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!)