Our Myrtle Beach Trip

We left last Thursday for Myrtle Beach and returned Monday evening. Our hope was for Addy to sleep until we had to leave at 3:30 am, however she was wide awake and ready to go on vacation at 1am! We were worried how she would do on the plane rides but the first one out of KC she fell asleep, we had a short layover in Atlanta and our plane was delayed out but we made it to Myrtle Beach and Addy stayed awake for the second flight and was very good.

After we got our rental car and realized we couldn't do a compact car due to the stroller, carseat, all our bags,  my mom and us 3, we settled in our Dodge Avenger and set out to find our condo and some food. We couldn't check in until 4 so we headed to the beach and Addy did NOT like the sand, not one bit! She wouldn't put her feet down in it and just cried. The water was very cold but there were some crazies out there playing and surfing. We went to the Myrtle Beach Harley Davidson to get my brother a souvenir  and then got checked into our condo and grabbed dinner to go from our hotel restaurant and then visited the indoor waterpark. Addy loved the water, which we figured she would! She was kicking her feet, splashing, putting her face in the water, riding on the dolphin foam car, and even went down the water slides with us. (Pics of the waterpark are on my mom's camera so I will post them on FB soon)

Friday we went to the Ripley's Aquarium where we saw lots of fish, sharks, eels, seahorses, an octopus, stingrays, and Addy got to touch a horseshoe crab and shark. There was a diver feeding the fish and we missed that part but Addy got to put her hands outside the glass over the diver's hands and she thought that was fun. We then we shopping at a nice outdoor area around a pond and enjoyed lunch at Senor Frogs before resting at our hotel and then having dinner at the Giant Crab, a nice seafood buffet.

Saturday we did some more shopping and went to the Alligator Adventure. One of my favorite memories is from when I went to Gatorland Zoo in Florida when I was about 5 years old and I have also been on airboat rides in Florida and Louisiana. I have always been fascinated by alligators. We saw all sizes of them and some other animals as well at Alligator Adventure. They have the largest crocodile in captivity in the US and he was over 20 feet long!! We were at an animal talk and got to touch a two-headed turtle, a snake, and an alligator. Addy was so cute and just wanted to hold the alligators paw. We saw them feed the big gators chicken, just a few were hungry enough to jump for food, it was still pretty chilly for them to be very lively. We spent more time at the waterpark after an afternoon nap.

 

 

 

 

Sunday we finished up with a trip to the Pier, I wanted to do the SkyWheel but it was so windy and chilly out so we walked to the end of the Pier and back and then finished up our day with more shopping, dinner at the condo, and more waterpark fun before packing stuff up and walking out to the beach once more.

Monday we headed home, the airports/plane rides went just as well as Thursday and we got a couple compliments on how well she behaved. Overall, she did an awesome job traveling and we are so blessed to have her and get to travel with her and have my mom go with us as well.

Proud parent moments and other news...

Well, a moment I have been anticipating: potty training has started! Tuesday night Addyson went poop on the potty, which was followed by peeing twice yesterday, 4 times today and another poop! She now asks for m & m's after she goes and signs more after the alotted 2, but doesn't get anymore until next time. It is so fun to watch her run up the stairs when I say do you need to go potty? I just hope it continues to go well from here!

Today we had another first which was also a New Year's resolution for me and that was to take Addy to playgroup. I must say I was a little nervous as we hadn't been before and didn't know anyone or what to expect, but we both enjoyed it a lot! There were about 8 other kids under 3 there, and 2 of which were boys. They had a bunch of different toys to play with and Addy spent the first little bit watching everyone and then quickly found things she enjoyed. Some of the things she liked doing were playing with the big drum, coloring, playing with pretend food, vacuuming, and sitting in the Elmo chair after making sure it was okay and not scary. My plan is to make it at least once a week if not both times it is offered. We also had our Parents As Teachers visit for January a couple weeks ago and enjoyed that. I was asked how many words Addy says on a regular basis and I had thought about 20, well the next day I wrote them all down and came up with 30+! I was very surprised. She is putting more 2 word phrases together like "get dressed", "belly button", "tickle tickle belly", and "what's that". She is also following directions more and is an all around good kiddo! We feel so blessed and lucky to be her parents. This age is so fun because they are like a sponge soaking everything up!

Another big event coming up is that Jared is getting his left ear cochlear implant in 3 weeks!! We are both excited and nervous. It has been a long few months to us, but relatively short in the scheme of things. Jared just wishes the dr could predict the outcome, but no individual has the same exact outcome as another so we will have to wait and see! I often find myself thinking how it will be when they first turn the device on after 3 weeks from the date of surgery and can't wait to see his reaction and how things change for him and our family. It takes up to a year for the person to get used to it and he will have many trips to the audiologist to help with the programming. We appreciate all the thoughts and prayers and ask for them to keep on coming!

Here are a couple pictures, I am still having problems with the uploading or else I would do more.

1-28-13

 

 

12-30-12

 

 

Update

Hard to believe 3 months have passed since I last posted here. Life seems to get a bit busy now and then, but I wouldn't change it. In December we had our first visit from a teacher with Parents as Teachers group, and were proud to hear that Addy is above her age level, she did some of her animal sounds, sorted shapes into the right place, and enjoyed playing with a magna-doodle while I was able to talk about our day-to-day routine and get some new ideas and information. One of our neighbors told us about this service the school district offers and I wanted it for more things to work on with Addy and helpful ideas. One of my resolutions is to start taking Addy to a play group at least once a week so she has more interaction with children her age.
We had a very nice holiday season and can't believe it has come and gone already. I worked Thanksgiving and the day after but was off for Christmas and New Years for the first time in several years. We had our "normal" 6 Christmas celebrations with family and it was so fun seeing Addyson's eyes light up and she quickly got the hang of tearing paper, pulling out tissue paper, and dancing around amongst her toys and clothes. We need to add on space just for her stuff! We are beyond blessed with great family and friends as I have said numerous times, but I realize not everyone has that and I am very grateful for them.
I was able to have time off of work and the day I was suppose to go back, I felt sick with the stomach flu, only come to find out I had appendicitis and ended up with a laproscopic appendectomy this weekend. I have been home resting and recuperating and since I'm not able to lift Addy for a couple weeks, we are very fortunate to have great help from our family and my brother staying with us until he goes back to college from winter break. Thank you guys so much!
Today Addyson is 18 months old and she is such a little fire-ball! It is so hard to believe how quickly time seems to pass and it is so much fun to see her mind and body in motion. It is amazing how fast toddlers learn and how quickly they pick up on things. Being a mom is no doubt the best job in the whole wide world I would say, even through those moments when they don't listen and you want to pull your hair out, it is all short-lived. We love our sweet girl so much and I am so lucky to be able to spend most of my time with her. She has her check-up next week but is around 23 pounds and about 30 inches tall. If you tell her to do something she will try her hardest to do it and waits for the clapping or a high five so she knows she did the right thing and if she doesn't quite know what you mean, she will hold her hands and wait for more instructions or help. She knows most of the family and will point to them when you ask "where is so and so", she continues to love bath time and baby dolls. I have been trying to get this to post a couple pictures and for some reason it is givng me problems so I will try again soon and hopefully I can blog a little more this year too!

15 month check up

Addy turned 15 months on Monday the 8th and had her check up today with her fabulous Dr. She weighs 21 lbs 4.7oz and is 29.5 inches tall. We are blessed to have such a happy and healthy baby. She had to get 3 shots and with just a few tears, she was awesome!! She definitely has a mind of her own these days and is expanding her vocabulary; dog, 'pon' for pond which we go by on walks, 'me' for milk, 'nah-nah' for no, what's that, momma and dada are some main words for her and she babbles a lot and seems to know just what she is saying. She knows where her tongue, tummy, toes, socks, and shoes are and also mommy's nose.

 

                                                            Are you calling me momma?

Momm'a Penguin Duck Tape

Love this sweet girl

 

 

Branson Fun

This past weekend we went to Branson and my mom went with us. Our neighbors have condos down there, so we rented one for the weekend and really enjoyed it! We left on Friday and stopped for lunch at McDonald's in Clinton, then got the show on the road and made it to Branson, checked in our condo and let Addy nap while mom and I went to Walmart for some goodies. That night we drove around, ate at a disgusting place (the one with the big Chicken) by Tanger Outlet and then moved on to some shopping. Saturday we had breakfast at the condo, got around and went shopping at the 5 and 10 store and then to Branson Landing. Addy was tired and ready for a nap so we left and she fell asleep within minutes in the SUV, we grabbed lunch and ate in the SUV and then she woke up and we went to another store and then back to the condo to rest a few minutes before it was time to head to the Kirby VanBurch magic show. Addy enjoyed it and towards the end was tired of sitting so her and daddy moved back a few rows so she could walk and be more "independent". We went back to Branson Landing, had some dinner at a really good Mexican restaurant there, and did a little more shopping before heading back to the condo. Sunday we got up and had breakfast, then we had to go back for a couple things at Tanger Outlet and then headed to Bass Pro in Springfield. Addy loved the alligator, fish, and turtles there. Man has it changed since I was little! We had lunch and headed home. We really had a good trip and got some good shopping in and even some Christmas shopping done, but wished the weather was warmer so we could Ride the Ducks and do Bumper Boats, maybe next year! It was nice to get home and Addy was glad to see her toys and play.

                                                        Teething on her Tylenol bottle

                                                     Playing with Grandma

Deer in the Headlights

                                                      She loves all shoes

                                                             Can I get out of this yet?

                                                          Our Driver

 

She loves her toes

 

                                                 Grandma and a very tired Addy

August/September 2012

I can't believe it's been since July since I've updated, we have been busy as usual and enjoying watching Addy grow and explore the world around her. In August, we took Addy and our niece Taylor to the aquarium downtown and enjoyed it, we went to the Johnson County Fair and Bull Blast, our friends Ellen and Bret had their 2nd baby, Cara, and Kelly and Brett had their first, Hannah. It has been fun seeing them and their little ones! Addy and I went to Deanna Rose Farmstead in August with our neighbor Christy and Addy's boyfriend Jordan, and then went again in September with Kelly, Hannah, and Kelly's sister and her boys. Addy fed the goats a bottle of milk and they jumped on her but she enjoyed the animals. We went to Ark City to visit Ellen, Bret, and their 2 girls the end of August, and then they came up here in Sept to attend a wedding and stayed with us one night and we went to the zoo with Ellen's family. We went to the Ottawa tractor show with my mom and Jared's dad. My dad, stepmom, grandpa, and Jason help with it every year and Addy woke up just in time to ride with papa in the parade. We celebrated Jared and my mom's birthdays the end of August and then my brother Jason, Jordan our neighbor's 1st, our nephew Caden, and my birthday the month of September. We went to the Royals game on a Fireworks Friday and they had won, making it more fun. We also went to the Louisburg Cider Mill's Fall Festival and Addy rode a pony for the first time and ate donuts. We went to the PRCA American Royal Rodeo and Addy stayed awake until the last 10 minutes and loved it! We had lots of lunch and dinner dates and shopping with friends and family, and enjoyed walks almost every day and had playdates outside with Jordan in the evenings. Here are some pictures of our fun events:

                                                         Brett and Jared with their girls

                                                               Mom with Cara and Addy

                                                    Jared, Addy, Chloe, and Mom reading

                                                      Family pic before Jordan's party

                                                              Taylor, Jenn, Caden, Kirk

                                                                Uncle J and Addy

                                                    Addy loved the golf cart

                                              Addy and I with Great Grandpa

                                                           Addy with Papa Ted

                                                      Amber's Birthday

                                                       Addy's 1st Pony ride

                                                     Resting after enjoying donuts

                                                                It's Fall!

Addy's 1st Birthday and other Fun updates

Wow has time gotten away! We have been enjoying summer time and trying to stay cool like everyone else. The last weekend of June we were busy busy, we went to my friend Kim's daughter Olivia's 1st birthday party at a park and had a lot of fun, then that afternoon we drove to Ark City, KS for the evening to a surprise baby shower for our friends Ellen and Bret. They are expecting their 2nd little girl soon and we enjoyed seeing them and their adorable daughter Chloe, along with their friends and family. We are so excited to meet their new addition! We came back home that same night because the next day Addy and I had another fun baby shower to go to for Kelly. It will be her and Brett's first baby, and we can not wait to meet Miss Hannah Jane soon too!! Congratulations to both couples, we love you guys!!
July started out busy as well Addy was sick for the first time with a fever, cough, and runny nose. Luckily the fever lasted 24 hours and then was gone, we had Addy's 1 year pictures, Sara's annual slip and slide party, and Addyson's First Birthday Party!! Addy is definitely loved so much and we enjoyed celebrating with our family and close friends. We had about 50 people at our house, it was monkey themed with neon green and pink. We had tape the tail on the monkey, a pinata, and good food. Of course the fun part was watching Addy dig into her cake and she definitely needed a bath after!! Thank you to my mom for all her help that weekend and also to my dad and Penny who watched Addy for awhile the day before so we could get stuff ready. We are so blessed with amazing family and friends!! Thank you guys!!  I can not believe how fast a year has gone and we are amazed every day at our sweet baby girl and so thankful to be her parents.

A few stats on Addy:

-She weighs 18 pounds 2 ounces
-She is almost 28 inches per the dr's tape measure (longer on ours)
-She waves hi and bye-bye a lot, knows how to roll it and throw it in a pan (for Patty Cake), honks the horn   on her pink and purple car when you tell her beep beep or to honk, is testing us by trying to stand up in her chair, throw her food, etc and we are trying to discipline her each time
-She had her last bottle Sunday Morning July 22nd
-she is babbling more and more, says mama, dada, nana, hey, hi, and even said "hi bully" one evening to our neighbor's dog after hearing us
-she can climb stairs and loves to walk around stuff but not walking on her own yet, she does stand and let go for a couple of quick seconds but then sits or grabs ahold of something
-still wakes up once or twice a night but we don't get her, she turns over, may whine a little and goes back to sleep
- had her one year check up, labs, and 4 shots 2 weeks ago :(

We took Addy to Melvern lake for the first time last weekend for 5 days. We rented 2 cabins, my mom, brother, and us 3 were in one and then my grandparents, aunt, and cousin in another. It was fun, we went boat riding, tubing, and I skied, we had biscuits on a stick and other great food, went and visited Uncle Jason at work and had lunch with him. Addy was not a happy camper about the life jacket, but fell asleep once we got moving. I had 3 weeks off work due to vacation time, a class, and Addy being sick so it was hard to go back this past weekend.

Of course I had to go to work last Friday night but early Friday morning Addy was up for 2.5 hours and started running a fever again, it lasted less than 24 hours though and with lots of cuddle time with mommy and daddy she is feeling better again. She did so good going almost a year without being sick and then bam, twice in 2 weeks. Then Sunday she got blister like sores on her feet and one lonely one on her hand so I am guessing it was hand, foot, and mouth disease. The only places we went last week were the grocery store and pool so not sure where she got it from. She is doing a lot better and the sores appear to be crusted over and healing so hopefully she will be done with sickness for a while, fingers crossed!

Our busy body has also mastered the stairs, well going up that is. She is getting so quick!!

Here are a few pictures of Addy playing in her ball pit at home, the lake, and a few from her birthday: