A View on Marriage

There is a picture that sits on my dining room buffet of Michael and I on our first date. It's probably rare that people have pictures of their first date, but we were fortunate to be attending an event with a shutterbug present.

Early on I put that picture in a frame where it has sat through changed seasons and rooms and addresses.

I recently attempted to take the picture out of the frame only to find that it is impossible. By some event of moisture or heat or mere chemical reaction, that picture has adhered itself to the glass of the frame. It can never be removed or the entire integrity of that picture will be destroyed. The photo will be torn from the paper and the picture will be destroyed.

I thought today about the irony of that situation as it pertains to our marriage.

Just like that picture of Michael and I, our marriage has been effected by so many things. We have had our seasons. There have been sorrows and joys and struggles and bliss. Maybe it was the moisture of our tears or the heat of our anger that made the bond so strong. Or was it the wetness of our kisses and the burn of our passion? Whatever the contributors, they have resulted in a bond wherein any attempt to break it would destroy both parties.

It's a little scary to think I'm so connected to another being. And yet it's the biggest comfort I can ever imagine.

So, I'll never ever take that picture out of the frame. It will and must remain, untouched for eternity in order to preserve it's integrity. And with my marriage, I must strive to do the same.

Halloweeeeeeeeen

Little Miss Queen of Hearts.

The Party

I think she liked it.
See more pics here.

Birthday Blog

Addison on her birthday!

I love this outfit.

One of her birthday photos from the mall.

Five days late. That's about right. I think I'm perpetually five days late on everything these days. Moving on.

Addison turned one on the 23rd. My baby girl is growing up. She's taken a total of 4 steps so far. She is also really partial to a hamburger all the while, still extremely attached to her bottle. She has a great right curve that can send a sippy cup clear across the kitchen. But the girl's also got rhythm. If there's a beat, she'll start boppin' to it. I cannot convey the joy I feel when she buries her head in my chest or grabs both sides of my face with her hands, only to slobber all over my chin. Almost as enjoyable are her blown kisses of which she'll give out to pretty much anyone who asks.

Our newest feat - What sound does the doggy make? (She answers with a grunt grunt). What sound does the kitty cat make? (A long and quiet "mow"). My kid is smart, I'm tellin' ya!

Pigs, sheep and cows have yet to make it into her animal repertoire, but the barnyard sound corral is getting fuller by the day.
For her birthday, we had a Large party. Notice the capital letter there. It was a bunch-o-people. She had a blast and so did I. Not to mention, she racked up. We are now clothed for winter....THANK YOU ALL!
She also received fluffy new car set for a forward-facing gal. She really can enjoy that in-flight movie now. I'm so glad since we paid extra for the DVD feature.
Michael and I gave her a red wagon and a radio flyer bouncing horse. She absolutely loves cruising around the yard in her deluxe, 1 human powered vehicle. She's even had her first wreck. Luckily the spill only resulted in a face full of grass and dirt. (Note to self, 6 year olds are reckless wagon drivers..lol).
I will post party pictures as soon as I can. My laptop has died and I am a blogger without her tools!

Faces

Sometimes you don't need words.

Each little milestone

It is clearly evident that I am already falling behind on recording my daughters' achievements. I'm pretty sure I haven't weighed her since her 9 month doctor's appointment and I'm also fairly certain that I haven't recorded all her new teeth or words, or funny little nuances that developed seemingly overnight.
Six. We have six teeth now. Four up top and 2 on the bottom.
Mama, Dada, bye-bye are our favorite "words" and our biggest achievement this week....drum roll..."UH-OH!"
Addison can stand really really well. She rolls around and stands and sits and stands and sits and falls over and rolls over to do it all again. Lots of stamina that young one.
She kisses at whomever she really likes. Sometimes it's me...sometimes it's daddy.
It is absolutely impossible to try and help her walk. She gets very annoyed at that. I see glimpses of her Independence even at 11 months.
I have read that I may become saddened by her impending 1 year birthday. I have talked with many who also share the dismay and utter disbelief that an entire year has passed by to be coined with a party and a cake-smashing spectacle.
It is upsetting. I signed up for a baby. I waited 4 long years and endured so much to conceive...for a baby. And here she is on the brink of toddlerhood.
This is reality and honestly, I love 11 month-olds even better than 10 months or 9 or 8. Each age she reaches is my absolute favorite so far. If my daughter gets to be any more fun, I don't know what I'll do with myself.
Even considering this fact, it is worrisome that Addison will be 1 year old in 2 weeks. I'm worried that all our future years will fly by with the lightning speed that this year has.
But onward we must go.
She's brilliant you know. This child of mine. In less than a year she has gone from a lump of yummy immobile baby sugar to this active acrobatic, investigative, giggle machine who just can't get enough of her surroundings.....who can pick up a cheerio with the most impressive dexterity and crawl from the living room to the kitchen in 2.3 seconds. She's an absolute magician making her bows and socks completely disappear in the blink of an eye. Not to mention the way she can fit the entire circus of animal crackers in her mouth and never choke.
All things considered, I'll probably stay off the pity party wagon and count my blessings that I'm the mom of one phenomenal little girl.

11 months Today