Famous Addison

Addison was quoted in the newspaper this weekend when she attended Winterfest at the Family Museum.

http://qctimes.com/news/local/families-marvel-at-winterfest-christmas-displays/article_22b5da98-3cf3-11e2-8f43-001a4bcf887a.html

Kid update and family photos

 

Gus:

• Gus is thirteen months old (almost fourteen),.
• He started walking since his 1st birthday
• He is starting to not need anything to help him stand back up.
• He follows the cat around the house saying, "Ow"
• He loves to play with Addison, even though most of the time she wants to be left alone
• Gus loves to dance and have songs sung to him
• He was a giraffe for Halloween. 

Addison:

• Addison is four years old
• She goes to preschool 2 days a week for 2 and half hours a day.
• Her teachers say that she is a very easy going kid who will play with other kids at play time but if she is the only one playing with a toy, she is okay with that too.
• Her teachers also called her a "noticer". She notices things that the teachers don't see.  Example:  They had different colored balloons on the wall and the one all the way across the room had lost its air and Addison saw that and said something to the teacher.
• Addison was many different things for Halloween.  It is a good thing that she has so many dress up clothes.  She wore her Tangled dress to her preschool party, Sleeping Beauty dress for Davenport trick or treat,. a Care Bear for McGladery trick or treat (Aunt Laura's work), and Belle for Bettendorf trick or treat.  She also told me that she wanted to be Doc McStuffins but we didn't have a costume for that!

Today I am 1!!!!!!

Gus turned one today!  I cannot believe that it has been a year since he came into our lives.  He is a happy go lucky little guy who always has a smile for Addison and Carter.  He loves to play with the big kids!  Here are some things that Gus is doing now!



When he realized that he was center of attention

• Still crawling around with a peg leg.  Not walking yet but doing a lot of standing up.
• He is mastering the stairs at my mom's house.  He likes to walk up and down the two steps on the landing!
• He is a mama's boy!
• he is really starting you do a lot of different sounds while jabbering
• Loves to open and close doors
• he can get into trouble really quick!
• He loves remotes, cell phones, and his baby monitor.  He knows when they are not the ones that we use because then he doesn't want those!
• he is starting to dance when there is music on
• He goes to bed on his own every night.  He doesn't like to cuddle.  =[
• He is always on the go!!!!

Four

Four years ago, God blessed us with a beautiful baby girl who changed our lives forever.  After deciding to show up 9 weeks early and weighing in at 2 lbs. 15 oz., she spent the first 6 weeks of her life in the NICU in Iowa City.  They decided to move her to Genesis in Davenport where she spent another two weeks.  She finally got to come home on November 2, 2008.  Now, she is a bubbly, bounding 4 year old who has started preschool.  She became a big sister this year.  She is getting really good at riding her tricycle.  I cannot believe my baby girl is four years old.  We have definately had our ups and downs but she is growing up to be an incredibly loving, sweet, empathetic lady!

Look of Determination!

 

 

Addison stories:

• Eating a piece of BBQ chicken        "Mommy, that one peppered my mouth"
• Addison was told that we do not have princess music tonight. "Thats a shame for me"
• Ryan started singing happy birthday to her. "Daddy, my birthday cake isn't here yet"
• Ryan hands Addison a cupcake.  "Daddy, I want something much better.  (whispers) I want ice cream with oreos in it.
 

 



11 Months old

Holy Moly!  Gus Man is 11 months old!  Where did the time go???  Here are some things that Gus man is doing now

• He is crawling.  We call him "Peg Leg" because he looks like a pirate.  He crawls on his left knee and on his right foot.  Kinda strange but he gets from point A to point B.
• He is saying "Ma, Da" and Na"
• He pulls himself up on everything!!!
• He loves to crawl away from people who are chasing him and loves to chase his sister and cousin
• He must love the word NO because he hears it alot.  He really loves our CD collection in our entertainment center.  We do have it blocked by toy bins but Gus can just crawl over it!
• Still loves taking a bath but they are usually very short.  he has figured out how to pull out the plug so once the water is gone, he gets out!
• He loves to be LOUD!  He especially likes places that echo.  He is very loud in bathrooms!
• The ladies at child watch at the Y love him!  He is starting to play on the side with the big kids and he loves that.  It mean he is getting to be a big boy.  What happened to my baby?

We all live in a blue house on the beach

This year for vacation my parents rented a house in Garden City, SC.  All the kids were in charge of getting their families there and one meal while we were gone.  Here are some pictures and some highlights of our trip. 

• Grandma and Addison made up a new song. (sung to tune of Yellow Submarine) We all live in a blue house on the beach.  This morning I heard Addison singing in the back of the van, "we don't live in a blue house on the beach."
• We bookended the trip well with poopy and wet kids.  Gus had to be changed outside of Cracker Barrel on the way there because he blew out his diaper.  We threw away his clothes because they were so gross.  We were less then 50 miles from home when another blow out happenend for Gus and even though Addison had a diaper on, she was wet as well.  Both of our kids walked into our house without pants on!
• Addison loved the waves until the very last wave on the vacation where Grandma lost her new glasses and she and Addison went under.
• Gus is very loud and had to be taken out of the house every morning so he wouldn't wake everyone up.  Also on our way home, we sat down at a restaurant and two older couples sat down next to us.  Gus decides to let out a high pitched scream and they moved to a different table.  I LOVE MY LOUD BOY!!!  He loves to express himself.
• Addison and Gus were awesome on the way to South Carolina.  The way home was not as smooth.
• We had a private pool and hot tub this time around which was really nice, especially when we had sleeping kids and needed to stay closer to the house.
• I left my glasses in Louisville at the hotel!

Carter looks like a surfer dude

Hmm, not so sure

Look out Gus!

Hi everybody

AHH, this is the life

She was pretending to take a picture

Mommy, I want to run a race

is what Addison said to me when I finished the tri in June so knowing we were going to be gone for the Bix, I found a race for Addison and Carter to run in.  They ran the Moonlight Chase on Sat, night.  It is an evening race which is kinda cool.  The race started at 7:30 and was a 1/4 mile for kids 6 and under.  I was a little worried that Addison wouldn't be able to make the 1/4 mile but after form tackling a kid who had stopped in the middle of the street (Addison didn't mean to run over him, she was looking for my mom at the time and wasn't looking forward) we finished in a little less than four minutes.  We did stop to help the little guy up.  I didn't find a parent though so hopefully he continued to run.  The race was fun but a little crowded.  It would be nice if they separated the age groups a little, maybe like 3-4 years olds and 5-6 year olds.  There is a big difference between a three year old and a six year old.  Here are some pics of our race!

Happy 4th!

The 4th of July has come and gone.  Summer is going by way too fast!  We went out the pool super early to beat the 4th of July crowds and it was totally the way to go. The kids got to swim before it was too busy plus they got to do the activities they wanted to do when those started at 11.  Chloe and Serenity came up to help us celebrate.  The kids played inside because it was too hot to be outside.  We took the kids to the fireworks.  Gus' first experience, he was less than impressed!  This is what we saw when we got back the car after the fireworks.

I guess it was a successful day!

9 months old

On June 19, 2012, Gus turned 9 months!  Totally crazy!!!!  He is my big guy.  Here are some of the things that he is doing now.

• ARMY Crawling!  He is finally on the move so now it is time to get out the baby gates!!!  He gets up on all fours and rocks back and forth but then flops to his tummy.
• He can go from all fours to sitting.
• He is starting to try to pull himself up on things.  he gets to his knees and then gives up.
• He has a lovey.  A blanket with a monkey head!
• He is my sleeper.  Asleep by 8:30 and he gets up around 7. 
• He is beginning to wave good-bye.
• He loves the pool and bathtime!!!  The child loves to be in the water and splash.  He gets so excited!!
• He pulled himself to standing in his crib!
• Stats:
• Weight:  20 lbs. 11 ounces (50th percentile)
• Lenght: 28 3/4 inches long (70th percentile)
• Head: 46 cm (75th percentile)

Here are some Addison moments the last couple of months:

• Mom, I can't know words. ( when she doesn't know the words to a song or a book)
• This is my baby Isla, she was in my tummy for three years!
• Mom and I are girls and Daddy and Gus are boys.  (she is very concerned with this right now)
• Addison jumped off the diving boards at the pool all by herself (with her wings on)
• She loves to put her face in the water and try to swim.  She has a hard time and needs to learn to keep her rear-end up and kick.  She looks more like she is running in the water.
• After mommy completed her triathlon, Addison said to me "mom, I want to run a race."
• "Sippisippi" river (Mississippi River)

Summer

Summer is underway and we have already been busy!  I am training for a triathlon that I am not going to be ready for in two weeks.  Yikes, I am going to die!  We have been swimming a couple of times.  Addison is jumping off the board and is a wild woman in the pool.  Gus is unsure but seems to like the heated big pool in a floaty.  The baby pool on the other hand, he is not quite as fond of yet.  It is too cold!!!!  We got up north next week for Craig's (Ryan's bro) wedding.  At the end of July, we are going to be in South Carolina for a week.  It is going to be a hard long trip in the car with two chitlins so any pointers or advise is welcome!  It should be a great time when we get there. First experience for both of them of the BEACH!!!  We are going to be active this summer and I am so excited about it!!!  Happy Summer Everyone!!!!!

8 months!

Things I am doing:

• sleeping through the night
• babbling like crazy!
• I am very loud.  I like to scream!
• I am still a one napper, but my schedule has not been great the last few days
• Not crawling the traditional way but I get around
• I have two teeth on the bottom and one popping on the top
• I tried chicken for the first time this week and didn't need it pureed, mom just cut it up really small for me!
• I am standing next to toys but not pulling myself up yet
• I love my sister and cousin Carter!  They make me laugh!

March of Dimes

Team Lil Darlin'

The walk this year was a lot of fun.  Addison, Gus, Grandma, Papa, Auntie Jo,  Grammy, Papa Combine, Stephanie, Colton, Trenton, Jaxson, Lori, Callie, Jessica, Brenner, Ryan, and I braved the 47 degree temps, plus wind and walk for Premature babies (Laura, Matt, Carter, and Isla joined us at the end, she was probably the youngest baby there!).  The walk is always bittersweet for me.  I go thinking how blessed we are.  We have an amazing little girl who is spunky, smart, and active and then I think and see some of the things that could have been.  I watch people with shirts that say "A moment in our arms, a lifetime in our hearts" and I tear up.  I could not even imagine.  It makes me realize why I want to continue to do the March of Dimes.  Not only for our little miracle but so others can have little miracles too!  Thank you to all who walked and donated to Team Lil Darlin'