Addie on Wheels

My baby girl got her first set of wheels this past weekend! Her Grandpa, Kathy, and Tyler came over to celebrate Christmas early with some homemade spaghetti with meatballs. They brought an adorable red, bright, noisy, music playing, car that she can ride and push when she starts to walk. For now we are pushing her on it and supporting her so she can push the buttons. She loves the car but it makes me a bit sappy thinking about her being big enough to scoot herself around the house on it. Yickes! It's all going so fast.

Christmas boo

All the simple things about the holidays are so much more beautiful when you get a glimps of what they must look like through the eyes of your child. I am so in love with my little girl.

Christmas Spirit

In the last two weeks our family has been getting in the Christmas spirit. We recovered from the horrible cold (picture of Addie sick-she's still adorable) and the computer hard drive failure (the reason for my lack of posts). Now we are really getting excited for Christmas! Justin picked out a Christmas tree this year for us on December 2. Addie and I were too sick to move so we put our faith in him to bring us back a tree worthy of all our beautiful ornaments and my daughter's first Christmas. He delivered! What a beautiful tree. It smells fresh and wonderful, the shape is perfect and the branches are strong. We decorated the tree that evening with classic Christmas carols on in the background. When Addie woke from her nap she had the tree to discover. She loves the glass ornaments that shimmer and allow the colorful lights to shine through. She's also discovered the bright colored wrapping paper and bows on the packages under the tree. With the decorations up around the house it was hard not to start to get excited. December 5 was the first snow of the year. I snapped this picture of the house in the evening before the snow really picked up. By the next morning there was at least 3-4 inches on the ground. It was a nice surprise. Apparently, it's snowed on December 5 in DC for the last decade or so. This year we weren't let down. We bundled up our baby girl when we went out the next day. Her bunny hat and mittens, courtesy of her Grandpa and Kathy, get many gooey looks and compliments from grandmas where ever we go!

In the area of firsts for Addie, she grabbed her bottle and held it herself for roughly the first time the other day. I say roughly because I know she does it often at daycare. At home she normally lets me hold it but that night she grabbed for it so I let her hold it. She sometimes misses her mouth and squirts milk on her face but she's getting the hang of it. She also cut her first tooth on Tuesday, December 11. Justin was on travel in Amsterdam and Copenhagen this past week when I felt the sharp edge on her gums. I was so excited I had to call my Mom and Mother-in-law to share the good news. Addie and I managed OK without Daddy home. We had fun playing in the evenings and I loved seeing her off in the mornings, but I definitely missed my husband and Addie missed her Daddy. My evenings consisted of frozen pizza and season two of Sex and the City (I'm late to the game on this show but absolutely love it). When Justin returned home on Friday I snapped a few precious shots of Addie snuggling up to her Daddy. I think after the week away Justin's heart melted when she smiled at him, he was a goner when she wanted to rest her head on him. So was I after he presented me with a box of chocolates from Denmark and a big hug and a kiss. I hate it when my husband is gone!

It's all about the holidays in our house right now. We've been listening to Motown Christmas thanks to Brienne! I am addicted to Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer by the Temptations. We DVRd It's a Wonderful Life which is officially now my favorite Christmas movie after watching it for the first time last Christmas night. I cried like a baby. I can't wait to snuggle up on the couch with some hot chocolate and watch the 3 hour classic again. The Christmas cards are in the mail (for the most part) and the shopping and wrapping is done! We even made it to church last week to give our good Lord thanks for all our blessings. Now we get to count down until we leave for our vacation in Washington.

My Great American Haircut

I had my second haircut since my daughter was born today. I used to be diligent about cutting my hair every six weeks before I became a mother. For the last few months I relied on the wet pony tail or messy knot and I couldn't take it any longer. I was planning on trimming it a few inches so a ponytail could be my fall-back on busy mornings. Last night I ended up watching Oprah's Great American Haircut Part Two I dvr'd from Thursday for inspiration. I love before and after makeover shows. I guess I was inspired because by the time I sat down with my lovely Ethiopian stylist Muron, I was ready to let her cut most of my

hair off. I love the results, it's very safe but flirty too. Then I was

recalling that one of Oprah's guest stylists told the audience and viewers to look beyond the typical "soccer mom bob". Hmmm? I wonder if he'd endorse my new cut. Oh well, I'm not really wondering too hard.

stats

Addie seems to be on the mend. It's been a tough week for all of us especially now that Justin and I are coming down with the bug. A cuter bug is my little snuggle bug. Addie hasn't been her normal active self. She's wanted lots of cuddles from her parents. We are headed to see the pediatrician again tomorrow to make sure the fluid in her ears hasn't become infected. I have to admit that this first cold has really wiped me out.

On a more healthy note Addie's six month check-up was on Monday and she's doing really well. She is 18 lbs. 4 oz. and 27 inches tall! Amazing. I was looking back at her stats...well, here you can look too:

Birth-8lbs. 10 oz. 21 inches

2 Days-8lbs. 3 oz. 21 inches

2 Weeks-9lbs. 10 oz. 21.5 inches

2 Months-13lbs. 14 oz. 23.25 inches

4 Months-16lbs. 4 oz. 26 inches

6 Months-18lbs. 4 oz. 27 inches

I'm so proud she's doing so well. Now all we need to do is get over this cold and through this week.

sick baby

Addie has her first cold. For the past few days my darling girl has been fussy, snotty, and not sleeping. Her eyes are watery and she isn't very interested in eating. It's hard to see her uncomfortable and not be able to make it all better. She's smart enough to know when the turkey baster (nose aspirator) comes out it's time to flail her arms and bat our hands away. Our medicine cabinet is full of saline drops, baby chest rub, and infant Tylenol. The vaporizer is humidifying her bedroom. Hopefully she will sleep better tonight than the previous two nights. Addie only wants her Mommy to comfort her in the middle of the night while she's sick, which is touching but I'm exhausted. I guess this is the first of many colds we will suffer through this cold season. Even when she's sick, my daughter is beautiful and sweet as a gumdrop.

Black Friday = Best Day Ever

Megan and I conquer Tyson's Corner on Black Friday as an annual tradition. Last year I was pregnant; Addie was just a little jelly bean causing me to stop and pee every 45 min and eat every 90 min. I was exhausted last year so this year I had to shop extra hard to make up for my handicap from last year. We got a later start this morning than we would have liked. Addie was up last night quite a bit (cold and messy diapers) so I turned off the 6 AM alarm and soaked in a few extra hours of much needed sleep. When we finally got in the Jeep to drive to the mall Megan and I were giddy with anticipation of all the glorious gifts we were going to buy. And buy we did . I completed quite a bit of my shopping for family. I could have spent a lot of money on my daughter, but I limited myself to a few cute things. I am in love with a new kids store Pumpkin Patch. This line of clothing just opened it's own retail store and all I can say is "Thank You". Everything is precious. All the girls clothes have adorable appliques of darling childhood scenes, lots of patchwork and colorful stitching around the edges of sleeves and collars. The colors are bright and cheerful. Everything looks whimsical and a tad European. I love it. I treated myself to a few goodies at Sephora. I am adding the fresh sent Sugar Lychee to my wish list this year. Yum Yum. Megan and I grabbed a power lunch of salad and spinach artichoke dip at Coastal Flats. We finished the meal with See's Candy (thank goodness the East Coast has discovered See's). After lunch we shopped as long as our feet and our pocketbooks would allow then headed home to revel in all our retail glory. The festive crowds, Christmas carols, and holiday decorations put me in the Christmas spirit. What a great day!

Happy Thanksgiving

On this abnormally warm Thanksgiving, our main goal this year was to eat way too much food. I'm proud to say we reached our goal. The meal was absolutely amazing as always. Uncle Tim and Aunt Leslie especially outdid themselves on the twice baked mashed potatoes (recipe from Paula Dean). The sweet potato casserole was sweet and nutty like always. The gravy was super yummy. The food was superb but the company was even better. We dressed in our coolest fall clothing (I had on short sleeves and open toed shoes). Addie was adorable in her pink one piece outfit. We talked and laughed with Kiki and Po and all the family. We enjoyed having Megan with us for the third year in a row! We are so thankful for our family and the enjoyable time we get to spend together. We are also thankful for our family we didn't get to see this Thanksgiving. Addie and Justin, and I have so many people in our lives who love and support us. We are so blessed.

carrot cupcakes

The cupcakes were a hit for dessert today. I have to admit that they were tastier than the cupcakes we had at Buzz the other day. Megan and I baked them last night and frosted them this morning. They look beautiful and taste delicious. The cake was moist and the cream cheese frosting was sweet and creamy. Justin's family "rations the passion" with the Baileys and coffee after dinner. It's a fabulous tradition.

"Sure, I'd love to"

I said "yes" as a Mom for the first time the other day to something I really should have said "no thanks" to. Addie's daycare and our church, Our Lady Queen of Peace had a Thanksgiving lunch for the Early Learning Center's kids, administrators, and parents yesterday. On Monday Ms. Kay asked me if I was coming and that I should bring some dessert, and oh how nice it will be. So I said yes, knowing that I would have to drive from downtown DC to the church and then back to work all in a frenzy dealing with the mid-day un-synchronized traffic lights and saying goodbye to my daughter after the short visit. Anyway, I went to the lunch yesterday grabbing some overpriced but delicious cookies from Au Bon Pain on the way. I got to see Addie for 10 minutes then they ushered the Mom's to the gym for the meal where I scarfed turkey and mashed potatoes and stuffed a few of my store bought cookies in my pocket for the drive back to work. I was disappointed that in the end I didn't get to eat lunch with my daughter (duh! she's 5 and a 1/2 months old). I really did enjoy meeting a few of the other Moms and sharing our stories. The other great moment was seeing Father Nadolski and his faithful dog. In the end I snuggled Addie although it was hard to kiss her goodbye as she was going down for her afternoon nap. I swear the look on her face said "Mom, aren't you going to take me home now?". I'm just glad Justin has daycare drop-off duty in the morning. I couldn't deal.

Go Orange!

Addie is rooting for Syracuse today. Come Saturday she'll be a Hokie again rooting for Virginia Tech to beat the UVA sissies. This little one has higher education in her future no doubt. She'll have her pick of colleges to attend. Okay, I can't think about her grown up any longer or else I'll cry.

perfect moment

After a long hectic day my daughter reminded me in a few sweet moments that all that really matters in life now is her laughter and smile. Tonight at bath time she was so adorable and smoochable. She splashed in the water and smiled at the rubber ducks. She smelled so clean and felt so soft in my arms after soaking in her bath that my long hard day was a figment of my imagination. I can't believe how lucky I am to be this little girl's Mom. She's such an angel.

Good luck Emily

We are thinking about you, Emily! We are all hoping and praying that your surgery goes smoothly and the recovery is fast. Who needs a Gall Bladder anyway? Definitely not someone as cool as you are. Rest up and take care of yourself. We can't wait to see you for Christmas.

Buzz

Today Megan, Addie and I tried out Buzz Bakery which specializes in cupcakes. I decided to get inspired before I attempt to use my carrot cake recipe as cupcakes for Thanksgiving. Buzz (901 Slater Lane, Alexandria, VA) was super easy to find even for someone as directionally challenged as I am. The decor was extremely hip and cool. Old 1950's kitchen utensils were used as wall art and contrasted nicely with the brightly colored modern bakery. I ordered the Bumble Bee cupcake; vanilla cake with chocolate syrup inside covered in butter cream frosting. Megan had the Pumpkin cupcake with cream cheese frosting. Both were yummy, mine was a tad sweet. I'd recommend any of the cupcakes with cream cheese frosting. It was super yummy. We sat at the cool table and chatted while Addie flirted with the young guy sitting across the way. She stared, smiled, and cooed until he looker her way. Her Daddy was less than amused by this report. I have to admit she flirted like an old pro. I think all the patrons on their laptops were pleasantly surprised by Addie's giggles and chatter; she was in an especially good mood all day today. I ordered a few cupcakes to go and we headed to the cool women's boutique, Periwinkle across the street. It was definitely the place you go to if you need a unique party dress or an amazing designer jacket. I left with a turquoise belt that was calling my name. I could have done some serious damage but I resisted. All in all the afternoon was awesome. Buzz was worthy of the raving Washingtonian review it received. My one complaint is that the women's room was sans diaper changing station. Addie and I got creative when it was time to change a diaper that couldn't wait until we got home. This Mommy learned a lesson today: always perform the sniff test before you leave the house.