Half a year

Dear Addi Jane,

I can't even believe you are half a year old! It is hard to believe how much you've grown this month and how fast time is going.  The first time I tried to take your monthly pictures you were not so cooperative.  But it made for some great pictures.  Thankfully when we tried again we got some better pictures!

This month was so fun, mostly because of Christmas.  I know you won't remember it this year but we'll have plenty of pictures to show you.   Christmas with you was better than I even imagined.  I have pictured what holidays would be like when we had a baby and it was so fun to be able to experience my favorite time of the year with you!  I can't wait to make traditions and memories with you. 

At the beginning of this month we took you to your first Christmas party.  Daddy had a work party and you were quite the hit! Every time someone came up to meet you, you would kick your legs, giggle and give the biggest smile.  It was so fun to show you off.  We also took you to see Santa.  At first you were a little skeptical, but decided you liked him after a minute or two.  

Near the end of this month we gave you your first real food to try.  We tried rice cereal a few times and you were disgusted.  Which I can't blame you because we tasted it too and it was not good!  We let you try sweet potatoes and you weren't quite sure what to think.  You may have swallowed a few tiny tastes but most of the time just let it get all over your face and hands!

We got a huge snow storm on New Year's day and it was fun to be stuck at home for two days since Daddy didn't have to work.  We took you outside while the snow was falling and you didn't really know what to think about it getting in your face.  I can't wait until you can play outside next year!

Towards the end of the month you started getting a little cranky.  I'm not sure if it was because we were forced to stay in our house due to the snow and cold weather, or just a little phase but you weren't your normal happy self.  Thankfully I think it is over and you're back to your smiling, people loving self.  I'm sure you will go through all kinds of phases and we will love you through every single one! 

I wish I could tell you your sleep magically started getting better but sadly you are still a poor sleeper! We finally let you cry a little when you woke up shortly after we put you to bed, when we knew you weren't hungry and needed to sleep.  I hate to hear you cry but know that waking up six times a night is not good for either of us.  At the end of the month you've been waking up twice to eat which I'm okay with for now! After five months of being swaddled you are finally free in your crib and sleep on your stomach most of the time.  I was afraid you'd never be out of that swaddle!

This month you learned to sit up on your own and can stay for a really short amount of time but it's so fun to see you learning new things.  

I feel like this month you are really no longer looking like a baby.  Your personality is coming out, you are more vocal and you definitely recognize and know who you want and love.  You love your grandparents and love seeing them.  You laugh and smile whenever anyone walks up the stairs in our house or when we take you out of your carseat and we're around family.  

This month has been a little rough because we've been stuck inside a lot because of the cold weather and snow.  I am so anxious to get out of the house and I feel like you are bored too!  I can't wait for warmer weather so we can go on walks again and get together with our friends.  

It's hard to believe that you've been part of our life for half a year.  It's crazy to think that in another six months you will be one!  I can't imagine life without you and feel so thankful God picked me to be your mom.  Happy half birthday Addi Jane!

Love, 

your mom

Snow Day

I'm so far behind on editing and going through Addilyn's pictures.  I still haven't written her six month letter and we're half way into her seventh month.  I found these pictures that we took on New Year's when we got our huge snow storm.  Unfortunately I could pretend these were from yesterday as I feel like Winter is Winter until April.  Spring can come early this year more than ever.  Or really anything about 20 degrees would be nice these days.  

These faces make me laugh.  She did not know what to do with the snow in her face.  The idea of her being able to actually play in the snow next year makes me so happy.  I can picture her making snowmen and forts with Chris while I run out to take a picture (and then wait inside with hot chocolate for them).

And I should probably show you our first attempt when we thought it would be a good photo opt to just set her in a pile of snow.  Fail. 

I hope those of you that are in midst of freezing weather or snow storms are staying safe and warm! 

Cheater Cheater

top: pipley boutique   leggings: jcpenney  boots: gojane

Now I know I said I wasn't eating desserts during January.  And that is technically true.  I also said I didn't count donuts as dessert.  Even if I eat them at 8:30 at night.  
Some may say that's cheating.  I say that's just slightly bending the rules.  And since they are my rules I am still celebrating my no desserts January success.  
For Christmas I got a donut pan and have made donuts three times this month and believe I've already found the perfect donut recipe. 
I used this recipe for the donut part and this recipe for the frosting.  

And since they're baked you may as well count them as a somewhat healthy choice.  Be it breakfast, lunch or "second breakfast" that happens to occur around 8:30 at night.  

Baby Mama Link Up Repeat

Thank you so much for those that linked up last week for a Baby Mama Link up!  I love looking at all your cute kids.  And it doesn't help with my need to stop buying baby clothes for Addilyn.  I think one of my coping mechanisms for a sick baby and cold weather is buying headbands and baby clothes for Addilyn. It's way to easy when I can do it from my phone in the middle of the night.  And by easy I mean dangerous.  

I'd love to keep doing a link up regularly, so let's do one again next Friday, February 7th.  I'm thinking every other Friday but worry that may get confusing.  But every week seems like a little much? 

We'll just see how it goes!  Thank you again for linking up your cute kids.  I wish we could all get our babies together to meet! 

A sick baby and too many random thoughts

I'm giving myself only ten minutes to write this post as any time I have this weekend where I'm not holding my sick baby I'm trying to rest myself, so I apologize for jumbled thoughts and a random post. 
Addilyn woke up really sick on Thursday at about 9:00 and it's been rough ever since.  She has some form of bronchitis a croupy cough.   
Watching your baby is pain has to be the worse part about being a parent.  Every time Addilyn coughs she starts crying and I know she is in so much pain.  This weekend she's made faces and cries that we've never seen before and they break my heart.  I feel nervous that this is going to turn into something more serious as she still seems so sick this morning.  
I feel incredibly lucky to have family close by.  Chris had to work on Friday and I had to go back to the doctors for the second time because Addilyn couldn't keep the medicine down and they were going to give it to her in shot form.  My dad came over and drove us to the doctor.  My mother in law came over earlier to try to help get Addilyn to take her medicine.  I know my parents will help me tomorrow as Chris has to work and I can't give Addilyn her nebulizer treatments alone and they'd be happy to give me a break and hold her for awhile.  
I've started to get sick myself and feel quite frustrated that it has come at the most inconvenient time.   In the last 72 plus hours there hasn't been more than a few minutes that Addilyn hasn't been held.  She coughs so much and has been so uncomfortable we haven't been able to get her to sleep on her own.  I get these moments of worry that she won't go back to sleeping in her crib but there is not a part of me that isn't going to not hold her because I know that it what she needs right now. 
Sleep deprivation and worry can cause me to be on edge and has brought a few arguments between Chris and I.  Parenting makes it harder to feel connected to your spouse when things are going well, but when things are rough, it makes it feel even harder.  I need to remind myself that we are a team taking care of Addilyn and things will get better and we'll both have more energy soon.  
I think God uses these times to teach us things, and one of the things I'm learning is that a really sick baby puts things into perspective for me.  Sleeping problems seemed like such a trivial problem a week ago.  While that is trying, a sick baby is a something to be really concerned about and the other things don't seem like things to obsess and worry about.  
I've had moments here and there this weekend where I don't feel cut out to be a mom.  I feel like I can't handle the scariness of an unhealthy baby and the responsibility that comes with that.  I'm reminding myself that God picked me to me Addiyn's mom and will give Chris and I what we need to take care of our baby.  I can't even imagine those families that are constantly dealing with a sick baby or a serious illness.  I don't know how they do it.  I'm so thankful that we have a healthy baby. 
I have no idea what blogging will look like this week as I normally spend a good amount of time working on posts on weekends.  Plus I have not been dressed for days and don't think I will in the next few days either. I know it's bad when I've run out of sweatpants because they are all in the wash thanks to baby throw up.   Thank you so much for your well wishes and prayers. 

Baby Mama Link Up

sweater: kohls   scarf: groopdealz   jeggings:walmart   boots: dsw 

I'm really excited about this link up. I don't think I could love dressing a girl as much as I do!  Now if only we can work on her modeling skills a little.  If she could just figure out that she needs to smile when the self timer goes off on my camera.  Those darn ten seconds are just too long to hold her attention.  I'm thinking I may need to enlist Chris to help with Addilyn's style post pictures.  

1. I would like to own Addilyn's pants, as well as at least half of her clothes. 

2. I'm so thankful that baby clothes are on clearance just as much as woman's clothes, like finding these pants for under $7. 

3. Baby shoes.  So completely impractical but so completely adroable.  Now if only they'd stay on for more than three minutes.  

headband: made myself   pants: carters outlet   onesie: carters   shoes: gift

And now meet Addilyn's friend Kendall who's helping us with our first baby mama link up! 

Lindsay has been my blogging friend for quite awhile and lucky for me we both had our baby girls within a month of each other.  It is so nice to have friends in the same stage as you and she has been a blessing to me throughout our pregnancy and motherhood.  If only we lived next to each other so our girls could be friends. (And so they could share clothes - I want that dress for Addilyn!).  Make sure to check out her blog Pursuit of Pink! 

I can't wait to check out all of your cute kids!  No rules - link back here if you'd like and check out each other's posts.  Thank you so much for linking up.  I'd love to pick another mini fashionista to share next time. Let me know if you'd like this to be a weekly, every other week or monthly link up!

How to enjoy the superbowl without watching any football

I'm not sure if I've ever shared my non love for watching sporting events on tv, but it's no big secret that I am not a fan.  I'd happily attend any sporting event in person, but watching it on tv.  BOR.ING.

What I do love though is parties, friends, delicious food and funny commercials.  Here are some ways you can enjoy the superbowl without being a football lover:

1. Dress is something comfortable so that you can eat a large about of appetizers and desserts and not feel restricted.  Which let's be honest.  That's my dress code on the daily. 

2. Find out the teams that are playing before you attend a party so you don't look like a total loser.  Feel free to be the one to tell me.   

3. Make one of these delicious appetizers to bring to your party.  And proceed to stand in the kitchen by the food for the majority of the party.  

skinny poolside dip

chicken enchilada dip roll-ups

4. Watch the commercials and hope that there are a few funny ones.  And when all else fails, read blogs on your phone and enter this giveaway to win $250 to amazon or one of these stores and do some online shopping for super bowl sales. 

/ Lipgloss & Crayons / Hooah & Hiccups / Still Being Molly / For Lauren & Lauren /

/ Bella / Because Shanna Said So / The Life of Bon / Hairspray & High Heels /

/ The Vintage Modern Wife / Pursuit of Pink / Stylin in St. Louis / Karly Kim /

This giveaway is open to US residents only.

  a Rafflecopter giveaway

Love and Hate

top: gap     vest: old navy   jeggings: walmart    boots: zulily   scarf: ?  

pacifiers.  When Addilyn is crying in the car seat or when she is tired and I give it to her and she falls asleep immediately I love it.  When she wakes up at night and can't fall back to sleep I hate it.  If only it was safe to  have it strapped to her face all night.  
my new donut pan.  I have wanted one for a long time and finally got it for Christmas.  I love it, but I don't need another thing tempting me to eat unhealthy.  I've made two different recipes and will have to share the best one. Which of course will take trying out just a few others first.  
childbirth.  Such an amazing thing.  It still blows my mind that Addilyn came from inside me.  But I am still not psychically healed from my labor.  Not to go into oversharing on this blog, but I am having to go to handfuls of uncomfortable doctor appointments, as at six months out, things still aren't healed.  
snow. It was beautiful at Christmas time and I even loved it for a week after.  But combined with the cold weather we are sick of being stuck inside.  Too bad we have about four more months of winter left.  Plus my driveway currently resembles a dirty ice skating rink, which I barely managed to escape without falling while taking these pictures.  

reality tv.  I love reality tv.  It tops my list as my favorite kind of tv.  But just every so once in awhile I really think about how dumb it is.  
video monitors. I'm so happy for our video monitor so we can see Addilyn when she's sleeping and I can't imagine not having it.  But sometimes it makes me crazy because I watch it all the time and when she starts moving a little I'm convinced she's going to wake up and I often look at it like it's a ticking time bomb. 

Jeans with zippers. Nope. I actually still just hate these.  Jeggings continue to win. Everyday.