Spring has sprung!

Every April, when I see people post pictures on Facebook of their visits to the Tulip Festival in Mt. Vernon, I am reminded that I have ALWAYS wanted to make it up there. Last year (when I was just starting to show off a hot new baby bump) we talked about making the trek, but the craziness of buying a house (and dealing with a less than seamless closing process) took precedent and we missed out.

This year, we made it a priority to get our buns up there with Addison for what we knew would make a great little adventure (with a photo opp to boot). So, on what turned out to be a beautiful sunny Seattle Sunday, we packed the whole fam (Kenai included) into the car (literally PACKED) and made our way to Mt. Vernon. We had a great lunch in La Conner and drove through the fields and fields of tulips. We found the field we liked best and decided to stop for our photo opp.

Despite having a pretty upset little tummy, Addison was a trooper and gave us some great smiles. Auntie Chasie sure knows how to take some pretty perfect pictures!

We are using this as the 28 week pictures (sans sign...) Its too cute not to use!

I definitely won't be winning any parenting awards for these next pictures, but oh well...Addison loved it :) (I swear she had one tiny little lick... ok, maybe two) Ice cream makes everything better, right?

Showering Baby Knox

We all know that Baby Knox is one really lucky little dude (I mean who wouldn't want these two for parents?) but we wanted to show how much we already love him too! Lauren and Jess made their way to Seattle for a baby shower the first weekend in April, which also happened to be Jesse's birthday. We started off the weekend celebrating Baby Knox' proud papa - with a night of beer and bowling. Jess was in hog heaven!

Then we focused our attention on the little man in Lauren's not so little belly ;) She is so teeny that Baby Knox has no where else to grow but OUT!

We had a great group of Jess' family from Prosser, our family from all over the NW and many close family friends. Chasie and Maddie thought it would be fun to have a photo booth where folks could write special notes/words of wisdom to Baby Knox - and boy were they were right! The photo booth was a hit for sure and we have decided that its now a necessity for all family gatherings - we have some great props after all!

Evil mommy...

Ya Pops!



Hot aunties!







Sistas!

Kenai LOVES having his cousin Solo visit



The greatest thing about family gatherings... all the extra cuddles.
Thanks for snuggling Mimi :)

Our big girl! Sitting up like a pro :)

 

A Tisket, A Tasket, I Pooped in Your Easter Basket!

Yes... a funny title for a blog post, but I will explain more later (and no, Addison did not poop in her Easter basket!)

One of the biggest reasons we moved back to the NW was to see family more often and we have been lucky enough to make that a reality the last year and a half - even moreso since Addison arrived. Last Easter we spent a joy-filled day hunting eggs with Paige, Owen and Elliot, celebrating the day with Bob's family in Portland. This year, we hosted three very special ladies - my mom, Chase and Maddie. We went to church, had a delicious brunch, took Addison for her first ride in the swings at the park, did some weeding and had an equally delicious feast for dinner. We LOVED having these wonderful ladies at our home to celebrate Addison's first Easter - thanks for making it so special!

Now about the title... My mom is notorious for finding the most hilarious cards for all occasions. This Easter was no exception! She picked out a special card for each of us, and liked one so much that she bought two - one for Jesse in Montana and one for Maddie. The card had a picture of a bunny on the front with text that read, "A Tisket, A Tasket," and inside, a picture of a basket with jelly beans in it that read, "I pooped in your Easter basket." We all thought it was hilarious and have been saying it ever since so it seemed like a fitting title ;)

Our tulips came out just in time for a family Easter photo

We LOVE having the aunties in town
(Addison is not used to that big ball of fire in the sky so never knows where to look!)

Addison's future school perhaps?

Even Kenai got a treat from the Easter bunny!

Easter brunch with my great-grandmother's Dessert Rose china - seemed very fitting!

Homemade bathrobe from Mama K = AMAZING!

A bit tired for her first swing - she tried to eat it hence the blanket...

Liking it more and more!

An Easter swim in Green Lake - he's still a swimmer after a winter off!

Crafty aunties on Easter Sunday... Chasie made this little series on her phone :)

26 weeks!
No sign = spur of the moment photo opp + a lazy mommy...

Love this face ;)

Half a Year!

Well, we have made it a whole six months as parents! This is quite possibly the fastest half a year I have ever experienced -- I think Addison's growth and constant changes make life seem to go even faster. We go to work in the morning and come home to a whole new baby!

Six month stats (3/28/13):

• Height: 25.5 inches (35th percentile)
• Weight: 15 pounds, 14 ounces (46th percentile) – I guessed this dead on, AGAIN!
• Head circumference: 44.3 cm (94th percentile)

Aside from her obvious growth markers, Addison is developing in other ways too... She is a rolling machine. Front to back, back to front, she makes her way across the floor quite quickly. Oftentimes we will lay her down in the center of her room and before we know it, she is shoved up against her dresser or bookshelf. This also translates into her sleeping arrangements. Most mornings we find Addison smushed in the corner of her crib with her little arms reaching through the slats in her crib,  laughing and cooing. Lately, we have been finding her on her belly, in a corner, with her arms flailing about. She is definitely a wiggle worm!

Addison is also eating in her high chair. When we started feeding her "solids" we tried putting her in the bumbo seat, which she was not into - AT ALL. She arched her back and squirmed all around so we had to feed in our laps. We transitioned her to the high chair and she seems to like it.

No more swaddle! Once Addison starting rolling from back to tummy pretty consistently, we decided to try a night without swaddling her (a Friday night of course, just in case...) She did great and that was the end of the swaddle!

Addison decided that she is no longer a consistent napper. She is usually pretty good in the mornings, but afternoons are a free for all. Mama K (my mom) tries to put her down most afternoons and she sleeps for 15-20 minutes and then is good to go until bedtime. To each their own I suppose!

Loves at SIX months:
- Bananas and mangoes! We have tried lots more food, but these two are definitely her favorites!
- Being outside. During our random two weeks of nicer Seattle days (2 weekends included!), Bob and I would come home to find Addison and Mama K sitting outside on the front porch eagerly awaiting our arrival. Which brings me to her next love...
- Looking out the front window. When not outside waiting for us, Mama K and Addison love to sit in the living room, peeking out the front window. It is so fun to walk up to the house and see her adorable little smile... melts my heart!
- The exersaucer... most of the time. Addison likes to do most activities for bursts of time and the exersaucer is no exception. She has figured out how to work most of the "stations" and keeps herself pretty entertained. Its crazy to see how much her level of activity in the exersaucer has changed in the last couple of months.
- Her doggie. Still. She thinks he is amazing and smiles every time she sees him.

Her new sleeping position...

 

 

Starting early ;)

Helping in the kitchen!

Snapchat on her way to drop her aunties off at the airport!

She LOVES her doggie...

My favorite picture of Addison to date. Love this girl!