Angels

ok, so I know this is a strange title, especially when you realize what I'm writing about. And...this is an extra long post with two more to follow...so forgive me for rambling in advance!

Addie and I flew (for Addie's very 1st time) to Kentucky to visit our friends, the Millers (John, Julie, and Savannah). Paul dropped me off in Atlanta at my aunt's (Nana's) house Sunday afternoon. Nana took Addie and me to the airport Monday morning...

So angels you ask...? It's amazing to realize how God so carefully orchestrates things, even as trivial as making traveling with a 5 month old a tad easier by the people He places in your path:

My aunt for starters: had us up and out the door with fruit and snacks packed neatly away and headed for coffee to keep me going, "parked" at the drop off curb to get us unloaded, found the "bag guy" to come pick up my HUGE bag, not to mention the fact that she drove all the way to the airport to drop us off in the first place (and came back on Friday to meet us and return Addie's car seat and pack-n-play)!

The bag guy: my bag was over the weight limit by 5-6 lbs; I grabbed a few things out and he "let us go" even though it was still a bit overweight.

Our 1st seat mate: was returning home from visiting her grandbabies so she was more than happy to sit next to us on the plane, she kept telling me not to worry if Addie cried a little (and she did on the way up!).

The random pilot: who happened to be getting food where I was frantically trying to grab something before boarding in Detroit to head to the Cincinnati airport, I knew I was cutting it close...but 2 minutes? yup, that's what he came back and reported, followed by...

The gate attendant who wanted to see if I needed any help and didn't even make me show my boarding pass because my hands were so full (2 bags, a cooler, a drink, a "to go" box, oh, and a baby!). I asked her if they were going to leave me, and she said no, that they couldn't leave without her :)

The flight attendant on our 2nd flight: (where we got two seats to ourselves...whew!) who briefed me on how to fly with a baby (holding her upright, supporting her head and spine) and gave us our "1st flight" certificate (and wings!)

The lady across the aisle: who held my drink so I could situate things as we taxied out to the runway.

some observations about airlines:
-airplane bathrooms (northwest at least, not delta) have changing tables that fold down, which take approximately 14 pieces of toilet tissue to cover in order to place the changing pad and baby on it
-most flight attendants are pretty nice
-it's ridiculous that some (soon to be all probably) airlines want us to pay $3 for airplane pretzels/trail mix/peanuts (my Sam's trail mix is much tastier and much cheaper!!!) ...but oh those Delta biscotti cookies are yummy!
-drinks are still free (but that's it)

some observations about traveling with an infant:
-there are still some REALLY kind people in this world!
-a mother sees EVERY sweet smile (we think she's darling too) and every scowl (in hopes that my baby 1) won't be on their flight and 2) won't be seated next to them!)
-take a stroller (the baby carrier worked great...but the bags were tough to carry with it!)
-use a backpack or rolling bag...limit what you actually carry on your shoulder/s
-take hand sanitizer (but make sure it's in your little quart size "baggie" so the TSA security lady doesn't scold you!)
-it is possible to go potty while holding a baby and manage not to touch anything!

Upon arriving at the Cincinnati airport (which, mind you, is actually in Northern Kentucky), we waited and waited for our bag. Finally, I found someone to ask who quickly informed me that if it was "oversized" (not overweight!) that it'd be along the back wall. The reason being that it would "clog" up the belts, backing up bags along the way. Now where is THAT written!??! Nowhere! So how am I supposed to know that..? Well, since one of my side jobs is reading minds, I suppose that's how. But apparently carrying approximately 35 pounds in hand (18lbs of that being a baby!), I was unable to use my super power! (off on a tangent again!) Well...it wasn’t along the wall...so we proceeded to the "all knowing" computer that told us it hadn’t actually made my connecting flight in Detroit and would be arriving in 2 hrs. (so thus explaining why my bag was NOT along the "oversized" wall that was labeled so clearly!) That's not something you want to tell a mother carrying a (by now sleeping) 5 month old who'd been traveling now for approximately 8 hours...that the delivery service, upon picking it up, would have 6 hours (actually 8, as the surly lady I talked to later who'd "done this for years" informed me) to deliver the bag. So at 8pm when we called, and the bags hadn't even been processed...we opted to have them hold it so our doorbell wouldn't ring at 4am! But...being the "world traveler" that I am (not!), I had in hand (on shoulder) all meds, extra baby clothes, bottles, toys, a plethora of diapers, food, my all important camera, burp clothes, wipes...all except the diaper rash cream that I was certain the TSA would think was bomb making material. Maybe that's why my carry ons weighed me down so much! So...we borrowed a tiny shirt from Savannah and pjs for me from Julie, survived the night and picked up my bag the next morning!

and the final angels...
the Northwest attendant: who, although he called me sweetie one too many times, did keep my bag, label it, and hold it for us until morning.

and last but not least...Julie, who circled with Savannah for close to an hour waiting for us to figure out what happened to my bag!

oh...and I can’t forget the scales: on the way back, my bag weighed EXACTLY 50.0 pounds...the max it could weigh without me having to 1.) take something out and carry it or 2.) pay a "measly" $50 because it was a few pounds overweight!

Isn't God good!!!

leaving Kentucky

:( We'll miss Julie, Savannah, and John!!!

we made it...in Atlanta

my sweet aunt Nana who took GREAT care of us!

...and if you've made it down this far, more posts to come about our Kentucky visit followed by our visit to Augusta :)

Poor Miles

Ok, so this blog is supposed to be about Addie. So here's a picture I took of her right after she had fallen asleep and right before I took the next picture.

A little history: Miles is our almost 15 year old diabetic cat. She takes insulin shots twice a day, requires special food, and more frequent vet visits than the other animals (usually) to check her levels. Overall though, she's a fairly low maintenance, easy going cat! She was our 1st baby!

Well, last night, she started having trouble closing her mouth, her tongue was hanging out, and we were afraid she was having a seizure or going into diabetic shock (or something like that). Well, after some poking and prodding, we realized her top two canine teeth were loose and preventing her from closing her mouth (hence her trying to use her tongue to move her teeth back into place).

Now...I've had my fair share of teeth pulled...4 on the top, 4 on the bottom, and 4 wisdom teeth (but I think those were cut out). As a child, I hated the way the gas smelled, so I breathed out of my mouth (and only got that local shot; yes, it hurt!). Needless to say, when I got my wisdom teeth out, I literally inhaled the gas they gave me! Hmmmm, I'm digressing now...

So...this morning, I called the vet and took Miles in. Dr. Armstrong was afraid to sedate her because of her age (and she's diabetic). He didn't even want to give her a block (I think that's a technical term for a local injection to ease the pain). So...he pulled both of her upper canine teeth out without any anesthesia or sedation. I told Paul last night to just give me the pliers, and I could do that just fine. (much cheaper and just as effective!) But given the fact that I lack both a veterinary and dental degree (and I have to live with this cat), he encouraged me not to.

Well, I decided that at least for now she deserved to be able to stay on Addie's changing table for the night...don't you think?

5 Months Old

we LOVE bath time now!

I remember texting my best friend Diane right after Addie was born and telling her that I didn't think I could love anything more than I loved Addie right then. Well, as time has gone on, that love has only become more intense for Paul and me with Addie. It's truly amazing how such a little girl can totally capture you're heart!

It's all of a sudden been 5 months since Addie was born. In one way, it seems like yesterday; in another way, it seems like she's always been a part of our lives! Every morning (and sometimes in the middle of the night) when Addie wakes up, I thank God that she's a part of our lives!

i LOVE how she's looking up at Paul here. They were both in their green (and pink).

A "few" things we've observed over the past "5" months:

1-way she likes to roll

2-ways she CAN roll...but won't!

3-new foods (rice cereal, apple sauce, and sweet potatoes)
4-fingers in her mouth most of the time
5-favorite noises (geeeeeee, pwwwww (raspberry), thwwwww (tongue out raspberry), ohhhhohhhhh, and a fabulous screeching scream!)

1-lovey she has at all times
2-hands successfully discovered

3-minutes she'll stay in her bumbo :/
4-toys hanging from her car seat (that she loves to grab!)
5-times 3 minutes (that'd be about 15 minutes) max in the jumpy jump (but growing!)

1-tongue to make noises

2-legs that stay in the air (now being grabbed by her hands)
3-animal's fur she's managed to grab and pull out already

4-new baby friends (Will, Bennett, Cady, and Charlie (and Gracie, but she's a "big girl"))
5-Olympic events she "watched" or slept through (gymnastics, swimming, rowing, both types of volleyball, and biking/running...ok, so that's more than 5, but oh well!)

some things we've learned about ourselves (that may or may not have to do with our 5 month old):
1-stay-at-home mom does not = a clean house
2-burp clothes are necessary at all times
3-times 10 (that'd be 30) minute naps don't allow you to get much done
4-times 2 (that'd be 8) hour sleeps are becoming more frequent occurrences around here!
5-"neglected" animals needing more attention

"get in my mouth!"

1-tank of gas doesn't get you very far
2-hour movie is a great break
3-errands are too many to run with a 5 month old! you pay for it later!
4-arms (mine and Paul's) that are MUCH stronger from holding Addie as she stands and jumps ...and jumps ...and jumps!
5-times a billion (that'd be 5,000,000,000...i think) pictures of your child still isn't enough

Look What I Found!

Well...Addie has officially found her FEET! Mainly her left one...she's been grabbing things with her feet for weeks now and reaching for her legs; but yesterday she actually grabbed her foot, and she hasn't let go since! It must have something to do with how inquisitive she's become as well as how focused she is on grabbing things with both hands now. I'm sure her feet will be in her mouth (like everything else) before we know it!

Diapers and Dogs

So what is it, you ask? Yes, this is one of many diapers our dog Abbey has destroyed. We knew even before we had Addie that this would be a problem. You see, Abbey loves to tear up paper. We've lost important papers, receipts, and whole rolls of toilet paper and paper towels. With Mollie, we knew we'd have to look out for Addie's stuffed animals/toys. We've managed to keep all of those in one piece...Mollie just goes for the burp clothes and dirty clothes. She literally eats them. :/ And both of them love pacifiers...we lost another one just today!

Well, it started out with Abbey figuring out how to get the diapers out of the diaper thingy hanging from Addie's changing table. We got rid of that, and she discovered that when we packed for a trip, she could find a plethera of diapers in the top of the suitcase. We started zipping that up when we packed. And then there's the diaper bag that periodically gets dropped on the floor when I've got too much in my hands. We're even guilty of not "turning over" the diaper champ after changing a middle of the night diaper, and she always seems to catch us in the act! Most of the diapers she's destroyed have been new/unused diapers. In a way, that makes me furious because it's like she's tearing up money. In another way, it's good. These are much harder (and yuckier) to clean up! Apparently there are these little bits of something that provides absorbency that make it impossible to get everything off the floor without a vacuum cleaner!

Unfortunately, this one was not new. After a very messy dinner, I laid Addie in her bed, undressed her, took her diaper off, and quickly scooped her up to make it to the bathroom for her bath without any accidents. I left the diaper laying in her bed. Apparently, our "counter surfing" dog can also surf cribs and grab anything she wants. After the bath, I came back in to this...

Hmmm...I guess that's one more place we won't be leaving diapers! Not to fear though, Addie is safe in her crib. Abbey loves Addie, so all she does is prop her paws on the side of the crib and watch her sweetly. Not so fortunate for the diapers.

"Old" Samford Pi Kapp Friends

Tuesday night, we drove to Birmingham to visit Adam, Karen, and Charlie; Jason, Sarah, and Gracie; and Chad, Mandy, and Cady (who were in town from North Carolina)! All the guys were Pi Kappa Phi's at Samford, oh, let's just say a "few" years ago. Chad and Paul actually roomed together their freshman year.

Gracie is about 2 and a half, Addie is almost 5 months, and Charlie and Cady are 11 weeks. It was really interesting to see what 2 months of fast track baby growth does: at least 5 lbs, a diaper size (almost two), a few more smiles, more vocalizing, and a lot more standing up and jumping around! But they all still managed to take a cat nap here and there! It was really fun to see everyone and their precious little ones!

One of the most ironic things about the night, is that 1.) we all got in touch with each other over facebook and 2.) we sat around talking about how Adam was the only one of us without a facebook page and really needs one. Whoever thought that we would be 1.) using facebook and 2.) talking about it over dinner! Ah...maybe we aren't all so "old" after all.

the mommies: Mandy with Cady, Karen with Charlie, Sarah with Gracie, and me with Addie
Check out Gracie holding Addie's hand...such a sweet helper!

they put the little ones together (they are only a day apart in age), but Addie had to get in on the fun! she was somewhat "supportive" of her new friends...

...and at other times, a little less tolerant!
Gracie was so patient with all the babies! I love how Cady is studying Gracie's hand while Charlie is just chilling and then there's Addie straining and stretching to free herself!

might i lick your head, Charlie?

why of course you may kiss my arm!
(watch out Will and Ryan, you've got some competition now! ;)

Laughing!

Well, you've heard Addie laugh before...but this is more of a laugh than anything we've ever heard! I was throwing the ball to my mom's dog, Sydney (yes, in the house), and Addie starts cracking up every time Syd would bring me the ball.

Sydney

All Sydney was doing was running back and forth panting (you can hear her) and sitting (when I'd make her), but Addie apparently thought that 4 legged black and white thing was hilarious!

Addie and Syd
(click to view)

What's That?

Well, since starting cereal (which, by the way, has become more of a success every day, especially after we switched to mixing with water instead of formula (thank you Allison!!!)), Addie has discovered her tongue. Now, don't get me wrong. She actually discovered her tongue 2 months ago...but now she's discovered that in addition to moving it and making raspberry noises with it, she can stick it all the way out of her mouth and touch her chin (or the top of the outfit she's wearing). It totally changes the way she talks (try it!), and we're now waking up to "tha tha tha" instead of "bah bah bah" every morning! It's quite cute!

So...in an attempt to get a video of her doing it before it becomes old news, I also got a video of her ...well, i'll let you see! We'll make sure to pull this one out when she's older!

Take 1

Take 2

Rice Cereal...

Ok...so we did it. I didn't want to...why? I don't know. I guess it's going to be one of the many times when we realize our baby is growing up. It's only just beginning...

With a diagnosis of reflux, Addie's pediatrician suggested that we start her on rice cereal once a day to help things "stick" better and come back up less! We tried it for the first time Wednesday night. It wasn't bad...just very messy! We tried again tonight...and it was much more of a success! I think more went down than out this time! She actually seemed to enjoy it! (see the video below) Paul took some great pictures and here are a few...

(you can click on the collage above to see the pictures bigger)

"oooooh, let's see if I can spit it at you!"

"Just see how much you can catch as I spit it out!!!"
(our 4 month old definitely looks like she has a comb-over!)

we did get a few great smiles! :)

Video
(click to view)
It's actually a little freaky to me with "the hand" and spoon coming out of nowhere! The dogs were just dying to get their noses (or mouths) into the bowl/spoon. I'm having to concentrate extra hard to 1) hold the camera, 2) get the spoon in her mouth while she's jumping around, and 3) keep the dogs out of it! Maybe I can still multi-task? She's obviously excited about something...but I'm doubting it's the cereal! :)
(i am officially asking for a digital video camera for Christmas...sorry this is so shaky!)