Let There Be Light...

Or in our case, not. In preparation for the holiday season, I decided to talk John and Addison into a light parade in Fayetteville for a Saturday evening adventure. Keep in mind, the email I received, called it a "Light Parade" so I naturally assumed there would be ..... well...... lights right? They even said due to conservation efforts all lights used would be LED lights. I immediately thought how exciting!! Addison LOVES looking at any/all lights so surely she'd love this parade right? So after a harried trip down to Fayetteville, wandering downtown trying to find the parade's path, and walking about 6 blocks from our parked vehicle. We arrived alas, along with the majority of Fayetteville's population. Not only could we not see above the towering people in front of us, once the parade started you couldn't see a thing! No lights! Floats, and marching people, and bands - WITH NO LIGHTS!! Sheesh! At least we were lucky enough to park the stroller right next to a twig of a tree adorned in Christmas lights. We just let Addison stare at those and called it good. She was more than happy with it since she konked out asleep 10 minutes after arriving.

However, as it turns out, the evening was not completely wasted. We did manage to have a nice, enjoyable walk through downtown Fayetteville, as we tried to locate our car. All in all, it was a lesson learned. 1. Don't believe everything an email says, and 2. Learn how to make a fun time out of a seemingly bad experience.

A shot of Addison as we set out on our adventure!

Mommy & Addison

Daddy & Addison

Initiation Day

It's official. John has been initiated.

Please allow me to set the scene:
For those who are unaware, a few months ago I got called to serve in Primary as a Sunbeam teacher. This left John as sole caretaker of Addison for 2 out of 3 hours every Sunday. Since Addison was born, I was the one to balance, wrassle, juggle all things baby-related every week at Church. This made it even more of a jump for John to adjust - but what an entertaining one it has been. And I must say, day one had him singing my praises on the way home!

A bit of history:
On John's first Sunday as caretaker, all three of us crammed into the family bathroom as I observed him using a changing table for the first time. Balancing a baby, changing her out of layers upon layers of Sunday clothes, mixing up a bottle, digging through the diaper bag etc etc. I coached him, encouraged him, and patted him on the back as he succeeded - granted a bit haphazardly on his first try but it was progress.

Now typically, John is the one that is over protective of Addison - blocking the sun, checking her body temp, blanket layers, etc. But after this Sunday he had changed. As I located them after church, he was already heading out the door anxious to get home. He kept saying "That was hard! That was hard!" and I was like "Yup!" On the way to the car he had her carrier smack dab in the sun. As I brought it to his attention he responded "Eh, a little vitamin D will do her some good!" as he tossed her carrier into the back seat of the car. All the way home I had to convince him that if it was hard for him - it was hard for me. He kept saying "Nah, it's easier for you". Once he realized I didn't have some magic little pill that made it easier, he finally understood what I endured weekly up to that point.

Initiation Day:
Now, fast forward to a couple of weeks ago. I come out of primary, after church is over, and find him in the foyer with Addison in her carrier covered in blankets. Before I even get to him he's mouthing the words "Um, we had a bit of an accident". Once I near him, he pulls up the blankets from Addison and there she is sitting in her carrier in nothing but a diaper. She likes being nakey so she's loving every minute of it. I start laughing hysterically as John recounts the experience of juggling through layers of Sunday dress and a diaper-less baby on the changing table, and someone knocking on the bathroom door, as she decides to pee all over everything she was wearing. Somehow, when it happens to someone else, it's all the more funnier. However, I think it was still to recent for John to see the humor in it all. So here are the pics I took of Addison once we arrived home. This is the cute little nakey baby that greeted me, in the foyer, after church. I think she thought it was funnier than the Daddy did. So it's official, John has been initiated into the "Sunday Baby Club" and I have realized just how inspired my calling truly is!!



Completely unrelated but still cute. Here is another pic of Addison. Thanks to her Daddy, this is one of her favorite pastimes. Hanging out on the couch while she plays with Daddy's xBox controller.

Rolling, Rolling, Rolling...

Keep those babies rolling - raawwwhhhhiiiidddde!! Spoken in a sing-songy voice simply because I am THAT happy! Addison is now joining the rollers club - surely there is an exclusive club right? If not, I'll gladly organize one for my little Addibell.

For the past few months, I anxiously awaited for Addison to embark on her rolling adventures. As recently as last month, she did it a couple times for us, just to prove she could if/when she wanted to. So I knew she had the ability. I was just waiting for her to accept it as a means of transportation. Most everyone I knew reassured me she'd take it up eventually and every baby was different. I learned not to get obsessed over it but I must say I just get so excited when she learns something. I guess that officially classifies me as a "Proud Mama"!! (Don't even get me started on how excited I still get watching her take big bites of baby food - and she learned that a couple months ago!)

Not only can Addison do the simple roll of tummy to back - but she picked up the more difficult one of back-to-tummy as well. I guess she's making up for lost time and proving to me that she knows what she's doing. Today even, as I wrapped Christmas presents, she rolled over consecutively until she ran into the coffee table. No telling how far she would have gone had she not been obstructed. I knew she had it figured out this morning when I laid her on her back after breakfast, went to the bathroom, and came back to her on her tummy - Yayyy! She is getting quite talented at grabbing at the toys too which makes a nice break for me. No more picking up and handing her everything she drops - she has mastered the ability to do it herself. She's such a cutie when she does it. John and I start applauding and shouting while she just stares at us and acts like "Uh what's the big deal?"

And it doesn't stop there! Last week we decided to forgo the swaddle wrap at bedtime. She's used it since birth - even upgraded to a larger swaddle - so needless to say she likes it. Welp, the first night swaddle-free, she has passed with flying colors. She did great for a few nights in a row even. However, since she's had the sickies and wakes up coughing at night we decided not to torment her too much and gave the swaddle back. We are anxious to try it again once she gets to feeling better. Yay Addison! Such a big girl and growing up soooo fast! Mommy & Daddy are proud of you!

6 Months Old

It's official! Addison has finally hit her 6 month mark. Technically she did it about 3 weeks ago but we now have the pictures to prove it. As it turns out, Addison turning 6 months old happens at the same time everyone takes their christmas pictures. We had originally planned for her pictures to be taken last Saturday but apparently so did the rest of Fayetteville. Once we saw the zoo of waiting people all dressed in their Christmas best, we promptly rescheduled to Friday at noon. I'm so glad we did. We were the only ones in the studio so no crowd stress on top of the already stressful picture time. She did much better this time around than she did at her 3 month appointment. She had plenty of smiles to go around and lasted almost the whole time. However, at the end she got a little impatient with all the outfit changes and pulling and prodding for photos. The photographer asked us if we wanted a few more shots, John nor I could decide for sure, but one look at Addison and she started fussing - that was our answer....we were finished. It's always quite the workout for the Mom since I'm holding, moving, balancing, picking up, putting down while John is the "smile-getter" and stands by the camera the whole time. Once again, I had worked up quite a sweat. Someone needs to remind me to NOT wear a sweater next time. Here are the pictures of our gorgeous little girl, Addison. And some family shots to boot. Below are her milestones etc.







Addison is a VERY happy baby. We've always known this but it's amazing how many people comment on it when they are around her. She did struggle a little with new faces, fussiness, and mommy/daddy clingy-ness but we immediately solved that by putting her around more and more people. It's not hard to do since it's such a busy holiday season and lots of family and friends are already around. She now adjusts quite well to new faces - even though it may take a couple of minutes to warm up to them. Before long, she's laughing and smiling with the rest of them. She loves watching little kids and really enjoys her cousins. She has rolled over a few more times, both front to back and back to front, but still doesn't seem interested in using it as a means of transportation. She enjoys sitting up but still needs a little assistance in doing so. She loves to laugh and we love to hear it just as much. I swear there is no better sound than her laugh. She loves to gab and talk and holler. When she gets excited she arches her back and stiffens her body. It's cute most of the time but difficult when it's time to eat. Speaking of eating, she is now on Stage 2 food and loves it. I think her current favorite is sweet potatoes. For Thanksgiving I brought along a turkey dinner just for her. This being the first time she ever experienced meat, it didn't go over so well. Luckily she didn't notice that she had an audience of family watching her partake of her first Thanksgiving dinner. It was sooo sad to watch her take her first big bite, gag a couple of times, and then promptly vomit it back up. Poor thing! I felt so bad for her. It was quite a bit thicker than she was used to. She has also finally figured out the game of "Peek-a-boo." Once the blankie is on her face, we say "Where's Addison" - she immediately pulls it off and starts laughing. Most of the time she's yanking at it before I can even get it on her face. However, when I put it on my face, she gets confused and just stares at me. I guess she doesn't know how to play it when we assume opposite roles. Addison is such a pleasant baby and we love having her in our family. It's hard to imagine our life before she came. She adds such joy and happiness to ALL of her family.

6 month stats:
Weight: 17 lbs 5.5 oz (76.49%)
Height: 25.33" (33.82%)
Head: 45.5 cm (98.64%) *I'm sure the Hufford side of the family is proud she is carrying on the family gene!

5 Months Old

Once again, this post is a little delayed since Addison will be celebrating 6 months this coming week. But I wanted to make sure that her 5 month pictures and updates are posted since we are working hard on posting each month. Mommy and Addison had an impromptu photo shoot in the living room again. While they turned out fairly decent, I wasn't able to get a lot of smiles since I was also working as the photographer and by the time I peered around the camera, got the smile, then went to push the button, smile was gone. :( So just know Addison is a very very happy baby and always smiling regardless of what these pictures show.

Addison's fifth month was a roller coaster of emotions. The poor little thing has spent most of her life so far (since 3 months to now) with a nasty cough, congestion, and ear ache. We went to the doctor about five different times trying any/everything to get rid of it. She was such a trooper through it all, she never once acted sick or achy or in pain. Just stayed her usual happy self despite all the nasties she was dealing with. She endured about 4 different antibiotics, numerous saline nasal drops, countless booger sucker sessions. At one doctor's appointment, when I heard that the ear infection had not gone away, but worsened, I lost it. I hate seeing my little girl sick and strugging to breathe, sleeping elevated at night, waking up to cough for sooo long. I had heard various speculations over what it may be but luckily my sister-in-law came to the rescue and suggested a formula allergy. I was elated to think we found the source of the yuckies but also frustrated that our doctor or nurses never suggested that as a possible option. So two weeks later after more antibiotics and switching to soy formula I think we've finally kicked the yuckies. I have a healthy baby again and she never seemed to miss a beat - always smiling and enduring along the way. She is such a trooper!!

At five months old: Addison loves taking baths and splashing in the water. She smiles and laughs all the time, especially at night when she's super tired and a little slap happy. This is one of my favorite times of the day. But of course, she'll only give you a limited number of laughs and then you must try something else for more laughs. She loved halloween and watching Daddy carve her pumpkin for her. She especially loved her wagon ride at the pumpkin patch. She is still learning to rollover. She did it a couple of times with a lot of encouragement but hasn't mastered it yet. She loves staring at her hands and especially loves looking at her Mommy's hands when they wave in front of her. She still doesn't like to lay down like a baby since she is grown up now she prefers to sit up and look around at everything. She has learned to sit up by herself for quite awhile before she starts leaning. We are learning to adjust to lots of people/faces since for awhile there she just seemed to recognize only a few faces. I must say now after all of our outings that she now loves to watch little kids play and is fascinated with everything they do. She loves to sit in her bumbo and look in the mirror while Mommy gets ready for the day. She especially loves when she gets her hair brushed after Mommy's done fixing hers. I must say she may definitely be a girly girl at this rate! Addison and Mommy also finally mastered eating solid food this month. It took lots of patience as we both learned but now she is quite the professional eater. When she's really hungry she opens wide, swallows one mouthful, then immediately opens her mouth and waits for the spoon of food to come back. It's so cute! :D

Under Appreciated Toe

This post is devoted to the most under appreciated toe of all ten toes. Yes, that's right...the poor little baby toe. Does anyone know the huge role it plays in just about everything that every day life encounters? I mean it's not there just to look cute. It literally gets used a million times a day just keeping your balance.

Recently, I was unlucky enough to learn first-hand how under appreciated and ever-involved this toe is. Like most people, I spent the majority of my life completely oblivious. Don't get me wrong, I have a toe fetish, but that mostly consisted of just making sure they were manicured and clean and painted and cute - especially that cute little pudgy baby toe. However, a couple of months ago my eyes were finally opened to reality. They weren't put there just to look cute.

John, Addison, and I went to Walmart for a late night venture. I had made it through almost the whole visit when "it happened". Yep, that's right in one split second I experienced some painstaking ..... well pain. I swung my foot smack dab into the wheel of the grocery cart. Honestly, I couldn't have aimed any better if I had tried. Luckily John was there to take care of the runaway cart, and Addison, while I ran to the nearest aisle and tried my hardest to hold back my dinner from visiting me again. This was PAIN people!! Throbbing, pulsating pain!! Don't get me wrong....I'm notorious for bumping my toes into things all the time...whether the lights are on or not. My toes have had a pretty rough road in life. After all, Grace is not my middle name. And while I'm sure you may agree that it's never "fun" to jam a toe on anything.....I must say this was NOTHING compared to what I have experienced before.

Within seconds, I was convinced I had broke it. My brain went wild....what do they do for broken toes? I've never seen one in a cast after all...especially the teeny tiny baby one. Immediately I started thinking of treatment and how I could finagle a toothpick and a little tape into some type of "toe-splint". I managed to keep my brain occupied on the various therapies I would put myself on in the coming days while I hobbled around Walmart, still in excruciating pain. Luckily we had an extended family weekend that following day and I got the opportunity to have my bro-in-law doc examine it to find out the extent of the injuries. Despite that it now had an ugly bruise growing across half of my foot - he assured me that it wasn't broken in a "serious" area. So I spent the next two months hobbling, crying, having people step on it, and walking in flip flops, and have just now gotten to the point that I can wear normal shoes and not wince in pain with each step.

So, in case you weren't aware, your little teeny tiny baby toe is a HUGE participant in just about everything you do! I must declare a "Baby Toe" day so we can all start giving them more appreciation for everything they do. So, this being the week of Thanksgiving, I urge you to lean down, give your toe a kiss and a great big THANK YOU! I know I will. I'm glad to have you back baby toe! Woot! I'll never take you for granted again.

1st Halloween

Better late than never right? Now that it's well into November I decided I better get posting about our final Halloween adventures. The actual holiday itself turned into a sort of "mini-Hanukkah" since we started celebrating the Thursday before. I figured since it was Addison's first halloween we would go all out and have it encompass three days. Well that fact and also the fact that I had a little bit of "Mommy Guilt" since I was taking her on a trip to STL to see my beloved Rob Thomas on Halloween night. (See previous posts)

Anyway, we headed out of town on Friday and swung by and picked up Grandma on our way to Aunt Cassie's house. Addison and Grandma Bell are good buddies and always manage to have fun with each other. Mommy loves this too because Grandma Bell makes a great assistant. Actually it seems that I'm the part-time assistant while Grandma takes all the reins. It makes for a nice break for us both. Grandma changes the poopy diapers, bathes her, and feeds her, while I swing in for the fun stuff here and there. I'm sure Addison appreciates the change in scenery as well since she seems to have so much fun when Grandma's around.

Once we got to Aunt Cassie & Uncle Kyle's house we headed straight out for a little pre-halloween adventure at the outlet mall. Alexa came dressed as a cute squeezy teddy bear while little Addibell was an equally squeezy little monkey.

Sidenote: All through my growing up years I was obsessed with monkeys. I dreamt of the day I would actually own a baby monkey. Even my daydreams seemed to exclude the reality of such curious messy creatures. Instead of envisioning lots of poop and messes, I could only see us having fun playing and putting diapers on him and feeding him bananas. I even mentally assigned my mom as the monkey babysitter on the days I would have to be at school. I don't think she ever knew her role in my monkey dreams. Sadly my dream never became a reality. I actually got even more distraught once I grew up and saw an ad in a paper for a pet monkey. I didn't know people actually kept them as pets after all!!! :(

So, it was only fitting that my little Addibell dress up as a cute little monkey for Halloween. Well for that fact and also the fact that the little outfit was on sale at TJ Maxx of course. Two things Mommy loves: Monkeys and a good bargain! Honestly Addison would have been adorable in anything we put her in but it was nice Mommy got to live out a childhood fantasy - even if for only a weekend.

I didn't quite know what Addison would think of the trick-or-treating since Mommy would be consuming all of her bounty but she did actually love it. The pictures below will prove just how much fun she had. Since her little chubby hands couldn't hold the trick-or-treating basket, I improvised and put it around her monkey foot. Every store we went in we would do the "Trick-or-Treat" and a little tilt of the stroller so they'd drop the candy in her basket. There were soooo many stores so toward the end we got a little more selective and only went after the good candy. I must also mention that Grandma did a great job as our personal photographer. I got a little glimpse of what it must feel like to be famous since she was waiting in the bushes to take our picture as we exited each store. I'll save you the time and not post ALL of the pictures she took - just know she got some good ones.

So thank you to Aunt Cassie & Uncle Kyle & Cousin Alexa for hosting us and making our halloween so memorable (Rob Thomas Concert included).

The beginning of our trick-or-treating adventure.

A close-up of my cute little monkey girl.

Hangin' out with Cousin Alexa.

Pumpkin Carving

We had a modified halloween this year. For those who read the previous post you are already aware that I spent the holiday with Rob Thomas instead of my little family. I managed to pour enough guilt on that I decided to hold our own Halloween a couple days before the rest of the world just to make it up to my family. This way Addison and I could spend it with John before we headed out on our road trip to STL. We picked out our perfect pumpkins a few weeks earlier and decided to buckle down and carve them the Thursday night before halloween. For obvious reasons. One being the actual holiday was just a few days away and we wanted to display them in their grandeur. And two being I was using them, uncarved, as decorations in our house and they apparently started rotting. Anyone know what the shelf life is on pumpkins anyway?

So needless to say, we had a great time carving despite the pungent smell of rotted pumpkin guts. They don't smell good either way anyway. Addison was lucky enough to be an observer while John and I de-gutted and hacked away at our little creations. Once again Addison had a blast watching us. She was fascinated at the whole process and the ooey gooey mess it left behind. Next year she'll get to de-gut her own pumpkin!

Below are the pictures of our process. John wins the award for creepiest pumpkin face carving and I win the award for quickest de-gut-erer in the west. Addibell wins for being the cutest spectator/audience we could ever have.

Waiting for all the fun to begin

Looks like she approves of the Daddy's work in carving her baby pumpkin

Mommy & Addison taking a break

Closely inspecting the pumpkin for any flaws.

Cutest spectator award goes to......Addison!

The finished product (L to R) Mommy's, Addison's, and Daddy's)

Here's Daddy and his little monkey.

My Other Man

Yes, it's true. John is not the only man in my life. Of course he knowingly accepted this fact once he learned of the "other man" that came before him. Granted the "other man" is happily married and of course I am too but he still exists....he just doesn't know it yet. That's right, my other obsession is none other than Rob Thomas of Matchbox 20. I've been a fan dating back to his early days when no one else even knew him. I admittedly had a shrine of print-outs of him taped to the ceiling in my bedroom in college. Yes, it is sad I realize but these are the requirements of being a devoted fan.

This past Saturday was the fifth time I've seen him in concert. Every single one of them did not disappoint. He puts on a great concert. However, this one worked its way up the ranks as the best one yet. Mostly because we enjoyed free tickets (thanks to bro-in-law Kyle) and sat on the "Fox Club" level in a box seat and enjoyed food while we belted out every tune right along w/Rob. Granted I've eaten chicken strips before. And I've seen Rob Thomas in concert before. But I've never done BOTH at the same time!! Could life get any better? I won't dwell on the fact that it involved spending Addison's first Halloween on the road, in STL, without the daddy. Yes, John was given the option of coming with but I guess the jealousy was too strong to endure. That or it could be the fact that it was a LONG drive for someone he didn't share the same interest in as I did. Regardless it was still a fun time and I made sure to celebrate Addison's Halloween before, during, and after...just to make it up to her.

Thanks Kyle, Cassie, and Jill for sharing this special night with me. Since it was Halloween night the whole band dressed up in different costumes. Rob Thomas came out as Michael Jackson and sang Thriller as his opener. It was classic and memorable. All in all it was worth the long hours spent in the car. Addison was such a trooper and did so well in the car seat the whole way there and back. She's so accommodating in supporting her Mom's crazed obsession.

4 Months Old

I'm trying to make it a point to capture a picture of Addison at every month milestone. However, time got away from me and I'm a bit delayed on this month. Technically these pictures were taken when she was 4 1/2 months but better late than never right?

She's growing into such a big girl. It's still weird to think how tiny she was only 4 months ago. I love this stage though because it's so fun to interact with her and see her cute personality. She is still such an easy going baby. I've been schooled yet again in trying to predict when she'll have a fit etc. Case in point: She has slept in her swing every night since birth. She has slept sooo well in her swing - through the night 8-10 hours at once - without ever missing a beat! Obviously I knew she'd need to switch to her crib down the road but kept putting it off because I wasn't ready for what I thought would be a battle of wills. Well that and for the fact she's had some bad allergies and has to sleep elevated so she can breathe better. Well fast forward to just about 3 weeks ago when we FINALLY made the transition to the crib. I was predicting all sorts of retaliation and gearing up for my determination in fighting it off. Well once again, she proves me wrong! Literally overnight, she sleeps perfectly in her crib without even waking. I thought for sure she'd miss the constant motion or not like laying straight on her back in a room all by herself. WRONG! She is so laid back and just goes with the flow. Just when I think I can pull a fast one on her she pulls it on me instead! I am now going to keep my mouth shut on my "predictions" for ever and ever amen. So let it be written, so let it be done. We have an angel baby.

I'll post her stats from her 4 month check-up below but I also wanted to document what she has learned to do lately. She loves to sit up and look at everything and everyone. She doesn't like to lie down because she's convinced she's missing something. She plays well by herself on a blanket and has learned to grab, shake, slobber, on her toys. I even got a video of her shaking her booty while shaking her rattle - adorable. She loves to talk - mostly when she thinks she's by herself. Probably feels the urge to entertain herself because she can babble for quite awhile. She speaks soft sometimes, stern sometimes, and even sings sometimes. I can't quite understand what she says but it's funny just watching her facial features as she looks like she has quite a lot to get off her chest. She still doesn't like tummy time but is getting better at it and can last longer amounts of time. She still isn't interested in rolling over and I'm trying not to stress over it. She'll get it eventually I'm sure. She loves to laugh with and without being tickled. However, once you do something and get a laugh, she has a set amount of laughs to give you before she's done. No matter what lengths you go to - if she has ran out of laughs - it's not going to happen. She is learning to eat rice cereal and Mommy and her are both learning patience through this. I'm convinced she gets more coming out than going down and sometimes it takes us quite awhile to finish only one tablespoon. I usually have to give her bottle breaks so she can curb her hunger while we try more cereal. Anyway, that is all I can think of for her milestones. Here are her stats:

As of 9/29/09:
Weight - 14 lbs 15.5 oz (80%)
Height - 24" (41%)
Head - 43 cm (93%) (Yep, that's the Hufford noggin!)

Pumpkin Hunting

I must confess...about this time last year, when Addison was merely the size of a little nugget in my stomach, I sat and dreamed about the day we'd get to take her to the Pumpkin Patch and get her her very own pumpkin. Yes, I did know it would be the following year, and I did realize she'd have little idea as to what was actually going on, but we would still do it regardless! And boy did we!

We went to McGarrah's Pumpkin Patch in Pea Ridge, AR this last Saturday and finally I got to "Live the Dream!" It was the perfect day, sunny and cool. We even came at the right time since we avoided the rush of people that came just as we were leaving. It felt like it was all put together just for little ole us....they must have caught a glimpse of my dreams the year before! I think we were the only couple there with a 4 month old. Even the lady that took our picture was impressed since her son was 4 years old and it was his first time at a patch too!

Honestly I didn't think Addison would have any interest in our activity but would just humor us and go along with her mommy's crazy ideas. However....she LOVED it! Well technically she didn't "tell me" she loved it but I could read it through the smile on her face. It was nearing her nap time so I didn't know how long she'd hold out but she was excited to be there and was happy just as long as the Daddy kept up on the pulling of the wagon. A couple of times we stopped so we could pick our pumpkins and within minutes Addibell would grunt and fuss until we stopped everything we were doing and got her wagon moving again. And here we thought it was a little too bumpy for her - not at all - she wanted more of it!

Proof that Addison was having a blast in her big old wagon!

We had a great time and were happy with our selection of our little pumpkin family. A Daddy pumpkin, a Mommy pumpkin, and a Addibell pumpkin. Granted both the Mommy & Daddy had to trudge through deep sinking mud to reach just the perfect pumpkin but it was all worth it in the end. Especially the part where John just video taped me instead of helping me out when I got stuck in the mud. :(

Here is where she spent most of her time while we went trudging through
mud to find the perfect pumpkins.

The pumpkins are so much prettier than the nasty ones you dig through at Walmart. How many years did I wait to have a kid just so I could justify going to a pumpkin patch? Not sure what convinced me they'd kick me out if I went to a pumpkin patch before having a family but it was definitely more fun on our first time with them.

Addison on top of a big pumpkin cheesing it up - so fun!

4 Generations

A couple of weekends ago we decided to finally introduce Addison to her Great Grandma Weekes. For any who know Grandma, she was gracious enough to remind us (repeatedly ;-) that we had yet to show Addison her house or even her! Yes, I did feel bad considering Addison is now 4 months old and also because Grandma Weekes' house is just an hour away from us. So, we finally decided to keep to our word and loaded up the car for what we called the "Weekend of Grandmas" since we were also going to visit my Mom as well.

One of the things I wanted before we could leave was a picture of the 4 generations. I've wanted one of these for quite some time and technically I think this is the only 4 generation pic we can get since it seems that all the other great grandparents have passed on or live far away. So here we are at Grandma Weekes' house:

My Mom, her Mom, Me and Addison

She was gracious enough to make us her famous "Grandma Pizza" for dinner before we hit the road to my Mom's house. It was so fun to sit and visit with her and watch Addison hang out with her. It was also pretty fun to walk around and reminisce on all the memories I had at my Grandma's house while growing up. She did her part to trigger the old memories since she has yet to get rid of all those old broken toys in her "toy cupboard" in her kitchen. If it weren't for the fact they were all in pieces they could have likely been some valuable antiques. And yes, they were even broken back in the days that I played with them as a little girl.

John and Addison on a tractor in my Grandma's yard. Yes, it was in that exact spot when I was a little girl. I think it's been there since the beginning of time!

After we were done with our visit with Grandma Weekes' we headed to Willard to spend the rest of the weekend with my Mom. We had a nice relaxing weekend and even got to visit my Aunt Lorraine in Springfield. Addison even got to see Lambert's for the first time and enjoy her very first visit to the movie theater. Granted it was the dollar theater, and she spent more of her time in the lobby with Grandma than in the actual theater but it was lots of fun. I ended up taking her out at the very end and she and I had the best time just laughing at each other while we waited for the movie to finish. She's such a good baby and soooo laid back - she amazes me most days.

Waiting outside Lambert's before we go into catch our "Throwed Rolls!!"

Addison checking out Grandma Bell's latest garage sale treasure.

And finally, story time w/Grandma Bell.
Addison LOVES looking at books. It's sooo adorable!

Here is another 4 Generation pic we took that Sunday.
Had to take advantage of us all dressed up this time! :D

Touring Town

So, in cleaning out the camera I came across some old pictures we took back in August. This was just a regular old Saturday that we decided to get out of the house and tour town. Granted we have lived here for how long? But it's always nice to transform into a tourist in your own hometown and drive around and look at all the sights!

We drove forever and ever and ever trying to find a nice homey old fashioned type diner to eat lunch at. We were so determined we literally drove through three towns before we ended up back right where we started in Bentonville! We enjoyed burgers, fries, and shakes at this place:


Supposedly they have the "Best in Town" but I'm not sure if I can qualify for the vote since I haven't eaten at all the others. It was good food though. Good food in a "bad for you kind of way" of course. I've eaten there a couple of times anytime family comes to visit but I believe this was John and Addison's first time there.

Afterwards we enjoyed a dip in the fountain on the square. Okay, not really but Addison sort of did. She got her feet wet (literally) at this whole swimming thing. We are definitely prepping for next Summer's pool season since we missed out on it this last summer. All in all, it was a great day just hanging out with our own little family in our own little town. If anyone wants to come visit us in Bentonville we now know how to show you a good time!

Here she is with Daddy checking out the fountain.


And alas, she gets to go for her dip.
Don't turn us into Child Services just yet. It was back in August
and the weather was nice and warm....and her big toe was all that got wet. ;-)
(She's grown so much since we've taken these pictures!)

After A Long Day

One would think after reading the title of this post that it would be dedicated to John considering the hard work he does everyday for our family.....but it's not. One could even think it's a post all about MY long days as a stay-at-home mom....but it's not. That's right, this post is dedicated to Addibell and the different things she likes to do after a long day.

Yes, her days primarily consist of eating, pooping, playing, sleeping, (rinse & repeat) but don't go thinking she has the easy life! That can be pretty exhausting I'm sure! It's been quite awhile since I was her age so I can't say my memory is fresh from those days nor that I can relate - but I'm sure it's a lot of hard work being an almost 4 month old. After all, how quickly do they double in size in a mere few months? I bet growing can be exhausting.

So that's why we like to give her a break every once in awhile....

At 5:00, here is her favorite spot. In the recliner with the Daddy while she lays back and enjoys a cold one (bottle that is ;-). Yes, at 3 1/2 months she is already mastering the ability to feed herself.

Here is a close-up. Check out how she holds it. One handed and just tippin' it back! She's a smart one. Anything to get the milk faster when the Mommy & Daddy start slackin' on the job.

Then, in the evening hours, she enjoys a nice soak in a bubble bath while she gets
the foot massages from the Mommy.

Here she is cheesin' for the camera. We've quickly learned the benefits of throwing her in the bathtub with us. The one drawback - she can now pee on me anytime she feels like it. (Yes, this has already occurred once).

So, in her few months of age thus far, she has quickly learned how to kick back and relax after a long day. She loves to sit and watch Law & Order with her Daddy when he gets home from work too.

A few weeks back, after fixing up her nursery, we all sat down and had a "family talk". John decided it was time to discuss Addison's chores. Just as he brought it up and was chatting with her about helping around the house, she suddenly started belly laughing right in his face. It was hilarious and perfect timing. I guess this is a good indication of how it's going to be when she's actually big enough to DO chores!

Branson Getaway

A few weeks ago Addison and I had a chance to take a weekend get-a-way and join up with Nick, Colton & their girls plus Grandma Bell at Branson and Silver Dollar City and the Condo's. We were VERY excited to make our voyage. Frankly we get very excited to make any voyage that involves going further than 15 feet outside our front door. Since it was a Friday, poor John had to go to work while we were off to have fun. Luckily for all of us, we got to see him again on Saturday morning when we came back.

With this being the first trip for just Addison & I, I spent a few minutes mentally preparing for what I would do if/when she started fussing in her car seat. At times like this I always think how nice it would be to have a personal assistant! As it turns out, this weekend I had to completely revamp my method of predictions. I was convinced she would fuss or get bored in her car seat for the 1 1/2 hour drive to Branson. I tried timing it to coincide with her morning nap. As luck would have it, she only cat napped for about 20 minutes on our drive but I was so impressed with how she did after that. No meltdowns, no fussing, no anything! She spent the whole drive just staring out the window and chomping on her fingers.

Then we met up with the family at SDC and I was preparing for my first "Mommy outing test" wherein I was convinced our nap schedule would be screwed up, that I would soon be at my wits end, and that I would have one grumpy baby. Once again I was proved wrong! The day was PERFECT! Addison must surely know how to prove her Mommy wrong. I had to eat my words multiple times that day when I kept "predicting" a meltdown for her or me. She spent the whole day quite content in her Grandma's arms (or Aunt Colton's) while we walked around the park. Luckily too the weather cooperated and it wasn't too hot for any of us. Never once did she have any meltdowns like I was expecting. She LOVES the outside and will happily sit very content no matter where we went or what we did. She didn't quite get the amount of naps I would have liked her to have but she did wonderfully regardless. She is such a mellow, laid back, and calm baby. Now I have to learn a few pointers from her and be the same! I've decided to retire my "predictions" on how she'll do in any given situation because she'll prove me wrong anyway.

We had a great time with Grandma, Uncle Nick and Aunt Coco and she enjoyed hanging out with her cousins Kayley and Cora - even though they spent most of the time 2 inches from her face the whole trip. ;-)

All suited up and waiting for her cousins to join her in the impromptu bathtub pool party. I LOVE baby swimming suits and I had to find a reason to put this one on her (thanks Aunt Michelle!) Since she was born in May this was our first swim - even though it was in a tub. We are looking very forward to next summer when we can spend TONS of time at the neighborhood pool! :D

The cousins finally got suited up so we all jumped in the tub/jacuzzi at the condo. Here she is listening to Kayley as she gabs to her about something. Kayley is a talker and just adores Addison.

Here is proof that her cousins adore her. After several attempts at timing, we finally got a shot of
Kayley and Cora giving Addibell some kisses.

Two of her favorite things. Grandma and TV! Here she is hanging out with Grandma at the Condo and
watching her TV. They pretty much spent the whole day together.

Here is Cousin Cora holding Addison. We won't mention they are almost the same size! Cora fell in love with Addison over the weekend. Even changed her baby doll's name to Addison - which is a HUGE sign of love for her. It used to be named Michelle (after Aunt Michelle) so we've moved our way up the rankings!

All in all, it was a great trip. The ride back home was almost successful as the ride up - only one blowout (from Addison, not the car). Thanks so much for inviting us on your fun Nick & Colton!