6 Months....

17lbs 11oz (80%) 25.5" long (50%)

Really, half a year already?! It keeps getting better and better, and my love for my daughter and my family grows every day. I think each stage has been a lot of fun; but I think this age is my favorite. She is so cute, cuddley, smiley and has really started to develop a personality. She's been sitting up by herself for the past 2.5 weeks or so, but has become more and more independent each day. She has been "talking" to us and it really seems as if she's trying to communicate. We're going to try to do a little baby sign language, as they are learning at "school", and see if this will help us. Still rolling constantly over to her belly and pivoting all around...including in her crib. It's a surprise every morning to see what position she's in. One morning she was even asleep on her belly for the first time ever.

Here is her practicing her sitting skills:
First time on 11/10/10 (wednesday when I was home with her):

Then that same weekend:

Now I'm a pro:
"Mom, the phone is for you!"

We had Addison's 6 month doctor visit on Tuesday, and to our suprise it didn't go as well as we would have hoped. The doctor was concerned about two things. One, she felt a "click" when she was testing her hips, possibly indicative of hip dysplasia. However, she had never heard this before now. So, she ordered xrays, and I had to take Addison to the hospital on Wednesday. She was such a good girl, and held as still as she could while I held her down. (I even took a look at the xrays, and didn't really see anything wrong.) So, GOOD NEWS...the doctor called thursday to say they looked normal! :) However, the second thing was that she heard a soft heart murmur, that was also the first time that she'd heard something "wrong" with her heart. So, the doctor recommended seeing a pediatric cardiologist "sometime in the next 2 months". Since pediatric specialists are so hard to get into, our appointment is on Dec. 23rd.

This was a difficult night for Adam and I, to try to digest everything and for the first time felt very helpless and empty. We've been blessed with such a healthy, beautiful baby girl and it was really just a shock to us to hear these things. We're so glad to know that her hips are okay, and we pray that the same result will come back with her heart. We just ask that you keep her and us in your thoughts and prayers in the coming weeks.

You can't tell that anything might be wrong with her by the looks of her healthy looking pictures: she is definitely a growing girl.





Getting a little playful during our photo session:


Cuddled up with Dad!

First snow fall:

Happy Thanksgiving!

The holidays are truly so much more fun when you have a baby to call your own. There's so much more to EVERYTHING now, because we get to share it with Addison. She has really taught me so much about myself, about life, and about what is truly important. I feel that my life now really has a purpose, and that is to be a mother. How awesome is that? I am a mom. wow.

For Thanksgiving this year we started out at my Aunt Heather and Uncle Dan's house in Geneva for my side of the family---the first time it has not been at my Grandma Carlson's in who knows how many years....70?? It was VERY nice, and we all had a chance to hang out, catch up and of course play with Addy.

The Jones' minus Grandpa: ( excited for him to come for Christmas! )

Holding on to Great Grandma's cane:

She was so content, she passed out at the dining room table while I was holding her at dinner---before Uncle Tom! :) haha.

Then we made the 2 minute (how wonderful) drive over to the Seghi's house for Adam's family Thanksgiving. We made it just in time to feed Addison her yummy sweet potatos on top of the dining room table. :) And she loved every minute of it.

It was little Jimmy's 5th bday too, so all the kids gathered around to sing...wow, aren't there a lot of little ones for Addison to play with?!

Hanging out with Auntie Lauren

The Seghi crew

We really got some nice family photos this year too. Can't wait for Christmas!

Rice Cereal

November 13, 2010. 23 weeks 5 days aka: 5 1/2 months

Addison meets food...that is rice cereal...in a very watered down version of breast milk.

Priceless.

5 Months Old & Halloween

10.31.10

The rocking chair is being over taken by little Miss Addison, and all of her rolls...



Check out my rolling skills:

What?!

Love my feet...
Are we done yet?!

5 months:

Stats: almost 17lbs...and in 6-9month clothes...more for weight then length! Wow, big girl!

Eating: She's eating very well...can't you tell?! I'm still exclusively nursing Addison, and pumping while I'm at work so that she gets only breast milk when I'm gone. I'm so blessed and happy that I choose to do this and have been able to do it this long. The plan is to start on rice cereal in the next week or two, then I plan to make pureed baby food for her after that. Sounds like fun! I'll plan to post a video of her first feeding.

Sleeping: She's continued to be a good sleeper at night, for the most part, from 8pm-6am. And is usually taking 3-4 naps a day for 1-2hrs. We are very blessed.

Milestones: She's rolling over all the time to her belly, but still gets a little frustrated when she can't roll back over. Likes to push up onto her hands when on her stomach. Starting to sit up with little to no support for short durations 5-10 sec. Trying to go from sitting to her tummy...but has little to no control of this...and tends to do a face-dive. Still wants to put everything in her mouth...but no teeth just yet. :) She's also found her voice...and likes to talk...and scream...just because she's happy! :)


Addison's first artwork from "school"....using her big toes as the bodies of the spiders.



Halloween was so much more fun this year, having our little butterfly to celebrate it with. I told Addison her theme this fall was "The Hungry Caterpillar" because she's been eating, and eating and eating...and she became a beautiful butterfly for Halloween.

On the Wednesday before, I took Addison to Marianjoy to visit Adam and our friends. She was such a good baby, being there for about 2.5hrs making the rounds between marketing and outpatient, and seeing people throughout the building. We had a great time, and I think she put a smile on everyone's face we saw...including a couple of my patients...who thought it was a real treat to meet her! :) Since I talk about her all the time...



On Sunday we went "Trick or Treating" to my moms, Grandma Jones', to see her, Great Grandma Carlson and Great Uncle Dick. They couldn't get enough of her, and all of her cute chubbiness. Great Grandma even gave her a sucker...that she immediately put to her mouth...such a Carlson...she knows what to do already...too bad she has to wait a little longer to actually eat one. :)



Then we went to the Seghi's to see Grandma, Grandpa, Auntie Lauren, Uncle Nick and Jessica. She was greeted with more smiles and love. And I know when the Seghi's think of butterflies now they think of Uncle Mike who passed away last year, and I think this made her costume a little bittersweet for them.
Unfortunately, I had to go back up to see my Mom in the E.R that night when she had a scare of appedicitis...that turned out to be a injured abdominal muscle. But, overall we had a great day with our beautiful butterfly.




Coming soon...the month to month comparison...I gotta figure out this photoshop thing myself someday soon.

October Happenings

Baby Gap photo shoot:
Baby Gap has a casting call every year for new baby faces...so I decided I would take some pictures of my little lady, because of course like every mom I think my baby is the cutest...she is isn't she??!! However, I decided I wanted to keep her to myself...but I got some cute faces out of her anyway:It's been a fun and busy month thus far...

We went to a friends Wedding at the beginning of the month, and Uncle Brian was the all star babysitter! Addison was asleep in her crib at 8:56pm, as I got a text message picture from Brian to confirm that she was on schedule! So proud of my big bro for his first time of babysitting all by himself! :)
Since then, Addison has been on a new schedule of eating and sleeping...still every 3-3:30hrs during the day, but going to bed between 8-830. This has become bittersweet for me, because I do miss her after she goes to bed, but it is also really nice to have some down time to: spend with Adam, workout, clean bottles, blog, go to bed early, clean the house, do laundry, etc.



We had a play date one Saturday morning with our friends The Beu's and their sweet baby girl, Kayla who is exactly 2 months older than Addison. They were so cute playing with each other smiling, laughing, grabbing and touching each other and at one point "holding hands". It's been fun to see them grow, and we look forward to continuing to watch them grow together.



This past Monday was Adam's cousin, Kelly Ann's, 1st birthday. It's hard to believe the time has gone so fast for her and that she's grown up so much. She started walking at 10 months...and I was getting a kick out of her walking around with her bottle...then falling on her butt, and getting up and doing it all over again.


Addison and I have been enjoying our Wednesdays of course, and have started to go to "lapsit story time" at the library. Last week the fireman came to read stories to the babies, and then show off the fire truck. Addy was so alert and wanting to see what everyone was doing and look at all the colors. I wish I had brought my camera with me: I've learned now as a mom I need to always have it packed in the diaper bag. You never know what moment you're going to be able to capture.

But here is us reading at home: She is really loving to read books, looking at all the colors, pictures and grabbing at the pages....the board books are really the best for her right now! :)


Now Addison is really enjoying her new found ability to roll over, and now loves to be on her tummy to play with her toys, or her big toy: Kali dog. She also goes round and round in her exersaucer...and her feet actually touch now for her to bounce up and down.



By the way: this is how big I've grown:
From when I was 5 weeks old to 20 weeks old:

July 1, 2010

Oct. 6, 2010