First Day of Work

I had to work today to tie up a bunch of projects before Christmas, and Jillian's department had an emergency project that had to be completed. So we were left with the conundrum of what to do with Addison. We weighed our options very carefully, but in the end she had to come to work with us. I know! This was highly irregular for our workplace, but it was the day before Christmas Eve, and there was hardly anyone at the office.

She did so great! She was enamored by the new sights and people. We made everyone wash their hands and use sanitizer before touching her, and we kept her away from anyone with a cough, but she made a ton of new friends. It was a busy day for her, and thoroughly wore her out. I think by the end of the day she was wondering why her parents make such a big deal of this work thing-she got all of her work done and even found that we need to take better advantage of nap time.

Honestly, for the most part, she just slept on the extra chair in my office or stared happily at everything around her.

Her bed for the day.


A very long conference call!

Sweet Tooth

We went in for Addison's 3rd RSV shot (only 4 more to go) and the nurse pulled out a dum dum sucker and in my mind I was thinking ok that is kind of weird to give her a sucker that she can't even eat but whatever, well then she opened it and put it in her mouth. Steve and I were just a little shocked at this point we were both looking at her and she realized then that Addison had never had a sucker so she explained. The sweet toot (that is an ingredient in dum dums) releases happy endorphins and since Addison is underdeveloped she can't be happy and feel pain at the same time. I remember the nurses giving Addison sweet toot in the hospital before they poked her or put her feeding tube in. No one ever explained to us why though. I didn't have my real camera so I just took a picture with my cell but it didn't turn out great but here it is anyways!!!!

I love the modern days

There are so many things that make life easier and this little cozy comfort thing is fabulous. I just bought it Saturday, it just fits right over your car seat and keeps all the cold air out and germs. I love it! We are so lucky to live now a days, I just think back to the pioneers and even my grandparents, wow how life was a lot more work then.


Wonderful invention



You wouldn't even know she is inside.

3 months already??

Tomorrow Addison will be 3 months old, I can't believe how time flies. She is just the joy of our lives and we spend so much of our time with her and we love every second, it never feels like we have enough time. I've started working as soon as Steve gets home I go to work and then when I get home I just hold Addison forever, I hate being away from her when she is this small.
Today she was weighed and she weighs 9 lb 7 oz which seems so big. She also slept in her own room in her crib last night for the first time, she did so good. I was a nervous wreck the whole time but she was just fine. We are borrowing this alarm called Angel Care from our friends and you put it under the mattress and it senses the baby's movements, if she doesn't move for 30 seconds the alarm goes off. When we first brought her home the alarm went off quite a few times so we'd go running into the room and a few times she really wasn't breathing so we'd have to pick her up and pat her firmly on her back, those were scary times, and then a few times she'd be in there just fine she was probably just breathing shallow. Anyways, we still have that alarm so it gives me a lot of security. We are also borrowing our crib from Dawn & Nate, it is so cute and it is really nice to finally have her in a crib and have her in her nursery. We still have a few things to do to finish the nursery the biggest project is the trim but we are going to do that this spring when it is warm outside, other than that we just need to declutter and organize. We have a big armoire in the room because our closets are tiny in this house so Steve's clothes are all in Addison's room so she uses the Armoire. I hope you enjoy the pictures!! Oh and Steve measured last night she is only 12 feet from our bed, so she isn't to far.


Our messy armoire


Nursery it is a lady bug theme if you couldn't tell


She loves her crib


More crib


Just a cute picture of her midriff. Newborn clothes just don't quite fit right yet almost though.

Out and About

I have the best husband in the world. I've known this forever but it just keeps getting reconfirmed for me. I've been going into work every night when Steve gets home and working really crazy hours and just getting so stressed because not being able to take Addison out of the house it has been hard to buy groceries, christmas presents or even run basic errands. So last Saturday Steve said he would watch Addison while I went out which was such a big relief for me, I got a ton done but it took all day. When I got home our house was really straightened up and organized. Well, this Friday night my department at work had a Christmas party and Steve told me to go, and he would watch Addison. So I went and had a great time and then on Saturday we did a Christmas cookie exchange and again he stayed home with Addison while I went out. I also went and finished up my shopping. I missed them both and I can't wait until we can go out as a family one day, but I appreciate him staying home and taking care of Addison for me. He is the best!

Christmas shopping this year has been fairly easy for us, we both decided we have everything we need and we have a lot of wants, so we are saving our money for a couple trips we are taking this coming year. In April we are going to Huntington Beach California for Lil Nate's (steve's youngest brother) wedding, we are so excited to see all our family and spend time with everyone. Then in June we are going to try to go to Colorado to see my family. It has been over 3 years since I"ve been back to the town I grew up in, where most of my extended family live and I haven't seen my littlest sister in over a year. We are also going to stop in Colorado Springs where my Grandma and my Aunt Molly and her family live, I haven't seen them for a couple years, so this will be a much needed trip, we need to keep up with our families and see each other more often but it is so hard when you live 10 hours away. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that gas will stay the same or even go down!

This was a random post but this is what was on my mind tonight!!!


MERRY CHRISTMAS

Playwright

I wanted to post that Steve has finally published one of his plays. I know that he has many other plays but he has only published 1 so far. It is really time consuming, and he has put a lot of hard work into this particular one. Steven's Senior Year of college he actually had a version of this plays performed on campus. It was so awesome for me and for his family and friends to be able to see it performed! Steve's talents amaze me. I know that he loves writing, especially plays, and his dream is to open a live theater and be a professor of on a college level. I hope one day he will be able to fulfill that dream. I know that something will work out for us because I've really seen how passionate Steve is about his writing. It might take us a few years but I'm sure he'll be doing what he loves before too long. If you'd like to go take a look at the website and read about the play just go to
www.lulu.com and search "fact of twilight" or go to this link http://www.lulu.com/content/5251916


What the cover looks like

It's Christmas Time Again

We are so excited for Christmas, it just seems to be a happier time now that we have Addison. We know that she isn't going to understand anything about Christmas and she won't be opening any presents, but having her sweet little spirit in our home is so special and fun! I never could have imagined being able to love a little baby as much as I love her. Yesterday we put up our Christmas tree and other decorations and it was great! Here are a few pictures of the day! We have tons of Christmas decorations up all over the house, I'll have to post those pictures later! I hope you enjoy!



Here is the tree all lit up!


Tree without lights



This is how Addison helped


Here is Steve decorating away!

Thankful

This is about a week late but I can't help but post what I'm most thankful for. Addison is almost 3 months old and so healthy now I forget how critical she was when she was born, but I remember that whole 4 weeks she was in the Hospital I never prayed so hard or so much in my life, I just wanted her to be ok, I wanted her to be healthy and not be in pain. As I look back our family was so blessed and I never want to forget how blessed we were. Our family, friends, neighbors, and ward members took such great care of us and I'm grateful to everyone who had us in their prayers, we felt the power of the prayers daily. Here is my list of things I'm thankful for.

1.) The gospel, knowing I'm never alone and will not be given more than I can handle.

2.) Eternal Families

3.) Steve & Addison, they are my greatest blessings

4.) Family and Friends, we have truly been blessed with the greatest

5.) Temples

6.) Modern Day Prophets

7.) Our jobs in this troubled economy

8.) Addison's health and development, she is showing great progress

9.) Steve's patience, understanding and hard work. He has made a lot of sacrifices for our family.

10.) Power of prayer

Our Addison

Mom giving her baby kisses!


She is our little ballerina



We love this tutu


My Thanksgiving dress


Such a cute dress


Dad and Addison napping


Mom and Addison reading, Addison fell asleep!

Updates on Addison

Addison looks so healthy she is starting to look like a regular newborn. I think she is advanced to what a regular new born is too, when we brought her home at 4 weeks she was starting to lift her head and hold it for short times, now she does this all the time. She scoots herself around too, we will wake up in the morning and her head will be up against her bassinet bars and she'll have indention's on her head because she scoots around, she also has started almost rolling, a few times she has ended up on her side and I don't know if these are fluke accidents but she has done them. She is also smiling a lot more and turns her head to look at me when I'm talking to her. I can't wait to get her smile on camera it is so cute, it always makes me cry when she looks right up at me and smiles. We just love her so much, she is the joy of our lives and we couldn't imagine our lives without her, they would be so plain and boring. It is hard to not take her out and show her off especially for Thanksgiving.



I had to post this. It looks like she is going on a safari! Now doesn't she look healthy to you?

I guess we are staying here and having our very own Thanksgiving just the three of us, it will be just fine I'm sure. I don't have any groceries for Thanksgiving and I won't have a chance to go shopping until tomorrow night so keep your fingers crossed that there will be some Thanksgiving food left for us! I can just picture my experience tomorrow and I hope it isn't like Christmas with the Kranks where the mom goes to get a ham and it's the last one so she struggles with another person and wins the battle and then as she gets out to her car the ham falls out and gets ran over by a semi-truck. I'm just hoping that there is plenty of food, I know last year the city had ran out of yams and things got ugly. Hopefully it will be a quiet calm experience, I'm not looking for a turkey I'm just looking for a ham a very small ham so we should be fine. It will nice to be able to have all this family time. I'm thinking come April you will not be able to keep us indoors we are going to be gone all the time making up for the six months we were on lock down.

Paranoid

So Steve and I are always debating if we are too paranoid with Addison, I mean I wash my hands so much that they are constantly bleeding. We have had this debate a lot with the upcoming holidays, we really want to spend time with our families and friends and I even asked her Doctor about going around people and he said it was a risk and basically we had to decide if we wanted to risk it, but then he said you can't keep locked up all winter you'll go crazy so I was like yeah your right. Saturday was Addison's 2nd RSV shot and the nurses there had me in tears by the time they were done with their educational training. They showed us pictures of what Addison's lungs and airways look like compared to a new born and hers are so narrow and closed off already, if she got RSV the chances of survival are minimal. Something else interesting we learned is most viruses can only live on a surface for a max of one hour but RSV can live on surfaces for up to 14 hours, so they said that we needed to change our clothes whenever we go out and come home because it can live on clothes and then we can pass it to her this way. Who would have thought?




It isn't a great picture but the picture on the far left is a full term newborn with RSV and the picture on the right is a pre term baby with RSV

More RSV facts
This is for parents with babies, RSV is a common cold in most adults they wouldn't know they have RSV but in a child it is severe and most children have had the virus by the time they are 2. There are shots to protect your child but unless your child is high risk insurance companies will not pay for this shot. The shots are not vaccines they are just a shot that basically goes in and covers the babies receptors so that RSV can't attach as easily.
Always make everyone wash their hands right when they come into your home.
Make sure you always wash your hands and don't let anybody touch your babies hands.
The nurses said do not take your baby around anyone that has been sick within the last 2 weeks.

I'm sure you all think that I am a freak and overly paranoid but if you have been through what I have, with all the lectures, the papers in the mail, the phone calls and at least a dozen medical providers telling us that Addison wouldn't live if she were to get RSV this first year I hope you'd be the same way. I just want all these little babies to be protected, they are so fragile.

I've been tagged
Tagged
8 T.V. shows that I like to watch......
1. Little People Big World
2. Oprah
3. Good Morning America
4. John & Kate Plus Eight
5. Amazing Race
6. Friends
7. Ellen-sometimes
8. Grey's Anatomy

8 things that happened yesterday.......
1. Fed Addison a lot
2. Took Addison to get her shots
3. Did Dishes
4. Did Addison's laundry
5. Went to work
6. Watched Felicity with Steve
7. Straightened up the house
8. Held and played with Addi

8 favorite places to eat(no particular order)
1. Pita Pit
2. Wingers
3. Red Robin
4. In and Out Burger
5. Texas Roadhouse
6. Craigos
7. Olive Garden
8. PF Chang's

8 things I am looking forward to......
1. Spring so we can take Addison out of the house
2. Christmas
3. Steve and I retiring so we can do whatever we want whenever we want
4. Possibly a family trip to Colorado this summer
5. Addison getting stronger and healthier
6. Losing weight ( I don't know if it will ever happen)
7. Going on a cruise again with Steve
8. A day when I don't have to work anymore

8 things on my wish list......
1.To go out with Steve and Addison someplace together
2. Join LA Weightloss my friend did and she looks amazing
3. A slightly larger house, not huge just slightly larger, with a dining room
4. For Addison to grow up healthy and happy
5. Lose some of the extra pregnancy pounds
6. Be able to eat whatever I want and not gain weight
7. For our little family to be happy and have the things that we need.


8 people that I tag.......
1. Amanda
2. Jennie
3. Christine
4. Jamie
5. Stefanie
6. Candi
7. Kristen
8. Mandy

And anyone else that wants to.

Stay-at-home Parents

I am starting to gain the most respect for stay-at-home parents. This is an exhausting job. Mind you, I only get a glimpse of it. Jillian is at work tonight and I am playing the stay-at-home parent. I only do it for a few hours at a time, but I don't know how those of you who do this full-time get anything done in your day. If I had this job to do, our child would be fed and clean, but our house would have gone to pot long ago.

I found this picture, and from the angle, it looks like I took it, but I don't remember it. On this one, I am going to say that Addison is as addicted to 'Grey's Anatomy' as her parents. She's such a fanatic that we even had to fashion her her own skull cap-- look how excited she is! I don't know what we're going to do when '24' comes around this weekend if she is already this gung-ho about 'Grey's.'

Size update

Addison is now 2 months and 1 day old. She had he doctor appointment today and she weighs 7 pounds 9 ounces and is 19 inches long. She is in the 1 percentile for her weight and head and not in a percentile for her length I guess but the doctor said to take that with a grain of salt. He said Addison is doing so well and he can't believe that she is already two months and already doing so well. He seemed really surprised that she hasn't been colicky yet because most preemies have that problem. I know that I am going to pay later for saying this but she is an easy baby so far, just feed and change her and she usually doesn't make a peep. She is starting to talk more and move her hands a lot. She is just starting to roll to her side, so we have to be careful where we lay her because a couple times she has moved quite close to the edge of our bed or couch.
I also talked to the doctor about the possibility of taking her to our families house for Thanksgiving and he said that there are risks involved but we can't be locked up forever or else we'll go crazy ( i think that I already have) so he said just make sure there aren't more people than you can count on one hand and keep little kids away from her. Steve and I will have to think about this because we are still very paranoid about her getting sick, but I'm excited that the doctor didn't just come out and say NO because that is what I was expecting.

Love

So I put Addison down for a nap with a clean, pretty face, and this is how she wakes up! It happens almost every time. This was a good day, sometimes her milk face is all over the side of her face and in her hair. This is just one of those things we love about our little girl.



And this is Addison, just chilling on Mom and Dad's bed. We caught her with her hands raised like this. We always catch her in the cutest poses while she's sleeping!





We have no idea where she picked this one up. Is she telling us that she needs to be changed? You know it's bad when she has to plug her own nose.



Steve doesn't really like this hat, but I think it is really cute. She got it at the hospital. It was made by a group of old ladies who make them and donate them for all of the new babies.



FROM STEVE-- I do like it! I call it her beatnik hat.

Happy Due Date

Today is November 10th, today is Addison's original due date. From the start of my pregnancy I told everyone that I knew that I wasn't going to go to this date, I kept saying I just know that I'll have her at least by Halloween. I really wanted to have her by Halloween so I could dress her up. Plus I just had this feeling, with as active and on the go as I was that there is no way that little baby was staying in for 40 weeks. Now, I never imagined IN MY LIFE that she would be born 2 months early and be a preemie and be in the NICU, and I would NEVER EVER choose to have a preemie and I feel very deeply for those that have been through that experience. I really couldn't have dealt with this as well as I did without my family, especially my sister in law Dawn. Dawn is an amazing person, the Holiday's are so lucky to have her as a sister, when they talk about their mom (Donna) I just picture Dawn,Dawn has so many of her mom's attributes. Dawn was there when I was on bed rest, she kept me company and she has kept Addison well stocked on clothes, diapers and wipes. When Dawn heard we were having Addison early, she came right over to the Hospital and she just filled me in on what was going to happen and I was able to ask her tons of questions because her twin boys were the exact same age as Addison when they were born. It was so nice to be able to call and ask her questions and just to spend time with Dawn, Nate, and the boys after Addison was born but was still in the Hospital. It seems like whenever I'm having a bad day or I'm stressed about getting dinner together, Dawn calls and invites us over, it just seems like she knows. Anyways, I've just been thinking all day long about how lucky we are that Addison is here and she is safe and she is so lucky to have so many Aunts, Uncles, nieces, nephews, Grandparents, and Great-Grandparents that love her.

We've decided that we are going to wish Addison a happy due date ever year on this day.

I also have a deeper respect for mothers that go the full 40 weeks. I don't know how you do it. I really think I would have physically popped, (maybe it was due to the water retention) man 40 weeks is a LONG TIME!

Just trying out some new poses with her friend the scarecrow



A lamb costume I bought last year before I was pregnant. It was only $3.15
needless to say it was WAY to BIG



CUTE



That look is priceless

Cutest Trick or Treaters

We had a few trick or treaters come to our house last night. It was so sad because we REALLY wanted to be able to take Addison out just to a few of our friends houses, but we decided since the first case of RSV has been diagnosed here in Idaho we should stay in doors with her. I wanted to post pictures of the cutest trick or treaters of the night. You'll have to guess who they are. I'll tell you they are transformers but that's it!

Bumble Bee & Optimus Prime



Also Known As Garrett & Grant

Halloween Photo Shoot

We really want to get some nice pictures of Addison that are cute and different then just your normal photos so this was our attempt. Addison did really well through the whole thing. She is just so small. We went to the Doctor on Monday and she weighs 5 lbs 14oz!!! She is right on target the Doctor said. It is just weird that she is 6 weeks old and 5 pounds when people are having 8-10 pound newborns!!

Where is Addison?



She's just hanging with the pumpkins



CUTE



She did so good with this one at first



Yep, she finally had it with us.......OR is she smiling?

Addison's confused

You have to forgive Addison she is fairly new to the world. She wanted to wear this today?

She is crazy!! I think we need to send her out to Arizona to live with her cousins!!

My family

Tonight my little sister Shayla (she is 18) got in a car wreck which was really upsetting to us all because she is at college all by her self. She is going to school at Adams State College in Alamosa Colorado, which is 14 hours from me. You just feel so helpless in a situation like that. She texted me a picture of her car which was totalled, and that just made it worse because honestly she is so lucky to be alive. It just really hit me hard that she could have been taken from us just like that. I'm really glad that she is ok. I love Shayla so much and I'm so proud of all that she has accomplished already in her life. She is so fun and full of life! I just want to post a ilttle about each one of my siblings.

Here is a picture of the car



Amanda (the oldest)
She is so sweet and sensitive, she makes sure that everyone is taken care of. She has always been a great example to me and I've always looked up to her! I consider her my very best friend, because she knows all the bad about me but still loves me! If you ever need a pick up Amanda would be the one to call.

Jeremiah
He is very loving guy. Behind his muscular tough guy build there is one sweet brother, husband and dad in there! Jeremiah brings the life to the party, you might want to make sure you have ear plugs and nose plugs if you are in tight quarters with him! Jeremiah is very loving and fun!!

Courtney
She is very quite and private but she has a lot of love to share. Courtney is very forgiving and kind. Courtney loves all of her nieces and nephews very much. She'd do anything for her family. She is very ambitous and she'll go far in this life. Courtney has such a cute personality. I don't know where she comes up with some of her jokes but they are pretty funny!

Shayla
Like I said before she is full of life and spunk. She will always be my little taters. Shayla loves everyone and always has something positive to say.

I love my family so much and I'm so grateful that Heavenly Father has put me here on this earth with them. I wouldn't change any of them for the world. They have helped shape me be the person that I am.

Picture update

This is Addison all ready for the day. Her bow is a little big.



We don't know if it fell off or if she pulled it off.



She loves her swing, and being swaddled in the blanket it came with.



Just chillin



So cute


Addison is doing REALLY well! She sleeps, eats, and poops. People aren't kidding when they say that is all that babies do. We love her so much. I actually waste a lot of time because sometimes I'll just be sitting there staring at her or holding her and seriously an hour will go by. I know that there are chores to get done but I don't really feel bad at all because there is always time for chores later or when she grows up, but right now she will always have my attention!! We are still amazed at how cute she is, I'm sure it is because we are her parents but man she is cute!!