standing tall

Addie's practicing standing at every chance she can get. She'll move her hands away from what ever she is bracing herself on and stand for a few moment before plopping down on her butt. Every time she does it she stands just a tad longer before losing her balance.

sun hats for sunny days

Tuesday's forecast was sunny and mid 60's so I sent Addie to daycare with a sun hat. We had a mini photo shoot while she was eating her morning Cheerios. She wasn't a huge fan of the hat but I guess she'll get used to it once we are in Manila, where it's perpetually summer.

baby book worm

I'm sure Addie's fascination with the book shelves has more to do with the fact that it's another thing she can use to practice her new found talent with standing than her burning desire to read literary novels just yet. Even so I couldn't help snapping a few pictures. The giggles ensued when Lucy decided to join her in scaling the shelves. Like any proud parent, I will bring out these pictures to brag about my daughter after she graduates from college, writes her first bestseller, and wins the Nobel Peace Prize. I'll get to say I knew she had it in her from the start.

Happy Easter

Addie stole the show on Easter with her pretty dress and endless grins. Her favorite dessert is Kiki's icebox cake. Yum! It's mine too.

bye bye black pumps and blackberry

Farewell to the alarm clock jarring me from my sweet dreams. Farewell to nylons, blouses, high heels, and the black suit that is a staple in every business woman's closet in Washington DC. Farewell to my morning commute on the 14th street bridge. Farewell to the nasty parking attendants at the garage. Farewell to emails all day long and a blackberry on my hip. Farewell to notes and spreadsheets, Power Points and conference calls. Farewell to politics and fire drills, last minute template changes and COB deadlines. Unfortunately that also means farewell to office mates who become your closest friends and confidants, clients who are cherished like family, relationships that get you through the working world with laughter and drama. Farewell to the success of a finished product you are proud of. Farewell to the accomplishment of a job well done. Farewell to promotions and pay checks, a hot cup of tea and a moment to yourself in front of your computer. Farewell to the camaraderie of a team working towards a common goal. Farewell to believing that what you are doing can make a difference.

It's never easy to say goodbye to people you have become close to. It wasn't any different for me on my last day at work today. It's safe to say I have mixed emotions about it.

sweet sleep

Addie slept through the night Tuesday and Wednesday night. She went to bed at 8PM and we didn't hear from her until 5 AM! Then she drank a bottle and went back to sleep until 8 AM. It was glorious. I only wish it happened on a weekend.

This week has flown by and I haven't been much of a blogger. Anxiety about getting things in order for our move is kicking in. I'll save you from all my complaining. On to the good stuff. Addie is now speed crawling. She can make it from the living room to the kitchen in a matter of moments. She's also discovered lots of things that we didn't consider to be hazards. We need to vacuum the rugs more often since she is curious about the taste of fuzz and dust bunnies. This week she's starting waving at us and at everything including the dog, her books, and anything else she wants to say hello to. There is nothing sweeter than getting a baby wave on your way out the door. We've been wrestling, tickling, snuggling, and playing rough house more with her. In the afternoon when Addie and I get some time alone before Justin gets home from work we snuggle in out bed. Addie flops around the bed laughing and giggling at me pretending she doesn't want me to tickle her sides but at the same time leaning closer so I can cuddle her more. She's so curious and spirited. It makes me laugh at how clever and smart she is. She understands so much more than we realize.

The car that Addie rolls around on opens up so that she can walk with it. She tentatively holds on and takes a few steps here and there. Last night she was standing with the car and just let go with her hands and stood balancing for quite a while. Our cheers and claps of excitement startled her and she sat down.

With all the mobility Addie has gained along with the growth a 10 month old experiences on a daily basis our daughter is simply exhausted at the end of the day and doesn't object when we start her bedtime routine. It's been such a relief for Justin and I to get some extra sleep. After 10 months of waking up in the middle of the night I need to retrain myself to sleep through the night.

productive week

This week has been productive. I'm starting to cross things off my list that need to be done before our move. Both my arms are sore from two more immunizations I was given this morning. We signed up with USAA, passports and visas have been obtained and to top that off I got a significant way through my new favorite book, The Clan of the Cave Bear by Jean Auel. So the week went well but I'm glad for the weekend. Next week is my last 5 days working which has me excited and anxious to move to Manila.
Megan has been here all week since Syracuse is on spring break. Addie's had lots of time with her Aunt Megan and even discovered her humongous big toe. Like everything else, Addie wanted to put it in her mouth. Gross!

Addie had pasta with red sauce and chicken this week. She's rediscovering things now that she's almost 10 months old. Books that she used to enjoy for one aspect have renewed her interest for other reasons. Cut outs, flip ups, textures, bright colors, all amaze her. She wants the same three books read over and over to her. You can no longer take something away from her and put it out of sight so she forgets about it. Object permanence has been discovered in the past month. I can't just put the telephone behind me because she'll just crawl around me to get it again. She's trying out all sorts of new vowel sounds and humming in the back of her throat. The moment Justin puts her on the floor to play with her friends at daycare she's babbling and talking to them. I imagine she must be saying something like "Hi Sadie, Dani, I missed you! Guess what? I discovered you can use your cheek to hold lots of bits of food before you chew and swallow it. Cool huh? You should try it too!" Addie's a squirrel at mealtime.

everything but sleep

Every day Addie is getting stronger and more agile with her movements. She's pulling herself up to the coffee table, the couches and her toys. She makes me nervous when she stands holding on to her toy car. She crawls to me and pulls herself up onto my lap. Getting herself back down to the floor is a bit more challenging but she's working on that one. I can't help getting a pang in my chest when I see her standing up holding on to the bars of her crib waiting for me to pull her out. Where have the last 9 and a half months gone?

Today Addie slept all of 35 minutes split between two naps the entire day at day care. When I picked her up she looked dazed and confused and was in a rare state of fussiness. She refused to take a nap when we got home. I let her cry thinking she would eventually pass out from exhaustion. HA! When I peaked into her room she was pressed up against the front of her crib reaching her arm through the bars playing with the fur on Moose, her rocking dog. That's my girl: smart, independent, and stubborn. She takes after her Mother.

West Coast Grandparents

Addie is blessed to have three sets of Grandparents who all dote on her endlessly. Her West Coast Grandparents enjoyed babysitting while Justin and I were at work on both Friday and Monday. I think the best part of the visit for them was playing with Addie, changing her diapers, feeding her lunch, watching her get a bath and bed-time story and just snuggling with her in general. They got a good dose of their granddaughter this past weekend and loved every moment of it.

Saturday night a wind storm knocked a tree down and the power went down with it. We sat in our candle lit cramped living room eating Ledo's pizza and making acronyms for our names. Megan, the grown-up RA of the group, suggested we all discover our stripper names by using your first pet's name followed by the name of the street you grew up on. Mom's was Nappy 39. Hilarious. Nothing like some good family bonding to get you through the power outage.

Christening

I am so proud of my daughter. On Sunday Addie was baptized into the Catholic faith at our wonderful cozy little parish. Addie's Grandparents flew into town from the West coast for the occasion! Aunt Megan and Aunt Rachel, Addie's Godmothers came as well. It was the first time we have had both of our families in the same place for any occasion. It was such a special day. My Mother gave Addie a necklace of Saint Guadalupe that she wore for her baptism as a baby. The beautiful heirloom around my daughter's neck connected the generations of women in my family and it was really special. Sitting in our church with all of our family surrounding us, supporting our daughter on her first big day made me feel so loved. Addie is so lucky to have so many people who love her. All her sets of Grandparents adore her. My darling baby girl is so happy and full of life because of all the love in her life.

Addie was definitely feeling the grace of the Lord. She was chatting and babbling during the ceremony, especially while we were in front of the congregation. She inherited her Dad's comfort with being the center of attention. As Father Simon poured the water on Addie's forehead she cried out as it ran in her eye. In that moment and when her Godmother's lit her Christening candle in her honor I have never been more proud to be a mom. The entire day was very special for our family.

Weekend with Auntie Em

We had a great weekend with Emily. It was fun having a college student in the house. We ate take-out Thai food, had a burping contest, didn't clean the house, stayed up late, and slept in late (OK-Emily slept in late. Justin, Addie, and I tried to be quiet and let Emily sleep). It was so much fun and made me realize how much I miss my youngest sister. Addie absolutely adored her Auntie Em and gave her big toothy smiles all day long. Emily attempted to teach Addie to stick out her tongue, luckily it didn't stick! Addie is all over the place now. She's getting into stuff and is Miss Independent. We are hearing lots of grunts expressing her frustration with one thing or another. Dinner time has been fun and messy the last few days. Addie has been feeding herself all sorts of yummy stuff. Black beans, cheese, carrots, avocado, turkey, bread, rice, and of course Cheerios. In fact, Addie already recognizes the Cheerio box. She's an American kid for sure.

Emily's here!

Emily is here to visit for a long weekend. Addie was immediately enamered with her Aunt Emily. The played all day together on Friday. We came home to a happy baby! Emily and I picked out a new toy for her to stand and play with. She danced and bounced up and down to the music. We did a ton of errands and shopping today. Addie got her first swimming suit!