Happy Halloween - Take 2

This picture is of Addison in her 2nd Halloween onesie/outfit that her Dad and I bought her when she was born. I know she is looking kind of goofy and away from the camera but in every other picture of this outfit she is screaming as she was not quite camera ready and mom kept insisting that it happen right then. I guess I got what I deserved! See below for proof.

Yesterday I brought Addison to Burton (my office) for a kids Halloween party/trick or treat event. She had a great time. Okay, she slept through a bunch of it but I consider her 'happy' when she is sleeping so that counts! She was a brown cow for her first Halloween. I must admit it's a little tricky to find a 5/6 week old a costume that actually fits so the brown cow was it as it was basically a swaddle blanket and a little hat. She was a cutie!

The individual departments at Burton went all out and decorated their offices, played scary music, wore costumes...the whole nine yards. It was great! It was also fun to be at work with Addison as I haven't really been around the building yet and I actually ran into one or two people who never even knew I was pregnant. Imagine their surprise when I explained that yes, the baby in my arms was actually mine.

And we even have some video to share as well.

Proactiv Anyone?

This weekend we made the discovery that our sweet Addison was starting to get that dreaded baby acne that you see on some babies. We hoped that maybe we were wrong but it appears that we were right. Apparently she is one of the 20% who get it. So, she has a raging case of baby acne just in time for a dinner with Scott's whole office, her first Halloween costume party (at my office) and our birth class reunion party. Not to mention that I am calling today to book a time to get some family photos done in early Nov (that's next week!). Photoshop perhaps? The good news is that we are very, very lucky to have this be one of our 'problems' and Addison could care less. And it's a good thing she could care less because my research tells me this stuff can stick around for weeks or MONTHS. Even high school acne isn't that bad!

Getting In The Spirit of Things

Today Dad decided to give Addison a warm-up Halloween session and busted out her 'little pumpkin' onesie that Uncle Tom and Aunt Danielle sent to her when she was first born. It was complimented by the fun socks that they sent as well. Unfortunately you can't see because Dad 'accidentially' put them on the wrong feet so the phrase on them is on the inside of her legs (instead of the outside). What do they say you ask....'I love Mummy'. How cute is that?

And yes, her thighs really have gotten that big. We can't wait to see how much she weighs when we go the doctor next week!

Quiet Alert

Addison learned a new trick yesterday (or at least showed it for the first time). It is a state that some describe as baby secret agent mode. It is called quiet alert and basically means the baby is awake but not very active. They spend most of their energy looking around, listening intently. I have to say, I love it! It was so fun yesterday to have her be awake and focused for such long periods of time and with no crying. What's not to love?! My only complaint is that no one else got to really enjoy it with me. Aunt Sandy visited but missed her first quiet alert session by about 30 minutes and Scott missed her second one by about 90 minutes. I think they both thought I was making it up! I do have some video to share of her from earlier in the day.

The first video is her being awake and the second is me just having fun with my little girl. Enjoy.

Barracuda

Apparently each baby has a unique nursing style that falls into different categories. Really. There is the Procrastinator who does just that, procrastinates while eating. They are slowpoke eaters who show little interest in nursing most of the time. There is the Gourmet who likes to taste a little milk and smack their lips and they tend to savor every mouthful of milk. So where does Addison fall in all of these different categories you wonder? She is a Barracuda. Yes, a Barracuda. This means that she tends to latch on and nurse like she has just crossed the Sahara desert and there is no dawdling or lip smacking here. Someday I am going to get on video (tastefully, of course) exactly how loud she can be when nursing. There is much gulping going on to the point where I actually hear milk hitting her stomach. Last night as she was chugging away I suddenly had the realization that we are potentially raising a future college beer pong champion. Oy. Or should I say, 'Go Barracuda, Go!'?

Second Date Night - Yeah!

(Scott) Well Saturday was our second date night out on the town since having Addison. Jill's mother, grandma to Addison, came over and babysat for the evening so that Jill and I could have an early wedding anniversary (Oct 21) dinner together. Two years has gone by, which sounds quick to many, but we have done so much in the past two years, not to mention the aforementioned Addison, it seems we have been married for longer than that. Jill and I went to the Blue Paddle Bistro in South Hero, Vermont where we had a fantastic meal. A bit of a role reversal for our typical meals and that of men and women, I had the glazed salmon and Jill had the steak...hmmm beef. Both excellent. We both had a glass of red wine and topped it off at the end with a piece of warm chocolate lava cake and vanilla ice cream, with a coffee as well for me...you can't get any better than that. That is what an anniversary is all about. Well I mean that and being with the one you love of course. So many people told us we wouldn't be able to leave for the night and enjoy ourselves when we had the baby, but so far, I got to be honest and say that has simply not been a problem for us...and there have been no phone calls from us to check in on the home front. Garçon, another glass of wine please.

Oh, I sometimes forget this is Addison's blog. Addison was crying repeatedly the other day, drove Jill bonkers, but I think we figured there was a clog in the drain, because later that evening she dropped about three times the amount in her diaper that is recommended by Pampers within a one minute time period. We have been giving her Mylicon gas relief at her feedings and she seems to be doing much better on the gas/intestinal issues, hopefully we can avoid them in the future. She is a cutie, and is awake more and more, which we love to see.

The New Math

As many of you may know my mother is a teacher. A few years ago I recall my nephews speaking with her about 'the new math' that they were learning in school. I was intrigued and my nephew kindly tried to explain to me this new way of learning. I was confused. Very confused. I may have this wrong but apparently you don't learn multiplication the same way you used to (which was basically memorization in my opinion). There are all these little tricks they teach the kids that I can't even begin to explain. Yes, I am apparently old and can't learn new tricks. I'll stick with the multiplication table I have in memorized in my head.

Last night I realized there is also something called 'New Parent Math'. It goes something like this in my experience.....3=8. Yes, 3 equals 8. I saw this because when I woke up and it was 3:15am and Addison had been sleeping since 12:15am and I was literally overjoyed. I had 3 hours of sleep all at the same time!! What does this have to do with an 8 you say? Apparently now all I need is 3 hours of sleep to feel like I used to when I had 8 (okay, maybe 7 but who's counting). Amazing this New Parent Math....so efficient.

And just because you are probably sick of my numerical ramblings, I included a gratuitous shot of Addison above to keep you reading! This station will return to Addison reporting this week.

4 Weeks + 1 Breakdown

Today marks a big milestone. It has been 4 weeks since Addison was born. It is so hard to believe as time is funny and feels fast and slow all at once. At this point we have changed over 300 diapers and I have nursed Addison over 250 times. Wow. Again, wow. These numbers seem crazy but they are real. (8-10 diapers per day, 9-12 nursing times per day, multipled by 28 days) No wonder you forget that you didn't always know how to do this.

As for the 1 breakdown mentioned above, Addison marked her 4 week birthday by having a pretty tough day. She was very awake and cranky almost all morning and gave me just long enough to shower for a lunch we had planned with Heather and Christine in Burlington. We made it to lunch and she was good (mainly sleeping) the whole time and it was so great to see both Heather and Christine. I left lunch and thought our afternoon was headed in the right direction. Once we got home, I nursed Addison and she immediately became inconsolable once again. No amount of bouncing, rocking, swinging, swaddling, etc was really giving her comfort beyond a few minutes. For the first time since she came home, I was feeling really overwhelmed and frustrated that I could not figure out what was making her so unhappy. So I did the helpful thing and for the first time since she was born, I lost it. Scott came into the living room and found both Addison and I sobbing. I think it was safe to say he was surprised.

4 weeks and 1 breakdown....I'd say we're doing pretty good.

Crissy & Joseph Come To Visit

Today Crissy and Joseph came to visit Addison and I and we had a great time. While us ladies caught up and swapped baby stories, Joseph tested out Addison's activity mat. Joseph is 4 months old and a total cutie (in case you couldn't tell). His eyelashes would make most women swoon with jealousy! Joseph gave us a good lesson in what the future holds for us. We can't wait until Addison can 'talk', roll over and be generally alert like Joseph. We look forward to visiting with Crissy and Joseph again!

A Book Of My Very Own

Auntie Amy (Jill's dear college friend Amy Appleby) sent Addison the most thoughtful gift today. Her very own personalized book all about her name. It is truly wonderful and amazing, filled with fun animals and great pictures. We LOVE it. And although the pictures may look like she is sleeping, she is really just absorbing all the great reading through osmosis. (ironically enough the bouncer is also from Auntie Amy and why she is sleeping, I mean 'reading with her eyes closed') Much love to Auntie Amy!

I Heart Myself

Addison's new favorite pastime is spending copious amounts of time enjoying her own image on her activity mat. While slightly narcissistic, it really is too cute to watch in person. She's fascinated with herself!

The Fan Club Visits

Addison is one spoiled little girl! Not only did she get to visit with Ba and Grammy Carol all weekend but Grandma B and Aunt Amy came by on Sunday to say hello. Who doesn't love lots of time being held by adoring fans?

Murrays in Vermont - Trains and Boats

(Scott- Oct 11th) Saturday was our last day with the grandparents in town, Ba and Grammy Murray, who were blessed with beautiful weather this entire weekend. We took a train from the Burlington Waterfront to Charlotte, Vermont and then got onto the Spirit of Ethan Allen Boat where we had lunch aboard the boat before returning. All and all a great time, and good adventure. At night we went out to dinner, along with Jills mother Linda at "Sauce" in Shelburne, Vermont where we had a great meal and Jill's second glass of wine of 2008. It was a sad goodbye for Addison to her grandparents. Ba could not get enough of his granddaughter, but time had come and they had to go.

The Murrays Visit Vermont

(Jill - Oct 10th) Yesterday brought the arrival of Addison's first Murray visitors! We were all very excited to see her Ba (Scott's Dad) and Grammy (Scott's step-mother Carol). Addison was so excited she slept almost the whole time we were together leaving the impression that she is a perfect angel all the time! Today we are headed to Stowe for lunch and to go up the Toll Road to enjoy the views from the top of Mt Mansfield. It is a beautiful fall day and we will be sure to post pics/videos from our adventures with Larry and Carol. Look closely at the top picture above to see Addison hidden inside of Scott's jacket.

(Jill - Oct 10th) Last night was Addison's first visit to Flatbread. Unfortunately for her, she can't enjoy the delicious pizza but she certainly seemed content with the atmosphere. We arrived around 6:30pm and enjoyed dinner with Scott's Dad and Carol while Addison slept her way through all the noise and energy in the room. The only downside was that she used up her one three+ hour sleep during dinner so she was up quite a bit last night. Luckily she was an angel each time, very quick back to sleep, etc but she was looking for milk every 90 minutes or so which is more than usual. Mom was tired this morning but doing good now!

Aunt Sandy Visit

(Jill) Aunt Sandy came to visit us today and we spent a nice late morning catching up while Addison enjoyed being held by Aunt Sandy. We then took a little walk in the sunshine down to the Lincoln Inn where we had lunch and then another nice walk back to the house. Addison loved showing off the outfit her Aunt Sandy had bought her before she was born. She pic below of Addison and Aunt Sandy loving on each other.

Birthday Lunches

Yesterday the Bongiolatti/Crowningshield/Murray families got together for a lunch to celebrate Amy and Jill's birthdays (9/21 and 9/29 respectively). Ryan and Tyler love their new cousin and can't wait until she is able to run around and play with them (a long, long time from now).

Crush

(Jill) Last night I realized that Scott and I have a crush on Addison. I really don't think there is any better way to describe it. The last two nights Scott has done Addison's last feeding of the day using expressed breastmilk which has allowed me to go to bed earlier and get more sleep (yippee!). The first night this happened, I was asleep pretty much instantly and woke up at 3am when she was ready to feed again. I remember thinking, wow, that was 5 hours of sleep, yes! Last night I went to bed early again and proceeded to toss and turn for about 60-90 minutes. I couldn't stop thinking about Scott and Addison. Thinking about how cute she is and how warm and cuddly and then how fun it is to see how into her Scott is and how he wants to be 'all up in her business' (as I like to say). And then it dawned on me that we essentially have school-girl like crushes on our daughter. By definition we are acting like those in the first stages of love. How sweet!

Bathtime!

Addison loves her bathtime with Dad. She typically cries a little at first but then she is very happy once in the tub!

Trip to Stowe, Vermont

(Jill) - Today was Addison's first trip to Stowe. We took a drive through the Notch (Smuggler's Notch) to enjoy the foliage and it was so beautiful. One of my favorite things is driving down narrow two lane roads in the fall while brightly colored leaves fall from the sky. I love it. When we arrived in Stowe, Scott suggested lunch at The Whip at Green Mountain Inn and it was the perfect choice. We had a delicious meal and Addison was relatively good through the meal. She did have one minor crying jag but I took her out of the car seat and held her and that solved that issue.

One thing they stress to you in baby care class is not to eat or drink hot foods while holding the baby (especially coffee) as you are prone to spill it on them. Well, I don't drink coffee so I figured it wasn't much of an issue. However, while holding her in the restaurant and trying to enjoy the spinach artichoke dip we ordered for a treat, I looked down and poor little Addison had a nice piece of spinach on her head. Oops! Guess I should have listened more closely in class. After lunch, we went back to the car and got her stroller and took a nice walk on the Stowe bike path. It was beautiful and Addison was a perfect little sleeper. Overall, we all had a great time and Scott and I were feeling pretty great about our longest trip yet with our new little girl.

Let's Manicure

(Jill) So I'm pretty sure that Scott didn't anticipate giving manicures to his daughter when she was only two weeks old (if at all!) but he is the master baby nail filer as noted in the above picture. She loves to calmly sit and stare at him while he works away on her little manicure. Just wait until she starts demanding polish!

Second Pediatrician Visit

Today, Friday October 3rd, was Addison's second visit to the Pediatrician, where she had a stellar visit. Addison weighed in at 8 lbs and 13.5 oz, and measured 21 3/4 inches; that puts the little gal in the 90th percentile for weight and 97th percentile for her length. Keep going Addison, Mom's milk must be pretty good. The doctor said it's Ben & Jerry's milk!

Baby Bjorn Time

Dad rocking the Baby Bjorn (thanks, Carol/Mom!) on his way to the post office. Scott was feeling extra 'Vermont' on this adventure between the baby strapped to his chest and the recycled bag he was carrying (which you can't see in the picture).

Dads First Day Away

(Jill) Today was our first day at home with Dad at work. I was a little nervous about how it would all go but luckily Addison and I both had a great nights sleep so that started our day off right. We had a nice morning filled with nursing, the bouncer and activity mat. I even managed to get in a shower and a few loads of laundry which felt great! We took a nap at lunchtime which felt decadent and necessary all at the same time. In the afternoon Scott called to check in right as Addison was 'expressing herself' with some rather vocal crying. I think he was probably wondering if needed to come home stat but we were fine. I decided to test out the Baby Bjorn for the first time and I am happy to report that Addison was a huge fan. She zonked right out and I walked next door and picked up a couple of things at the grocery store and drug store. She was so happy I kept her in it once we got home and did a few small chores with her strapped to me. My only semi-complaint would be that she kicks off some serious heat! I was sweating having her strapped to me like that but she was so happy (and warm!) that I couldn't move her. So, day one down and all is well. Whew!