Happy Thanksgiving!

OK, so I'm a little late with this post, but in my defense, I have been either out of town or working every day since Thanksgiving until yesterday.  It's been a whirlwind, but now we're home until Christmas, so I can get all caught up with my blogging.

The four of us (Mike, Addy, Daisy, and I) spent Thanksgiving in Hollidaysburg this year.  We left the Tuesday before Thanksgiving and came home early Monday morning.  It was so nice to be up there for a good chunk of time so that we could get together with all of Mike's family without feeling rushed.  Most of his extended family hadn't seen us since July, and there are a lot of changes in a baby in 4 and 1/2 months.  So everyone was glad to see us (AKA glad to see Addy especially, ha ha!). 

Before we left, Addy and I hung out outside since it was 76 degrees in Raleigh!  This is when she decided to pull herself up for the first time, which I showed you in my last post.  Here are a few more pics from that afternoon:

Leaf in hand, contemplating life.

A leaf in each hand.  Happy girl :)

We decided to leave for PA at night for the very first time, because driving that long of a distance during the day with Addy is just getting tougher and tougher.  She ends up crying for the majority of the way, and she doesn't sleep at all, which means that we end up stopping every hour or so to calm her down.  Stopping every hour for an eight hour trip = no fun for anyone, and it extends the trip to about 10 hours. 

I think she's just bored.  She is rear facing in her car seat, so she just stares at the seat and she can't see us, so she rebels.  And I'm sure I've mentioned before how much better Mike is at handling this than I am.  I really hate hate hate to hear Addy crying like that, and it makes the trip so stressful.  So we've decided to switch it up a little bit and leave at night, in hopes that she'd sleep most of the way.

And it worked!  She slept until we stopped at the halfway point to gas up.  I got her out, changed her diaper, put her back in her seat, and off we went.  But then she was up and crying she we stopped about a half an hour later for me to feed her.  After that, it was snooze town until we arrived in H-burg.  And on the way back to NC, Addy never woke up at all!  We stopped for gas and everything and she slept right through it!  It was like a miracle and it's definitely the way we'll be traveling from now on.

Luca and Aunt Lauren came over for a visit on Wednesday:

Look at these two... stone faced!

Then Mike's Aunt Kelly stopped over (and Mike's cousin Luke came by too, but for some reason I didn't get any pics of him).

Addy loves to bounce!

Look at Daisy's face.  She's like, "Don't you try any funny stuff with my tail Addy.  I've got my eye on you."

Thanksgiving day (being on a Thursday, as it always is) was also Addy's weekly picture day.

What do you think of her "mink"?  Pretty snazzy, huh? ;)

It ended up the same way all weekly photo shoots do ;)

We also partook in a little bit of this on Thanksgiving:

This photo is Mike's attempt at creative genius ;)  Leave it to Mike for the only photos he takes all week to be of beer.  Ha ha!

Outfit change before the company came over

Cousins :)

Luca and his Grandma Sally

Addy and Great-grandma Mary.  Addy looks very focused on something ...as always ;)

Pap and his grand kids :)

How cute does Luca look in this pic??

Note how both of their legs are being held so that they stay in one spot long enough to grab a pic.  Neither of them look thrilled that they are being held against their will.

Aunt Lauren and Addy :)

Piano time!

Just two babies playing piano

Friday night we went downtown for the Christmas Tree Lighting...although we didn't last until they lit the tree.  Oh well, we had fun anyway :)

Then Saturday morning Mike and I ran in the Hollidaysburg 2 Mile Turkey Trot.

Yup, I got a medal.  Second place in my age group with a time of 15:33.  I got to stand on a podium and everything (for the first time in my life I believe).  What can I say?  I'm kind of a big deal ;)  Yeah, sure.  I'm pretty sure the race wasn't a full 2 miles, because there is no way I was going that fast. 

Look how proud I look.  What. a. dork.

So that was our trip to Hollidaysburg!  It was jam packed and lots of fun.  Addy turned 10 months while we were there, so I got those pics too.   But I'm gonna save them for her 10 month letter....which is coming soon.  Better late than never ;)

Standing!

When Addy and I were outside playing on this gorgeous fall afternoon, she went from this...

To this....

.....all by herself!  It was so exciting, and she was surprised that she stood up, you could tell!  Ha ha!  Addy has been standing holding onto things for awhile now, but this is the first time that she pulled herself up without us putting her there.  (Unless you count a brief second earlier in the week when she pulled up on my leg in the living room .... and then immediately fell back down.)

Here she is; our little One-Toothed Wonder! 

Yup, still just one tooth, but I think the one next to it will be popping through any day now!  I try hard to get pics of her lone little tooth, but my missions fail every time ;)

Anyway, before I go, I just want to mention that it is 75 degrees here in Raleigh on November 22nd.

And that, my friends, is why we live here.  Happy Thanksgiving!!!!

Christmas in November

Every year I make myself wait until December 1st to start "doing" Christmas.  No Christmas music, no decorating, no Christmas cookies, no shopping.  Not until December.  It was my own little rule for myself.  I don't know if I was worried that I'd get sick of it all by the time Christmas actually came around, or if I felt bad for poor old Thanksgiving getting lost in the shuffle.  Either way, if I heard Christmas music on the radio prior to December 1st I would quickly change the station. 

Not this year!  Nope, I threw caution to the wind and when I got into my car on Tuesday morning after working a night shift I was greeted with the lovely sound of Christmas music.  And I kept it on.  I even said to myself, "Why not?"  (Yes, these are the ridiculous conversations I have with myself.  Whether or not to break my own stupid anti- "Christmas in November" rules.)

So I'm cruising along highway 40, feeling kinda bad-ass, singing along to my favorite holiday jams, when I get a phone call from Mike.  I'm in a chipper mood (Christmas music has a way of doing that for you), but when I answered the phone I knew something was a little bit off.

"Guess what?" Mike asked.

"What?"

"I walked in Addy's room this morning and there was brown stuff smeared all over her and all over her crib.  But it wasn't what I thought it was.  It was vomit."

Christmas spirit balloon ...... popped.

My poor baby girl!!  Her very first time getting sick.  It was inevitable I know, but every parent still hates to see their child sick.  I'm just glad that it was Mike there and not me.  Because I most likely  would have cried.  He took it in stride, as he does with most things.  He stripped the bed and bathed our baby, and she looked good as new by the time I arrived home (albeit a little bit cranky).

I went off to bed and Mike woke me at noon so that he could go golfing.  He was gone no longer than 5 minutes before I got up and started vomiting. 

"Oh, please no", I was thinking.

I did not want to be sick and sleep deprived and have to take care of a sick baby alone.  Yet another one of the million times I asked myself how single parents do it.  At least I knew that Mike would be returning eventually.

I texted Mike asking him to "golf quickly", not even knowing if that is really possible.  Neither Addy nor I vomited any more after that, but we both had some issues from the other end, if you catch my drift.  And she was a cranky mess all day.  Fun times.

 I really underestimated how difficult it is to take care of a baby when you are feeling like garbage.  I just wanted to curl up in a fetal position and sleep, but Addy was not too keen on that idea.  I felt like a really horrible mother, but looking back it's kinda funny.  I kept trying to get her to take naps, but really how many naps a day can I expect one little baby to take?  Normally she takes two, so when I tried to force a few more in there, she let it be known that she was onto my scheme, and she wasn't going to play along.

But eventually our knight in shining armour returned, and he took over baby care.  Mike fed Addy dinner and gave her a bath, while I bathed myself and managed to eat a little something for the first time all day.  I went to bed pretty early, slept like a rock, and by the next morning all was well with our little world.  I woke up to this sweet face:

Thank goodness!

We headed to the mall and I noticed that Santa is there already.  And it's early enough in the season that there was no line to see him.  But Addy was not Santa ready, so the next day (yesterday) we got all done up and went back to the mall.  (Yup, I went to the mall two days in a row.  Unheard of for me.  I am not a mall goer, to say the least.)

Addy was in such a pleasant mood yesterday that I thought it would be the perfect day to go see Santa.  Here is what she wore:

The cutest little elf!

But, as expected, Santa was nothing short of terrifying to our baby girl.  So here is Addy's first picture with Santa....

Ha ha, I laugh every time I look at this!

Then, they asked me to jump in and save her....

Not bad, but I think I like the other pic better for the sheer amusement factor.  Plus, I'm not in it.

This was the first time that Addy has exhibited any type of stranger anxiety.  But I'm sure Santa looks awfully scary to such a little tyke.  I really thought she'd be OK with it, because she has never minded being held by anyone.  But she clung onto me like a little monkey and obviously showed her displeasure when I peeled her off.  Ha ha!  It was fun though.  Fun and very funny (for everyone except the little girl in the elf outfit ;) ).

Yesterday was also weekly picture day, and we got that done really quickly since Daddy was there to help.

The day ended well, and Addy came out of her first Santa experience unscathed (minus the photo evidence that proves otherwise!).  We listened to Christmas music to and from the mall, and I sang all of the songs out loud to her, which she loved.  Christmas is such a magical time, and I know Addy is too young for it to mean much to her this year, but I want Christmas to last as long as possible.  And if that means starting "Christmas" in November than so be it.  After all, it's always the right time of year to give to others, and be joyful and thankful for all of the blessings given to you.  I know that I am.  Merry Christmas .... a little early!

Penn State Sadness

This past weekend Mike headed up to Penn State with our brother-in-law for the Penn State vs. Nebraska game.  This trip had been planned for months, and they were both so excited to go. 

Then last week, the news came out that rocked us all to the core.  The sexual abuse allegations against former defensive coordinator, Jerry Sandusky are sickening and horrifying.  And then to hear that so many people with power at Penn State knew that these things had happened/were happening to young children, and did not make sure it was stopped, is heartbreaking.

Last week was such an emotional one for all of us and Mike and I took it pretty hard.  I cried several times.  The allegations came out.... and then Joe Pa was fired.  I couldn't believe it.  I had a lot of mixed emotions about that, as I'm sure a lot of us Penn Staters did.  Should he have done more?  Absolutely.  No question about it.  He could have, and should have, made sure that Jerry Sandusky was stopped.  But to see a coach that I have idolized my whole life, a coach that has done so, so much good for the school that I love, be fired after 61 years - well, that was just plain sad to see.  It's such a tragic end to an otherwise wonderful career.  Despite all of the good that Joe Paterno has done, his reputation is forever tarnished, and that's heartbreaking.

I am sad for Penn State, I am sad for Joe Paterno and his legacy, but most of all, I am sad for the victims.  The many innocent children who were violated by a man they trusted.  I haven't read the grand jury report and don't know that I will.  Mike has read it, all 23 pages, and said that it is graphic and truly disturbing.  He thinks I should read it, but I don't know that I need the specifics.  We'll see. 

I read something written by another Penn Stater that sums up my feeling pretty well.  I'm not sure who wrote this, but I like it and here it is:

WE ARE PENN STATE!

We know you don't understand. Generally, we don't try to explain. Unless you are a Buckeye or Fighting Irish, you probably don't get how an institution embeds itself in a student's life. And that is fine.

But right now, we want you to know this:

We are distraught and truly sickened by this horror perpetrated on young victims by one who represented the Blue and White, and perpetuated by others at the University. We aren't blind followers who drink Blue Kool-Aid. We grieve for and with the victims and their families. We pray for them to find healing and peace and a way to live a good life.

We know that while many people had responsibility, the most visible one almost always goes down first. We are not disputing the need for this to happen.

We are not "defending" anything. We are simply crushed and heartbroken. This is not the Penn State we love, the Penn State that is part of our being.

What you know of Joe Paterno probably comes from television or magazine articles.

We know the man who has lived in the same McKee St house for decades. We have chatted with him as he walked to practice. We have eaten ice cream with him at the Creamery. We have studied in the new library wing his money helped build. We have visited the sports museum and spiritual center he also helped build. We have seen him cheering on other Penn State athletes. We know he loves Penn State as much as we do.

 Some of our friends, brothers, husbands, sons have been privileged to put on the Blue and White uniform and listen to 100,000 fans in Beaver Stadium. We know how hard they have worked, how much time they have devoted, how many of them have been part of an excellent scholar/athlete legacy...and how much they love this man and this program.

We aren't stupid or naive. We know Joe Paterno has culpability. We know he could have made different choices - he admitted that. We don't think he is God or always perfect or saintly. But he is the greatest college football coach ever, and he is PSU family, and we don't want his exit to be like this.

 

WE ARE...not closing our eyes, ignoring reports, pretending this isn't a wretched occurrence.  

WE ARE...angry that innocents would be violated under our care.

WE ARE...in support of appropriate punishment for every person involved.

WE ARE...demanding change to a system that would allow this.

WE ARE...not concerned if you do not understand our love and devotion.

WE ARE...PENN STATE proud and we will rise again.

These words ring true for me.  Especially that last part.  WE ARE.... PENN STATE proud and we will rise again.

Addy and I watched the Penn State game this past Saturday from home here in NC and I took a video of her and got her waving on camera for the first time!  Check it out:

WE ARE....!

40 and 41 Weeks

Addy has been making big strides in the past few weeks.  Its crazy to watch her grow up so quickly right before our eyes.  Her new moves include:

- crawling
- waving hi
- saying "Daisy"

I'm serious!  All of this has occurred within the past 2 weeks.  You saw the video of her crawling, but I haven't been able to capture the waving or her saying her puppy's name yet.  But I promise, she has done both.... Mike can attest to it ;)

The first time I heard her say "Daisy" was on Monday and I almost didn't believe what I heard.  I was saying things like "There's Daisy" or "Daisy dog", and Addy definitely tried to say it.  It's not the clearest thing in the world, and most times it sounds like "Day", but she says it..... and she knows what it means.  It's hilarious because we play the "Where's Daisy?" game, and when we ask Addy "Where's Daisy?", she will whip her head around and her eyes go a mile a minute looking for our dog, Daisy.  Our little tyke is smart as a whip I'm telling you.  (If I do say so myself ;) )  She knows her family, and that definitely includes her puppy :)

I decided to try to teach her how to wave hi/bye this past week.  And wow, she caught on so much quicker than I ever thought she would!  By the end of one day she was doing it.  Now, that being said, it's not every time, and sometimes its backwards and looks more like she is motioning "Come here".  But it's adorable nonetheless.  I am trying to teach her to blow kisses too, but I think we're still a ways away from that one. 

Here are her 40 week photos:

Engrossed in her book ;)

Gotta love this look she gives me during picture time

Last weekend the four of us headed to Savannah for my annual half marathon.  I've been doing a least one a year since 2006, all in different locations.  It's something that I really enjoy doing and as tough as it has been to train for this one now that I have a baby, I still love it and I'll continue to sign up for half marathons (much to Mike's dismay).  Mike thinks I should stick to shorter distances, but I think that one half marathon a year is doable.  We went to Savannah with our friends Regina and Chris, and their daughter (who you all know well via pictures) Carley.  Here are my pics from that trip:

Me and Regina at the race expo

Addy passed out at the post-race concert

My girls :)

Finished!!!

Me and Addy after the race

Yup, that's right, I didn't take a single picture of Savannah itself.  I can't believe that I didn't take any sightseeing pictures, but then again, we didn't really do much sightseeing.  It's a whole different world traveling with babies.  We had to leave the house in 2 hour increments (or less) as to not interfere with nap time.  But, despite the fact that I have no pictures, we had fun in Savannah and I'm glad we went :)

41 Week pics:

Back with a book :)

Ha ha, I had to throw this one in!

Well, that's all I have for now.  Happy Friday!



Addy's First Halloween!

I'm a little late in posting this, but better late than never!

Aunt Tina came into town for Halloween and we had so much fun together as always.  We cannot wait to live near each other.  Soon, we hope!

Here are some of the pics from Addy's first Halloween:

 Her "Daytime wear"

Then we move on to trick-or-treat time!

Our little Nittany Lion!

Roar, Lions, Roar!!!!

The obligatory family photo ;)

Costume from the back.  And yes, I realize that she doesn't look like the "Nittany Lion", just a lion.  We tried with the PSU scarf, but Addy became unbearably hot, so we ditched that pretty quickly.   Ha ha, oh well :)

Hangin' with Daddy...

And her best bud Daisy

Our little set up outside

The PSU slippers came out since it was chilly out there.  And I have to mention a little side story that this pic reminds me of.  See where Addy is sitting?  At the top of our front steps....with a pumpkin in front of her.  Before I knew it, she rolled that pumpkin right down the steps and it went bouncing through the front yard, across the street, and under our neighbor's car.  Yup.  So I went chasing after it in the rain.  Pretty comical at the time.  But maybe you had to be there ;)

Like I said before, it was raining on Halloween, which was unfortunate because we didn't get nearly as many trick-or-treaters as we usually do.  I think we had about 3o, compared with about 80 last year.  But, it was still our baby's first Halloween, and we all had a blast with little Addy Marie!

We Have Ourselves a Crawler!

It's official....Addy is a crawling machine!

I was on my way home from yoga last night (which, might I add, was the very first time I've done a yoga class) and Mike texted me saying that Addy was crawling all over the place!  I couldn't believe it!

Addy had made a few crawling type motions last week when Aunt Tina was here, but last night she really pulled out the big guns and decided to crawl around the room!

Very exciting! ..... But.... is it wrong that I kind of hoped she'd never crawl?  After the initial excitement wore off I sighed and thought, "Here we go."  Time to really baby proof the place.  I've heard from many other moms that life is much easier if your baby goes straight to walking, and skips the whole crawling thing.  Not as much getting into outlets, cords, etc.  All of that stuff that is close to the ground. 

I know that Mike wanted Addy to crawl, and he tried to help her learn from time to time, but I have to admit that I never really did that, because I would just as soon have had her skip that step.  Ha ha.  Oh well, here we are.  With a crawling baby on our hands! 

Look out world....here comes Addy!