Tues, September 30

I’m not sure how, but Addison gets to be more fun every day. She loves playing with her house lately. She sits in front of the door and pushes it open, then closed, open, then closed, open, then closed. This is very enjoyable for Wes and me as well, because it, of course, makes noises every time the door moves. Imagine that lady (you know, the electronic one on all the toys) saying “hellogoodbyelet’splayseeyalaterhellogoodbletsplseeyalatehelgoodhellogoodbylet’splay” She’s gotta be exhausted.
This picture illustrates a few things. #1-This is why Mommy usually picks out the clothes. Wes kept Addison the other day while I was working, so he was the one who put her to bed. When I got her out of her crib the next morning, this is what she was wearing. Okay-Wes deserves a little credit- so she was just going to bed. I just thought it was funny. #2- She really does look cute no matter what she’s wearing! (Can you imagine waking up this happy every morning?)
Addison and I have gotten to spend a little more time together lately, and it’s been a blast. (Doesn't she look like she's winking?) She’s been working on getting up on her hands and knees, but those darn knees keep sliding out from under her. She’s also started imitating motor movements (like banging the rattle on a ball). This is an important step for developing speech later on. Today she was holding my hands and clapping them together, so I was trying to get her to clap hers. When I’d say, “Addison’s turn,” she’d put her hands straight out in front of her with her fingers stretched out and palms together, and would wait for me to clap them together. Too cute!

Weds, September 17

I know some of you are anxious to see beach pictures- Mom- so I didn’t want to delay in getting these pictures posted. Addison absolutely LOVED the beach! Everytime a wave would come up over her feet she’d get so excited and start kicking and laughing.
She had a great time playing with her cousins, Matt and Ethan, and the rest of the family. We decided this week that Addison needs to spend more time around older kids. She was so enthralled by them and everything they did. They were good buddies by the end of the week.

Addison also turned 9 months old last week, which means it's time for another picture with the bear. She knows now that when the camera is pointed at her, she’s supposed to smile. It’s pretty funny. She had her 9 month check-up today, and was off the DS growth chart on her weight (but off the high end this time). The doctor mentioned that so far her Down’s seems pretty mild, and this may just be an indicator that her physical features are mild as well. All encouraging things to hear. Down’s or not, we know that she is on the severe end of cute and lovable!

Tuesday, Sept 2

We have been quite the travelling family lately. It has been difficult to some extent, but it has been wonderful! We were in Boston a couple of weeks ago and thought we could include a picture of Addison's first trip to Fenway Park

This weekend, we were in Waco with the Jumper family. We had a great time and took some fun pictures while we were there. It's neat to see the family growing
Addison is teething, so she is drooling all over herself. However, she has been much more social lately. There have been several occassions when she has been flirting with people who come up to her and talk. The drool all over her face doesn’t seem to interfere with the flirting for now, so I guess it’s ok. She's pretty laid back for a little baby and mostly easy to please as long as she gets her food and her sleep when she wants it. We may be getting spoiled, but we'll take it for now. Rach went to her first FLIP meeting today. FLIP stands for Family Learning & Intervention Program, and is associated with the Little Light House. For those families whose children are on the waiting list, FLIP is a monthly meeting to bring us up to speed on how the school works and gives Addison the chance to see what a class is going to be like. The parents meet and learn about things we can be doing to help our children develop while they are waiting to attend school. Since there is a two-year waiting list, and the first two years are the most critical times for kids to soak up information, we are glad to be attending. If any of you are therapists, we would love to hear from you, too. That is, for Addison’s sake. I’m way past the point of any effective therapeutic help.