To Addilyn, On Your First Birthday

August 27, 2012

Dear Addilyn,

Happy birthday my sweet baby! I can't believe it has been a whole year since you were born. Words cannot begin to describe the joy you have brought to our lives. How do I tell you how wonderful you are? Almost every night me and your daddy lay in bed at night at compare notes about all the cute and wonderful things you've done that day. The conversation usually ends with "She's just so cute."

 

You make everyone around you smile. No one can resist that smile of yours, that laugh, or your wonderful little chatter. Everyone, not just your mommy, is astounded by how smart you are. You say "hi, daddy, Addi, thank you, and woof" and even though I'm not always sure your saying them on purpose, I love to hear your babble. You also love to sing. Every time you hear music I can hear your sweet little voice following along with the tune.

I love seeing you watch and learn new things. Just yesterday you picked up the forehead thermometer that I had just used on you and held it up to your head like you knew exactly what it was for. You do the same thing with any electronic device in our hands. You've mastered the use of the iPad and hold anything that resembles a phone up to your ear. Your favorite thing to do is to look at pictures on our phones. I love the way you laugh and giggle at pictures of yourself and other little kids.

I love that you are equally a daddy's and mommy's girl. You have been lucky enough to have a daddy that has been able to stay home with you while I work and I know the bond you two have because of that will always be there. I know you'll need that someday, like when your about 13 and are having a hard time feeling pretty or loved. I also love to see your face light up when I walk in the door and just see so clearly that you know that I am your mommy. Sometimes, it's hard for me to leave you and it's hard for me to think about the time that I am missing but I know the time I spend away makes me that much more grateful for the time I do spend with you. I cherish that time so much. I hope I am showing you all that you can be as a wife, a mother, and a girl.

Looking back at the past year, I think about all those questions I had when you were so little.  Yes, those dark dark blue eyes have turned to brown like your dad's, making you the only brown-eyed grandbaby in the Dutro family, and I love it. Yes, you have followed your mommy's looks in the hair department and are still as bald as can be.

Yes, you have stayed as sweet as you were at one month old, with just a little bit of stubborn and sweet sassiness that I just love. And you love to laugh, at Daddy stealing your binkie, at me or your dad tickling you, at your cousin's making faces at you, at us playing peek-a-boo, at me chasing you down the hall or up the stairs or anywhere else you thing you shouldn't be going, and sometimes you just crack up for no reason at all, like you've just told a hilarious joke that only you understand.

Now I can't wait to keep watching you grow. I love watching you take your first tentative steps and I know it won't be long until you're running all over the house. I can't wait to hear what you have to say when you can tell me just exactly what is running through that cute little head of yours. I am so excited to see your eyes light up each time you discover some new and wonderful skill, and I love being able to share it with your wonderful grandparents, aunts, uncles and friends. You are just too cute to keep to ourselves. So my sweet girl, thank you for one wonderful year together and I am so happy to know I have an eternity with you to look foreword to.

Love, 

Your Mommy

11 Months

Addilyn had a lot of new adventures when she turned 11-months old. At the end of July I knew I would have to be out of town for a work conference for a couple days so to make up for that time away from my baby I took a couple of days off and we headed to the Oregon coast for a kind of spur-of-the-moment vacation. Addilyn was quite the trooper during the 12+ hour car ride. We had so much fun at the beach, the hotel pool, seeing the sites, and visiting the aquarium. Addilyn would yell and squeal when she saw the fishies swimming around. It was a lot of fun!

Addilyn and Mom in Astoria, Oregon (Where they filmed Goonies!)

At the Seaside Aquarium feeding the seals

Seals waiting for some fish. They word start slapping their sides and barking at you to get some food. So fun!

Addilyn touching a starfish, she wasn't a fan.

Dad and Addilyn at the beach, too cold to swim!

Mom getting some snuggles at the beach.

Our first time at the ocean together!

Addilyn and mom outside the Maritime Museum.

One of the things I missed about being in Logan when we lived in North Carolina was all the summer traditions I had grown up with; days up at the lake, the fireworks on the 3rd of July at the stadium (yes the 3rd, they do that so the smaller towns can have their own fireworks on the 4th), watching the Lewiston fireworks from our backyard, the Cruise In, and the Cache County Fair. I was so glad that we got to make it to all of  those things this summer! I can't wait to see Addilyn grow up loving them as much as I do.

Addilyn and Mom sharing some corn on the cob at the fair

Dad showing Addilyn all the animals. 

The animals were the one part of the fair that I always bypassed for the food, rides and booths, but Dustin grew up on a farm so this was the ONLY part of the fair for him. Addilyn started to make the animal sounds along with her new friends, the chickens and coos. It was very cute. Overall we had a very fun summer!

10 Months

Bring on Summer! We spent some time swimming at the Lake but since it was so cold we would usually pass the lake and head to the Riverdale Hotsprings up past Preston. It took her a little bit but Addi started to love the water and is my little fish now.

Addi and her cousin Taylor

Addilyn rockin' her swimsuit at the Lake.

We also made another visit to Willow Park zoo. This time we were joined by our friends, Scott and Marinda and their little girl Lydia. Addilyn was more interested in watching Lydia than the animals but the peacocks definitely were putting on a show.

Peacock at Willow Park Zoo

Addi and Mom at the Zoo

Now I have to brag about my baby girl a little. She is such a smarty-pants. She imitates just about anything you say and has been doing it for awhile. As a speech language pathologist it just thrills me to hear her do this :-).