The conversations went something like this....

"I laughed so hard when I read your comment about JR not EVER getting sleepy. So how's he doing?"

"I saw you were on vacation in California." How was the trip?"

"Did you see what Janice posted yesterday?"

It's the new and improved world of conversation AFTER Facebook.

Last Christmas, the conversation had no jumping off point. We were a room of people with absolutely no clue about each other for the better part of a year. Virtual strangers. There was a warming up period where conversation was awkward and mucky. The niceties of getting started were a necessity. But not this year.

This year we sailed right by those "how are you's" into really great conversation. I think it actually made us all feel closer to each other because we weren't strangers reconnecting after such a long time.

So..kudos to my favorite social networking, family connecting, status conveying, sneak-a-peaking, big news breaking, helpful advice giving, got-more-friends-than-I-can-count website.

Family Pictures...click here.

See the light

As I left work today I passed Mr. White's house. He's a tenant of mine who lives beside my office. His porch is always decked out in wind chimes and plants, but to celebrate the season, he's literally decked the halls with lights. It's a festive display although small. It caught me off guard seeing it today as I left the office as night was falling. It caught me off guard when I realized, Mr. White is blind. Of all my tenants on that street - the blind one decorated for Christmas...with lights...that he'll never see. He told me he has to feel them to make sure they're burning. He has to make sure they are warm. On this same evening, I rode through a neighborhood. A seemingly normal place for people to live. Some houses I passed had decorations and some did not. As I approached the stop light, scrawled on the back of a convenient store were 2 words.."War Zone." As I looked past the decorations, there were groups of people walking the street. Were they kids? Who knows? But this didn't look like a war zone to me. The evening just seemed to be full of contradictions in my mind. A friendly looking neighborhood labeled "war zone," a blind man putting up decorations for all the world to see...except him.

December

December has been a whirlwind. We spent 14 days out west visiting family in Nevada and California. Addison had wonderful time meeting great aunts, uncles and cousins. She rode a cable car in her daddy's lap and saw her first displays of Christmas lights through the open doors of a van with the heat blasting. She's eaten shrimp salad down at Fisherman's Wharf and helped usher in the opening of an 8.5 billion dollar CityCenter in Vegas. She banged her head more times than we could count in her repeated attempts to walk...and run to the point where one bruise was yellowing as another was born. At 13 months, she has seen more of the world than I had at age 21. And she did it all with laughter and smiles and hugs and kisses - the best traveler ever. What a wonderful Christmas present. The actuality of spending 24 hours a day for 14 days with my family and seeing my little girl change by the day from an infant to a toddler. With our crawling days behind us I'm only asking for one more gift this season...running shoes, to keep up with her in the days to come.

Pictures of our TRIP.

Fox in socks...

is the most impossible book to read. If you've never read it, you should crack the cover at least once in your life if for no other reason than to give your brain a workout in rhyming. Better yet, read it out loud...to a 13 month old. I think that book can only confuse a child...or a 33 year old and even moreso trip up a tongue faster than a drunken tumble down a flight of stairs.

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

A memorial

It takes no less than 6 people to fold a flag. It's a very slow, deliberate and meticulous process. It is a very heartfelt and honorable process. But until today at a friend's father's memorial service, I never realized how much care went into the process. Nor did I realize the extreme emotion that can accompany the act.

I met my friend's dad a handful of times over the years. He was always jolly. He was always polite. He was a whole lot more than that.

It was such a phenomenon to me, this memorial service. It was purely an expression of what people loved about the man and how he affected their life. There was no music except for Shania Twain crooning in the background as we walked in. There was no singing. No "come to Jesus" speech by the Chaplin. In fact, the Chaplin was merely there as a director. He asked people to stand or come to the microphone and share their experiences and special stories of the deceased. At least half of the people there shared a story and although I didn't really know the man, I was extremely touched by what he meant to everyone else. Three times the Chaplin stood to close out the service and three times someone else had just one more tale to tell.

It was really the best service I've ever attended.

What the ....?

To say I was off of my game today is an understatement. I packed Addison up and sent her to MDO as usual. At 1:30, I went to Reid to pick her up. Except, she wasn't at Reid, she was at Mann Memorial today. So, I had to jet over to the other MDO to get her in time so that I wasn't charged the $1 per minute for every minute past 1:30. (On a side note, just sit in the parking lot of any MDO and see the mothers who get there at the last minute literally sprinting from their cars to the door to try and beat the late fees...hilarious.) When I got there, I was told by the teacher that I didn't pack Addison any baby food. Great.
So, I put Addison down for her nap at the office. Michael calls and asks for a shovel. I drive up...with a rake. And to top it all off, after work, I went to the grocery store and after an hour of shopping, come outside to find that I've parked in a handicapped space. What?!? How did that get there?
So, to say my day has been royally screwed up is, as I said earlier.....an understatement. I'm going to bed now in hopes that my brain returns tomorrow.

Why Blog?

I've been trying to collect blogs lately. I think I like reading them more than I like books. First of all, it's a short read. Who has time to sit down with "War and Peace" these days? Secondly, it's real and for that little paragraph, I get to peek into someone's life through their window. Now I sound like a peeping Tom, but you get the picture.
The point is that the most interesting, most heartfelt, most followed blogs are, in my opinion, usually born out of someone's need to share and be heard...as a sort of coping mechanism.
I know personally, I began my blog when I started fertility. Some people hide what they're going through, but for me, it was my therapy to lay it all out on the table, to write about my shots, my tests, my fears and my emotions...hence the "roller coaster ride" as subtitled in my blog. For many blogs that I follow, they are therapy for dealing with a child's illness or loss or on a happier note, a child's progress in growing up. Blogs are about what consumes a person.
Interestingly enough, I have some friends who blog about economics....not my most favorite topic, but it's their passion and I can say that I've learned to expand my mind a bit when reading. Other friends blog about their hobbies, like photography or cooking.
It's really intriguing what fuels a person's passions and how great the array can be.
I my future searches, I think I'd like to find a blog about long haul trucking...or "my life as a circus clown." There's bound to be some peek-worthy moments in stories like that!

Cell Phone Ear

If you're a Facebook friend, you've already heard about my silly diagnosis, but for everyone else...I have cell phone ear. Apparently this condition is caused by talking on the phone so much that your ear sweats and that moisture gets trapped in your ear canal causing this "cell phone ear." No lie...it is exactly what the doctor said. It's exactly like swimmer's ear...without the fun day at the pool or beach. No, mine is caused from working way too much. The result is one long Labor Day weekend in painful misery. So as we load up the "brand new disease" train with the H1N1, Swine Flu -let us not forget to add this terribly modern ailment. Beware fellow phone users..BEWARE.

My Baby's Blues

Cover letters

In my search for a new employee, I've received many interesting resumes and cover letters. Here are some of my favorites:
"Do you believe in fate? I didn't until I read your job description. It was then I knew that I was the person you've been looking for."

"In my last position I increased revenue 100 percent. I had 100 percent approval from my coworkers and peers. I can type with 100 percent accuracy."

"I have an undeniable passion for real estate."

"You may notice my gaps in employment over the years. It was at this time that I was serving as a domestic engineer."

No wonder the unemployment rate is so high.

Georgia

While watching GA Travleler on TV today I realized how truly "southern" some the terminology is that I'm used to. For instance, the pulley bone. It's a fading phenonmenon, the pully bone. KFC or Church's don't offer it. I realized today that unless I start cutting and frying up my own chicken..Addison will never know the joy of getting to make a wish and pull the pulley bone. People in other regions refer to it as the wishbone...but if you're from Georgia - it's just not the same.
I also heard a man on that same show refer to something being "as smooth as cream rinse." Cream rinse - I remember when my mother told us that it we needed to start using cream rinse to get the tangles out of our hair. I also remember the first time a stranger had no idea what I was referring to. "Oh, you mean conditioner?" Why yes, of course, conditioner.
I've adopted many non-Georgian sayings these days. I no longer refer to soda as "Coke" no matter what the brand. I've cut out using "Ya'll" unless surrounded by people who only understand that sort of language.
In some instances I think it's just a matter of what won out; cream rinse:conditioner; VHS:BETA....same thing I think.

Open House

We met Addison's "teacher" today at Reid Presbyterian. I'm so excited that she's going to get to play with a bunch of kids her age. There are six children total in the class. Isn't she too young for open house?

Frankly, I'm glad for the childcare relief. Both of my secretaries turned in their 2 week notice on the same day....THE SAME DAY! What's up with that? Now I'm frantically searching resumes to find a replacement, wrap up a lot of loose ends so that I'll have time to train a new person... all the while trying to keep Addison quarantined into a safe corner of the office.

I laugh to think of the fond memories Addison will have of office supplies when she gets older. Her "toys" today consisted of an old cell phone, a ink pen, a paperweight and a piece of junk mail.

I remind myself of such things

Maybe it's the culmination of the instability of current times. Maybe it's because during my parent's visit today, all they could do was comment on the cat hair floating along my baseboards. Maybe it's the fact that all the property tax invoices came in the mail today....for all our properties. Maybe it's my self guilt that I can't afford to stay at home and just be a mom. Maybe it's just the fact that I am not always up for this life. I am overwhelmed.
Things are never quite as bad as they seem and unfortunately they can always get worse.
I try and remind myself of such things.
I know that the economy is getting better and better every day and I'm sure that houses will start selling again. I know that I will clean my house and wipe away all traces of cat...whether this week or next. I know that the taxes will get paid and that Addison will grow up to be such a well rounded individual because of all the people who loved her and took care of her as she grew up. I know it'll be all right.
I try and remind myself of such things.
It's just days like this that this kettle has reached the boiling point and the tears streaming down my face serve as a release of all my frustration of my utter exhaustion from fighting day to day to survive.
It will all be OK. I remind myself of such things.

Today I saw myself

There's a spot that we always meet my mother - at Walgreens. It's half-way between my house and her's and it's a good spot to exchange Addison. Today, I saw myself at Walgreens. It was strange, because there was my Infiniti...the one I traded in for my new Pilot...parked at the Walgreens, in the same spot where I usually waited for mom. It's a wonder the owner didn't come running out because I was walking around the car and peeking inside, trying to see if my tale-tale marks were still on that car. They were. The dent on the front, the tear in the seat, the scratch on the bumper - ALL there.
It was such a wild occurrance because that was my car for nearly 7 years. And now someone else was driving it - had their high school tassle hanging from the rear view mirror (which had nearly fallen off one time and had to be reglued). I thought about going in the store to try and find the owner....but then again, I'd hate to bust their bubble of having a "new" car by letting them know all the problems that I've had with it and the ones I didn't fix just to trade it in.

The new ride

I finally own a mommy-mobile!

Daddy Lullaby

I had to laugh tonight when I heard my husband singing to Addison as he rocked her to sleep.
"Hush little baby don't say a word, daddy's gonna buy you a mocking bird,
And when that mockingbird won't sing, daddy's gonna buy you a diamond ring,
And if that diamond ring ain't real, daddy's gonna buy you a Coupe Deville"
That's just priceless.

My Car

I'm beginning to hate my car. It has been paid off since January and yet I've had repair bills equaling the payments ever since. Today we took the car to the mechanic - a very basic sort of man who owns his own little shop. We use him because he's close and relatively inexspensive. On this particular day he was hobbling around on crutches; the side effect of a broken leg we're told. I'm beginning to think that he's giving up on my car too. Michael opened the hood, the mechanic looked in....and promptly beat some part...with his crutch. That bit of genious didn't work so I've got to take it in for a prolonged visit sometime this week. I drool over every Pilot and Highlander that passes by these days. Maybe my day will come soon. I'd like to keep a payment free car for a bit longer - but I also need air conditioning. Go fig.

Priceless moment

I don't think there's much I need to say about these pics.

9 month stats

22.2lbs, 30 inches tall

That's my baby - off the charts.

She can crawl...pretty fast!

She waves...at everyone.

She can clap - feed herself cheerios - responds to her name - smiles ALL the time - holds her own bottle - loves playing superman - says mama and dada - has 2 bottom teeth and top teeth that are on the verge of breaking through - sleeps 12 hours a night - can zoom around the house in her walker and best of all....

knows her mommy and daddy are special people to her. It's fabulous!!!

Big strides in Vegas

I'm thinking it was the carpet...yes, it must be, because we have those unfriendly hardwoods. It was definitely the carpet at Aunt Pat's house that sent Addison on her way to crawling. And quickly at that. Not 2 minutes after we arrived at her house and those knees hit the floor - our girl was off like an old pro. Much to Aunt Pat's dismay, I might add, because she's the one watching Addison all this week.
I was so worried about flying with a baby, but it proved to be a great experience. We got rave reviews from the other passengers who didn't even know we had a baby on board because she was so quiet. I didn't complain because I was able to hold my child for 5 hours in my arms. That doesn't happen very often these days and I'm sure it will be even more rare since she's truly mobile now. With a little over a week to go until 9 months...I think crawling is quite an accomplistment.

4th of July

It was hot...it was muggy...it was perfect weather for a baby to get her first "taste" of a pool. That's exactly what happens these days, she "tastes" EVERYTHING. We are on cold #6 as I speak because I cannot sanitize the world...especially the world of the church nursery. Every single time I take her to the nursery she gets a cold the next week. I'm thinking God will understand if we play hookie until she's TWO.
Back to the subject....we swam and we swam - in a float, on a noodle...freestyle. It was fun and I think Addison enjoyed it as well.

Addison Ad-Lib

It has been a very very busy week. First of all...I turned 8 months old. That's not the best part though. I learned to do a lot of stuff. I can wave now. Mom and dad think it's the coolest thing. I also learned to walk in my walker. It is so neat! I can get around the house and chase the cat and follow mommy. I love it! I also have a tooth. I think I'll have another really soon, but for now it's just one. Yesterday mommy walked in my room to get me and I was sitting up in my crib all by myself. She was so happy to see me up...but then she spent a lot of time taking my crib apart. When she put me back in that night, it was bigger...or at least it seemed bigger. I used to be able to look over the side, now I have to hold on to the bars and stand up. But hey, I love standing up. I want to do it all the time. I like standing a whole lot more than trying to crawl. I'm just not sure what to do with my knees. I'm pretty sure that my feet belong on the floor instead.
I'm having the best summer ever because my grandma is out of school and I get to see her a bunch. She has all kinds of toys at her house that I get to play with.
Tonight was even exciting for me. I got to watch daddy on a tractor. He and the tractor wrestled with a tree for a long time. If I weren't so hungry, I'd have stuck around a little longer to see who won.
Mommy likes to say, "Thank goodness it's Friday." I think I'm ready for Friday too. I'm working on a few more tricks to wow mommy and daddy. Can't wait to show them some more new stuff next week!

A State of Mourning

My heart is heavy this morning after hearing about 2 college friends who unexpectedly lost their 2 1/2 year old last night. As I heard about the mother refusing to let the hospital take her son away...I thought back to another college friend who lost her 9 year old a little over two months ago. There is always "the next day" - was there sleep at all for the parents? Was there the harsh realization once again of the events of the previous night? Will they relive every morning the realization that their baby is dead. A sentence worse than death...to be a survivor, one left behind. To say that I feel their pain is only a faint hint of what they are truly experiencing. I am angry that things like this happen. I hate the parts of life that just don't make sense..that are unreasonable. And it seems these days that unreasonable events are happening in record numbers. I've seen the gruesome television footage of the protester in Iran who was shot during a peaceful demonstration and died in her father's arms on the street. I think of the older woman visiting her sick husband in the ICU of MCG, here in Augusta, and then being attacked in the bathroom and beaten so badly that she herself was in critical condition in the hospital. Then there's the owner of a meager little Chinese restaurant a few blocks from my house, who was shot in the head one night during a robbery...by some teenagers. His wife and two children had no idea that would be the last they saw him. Some of these events are human's fault, but some of these are not. What is the point of death when it involves a baby, a son , a daughter, a grandmother, a father? I am angry at death today, really angry.
It is the reason I check on my Addison a couple of times before I go to sleep every single night. I am scared that something will happen to her as well. I have always feared it for her - maybe because she was such a miracle in the first place - maybe because I fear the unknown. Our children, our families, our spouses are so important and precious to us. It is not right that they are stolen away so early. Today I am beside myself with grief for all the people who must make it through life having gone through this and I carry a heart full of anger that I have no place to lay.

Land of duh

I have the best blogger subjects in my head while I'm driving around town. I can think of some amazing topics when I'm falling asleep. But when I actually find the time to sit down...nothing. So I'm going to post pictures of Addison. Over the last couple of months, she has learned a few tricks. She clapped, she shook her head "no", she said mama, she puts on a surprise face for fun. She did them all - separately. The week she said mama, she didn't clap and the surprise face happened without her shaking her head. This week however, she has pulled out all the stops and spends her days entertaining whoever will watch with her rotation of skills. Here's some pics.
This just captures how amazingly sweet my baby is.

Addison trying to stand up.

Her surprised face!

G-ma asleep...and Addison asleep. Together.

Daddy and Addison snuggled in the recliner.

Another surprised face (we get a lot of these).

Petting Smokey the cat for the first time (cat's choice of course).

John Mayer

Did I mention that Michael gave me a Blackberry for mother's day? It's so incredibly cool. On my new toy there is one video - a sample I guess - a small snippett of John Mayer singing "Waiting on the world to change." That snippett has served me well on many occassions now. It usually comes into play when we're past feeding time or badly in need of a nap....and we're in the car. Who knew Addison would cease and desist all crying fits at the sight of a 1.5"x1.5" image of Mayer crooning on a dimly lit stage. I say..WHATEVER WORKS!

Rocking chair moments

There's a time that Addison and I share. It happens right before sleep. She lays across my body with her head in the crook of my right arm. She is so still, and yet awake as we rock. Her little eyes are the only things that move. They study the room, they study me. There is no smile, no expression, but there is an extreme sense of comfort. These moments seem to last longer than they do and for that time, we are the only people in the universe and she is transformed into the essence of innocence. Slowly her eyelids get heavy and they bounce up and down for several minutes before giving in to their sheer weight. I love this moment. I love the feeling of my child's body next to mine...her chest gently rising with each deepening breathe. She drifts off to sleep - a beautiful sleep....the most beautiful sleep I've ever seen. My "baby" has grown so quickly that I fear these nights will soon be over. At 7 months old, my little girl is 21 lbs and often mistaken for a 10 or 11 month old. I understand even better what the author of a children's book meant when he wrote, "I'll love you forever, I'll like you for always, As long as I'm living...my baby you'll be."

Teeth

I never knew the intensity of growing a set of teeth. I guess there's a good reason we do it so early....so we don't remember the trauma. I think I've attributed Addison's 101.6 fever to her new set of chops. Along with a runny nose. Along with the drooling. Ooh the drooling. It is also the cause of her general malady and fussiness. At one time, I thought that she had learned to shake her head "no." Come to find out, it is the motion she uses to rub her gums across absolutely anything she can get her hands on. It still amuses us greatly as she coincidentally shakes her head no at us during random questions or situations.

There is no end to our fascination with our baby these days.

A good weekend

Addison and I spent the weekend at Hilton Head with my mom. We had a good time. The best part was spending 24 hours a day with my little girl. She's such an angel. I can't convey that properly in this blog...but she is so much fun. Here's some pics of mom and Addison wrestling over the phone while talking to Papa.

And of course we had to have some "dress up" time. What else do you do with a little girl?

Also wanted to congratulate our friends Tony and Jenn on their new addition, little 6lb, 4oz. Ethan.

overwhelmed

I am overwhelmed today by the actuality of time "flying." I cried through cleaning out Addison's closet the other day. One by one, I took down those sweet little outfits that I know she'll never fit into again. Tiny little examples of cuteness all piled up...but also examples of how quickly this year is going by. It doesn't help that the child is an Olympic grower. Her 6 1/2 month-old self is filling out her 9 month clothes quite well these days. Today I even met a 14 month -old the exact same size as my baby. Enough said.
On to another thing that overwhelms me...my tooth. I had my very first root canal Monday. What a fun experience. I recommend it for all your favorite enemies. My tooth is still useless and it's Friday. The throbbing and shear sensitivity of that part of my mouth is eating away at my sanity. I will give it one more week. Then I'm sure I will have to take out a small loan and go get my jaw replaced or something. Just lovely.

New Developments

Six months seems to be a very eventful age so far. Addison is taking baths in the big tub now. She gets the biggest kick out of slapping and splashing the water. Since she's getting better at sitting up, she likes sitting more than anything else. Our biggest accomplishment (I think) is Patty Cake. Where exactly does this little rhyme come from...anyway, she's getting the clapping thing down most days, but she stops clapping at the "roll it up, roll it up, throw it in the pan" part. By the way, I think we're teaching her some abridged version due to the excitingly explosive ending of throwing it in the pan..lol.
She's so cute!!! When I figure out how to download from my video camera, I'll post the latest video for all to enjoy.

My family (at last)

Instead of taking a bunch of photos of my girl, I thought we'd have our very first formal family photo - how's that for alliteration. Here they are.