Sunday, June 29

For the past couple of weeks, things have been great with Addison. We did another blood test just to make sure that everything was good, and we found out that her TSH levels are normal, which pretty much means that there is no issue with her thyroid. They had to stick her four times, but at least we don't have to do that again for another six months. Last weekend, Addison attended her first wedding, which was an interesting experience. She stayed up way later than she should have, and loved every minute of it. If her eyes were closed and she was on her way to dreamland, and someone new came up to see her, she would perk up like it's time to start the party all over again. She didn't want to miss a thing. She swam in the pool with her two cousins and enjoyed the water immensely. She usually loves the water, but she gets a little nervous when she gets too far away from mommy or daddy's body. However, this time she felt perfectly at home while floating on her back and basking in the sun. We can definitely tell that she is progressing. She is starting to get the hang of sitting up, and I'm sure it will only be a matter of time before she can do it on her own. When I hold her close to my face she puts both of her hands on my face, squeezes my cheeks and proceeds to pull my chin into her mouth. I can't tell if that's her way of giving me a kiss, or if my chin just looks that appetizing. Either way, she hasn't done that until now, so she must be getting smarter. She's also getting taller. She's just over two feet tall now, which puts her in the top half somewhere.
On Tuesday, we are seeing the developmental pediatrician. We still aren't completely sure what these appointments are for, but we are going nonetheless. He helped us figure out how to get some extra lbs. on Addison, so he's definitely good for something. We'll keep you posted on her progress when we find out more. But for now, enjoy the pictures.

Saturday, June 14

Well, Addison turned six months old on Friday. We have officially seen every doctor and specialist that we have been told to see. The eye doctor says that there are no cataracts, and wants us to revisit the tear duct situation at one year. The cardiologist wants us to test Addison's heart again when she turns two years old, and we are getting one more blood test next week to confirm that Addison doesn't have any thyroid problems. She's in the 75th % for height and 70th% for weight, so there's not a concern about her growth. She didn't pass her hearing test last week because she woke up and was grumpy as they were getting the test started. Of course, you would probably be in a bad mood too if you woke up to someone shoving a plastic spoon in your ear.

Addison has changed quite a bit over the last week or so. She is really developing a personality. She's much more aware of her surroundings and certainly much more interested in what's going on around her. When you talk to her, she will respond to you. When I say something to her and I haven't been around in a little while, she gets a huge smile on her face from hearing the sound of my voice, which pretty much makes me feel like the most amazing person on the face of the planet at that moment. I can only imagine that grows with time.

She loves avocados and isn't quite sure about carrots yet, but we're getting there. No matter what the food is, if it's brightly colored going in, it's about the same color on the flip side, which makes for some mild entertainment from time to time (for the person not doing the changing). This is exactly why I want a vent fan in each room of the house. If you have some extras in the house, I'm in the market.

Sunday, June 8

This past week, Addison started eating solids. So far, the solids include rice cereal. If you haven't tried it, don't start now. I've heard it tastes just like you would think...wallpaper paste. After hearing that, I decided it wasn't necessary to try it myself, and based on the look on Addison's face when it touched her tongue, I think that was a wise decision. It's possible that she is warming up to it though.
Most people say that sleeping at night with a baby is a challenge. Nighttime sleep doesn't seem to be a problem for Addison, it's the daytime naps that she has struggled with in the past. However, this past week, I think she's started to find her stride.
We had a glorious weekend! This morning was Addison's baby dedication at church. We had the pleasure of introducing her to the entire church, and they had the opportunity to hear her story. It was a short story, but a good one. She even left the congregation with a little bit of herself before she left the spotlight by spitting up all over the pastor and the floor.
Grammy Alana spent most of the week with Addison before everyone else came for the weekend, and they had a great time together. Grammy and Grans also found a few new outfits that were necessary additions. Very cute!

This week, we have Sooner Start on Wednesday rechecking Addison's hearing. We have an eye doctor appointment on Friday to check for cataracts and figure out if Addison needs surgery on her tear ducts because of their lack of drainability, and we also have the six-month checkup with a whole bunch of shots to boot. So, a busy week for sure. Please pray for all of the above.