I cannot believe that Addison is almost 18 months old!!! Where does the time go? It's been such a whirlwind and I couldn't ask for a better baby girl than her! She is the sweetest, most snuggliest child I have ever met! But before I get into her current personality, let us recap on the first year of her life (As much as memory allows.....seriously mom brain is #reallife!)
Month One
The first month was a re-learning experience. From being in the hospital, remembering what a total lack of sleep feels like, and re-adjusting to a nursing infant. This month was the HARDEST month, as it usually is. Daddy was home for the first two weeks and then went back to work to his 2pm-2am shifts. Well that wasn't so hard, but getting accustomed to a toddler wanting my attention and Addison actually needing my attention, there was a lot of Mickey Mouse Clubhouse on in the first months. Bahaha
Addison had issues nursing in the hospital and even though I nursed Emma up until the night before Addison's arrival, I apparently wasn't producing milk. So my body had to do the reset thing and I had to wait for the milk to come in. While this was happening Addison was not really latching and her jaundice was becoming progressively worse and she just wouldn't stay latched. We eventually had to supplement formula just so she would eat and we could go home. She had formula from early Wednesday morning until my milk came in on Saturday. After that we had to visit the doctor several times to make sure her "bump" was settling down and the jaundice was getting better.
She slept with us since about week three because I was just a paranoid mommy. We spent a lot of time snuggled up in bed reading and watching movies. But daddy made sure to put up all the Christmas decorations and help Emma experience lots of lights on the house. She had her first bath and while we were attending to Addison and making sure she was all squeaky clean, Emma was leaning way over the edge to "help" and fell face first into the bathtub. Poor thing. She also lost her umbilical cord around 7 days old!
Month Two
In Addison's second month of life we did all the family things as it was the holiday season. We celebrated her first Christmas and NYE. We visited friends and family and just enjoyed life as a family. She experienced her first major rainstorm that turned into a great amount of snow on Christmas Eve. Such the beauty and quiet the first blanket of snow and especially poetic on such a holiday. We rang in 2017 in style with loads of snuggles and fires. (It was a pretty cold winter so we hung out inside a LOT!)
Addison helped Mommy and Daddy celebrate their marriage blessing in the Catholic church on 1/09/17, which was 10 years after their initial marriage! Grandma Jean threw a "Welcome Baby Addison" sprinkle and she got lots of cute toys and clothes from family and friends alike. And then finally helped mommy with her Catholic confirmation.
She started babbling and "talking" and trying to smile. She also had some tummy issues, like her sister did, so we tried cutting out dairy and hoping to combat any reflux issues upfront. Sleepy smiles were a plenty and walks around the neighborhood with daddy. She also discovered her hands and feet and started putting them in her mouth.....teething had inevitably started.
2 month shots and well visit stats: 8lbs 14oz.
Month 3
Month three is my favorite month. It's when the personality starts and she started to be awake and alert more often, and the start of full belly giggles when daddy blew raspberries on her tummy! We had more visits with family, both at our house and elsewhere. We celebrated Super Bowl, which of course the Patriots won, mostly because she was wearing her Patriots gear! And her first Valentine's Day. She and Emma made valentines for daddy and Papa.
Lots of dress up time and snuggles with big sister (the cold weather continued) and this was the month we asked the Godparents to be involved with Addison's upbringing. We took a trip to Hermosa Beach to celebrate Auntie Haley's 18th birthday and watch the glorious ocean sunsets. We had lots of time with daddy this month too!
Month Four
Month Four was the month when mommy had to go back to work, so we made the most of the time we had all together. We took a trip into Fresno to visit my cousins and for Darin to take a test. We enjoyed time with 5 little girls all under one roof. Addison thoroughly enjoyed watching her cousin's and her sister play with the toys and scream and carry on. Her cousin's all wanted to snuggle her also. Such a cute and fun time. Teething started to get into full force and the drool monster came out in DROVES! We celebrated Grandma Jean's birthday at a local Mexican restaurant and then had a photoshoot with handmade teeshirts for St. Patrick's day also.
On the 15th of April we finally saw that first tooth come in!
Month Five
Month Five was the beginning of the glorious kicking and blowing of raspberries. This is a favorite pastime of Addison because she found it hilarious! She also started to roll over and become really interested in mommy singing and kicked a lot (dance) when any music came on. She's turning into our little dancer.
We went to the desert this month to take photo's in the beautiful poppy fields, and also decorated Easter eggs for the Easter bunny who brought loads of glorious things like cereal and utensils for starting solids! It was a truly fun month of exploring and finding new things.
We also took our very first trip as a family of four to Disneyland! We took two full days and stayed on property. We got Addison her first build-a-bear and set of Mickey ears. We watched shows and went on all the great fun rides....including Mr. Toad's! It was exhausting and so much fun to experience such a wonderful place as a family. We enjoyed it so much. This was Addison's first hotel stay too! We also did character dining and met Chip, Dale, and Pluto. We toured Mickey's house and met him and Donald as well!!
Month Six
Six months was a HUGE month. Addison began to crawl! OMG she was mobile! I had TWO mobile children. Cue PANIC! Haha......pick everything up off the floor! Teething and crawling meant everything went in the mouth. 6 months also means the beginning of eating solids. We started her out with baby oatmeal as a first food, just like big sister, and she LOVED it. This child LOVES food! She also got to have her first dip in the pool with daddy.
She loves to put on skirts with sister and jump in her Baby Einstein jumper. We also participated in the SCV Relay for Life and celebrated the life of Grandpa Bobby. We went to daddies first company picnic and watched Emma ride a pony and daddy do a sack race and climb the rock wall.
Month Seven
This month was another month of big celebrations as big sister turned 3 and Addison began sitting up all by herself! She also began pulling herself up onto things like the ottoman on sister's chair and the coffee table. Everything in arms reach she had to grab it.....including hair! A favorite (still to this day) to grab and PULL! It hurts so much! We also started BLW and that included peas and green beans. She loved veggies way more than fruit. When I gave her peaches she looked at me like I was trying to poison her. Bahaha.
She celebrated the 4th of July and watched her first fireworks from our backyard. So relaxing to be able to do that!
Month Eight
Anything and everything in the mouth. We had cut well over 6 teeth and they were not slowing down. A constant puddle of drool was ever present on her front! LOL. Lots and lots of new foods to try. Still loving on my veggies but also LOVE my baby mum mums. This was also when getting dressed or getting a diaper change turned into an utter $%!&Show! I mean, crawling away, screaming, rolling over. The child HATES when the status quo changes. Fine dressed, fine undressed.....but ugh! Don't try to undress or dress her. Silly pants. She discovered the playroom and the vast opportunities of toys in there! And LOVES to torture her sister by grabbing the one thing she was playing with.....but Emma will just grab them right back. The squealing began here too. Crying to get her way and miss smarty pants learned QUICK, that if you cry Emma gets scolded to share.
Lots of first adventures this month. A first ride on a lake boat for BOTH girls at Lake Isabella. Mommy was highly paranoid about daddy driving and mommy wrangling two kiddos. But we made it work. Addison utterly HATED the life jacket. Considering it went up halfway up her face I guess its understandable...and the hat.....torture! Addison also went and put her toes in the sand at Ventura Beach. Sand eating was a big part of the day! SMH!
Month Nine
Addison just keeps growing and getting more personality. Loves to snuggle and hug. She has discovered the dogs and loves to watch out the window at Shelby and at Grandma and Papa's she will laugh and giggle when Gracie licks her face. At her well visit, the doctor was concerned with her iron levels and we were asked to step up on the protein intake. No problem there. She still is obsessed with all things savory. Veggies, pasta and meats. Her favorites! She is also walking along things. The couch, the coffee table, the sliding window and standing up on her own. She loves trying to reach what is on the island.
Month Ten
I know I know......she's wearing the same outfit in the 9 month photo too.....#mombrain!
We started off the month with a bang early because Addison and Emma's newest cousin, Logan, was born. While we were waiting for him to make his appearance we took the girls to play miniature golf for the first time with their Aunt, Uncle and oldest cousin Antonio. Addison became very antsy and wanted to participate and "practice" her walking, but it makes sense because she also began to walk on her own. We went to the pumpkin patch and had loads of fun on the grass slide and in the corn pit. Yes she tried to eat the corn.....and nearly lost her shoe as well! Haha. We also discovered the JOY of bubbles! Watching them fall and popping them! We also had our first photoshoot as a family of four!
Addison loves bathtime with her big sister and will splash and play and eat all the toys she can. The bond they share is unlike any other!
Month Eleven
In month 11 we perfected walking! We started out with the old man wobble and then we got really good at it QUICK! We celebrated our first Halloween and Grandma Jean made Emma and Addison pumpkins! Addison made out on the candy front and mom and dad got to reap those rewards.....(the joys of parenting!) She mastered the art of independent play in the playroom and started her LOVE of dolls. She adopted all of Emma's baby dolls and hugs and kisses them. The sweetest thing in the world. She our little mommy. We also had her first birthday two days shy of her actual birthday. A pink and gold Cinderella theme complete with streamers, hand made pumpkin crafts and snacks. Mommy went overboard, per usual!
And then she was a year! What a whirlwind it was and I can't believe it went so fast! She is my big girl and my snuggle bunny. I love that she snuggles and hugs and gives kisses. We are blessed!
