FUN TIMES

She is becoming so animated...her facial expressions kill me.  Of course 90% of the time I am unable to catch them on camera or video. Maybe her new found interest is my iPhone will help with that.  While she may turn her head away when I am trying to take a picture of her or she stops doing whatever she is doing when I try to take a video, she can't take her eyes off the screen when she sees herself on it. Who needs a mirror when you can flip the image on your iPhone?

2nd BEACH TRIP

TRAVEL WITH BABY

You'd think we were going away for more than just the weekend. I guess it's par for the course traveling with a baby :)

A LITTLE CRAFTY

I have made Addison a few more headbands & a couple flowers on either alligator clips to attach to headbands or pins that can be added to anything.  I am working on a skirt & a pair of shoes...this whole domestic, crafty thing is new for me so I am hoping those projects turn out. 

Modeling 2 headbands I made & a adorable knit scarf my friend Deb made for her

TYPICAL DAY

I am happy to report that I was able to complete my errands today without any embarrassment or explosions.

I have had a lot of people ask me what a "typical" day looks like for us.  While our day to day activities vary, we definitely have a routine that works for us.  I stress the works for us part because  what works for Addison & I might not work for others. Because I have had so many parenting ideas/philosophies shoved down my throat & been criticized if I deviate away from them, I am often torn in blogging about these things because I don't want anybody to think that I feel like my parenting strategies are superior to another mothers. I am learning that parenthood is a judgment zone. There is a constant comparison between how fast children are developing, the clothes they wear, whether they are breastfed or bottle fed...you get my jist. Mom bloggers are even being attacked now for painting "unrealistic pictures of parenting".  The bottom line is that when I write I am simply writing about what is working for us. Okay, back to a typical day. I also think it's important to stress that Addison is on a self-directed routine.  What I mean by that is she takes naps when she is tired, she eats when she is hungry & plays when she wants to play.  Because I followed her lead early on we now have an established routine that just so happens to fall around the same time of day. I absolutely deviate from it when necessary but this is what a typical day looks like for us:

• 7:00-7:30: Addison wakes up.  She greets me with a GIANT smile (probably because she knows she is about to have her diaper changed & eat). We take our time upstairs, open the curtains & say hello to the day then head downstairs.
• 7:30-8:00:  I make coffee & feed Addison.  Philip usually comes down stairs around this time & he plays with Addison. If it's a day I feel like running this is usually when I head out for my run.
• 8:00-9:00/9:30ish: I put her in her walker in the kitchen by me, turn on some music & make myself breakfast. After that we play.  Some people have specific things they do during morning play time but I just do whatever keeps her attention. Sometimes we read books, have tummy time, play in her play gym, sit on the couch...whatever keeps her content.
• 9:00/9:30ish: She usually starts to rub her eyes & get restless with whatever we are doing so we head upstairs.  I turn on her noise machine & she knows it's nap time. I make sure she has on a fresh diaper, swaddle her & put her in her crib awake.  Sometimes she gets mad & cries but most times she lays on her back for a few minutes starring at her owl mobile or plays with her hungry caterpillar on the inside of her crib, then she rolls over onto her tummy & goes to sleep. I usually work out during this time.
• 10:15-10:30ish: She wakes up.  Thankfully she wakes up happy so I can take my time going up to get her.  She lays contently in her crib & I usually pick out what she is going to wear for the day.
• 10:30: She ALMOST always eats around this time. 
• 10:30-1:30: I change her diaper & we either play or this is when we head out. Sometimes she dozes off for a 15-20 minute cat nap in this time frame but not always.
• 1:30/2:00-4:00: She eats then goes down for about a 2 hour nap.  I clean, get things ready for dinner, craft, blog & sometimes just relax on the couch & read a magazine or watch some tv.
• 4:00-4:45: She usually wakes up. Plays & then eats.
• 4:45-7:00: We play some more. We eat dinner & she usually watches a little baby Einstein during this time. This is when she gets quality daddy time.  If it's a night I take a class at the gym Philip stays with her & I go to the gym.
• 7:00-7:45:  We say good night to the house (it may sound silly but we do) If it's a bath night we go into her room, shut her curtains & say goodnight moon, turn on her sound machine then she takes a long bath...SHE LOVES her bath. She usually plays in her crib while we listen to music for a little bit, she eats then goes to sleep. If it's a night she doesn't typically take a bath we close the curtains & say goodnight moon put her in her pajamas, read, she eats & goes to sleep. Sometimes she is awake when I put her in her crib but she mostly falls asleep while she is eating. 
• 7:45-11:00ish- This is when I usually blog. I straighten up the downstairs & Philip & I spend quality time together.

It works for us.  There are obviously days where things come up unexpectantly, she has a Dr.'s appointment or we are out & about past her nap time.  She is pretty good about still napping during her normal times even if we aren't at home because she is tired.  Same thing with bedtime.  The few times we have had her out past 8:00 pm she was a little fussy & then fell asleep.

I have had a lot of criticism for having Addison in a routine & been told she won't be well adjusted. I obviously feel differently about that.  I personally thrive off of routine, as most people do so why wouldn't a baby?  Like I said in the beginning, she established her routine.  Philip & I listened to her cues very early on & it has made life much easier for us.  A happy well rested baby makes a happy well rested mommy. 

WORST EVER

{note the look of guilt}

Today has been quite the day & it's only 1:00 pm...

The rain & cooler weather has had us cooped up in the house the last few days so I figured we'd run some errands today & meet a friend at Chick-fila for lunch.  Addison ate, had a diaper change, I bundled her up & we headed out.  10 minutes later we pulled up to our first stop, TJ Maxx. Addison was all smiles, giggling & jerking around her duck, Mr. McQuacken. It seemed perfect, the TJ Maxx parking lot seemed empty & I was hopeful to breeze in & return a few items & get out quickly.  While standing in line at the customer service desk I feel a light tap on my shoulder, "ma'am, there is something dripping from the cart."  I remembered grabbing the cart & there was nothing inside of it before I put Addison in. She was fine, sitting contently in her car seat smiling & cooing away. In pure horror I looked down to see a runny yellow substance dripping from the bottom of her car seat. "What in the world is that?" I thought. NOOO...surely it wasn't poop!?! I had just changed her diaper before we left & Addison can't stand a dirty diaper. She was happy, surely it wasn't poop?!  I panicked.  I keep wet ones in the diaper bag and while making my way to the restroom I gently rubbed the bottom of the car seat just beneath Addison's bottom, hoping to pull away a clean wet wipe.  NOPE! In complete embarrassment I dart out of TJ Maxx to the Volvo. I figured I would assess the damage & change her in the car. I open the door & as I go to put Addison's car seat in the car seat base I am completely horrified. ARE YOU KIDDING ME?

What in the world was I going to find on the inside of her car seat? This is by far the diaper blowout of all diaper blowouts for sure. At this point I am gagging...yes an ER nurse that deals with blood, vomit, poop & all sorts of disgusting stuff was gagging at the sight of her daughter's poopy mess.  How can something so cute & dainty produce such a disgusting mess?  What do I do?! Do I strip her down & try my best to clean up the base or do I head back to the house??  I decided the best thing to do is try & clean out the base & head back to the house.  Meanwhile Addison is still sitting in her car seat with her legs lifted in the air. 

I think it goes without saying that her car seat was a complete mess & so was she.  I stripped her down, rinsed her off & took the car seat apart & threw everything in the wash.  It was a gentle reminder as to why we decided to use Pampers diapers.  Last week a friend gave me almost an entire box of size 1 Huggies & that is what she was wearing.  Poor baby. Sorry for the poop picture but explaining it wouldn't do it justice.

JUST SOME PICTURES

SPECIAL GIFT

My parents bought me the most special birthday gift. Unfortunately the order was delayed in coming & just arrived today. It's probably one of the most special gifts I have ever received...I don't ever want to take it off.

Addison's birthstone marked on the day she was born on a stamped September calendar

DELICIOUS & NUTRITIOUS...A HEALTHY START

{zucchini, bananas, butternut squash, sweet potato, brown rice cereal}

Nutrition, health & fitness are huge aspects of my life. A long time ago I realized the extreme importance of nutrition on general health & well being (especially when it comes to staying fit). After all staying fit is 70-80% based on nutrition while exercise is only 30-20% part of the equation. I adopted those principles, have stuck by them & they will forever be the way my family eats. Anybody who has been to my house knows my fridge is chuck full of all sorts of fruits & vegetables, my pantry is nearly bare aside from lbs of raw nuts, a few boxes of quinoa, almond flour & some baking essentials & oatmeal & my freezer is packed to the max with fish/chicken & frozen fruits/veggies. Naturally those will be the things Addison eats.

It's extremely important to me to pass healthy eating habits down to Addison especially during her early years.  Most children develop their eating habits before the age 5 & will likely carry them throughout adulthood.  Case in point: Philip's 40 year old co-worker that ONLY eats fried chicken fingers & french fries for dinner. Literally. It doesn't matter what restaurant they go to...every single night, fried chicken fingers & french fries, even on the nights he eats at home.  Research has shown children are less likely to become picky eaters when they are exposed to a variety of foods while they are younger.  I eat high quality, nutrient dense, unprocessed foods, aim for organic foods free of pesticides & try to avoid additives & preservatives.  I certainty wouldn't feed Addison things I myself wouldn't eat so we have decided to make her food.

The average shelf life of jarred baby food is 2 years where homemade baby food is 3 days in the fridge.  2 YEARS....that's because jarred baby food is chuck full of preservatives & sterilized to maintain the shelf life. Sterilization is done through a high heating process which kills vitamins, nutrients, taste, color, and aroma in the process. By making Addison's food at home I can ensure that it retains most of it's nutritional value, taste, color, texture & aroma...the things that make even adults excited about eating.

I am not knocking parents who give their children jarred baby foods...this is a personal decision. I want to expose Addison to a rich variety of nutritious foods at a young age...I want her to have a healthy start.

It's definitely economical too. Today my friend Donna & I made both of our little ones 20+ containers of baby food each with 1 medium sized organic sweet potato, 1 medium sized organic zucchini, 1/4 medium sized organic butternut squash, 1 organic avocado, 3 organic medium sized bananas, 1/2 cup organic brown rice. If you do it monthly or biweekly you can freeze what you don't intend to use right away. It's so EASY!

The pediatrician has given us the green light to start with rice cereal but we have decided not to quite yet.  She is totally satisfied right now & until she shows an interest or seems unsatisfied with just breast milk we aren't going to introduce her. For now we will just tuck it away in the freezer & if it comes close to expiration we can use it for ourselves since it's just cooked veggies.

It was definitely a FUN deviation away from our typical play date & I know we both got a lot of satisfaction knowing we are giving the best possible things to our kids.

TODAY

Sleep...eh, it's overrated! I worked last night 7pm-3am.  By the time I got home, showered & climbed into bed it was after 4. Philip got up with Addison when she woke up at 7:00 but unfortunately the delicious coffee aroma, light peaking through the curtains like a lazer beam & hammering/pounding & yelling of the construction on the house next door had me awake at 7:30. I had high hopes for a cozy nap on the couch but construction prevented that as well.  Oh well! Aside from taking a cycling class this evening today wasn't very productive. Addison was sweet as ever & such a good girl for me! She even sat up UNASSISTED for what seemed like ever.  If only getting 3 hours of sleep to work a 8 hour night shift is what it takes so I don't have to miss out on those moments....IT'S TOTALLY WORTH IT!

PEANUT BUTTER CHOCOLATE FRUIT DIP

One of my favorite snacks.

{peanut butter chocolate fruit dip}

 What you need:

1/2 cup Non-fat Greek yogurt

1 packet of Swiss Miss Diet hot cocoa powder or 1 TBSP Hershey's Special Dark Chocolate cocoa

1 TBSP PB2

Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl & serve with a crisp sliced apple or celery. It's even delicious on toasted ezekial bread . 

{NUTRITIONAL INFO FOR DIP ONLY= Cal: 115/ Fat: 0.75/ Carb: 11/ Protein: 15.5}

There are 2 reasons why this is so low cal, low fat & high protein. I used non-fat Greek yogurt (you could sub non-fat plain regular yogurt but your dip would be significantly lower in protein) & I used PB2 peanut butter (using any other kind of peanut butter is going to drastically increase your calories & fat). 

PB2 became my absolute favorite while I was pregnant because it's peanut butter with 85% fewer fat & calories than regular peanut butter.  It's literally pressed roasted peanuts...there aren't any preservatives or additives, it's 100% all natural peanuts, <1g sugar & salt. It's no secret that I LOVE peanut butter...I am telling you this stuff is fantastic.  If you make protein shakes or like to bake this is PERFECT for that! 

 I am typically a fan of staying all natural & using things without additives & preservatives so the fact that I used Diet Swiss Miss may be shocking to people that know me & my eating philosophy.  Hershey's Special Dark Chocolate cocoa is definitely the way to go if you are also a "clean" eater (it also lowers your carbs & calories a little).

SHE LOVES HER STUFFED BULLDOG

When I was pregnant I blogged about a stuffed bulldog named "Butch" that I bought off of Zulily.  As Addison's fascination with everything around her grows so does her fascination with her toys. I'd like to convince myself that she LOVES "Butch" because he looks like Hampton but I realize it's just that she loves how plush he is & it's something she can put in her mouth.  Nonetheless she LOVES "Butch".

4 MONTH DR VISIT

So PROUD of Addison. She did SO GOOD at her doctor's appointment today.  She was completely calm & content, probably because the only thing she was wearing was a diaper for 45 minutes (they were running behind today).  She did so great with her shots, she barely cried. She got  2 shots & 1 oral vaccine just like her 2 month visit. 3 hours later & she is her normal self, no fever, no fussiness, she is my sweet cuddly Addison.  Today she weighed 13 lb 1 oz, 25 1/2 inches long, head circumference 39.2 inches.  At her 2 month visit: WEIGHT: 11 lbs 8 oz (2 lb more than her 1 month appointment). LENGTH: 23 1/2 inches long (2 inches longer than her 1 month appointment). HEAD CIRCUMFERENCE: 37 1/2 inches (1 inch greater than her 1 month appointment).  Dr. Johnson was happy with her growth & couldn't believe how long she was.  Developmentally I was shocked to find out she is doing things 6 month old babies do.  He said "it's time to baby proof your house." Uh, OH!

MEMBERS ONLY SHOPPING

I think I have a problem.  Everyday I get palpitations at 8:45 am, 11:50 am & 9:00 pm from the anticipation of checking out the latest sales on various members only sites.  Sad, right?! How can you not be addicted when sites like GILT have alice + olivia for kids 50-70% off?  I've scored Citizens for Humanity & AG Jeans for $69.00 that retail $285.00 by logging on when the sales go live (you have to to get your size).  These days I don't look much for myself though...mostly Addison & stuff for the house.  I've mentioned Zulily before when I have featured purchases (stroller, bulldog stuffed animal). By far the biggest variety...accessories, shoes, clothing, room essentials.  It can be hit or miss but it's worth logging in everyday to check it out. I got Addison a Cache Cache dress a couple of weeks ago for $15.00 that is for sale at a local baby boutique for $55.00 right now. Another favorite is theminisocial.  Again awesome bargains but the clothing is always super unique! There are so many others like hautelook (adult clothes, kids, housewares), onekingslane (housewares), totsy (kids stuff)...it's becoming quite the addiction & a little annoying.  My email is flooded throughout the day with emails telling me about daily sales, upcoming sales, reminding me that there is only 1 day left for certain things.

I'd recommend them to anybody who has children, is pregnant or just in general likes fashion because if you hit them on the right day you can get a FANTASTIC deal.  It feels great to get a pair of Dolce Vita shoes for $19.00 or McLauren bouncy for $25.00.  You should check them out!

SLEEPING THROUGH THE NIGHT

{taking a little snooze in her swing, cuddled up with her blankie}

YIPPEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!  We have reached a GIANT milestone in babyhood!  As of last Wednesday, Addison is sleeping through the night. I knew this was on the horizon.  Monday she woke up at 6:00 am instead of her usual 4:30-5:00 am & Tuesday she woke up at 6:30. Both days went back to sleep until 7:45am like she usually does. I wonder if she realized it was just an hour & 45 minutes & she could hold out?!  She's gone to bed between 7:00-7:45 pm with her bedtime feeding being her last feeding & waking up at 7:15-7:45 am since last Wednesday (excluding the night of the viewing for my Father in-law).  I am so THANKFUL she is such a good sleeper.

TO REMEMBER IS ANOTHER WAY TO LOVE

I've attended 4 funerals in my life.

The first was my Great Grandmother's when I was 12 who died at 98 years old.  The second was a friend who died tragically in his 50's while I was in college.  The third was my husband's Grandpa's who died in his early 90's.

With all three I experienced grief & a sense of loss but it didn't linger long.  I think it's because the death of my Great Grandmother & Philip's grandfather were easily rationalized with their age.  When Keith passed away I felt like an outsider because he wasn't family. With all 3 I was able to distance myself, almost as if I was a spectator. 

The fourth funeral I attended was my Father in law's this past Friday, January 6, 2012. Wednesday evening at the young age of 63 his battle with Parkinson's Disease & Dementia ended.

His funeral was the most beautiful commemorative, uplifting & joyous services (not just funeral) that I've ever seen & it was done by his sons. I have never been so proud of my brother in law & husband. Because of their Dad they were able to do it & I know he is proud.

My father in law, Michael P. Tabor (Mick), was a wonderful, loving, kind, gentle, compassionate, strong, faithful, determined, intelligent, loyal man of God.  He had the greatest smile & would laugh at just about anything...even in the midst of every trial he was physically & emotionally faced with. 
Because of his faith there is no question he is in Heaven so the finality I have previous associated with funerals doesn't really resonate.  The sense of loss is greater than anything else I've ever experienced because Philip will no longer have his dad, Addison will never know her Grandpa, my Mother in law no longer has her husband & we will no longer see his smile. With all the sadness I am quickly reminded that he isn't suffering anymore & he has his reward.  His blameless life was lived exactly for this.  It was said countless times throughout the week, even before he passed away, "he fought the good fight" & that he did.

I sat down to write about his struggle in the beginning of last week & had no words.  I thought, should I blog about him being diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease at the age of 31?  Should I talk about his selflessness & willingness to follow God's call? Should I write about the strength & unfailing commitment of my Mother in law as she has stood strong by his side throughout the entire disease process?  Should I tell people that for the last year it's felt like we had already lost him as we watched his life slowly get robbed by Dementia?  Should I tell people that he was confined to a bed for the last several months? Or about how gut wrenching the physical struggle he endured this past week before passing.

I don't think he would want any of that to be the words I'd write about him. I don't think he'd want me to reiterate the things said at his funeral.

I think he'd want me to blog just that I loved him & will miss him.  

HAPPY 4 MONTHS

I could gobble her up in all her 4 month old cuteness! 4 months later & my heart still turns to mush when it comes to her. I am I still trying to wrap my mind around the fact that Philip & I created something...someone so beautiful!

She is changing by the minute!  I swear everyday she wakes up her hair is thicker, longer & blonder. I love how blonde it is! She's recently discovered her hair. She takes her little index finger and fluffs up her hair in the back & moves her index finger around in a circular motion, almost as if she is trying to twirl it. It's adorable to watch.
It's hard to tell in pictures because of how blonde they are, but she has the LONGEST eyelashes. Her new thing is batting them. I KNOW!?!  It's bad enough that she has giant baby blue eyes but now she bats her eyelashes...sheesh. I said it before, those eyes are going to get her into trouble & probably out of it too, lol. It's amazing at 4 months old, she already knows how to use them.
She is more curious than ever.  I love to watch her pan the room & lock eyes with something that catches her interest. She LOVES books!  She stares down at the pages as if she is memorizing the pictures & reading the words.  She even turns the pages as she kicks her legs in excitement.  Story time is one of my favorite parts of the day because I love to watch how excited she gets.  
This girl loves to look at herself the mirror.   She just smiles & stares & sometimes turns her head away bashfully, it's precious.
She is extremely expressive & has some hilarious facial expressions (especially when she is pooping).  Her happy expression is by far the best! Thankfully she is a SUPER HAPPY baby & we get to see that gorgeous smile almost all day.  Every morning I am greeted by the biggest & brightest smile.  She makes my day 5 minutes into it starting. 
She is finding her voice & it's P-R-E-C-I-O-U-S.  She does this grunty "aaaaaaaaaa, eeeeeeee, ahhhhhhh" thing over & over & over again. Her sweet voice has a little rasp to it like her dads. She squeals & laughs out loud with the sweetest little giggle. Her giggle always ends with this raspy "ahhhhh"... I LOVE it. When she's content or tired she has a long drawn out "heeehhh" sound. She's very communicative with other babies too. I wonder what she is saying?
She has a fake cough & laughs when she does it. I think it's humerous that she already finds herself funny.  She always laughs when she blow raspberries.  If you say "peeee eewww" when you smell her feet or change her diaper she lets out that sweet little giggle. She responds when you say her name & definitely has "conversation" with you.
She is super flexible. I call her my yoga baby.  She pulls her feet over her head & looks in between her legs & laughs when you change her diaper.  She constantly has her feet pressed together in the air.  She is rolling over from front to back & back to front & prefers to be on her tummy now more than anything.  She does this little superman thing in between her little push ups. She will be crawling soon, no doubt.  She's already pushing her butt up in the air when she pushes up & does a little pelvic thrust which scoots her body forward.  One of her favorite things to do is press her feet up against your hands when she is on her tummy as she pushes off & scoots across the floor. She loves to stand flat on her feet & waves one of her hands in a jersey shore fist pumping fashion, it's hilarious. She fist pumps a lot.
She is sitting independently for short periods of time before she falls forward.  It's kind of funny because she gets a look in her eyes right before she topples forward like "here I go."
She loves to wiggle and shake to music...boy does she get excited.  She LOVES music.  Her December play list was "Winter Song- Sarah Bareilles & Ingrid Michaelson", "Mistletoe- Colbie Caillat", "The Christmas Song- Dave Matthews", "Hallelujah- Jeff Buckley", "Sleep Well- Lydia", "The Rain- Vedera", "Life in a Glass House- Radiohead", "Set Fire to the Rain- Adele" "Beautiful- Jesus Culture"....it definitely was a slow mix.
She grasps EVERYTHING within reach & attempts to grab everything out of reach.  My hair seems to be a target.  She vigorously shakes everything even if it doesn't make a sound & it almost always makes it into her mouth. Her fingers are still a source of fascination & with her teething they are ALWAYS in her mouth.
There are no teeth yet but she is drooly wet mess & you can feel the little ridges of inflammation along her bottom gum line. Thankfully she is being a champ through it!
She loves bath time even more & has almost outgrown her Puj tub.  She LOVES to splash & suck on the washcloth when she gets her hands on it. 
She is so affectionate...I hope she never outgrows this.  When she nurses she strokes my cheek, arm or anything else she can in the sweetest softest way.  She reaches up & sticks her fingers in my mouth waiting for me to make a kissy sound & then gently pulls them away.
She is sleeping 10 hour stretches at night. She goes to bed super easy at 7-7:30 & wakes up to nurse at 5 or 5:30 & goes back to sleep until 7:30 or 8.  She is still taking 2 morning naps that are both pretty short & a long afternoon nap.  We got so lucky to get such a great sleeper.  I wish she would just take 1 long morning nap instead of 2 short ones but I shouldn't complain because at least she takes naps! 

I think I have smiled & giggled more in the last 4 months than I ever have in my entire life.  I know it's only going to get better too!