison's favorite past times!
In the two pictures above, Addison is only 1 month old; in the pictures below, she is 2 months. It is truly amazing to see how much she has changed in such a short time!

Until next time....

Addison's First Photo Shoot!

Addison is 24 days old in these pictures! Enjoy!!!

Journey: Week 2 + update!

WEEK 2:
So, I have to admit, I didn't go to my WW meeting on Thursday...I slept in instead! I had every intention of going but Addi has decided to have long periods of awake time at around 3 in the morning :( So I guess my goals will be the same as last week since I didn't do so well of completing them then! Hopefully next Thursday the scale will be my friend! HAHA!

RANDOM UPDATES:
On Thursday my grandparents came into town! We had a lot of fun bumming around with them. Addison really enjoyed meeting her "Great" Grandmom and Granddad! I took lots of pictures and will upload them soon along with a post about their visit!

Amanda is coming to visit tomorrow and is staying for the week! I am really excited for her to meet Addison and spend time with her! We have lots of fun adventures planned so hopefully time doesn't fly by too quickly!

I am returning to work on Monday the 21st :( I am really bummed. My maternity leave has come and gone so quickly. I wish that I had another week or two now that we are finally beginning to settle in and get into a routine. I decided on Thursday to for go breastfeeding. I have really tried to make it work, but it was obvious that it wasn't going to work out since the supplement formula feedings were becoming more and more frequent. I am still trying to do one feeding at night right before she goes to bed just so that we don't have to completely quit, but I really don't think that it will last. She prefers the bottle and doesn't ever seem to get full with out it...we'll see! If it works GREAT, but if not, we'll move on! I have to say thank you to everyone who gave me so much support! Breast feeding was one of the most difficult and painful things I have ever done in my life. I really wish that I was able to make it work, but I feel so much relief being able to feed her a bottle knowing she is content and getting all the nutrients she needs! If we decide to have another child down the road, I think I'll try breast feeding again, but until then, I'm relieved to have that past us! Thanks again for all of your support---it meant SO much to me and really helped me hold out this long!

Picture time!

In this post I have a bunch of different pictures to illustrate our latest happenings!

This first picture is of Eli at La Casa for his birthday! You can tell he was completely thrilled to be wearing the hat and having the waiters sing to him! If you look towards the bottom of the picture you will find a delicious birthday shot which made the public humiliation worth it! He had a great 25th birthday and appreciated all of the birthday cards, wishes, and gifts!
Last Saturday we went over to our good friends', Rayce and Candi's, home to hang out. They have three little ones who are more precious than ever! This is a picture of their youngest daughter, Shylee, holding Addison. Every time Shy sees her she says, "I just love her!" It is so sweet! Thanks for having us Rayce and Candi; we always love spending time with you and your family!!!

The following pictures were taken after Addi was treated for Thrush (yeast infection). Although she didn't show any signs of thrush, I have had it for several weeks and my doctor was concerned that we may have been passing it back and forth thus the reason for my severe pain during feedings. I think we have almost kicked the problem. I still have pain during feedings but it's tolerable now. I found that breastfeeding has been anything but easy, convenient and bonding. For me, it's been very stressful, time consuming, painful, and emotionally, VERY hard. I'm going to stick it out another two weeks to see if the pain subsides but if hasn't, we're going to switch to formula. This disappoints me to some degree, but in many others, it provides so much relief. We will just have to wait and see!

Many have asked how the puppies are doing with Addison and I think the following pictures explain it better than I can!

This originally started out as tummy time, but instead, Addi decided she would sleep. (AND yes, I do know you are supposed to put babies to sleep on their backs, this was a short time and she was in our supervision so don't worry!)

And finally just some fun pictures of Addison! The first Addison appears to be happy; in the second she's done with pictures and just wants to eat! I love it!

...I think she gets her temper from Eli! haha...right!