Monday, December 28, 2009

Very Merry Christmas

Christmas was full of holiday cheer this year since we had Addison to celebrate with! We enjoyed being in Vero and spending our Christmas morning with the 4 of us (don't forget Tootsie!) opening gifts. Addison was a sleepy head Christmas morning which made for fabulous pictures. There is nothing more adorable than a little sleepy head-puffy eyed baby girl in her sweet pajamas. Addison is quite the princess when sitting on her new chair Santa brought her. She did get pretty excited about the bows and tissue paper! :)

After we opened gifts at home we went to Mimi and Grandaddy's house and opened gifts there with Auntie Clare, Dan and great Aunt Cheryl. We spent the whole day there and had a very lovely day...could have been about 15 degrees cooler but we can't have everything! My Aunt Denise, Uncle Steven and cousin Victoria came down from Melbourne for dinner. Dad made a delicious meal....beef tenderloin and duck...yum yum! The Sammons gave Addison a baby carriage that she loves...she did not want to stop pushing her babydoll around Mimi's house.

We left Saturday morning for Jacksonville. It was great seeing the family and spending Charlotte's 30th birthday with her! Poor Caleb has had a rough time battling different sicknesses so we were slightly paranoid about trying to avoid the transfer of germs from him to Addy. It was hard because Addison is finally at the age where she wants to interact with other kids and Caleb is just so darn cute he is hard to resist!!! We are looking forward to the next time they get to see each other because it should be really fun.

We hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and have a Happy New Year!

Wednesday, December 16, 2009

Santa Baby!


We took Addison to see Santa today. It was a successful first visit...she loved him...more she loved his glasses!

Saturday, December 5, 2009

On the Move

We have a crawler on our hands now! How exciting!!!! Addy had been rocking while on all fours for awhile and she had just started lunging this week. We honestly thought she might skip crawling all together since she likes to be flat on her feet and walk along the furniture but we were wrong! Children love making liars out of their parents. :) Yesterday she crawled for a second to get to my scissors while I was wrapping presents! We went down to Jupiter this morning to have breakfast with my sister and while we were at her house Addison decided to crawl across the rug to get Auntie Clare's laptop. I try to entice her to crawl with HER toys but she wants grown-up toys! I guess I will have to re-arrange my ornaments on our Christmas tree now to guarantee no accidents with that since the tree is in Addison's playroom!

Monday, November 30, 2009

A Week full of Family!

Charles, Addison and I drove up to Jacksonville Tuesday evening and we stayed at Guy and Reva's. We had a fabulous time and got to see a lot of family and friends! Wednesday we visited with Charles's mother's cousin Martha, she had not met Addison in person yet. Then Wednesday evening we went to Corey and Jessica's to see Andrew and Lynn, and the Jolly's. It was nice being able to catch up with old friends. Caleb and Addy spent lots of time together and let me tell you Addison sure loves her cousin Caleb....Addy couldn't get enough of Caleb or her Uncle Kelley! Addison enjoyed all the attention from her PA and Grandmommy too but Caleb did not like sharing his Grandmommy with Addison at first!

Thanksgiving day was wonderful. We went by the Dostaler's on our way to Charlotte and Adam's. It is a very exciting time for the Dostaler family because Andrew just proposed to Lynn last week! YAY!!!! Congrats to them! The whole family arrived at the Werner's around 11 and we were greeted by the most delicious smelling aromas of turkey and casseroles and all the wonderful Thanksgiving Day food. Charlotte did a lovely job decorating and preparing everything (Judy helped a lot too) and the dinner was delicious. Corey fried a turkey and brought it over to eat in addition to Charlotte's roasted turkey. They were both fantastic! Addison thoroughly enjoyed her turkey too. It was her first time really eating finger foods and she had no problem. She has eaten turkey everyday since Thanksgiving....we are just waiting for her to start saying Gobble Gobble! She is now boycotting baby food because she is just too cool for that now...finger foods it is!

Friday Charlotte, Jessica, Brett and I went and saw New Moon. Then we stood outside the movie theater talking about it for about 10 minutes....yes we are definitely Twilight groupies!!! So cool. :) Friday evening Charles, Addison and I met our friends Kelly and Dean and their 11 month old Campbell for a drink then we had dinner with Guy and Reva...delicious chicken pot pie!

All in all it was a wonderful week and we are so thankful to have such wonderful friends and family! Enjoy our pictures below!

Sunday, November 22, 2009

What a Big Weekend!







We had a wonderful family weekend full of quality time! Friday night Charles and I went to the Festival of Trees Gala which got us excited for the holidays. Saturday we took Addison out to lunch then we went to the Festival of Trees. Addison got to see many beautifully decorated christmas trees, gingerbread houses and crafts! She loved all the lights and the train that ran through the gingerbread village. We went with our friends Jenn, Clint and their 9 month old Katie. After that we went to the Harvest Festival which is my grade school's fair. The girls weren't too impressed by the fair but the parents sure enjoyed their fried dough!!! Yum Yum! Today we went to church then the local Children's Bookstore with my parents and we got Addison some great new books. We ended the day with a nice ride in Addy's swing. It was a fabulous weekend and we are looking forward to going to Jacksonville this week.

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Baby goes Boom!

The past few weeks Addison has become very ambitious and wants to walk ALL the time. She is not happy if she is not standing on her feet! She has figured out how to hold onto furniture and walk. She loves the coffee table for a few reasons: 1. the corner covers are her favorite chew toy, 2. it is just the right height and 3. it is home to the remote controls which are her favorite toys! This morning she was doing her morning stroll from the couch to the coffee table with daddy and she face planted into the side of the table. Her forehead now looks like someone hit her with a baseball bat....my poor doll baby! This is her first official boo-boo and it was bound to happen eventually.

Monday, November 16, 2009

Mother/Daughter Weekend







This past weekend Addison and I went to Orlando with my mom and sister. We were trying to get a head start on our Christmas shopping. Clare had lots of success and unfortunately for me I did not. Addison was fabulous though! She really enjoyed people watching at the malls and was truly a joy to have along and she was quite the trendy diva in her purple....FYI purple is THE color for fall!

Thursday, November 5, 2009

Can I get a Straw please???


Most of you know that Addison has been anti bottle since about 3 months old....LUCKY ME!!! The other night I did get her to drink 3 ounces out of a bottle while laying in her bathtub...can we say princess? Around five months old we bought Addy a sippy cup with a straw. I always carry my tervis tumbler with water and a straw and Addison has always been fascinated with it. Well when we got her her own cup she drinks great out of it! m Now we are the ones fascinated by watching her drink from a straw! She still does not like it if I sneak milk or formula in it but she will down some water if I let her!

Tuesday, November 3, 2009











H1N1

Ok so I will be the first person to say I was totally against getting the H1N1 vaccine for Addison. I think the media has done a great job making parents scared of vaccines and really question how much good they do verse the bad they "could" do. Charles and I have not bought into the whole autism arguement because we have not been able to find any medical data supporting those claims...we have found most of thos eclaims come from Hollywood but that is just our opinion. I do however agree with spacing out vaccines because I do not like how a 10 pound baby receives the same dose as my 6 pound baby.

Recently many people I know have become ill with the swine flu, two are pregnant women who both were hospitalized. After one of my close friends got sick over the weekend I decided I needed to do some research to see why I had this bad impression about the vaccine. The last thing in the world I wanted is for our 7 month old to end up in the hospital because she has the swine flu. After researching on the web for a bit I found what the negative stigma is about the vaccine. (please forgive my incorrect medical terminology) There are two different types of injectable vaccines. One is drawn out of a multi dose vile and the other is a signle dose pre-packaged syringe. The multi-dose vial contains a preservative that does have minimal amounts of mercury BUT the single dose does not have any mercury/preservative!!! Both contain a NON-active strand of the influenza virus so it will not make your baby sick (the nasal mist does have an active strand). Addison and I went to the doctor this morning because Addy needed her booster shot for the seasonal flu and Charles and I decided to get her vaccinated for H1N1 if AND ONLY if our doctor had the single dose syringe available. The nurses looked at me funny when I asked if the H1N1 was a drawn out of a vile or if it was the single dose. It was in fact drawn from a vile and I told them I didn't want it. They asked me why and told me it did not contain any preservatives. I questioned them so they went back to check and of course it did. We were lucky because they only had two single doses left and Addison was able to get one of those.

So basically if you are thinking about getting the H1N1 vaccine for your child you can request the single dose shot if the mercury makes you feel a litle uncomfortable. Make sure you question the nurses because in our case they did not know for sure. Addison will have to get her booster shot 28 days later so she will not actually be immune to the virus until two weeks AFTER the booster shot. Sorry this is so long but I wish someone would have told me my options upfront!

Sunday, November 1, 2009

Happy Halloween and 7 Month Birthday!











Addison turned 7 months old on Halloween. It is amazing how big she is getting. She has two teeth almost all the way in and she enjoys trying to bite our fingers off! :) Her favorite thing to do is stand and try to walk. She has no interest in crawling...just standing. Halloween was a great success complete with costume, trick or treating and a pumpkin full of candy! It is so funny how even though Addy is clearly too young to eat candy...they gave it to us anyway. Lucky mom and dad!!! Ava and Addison had matching pumpkin costumes and they were the cutest two pumpkins that ever were! Hope everyone else had a great Halloween!

Saturday, October 31, 2009

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Pumpkin Patch


We took Addy back to the pumpkin patch to actually buy some pumpkins! She is a little under the weather with a runny nose so she was not all smiles but we still got some cute pictures! We bought her a small pumpkin and mommy and daddy got a big one!

Monday, October 26, 2009

Daddy Daughter Love


Addison just adores her daddy. Her face lights up when she hears his voice, she doesn't even have to see him! I took this Friday morning and later that day Addison said Da-Da. Of course she has no idea what it means but the syllables came rolling out of her mouth at the perfect time! YAY!

Thursday, October 22, 2009

All Smiles!


We have a Toofer and Standing Tall!







Addison's 1st tooth has broken through (just barely)! Her two bottom middle teeth appeared out of no where Monday. One has slightly broken through and you can feel the sharp tip but the other is staying tucked inside her gum a little longer. We can see both of them and are very excited for our little Addy! She ran a fever Tuesday but other than that she seems to be doing great! She refuses to let anyone feel them or look at them but as far as I can tell her gums are not swollen, red or anything so that is great!

Addison's newest milestone is standing while holding onto something. Yesterday I propped her up against the couch and she actually took 3 steps along the edge of the couch while holding on. She also let go for about 2 seconds and stood all by herself then grabbed the couch again so she wouldn't fall!!! Very exciting!!! It is crazy how everyday seems to bring something new with her.

We enjoyed our first bout of cool weather this past weekend. Addison takes after her mama with sensitive skin, she had a tiny patch of eczema appear on her chest. She has always enjoyed being outside and is mesmerized by the wind rustling the trees! She is loving the fall weather!!!

Sunday, October 18, 2009

Girl Time


Addison and I have started watching my girlfriend's 4 month old Ava on Mondays and Fridays. This past Friday was our first day and it went rather well. I was a bit nervous and it was somewhat overwhelming but the girls had a great time playing together and that makes the work totally worth it! Plus Ava, unlike Addison, is a wonderful sleeper and took a 3 hour nap! Maybe that will rub off on Addy! :)

Caleb's Swing!


Cousin Caleb was nice enough to let Addison see if she likes swinging outside...she LOVED it! We ordered her swing and it should be here anyday...of course it is PINK! Daddy wouldn't have anything but. :)

Thursday, October 15, 2009

Social Butterflies

Addison and I have had a very busy and fun week. We spent the weekend in Jacksonville celebrating Daddy's birthday and Caleb's birthday. We had a delicious dinner and cake for Daddy's birthday and then he got to play golf with Uncle Adam. Caleb's party was super fun and Addison enjoyed seeing her cousin and his friends! She also got to swing in his outside swing and she LOVED it. I went online and bought one ASAP, still waiting for it to arrive. I of course am a genious and forgot my camera in Vero so I used Jessica's camera for the weekend. I will post pictures when I get them from her!
We went to a baby sign language class Wednesday at our local library with our friends Heather and Ava. We learned lots and it is now going to be a weekly date for us! There were lots of other babies there and Addison really had fun watching all of them and listening to them but she wanted to play with them too. Addy doesn't really understand that she is not mobile yet and likes to leap for things she wants and then she goes.....BOOM! It is kind of funny but also a painful lesson for her to learn. She doesn't really cry much she just focuses harder on trying to figure out how to get what she wants!
Today we went to Buggy Boot Camp. It is a bootcamp for moms with kids in strollers. It was intense and VERY hot. It took place outside and was a great workout. Addison got a little fussy toward the end so I got to do my squats while holding her...nothing like a 16 pound weight to really make me feel the burn!
We got Addison's 6 month pictures back today from our photographer. We took some in the studio and some at the pumpkin patch. Addison is typically very stingy with her smiles but we got some great ones on camera...FINALLY! They turned out great!

Monday, October 5, 2009

Addison's Baptism












Addison was baptised yesterday in the St. Helen Chapel by the same Deacon that married Charles and I. It turned out to be a very special day. Charles and I felt so blessed when we saw all of our friends and family there to support Addison in her passage into the Catholic Church. We never in a million years expected as many people to come that actually did. The chapel was so full we had to get folding chairs so everyone could sit down! Deacon Joe made it extra special for us and Addison was in happy spirits the whole day. I can't even put into words how touched we were by every one's presence, it really touched our hearts. Thank you!

My sister Clare is officially Addison's Godmother and we are so thankful she was happily willing to take on that responsibility. We are confident that if we ever slack off on our Christian duties she will pick up our slack!

The ceremony was followed by a delicious brunch at my parents house. That was a huge success too! I think we all ate enough food to last a week but it was very tasty. Grandaddy and Mimi were very generous in opening their house up to host the party, they should get a gold medal in being the best host and hostess ever!!! Grandmommy, Pa, Aunt Brett, Aunt Charlotte and Uncle Adam all made the trip down for the baptism too. Addy just loved all the attention from all her family and friends! All in all it was a marvelous day and it really re-affirmed just how blessed we all are to be surrounded by such a wonderful group of people.

Thursday, October 1, 2009

Happy Half Year Birthday!

Addison is officially 6 months old! Can you believe it?! We can't! Addison has been making great improvements lately in the sleeping department. I am scared to jinx myself by telling you about them. We have been implementing the Ferber method to get Addison to sleep better. She had been waking up five and six times a night and it got to be too much for me, I physically could not get out of bed anymore. After three straight weeks of 4 hours of sleep a night Charles and I decided we had to teach our baby girl how to sleep on her own without my help. Looking back I think I was the one not ready, not necessarily Addison. It was a hard few weeks but I am happy to say that now we put Addison to bed fully awake and she does not cry at all and falls asleep on her own happy as a clam! She still wakes briefly once or twice in the middle of the night and Charles goes to her to reassure her and she falls back asleep! She is sleeping on average 8-9 hours straight which is honestly better than winning the lottery!!! Well....maybe not better but it is very exciting that after 6 months of no sleep I am finally starting to feel rested!

We went to Addison's 6 month check up on Wednesday and she weighs 16 pounds 2 ounces and is 26.5 inchese long! Our doctor was amazed at how strong Addison is with her pulling herself up, rolling over and sitting up. She was NOT happy about her shots and she did run a low grade fever from them. We opted to hold off on her flu shot until next week but she will definietly be getting one as will I.

It is so fun to play with Addison now that she interacts so much. She is so focused and intense with everything she does. She is determined to learn and loves being challenged. She is starting to figure out that her walker allows her to move around on her own. Tonight we were playing with her music station that is also a push behind toy on wheels. She has not shown any interest in standing or pulling herself up but tonight she discovered the bright orange handle on it and just pulled herslef up and stood behind it! I told Charles it will only be a couple of weeks before she is actually walking behind it! It truly is amazing how each day brings such huge milestones for babies and we love watching Addison achieve new ones everyday! I think we get more excited that she does!!!!

Sunday, September 27, 2009

What Color are my Eyes!?


We can't decide what color her eyes are going to be. Sometimes they are blue...sometimes green...sometimes hazel...and in this picture grey! Only time will tell. Either way they are beautiful!

Pumpkin Butt


We put these Halloween PJs on Addison and Charles and I just love them. Her feet are little jack-o-lanterns too! If it wasn't a hundred degrees down here we would keep her in them all day long! Did I mention Addison is rolling over every chance she gets! She is starting to become very mobile and very vocal! She is laughing more and more each day. We cannot believe she will be SIX months on Wednesday.

Beach Day



We took Addison to the beach this weekend and she loved splashing in the water and digging her hands and feet in the sand. She is just adorable in her little bathing suits if I may say so myself!!!

Go Gators!!!




Grandmommy and Pa gave Addison her first real Gator shirt! It was very cute on her. Even though it is visably pink people still thought she we a boy! Whatever!!!!

Monday, September 14, 2009

Did I get any in my mouth?


Yummy Carrots!

Slumber Party


Our friend Kristina Powell and her 15 month old, Marin, came to visit us for a night. We had so much fun and Addison and Marin were very interested in each other.

Rolling on over


FINALLY! Addison rolled over from her stomach to her back yesterday. Charles and I were so excited when she did it we started clapping and praising her so much she kind of freaked out so who knows if she will ever do it again! We figured she would skip the rolling over stage since she has been sitting up for weeks and gets down into the crawling position all by herself. It was very exciting to see her do it! We are so proud of our little darling. :)

Sunday, September 6, 2009

Go Gators!!!!







We went over to our friends house and watched football. They have a 6 month old Katie and their friends brought over Libby who is also 6 months old! The girls had so much fun playing together. Addison is definitely becoming more social and we love watching her interact with other babies. Addison wore the onsie Aunt Merc made her with the orange and blue A on it. SO SUPER CUTE!

Addison's first huntin' buggy ride!!!

Besides it being hot and buggy Addison loved the buggy ride!

Wednesday, September 2, 2009

Yummy Yums

I have enjoyed my baby food maker more than I could ever have imagined!!! I have made squash (that was not pretty coming back out!), carrots, peas, peaches and sweet potatoes and much more still to come. Peaches seem to be Addison's favorite so far but this is a picture of her eatting her applesauce! Too cute! She is so funny, she refuses all food at first so I have to put a little on her bottom lip for her to sample. Once she tastes it she does what we call the baracuda move where she attacks the spoon and I can't get it in her mouth fast enough!!!!

For the Love of Corks


While at Aunt Charlotte's house Addison discovered a new toy....wine Corks!!! I think I have a mini wino on my hands!

Its been awhile

Cousinly LOVE
Danielle & Addison

Aunt Charlotte in heaven with her niece & nephew!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So I did try to update the blog after Addison's and my weekend in Jacksonville but right when I was finished with my heartfelt post the computer froze so I gave up! Here is a short and sweet version. It was a weekend of firsts.
Addison and I took our first road trip to visit Aunt Charlotte and see my girlfriend Danielle from college. Danielle came down from Charlotte, NC to meet Addy for the first time. We had a great weekend and it was nice to spend time with an old friend and get some relaxing girl time. I know Addison enjoyed her one on one time with Aunt Charlotte too. We also saw cousin Caleb, Grandmommy, Pa, Aunt Jessica and Uncle Adam.

Addison seems to have flipped her switch as far as letting people hold her and play with her. Sat when in Jax she was letting Charlotte and Danielle play with her and she wasn't crying for me to hold her. Ever since that day she has been great with everyone which is a huge relief to me because I now I get a break..still no bottle though! But at least the separation anxiety has seemed to dissapear for the most part or at least minimize greatly! She also started sitting up at Charlotte's! She can now sit up unassisted for about three minutes before she topples over. It is really funny because she thinks she is mobile so she gets ready to crawl and then she realizes once she falls over that she is stuck! So cute!
So don't judge but I have been without sleep for 5 months now and since I was at Charlotte's house and had this big bed to myself I let Addison sleep with me and of course she slept the whole night! I will admit I loved every minute of it and her face was so precious snuggled up next to mine but that was a one time thing and now that I got a night of sleep it is back in her crib for good! What a mean 'ol mommy I am!!!









Monday, August 17, 2009

Yup... Its BROKE!

Yes Sir! Broken... In a boot for 3 to 6 weeks. Yippeee.

Friday, August 14, 2009

Our Keys Trip

Our trip to the Keys was definitely different than the previous years. There was no more spending 8 hours on the boat and then coming back to a few cocktails and a leisure swim in the pool! This year was all about Addison! We had to schedule our day around Addison's napping, feeding (still no bottle) and playing. The pool has never been so fun as it was when sharing it with Addison. Watching Addison focus so intently on the pool water as she entered in and then watching her eyes light up when she realized she could splash and kick the water around was priceless! We went to pool pretty much everyday sometimes multiple times and I think that helped Addison nap very well. Addison could not get enough of being outside and preferred to wear just a diaper while enjoying the fresh air and ocean breeze. I would say her first annual trip to the Keys was great and we look forward to next year when she will be able to walk and enjoy the amenities a little more. She is still having her separation anxiety with me and I think the Grandparents would have enjoyed a little more one on one time with Addison. Hopefully next year she will be way past that stage!

As for mommy and daddy....the trip was interesting. The first day of lobster season Charles went out in the boat with my mom, dad, Clare and Dan and I stayed back with Addison. I was upstairs putting Addison down for a nap when I see Charles limping up the stairs holding a bloody rag around his foot. THE FIRST DAY Charles decided to jump off the side of the boat and he slipped and his foot got stabbed by the cleat. Besides needing stitches my father swore he heard a bone crack. Charles, being the stubborn Bond he is, decided he did not need to go to the doctor and he definitely was not going to sit in the ER. His foot swelled up so big it would not fit into any shoes and all five toes were black and blue even around his heel was black and blue...no need for medical attention...so today is Friday 8 days later and an Xray confirmed Charles broke his foot! He is now wearing a very stylish boot for 3-6 weeks.

The beds in the villa where we stayed made these god awful noises if anything touched them. Even if you picked a pillow up off it, it would make these creaking sounds. Well Addison's pack 'n play was in our room and she goes to bed around 7:30 every night and is a very light sleeper. Charles would love to go to bed at 7:30 but I prefer going to bed closer to 9...if we went to bed at 7:30 now what would he have to look forward to in 60 years? So when Charles and I would go to bed we would count down from 3 and jump in bed at the same time to minimize the noise to prevent from waking Addy up. It typically worked for going to bed initially but when she would wake up for her feeding I could not get back in bed without waking her so she ended up sleeping with me because it was the only way for her & I to get some sleep. After 2 nights of holding Addison to sleep my back and neck needed a break so I decided after her midnight feeding I would sleep on the ground (a tile floor). Everyone knows I am severely allergic to dust mites...well under the bed was a dust convention and I guess I got some in my eye. It started itching that night but over the next 24 hours it got worse and worse until it developed into something similar to pink eye! So here we are on vacation, Charles with a broken foot and Megan with pink eye and no sleep!
All in all it was a fun time. It was really neat having Guy, Reva and Brett join my family for our annual family vacation. I don't know if they were prepared for the intensity of the daily lobster hunt, especially since Charles was not on the boat to help. I was told Brett was a spectacular lobster getter and my dad appreciated her help!
We are happy to be home and Addison is enjoying being back in her normal home environment. She slept a little better the past two nights but she is still waking up at least twice a night and I am praying she goes back to her once a night awakening or better yet sleeping through the whole night!