2 YEARS old (25mo)

We started off this month visiting my parents/family in NY for 13 days.  Stephen joined us the first week and then Addison and I stayed on for the 2nd.  Our days were spent swimming at Great Grandpa and Grandmas house, lunch at the beach, napping in the afternoon and then other activities in the evening from Pool fun, Campground playground, Rodeos, petting zoos, Ice cream, train rides, a family fun night that included a bouncy house, boat rides and a movie night!  We had lots of fun days, filled with visits from friends that made the beach all around a lot more fun.  Addison took to the water like a champ. We could not believe how completely fearless she was and before we knew she would be out neck deep.  Yes, I want her to not have a "Fear" of the water, but I want her to understand that it can hurt you.  But she was our "Little Fish" as I would call her!!  Making naptime a breeze, as she would be so worn out from the sun and swimming.  Its our days visiting that make me wish I lived in NY and could offer her all the fun memories I had growing up, but she will make her own memories and that's life!!   Hard to come home, but yet at the same time, missing Stephen and ready to get back to normal.

We came home to Addison starting back at Jens Place Childcare!  Jen was an answer to prayer, as Addison had been with Jen from 4mo -19mo and it was a hard adjustment when she let Addison go, but God   reopened the doors back at Jens and we could not be happier.  Addison is doing wonderful and Jen even seems to think Addison remembers her.  Addison now calls her "Nenny" as she cant seem to get out the "J" for Jen, calling for her the whole ride to her house and getting super excited as we pull in.  Jen started Addison off on a cot, which had me EXTREMELY nervous, but she seems to understand that she cannot get off!!  I guess only time will tell.  All around though we could not be happier with Addisons adjustment back to Jen and just that there was a spot back there for her!!

All around Addison is just fulling turning into a little girl and really walking away from her baby years.  She is so aware of what is going on around her and understands so much.  She is constantly amazing us with what she knows and understands!!  She is talking like crazy now.  Repeating us constantly and even saying words we didnt even know she could say.  We can actually at times have conversations, bc there is an understanding.  She learned her first 2 separate words while we were in NY and I could not be prouder.  YES, she could say 2 words but they were always the same.. beep beep, bye bye, zoom zoom, tickle tickle, but she put 2 separate words together and I could not be more prouder than to say they were "Yes, Please", she also learned, bye bye ducks and bye bye boat and I believe she is saying "Dont want too"... haha!! It sounds very much like it and it usually comes out when it is something she clearly doenst want to do!!  We have learned a lot about her personality.  Addison is a very shy at first child, once warmed up she is full of smiles, laughs and just all around chatter.  She is very independent, strong willed and fearless.  She loves other children and loves to play with them.  She is fearless and motivated by what other children are doing around her.. If they can do it, she can do it and she will figure it out.  She loves to look at books, magazines and her all out favorite is to look at pictures.  Pictures of herself or of people she knows.  She is our little lover.. loves to give hugs and kisses and will now say "Mua" after she kisses you.  She loves to snuggle and sit on your lap, she loves girly things, dolls, stuffed animals, makeup, beads, haha! Its like she is super girly yet has a tom-boy attitude, as she is so fearless.  Another super sweet thing is her love for singing and how much she enjoys singing with you.  She doesnt know all the words, but she knows important words to the songs and its soo sweet!  Her favorite song seems to be Jesus loves me... truly melts my hear to hear her sing it over and over..

Our biggest struggle this month has been the paci.  We never really had a problem with it.  She was not a baby that relied on it.  Yes, she would use it at naps and bedtime and even this past year, she knew she got it  at naps and bedtime, but this month it has full out become an issue.  She thinks she needs it ALL the time, making matters worse, she has learned the word.  So she screams, calls for it.  She knows she only gets it at naps and bedtime yet she struggles so much with letting it go.  Wondering how at this point, I am ever go to drop the paci!!

Still working on the Potty training.  I will run the bath and then put her on it. IF I say do you have to pee she will push like she needs to pop, she clearly is not comprehending the potty.. haha!!  and now as soon as I get her off the potty, I have to quick put her in the bath or she will pee all over the floor... .really not grasping this concept!! HAHA!! However this month she now will all of a sudden hold herself when she pees and if she poops she will tell you and run to the changing table.  So we are getting somewhere.

I wanted to say that I personally decided to stop charting her.  I used to chart everything she did!  While it was extremely helpful it was something that controlled me.  I decided that the day she turned 2 I was done charting, as her birthday was on a Sunday and that started a new week.  LOL!  I still chart in my head, but I no longer feel controlled by this charting.  It was hard at first to let go, but I felt so controlled by it, like someone would look at it and think, oh wow, your daughter only slept this long or your daughter ate that and I realized it wasn't worth it. The pressure of no charting has eased my life in so many ways.

This month has just been all around fun, great memories and I could not be happier or feel more blessed with all that God has given us!!  Addison has made my life complete!!

2 YEARS old

Is it possible our little girl is 2 years old!!  Where did the time go? Our month has been filled with preparing for our little girls Birthday and we have stayed very busy.  Hersheypark water park fun,  Visit from Gandpa and Grandma, Owens (best Buddies) birthday and just good old summer fun!!

Our little girl is talking more and more every day... its like she started and hasnt stopped!!  and every week she tells us another word!! She constantly amazes us with how much and how quickly she is learning!!  Naps are still our day to day struggle!!  After books had been advised several times, I finally decided to bite the bulltet and try books in the crib!!  Since I have only been doing this a week now, I can see it has made a major difference and really calmed her down!! I tried the CIO method again for 5 days last week and I was at my witts end!!  CIO did not work the way it had before and I was seriously thinking Naps might need to be dropped as I was running out of steam and energy! But after a hard lesson I had to learn, I finally decided that I really needed to work on my patience and try out something different and well... books its is!!  Once again, I am amazed at how well Addison responded to the books and she has finally stopped fighting the naps!!  For NOW!! haha!! Ask me next month!!

We have started to work on the "Potty Training" haha!! well kind of.  Nana and Poppa bought her one we dont over push her, as everything we have read said to ease into it, but we do encourage her to use it. She can say Pee and Poop and understands that she should Pee and Poop on the potty, yet I cannot seem to get her to Pee on the potty. lol!! So it is a work in progress!!!

Addison was let go from her daycare this month and once again made us sit back and ponder if I should be a stay-at-home mom.  This came at such a happy time in our little girls life, as she was celebrating her 2nd birthday.  Hard to be strong and not allow fears to take over, but we were confidant that God would show us what his plan was for both Addison and us.

The highlight of the month.. Addison turned 2.  Ice cream party with lots of outdoor fun!  Family and special friends came to help make Addison's day soo special!! Pool, bouncy house, sprinkler and fun new toys, along with cake pops and ice cream sundaes were the highlight for our little girl!!

Addison has continued to fill our hearts with so much loye and laughter as she becomes more and more her own little individual!  Just full of life ... loves to give hugs and kisses, just constantly overwhelming our hearts as she learns new things and new words.  YES, being a mother of a 2 year old has its days! Addison is very strong-willed, determined, independent child, but such a love for life and she has filled our hearts with such laughter and happiness!

22/23 Months

So I have been really bad at blogging!!  I kept thinking I would sit down and type it all up and the months kind of got away from me, as I was in my busiest season at work and nights came and all I wanted to do was crawl into bed!!

Luckily I wrote stuff down and even though I cant fully remember everything that happened, I have some special and hard lessions that I had to learn on this journey of "Motherhood"during this time.

22 Months

Apirl - SPRING!!!  This month was an all around great month for Addison.  We moved Addison out of her highchair into a big girl chair at the table and she now officially sits with us at the table for meals... I know she really feels like a BIG girl as she sits right at the "head of the table"  lol!!

After months of fighting for naps and then a week of fighting me at bedtime too...I finally did several LONG days of CIO one lasting 2 plus hours!! But that was it ...after that it was like something clicked and she has finally stopped fighting us for naps!!  This has been a really hard year...lots of changes, adjustments and just learning for her and for me... the biggest thing has been learning patience with naps!! But I was encouraged to try out the CIO method and for now it seems to have worked and I am soo happy!!  No more screaming, yelling, throwing things out of bed, YES, she stilll chatters a bit, but I think i finally got through to her!!  haha!! For NOW!!

She is still not talking a ton, no where near the rest of the kids her age, which is hard as a parent!! You feel like you have done something wrong ... Why is she not up to speed like the rest of the kids her age!!  However, she has learned the sign for please and it has made a world of a difference in knowing what she wants!!!  YES, everything is still No, when clearly she means yes, but her sign for Please has helped us in getting a little clearer of an answer. She also signs "More" when she would like more of something.  Please and More are her to very clear signs that we fully know what she is saying.. and it was exciting to see her learn them and understand them.  She has also learned where Eyes, Nose, Ears, Mouth, hands and toes are!! She will even say "Nose" as she points to it!  She has also learned "Choo Choo" for the train!! Now whenever we hear or see the train, she will give us an automatic.. Choo Choo!!Her BIG word of the month though.. was 2!! If you ask her how old is she going to be.. she will tell you!! 2!!  ITS SOOO CUTE!!!! Currently working on showing fingers.. but for now.. she will answer you and tell you how old she is going to be!!

Addison cut 4 teeth this month, all four of her "Eye" teeth as  they call them.  So She now looks like she has a full set of teeth in there!! And I am happy to report that she is finally really growing some hair!! lol!! Our little bald baby is finally getting hair!!  And I have really noticed that she now works with you to get dressed.. haha! She will actually try to dress herself!!

My parents visited this month for Easter and Addison had a GREAT time.  We did an Easter Egg hunt with Owen and I have to say it was hysterical watching the different personalities!!  Addison fully grasped that she was to go pick them up and she was on a MISSION to get them all in her bag.. worked out, as Owen was more interested in the outside toys!  So no arguments!!

23Months

This was a special month for us, as Addison finally started really saying "Words". She had been saying a few words here and there, but compared to most kids her age, she just wasnt there.  Finally the week before Mothers day It was like our little girl finally found her voice and really started grasping what we were saying and repeating back to us!!  It made it even more fun, as we were able to visit with my parents and brother and have them hear all her new words and even try out new words!! Everything is still No, when asked a question, however we are now starting to get a nod of a head for Yes!!  She is also now finally saying Please with her sign, however it does come out "Peas" but soo sweet!  She has also learned where Eyes, Nose, Ears, Mouth, hands and toes are!! She will even say "Nose" as she points to it!

Our biggest challenge this month, was after a month and half of finally not fighting for naps, Addison decided to start fighting them again.  It was really hard this time!!  I felt that Feb and March were nightmares for naptime and I thought we had finally gotten it all under control!! OH No I was in for a BIG surprise as naptime once again, became a major issue.  SCREAMING, Yelling, throwing everything out of her bed ..no matter what I did, she would just full out fight me for almost 2 hours before finally caving and passing out!!  Still not sure.. what we are going to do... but what I do know.... you really start to question if naptime is worth it!!

Addison has finally started to give kisses along with her hugs ..no sounds, but she leans in and will kiss you! Soo sweet!  You can say, can you give a hug bye and she will walk right over and give hugs!! She will also say Bye Bye!! Soo cute and sweet and I feel soo proud of her every time she does it!! A big thing this month was I finally decided to push her to drop her bottle!! Yes, I am a horrible mother, my daughter is a month away from being 2 and I still let her have her bottle in the AM and before BED.  I started with the AM and after a week of her not even noticing I dropped the PM. This was a little harder, as she then did not want it and would hand me the cup back.  Since my daughter has not always been the best Milk drinker and knowing that she still needed to have a little more milk in her, I then resorted to soft top sippies for about 2 weeks before finally getting frustrated as she just kept biting them to death and then milk was leaking everywhere! But I am happy to report she adjusted fine when I tried with the hard top and we are officially out of bottles!!

Our days are mostly spent outside now.. she LOVES to be outside.. screaming to be out there! Thankful we have a fence!!  Now to just get a cover for the patio!!