4th of July Weekend

This year for July 4th we decided to mix it up a bit and try something different. We spent the weekend prior to the holiday in Branson at the condo. It seems like our lives have been crazy hectic lately with everything and the baby hasn't even arrived yet! So we went in with very minimal plans for our weekend. First and foremost on our list was to relax in the A/C, nap, swim, and golf.....oh and the Dixie Stampede of course!

I've been wanting to take Addison to the Dixie Stampede for quite some time now. One could easily say I'm living vicariously through her as she didn't even know the place existed up until now. But I just knew she would love it and boy did she. She is starting to recognize "Orsee's" lately and has always loved music and lights so the show did not disappoint. Luckily we had perfect seats for her and cousin Alexa to play on the side when their attention span ran out.

She was amazed at all the horses, music and dancing and kept saying "Wow!" over and over with her mouth agape. Plus she thoroughly enjoyed mauling her corn on the cob (one of her latest favorites) while watching all the entertainment. Daddy talked me into buying a $2.00 flag for her and that was the highlight of her night....who knew? She waved it frantically calling it a "Kite!!" all night long. Best and cheapest souvenir to date I believe.

I was even lucky enough to get to tag along w/John as he went golfing one morning. This is a rare treat (first one to date actually) since I usually have to stay at home w/Addison while he goes out with friends. But this time Aunt Cassie happily agreed to hang out w/Addison. Despite the heat, the course was beautiful, and it was pretty interesting to watch. We bailed after the first 9 holes since our golfing partners were in no hurry to move a long and the heat was getting worse. I enjoyed watching so much that I think I got the bug to take up lessons one of these days! :D

We spent the rest of our time hanging out in the swimming pool, went to dinner one night, and vegged in front of movies another night. All in all, it was a great relaxing trip and was so fun spending it with family/cousins.

Checking out the "Orsee's" before the show at Dixie Stampede.

Proof that Mommy was there! I'm usually the photographer so now I make it a point to be captured in at least some of the memories.

Our party crew waiting for the Stampede (and food) to start. (Alexa, Cassie, Addison, John, and Kyle)

Addison dining on one of her favorites while watching the entertainment.

Random Sidenote: When John and I were dating, we came to the Dixie Stampede and got recruited to be in the performance. I had been enough times to know all the ins/outs of our event - the barrel racing. Such as, we were both going to be riding a stick horse - not a real one, and competing against the other team by running around two barrels in the dirt corral. Little did I know about John at the time but he is competitive AND athletic. I wasn't in it to win it by any means but once that whistle blew he was OFF! And I was trailing behind barely able to keep up. By the time we neared the finish line he took pity on me and slowed down just in time for me to run right into him and push him face first into the dirt while I landed ever so gracefully on top of him...in front of an audience of over 1,000! It was hilarious afterwards but quite embarassing/entertaining during. Poor John got skinned up pretty bad on his knee but was a good sport. Up until I decided to "nurse his wounds" by applying the wet nap doused in alcohol. Sigh....what one won't do for love eh? Either way it was fun to remember back on those days and then realize that here we are yet again with our 2 year old and another one to arrive soon! Funny how time flies! And no, we didn't get recruited for any events this time...thankfully.

And last but not least, "Aunt Tassie" easily won the "Best Aunt of the Year Award" by building the girlies this cute little fort while we were all hanging back and relaxing...and watching.. Addison LOVED it!

I won't go into detail about how Aunt Tassie and Uncle Tyra (Kyle) were Addison's favorites the whole weekend. So much so that she was not interested in hanging out w/Mommy and Daddy much at all! I guess they are pretty cool after all. I'm definitely glad she is surrounded by so many loving family members that adore and dote on her.

The Day Of The Dad

Even though I'm almost a week behind in posting about it, I would like to let blog-land know (and our future posterity) that we did indeed celebrate Father's Day this year! It was a fun day all in all but definitely made for a lot of work for this preggo lady! There's only so much a 2 year old can do to help out and since she isn't skilled enough in the kitchen department quite yet, I managed to pull together a 4 course meal not only for Addison's Daddy but for Grandpa Joe as well since we were lucky enough to have he and Grandma over to eat on such a festive holiday!

In the midst of all the festivities I completely forgot to bust out the camera and document the day in pictures. So, instead, you'll have to visualize it all as I recount it.

Morning: It began with a nice light breakfast for Daddy. On the menu - granola parfait with a side of fresh fruit and an ice-water served in bed even! I even took extra time making it so pretty since he always seems to do that for us. Then of course we all scurried to get ready for church and do our normal Sunday routine.

Lunch: It wasn't glamorous by any means since we are usually exhausted from church and grabbing something quick before our weekly Sunday nap (okay mine and Addison's weekly Sunday nap) but I did do a quick "cook-to-order" grilled ham and cheese or pb&j...can't remember but do know he was pampered yet again. So much so that I even sacrificed my nap and gave it to him so I could get started on cooking dinner and finishing his presents. That's huge folks as I hardly EVER sacrifice my nap!

Pre-Dinner: We had to wake Daddy up so we could gift him with his gifts before dinner time. Addison gave him a frame that says "Daddy & Me" and of course it had a cute picture of the both of them riding the carousel at SDC. Then he got some nice deep, big, cereal bowls since he is a cereal connoisseur and is always on the lookout for the "perfect bowl". Then he got some nice clay cold/hot packs for his aching muscles and finally he got some nice fluffy pillows to replace our old flat pillows. Of course a long with all of it he got a card from Addison that listed all the things she likes to do with her Dad, along with a poem and a tracing of her hands (she LOVES to have her hands traced so she was happy to oblige). And Mommy gave him a card listing all the things he does for us that make him "Super Dad!!" We are both lucky girls to have him in our family and we realize this almost daily. He works hard so we can both play together at home and even after working hard he still comes home and takes care of us and spoils us rotten and gives us lots of cuddles! Here is the list of things she loves to do w/Dad...

• Do push-ups
• Go on dates
  
• Read books
• Play ball
• Go to the movies
• Cuddle
• Say "Go Daddy" at the game (this one she told me specifically - the others I had to ask and have her approve w/a head nod)
• Take bubble baths with Dad
  

Dinner: Grandma & Grandpa got to join us for dinner and Addison was thrilled!! She's always adored them both but would still get hesitant going to Grandpa. Although she'd always make it a priority to point him out to me anytime we saw him (he's just about as famous as Daddy is in this house). However, this visit she surpassed ALL of her hesitancies and wouldn't leave Grandpa's side!! She was putting her sunglasses on him, reading books with him, sitting by him, sitting on him, talking his ear off, etc etc. It was great to finally see her jump that last hurdle and turn up her adoration for her Grandpa.

For the actual meal, we got to enjoy one of John's favorite (and requested dishes)... French fried onion pork chops, homemade mashed potatoes and white pepper gravy, green beans, and fresh (and HUGE!) Rhodes rolls. The meal was a success and we followed it up with a delicious dessert of strawberry shortcake and whip cream! So glad the Daddy and the Grandpa like to eat such yummy food so we could all enjoy it together!!

Overall, it was a great day and we loved spoiling Daddy like he seems to spoil us all year long. Addison truly adores her Dad and loves to watch out the window, waiting for him to come home everyday. She loves to wrestle with him right after work and she loves to sit by him and read her books as well. Daddy pretty much can't do any wrong in her eyes...she's a HUGE fan! And I wouldn't have it any other way!

Addison & Daddy. This was the picture that she gave to him in his Daddy frame for work.

Not only is she a fan of Daddy, but she's also a fan of The Cubs! Train them young right? Here she is cheering on Daddy at his softball game. She LOVES to shout "Go Daddy! Go Ball!" while bouncing both fists in the air. And yes, like her Daddy, she is a heavy sweater. It doesn't take much before she's dripping and flush faced.

Here she is napping on Daddy's side of the bed....and by the way, she even sleeps just like he does! She's my little "John-essa!"

And last but not least, the other man of the day: Grandpa Fields! She got in some GOOD Grandpa bonding time this visit and can't wait until the next one!

Triple "D"

Daddy Daughter Date!!

Addison and Daddy got the chance to have a really fun date together this past Saturday afternoon. It worked great for Mom as well since it allowed me some time to shop/run errands in preparation for our Father's Day celebration the following day (post to follow).

This particular Daddy Daughter Date was 85% brought to you by Chick-fil-a.


Sidenote: I could write a whole post on how wonderful I think this restaurant is - yeah the food is great and all but the customer service and community involvement is WONDERFUL! And frankly, both of those areas seem to be lacking considerably amongst other restaurants. And have I mentioned they close on Sundays!!? :D

But I digress. John was privy to some intel that Chick-fil-a was hosting a "Daddy Daughter Date" the night before Father's Day. And apparently they go all out with their parties. Can I just say.....linen tablecloths people! We don't even eat on linen in our own house.....even on special holidays! And that was just the beginning of it all....they had tule decorating the ceiling, live music, beautiful centerpieces on the tables, candy flowers for the little girlies, free ice cream and sprinkles, princess tiaras, and coloring crafts. Daddy even did a wonderful job of documenting their outing in multiple pictures (I've trained him well eh?) So here are a few pictures for your enjoyment.....feel free to hit me up if you want to see the other 273 I couldn't fit on this blog post. ;-)

With all the loot she scored I'm guessing this Father/Daughter outing was more for the little girlies than the Dads.

Lately, her smiles have changed a bit. Apparently the more excited she gets - the more crazy her smiles are. I'm guessing she was having LOTS of fun! ;-)

After dinner they headed off to explore the Pet Store. Yes, this easily puts Daddy into the "favorite parent" spot for quite awhile. Here they are checking out the Guinea Pigs!

Next up....the birdies!

And alas, they were lucky enough to get to watch them feed the ferrets! And yes Grandma Jean, we are aware that ferrets can chew off fingers of a family of five in four minutes. Which I guess should make me grateful I survived since my sister had one as a pet when I was growing up!

And they wrapped up the fun date with a trip to the park. It must be known, Addison is obsessed with slides. She points them out as we drive past them but we hardly ever stop. I'm sooo glad that Daddy finally made her dreams come true. He's soooo much cooler than Mom! :D

Here's the action shot for ya!

They called me on the phone when they made it home. I could tell within minutes how much fun she was having with Dad because she was jabbering away in the background. She was sooo thrilled to recap their evening festivities and I was thrilled to hear about them and see all the adorable pictures of the Daddy and the Daughter. So glad they adore each other so!

(And I'm not gonna lie, it was nice to have a night to myself as well ;-)

Big Girl Bed

It's the natural progression of life. From baby-hood to toddler-hood to big-girl hood. Addison finally journeyed on it this past weekend.

Thankfully we finally found some time in our crazy busy lives lately to devote to putting together Addison's big girl bed!! :D Daddy has been way busy with work and church and this pregnant mama was NOT ready to set everything up by her lonesome - er with a 2 year old helper...as good as a helper that she is. So, we had a free moment last Friday night and went to work.

Addison was beyond thrilled and excited about the hustle and bustle. So much so that she was itching to sit/jump on the bed at every.single.point of the process. And Mommy and Daddy were trying their hardest to get it all together before her bedtime at 8:30. By the end of the night the house was chaos but her bed was complete....and WE were exhausted! All the rushing was sooo worth the effort though once we saw the look on her face when she FINALLY got to get on it for the first time. It's only a twin sized bed but it makes her look soooo small again! I swear she's only using about 25% of the space!

Within 15 minutes of her going to bed, I was just itching to peek in on her. I could hardly stand it but somehow managed to let John deter me until a full hour later. Luckily she was wiped out so she slept through all my picture taking - yes I HAD to take her picture of course.....I'm the mama!

She slept sooo well the whole night, never made a peep, and didn't even wake up until 7:30 the next morning (when she'd been waking up at 6:00 am the week previously!) I was in love with the change-up.

I even spent the evening practicing what I would do if she cried when she woke up in the a.m. Typically, in the crib, that was our cue to come get her, change the diaper, get the milk sippy, etc. However, I promised myself I'd still go into her room, but this time "help" her figure out how to get down from the bed (which is about the same height as she is) instead of just picking her up myself. I was all prepped and ready but much to my surprise guess who was peering into MY eyes when I woke up on Saturday? Yup, Addison! She was standing next to my bed waiting for me to wake up and said "Mommy! Awake!" She had noooo trouble adjusting and I was convinced it'd take us at least a few days to transition. Apparently the Mommy needed more transition time than she did. She was yet again an overnight success!

We are so proud of our big girl and always amazed how easily she adapts to new stages/phases of life. She has already had the chance show her bed off to Aunt Sarah and cousins and then to Grandma and Grandpa Fields. She LOVES to show it off and show everyone how she sleeps at night...this little girly loves the extra attention and I love that she's so proud of it.

Every once in awhile she still heads to the baby's room, where her old crib is, when we announce bed time. She'll stop midway in the hallway and you can just see her little mind think before she turns around and heads into her room with her new big girl bed. Yay Addison on becoming a big girl!! Next up, potty training! Hopefully that adjustment goes just as quickly as all the rest!

Picking out the mattresses at Sam's. Already sooo excited!

Daddy finishing up the last of the work while Addison supervises.

Addison and Daddy showing off the final product.

Cute little - er I mean "big girl" getting ready for her first night in her new bed.

And finally, the piece de resistance! An adorable sleeping little girly wiped out from such an exciting day. It took every ounce of self control to not pounce on her and squeeze her silly. I love sleeping babies. :D

Turtle....Sad

This phrase has been on repeat from Addison for the past 4 or so days. I'm actually quite impressed she has retained it for so long....let me explain...

This past Saturday we headed off to another "first" for Addison. After spending the morning hanging out and waiting on Dad to finish his golf tournament we decided to head to our first (w/Addison that is) real movie theater experience that afternoon!

We've spent the last few months wondering if she had hit that magical age wherein she could be interested/hold still for a full movie. We figured we'd hit up the matinee so we'd feel less bad about wasted $$ if she couldn't last. So what was the "Movie du jour" you ask? Kung Fu Panda 2. We aren't die hard fans by any means but since it was the only kiddie movie found among two different theaters - we decided to go for it.

Holding her movie tickets in the lobby.

She was excited from the word go and practically ran all the way to the ticket box. Once she noticed all the bright lights in the entrance she just said "Wow!" over and over again. It's so fun to see what little things kids love and notice. Of course, once she realized popcorn was involved, her excitement reached an all time high. I couldn't tell if she was loving the movie or the popcorn she got to eat while watching the movie!

Yes, I was one of those annoying people who busted out their camera during the previews.

Right off the bat I realized we had to have a quick review of what an "inside voice" was when she kept shouting everything out during the previews...."Mommy....Slide!!" "Mommy....Turtle!" It was hilarious and thankfully other kids were struggling with the same concept.

Surprisingly she sat through the full 1 1/2 hours quite content and happy. And whodathunk she actually grasped what was going on in the movie?! Well technically she didn't get the plot....but she kept thinking Po's Dad was a turtle (he's a goose) and after the movie she kept telling me "Mommy.....Turtle sad" included with her cute little sad face and hand over her mouth. And yes, she was correct, there was about a 30 second clip wherein "turtle" was sad. So observant she is! And my heck, the memory she has at 2? She still keeps telling me at random times....during church, during our day's routine, at bath time......"Turtle sad." I guess this means we are no longer on a movie theater sabbatical!

28 Weeks

I'm already starting to fall behind on this pregnancy. At least I took the picture (two weeks ago mind you) and at least I'm posting it finally....even though I'm further along now. And sadly, I'm just guesstimating that I'm even AT 28 weeks in this picture. But without further adieu....my big belly at the 28 week mark...


So needless to say, this past Monday we had our latest appointment and I'm now measuring at 30 weeks - right on track. Which is nice because I feel like I'm huge!! I asked my doctor about the weight gain and he just mentioned he wasn't worried because it was most likely "water retention" with all the summer heat etc. Hahahaha....music to my ears! I'm glad he's convinced it's "water retention" instead of "grease retention" since that is all I seem to be craving this whole.stinkin.pregnancy. Maybe I can actually convince myself of that as well??!

So it is what it is, it's hot, sticky, and humid and I'm still managing to eat non-stop and am always hungry. Maybe this baby boy is to blame instead of my lack of self control? I do know I'm not loving the heat (surprise surprise) and can't seem to last long outside unless I'm submerged in a pool or surrounded by an air conditioned vehicle. But honestly, that's pretty much how I was even before I got pregnant. Me and heat do not mix. Sadly, Addison and John get to deal with the after affects of it - a hot, sweaty, cranky, Mommy. Oh well, I'm definitely in countdown mode since I'm now down to two-week appointments! Woohoo!

Family Date Night

This Mom decided to throw together a random family date night a few weeks ago. I had figured we were due for some fun....technically I think we are ALWAYS due for some fun! And of course since I'm the boss around here - we made it happen! ;-)

Now that Addison is 2 years old it was time to introduce her to some firsts (more posts to follow). But this first "first" was definitely a fun one! We loaded up soon after Daddy got off work and headed out to go none other than...

BOWLING!

Of course Addison took to it immediately. Especially the part where she was bound and determined to carry her own bowling ball. Thankfully Daddy hovered enough to ensure that no toes were sacrificed in the effort. It was a "toddler-friendly" ball but I was still surprised at how heavy it actually was.

After collecting said ball, she would waddle herself over to the little dragon ramp and promptly push it off toward the pins. She was so quick with the process that I got only a few shots where you could actually see the ball in motion. She was also very dainty with her pushes....so much so that the ball still barely made it down the lane. Daddy tried his hardest to insert some last minute tricks to pick the speed up but ultimately they all failed. Addison even waited patiently to see if she knocked any pins down before she'd run right for the bowling ball yet again.
I've always been obsessed with how hilarious/adorable/cute bowling shoes are. As a teenager I even tried to figure out a way to add them to my personal shoe collection. So, of course anything that is already cute, once shrunken down to a toddler size 7, turns up the cute amp-age quite drastically. I simply had to get a good shot of the cute little Addibell with her cute little shoes.


After we knocked down our pins (and Mommy won-might I add) we decided to hit up the arcade. Yep, another first for the Addibell. She was quite mesmerized by all the lights and really didn't care if we inserted tokens or not, playing the game was just as fun either way. Her favorite was the carousel, or the "Orsey's" of course. I won't mention how she had a good lucky streak going on a game of chance that John and I were hooked on. We had to bribe her to come push the button and win more tickets which got incredibly difficult when she wanted to move on to bigger/better things. For whatever reasons, her chubby little fingers pushing the buttons always got the bigger win than any of our attempts. Of course in the end, she reaped the benefits....TONS of tickets to spend on the chinsey little plastic toy prizes. All in all, it was a great way to spend a family date and I'm sure we'll be returning quite often!