Someday...

Someday...

• I will have furniture that is not hand-me-downs and mismatched.
• All of my picture frames will have beautiful photos in them and be hung on the wall.
• I will take cooking classes.
• My scrapbooks will be up-to-date and all printed out and beautiful.
• My house will be beautifully decorated, and coordinated, for each season.
• We will own our own home.
• I will find the perfect place for everything I own and be organized.

But for now...

• I will sit on my comfy couch and put my feet up on the coffee table my husband made by hand.
• I will smile when I look at the half-empty photo frames because it means I have so many more memories to fill them with.
• I'll stare at the boxes, empty and full stacked around me and be happy that it means something new is starting.
• I will give up a little organization to lay on the floor with Addilyn and watch her giggle.

For now I will be happy with what I have and where I am.

Month 5 and Big Changes

Addilyn's Baby Blessing 01/01/12

This has been one crazy month for us. We finished up our visit to Utah with some bowling with Addi's cousins. Actually, a lot of bowling with family thanks to the sweet gift from Dustin's parents- our own custom-fit bowling balls and shoes. Was the most random and loved present ever :)

Our New Years Eve consisted of Addilyn sleeping while Mom and Dad watched Bones on Netflix. Pretty boring around here, although we did toast with some Martinelli's at midnight.

The next day was a hustle to get ready for Addilyn's baby blessing. My sweet little girl was surrounded by her uncles and grandpa's as her daddy gave her a very sweet blessing (even though he was super nervous, poor guy).

Addilyn with Mom and Dad

Addilyn and Mommy

Addilyn with Daddy

A few days later we returned to North Carolina, but not before I (Kim) had a second interview for a position at Utah State University. On Friday, January 7th I got the official offer to work as a Speech-Language Pathologist for the Center for Persons with Disabilities at USU, doing Early Intervention and Clinical Services. After that we started a mad dash to get the house packed up, finish up work, and be ready to move by February 10th. More on that later...

We're Moving!

Addilyn at 5 months

4 months (just a little late...)

Addilyn has had A LOT of firsts this month;

Addilyn at 4 months

• First time rolling over back-to-front. She would then yell because she was stuck on her tummy and hated it.
• First time on a plane. It was not a pleasant experience. Really she was only bad during take-off and landing but it was just so hard to watch her be uncomfortable and not be able to do anything about it. 

About to take-off on her first airplane ride.

• First time meeting a bunch of different family members and friends. It was so much fun to get to share our little sweetheart with everyone we love.

Hanging out with cousin Tayler

Addilyn, Mommy, and cousin Nya

• First Aggie game. Luckily it was Christmas break so the Spectrum wasn't quite as loud as it can be but she still wasn't a fan of all the yelling. She fell asleep with my hands covering her ears though.

My little Big Blue

• First time rolling over front-to-back. Now she gets around everywhere!
• First solid food- Rice cereal. It didn't go well.
• First Christmas! So much fun with our family and seeing her with all her cousins.

Mom and Addi on Christmas

Cousin Shae checking out Addi's haul

Addi's stocking

Merry Christmas

3 months

Addilyn at 3 months
11/27/11

I can't believe how fast this little girl is growing up! At church today everyone said how big she has gotten and it's so true!

She is getting a little less cuddly and wants to sit up like a big girl more and more. I love watching her sit on her dad's lap. She just looks like his little buddy and is so content to watch whatever daddy is doing and explore her new favorite toy- hands. I often will hear her smacking down on her hands from her room or swing. She also loves holding mommy and daddy's hands and sometimes will not fall asleep unless she has a hold of a finger in each hand.

Snuggling with Daddy
10/31/11

She is now sleeping in her crib rather than the swing, which is a good thing because she's such a wiggly thing I was sure she was going to jump out of it. She is a wiggly thing in her crib too. I have found her in about a million different positions every time I go to get her out of bed including having her feet sticking through the slats, laying sideways with her head and feet bumping the sides, and turned a complete 180 from how I put her in, but her favorite is laying on her side with a hand in her mouth.

She is the happiest little girl ever! Well, about 90% of the time. We made it through her first cold this month. Mostly she was still her smiley self, she just couldn't breath very well. We recently discovered that she is ticklish and we're having lots of fun getting her to giggle. She must be camera shy though because I can't ever get her to do it when we're on the video chat with the family.

Addi with a cold
11/5/11

I am so grateful for technology! We got to talk to both of Dustin's brothers who returned home from their missions last week and my family on Thanksgiving. Last year our trip home for Thanksgiving was a whirl-wind and then we turned around and flew back home 2 weeks later. It was crazy enough with just the 2 of us last year so we decided that there was no way we were going to try that with a 3 month old. So we had our own little Thanksgiving and I have to say it turned out just perfect. I was so nervous to cook the turkey but it turned out great.

The Turkey!

Our Thanksgiving spread

Showing off her Thanksgiving Outfit from Aunt Kaylee

Watching Mom and Dad cook dinner

And we will be traveling to Utah soon! So excited for Addilyn to meet all her aunts, uncles, cousins, and honorary aunts! Until then here are some more pictures of our sweet girl to tide everyone over.

She feels the same way I do about 9 o'clock church!
11/27/11

Loving those fingers
11/27/11

Sitting up so big!
11/27/11

Month 2

A little late on my post of my 2 month old baby girl. 

Here's her stats for the month:

• Length: 21 3/4" (yep that's right she's shrunk since she was born, she had a big bump on her head for the first couple of weeks)
• Weight: 10 pounds 10 ounces (my perfect 10!)
• Head: 15"

She loves:

• Her binkie (or "paci" as everyone around here calls it)
• Her swing
• Mommy and Daddy
• Getting her diaper changed
• Taking a bath
• Being held
• Having her hands up by her face or in her mouth

She hates:

• Her crib
• The car seat
• When mom puts bows on her head
• Getting dressed
• Being swaddled
• The vacuum

Here's some photos from our past month:

Sleepy Girl
9/29/11

Showing off her Poke-a-dot Jacket
10/15/11

All ready for her first time at Church
10/16/11

Chillin in the Bumbo
10/19/11

Laughing at mommy
10/19/11

All ready for a night out on the town with Mom and Dad
10/21/11

I don't think she likes the bow!
10/21/11

Baby Bear
10/25/11

Papa Bear, Mama Bear and Baby Bear at the ward Trunk-or-Treat
10/25/11

Mama Bear and Baby Bear
10/25/11

This is what it looks like when it's time to eat around here
10/27/11

Posing for mom and dad
10/29/11

All smiles!
10/29/11

Looking at mommy
10/29/11

Perfection
10/29/11

1 Month

I can't believe my baby girl is one month old already! So this is what I want to remember about my dear sweet girl at this age.

Addilyn-

You are such a sweet baby. I love watching you when you sleep. Every once in a while the sweetest smile will creep across your face or you will let out what sounds like a giggle. I love that when I change your diaper you don't cry or scream or fuss (unless you are particularly hungry), you just stare at the poke-a-dots on the sign with your name on it and make sweet cooing and grunting noises.

I love how your cheeks are getting a little chub to them now and how you have the perfect little chin. I love how your mouth drops open and your bottom lip sticks out when you sleep, just like your daddy.

I have the feeling that you are getting spoiled by being held all the time since you now have times when you fuss if you're anywhere but in our arms but your dad and I just can't help it. You are so snuggly and sweet.

Nursing has not gone as smoothly as I would have hoped but when you cooperate I love hearing the sweet satisfied cooing noises and when hold my finger while you're eating. I love how comfy you look laying on my shoulder and how you always fall asleep when I try to burp you and look like you are just so content.

I wonder what you will look like as you grow. Will those dark dark blue eyes turn to brown like your dads or will they stay a blueish-greenish-grayish like mine? Will your hair keep the little wave it has now and be curly? Will your hair ever grow or will you stay bald forever like I did when I was a baby? I wonder what you will be like too. Will you stay so sweet or is a storm of colic in my future? Are you going to be stubborn or sweet? What will make you laugh?

In a few short weeks my time with you will start to shrink as I head back to work. I hope you will never resent me for doing this. I love being your mom and maybe someday that will be my only job but for now I will leave you in the loving hands of your daddy. I know that he will take such good care of you and that you will both benefit from spending this time together.

I hope you know that we hoped, dreamed and prayed for you before you were even born. You are our dream come true and never doubt that you are loved.

Love,

Your Mommy