Forty Nine Weeks - A Lot to Be Thankful For

Addisen tried out some new foods at Thanksgiving dinner (her plate looks like a lot more food than what was actually there...).

The start of last week didn't start out as a week of thanks! Brody came down with a cough early last week which turned into an ear infection. He was started on an antibiotic on Tuesday, which lead to many fights over taking the medicine. We started off Wednesday morning rushing around the house to try to make it to Daycare for picture day. I was dropping Addisen off in her room when Brody started coughing and ended up throwing up on the floor. I thought at first that it was just from the cough and bent down in front of him to clean it up, little did I know that there was going to be another episode. Yep, Brody threw up on my head! Addisen's teacher felt so bad for me. Somehow I held it all together as I got our things around and took Brody back out to the car to drive him home. Oh what a beginning to our week of thanks! Just as I thought things would have to be getting better, the diarrhea from the antibiotic started with Brody!

We headed to my parents for Thanksgiving on Thursday and arrived without any accidents in the car. It looked like we were in the clear, but oh no - Addisen still had to show us what she had in store. Friday night she spiked a temperature greater than 102 after taking Tylenol - so my mom and I took her in to the ER in Charlotte. After a 3 hour visit, they sent us home with an antibiotic saying that it must be from an ear infection. As soon as I put Addisen to bed the coughing started and didn't let up until Sunday. I was just about ready to take her in to my work on Sunday afternoon when things started to sound better. Just as Jim and I started to think she was on the road to recovery, her temperature spiked to 103 on Tylenol. Off to Urgent Care we went. The doctor there said there was a virus going around causing these high temperatures and coughing in kids, unfortunately Addisen's had now gone to her lungs. So we left there were oral steroids! This girl has definitely taken a few years off my life with all my worrying! Today she is sounding much better, her fever is gone, and hopefully we will be able to go ahead with her scheduled surgery for tubes on Thursday. Addisen started her holidays last year with all of us getting the flu at Christmas, so I figure this has to be the end as it is her last "first" holiday!

Brody has this little toy computer that Addisen is in love with. I know in some of the pictures it looks like she is crying, but that is actually her look of excitement! She will open it up and just start slapping the keyboard! Maybe she will be the next Computer Wiz!

I found this little tree at Walmart when I was looking for some outdoor decorations. Brody and I had a fun time decorating it - at least this year it looks like some of the ornaments will be spaced out on our Christmas Tree.

Maybe Brody will be the next super model?

On Friday night while we were at the ER, Addisen started with a new face. It was about 1 in the morning when she started feeling better and my mom and I were getting exhausted - that is when the face emerged! She just looks at you and scrunches her little face up, I guess it is her laugh?

We have been working harder at introducing the sippy cup - Addisen has not been one to want to self feed or drink. I think she is perfectly content for us to cater to her every need! Now that she has mastered the feeding part, we thought we better move on to the cup. Tonight she sat at the table with us and shook her cup and then looked confused when it started to rain on her head. It was so funny to watch her keep repeating the process over and over - the good news...some of it made it in her mouth!

Through all of the stresses this week, I have to say I am so thankful to have these two little people to worry about so much. I wouldn't change the throw up on the head or the trips to the ER, because it is all worth it to hear Brody just randomly say "Hey mom, I love you a lot". Nothing gets better than that.

Forty Eight Weeks - Bath Time with Big Brother!

Tonight I was giving Addisen and bath and Brody surprised us by coming and getting in. They LOVED their first bath together! My guess is that they will be bathing together a lot now! The only problem is the water has to stay low for Addisen and Brody likes to keep adding more - I guess she will learn to swim quickly!

Today Jim was gone for most the day at a Brewing Class, so I tried to take the 11 month portraits alone. I did okay, but I just couldn't get the camera set up on the tripod like I hoped. Addisen was a trooper and allowed the headband to stay on for the 15 minutes we were shooting!

Her two front teeth make me laugh - I think it is funny how big those two teeth are in little babies. We will have to wait and see if the gap closes in as she gets more teeth.

A lot of these shots are of her trying to get that headband off - She just doesn't want to be the girly girl her mom wants!

Her "Hooray this photo shoot is almost over" pose!

I am just in love with her big blue eyes.

Overall today went pretty well with the kids. Addisen has started to hate her naps. As we walk towards her room she just starts crying. It is so obvious that she is tired (eyes barely open and red), but she hates to see you leave her room. This afternoon I was at my wits end after 45 minutes of screaming. I was downstairs with Brody and he looked at me and said "maybe you should just bring her back downstairs" - what a smart boy!

Today Addisen started to show me just how mobile she is....and she reminded me why this is really my least favorite age. She started climbing the stairs, climbing in to Brody's chair and banging on the blinds while she pulled the leaves off of my plant. She took a lot of nose dives out of the chair (it is only about 10 inches off the floor) - luckily I was there to catch her for most of them. I still believe that Addisen has a laid back personality, but she is also showing that she will be a very persistent lady.

Forty-Seven Weeks - Let it Snow!

On Friday we woke up to the first "snow cover". Brody was so excited to go outside and make a snowball...unfortunately the only thing the snow wanted to do was stick to his fingers.

This week has been something else with Addisen. She got sent home from daycare on Wednesday because she had a few "blowouts". The one that did them in was when she pooped up the back of her shirt and on to the poor little boy next to her! It seems like her antibiotic is definitely doing it's job! Luckily we only have one more day of therapy and then hopefully she will start to come home in the same clothes that we sent her in.

We recently brought some more of Brody's old toys out for Addisen to play with. Who would have guessed that the 4 year old would like them better than the 10 month old! Tonight the Barn was Buzz Lightyear's fort - oh what an imagination!

Addisen is starting to really figure out her independence. She is now skimming along the furniture and trying to grab at everything! It is so amazing to see this little girl able to do so many things. My guess is she will be walking before her 1st birthday. Speaking of her first birthday - I can't believe it has been a whole year since I was wobbling around everywhere! Where did the time go - I really am getting a little depressed thinking about the loss of the "baby" years and on to the toddler years. I know it must happen - but gosh they grow up too fast!

I still can't get over how good Brody is with his little sister. Tonight she was all over him while he was trying to eat a snack and then again when he was trying to play his game. He doesn't get mad at all, he just tolerates her. It seems like I say it every week - but we really couldn't ask for better kids!

Forty Six Weeks - Is it possible to have healthy kids?

I finally got a picture of Addisen standing. It seems to be her favorite thing now - she will crawl over to the couch and then just stand next to me as I am sitting here. Part of me thinks she doesn't know how to sit down and the other part thinks that she is just pretty impressed with herself.

I am guessing we are going to have a little tomboy on our hands because she is so in love with her brother's toys.

Yesterday it was beautiful here, so I thought it would be a great opportunity to take some pictures at the local park. The only problem was that I didn't account for the time change and how quickly it gets dark here! I was still able to salvage a few of the shots.

This is one of my favorites! She's sooo big!

Addisen is just always so happy - even when she is sick. Today we were back at the doctor to recheck her ear and sure enough it is still infected. We are now on the third antibiotic for this ear infection. Our appointment with ENT isn't until the 22nd, so I am really hopeful that this antibiotic will work - I don't want her to have delays in walking or talking due to this infection!

Along with her ear infection she also has thrush - so that means an antibiotic two times a day, nystatin oral liquid 4 times a day, a diaper rash cream four times a day, fluoride once a day and her inhaler once a day - and you would never guess that this girl is sick! I have to admit that I sit here wondering if I did the right thing with sending the kids to daycare, but ultimately I really had no choice. I try to remind myself that Brody is now extremely healthy and so smart - it is worth it in the end right? I don't know that I could ever say that, because I still feel like I am missing out on so much by being at work full time. Looking back I have to laugh, I became a pharmacist so that I could work part time and be home with my family...some where along the line things did not go as planned!

I am so thankful that through it all Addisen is the happiest girl - at least I don't feel like she is suffering in any way. She is a great blessing to our family - a reminder that I shouldn't take things so seriously or get upset about little things.

These shots are some of my favorites too.

And here is my all time favorite - little sister watching her big brother - we are so lucky that they like each other so much!

I can't believe how much Addisen has "grown up" in the last two weeks - it seems like she is a toddler now instead of my baby. It is hard to believe that she will be 1 in about a month! Where did this year go?

Here's big brother with his cheesy smile!

We got a new addition to the family this weekend - a Betta fish named Charlie. I am already that crazy mother trying to do everything she can to keep her son's fish alive. Tonight I got home and he was laying in the filter (it had been unplugged because I read that Betta fish do no like turbulence). My heart sank and I called downstairs to Jim that someone wasn't swimming anymore. Right before Brody came up the stairs I took a look back in the tank....and he was gone! To my amazement he was swimming around - so he either enjoys the "bed" at the top of the tank, or tomorrow I am going to find him at the bottom!

A funny Brody story - Last night he was in the bathroom by himself and he had just finished going #2. Jim and I were in the dining room and heard him flush the toilet and yell "Fire in the Hole!" All we could do was laugh - where does he get these things? (probably from his dad).

Forty Five Weeks - Addisen's First Halloween!

We were a little late getting to our pumpkin carving this year..

Brody had already helped carve one pumpkin at school, so he was brave enough to scoop out some of the guts!

Eww!

His favorite part of carving pumpkins is using the "drill" and hammer to pound in the little light pegs that we have.

Mr. Cheese posing with our pumpkins!

On Friday Brody and Addisen had their Halloween Party at School. I got there and found Brody like this - the headless dragon! He said his hair was too hot for the head.

The teachers loved Addisen in her skunk outfit!

Tonight Grandma and Bobo came to our house to go Trick or Treating with us. Addisen and Brody did a great job and they even kept their heads on for the majority of the time!

Addisen was so interested in Brody's costume tonight. She was crawling all over him, which of course led to him crying because she scratched him. I can't wait to see what happens when she can really move!

Skunk and Dragon kisses!

Grandma showing off her pride and joy!

Brody did a great job saying Trick or Treat and Thank You tonight!

A rare photo with Bobo and Grandma!

The big accomplishment this week was Addisen pulling herself up to standing! I can't believe I didn't get a picture of it - but she can pretty much pull herself up on anything. I think it will be just a few weeks before we have a toddler in our house!

The other big news was Addisen's check up on an ear infection she had about a month ago. Unfortunately the infection was still there, so she is on another antibiotic and we will be going to see the ENT at the end of November. This girl is following in her big brother's foot steps - Jim and I just don't make good lungs or ears!

We hope everyone had a HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Forty Four Weeks - Fall Fun!

We are very blessed to have two kids that love each other so much!

This weekend our neighborhood had a Halloween Party for the kids. My mom did an AWESOME job making the kids their costumes. I don't have many great pictures of them together (or Brody alone) because he isn't too into the picture thing right now.

This photo is not the best quality - but by far one of my favorites! The look on their faces tells the story in our house most of the time - Addisen is in LOVE with her brother and all of his toys and he tolerates her!

The cutest skunk I have ever seen!

Laughing at her daddy!

This picture tells the story of our trick or treating. The whole time the kids were in the wagon Brody would say "Mom, Addisen is taking my candy" and I would say "She isn't going to eat it, just let her play with it".

On Sunday we finally made it to pick out our pumpkins. We have been meaning to go for the last few weeks but the time just seems to be flying by!

Brody was very excited when he found a lady bug on one of the pumpkins - he was insistent that we do not buy that one because it would bother the ladybug! Shortly after this picture the ladybug ended up on his pant leg - thankfully daddy was to the rescue and removed the bug!

Finally a good picture of Mommy and Addisen - now we need to get one of Brody and Mommy!

I love how Brody's smile has evolved into a Joker like smile!

I was really hoping to get Addisen's 10 month pictures when we were at the pumpking patch - but unfortunately it was past nap time and she wasn't happy! This is the best we got!

And then we have Mr. Cheese!